Two Precious Scroll Narratives of Guanyin and Her ... - Khamkoo
Two Precious Scroll Narratives of Guanyin and Her ... - Khamkoo
Two Precious Scroll Narratives of Guanyin and Her ... - Khamkoo
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The <strong>Precious</strong> <strong>Scroll</strong> <strong>of</strong> Incense Mountain, Part 2 151<br />
tiful than earlier at the age <strong>of</strong> eighteen. Of such a situation it is said:<br />
‘‘Bright oh so bright shines the sun up in heaven, / Huge oh so huge<br />
the numinous might <strong>of</strong> the Buddha!’’ Those who believe in the<br />
teachings cannot but be filled with fear!<br />
She who achieved Non-action, Guanshiyin,<br />
Releases or holds at will, all spontaneously.<br />
Namo Guanshiyin pusa<br />
The immortal indeed had achieved the Way <strong>of</strong> No-birth,<br />
The entire cosmos, even plants <strong>and</strong> trees, basked in her grace.<br />
Indra <strong>and</strong> Brahma <strong>and</strong> all the devas were filled with joy,<br />
The thous<strong>and</strong>s <strong>of</strong> saints <strong>and</strong> sages <strong>of</strong>fered congratulations.<br />
The bodhisattva, opening the storehouse <strong>of</strong> the dragon palace,<br />
Expounded the Marvelous Dharma <strong>and</strong> manifested the Truth.<br />
‘‘You, my stern father Po Qie, are now sixty-eight years old,<br />
Born in a mao-year, in a mao-month, in the hour <strong>of</strong> mao.<br />
Your name, my kind mother the empress, is <strong>Precious</strong> Virtue,<br />
And your age is, I find, exactly the same as that <strong>of</strong> my father.<br />
I, your daughter Marvelous Goodness, am now twenty-eight,<br />
Born on the nineteenth <strong>of</strong> the second month, at the hour <strong>of</strong> si.<br />
Because a crown prince had not been born to the palace,<br />
I wanted to repay the favors shown by my father <strong>and</strong> mother,<br />
I wanted everyone to change their mind <strong>and</strong> practice the Way,<br />
Because Impermanence fears neither the emperor nor his kin.<br />
It has not been easy to obtain this human body in this life,<br />
Once one has lost this human body, it is hard to obtain it again.<br />
In myriads <strong>of</strong> lives, <strong>of</strong> kalpas, it is rare to have this chance:<br />
Your imperial visit to my hermitage must have a karmic cause.<br />
The great matter <strong>of</strong> birth <strong>and</strong> death is not a trifling matter—<br />
How much time do you have? Don’t be muddleheaded now!<br />
When you come to a mountain <strong>of</strong> treasure, grab the treasure!<br />
Don’t go away empty-h<strong>and</strong>ed, for there’ll be no second time!’’<br />
The empress asked her daughter: ‘‘You went to the Underworld, <strong>and</strong><br />
then came back to life again. Please explain in detail the affairs <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Underworld. We notice only that people die in the thous<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong><br />
ten thous<strong>and</strong>s, but where is there anyone who comes back to life?’’<br />
When the immortal heard her question, she immediately replied.