The Sutra of the Whole-Body Relic Treasure Chest Seal Dharani, the Heart Secret of All Tathagatas 4

The Sutra of the Whole-Body Relic Treasure Chest Seal Dharani, the Heart Secret of All Tathagatas

A General Explanation By Venerable Master Zhenlin

English Translation of the Sutra Text by Rulu

(http://www.sutrasmantras.info/sutra03.html)

English Translation of the Commentary by Zhenlin Disciples


Master Zhenlin's Commentary on the Sutra of the Whole-Body Relic Treasure Chest Seal Dharani, the Heart Secret of All Tathagatas (IV)

Text:

"Suppose a person has been born into a poor family because of his karma of stinginess and greed. His clothing cannot cover his body and his food cannot sustain his life. Emaciated and haggard, he is despicable to others. This person, ashamed of himself, goes to the mountain and plucks wild flowers not owned by anyone. He grates rotten wood for incense powder. Then he goes to the pagoda to make obeisance and offerings, circumambulating it seven times, repenting in tears. Because of the power of this spiritual mantra and the awesome virtue of the pagoda, his poverty retribution will terminate and fortune will suddenly arrive. The seven treasures will appear like abundant rain. However, at this time, he should give to the poor and needy, completely honoring the Buddha Dharma. If he is reluctant to give, his riches will suddenly vanish.

Commentary:

People in Zhejiang Province are rich, and therefore may find it hard to imagine how someone can be that poor. If you travel to Yunnan province, you may get to such poverty-stricken areas. A teacher there makes less than 2,000 yuan a year, and a peasant less than 200 yuan a year. It is really miserable to be born there. We need to apply good efforts to cultivation so as not to be born in such a place.

Nevertheless, the poverty retribution can terminate with the virtues and merits of the mantra. The poor guy may, for example, encounter a nice boss, and start to make a fortune. A Buddha Dharma cultivator can change the predestined fate. The Buddha tells us in this passage how to end poverty. As I told you the other day, it is sincerity that matters the most when paying homage to the Buddha instead of how expensive the incense sticks are.

See what will happen “suppose a person has been born into a poor family because of his karma of stinginess and greed.”

“His clothing cannot cover his body and his food cannot sustain his life.” He cannot afford food nor clothing.

“Emaciated and haggard”: He must be skinny and look pale if his clothing cannot cover his body and his food cannot sustain his life.

“he is despicable to others”: People look down upon him. People nowadays tend to despise poor people.

“This person, ashamed of himself”: He feels ashamed and wants to rescue himself by the Buddha Dharma. However, he is too poor to afford even an incense stick. The Buddha then tells us what such a poor person can do.

“…goes to the mountain and plucks wild flowers not owned by anyone.” He can go to a mountain and pluck a withered twig there to be used as the incense stick. The Buddha makes it clear here that it should be a mountain “not owned by anyone.” It would be a theft if its owned by some. What if this person cannot afford the match?

“He grates rotten wood for incense powder.” He can grate the withered twig on the ground for incense power, and makes obeisance and offerings with it to a pagoda or a Buddha statue in which the Sutra of the Whole-Body Relic Treasure Chest Seal Dharani, the Heart Secret of All Tathagatas is enshrined. If it is a pagoda, he should circumambulate it seven times. If it is a Buddha statue, he may just bow to it. If the Buddha statue is placed on the ground, he can also circumambulate it seven times, which is a token of utmost respect. Not only so, he should also repent sincerely: “I was wrong not to have cultivated blessings in my previous lives. As a retribution, I now live a miserable life. I wish I can get the blessings and make a fortune now that I have paid homage to you.” By saying so, and with the awesome power of the spiritual mantra in the pagoda or the Buddha statue, his poverty will terminate gradually.

“…and fortune will suddenly arrive. The seven treasures will appear like abundant rain.”

He may become very rich. Nevertheless, never should he forget it is the Buddha’s blessings that make him rich. He should practice giving to the poor and the monasteries. If he is stingy, he may lose all the fortune in the present life. The Buddha tells us in clear-cut terms that “he should give to the poor and needy, completely honoring the Buddha Dharma.”

