The Buddha told the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, “You have a close relationship with the Saha world. If heavenly beings, dragons, men, women, gods, ghosts or all beings suffering from their crimes in the six levels hear your name, see your image, adore you and praise you, they will never regress from the Dharma, and they will always be born in heaven or a human world and enjoy happiness. When their good fruit ripens, they will encounter Buddhas and be prophesied as a future Buddha.
Sutra of the Fundamental Vows of the Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha
A very simple, and potent practice, reciting Namo Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva or Na-Mo-Guan-Shi-Yin-Pu-Sa is mentioned in the 25th section of the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Sūtra.
The Buddha begins this portion of the Sūtra with the following quote:
“Good man, if any of the limitless hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of living beings who are undergoing all kinds of sufferings hear of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva and recite his name single-mindedly, Guanshiyin Bodhisattva will immediately hear their voices and rescue them.”
From the english translation of the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Sūtra at cttbusa.org
Later, the Buddha also points to how this practice can help us deal with sensual desire, anger and confusion.
“If there are any sentient beings who are greatly subject to sensual desires,
From BDK.OR.JP
if they contemplate Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara with respect, they will become
free from these desires. If there are any sentient beings who often become
angry, if they contemplate Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara with respect, they will
become free from anger. If there are any sentient beings who are greatly confused, if they contemplate Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara with respect, they will
become free from their confusion. O Akṣayamati! Thus Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara greatly benefits sentient beings through his transcendent power. For
this reason sentient beings should always turn their thoughts to him.
Na-Mo-Guan-Shi-Yin-Pu-Sa can be translated as honor/respect to the wise one named Contemplator of the World’s Sounds. This recitation can be practiced aloud or silently.
- Practice with a genuine yearning for Guan Shi Yin to hear the recitation.
- Enunciate each syllable in a clear fashion
- Be diligent, keep attention on reciting, and come back to reciting if the mind wanders