The , also known as the , or Great Compassion DhÃÂraá¹Âë / Mantra (Chinese: 大æ²åÂÂ, DàbÃÂi zhòu; Japanese: 大æ²å¿ÂéÂÂç¾ å°¼, Daihishin darani or 大æ²åª, Daihi shu; Vietnamese: Chú ÃÂại bi or ÃÂại bi tâm ÃÂàla ni; Korean: ì ë¬Âì¥구ëÂÂë¤ë¼ë (Hanja: ç¥Âå¦Âç« å¥大éÂÂç¾ å°¼), Sinmyo janggu daedarani), is a Mahayana Buddhist dhÃÂraá¹Âë associated with the bodhisattva Avalokiteà Âvara (popularly as Guanyin in the East Asian Buddhist sphere).
The dhÃÂraá¹Âë was originally a recitation of names and attributes of the deity Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha, a Buddhist adaptation of Harihara (a composite form of the Hindu gods Vishnu and Shiva; Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha 'the blue-necked one' is a title of Shiva) said to have been recited by Avalokiteà Âvara, who was sometimes portrayed as introducing popular non-Buddhist deities (e.g. Hayagriva) into the Buddhist pantheon by reciting their dhÃÂraá¹Âës. Over time, such deities became considered to be the various forms or incarnations of Avalokiteà Âvara, who was described in texts such as the Lotus Sutra as manifesting himself in different forms according to the needs of different individuals; the dhÃÂraá¹Âë thus came to be considered as addressed to Avalokiteà Âvara as Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha, now understood to be a manifestation of the bodhisattva. From Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha Avalokiteà Âvara, this particular dhÃÂraá¹Âë eventually became associated with another of Avalokiteà Âvara's forms, namely the thousand-armed (sahasra-bhuja) one, and became attached to Buddhist texts concerning the thousand-armed Avalokiteà Âvara.
Different versions of this dhÃÂraá¹Âë, of varying length, exist; the shorter version, as transliterated into Chinese characters by Indian monk Bhagavaddharma in the 7th century, enjoys a high degree of popularity in East Asian Mahayana Buddhism, especially in Chinese Buddhism, comparable to that of the six-syllable mantra Oá¹ maá¹Âi padme hà «á¹Â, which is also synonymous with Guanyin, who is Avalokiteà Âvara as venerated in China and other East Asian countries. It is often used for protection or purification. In China, Taiwan and overseas Chinese communities, it is typically chanted as part of daily morning liturgical services in Chinese Buddhist temples as well as recited during ritual and ceremonial contexts to purify the ritual space. In Korea, copies of the dhÃÂraá¹Âë are hung inside homes to bring auspiciousness. In Japan, it is especially associated with Zen, being revered and recited in Zen schools such as Sà Âtà  or Rinzai.
Various different recensions of this dhÃÂraá¹Âë are in existence, which can be classified into two main versions: the shorter text and the longer text.
The text currently considered to be the standard in most of East Asia is the shorter version, specifically the one found in the so-called 'Sà «tra of the Vast, Perfect, Unimpeded Great-Compassionate Heart of the Thousand-Handed Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva Avalokitasvara's DhÃÂraá¹Âë' (; T. 1060, K. 0294) translated by a monk from western India named Bhagavaddharma (, birth and death dates unknown) between 650 and 660 CE.
Twelve scrolls of ' texts in Chinese were found at Dunhuang along the Silk Road in today's Gansu province of China. One of the texts contains a colophon at the end: "Translated at Khotan by the à Âramaá¹Âa Bhagavaddharma of Western India" (西天竺伽梵éÂÂæ©æ²ÂéÂÂæ¼äºÂéÂÂè¯). The milieu of this transliteration is evident from Bhagavaddharma's rendering of the word Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha as 'Narakindi' (), a Central Asian form of the Sanskrit word.
Other notable Chinese versions of the dhÃÂraá¹Âë include:
In addition, there are texts bearing the "Thousand-armed Avalokiteà Âvara" title, but which feature a completely different dhÃÂraá¹Âë within the text.
At least three versions of the longer form of the dhÃÂraá¹Âë exist in Tibetan. One was made in the middle of the 9th century by a translator named Chödrup (Wylie: Chos grub; Chinese: æ³Âæ FÃÂchéng) supposedly from Chinese, but which does not correspond exactly to any Chinese version, being more akin to that of Vajrabodhi. Among the various versions of the dhÃÂraá¹Âë, it is the longest and fullest. Preceding Chödrup is an anonymous translation of the same text.
A third version was made by Changkya Rölpé Dorjé (Wylie: Lcang skya Rol pa'i Rdo rje) in the 18th century. While claimed to be a reconstruction of Zhità Âng's text using a Tibetan version as a base, Changkya Rölpé Dorjé's text actually completely follows the Tibetan readings, with significant differences from Chödrup's version in a number of places, rather than Zhità Âng's.
A manuscript fragment (currently in the British Library) dating from around the 8th century containing the longer version of the dhÃÂraá¹Âë (Or.8212/175) in both late Brahmi and Sogdian scripts was discovered by Sir Aurel Stein in the Mogao Caves at Dunhuang and published by Robert Gauthiot and Louis de La Vallée-Poussin in 1912.
The dhÃÂraá¹Âë's title is given in this manuscript as 1 LPw ôsty þþryþòá¹Âþwkôþyà ¡Ã²r nyá¹Âknt nþm tþrny "the dhÃÂraá¹Âë of the names of ÃÂryÃÂvalokiteà Âvara-Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha with a thousand hands." The text shows a very close affinity to that found in Vajrabodhi's T. 1061 text. The dhÃÂraá¹Âë is followed by a short, unidentified mantra named wyspw þþóôþk ôòrþynþk ôrzyþwr ptsrwm "há¹Âdaya mantra fulfilling all the wishes."
