Qianshou jing

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Thousand-armed Avalokiteśvara, Vietnam.

Qianshou jing (S. Nīlakaṇṭhakasūtra; T. mgrin pa sngon po can [gyi mdo]; J. Senjūkyō; K. Ch’ŏnsu kyŏng 千手經). In Chinese, “Thousand Hands Sūtra”; in Sanskrit, “Blue-Throated [Avalokiteśvara] Sūtra”. An abbreviated title commonly used for the text that provides the scriptural foundation for the practice of Thousand-Armed and Thousand-Eyed Avalokiteśvara (Sāhasrabhuja-sāhasranetra Avalokiteśvara).

Chinese translations

Chinese translations include:

• Bhagavaddharma’s (fl. c. seventh century) Qianshou Qianyan Guanshiyin pusa guangda yuanman wu’ai dabeixin tuoluoni jing 千手千眼觀世音菩薩大悲心陀羅尼經 (“Dhāraṇī-Sūtra of Thousand-Eyed and Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva Who Regards the World’s Sounds and Feels Vast, Complete, Unimpeded Great Compassion”), translated between 650 and 661
• Zhitong’s (fl. c. seventh century) Qianyan Qianbi Guanshiyin pusa tuoluoni shenzhou jing (“Dhāraṇī-Sūtra of Thousand-Eyed and Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva Who Regards the World’s Sounds”), translated between 627 and 649
• Bodhiruci translation, made in 709
• Vajrabodhi translation, made between 731 and 736
• Amoghavajra's translation, made during the eighth century.

Each version differs in its content and structure, but most include a dharani dedicated to Thousand-Armed Avalokiteśvara (C. Guanyin).

Bhagavaddharma’s translation is the most popular in East Asia, and the title Qianshou jing typically refers to his recension.

Bhagavaddharma's translation

The Princeton Dictionary states:

Bhagavaddharma’s translation of the sūtra has been the most popular in East Asia and the title Qianshou jing typically refers to his recension.

According to Bhagavaddharma’s translation of the text, innumerable eons ago, Avalokiteśvara received this dhāraṇī from a buddha named Qianguang Wangjing Zhu Rulai (Tathāgata Tranquil Abode who is King of the Thousandfold Radiance), and, after making ten vows to benefit all sentient beings, the bodhisattva came to be endowed with a thousand arms and a thousand eyes. The sūtra then explains the various benefits of keeping and reciting the dhāraṇī. Keeping the dhāraṇī ensures, for example, fifteen kinds of salutary rebirths, such as being born in a good country, living during a peaceful time, meeting good friends, having sufficient money and food, and being protected by the divinities; it also ensures that the adept will avoid fifteen kinds of painful deaths, such as from hunger, madness, drowning, conflagration, poison, and suicide. These various sets of benefits are only included in Bhagavadharma’s version, which may partly account for the greater popularity of his translation.

English translation

• Great Compassion Dharani Sutra - English translation of Nīlakaṇṭha Dhāraṇī Sūtra, translation from Bhagavaddharma's Chinese translation

Qianshou dhāraṇī

Main article: Qianshou tuoluoni

There are multiple versions of the dhāraṇī dedicated to Thousand-Armed Avalokiteśvara, based on different translations of the Qianshou jing.

According to the Princeton Dictionary, "there are at least eight different Chinese transcriptions of this dhāraṇī and two Tibetan transcriptions, suggesting that different Sanskrit recensions of the spell were in circulation."

The dhāraṇī is commonly called by the following names:

• Qianshou tuoluoni ("Thousand-armed dhāraṇī")
• Qianshou dhāraṇī
• Dabei tuoluoni ("Great Compassion dhāraṇī"); Skt. Mahākaruṇā Dhāraṇī or Mahākaruṇika Dhāraṇī
• Dabei dhāraṇī

The Sanskrit name for this dhāraṇī (according to modern scholars) is:

• Nīlakaṇṭha Dhāraṇī ("blue-throated dhāraṇī")

Sources

• Buswell, Robert E.; Lopez, Donald S. (2014), The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, Princeton University 

Further reading

• Avalokiteshvara (Eleven Faces, Gaganaraja), Himalayan Art Resources
• Thousand-armed and Thousand-eyed Avalokiteshvara, MAVCOR Journal
• Chenrezig Commentaries
• Chandra, Lokesh. The Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara (Avalokiteshvara). Abhinav Publications. 1988. Archive version (missing pages)