Sutra on the Merits and Original Vows of

　　Tathágata Medicine Guru with Lapis Lazuli Light

　　In abbreviation, Also Known as

　　Sutra of Medicine Guru Buddha

　　Under Imperial Order of Tang Dynasty

　　Translated into Chinese by

　　Tripitaka Dharma Master Xuan Zang

　　Translated from Chinese into English By Dr. Yutang Lin

　　Thus Have I heard:

　　Once Bhagavan (Shakyamuni Buddha) roamed through countries to give teachings and came to stay beneath the tree Musical Sounds in the city of Extensive Grandeur. He was accompanied by eight thousand great Bhikshus, thirty-six thousand great Bodhisattvas, together with kings, high officials, Brahmans, householders, heavenly beings, dragons, yakshas, humans, non-humans, etc., who formed an immeasurable assembly that respectfully surrounded Buddha to listen to his preaching of Dharma.

　　At that time Dharma Prince Manjusri through the awesome power of Buddha rose up from his seat, exposed his right shoulder as a gesture of respect, and knelt on his right knee. Toward Bhagavan he bowed with folded palms and said, "World Honored One, I wish that you would expound the names and epithets of various kinds of Buddhas and their original vows and extraordinary merits so that beings upon hearing them would be free from karmic hindrances. The intention is to benefit sentient beings at the later time when only a semblance of Dharma will be available."

　　Then World Honored One praised Boy Manjusri by saying: "Good! Good! Manjusri, out of compassion you have begged me to expound the names, epithets, original vows and merits of various Buddhas in order to rescue sentient beings entangled by karmic hindrances and to benefit sentient beings at the period of the spreading of semblance of Dharma with peace and happiness. Now you should listen attentively and ponder extremely well, and I will explain them to you." Manjusri said, "Yes, please tell us. We would rejoice to hear about them."

　　Buddha told Manjusri: "In the East, passing Buddha lands as numerous as the number of sands in ten Ganges rivers there is a world named “Pure Lapis Lazuli.” The Buddha there has the epithets: Tathágata Medicine Guru with Lapis Lazuli Light, Arhat, Rightly and Fully Enlightened One, Omniscient Wisdom One, Well-gone One, Knower of Worlds, Unsurpassable One, Cultivator of Men, Teacher of Heavenly Beings and Humans, Buddha, Bhagavan. Manjusri, that World Honored One, Tathágata Medicine Guru with Lapis Lazuli Light, when he originally was practicing the Bodhisattva path, developed twelve great vows so that all sentient beings would obtain whatever they wished for.

　　The first great vow: In the future when I shall attain unsurpassable complete Enlightenment may my body be glowingly bright to shine upon immeasurable countless boundless worlds, and be adorned with the thirty-two marks of a great man and the eighty ensuing refined features. I shall cause all beings to come to resemble me without differences.

　　The second great vow: In the future when I shall attain unsurpassable complete Enlightenment may my body be like Lapis Lazuli, transparent throughout and pure without blemish, with extensive brightness and majestic merits, well at ease, and adorned with aureole brighter than sun and moon. Sentient beings in hell would all then be taught the right path. I would engage in all kinds of salvation activities as my intention moves along.

　　The third great vow: In the future when I shall attain unsurpassable complete Enlightenment may I employ countless boundless skillful means of wisdom to render all beings in possession of inexhaustible things of comfort and not to let sentient beings suffer for want of anything.

　　The fourth great vow: In the future when I shall attain unsurpassable complete Enlightenment may I settle well all those who practice the heterodox …

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