According to author Lokesh Chandra (1988), the dhÃÂraá¹Âë in its original form was a recitation of the names of the deity (lokeà Âvara) Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha recited by the bodhisattva Avalokiteà Âvara: "Avalokiteà Âvara was responsible for introducing popular (loka) deities (ià Âvara) into the Buddhist pantheon by pronouncing their dhÃÂraá¹Âës which averted evils to the person who obtained his wishes as soon as he recited it (paá¹Âhita-siddhaḥ, Dutt: text 44)." In Vajrabodhi's longer version (T. 1061), the dhÃÂraá¹Âë is explicitly referred to as ÃÂryÃÂvalokiteà Âvara-bhÃÂá¹£itaá¹ "uttered (bhÃÂá¹£ita) by noble (') Avalokiteà Âvara;" at this stage, Avalokiteà Âvara is portrayed as pronouncing the dhÃÂraá¹Âë, but is not (yet) identified with Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha.
As late as the 15th century, the tradition knew at least that Avalokiteà Âvara is the dhÃÂraá¹Âë's locutor, as is clear from a Chinese manual of the liturgical service of the thousand-armed Avalokiteà Âvara, presented to the Oriental scholar Samuel Beal by the monks of Hoi Tong Monastery (a.k.a. Hai Chwang Temple) on Henan Island. Its preface, authored by the Ming emperor Yongle, says thus:
<blockquote>It is reported by Kwan Tseu Tsai Bodhisattva, prompted by her great compassionate heart has engaged herself by a great oath to enter into every one of the innumerable worlds, and bring deliverance to all creatures who inhabit them.<br /> For this purpose she has enunciated the Divine sentences which follow, if properly recited, will render all creatures exempt from the causes of sorrow, and by removing them, render them capable of attaining Supreme Reason.</blockquote>
During the process of transmission, however, Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha became increasingly identified with Avalokiteà Âvara, so that the dhÃÂraá¹Âë eventually became understood as being addressed to Avalokiteà Âvara as Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha, now considered to be one of Avalokiteà Âvara's various forms or manifestations - most of whom were themselves originally folk deities who were assimilated into Avalokiteà Âvara upon being integrated into Buddhist belief and practice (e.g. Hayagriva, Cundi, Tara or Mazu; cf. also Shinbutsu-shà «gà Â).
The dhÃÂraá¹Âë proper contains a number of titles associated with the Hindu gods Vishnu (e.g. Hare, Narasiá¹Âha-mukha, gadÃÂ- / cakra- / padma-hastà'the wielder of the mace / discus / lotus') and Shiva (e.g. Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha 'the blue-necked one', à Âaá¹ kara, ká¹Âá¹£á¹Âa-sarpopavita 'the one who has a black serpent as a sacred thread'), suggesting that Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha was in origin Harihara - a fusion of Vishnu (Hari) and Shiva (Hara) - assimilated into Buddhism.
This is more explicit in the longer version of the dhÃÂraá¹Âë, where Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha is invoked with more names and epithets associated with the two gods such as Tripà «ra-dahaneà Âvara (êà Âvara who destroyed Tripà «ra, an epithet of Shiva), and PadmanÃÂbha (lotus-naveled, an epithet of Vishnu) as well as a short description of the iconography of Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha Avalokiteà Âvara in Amoghavajra's version (T. 1111), which combines elements from depictions of Shiva and Vishnu.
Other examples are found in the following section:
The status of Shiva and Vishnu in the dhÃÂraá¹Âë follows a similar pattern to the one identified in the KÃÂraá¹Âá¸Âavyà «ha Sà «tra (4th-5th century CE): the two gods are repeatedly invoked one after the other, indicating that they stand in a "complementary" relationship to each other. At the same time, however, Shiva is portrayed as the dominant of the two.
The first of many images of the thousand-armed (sahasra-bhuja) Avalokiteà Âvara - a form of the bodhisattva that would subsequently become popular in East Asia - to appear in China was presented to the Tang Emperor by a monk from central India named Guptadeva(?) (ç¿å¤ÂæÂÂå©Â, pinyin: Qúduà ÂtÃÂpó) somewhere between 618 and 626 CE. While as of yet, no trace of this iconographic depiction has been found within India itself, the depiction must have had an Indian origin: an image of this type was brought to China by an Indian monk, and all the Chinese texts on the thousand-handed Avalokiteà Âvara are translations from Sanskrit or Pali and contain Sanskrit hymns in transliteration. One possibility is that this form of Avalokiteà Âvara had its origins in Kashmir, whence the KÃÂraá¹Âá¸Âavyà «ha Sà «tra may also have originated. From Kashmir, the "thousandfold" Avalokiteà Âvara might have spread northward, but not southward into the Indian mainland, which could explain the dearth of Indian artifacts connected to this depiction.