“completely honoring the Buddha Dharma.” He should make donations to the temples to build Buddha statues. He should pay to have Buddhist scriptures printed and send them to those who need them for free.

“he should give to the poor and needy”: He should not be mean to the poor or the needy. Should he look down upon them thinking that he is now rich and they are poor, in no time he’d be poor again. This has happened to some people. They make a fortune after praying before the Buddhas and forget about the Buddhas completely after they get rich. Before long, their riches vanish. This reminds us that we should always keep learning the Dharma and propagate it, to ferry the beings as much as we can.

Text:

"Suppose a person, planting roots of goodness for himself, builds a pagoda at his pleasure, using earth or bricks that he can afford. The pagoda is as big as a mango, with its height about four times the length of a finger.

Commentary:

Let’s read what will happen if a person, in order to plant good roots and accumulate merits and virtues, builds a pagoda whose height is about four times the length of a figure, or about the length of a water pipe.

Text:

He copies this spiritual mantra and…

Commentary:

As long as he copies the spiritual mantra or has it printed…

Text:

…and enshrines the copy in the pagoda. Then he makes obeisance and offers incense and flowers. Because of the power of the mantra and his faithful heart, vast, fragrant clouds will come out of the little pagoda. The fragrance and the light of the clouds will pervade the dharma realm, infusing fragrance with dazzling radiance, doing Buddha work widely. The benefits he will receive are just as I have already stated.

Commentary:

Short as the pagoda is, the fragrance and light of the clouds coming out of it shall pervade all the worlds in the ten directions and can perform dharma work widely as long as he enshrines the spiritual mantra in it. It is just as efficacious regardless of the size of the pagoda. It is written in clear-cut terms here that “the benefits he will receive are just as I have already stated.”

Text:

In sum, all his wishes will be fulfilled without exception.

Commentary:

All his wishes shall be granted. Or as we often put it, all of his prayers will be granted.

Text:

During the Dharma-ending age, if, among the four groups of my disciples,

Commentary:

The four groups of disciples refer to the Bhikshus, Bhishunis, Upasaka, and Upasika. They are also known as the monks, nuns, and lay disciples.

Text:

…good men, and good women,

Commentary:

It includes every man and woman who believes in the Buddha Dharma.

Text:

…there are those who, following the unsurpassed Way, do their best to build pagodas and enshrine this mantra in them, the virtuous benefits they will acquire will be too numerous to recount.

Commentary:

If we tell others how to apply the Sutra of the Whole-Body Relic Treasure Chest Seal Dharani, the Heart Secret of All Tathagatas, and they enshrine this mantra in the pagodas following your suggestion, or if you build on pagoda after another, the merits and virtues from doing so are “too numerous to recount”. Its benefits are so enormous and few people dare to speak them out. In fact, many have come to know that the Sutra of the Whole-Body Relic Treasure Chest Seal Dharani, the Heart Secret of All Tathagatas can cure diseases, and how supreme it is, yet few know it can also consecrate a Buddha statue or pagoda. Likewise, many have heard about the Sutra of Longevity, and yet few know it is such a treasure!

Text:

“If a person, wishing for fortune, goes to the pagoda, he should make obeisance and offer a flower and a little incense to the pagoda, and circumambulate it to the right. From his virtuous act, rank and glory will arrive unsought.

Commentary:

If a person bows to the Buddha statue in your home, offering a little incense to it, without asking for anything or making any wish before it, “rank and glory will arrive unsought” for him.

Text:

Longevity and prosperity will increase without effort.

Commentary:

He will have a longer and more prosperous life without praying for it.

Text:

Foes and bandits will fall without being subjugated.

Commentary:

He will no longer be disturbed by bandits or foes, without having to make any efforts to combat them.

Text:

Vengeful thoughts and curses will return to their source without resistance.

