Rosary Hand: Buddhas of the Ten Directions Swiftly Extend Their Hands

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

Original text

若為十方諸佛速來授手者。 當於數珠手。《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 by Bhagavaddharma of the Tang, T1060)

Plain-language explanation

This lesson is about the Rosary Hand (數珠手), one of the Forty Hands. The line in the 《大悲心陀羅尼經》 (Great Compassion Dharani Sutra) reads: 「若為十方諸佛速來授手者。當於數珠手。」

First, the original meaning. This line follows the fixed pattern of the Forty Hands: it first states what is sought, then names the hand that corresponds to it. What the Rosary Hand corresponds to is 「十方諸佛速來授手」. The sutra says no more than this and does not explain the details of 授手 (extending the hand).

Next, how another sutra describes it. The 《千光眼觀自在菩薩祕密法經》 calls this hand the 「數珠法」 and says that in the practice one should paint an image of 「念珠觀自在菩薩」, whose right hand turns a rosary while the left hand rests on the knee. This is a description from a ritual manual, naming the deity and the held object of this hand. This site does not discuss hand seals or mantras and goes no further than this.

In the Map of Compassion, this site places the Rosary Hand in the Karma division (羯磨部), with the method of summoning by the hook (鉤召法), and marks it as an 'interpretation'. This means the sutra does not directly say which present-day good deed this hand corresponds to; it is this site's understanding of the text.

This site's modern phrasing is 'lending a hand at the crucial moment'. This is one way modern readers can connect to the text, not the sutra's own words. In the sutra, 「授手」 literally means extending a hand and giving, and this site takes that action and sets it among people.

The rosary itself is a practice tool, often used to count the number of recitations. This is the general understanding and is not part of the two passages above. The sutra makes this hand the counterpart of 授手 by its own arrangement, so there is no need to push the reading toward the use of the rosary.

Finally, keep the two things apart. What the sutra speaks of is 「十方諸佛速來授手」, which is the work of the Buddhas. This site's modern phrasing speaks of a helping hand among people. They are not the same thing, so as you read, notice which part is the sutra and which part is this site's compilation.

Key terms

授手

A term from the sutra, literally meaning to extend a hand and give. This line speaks of the hand-extending of the Buddhas of the ten directions. This site also links it to lending a hand among people, which is a modern way of putting it.

數珠手

One of the Forty Hands. The sutra pairs it with 「十方諸佛速來授手」. Another sutra calls this hand the rosary method (數珠法), and in its image the right hand turns a rosary.

十方諸佛

In the sutra, those who receive the extended hand are the Buddhas in all directions. The sutra names the term only and does not explain it further.

One line to remember

若為十方諸佛速來授手者

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.