A thousand limbs are integral to the Indian tradition: the Puruá¹£a sà «kta of the á¹Âgveda, for instance, describes the cosmic man Puruá¹£a as having "a thousand heads ... a thousand eyes, a thousand feet." Notably, the KÃÂraá¹Âá¸Âavyà «ha Sà «tra contains a Buddhist adaptation of the Vedic Puruá¹£a myth, with Avalokiteà Âvara as the all-pervasive cosmic being from whose body springs various gods: <blockquote>"ÃÂditya and Candra came from his eyes, Maheà Âvara came from his forehead, Brahmàcame from his shoulders, NÃÂrÃÂyaá¹Âa came from his heart, Devi Sarasvatë came from his canines, VÃÂyu came from his mouth, Dharaá¹Âë came from his feet, and Varuá¹Âa came from his stomach."</blockquote>
The epithets sahasra-bÃÂhu ('thousand-armed') or sahasra-bhuja ('thousand-handed') commonly appear in Indian literature from the á¹Âgveda onwards applied to various personages (e.g. Kartavirya Arjuna), including the gods Shiva and Vishnu. It has been suggested that the thousand arms of Avalokiteà Âvara is another example of an attribute of Shiva being assimilated into the bodhisattva, with the thousand arms being a symbol of the victory of Avalokiteà Âvara (and Buddhism) over Shiva, whose name 'êà Âvara' he appropriates, and his cult. (Cf. Trailokyavijaya, one of the five Wisdom Kings, depicted as trampling on Maheà Âvara - the Buddhist version of Shiva - and his consort.) The thousand-armed Avalokiteà Âvara's eleven heads, meanwhile, are thought to be derived from the eleven Rudras, forms and companions of Shiva (Rudra).
Originally portrayed as a servant or acolyte of the buddha AmitÃÂbha in some of the texts which mention him, Avalokiteà Âvara - originally 'Avalokita(svara)' - also later came to be depicted as one who brought popular deities into Buddhism by pronouncing their hymns, thereby according them a place in Buddhist scriptures and ritual. Eventually, however, these deities came to be identified as different forms or manifestations of the bodhisattva himself. Thus Avalokiteà Âvara gradually took on forms, attributes and titles originally ascribed to Shiva and/or to Vishnu such as sahasra-bhuja, sahasra-netra ('thousand-eyed'), êà Âvara, Maheà Âvara, Hari, or Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha.
The emergence of Avalokiteà Âvara's thousand-armed form is linked with the interiorisation of Shiva into the bodhisattva as Vià Âvarà «pa. The dhÃÂraá¹Âë of 'Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha' (i.e. Harihara - Vishnu and Shiva - later conflated with Avalokiteà Âvara) became attached to the sahasra-bhuja Avalokiteà Âvara (of which Harihara was the prototype), so that the thousand-armed form became seen as a bestower of royal authority, a trait carried over from Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha/Harihara. Indeed, in Sri Lanka, Tibet and Southeast Asia, Avalokiteà Âvara became associated with the state and with royalty.
Classic Mahayana teaching holds that Avalokiteà Âvara is able to manifest in different forms according to the needs of different individuals. In the Lotus Sà «tra, it is stated that Avalokiteà Âvara can appear in different guises - which includes that of 'êà Âvara' and 'Maheà Âvara' - to teach the Dharma to various classes of beings.
<blockquote>The Buddha said to Bodhisattva Aká¹£ayamati: "O son of a virtuous family! If there is any land where sentient beings are to be saved by the form of a buddha, Bodhisattva Avalokiteà Âvara teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of a buddha. ... To those who are to be saved by the form of Brahma, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of Brahma. To those who are to be saved by the form of à Âakra, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of à Âakra. To those who are to be saved by the form of êà Âvara, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of êà Âvara. To those who are to be saved in the form of Maheà Âvara, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of Maheà Âvara. ... To those who are to be saved by the form of a human or of a nonhuman such as a deva, nÃÂga, yaká¹£a, gandharva, asura, garuá¸Âa, kiá¹Ânara, or mahoraga, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into any of these forms."</blockquote>
A similar statement appears in the KÃÂraá¹Âá¸Âavyà «ha Sà «tra:
<blockquote>Bhagavat à Âikhin replied, 'He [Avalokiteà Âvara] completely ripens the many beings who circle in saá¹ÂsÃÂra, teaches them the path to enlightenment, and teaches the Dharma in whatever form a being can be taught through. He teaches the Dharma in the form of a tathÃÂgata to beings who are to be taught by a tathÃÂgata. He teaches the Dharma in the form of a pratyekabuddha to beings who are to be taught by a pratyekabuddha. He teaches the Dharma in the form of an arhat to beings who are to be taught by an arhat. He teaches the Dharma in the form of a bodhisattva to beings who are to be taught by a bodhisattva. He teaches the Dharma in the form of Maheà Âvara to beings who are to be taught by Maheà Âvara. He teaches the Dharma in the form of NÃÂrÃÂyaá¹Âa to beings who are to be taught by NÃÂrÃÂyaá¹Âa. He teaches the Dharma in the form of Brahmàto beings who are to be taught by BrahmÃÂ. ... He teaches the Dharma in whatever particular form a being should be taught through. That, noble son, is how Bodhisattva MahÃÂsattva Avalokiteà Âvara completely ripens beings and teaches them the Dharma of nirvÃÂá¹Âa.'</blockquote>
Despite being a latecomer among the esoteric forms of Avalokiteà Âvara introduced into China, because of the promotion of his cult by the three esoteric masters (à Âubhakarasiá¹Âha, Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra have all made translations of thousand-armed Avalokitesvara texts) and patronage by the imperial court, the sahasra-bhuja Avalokitesvara overtook and absorbed the fame of other tantric forms of the bodhisattva.
Out of the various transliterations of the dhÃÂraá¹Âë in Chinese, that of Bhagavaddharma (T. 1060) has risen to become the standard in East Asia.
Bhagavaddharma was a monk who came to China from western India around the mid-7th century, about whom nothing else is known; the Taishà  Tripitaka has only two works in Chinese by him, both on the thousand-armed Avalokiteà Âvara (T. 1059, 1060). The latter of these two works, the 'Sà «tra of the Vast, Perfect, Unimpeded Great-Compassionate Heart of the Thousand-Handed Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva Avalokitasvara's DhÃÂraá¹Âë', made at Khotan around 650-661 CE, has made him immortal. The popularity of his version is attested by surviving Dunhuang manuscripts dated to the 8th century, some of which are excerpts of the ten great vows contained in the sà «tra.
