Mr. Altig’s Overview of the Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Sutra

Then Akshayamati, with joy in his heart, uttered the following verses:

O thou with eyes so clear and kind,
Wisdom, knowledge, compassion combined,
Lovely in face and in eyes divine,
Pity and grace in thee intertwine.

Pure one, shining, free from night,
Radiant as sun’s unyielding light,
Blaze of fire, thy course a grace,
Spreading thy luster all through space.

Joyous in kindness, compassion’s embrace,
Great cloud of virtues, benevolence’s face,
Quenching the fires that vex and restrain,
Pouring the nectar, law’s life-giving rain.

In quarrel, dispute, in battle’s cold glare,
Think of Avalokitesvara, free from despair,
Quelling the wicked, foes without end,
Avalokitesvara, eternal friend.

Think of him whose voice is profound,
Thundering clouds, drums’ resounding sound,
Brahma’s voice, tones of endless delight,
Avalokitesvara, guiding light.

Think with tranquility, think with pure grace,
Avalokitesvara’s gentle embrace,
Protector and refuge in death’s bitter night,
Calamity’s balm, eternal light.

Virtue’s perfection, compassion’s dear sea,
Ocean of goodness, Virtue is he,
Avalokitesvara, adoration’s true call,
Beholding all beings, loving them all.

Compassionate for all, future Buddha in sight,
Destroying all danger, sorrow’s endless night,
Humble bow to Avalokitesvara’s face,
Compassionate being, infinite grace.

Universal Lord, virtues’ rich mine,
Supreme enlightenment, divinely divine,
Worshiped by all, pure course he treads,
Hundreds of eons, where wisdom leads.

At times to the right, at times to the left,
Fanning Amitabha^⁠, Chief so deft,
Through meditation, like a phantom’s embrace,
In all regions, he honors the Jina^⁠‘s pure grace.

In the west, where Sukhakara^⁠ gleams pure,
Amitabha, the tamer, abides in allure,
His fixed abode, a world so fine,
Leading the way, in pure love’s design.

No women dwell there, no union’s touch,
Sons of Jina, apparitional birth, such
Are seated in lotuses, undefiled, bright,
In their pure cups, an immaculate sight.

Amitabha himself, on a lotus throne, sits,
In the purest of cups, where his light flits,
Shines like the Sala-king^⁠, mighty and grand,
In that pure place, that wondrous land.

World’s Leader, whose merit has been praised,
No equal in the triple world’s path that’s traced,
O supreme of men, our hearts do plea,
Let us soon become, O let us be like thee!

Then, the noble Bodhisattva Dharanindhara (meaning “Supporter of the Earth”) rose from his seat, draped his robe over one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, and stretched his hands in respect towards the Lord. He said, “Those who hear this chapter about the noble Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, and this remarkable ability to transform, must indeed be filled with a deep reservoir of goodness, O Lord.”

As the Lord explained this chapter about the All-sided One, eighty-four thousand assembly members felt a profound awakening. Their minds were drawn towards a supreme, unparalleled enlightenment that transcended all comparisons.