Di Zang Jing First Grade

When the Buddha was preaching the Dharma to his mother in the Heavenly Palace of Trayastrimsha, countless Buddhas and bodhisattvas from all directions, as well as devas, dragons, and spirits, gathered. They praised the virtues of Shakyamuni Buddha for his work in liberating sentient beings in the defiled world of the five turbidities.

na mo di zang wang pu sha
na mo di zang wang pu sha

The Tathagata Manifests Supernatural Powers

The Buddha smiled and emitted countless beams of great light (such as the light of great perfection and the light of great compassion), and produced subtle Dharma sounds (such as the sound of generosity paramita and the sound of compassion), displaying inconceivable spiritual powers.

The Gathering of the Holy Assemblies

Countless devas, dragons, and spirits from the Saha world and other lands, as well as all the heavenly beings from the Four Heavenly Kings to the heaven of neither perception nor non-perception, and the spirits of mountains, rivers, and plants, as well as the great ghost kings (such as the Ghost King with Fierce Eyes and the Ghost King with a Compassionate Heart), all gathered together.

Manjushri’s Inquiry

Manjushri Bodhisattva asked the Buddha: “How many sentient beings have gathered today?” The Buddha replied that even with the Buddha’s divine eye, it is difficult to count them all. This is due to the virtues of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, who has been liberating sentient beings for countless eons.

The Vows of Ksitigarbha

The Buddha revealed that when Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was cultivating, he made a vow: “I will liberate all sentient beings suffering in the six realms throughout future eons, and only then will I attain Buddhahood.” He cited stories such as the Brahmin girl who made a vow to save her mother and the girl with bright eyes who sought to save her deceased mother, illustrating Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva’s great vow: “I will not attain enlightenment until all sentient beings are liberated.”


Di Zang Jing First Grade: Dao li tian gong shen tong pin

In order to avoid translation errors of the sutra, the “Dizangjing” is written in Chinese, and “The Heavenly Palace of Trayastrimsha and the Display of Supernatural Powers” is as follows.

如是我闻,一时佛在忉利天,为母说法。尔时十方无量世界,不可说不可说,一切诸佛,及大菩萨摩诃萨,皆来集会,赞叹释迦牟尼佛,能于五浊恶世,现不可思议大智慧神通之力,调伏刚强众生,知苦乐法。各遣侍者,问讯世尊。

The Buddha emits great light and clouds of light

是时如来含笑,放百千万亿大光明云,所谓大圆满光明云、大慈悲光明云、大智慧光明云、大般若光明云、大三昧光明云、大吉祥光明云、大福德光明云、大功德光明云、大皈依光明云、大赞叹光明云,放如是等不可说光明云已。

The Buddha’s subtle and wonderful voice

又出种种微妙之音,所谓檀波罗蜜音、尸波罗蜜音、羼提波罗蜜音、毗离耶波罗蜜音、禅波罗蜜音、般若波罗蜜音、慈悲音、喜舍音、解脱音、无漏音、智慧音、大智慧音、师子吼音、大师子吼音、云雷音、大云雷音,出如是等不可说不可说音已。

The celestial beings assemble at Trāyastriṃśa Palace

娑婆世界,及他方国土,有无量亿天龙鬼神,亦集到忉利天宫。所谓四天王天、忉利天、须焰摩天、兜率陀天、化乐天、他化自在天、梵众天、梵辅天、大梵天、少光天、无量光天、光音天、少净天、无量净天、遍净天、福生天、福爱天、广果天、无想天、无烦天、无热天、善见天、善现天、色究竟天、摩醯首罗天,乃至非想非非想处天,一切天众、龙众、鬼神等众,悉来集会。
复有他方国土,及娑婆世界,海神、江神、河神、树神、山神、地神、川泽神、苗稼神、昼神、夜神、空神、天神、饮食神、草木神,如是等神,皆来集会。
复有他方国土,及娑婆世界,诸大鬼王,所谓恶目鬼王、啖血鬼王、啖精气鬼王、啖胎卵鬼王、行病鬼王、摄毒鬼王、慈心鬼王、福利鬼王、大爱敬鬼王,如是等鬼王,皆来集会。

The Buddha said to Manjushri Bodhisattva

尔时释迦牟尼佛,告文殊师利法王子菩萨摩诃萨:汝观是一切诸佛菩萨及天龙鬼神,此世界、他世界,此国土、他国土,如是今来集会到忉利天者,汝知数不?
文殊师利白佛言:世尊!若以我神力,千劫测度,不能得知。
佛告文殊师利:吾以佛眼观故,犹不尽数,此皆是地藏菩萨久远劫来,已度、当度、未度,已成就、当成就、未成就。
文殊师利白佛言:世尊!我已过去久修善根,证无碍智,闻佛所言,即当信受。小果声闻,天龙八部,及未来世诸众生等,虽闻如来诚实之语,必怀疑惑。设使顶受,未免兴谤。唯愿世尊,广说地藏菩萨摩诃萨,因地作何行?立何愿?而能成就不思议事。
佛告文殊师利:譬如三千大千世界,所有草木丛林,稻麻竹苇,山石微尘,一物一数,作一恒河,一恒河沙,一沙一界,一界之内,一尘一劫,一劫之内,所积尘数,尽充为劫,地藏菩萨证十地果位以来,千倍多于上喻,何况地藏菩萨在声闻辟支佛地。
文殊师利!此菩萨威神誓愿,不可思议。若未来世,有善男子、善女人,闻是菩萨名字,或赞叹,或瞻礼,或称名,或供养,乃至彩画刻镂塑漆形像,是人当得百返生于三十三天,永不堕恶道。