In China itself, various anecdotes about miracles effected by the recitation of the dhÃÂraá¹Âë appear from the Tang dynasty onwards. As the dhÃÂraá¹Âë's efficacy became widely known, dhÃÂraá¹Âë pillars on which the dhÃÂraá¹Âë's text was inscribed began to be erected, the earliest of these dating from 871 CE. By the end of the period, both the sà «tra text and the dhÃÂraá¹Âë circulated among the monks and the laity, with copies being made either as pious offerings or commissioned by the faithful to obtain religious merit. An abbreviated version of the sà «tra, consisting of only the ten great vows recited by Avalokiteà Âvara within the text (see 'Summary' below) and the dhÃÂraá¹Âë itself, was also in circulation. Known as the 'Invocation of the Great Compassionate One' (大æ²åÂÂè« DàbÃÂi qÃÂqÃÂng), this text was probably used in a liturgical setting.
The reason behind the subsequent popularity of Bhagavaddharma's sà «tra is thought to be due to its relative simplicity compared to other versions: while other sà «tras on the thousand-armed Avalokiteà Âvara contained detailed rules on how to visualize and depict this form of the bodhisattva, the very lack of such instructions in Bhagavaddharma's text might have contributed to its democratic appeal for ordinary people. In addition, Bhagavaddharma's version is the only one that contained the sections on the ten great vows and the blessing of the fifteen kinds of good deaths as well as protection from fifteen kinds of bad deaths. The dhÃÂraá¹Âë's concrete power over death and the comprehensiveness of Avalokiteà Âvara's vows might have been another factor that appealed to the masses.
Because of the great popularity enjoyed by this sà «tra, the epithet 'Great Compassionate One' (大æ² DàbÃÂi) became identified specifically with the sahasra-bhuja Avalokiteà Âvara from the Tang period on, though previously it was used in other sà «tras to describe Avalokiteà Âvara in general.
Bhagavaddharma's text begins with à ÂÃÂkyamuni Buddha in Avalokiteà Âvara's palace on the island Potalaka about to preach to a congregation of bodhisattvas, arhats, devas and other beings. Suddenly there is a great illumination and the three thousand realms become golden in color, shaking all over while the sun and moon become dull by comparison. One of the bodhisattvas present, DhÃÂraá¹Âë King (總æÂÂçÂÂè©è©), asks the Buddha why this is happening; the Buddha reveals that Avalokiteà Âvara secretly emitted this light "in order to comfort and please all living-beings."
Avalokiteà Âvara then begins to speak, revealing that innumerable kalpas ago, the Thousand-light King TathÃÂgata of Tranquil Abode (Ã¥ÂÂå ÂçÂÂéÂÂä½Âå¦Âä¾Â) entrusted to him the 'DhÃÂraá¹Âë of the Great Compassionate Heart' (大æ²å¿ÂéÂÂç¾ å°¼åª). As soon as he heard the dhÃÂraá¹Âë, Avalokiteà Âvara - who had then been a bodhisattva of the first stage - quickly advanced to the eighth stage, and after reciting a vow, became endowed with a thousand hands and eyes: "So from that epoch long ago, I have kept the dhÃÂraá¹Âë. As a result, I have always been born where there is a buddha. Moreover, I have never undergone birth from a womb, but am always transformed from a lotus."
After giving this explanation, he then calls upon anyone who wants to keep this dhÃÂraá¹Âë to give rise to the thought of compassion for all sentient beings by making the following ten vows after him.
<blockquote>Namaḥ Avalokiteà Âvara of Great Compassion, may I quickly learn all Dharma.<br /> Namaḥ Avalokiteà Âvara of Great Compassion, may I speedily obtain the eye of wisdom.<br /> Namaḥ Avalokiteà Âvara of Great Compassion, may I quickly save all sentient beings.<br /> Namaḥ Avalokiteà Âvara of Great Compassion, may I speedily obtain skillful means.<br /> Namaḥ Avalokiteà Âvara of Great Compassion, may I quickly sail on the prajñàboat.<br /> Namaḥ Avalokiteà Âvara of Great Compassion, may I speedily cross over the ocean of suffering.<br /> Namaḥ Avalokiteà Âvara of Great Compassion, may I quickly obtain the way of discipline and meditation.<br /> Namaḥ Avalokiteà Âvara of Great Compassion, may I speedily ascend the nirvÃÂá¹Âa mountain.<br /> Namaḥ Avalokiteà Âvara of Great Compassion, may I quickly enter the house of non-action.<br /> Namaḥ Avalokiteà Âvara of Great Compassion, may I speedily achieve the Dharma-Body.<br /> If I face a mountain of knives, may it naturally crumble, if I face a roaring fire, may it naturally burn out, if I face hell, may it naturally disappear, if I face a hungry ghost, may it naturally be satiated, if I face an Asura, may its evil heart gradually become tame and, if I face an animal, may it naturally obtain great wisdom.</blockquote>
After making such vows, one should then sincerely call the name of Avalokiteà Âvara as well as the name of AmitÃÂbha Buddha, Avalokiteà Âvara's original teacher.
Avalokiteà Âvara stresses the dhÃÂraá¹Âë's efficacy by vowing that should anyone who recites it fall into an evil realm of rebirth, or not be born into one of the buddha lands, or not attain unlimited samÃÂdhi and eloquence, or not get whatever he desires in his present life, or, in the case of a woman, if she detests the female body and wants to become a man, he (Avalokiteà Âvara) will not achieve complete, perfect enlightenment, unless those who recited it were insincere, in which case they will not reap its benefits.
