..续本文上一页rship, practice the Way, and make offerings to the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata.

　　Read and recite this Sutra forty-nine times, light forty-nine lamps, and make seven images of that Tathagata. In front of each image place seven lamps, each as large as a cartwheel.

　　These lamps must be kept burning continuouslyfor forty-nine days.

　　Hang up five-colored banners that are forty-nine spans long.

　　Liberate a variety of living creatures, as many as forty-nine species.

　　Then the sick one will be able to surmount the danger and will not suffer an untimely death or be held by evil ghosts.

　　Furthermore, Ananda, in the case of kshatriya princes who are due to be anointed on the crowns of their heads, at a time when calamity arises, such as pestilence among the population, invasion by foreign countries, rebellion within their territories, unusual changes in the stars, a solar or lunar eclipse,

　　unseasonal winds and rains, or prolonged drought, those kshatriya princes should bring forth an attitude of kindness and compassion toward all sentient beings and grant amnesty to all prisoners.

　　They should follow the above-mentioned methods to make offerings to that World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata.

　　Due to these good roots and the power of thatTathagata”s past vows, the country will be safe and peaceful, the winds and rains will be timely, the crops will ripen, and all sentient beings will be blissful and free of disease.

　　Within this country there will be no violence, nor any yakshas or other spirits that harm sentient beings, and all evil omens will vanish.

　　The kshatriya princes who are due to be anointed on the crowns of their heads will enjoy longer lives and good health, and they will be at ease and free from illness."

　　"Ananda, if the queens, the princes, the ministers or court counselors, the ladies of the palace, the provincial officials or the common people suffer from diseases or other difficulties, they should also hang up five-colored spiritual banners, light lamps and keep them burning, liberate living creatures,

　　strew flowers of various colors, and burn precious incense.

　　Then those people will be cured of their diseases and relieved of their difficulties."

　　Then Ananda asked the Bodhisattva Who Rescues and Liberates,

　　"Good man, how can a life that has come to an end be prolonged

　　"

　　The Bodhisattva Who Rescues and Liberates answered, "Greatly Virtuous One, did you not hear the Tathagata say that there are nine kinds of untimely death

　　That is why people are exhorted to make life-prolonging banners and lamps and to cultivate all kinds of blessings.

　　Through such cultivation of blessings, they will be freed from suffering and adversity for the rest of their lives."

　　Ananda asked, "What are the nine kinds of untimely death

　　"

　　The Bodhisattva Who Rescues and Liberates said, "There may be living beings who, although not seriously ill, have neither medicine nor a doctor to treat them, or else they meet a doctor who gives them the wrong medicine; consequently, they meet with an untimely death.

　　Some of them believe in worldly cults, whose deviant teachers frighten them with false prophecies .

　　Unable to set their minds at ease, they consult oracles to find out what calamities are in store for them.

　　In order to propitiate the spirits, they kill various creatures.

　　They pray to wang liang ghosts for aid and protection. Although they wish to prolong their lives, their efforts are to no avail.

　　They deludedly hold to wrong beliefs and perverse views. Thus they meet with an untimely death and fall into the hells, never to come out.

　　This is the first kind of untimely death.

　　The second kind of untimely death is to be executed at the hands of the law.

　　The third kind is to h…

《药师经 Sutra of the Merit and Virtue of the Past Vows of Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata》全文未完，请进入下页继续阅读…