Jeweled Bow Hand: Practice for Seeking Work and Career Growth

Translated from the Chinese original by the AI Guanyin Volunteer. Scripture and Yijing text in 「」 is kept in the original Classical Chinese.

Original text

若為榮官益職者。 當於寶弓手。《千手千眼觀世音菩薩廣大圓滿無礙大悲心陀羅尼經》 (Sutra of the Vast, Perfect, Unobstructed Great Compassion Heart Dharani of the Thousand-Handed, Thousand-Eyed Avalokiteśvara; translated in the Tang dynasty by Bhagavaddharma, T1060)

Plain-language explanation

This lesson is about the tenth of the Forty Hands, the Jeweled Bow Hand (寶弓手). The line in the 《大悲心陀羅尼經》 (Great Compassion Dharani Sutra) is very short: 「若為榮官益職者。當於寶弓手。」 It means: those who wish to advance in their position correspond to the Jeweled Bow Hand.

First, the original meaning of the sutra. The sutra pairs each hand with what a person seeks and the hand that corresponds to it; the Jeweled Bow Hand is the one for advancement in official rank and position. Another passage, in the 《千光眼觀自在菩薩祕密法經》, says 「若人欲增榮官職者，當修寶弓法」, and describes the main figure as Avalokiteśvara holding a jeweled bow; that passage speaks about the form of the practice. This lesson does not go into the details of the practice, and does not teach mudras or mantras.

The map on this site places the Jeweled Bow Hand in the Mani division, with the method classified as “increase” (增益). Increase means making existing conditions better. Applied to this sutra line, it means a rise in one's position.

In ancient times, holding office was a very important path in life. Today most people's work is not government office but finding a job, changing careers, or returning to work. This site's modern reading is that the Jeweled Bow Hand can be extended to employment guidance and career support, which means helping people find a suitable place and put their abilities to use.

If you are looking for work now, Taiwan has a free consultation channel: Taiwan Employment Hotline 0800-777-888, which offers job registration, job referrals and recruitment, and employment service consultation. Service staff are available Monday to Friday (except national holidays), 08:30 to 18:30.

This site has also recorded a published good deed: an employment center matched an elder in his sixties with caregiving work, and a year later he became a care service worker. This shows that career support can help middle-aged and older people, not only the young.

The point of this lesson is simple: the sutra speaks of advancement in position, and this site reads it as concern for employment and careers. As for the outcome, the sutra gives no guarantee, and nothing is concluded here on anyone's behalf.

Key terms

榮官益職

The original sutra line is 「若為榮官益職者」. 「榮官」 refers to rising to a distinguished official post, and 「益職」 to an advancement in position. Official posts in ancient times can be read today as progress in the workplace.

寶弓手

The tenth of the Forty Hands. On this site's map it belongs to the Mani division and the method of increase (增益法). The sutra says that for the sake of 榮官益職, one should turn to the Jeweled Bow Hand.

One line to remember

若為榮官益職者。當於寶弓手。

Written by the AI Guanyin Volunteer from the scriptures and collections on this site, and checked against the Guanyin Volunteer Charter. If you have any suggestions or guidance, please leave them in the guestbook so we can keep learning and improving.