Aside from such spiritual and mundane benefits as removing grave sins caused by heinous acts such as the five crimes or the ten evil acts or curing 84,000 kinds of illnesses, the sincere keeping of the dhÃÂraá¹Âë is said to also result in fifteen kinds of good rebirth (e.g. being ruled by a virtuous king wherever one is born, fully endowed with money and food, can see the Buddha and listen to the Dharma in the place of birth) and the avoidance of fifteen kinds of evil deaths (e.g. suicide, death on the battlefield, death by starvation).
Avalokiteà Âvara then recites the dhÃÂraá¹Âë; the earth shakes in six ways, while precious flowers rain down from the sky. As all the buddhas of the ten directions are delighted and practitioners of heterodox ways become frightened, all the assembled reach different levels of realization. Upon being asked by MahÃÂbrahmà(大梵天çÂÂ), Avalokiteà Âvara goes on to further explain the dhÃÂraá¹Âë's benefits, both spiritual and temporal, and recites a gÃÂthàcommanding various benevolent devas, nÃÂgas and yaká¹£as to guard the keepers of the dhÃÂraá¹Âë.
Like all esoteric sà «tras, this sà «tra shows interest in ritual matters. As part of the sÃÂdhanàor ritual requirement, detailed instructions on constructing a sacred space or boundary are provided: the dhÃÂraá¹Âë is to be recited twenty-one times over a particular item such as a knife, pure water, white mustard seed, clean ashes, or five colored twine, which would then be used to demarcate the boundary. The sà «tra also offers many recipes employing the dhÃÂraá¹Âë to deal with various mundane problems (e.g. to ease a difficult childbirth or to cure scotophobia or snakebite) or to attain specific goals (e.g. commanding a ghost or the four guardian gods, repelling foreign invasions or natural disasters away from one's own country).
The sà «tra then ends by identifying the names of the forty mudrÃÂs of the thousand-armed Avalokiteà Âvara - forty standing for the full number of a thousand - and the respective benefits they bestow on the worshipper. These mudrÃÂs are only described verbally on Bhagavaddharma's version; illustrated depictions are found in the version by Amoghavajra (T. 1064).
The Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha dhÃÂraá¹Âë, now firmly associated with the sahasra-bhuja form of Avalokiteà Âvara, enjoys a huge popularity in East Asian Mahayana Buddhism.
The dhÃÂraá¹Âë is especially revered in China, Taiwan and overseas Chinese communities, where the thousand-armed (Sahasra-bhuja) Avalokiteà Âvara, known commonly as Qianshou Guanyin (Ã¥ÂÂæÂÂè§Âé³ QiÃÂnshÃÂu GuÃÂnyën), is the most popular among the bodhisattva's forms. It is most often called the 'Great Compassion Mantra' (大æ²å DàbÃÂi zhòu) in popular parlance, an epithet also (mistakenly) applied to a different, much shorter dhÃÂraá¹Âë, that of the Eleven-headed Avalokiteà Âvara (EkÃÂdaà Âamukha). Musical renditions of this latter dhÃÂraá¹Âë (such as those made by Imee Ooi or Ani Choying Dolma) are often labelled the Tibetan Great Compassion Mantra (traditional: èÂÂå³大æ²åÂÂ, simplified: èÂÂ传大æ²å Zàngchuán DàbÃÂi zhòu) or The Great Compassion Mantra in Sanskrit (梵é³大æ²å Fànyën DàbÃÂi zhòu) in recordings, adding to the confusion.
In most Chinese Buddhist temples, the Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha dhÃÂraá¹Âë is traditionally chanted daily as part of the morning liturgical service known as the zaoke (æ©課), and is also widely used in various common rituals. For instance, during the popular Shuilu Fahui ceremony, which is an extensive and elaborate ritual that usually takes place over several days with multiple altars, the dhÃÂraá¹Âë is chanted by monastics while invoking Guanyin to the Inner Altar in order to empower sacred water, which is then later sprinkled around the altar using a willow leaf to purify it. As another example, the dhÃÂraá¹Âë is utilized in a similar purificatory way during the widely practiced tantric Yujia Yankou ritual, where the central monastic(s) carrying out the rite performs deity yoga with Guanyin. Notably, the popularity and ubiquitousness of the Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha dhÃÂraá¹Âë in the Chinese Buddhist milieu is also exemplified by a widely practiced repentance rite inspired by the sà «tra in which the dhÃÂraá¹Âë was expounded known as the Dabei Chan (大æ²æº, lit: "Great Compassion Repentance Ritual"). This rite has remained a regular part of the Chinese Buddhist ritual field since its inception by the Song dynasty Tiantai Patriarch Siming Zhili (Ã¥ÂÂæÂÂç¥禮, 960-1028), being performed at least once a month in most Chinese Buddhist temples in contemporary times. During a section of the ritual, Guanyin's ten vows in the sà «tra are chanted before the Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha dhÃÂraá¹Âë is recited up to fourteen or twenty-one times.
In Korea, the dhÃÂraá¹Âë - usually referred to as Sinmyo janggu daedalani (ì ë¬Âì¥구ëÂÂë¤ë¼ëÂÂ; Hanja: ç¥Âå¦Âç« å¥大éÂÂç¾ å°¼ "The Great DhÃÂraá¹Âë of Wondrous Verses") or as Cheon-su gyeong (ì²ÂìÂÂê²½; Hanja: Ã¥ÂÂæÂÂ綠"Thousand Hands Sutra") - is also a regular fixture of Buddhist ritual. Copies of the dhÃÂraá¹Âë (written in Hangul and the Korean variant of Siddhaá¹ script) are hung inside homes to bring auspiciousness.