Commentary:

No cursing and vengeful thoughts against him will work if he enshrines a copy of the sutra or mantra in the pagoda or Buddha statue in his home. Not only will they be ineffective, but will actually “return to their sources without resistance”. They will work on those who try imposing them on you. It is just too powerful!

Text:

Epidemics and evil forces will turn away without being purged.

Commentary:

He may be haunted by evil spirits if they take a leak outdoors. The evil spirits can make his life difficult, for example, making him unable to move the legs, etc. Epidemics are usually serious diseases. With the sutra, however, he can avert them without having to purge them.

Text:

…good husband or good wife will come without being persuaded.

Commentary:

This is in reference to marriage. A single man will always get a good wife. He is not going to marry someone seeking revenge. He shall have a happy marriage.


Text:

Beautiful good children will be born without being prayed for.

Commentary:

He shall have good children or good grandchildren without praying for it. For sure the children will be filial to him and make their way in the world. This is so because they have been a cultivator of the Buddha Dharma before born to the family, instead of a foe or debtor born to seek revenge on him. A debtor may die after growing up while a foe may make life hard for him by quarrelling with him day in and day out. It will not happen, however, if he bows to a pagoda or a Buddha statue with a copy of the sutra inside it. The conditions can be changed by it.

Text:

All wishes will be fulfilled at will.

Commentary:

The benefits are just too numerous to recount. The Buddha summarizes it as “all wishes will be fulfilled at will”. All of your wishes will be granted.

Text:

Even for ravens, owls, turtledoves, owlets, wolves, jackals, mosquitoes, ants, and the like, which momentarily come in the shadow of the pagoda and step on the grass there, their affliction-hindrance will be destroyed, and they will recognize their ignorance. They will suddenly enter Buddha's family and freely receive Dharma wealth.

Commentary:

These are animals, insects and beasts. As I have told you, as long as they walk by the Buddha stupa, or fly through the shadow or it, or climb on it, they shall attain enlightenment. They will gain release from the Path of Animals and be born in a Buddhaland after this life is over. The Buddha made it very clear to us as “their affliction-hindrance will be destroyed, and they will recognize their ignorance.” He also said that “they will suddenly enter Buddha's family”, that is, they will get reborn in a Buddhaland. To “freely receive Dharma wealth” means they will be practicing the Dharma in the Buddhaland.

Text:

Even more are the benefits to human beings who have seen the form of the pagoda, heard its bell tolling, heard its name, or been in its shadow. Their hindrance by sin will all be annihilated, and their wishes fulfilled. Their present lives will be peaceful, and they will be reborn in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Commentary:

This is just incredible! People who hear the bell tolling shall be reborn in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, let alone who make obeisance to it. those who have see the form of the pagoda, or stand in its shadow, their offenses will be exempted completely, and all of their wishes granted. They get what they pray for. “Their present lives will be peaceful”: they are going to enjoy a life of peace and stability. “…and they will be reborn in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.” They will be born none other than the Pure Land after their present life is over.

Text:

“If a person, without extra effort, applies a glob of mud to the damaged wall of a pagoda or uses a fist-sized stone to support a leaning pagoda, from this virtuous act his fortune will increase and his life span will be extended. After death, he will be reborn as a Wheel-Turning King.

Commentary:

If a person applies a glob of mud to the damaged wall of the pagoda, or uses something to support a leading Buddha statue, the merits and virtues from doing so shall make him a Wheel-turning King after his present life is over. Don’t think that there is only one Wheel-turning King. There are numerous Wheel-turning Kings in the Saha World, as many as the Three Thousand Great Thousand Worlds. There is one Small Thousand World under the sun and the moon, and in the Small Thousand World, there are one thousand Wheel-turning Kings. You may ask whether there will be too many if we all get reborn as Wheel-turning Kings. In the Buddalands of Shakyamuni Buddha, there are just too many Wheel-turning Kings to recount. Whoever has performed such an act will be reborn as one with the merits and virtues form it.