Seeing the Buddha’s perfect features, she made a vow to liberate sentient beings

文殊师利!是地藏菩萨摩诃萨,于过去久远不可说不可说劫前,身为大长者子,时世有佛,号曰师子奋迅具足万行如来。时长者子见佛相好,千福庄严,因问彼佛,作何行愿,而得此相?时师子奋迅具足万行如来告长者子:欲证此身,当须久远度脱一切受苦众生。
文殊师利!时长者子,因发愿言:我今尽未来际,不可计劫,为是罪苦六道众生,广设方便,尽令解脱,而我自身方成佛道。以是于彼佛前立斯大愿,于今百千万亿那由他不可说劫,尚为菩萨。

The Brahmin Woman Saving Her Mother

又于过去不可思议阿僧祇劫,时世有佛,号曰觉华定自在王如来,彼佛寿命四百千万亿阿僧祇劫。像法之中,有一婆罗门女,宿福深厚,众所钦敬,行住坐卧,诸天卫护,其母信邪,常轻三宝。是时圣女,广设方便,劝诱其母,令生正见,而此女母,未全生信,不久命终,魂神堕在无间地狱。时婆罗门女,知母在世,不信因果,计当随业,必生恶趣,遂卖家宅,广求香华,及诸供具,于先佛塔寺,大兴供养,见觉华定自在王如来,其形像在一寺中,塑画威容,端严毕备。
时婆罗门女,瞻礼尊容,倍生敬仰,私自念言:佛名大觉,具一切智,若在世时,我母死后,傥来问佛,必知处所。
时婆罗门女,垂泣良久,瞻恋如来,忽闻空中声曰:泣者圣女,勿至悲哀,我今示汝母之去处。
婆罗门女合掌向空,而白空曰:是何神德,宽我忧虑?我自失母以来,昼夜忆恋,无处可问,知母生界。

The Buddha of the Past, the Tathagata Jue Hua Ding Zi Zai Wang, told the Brahmin woman

时空中有声,再报女曰:我是汝所瞻礼者,过去觉华定自在王如来,见汝忆母,倍于常情,众生之分,故来告示。
婆罗门女闻此声已,举身自扑,肢节皆损,左右扶侍,良久方苏,而白空曰:愿佛慈愍,速说我母生界,我今身心将死不久。
时觉华定自在王如来,告圣女曰:汝供养毕,但早返舍,端坐思惟吾之名号,即当知母所生去处。

Mahakalavara Hill Hell Scene

时婆罗门女寻礼佛已即归其舍,以忆母故,端坐念觉华定自在王如来,经一日一夜,忽见自身到一海边,其水涌沸,多诸恶兽,尽复铁身,飞走海上,东西驰逐;见诸男子女人,百千万数,出没海中,被诸恶兽争取食啖;又见夜叉,其形各异,或多手多眼,多足多头,口牙外出,利刃如剑,驱诸罪人,使近恶兽,复自搏攫,头足相就,其形万类,不敢久视。时婆罗门女,以念佛力故,自然无惧。
有一鬼王,名曰无毒,稽首来迎,白圣女曰:善哉菩萨!何缘来此?
时婆罗门女问鬼王曰:此是何处?
无毒答曰:此是大铁围山,西面第一重海。
圣女问曰:我闻铁围之内,地狱在中,是事实不?
无毒答曰:实有地狱。
圣女问曰:我今云何得到狱所?
无毒答曰:若非威神,即须业力,非此二事,终不能到。
圣女又问:此水何缘,而乃涌沸,多诸罪人,及以恶兽?
无毒答曰:此是阎浮提造恶众生,新死之者,经四十九日后,无人继嗣,为作功德,救拔苦难,生时又无善因,当据本业所感地狱,自然先渡此海。海东十万由旬,又有一海,其苦倍此,彼海之东,又有一海,其苦复倍,三业恶因之所招感,共号业海,其处是也。
圣女又问鬼王无毒曰:地狱何在?
无毒答曰:三海之内,是大地狱,其数百千,各各差别。所谓大者,具有十八,次有五百,苦毒无量,次有千百,亦无量苦。
圣女又问大鬼王曰:我母死来未久,不知魂神当至何趣?

The parents of the Brahmin woman

鬼王问圣女曰:菩萨之母,在生习何行业?
圣女答曰:我母邪见,讥毁三宝,设或暂信,旋又不敬,死虽日浅,未知生处?
无毒问曰:菩萨之母,姓氏何等?
圣女答曰:我父我母,俱婆罗门种,父号尸罗善现,母号悦帝利。
无毒合掌启菩萨曰:愿圣者却返本处,无至忧忆悲恋,悦帝利罪女,生天以来,经今三日,云承孝顺之子,为母设供修福,布施觉华定自在王如来塔寺,非唯菩萨之母,得脱地狱,应是无间罪人,此日悉得受乐,俱同生讫,鬼王言毕,合掌而退。

The Brahmin Woman Vows to Save Suffering Beings

婆罗门女寻如梦归,悟此事已,便于觉华定自在王如来塔像之前,立弘誓愿:愿我尽未来劫,应有罪苦众生,广设方便,使令解脱。
佛告文殊师利:时鬼王无毒者,当今财首菩萨是;婆罗门女者,即地藏菩萨是。

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Guoqing Shakya

Guoqing Shakya

I'm Guo Qing, a practitioner of Han Buddhism. I'm from Dazu, Chongqing (famous for the Dazu Rock Carvings, a UNESCO World Heritage Site). I'm committed to promoting Mahayana Buddhism, spreading the Sutra of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, understanding the law of cause and effect in the world, enlightening the wisdom of Buddhism, and realizing Bodhi together.