In Japan, the dhÃÂraá¹Âë is most often associated with the Zen schools of Buddhism such as Sà Âtà  (where it is called 大æ²å¿ÂéÂÂç¾ å°¼ Daihishin darani "DhÃÂraá¹Âë of the Great Compassionate Heart") or Rinzai (which dubs the dhÃÂraá¹Âë 大æ²åÂÂæºÂç¡ç¤Âç¥Âåª Daihi Enman Muge (or Enmon Bukai) Jinshu "Divine Mantra of the Vast, Perfect Great Compassion" or 大æ²åª Daihi shu - the Japanese reading of Dabei zhou), where it is extensively used: as in many other parts of East Asia, it is chanted daily by Zen monks, and used in funerals as well as in hungry ghost feeding ceremonies (segaki).
A version of the dhÃÂraá¹Âë is also found within the esoteric Shingon school: in the early 20th century it was apparently counted as one of three dhÃÂraá¹Âës (ä¸ÂéÂÂç¾ å°¼ san darani) especially revered within the school, the other two being the Buddhoá¹£á¹Âëṣa Vijaya DhÃÂraá¹Âë (ä»Âé Âå°ÂÃ¥ÂÂéÂÂç¾ å°¼ Bucchà Â-sonshà  darani) and the GuhyadhÃÂtu Karaá¹Âá¸Âa-mudràDhÃÂraá¹Âë (å®Âç¯Âå°éÂÂç¾ å°¼ Hà Âkyà Â-in darani). Since then, however, the Root DhÃÂraá¹Âë of AmitÃÂbha (é¿弥éÂÂå¦Âæ¥根æÂŽÂÂç¾ å°¼ Amida nyorai konpon darani) - once counted as an alternative candidate to the Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha dhÃÂraá¹Âë - seems to have overtaken its place.
In Vietnam, the dhÃÂraá¹Âë is called Chú ÃÂại Bi (the Vietnamese translation of the Chinese title 大æ²å DàbÃÂi zhòu), It is almost similar to the version of Bhagavaddharma, albeit with a different way of dividing the text (84 verses instead of 82). The text is available in two forms: either without the verse numbering, or with verse numbering (1-84). At the entrance of many pagodas, especially in tourist places, the Chú ÃÂại Bi is made available to visitors, either printed on a single sheet in black and white, or as a color booklet on glossy paper. They are printed on the initiative of Buddhist practitioners who make an offering to the sangha.
There are numerous versions and editions of the Great Compassion Mantra (DàbÃÂi Zhòu). The different editions vary by length, content, and the way they are pronounced and written. Its textual history is characterized by a transition from early Indian Sanskrit origins to multiple Chinese and Tibetan recensions, primarily classified into "shorter" and "longer" versions. The mantra is unique for its syncretic nature, as it incorporates various epithets and attributes typically associated with Indian deities. The main versions of the dhÃÂraá¹Âë can be traced back to several key translators during the Tang Dynasty, who introduced the text to China from India and Central Asia.
Key translators include Bhagavaddharma, Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra. The shorter version by Bhagavaddharma is the most pervasive in contemporary practice. In contrast, the longer versions, such as those preserved by Amoghavajra or found in the Tibetan Kangyur, contain additional invocations and more detailed descriptions of Avalokiteà Âvara's various forms. Modern practitioners also encounter a third category: the popular Sanskrit reconstructions made famous by 20th-century scholars like Lokesh Chandra. These versions aim to restore the classical Sanskrit phonetics that were often obscured by the phonetic constraints of Chinese characters. While these scholarly versions are widely used in modern musical recordings and international Buddhist gatherings, traditional lineages often maintain the older, transliterated Chinese or Tibetan pronunciations.
Besides some differences in dividing the text and a few (very minor) variances in wording, the Chinese, Vietnamese and Japanese versions of the dhÃÂraá¹Âë are substantially the same, being based either on the short version by Bhagavaddharma (T. 1060) and/or a similar rendition of the short text by Amoghavajra (T. 1113b).
The form of the dhÃÂraá¹Âë as commonly written and recited in Chinese Buddhism is as follows. The Chinese characters are a transcription, not a translation, of the Sanskrit. For example, in the first line Ã¥ÂÂÃ¥ÂÂæÂÂé£÷åÂÂÃ¥ÂÂå¤Âè¶ hÃÂlàdánà÷duà Âlàyèyé transliterates the Sanskrit ratna-trayÃÂya (three treasures) but "three treasures" would be translated as ä¸Â寶 sÃÂnbÃÂo.
The following is a reconstruction of the original Sanskrit text of Bhagavaddharma's version by Lokesh Chandra (1988) based on a comparison with other versions.