The Leifeng Pagoda collapsed during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). The Hangzhou people were just too mean. Not only did they ignore the damaged pagoda, but scrapped it all over. The Pagoda therefore chose to collapse and hide from the people. There are a few bricks from the Pagoda left, now preserved at the museum. The Sutra of the Whole-Body Relic Treasure Chest Seal Dharani, the Heart Secret of All Tathagatas enshrined in the Leifeng Pagoda is also kept at the museum. There is also a sarira stupa inside which the spiritual mantra is placed. Have you visited the museum? It is just in the city that you live, here in Hangzhou.

Text:

“After I have abandoned my body, the four groups of my disciples, in order to rescue sentient beings in miserable existence, should come before this pagoda, make offerings of incense and flowers, and recite this spiritual mantra, making vows in earnest. Then each and every word and phrase [they utter] will radiate vast, bright light, illuminating the three evil life-journeys to extinguish all suffering. Once those sentient beings are delivered from suffering, their seed of Buddhahood will germinate. They will then be reborn as they wish in [any of] the Pure Lands in the ten directions.

Commentary:

You shall obtain superb powers by upholding the spiritual mantra on a daily basis. Recite the mantra on the mountain top, all the beings, be those flying in the air, crawling on the ground, or swimming in the water, will be delivered from suffering. There is no doubt that you shall enter Buddhahood by upholding the mantra. After the beings are ferried over by you, they shall follow you as your disciples. You just need to make vows earnestly before the Buddha statue at home that you are going to uphold the mantra and cross over the beings in the ten directions, and keep cultivating it. By the time your voice of mantra rcitation is loud and powerful enough, you shall be able to deliver from sufferings all those in furs, feathers, scales, and shells, etc.

Text:

If a person recites this mantra earnestly on the top of a high mountain,

Commentary:

If the person who upholds the mantra recites it on a mountain top earnestly…Well, he has to be single-mindful in the mantra recitation. It won’t be efficacious if he recites it while thinking about beautiful girls.

Text:

…all sentient beings within the scope of his sight, including those in furs, feathers, scales, and shells, residing near and far in mountain valleys, forests, streams, lakes, rivers, and oceans…

Commentary:

What will happen to the sentiment beings, including those in furs, feathers, scales, and shells, that is within the scope of his sight, if he recites the mantra?

Text:

…will shatter their affliction-hindrance

Commentary:

They are born as animals because of their past offenses. Their offenses, however, will be extinguished if they hear the mantra, and their afflication-hindance shall get shattered.

Text:

…and recognize their ignorance.

Commentary:

They shall get awakened to the Buddha Path.

Text:

They will manifest the three kinds of Buddha nature they innately have and ultimately attain the great nirvana.

Commentary:

The three kinds of Buddha nature refer to liberation, concentration, and wisdom. They, too, shall enter Buddhahood! They will enter the great nirvana, as well in the end.

Text:

If people take the road walked by this person and if they are touched by the wind blown through his clothes, step on his footprints, see his face, or converse with him briefly, their grave sins will all be expunged and their siddhis perfected."

Commentary:

If they step on the road he has walked, or say hello to each other when they meet, or stop to have a short talk, or if they are touched by the wind blown through his clothes, all the offenses they have committed shall be extinguished. This can happen because he has attained the powers by upholding the spiritual mantra. Not only so, they, too, will become a Buddha by practising the Buddha Dharma.

Text:

“and their siddhis perfected”:

Commentary:

…they will for sure enter the Buddhahood.

The awesome powers of the spiritual mantra are just incredibly beyond words. The Buddha also said that he would “speak briefly about one ten thousandth thereof.”

Text:

At that time the Buddha said to Vajrapani, "I now entrust this secret spiritual mantra and sutra to you and all others present. Revere, protect, uphold, and disseminate them in the world. Do not allow transmission [of the Dharma] to end for sentient beings.”

Commentary:

The Buddha then told Vajrapani Bodhisattva to disseminate the secrete spiritual mantra to the people (or, to have it widely circulated in the human world), and make sure that its transmission does not end.

