Introduction to Buddhist sutras and mantras (2)

Question #72:

Answer #72:

6. The Xiao Zai Ji Xiang Shen Zhou can be recited when encountering sudden or unexpected situations. It can also be used for resolving karmic conflicts from past lives. Some of its functions include resolving troubles such as lawsuits, financial loss, quarrels, fines and penalties, sudden illnesses, when you have foreseen impending disasters, or when you have nightmares.
Recite as necessary: Generally, 21, 27 or 49 times per day; can be recited during the daytime or at night.
Prayer: Before reciting this mantra, you can say the following prayer: “May the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva protect and bless me, <your full name>, help me to eliminate disasters, and bring me safety and good fortune.”
7. The Cundi Dharani (Zhun Ti Shen Zhou) is to sincerely ask assistance from Guan Yin Bodhisattva to help us fulfil wishes.
Some of its functions include praying for success in career; harmony in marriage and relationships; and academic achievements. It is particularly helpful for young adults looking for a job, a partner in life or hoping to be successful academically. However, the wishes you make must be reasonable and legitimate.
For daily recitation: Generally, 21, 27 or 49 times per day; can be recited during the daytime or at night.
Prayer: Before reciting this mantra, you can say the following prayer: “May the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva protect and bless me, <your full name>, help me have my wishes fulfilled and grant me success in career (or any other reasonable wishes you may have).”
8. The Da Ji Xiang Tian Nü Zhou can help you to eliminate poverty and all types of misfortune, to obtain prosperity, happiness, and good fortune in the near future, and to fulfil wishes for your marriage or relationship.
Recitation of the Da Ji Xiang Tian Nü Zhou is mainly to pray for good fortune on a specific issue. However, the prerequisite is that you must have accumulated sufficient merits and virtues in order to obtain good or great fortune. If you do not have enough merits and virtues as the foundation, then the recitation may not be as effective as expected.
Recite as necessary: Generally, 21, 27 or 49 times per day; can be recited during the daytime or at night.
Prayer: Before reciting this mantra, you can say the following prayer: “May the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva protect and bless me, <your full name>, grant me good fortune and success in <specific issue>.”
This mantra can also be used for praying for a good relationship or marriage. You can say the following prayer: “May the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva protect and bless me, <your full name>, help me to find a good partner, and have a good relationship (or marriage).”
9. The Gong De Bao Shan Shen Zhou can help you accumulate positive karma, merits and virtues, and eliminate your acts of misconduct and negative karma. Recitation of this mantra can help you to transform your good deeds into merits and virtues. Merits and virtues can be used to eliminate karmic obstacles.
If you have performed many good deeds during a period of time, and you would like to pray for a specific issue, then you can recite the Gong De Bao Shan Shen Zhou. For this mantra to be effective, the prerequisite is that you have performed numerous good deeds to serve as a foundation.
Recite as necessary: Generally, 21, 27 or 49 times per day; can be recited during the daytime or at night.
Prayer: Before reciting this mantra, you can say the following prayer: “May the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva protect and bless me, <your full name>, help me to transform the good deeds I have done in the past into merits and virtues, grant me success in <specific issue>.”
In addition, you can recite this mantra for an unborn child or a child under 5 years old. Reciting the Gong De Bao Shan Shen Zhou helps to transform the child’s good deeds from previous lives into merits and virtues in the present life. They can be used to protect and bless this child, help them eliminate disasters, and ensure their safety.
Prayer: Before reciting this mantra for your child, you can say the following prayer: “May the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva protect and bless, <full name of your child>, help him/her transform his/her good deeds from the past into merits and virtues, grant the child safety and good health.”
For an unborn child, you can say the following prayer: “May the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva protect and bless the child of <your full name>, help him/her transform his/her good deeds from the past into merits and virtues, grant the child safety and good health.”
10. The Qi Fo Mie Zui Zhen Yan (or Chi Fo Mieh Tsui Chen Yan) can help you eliminate karmic obstacles, obtain safety and good fortune, achieve success in every aspect of your life, and benefit future generations.
Recitation of this mantra can help you eliminate relatively minor karmic obstacles that you have generated recently or during this life. For major karmic obstacles or serious ones generated in past lives, you still need to recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance. Therefore, the recitation of the Qi Fo Mie Zui Zhen Yan cannot completely replace the recitation of the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance.
Recite as necessary: For relatively minor negative karma due to actions, speech or thoughts, you can recite this mantra 21, 27 or 49 times in one sitting.
Prayer: Before reciting the Qi Fo Mie Zui Zhen Yan you can say the following prayer: “May the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva protect and bless me, <your full name>, help me to eliminate karmic obstacles.”
In addition, after having performed your daily recitation for a period of time, you can also recite this mantra 3 times to make yourself purer and cleaner. The minor karmic obstacles that you have generated recently, or on the day of recitation, can be eliminated at the same time. In this case, you do not need to say any prayers before reciting the Qi Fo Mie Zui Zhen Yan.
11. The Sheng Wu Liang Shou Jue Ding Guang Ming Wang Tuo Luo Ni can help you eliminate the possibility of having a short lifespan or experiencing sudden and unexpected death. It can also help to extend your lifespan, obtain good fortune and quickly realise Bodhi and attain Buddhahood.
This mantra can be used to extend one’s lifespan: It can be used to pray for extending lifespan for elderly people, for those who encounter major predestined calamities, and those who suffer from severe illnesses.
Recite as necessary: Generally, 21, 27 or 49 times per day; can be recited during the daytime or at night.
Prayer: Before reciting this mantra, you can say the following prayer: “May the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva protect and bless me, <your full name>, help me to eliminate disasters and extend my lifespan.”
12. The Ru Yi Bao Lun Wang Tuo Luo Ni can help you receive the blessing of Buddha’s light, obtain Buddha’s wisdom, extraordinary power and wondrous Dharma, and understand the teachings of Buddha. It can also help you transform your afflictions into Bodhi, be successful in every aspect, and attain safety and happiness.
Recitation of this mantra is mainly performed to pray for success in a specific issue. For example, praying for success in your career.
Recite as necessary: Generally, 21, 27 or 49 times per day; can be recited during the daytime or at night.
Prayer: Before reciting this mantra, you can say the following prayer: “May the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva protect and bless me, <your full name>, grant me success in <specific issue>.”
13. The Guan Yin Ling Gan Zhen Yan can help you receive the blessing of Buddha’s light, be successful in every aspect of your life, and obtain good fortune, safety and happiness.
Generally, it can be recited to pray to Guan Yin Bodhisattva to bless you by performing miracles so that your wish will be fulfilled quickly. If afflicted by a sudden or severe illness, you can also recite this mantra to ease the pain.
For this mantra to be effective, the prerequisite is that you must have a pure and clean mind without any distracting thoughts, and sufficient merits and virtues to serve as a foundation. Otherwise, the recitation of this mantra may lead to undesired results. Recitation of this mantra should commence after Master Lu has performed a Totem Reading for you.
Recite as necessary: Generally, 21, 27 or 49 times per day; can be recited during the daytime or at night.
Prayer: Before reciting this mantra, you can say the following prayer: “May the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva protect and bless me, <your full name>, grant me good health, or grant me success in <specific issue>. May Guan Yin Bodhisattva perform miracles.”