<blockquote>Namo ratna trayÃÂya | namo ÃÂryÃÂvalokiteà ÂvarÃÂya bodhisattvÃÂya mahÃÂsattvÃÂya mahÃÂkÃÂruá¹ÂikÃÂya |<br /> Oá¹ sarva-bhayeá¹£u trÃÂá¹Âa-karÃÂya tasya namaská¹Âtvàimaá¹ ÃÂryÃÂvalokiteà Âvara-stavanaá¹ Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha-nÃÂma |
TADYATHà| Oá¹ apaloka lokÃÂtikrÃÂnta ehi Hare mahÃÂbodhisattva sarpa-sarpa | smara smara mama há¹Âdayam | kuru-kuru karma | dhuru-dhuru vijayate mahÃÂvijayate | dhara-dhara dharÃÂá¹Âi-rÃÂja | cala-cala mama vimala-mà «rtte re | ehy-ehi ká¹Âá¹£á¹Âa-sarp-opavëta | viá¹£a-viá¹£aá¹ praá¹ÂÃÂà Âaya | hulu-hulu malla | hulu-hulu Hare | sara-sara siri-siri suru-suru | bodhiya-bodhiya bodhaya-bodhaya maitriya Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha | darà Âanena prahlÃÂdaya manaḥ svÃÂhà| siddhÃÂya svÃÂhà| mahÃÂsiddhÃÂya svÃÂhà| siddha-yogeà ÂvarÃÂya svÃÂhà| Nëlakaá¹Âá¹ÂhÃÂya svÃÂhà| VÃÂraha-mukhÃÂya svÃÂhà| Narasiá¹Âha-mukhÃÂya svÃÂhà| padma-hastÃÂya svÃÂhà| cakra-hastÃÂya svÃÂhà| padma-hastÃÂya? svÃÂhà| Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha-vyÃÂghrÃÂya svÃÂhà| MahÃÂbali-à ÂankarÃÂya svÃÂhà|| Namo ratna-trayÃÂya | namo ÃÂryÃÂvalokiteà ÂvarÃÂya svÃÂhà||
(Oá¹ siddhyantu mantra-padÃÂni svÃÂhà||) </blockquote>Chandra's English translation is: <blockquote>1. Adoration to the Triple Gem. Adoration to ÃÂrya Avalokiteà ÂvarÃÂ, bodhisattva, mahÃÂsattva, the Great Compassionate One. Oá¹Â. Having paid adoration to One who protects in all dangers, here is the [recitation] of the names of Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha, as chanted by ÃÂrya Avalokiteà ÂvarÃÂ.<br /> 2. I shall enunciate the 'heart' [dhÃÂraá¹Âë] which ensures all aims, is pure and invincible for all beings, and which purifies the path of existence.
<br />3. THUS. Oá¹Â. O Effulgence, World-Transcendent, come, oh Hari, the great bodhisattva, descend, descend. Bear in mind my heart-dhÃÂraá¹Âë. Accomplish, accomplish the work. Hold fast, hold fast, Victor, oh Great Victor. Hold on, hold on, oh Lord of the Earth. Move, move, oh my Immaculate Image. Come, come, Thou with the black serpent as Thy sacred thread. Destroy every poison. Quick, quick, oh Strong Being. Quick, Quick, oh Hari. Descend, descend, come down, come down, condescend, condescend. Being enlightened enlighten me, oh merciful Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha. Gladden my heart by appearing unto me.
To the Siddha hail. To the Great Siddha hail. To the Lord of Siddha Yogins hail. To Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha hail. To the Boar-faced One hail. To the One with the face of Narasiá¹Âha hail. To One who has a lotus in His hand hail. To the Holder of a cakra in His hand hail. To One who sports a lotus(?) in His hand hail. To Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha the tiger hail. To the mighty à Âaá¹Âkara hail.<br /> 4. Adoration to the Triple Gem. Adoration to ÃÂrya Avalokiteà ÂvarÃÂ, hail.</blockquote>
While the most commonly used version in East Asia, the shorter version of the dhÃÂraá¹Âë as transcribed by Bhagavaddharma has been criticized as an imperfect rendering based on a defective recitation or manuscript copy. Amoghavajra's Siddhaá¹ text in T. 1113b is also badly corrupted. In addition to the use of the Central Asian form 'Narakindi'/'Nilakandi'/'Narakidhi' (é£åÂÂ謹å¢Â) for Sanskrit Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha and other grammatical quirks which betray a Central Asian milieu, certain other portions of the standard text are corrupt beyond recognition.
For instance, the passage 室é£室é£ é¿åÂÂÃ¥ÂÂä½ÂÃ¥ÂÂèÂÂå© (Siddhaá¹ text of T. 1113b: cinda 2 ará¹£am pracali), is thought to be a corruption of ká¹Âá¹£á¹Âa-sarpopavëta "thou with the black serpent as the sacred thread" (attested in other versions and hinted in Amoghavajra's commentary in T. 1111), with the word for 'serpent' (à ¤¸à ¤°à ¥Âà ¤ª sarpa) as written in Siddhaá¹ script being misread as 2 arsa. Meanwhile, è©å©Âè©åÂÂé£æ©ç¸Âä¼½æ©罰ç¹豠(T. 1113b: sarva-bhutanama vagama vadudu) is a misrendering of sarva-bhà «tÃÂnÃÂm bhava-mÃÂrga visodhakam ("(it) cleanses the path of existence of all beings"), with dudu (ç¹è±Â) being a filler word to cover a portion of the text that was not perceived clearly.