The mantra is just so powerful and such a treasure! It is a pity that no has ever explained the Sutra of the Whole-Body Relic Treasure Chest Seal Dharani, the Heart Secret of All Tathagatas before. I would have been very interested to read about it or perhaps would be upholding it. Anyway, I worked on it myself. Let’s read what the Vajrapani Bodhisattva said.

Text:

Vajrapani said, “I am now honored to receive the trust of the World-Honored One. I pray only that we will requite the World-Honored One for his profound loving kindness, day and night protecting, upholding, disseminating, and pronouncing [the mantra and the sutra] to the world. If there are sentient beings that copy, uphold, and remember them unceasingly, we will command the Brahma-kings, the god-king Shakra, the four great god-kings, and the eight classes of Dharma protectors to protect them day and night without even leaving temporarily.”

Commentary:

The Vajra of Great Strength and the Vajrapani have been Bodhisattvas in their previous life. They possess superb powers and skills. Even the Brahma kings, Shakra, the four god-kings, and the eight classes of Dharma protectors, such as gods and dragons, have to follow their command. They made the vows before the Buddha, “How lucky we are to be entrusted by World Honored One to receive your trust! We are going to repay your profound kindness by upholding the Sutra of the Whole-Body Relic Treasure Chest Seal Dharani, the Heart Secret of All Tathagatas day and night, and disseminate it widely.


In fact, google it and you’ll find the Treasure Chest Seal Sutra belongs to the Secret School. “Vajra” is the word often used in the School, such as the Vajrapani, or the Vajra boxing. This is so because the School is passed down by Vajrapani Bodhisattva, who will command Shakra, the Brahman Kings, the four great god-kings, and the eight classes of Dharma protectors to protect those who copy, uphold, or are mindful of the Sutra.
“…without even leaving temporarily.” They are not allowed to leave.

Text:

The Buddha said, “Very good! Vajrapani, for the benefit of all sentient beings of the future, protect and uphold this Dharma, and make it endless.”

Commentary:

The Buddha was pleased and said, “Vajrapani, it is really good that you protect and uphold the Dharma to make it endless to benefit all the sentient beings of the future.”

We now come to the concluding lines.

Text:

At that time the World-Honored One pronounced this Treasure Chest Seal Dharani and did Buddha work widely. Then He went to the Brahmin's home and accepted his offerings, causing humans and gods to receive great benefits. Afterwards, He returned to the place where He was staying.

Commentary:

It was because of the Brahim’s invitation that the condition was created for the Buddha to expound the Sutra of the Whole-Body Relic Treasure Chest Seal Dharani, the Heart Secret of All Tathagatas. The Buddha had finished pronouncing the Sutra by the pile of earth before he visited the Brahim’s home. Everybody was very happy because they received great benefits.

Text:

At that time the bhiksus, bhiksunis, upaāsakas, upasikas, gods, dragons, yaksas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kimnaras, mahoragas, humans, nonhumans, and others in the assembly greatly rejoiced. They all believed in, accepted, and reverently carried out the teachings.

Commentary:

The assembly members including the four groups of the Buddha’s disciples, and the eight classes of Dharma protectors were filled with joy. Not only did they believe each and every word of the Sutra, but applied real efforts to uphold and practice it.
Transference of Merit

May the merit and virtue accrued from this work
Expunge my offenses committed over the past eight billion eons.
May I get released from heat and attain coolness, from diseases and attain health, from disasters and attain blessings.

I vow to transmit the Dharma to as many people of good roots as possible, and build Buddha statues and pagodas widely.

May the merits and virtues accrued from this work

Be transferred to all the beings in the Three Realms, to my ancestors, parents, and relatives, and to all the beings present at the Dharma Assembly.

May you all enter the Buddha Path as soon as possible.

May I be able to rescue the beings after I attain Buddhahood.

Namo Original Teacher Shakyamuni Buddha (Three Times)

Namo Guanyin Bodhisattva (Three Times)

Namo Manjushri Bodhisattva (Three Times)

May we all be filled with the joy of Dharma!

---the End--