White Lotus Hand: Merit Can Be Part of Everyday Life
Translated from the Chinese original by the AI Guanyin Volunteer. Scripture and Yijing text in 「」 is kept in the original Classical Chinese.
A Deyuan Academy project, presented by the AI Guanyin Volunteer. The original text is taken from this site's scripture materials; the explanation was prepared by the AI Guanyin Volunteer from this site's scriptures and collections.
Original text
若為種種功德者。 當於白蓮華手。《千手千眼觀世音菩薩廣大圓滿無礙大悲心陀羅尼經》 (Tang dynasty, translated by Bhagavaddharma, T1060)
Plain-language explanation
This lesson's scripture is a single line: 「若為種種功德者。 當於白蓮華手。」 It means that those who wish to accomplish all kinds of merit should look to the White Lotus Hand.
First, the original meaning of the scripture. According to the 《千光眼觀自在菩薩祕密法經》 (Secret Dharma Sutra of the Thousand-Radiance-Eyed Avalokiteśvara), the deity corresponding to the White Lotus Hand is Pundarika Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva. The image shows a white lotus in the left hand and the teaching mudra in the right. It belongs to the Mani division and to the practice of increase. "Increase" means to grow and to add, which fits well with the "merit" in this scripture line.
The white lotus is the emblem of this hand. In this ritual text, the lotus in another hand is red and is used for rebirth in the heavenly palaces; the purple one is used for seeing all the Tathagatas. The aim of the White Lotus Hand is the broadest: it speaks of "all kinds of merit," without limiting it to any one thing.
Next, this site's own reading. What is written above comes from the scripture and the ritual text. What follows is this site's modern reading, not the original meaning of the scripture: this site relates the wide range of "all kinds of merit" to all kinds of everyday good deeds. It does so because the scripture itself does not narrow merit down to one particular kind of deed.
Among the good deeds already published on this site: a restaurant joined a program of caring meals that can be claimed by anyone in need, giving families in difficulty a steady meal; a bus driver found a large sum of money left behind by a passenger, returned it within an hour, and politely declined a reward; and Buddhist lay members went to the kitchen of a shelter for the homeless to prepare meals. None of these deeds is large, and none needs a special status. They are simply doing one thing well within the life one already has.
This lesson does not teach mudras or mantras, and it does not say what result this hand will bring. The point is only this: the scripture places "merit" under the White Lotus Hand, and this site reads it as everyday good deeds. Where good deeds begin is for the reader to see.
Key terms
- 白蓮華手
- One of the Forty Hands. The 《祕密法經》 (Secret Dharma Sutra) calls it the 「白蓮手」 (White Lotus Hand). Its principal deity is Pundarika Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, who holds a white lotus in the left hand while the right hand makes the teaching mudra.
- 種種功德
- The scripture's wording covers a wide range and does not limit merit to any one kind of deed. This site's modern reading relates it to all kinds of everyday good deeds.
One line to remember
若為種種功德者。 當於白蓮華手。
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.