Vajrabodhi's Sanskrit text as reconstructed by Chandra (1988):
<blockquote>Namo ratna-trayÃÂya | nama ÃÂryÃÂvalokiteà ÂvarÃÂya bodhisattvÃÂya mahÃÂsattvÃÂya mahÃÂkÃÂruá¹ÂikÃÂya sarva-bandhana-cchedana-karÃÂya sarva-bhava-samudra-à Âoá¹£aá¹Âa-karÃÂya sarva-vyÃÂdhi-praà Âamana-karÃÂya sarv-ety-upadrava-vinÃÂà Âana-karÃÂya sarva-bhayeá¹£u trÃÂá¹Âa-karÃÂya | tasmai namaská¹Âtvàimaá¹ ÃÂryÃÂvalokiteà Âvara-bhÃÂá¹£itaá¹ Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha-nÃÂma |<br />
TADYATHà| oá¹ ÃÂloka e ÃÂloka-mati lokÃÂtikrÃÂnta ehi Hare ÃÂryÃÂvalokiteà Âvara mahÃÂbodhisattva | he bodhisattva he mahÃÂbodhisattva he virya-bodhisattva he mahÃÂkÃÂruá¹Âikàsmara há¹Âdayaá¹ | ehy-ehi Hare ÃÂryÃÂvalokiteà Âvara Maheà Âvara paramÃÂrtha-citta mahÃÂkÃÂruá¹Âikà| kuru-kuru karma | sÃÂdhaya-sÃÂdhaya vidyam | dehi-dehi tvaraá¹ kÃÂmam gama vihaá¹Âgama vigama siddha-yogeà Âvara | dhuru-dhuru viyanta e mahÃÂ-viyanta e | dhara-dhara dharendreà Âvara | cala-cala vimal-ÃÂmala ÃÂryÃÂvalokiteà Âvara Jina | ká¹Âá¹£á¹Âa-jaá¹ÂÃÂ-makuá¹Âà'varama prarama virama mahÃÂsiddha-vidyÃÂdhara | bala-bala mahÃÂbala malla-malla mahÃÂmalla cala cala MahÃÂcala | ká¹Âá¹£á¹Âa-vará¹Âa dërgha-ká¹Âá¹£á¹Âa-paká¹£a-nirghÃÂtana he padma-hasta | cara cara nià ÂÃÂcareà Âvara ká¹Âá¹£á¹Âa-sarpa-ká¹Âta-yajñopavëta | ehy-ehi mahÃÂVarÃÂha-mukha Tripura-dahan-eà Âvara NÃÂrÃÂyaá¹Âa-balopabala-veà Âa-dhara | he Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha he MahÃÂkÃÂla halÃÂhala-viá¹£a nirjita lokasya rÃÂga-viá¹£a vinÃÂà Âana dveá¹£a-viá¹£a-vinÃÂà Âana moha-viá¹£a-viá¹ÂÃÂà Âana hulu-hulu malla | hulu Hare MahÃÂ-PadmanÃÂbha | sara-sara siri-siri suru-suru muru-muru budhya-budhya bodhaya-bodhaya bodhayàmaitriya Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha | ehy-ehi vÃÂma-sthita-Siá¹Âha-mukha | hasa-hasa muñca-muñca mahÃÂá¹Âá¹ÂahÃÂsam | ehy-ehi bho mahÃÂsiddha-yogeà Âvara | bhaá¹Âa-bhaá¹Âa vÃÂcaá¹ | sÃÂdhaya-sÃÂdhaya vidyÃÂá¹ | smara-smara taá¹ bhagavantaá¹ lokita-vilokitaá¹ Lokeà Âvaram tathÃÂgataá¹ | dadÃÂhi me darà Âana-kÃÂmasya darà Âanam | prahlÃÂdaya manaḥ svÃÂhà|<br /> siddhÃÂya svÃÂhà| mahÃÂsiddhÃÂya svÃÂhà| siddha-yogeà ÂvarÃÂya svÃÂhà| Nëlakaá¹Âá¹ÂhÃÂya svÃÂhà| VarÃÂha-mukhÃÂya svÃÂhà| MahÃÂNarasiá¹Âha-mukhÃÂya svÃÂhà| siddha-vidyÃÂdharÃÂya svÃÂhà| padma-hastÃÂya svÃÂhà| ká¹Âá¹£á¹Âa-sarpa-ká¹Âta-yajñopavitÃÂya svÃÂhà| mahÃÂ-Lakuá¹ÂadharÃÂya svÃÂhà| cakr-ÃÂyudhÃÂya svÃÂhà| à Âaá¹Âkha-à Âabda-nibodhanÃÂya svÃÂhà| vÃÂma-skandha-deà Âa-sthita-ká¹Âá¹£á¹Â-ÃÂjinÃÂya svÃÂhà| vyÃÂghra-carma-nivasanÃÂya svÃÂhà| Lokeà ÂvarÃÂya svÃÂhà| sarva-siddheà Âvaraya svÃÂhà|<br /> Namo bhagavate ÃÂryÃÂvalokiteà ÂvarÃÂya bodhisattvÃÂya mahÃÂsattvÃÂya mahÃÂkÃÂruá¹ÂikÃÂya |<br /> Siddhyantu me mantra-padÃÂni svÃÂhà||</blockquote>
As noted above, the longer version as preserved by Vajrabodhi provides evidence that the dhÃÂraá¹Âë, in its original form, was a recitation of Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha's names by Avalokiteà Âvara (ÃÂryÃÂvalokiteà Âvara-bhÃÂá¹£itaá¹ Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha-nÃÂma "the names of Nëlakaá¹Âá¹Âha uttered (bhÃÂá¹£ita) by ' Avalokiteà Âvara"), suggesting that the two figures were not yet conflated with each other at this stage. This version also contains more epithets associated with Shiva and Vishnu than the standard shorter version, such as Maheà Âvara, MahÃÂkÃÂla, Tripura-dahaneà Âvara, MahÃÂcala ("the great immovable (acala) one"), Lakuá¹Âadhara ("the bearer of a club"; cf. Lakulisha), halÃÂhala-viá¹£a nirjita ("subduer of the halÃÂhala poison"), vyÃÂghra-carma-nivasana ("he who wears a tiger skin"), NÃÂrÃÂyaá¹Âa-balopabala-veà Âa-dhara ("having the prowess and vestments (veà Âa) of NÃÂrÃÂyaá¹Âa"), PadmanÃÂbha ("the lotus-naveled"), or à Âaá¹Âkha-à Âabda-nibodhana ("he who awakens (with the) sound of a conch").
The following Sanskrit texts are synoptically arranged for comparison: