爾時，觀世音菩薩即從座起，頂禮佛足而白佛言：「世尊！憶念我昔無數恒河沙劫，於時有佛出現於世名觀世音，我於彼佛發菩提心，彼佛教我從聞思修入三摩地。初於聞中入流亡所，所入既寂，動靜二相了然不生，如是漸增，聞、所聞盡，盡聞不住，覺、所覺空，空覺極圓，空、所空滅，生滅既滅寂滅現前，忽然超越世出世間，十方圓明獲二殊勝：一者上合十方諸佛本妙覺心，與佛如來同一慈力；二者下合十方一切六道眾生，與諸眾生同一悲仰。
25. Thereupon, Avalokiteśvara (’Observer of the World’s Sounds’) Bodhisattva rose from his seat, prostrated himself with his head at the feet of the Buddha and addressed the Buddha saying, “World-Honored One! I recall long before kalpas as countless as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, when a Buddha came into the world called Observer of the World’s Sounds (Avalokiteśvara). I generated bodhicitta because of that buddha, and that buddha taught me entry into samādhi from cultivating hearing. First I redirected my hearing inward in order to enter the current of meditation. Then external sounds disappeared. With the direction of my hearing reversed and with sounds stilled, both sound and silence ceased to arise. So it was that, as I gradually progressed, what I heard and my awareness of what I heard came to an end. Even when that state of mind in which everything had come to an end disappeared, I did not rest. My awareness and the objects of my awareness were emptied, and when that process of emptying my awareness was wholly complete, then even that emptying and what had been emptied vanished. Coming into being and ceasing to be themselves ceased to be. Then the ultimate stillness was revealed. All of a sudden I transcended the worlds of ordinary beings, and I also transcended the worlds of beings who have transcended the ordinary worlds. Everything in the ten directions was fully illuminated, and I attained two remarkable powers. First, my mind ascended to unite with the fundamental, wondrous, enlightened mind of all Buddhas in all ten directions, my power of compassion becoming the same as theirs. Second, my mind descended to unite with all beings of the six destinies in all ten directions such that I felt their sorrows and their prayerful yearnings as my own.
Thirty-Two Bodily Forms
「世尊！由我供養觀音如來，蒙彼如來授我如幻聞薰聞修金剛三昧，與佛如來同慈力故，令我身成三十二應，入諸國土。世尊！若諸菩薩入三摩地，進修無漏勝解現圓，我現佛身而為說法，令其解脫；若諸有學寂靜妙明勝妙現圓，我於彼前現獨覺身而為說法，令其解脫；若諸有學斷十二緣，緣斷勝性勝妙現圓，我於彼前現緣覺身而為說法，令其解脫；若諸有學得四諦空，修道入滅勝性現圓，我於彼前現聲聞身而為說法，令其解脫；若諸眾生欲心明悟，不犯欲塵欲身清淨，我於彼前現梵王身而為說法，令其解脫；若諸眾生欲為天主統領諸天，我於彼前現帝釋身而為說法，令其成就；若諸眾生欲身自在遊行十方，我於彼前現自在天身而為說法，令其成就；若諸眾生欲身自在飛行虛空，我於彼前現大自在天身而為說法，令其成就；若諸眾生愛統鬼神救護國土，我於彼前現天大將軍身而為說法，令其成就；若諸眾生愛統世界保護眾生，我於彼前現四天王身而為說法，令其成就；若諸眾生愛生天宮驅使鬼神，我於彼前現四天王國太子身而為說法，令其成就；若諸眾生樂為人主，我於彼前現人王身而為說法，令其成就；若諸眾生愛主族姓世間推讓，我於彼前現長者身而為說法，令其成就；若諸眾生愛談名言清淨其居，我於彼前現居士身而為說法，令其成就；若諸眾生愛治國土剖斷邦邑，我於彼前現宰官身而為說法，令其成就；若諸眾生愛諸數術攝衛自居，我於彼前現婆羅門身而為說法，令其成就；若有男子好學出家持諸戒律，我於彼前現比丘身而為說法，令其成就；若有女子好學出家持諸禁戒，我於彼前現比丘尼身而為說法，令其成就；若有男子樂持五戒，我於彼前現優婆塞身而為說法，令其成就；若復女子五戒自居，我於彼前現優婆夷身而為說法，令其成就；若有女人內政立身以修家國，我於彼前現女主身及國夫人命婦大家而為說法，令其成就；若有眾生不壞男根，我於彼前現童男身而為說法，令其成就；若有處女愛樂處身不求侵暴，我於彼前現童女身而為說法，令其成就；若有諸天樂出天倫，我現天身而為說法，令其成就；若有諸龍樂出龍倫，我現龍身而為說法，令其成就；若有藥叉樂度本倫，我於彼前現藥叉身而為說法，令其成就；若乾闥婆樂脫其倫，我於彼前現乾闥婆身而為說法，令其成就；若阿修羅樂脫其倫，我於彼前現阿修羅身而為說法，令其成就；若緊陀羅樂脫其倫，我於彼前現緊陀羅身而為說法，令其成就；若摩呼羅伽樂脫其倫，我於彼前現摩呼羅伽身而為說法，令其成就；若諸眾生樂人修人，我現人身而為說法，令其成就；若諸非人有形無形、有想無想，樂度其倫，我於彼前皆現其身而為說法，令其成就。是名妙淨三十二應入國土身，皆以三昧聞薰聞修，無作妙力自在成就。
“World-Honored One! As I made offerings to the Tathāgata Avalokiteśvara, he bestowed upon me the Vajra Samādhi cultivation of illusion-like hearing habituated (vāsanā ’perfumed’ ‘fumigated’) hearing (如幻聞薰聞修金剛三昧), which gave me the same power of compassion of all Buddhas and enabled me to transform myself into thirty-two bodily forms for the purpose of visiting lands and countries. World-Honored One!
1. If there are bodhisattvas who enter samādhi and are without outlfows (āsrava), when there is a chance for them to realize absolute Wisdom, I will appear as a Buddha to teach them the Dharma to liberate them.
2. If there are learned students who practice the stillness of Nirvāṇa, when there is a chance for them to realize it, I will appear as a teacher of self-enlightenment (pratyekabuddha) to teach them the Dharma to liberate them.
3. If there are students of the Four Noble Truths who, after realizing the unreality of suffering and its accumulation, tread the Path leading to the extinction of passions, when there is a chance for them to achieve this, I will appear as a hearer (śrāvaka) to teach them the Dharma to liberate them.
4. If there are living beings who realize (the harmfulness of) desire in the mind and abstain from all worldly cravings to achieve purity of body, I will appear as Brahmā to teach them the Dharma to liberate them.
5. If there are living beings who desire to be lords of devas to rule over the realms of the gods, I will appear as Śakrā to teach them the Dharma so that they reach their goals.
6. If there are living beings who wish to roam freely in the Ten Directions, I will appear as Iśvaradeva to teach them the Dharma to that they reach their goals.
7. If there are living beings who wish to fly freely in the air, I will appear as Maheśvara (Śiva) to teach them the Dharma so that they reach their goals.
8. If there are living beings who wish to be lords of ghosts and spirits to protect their countries, I will appear as a great warrior to teach them the Dharma so that they reach their goals.
9. If there are living beings who wish to rule over the world to protect all its inhabitants, I will appear as a deva king of the four quarters to teach them the Dharma so that they reach their goals.
10. If there are living beings who wish to be reborn in the palace of devas to command ghosts and spirits, I will appear as a son of the deva king of the four quarters to teach them the Dharma so that they reach their goals.
11. If there are living beings who wish to be kings of human beings, I will appear as a king to teach them the Dharma so that they reach their goals.
12. If there are living beings who wish to be heads of clans to enjoy the respects of their clansmen, I will appear as a respectable elder (gṛhapati) to teach them the Dharma so that they reach their goals.
13. If there are living beings who enjoy discussing well-known sayings and practice pure living, I will appear as a respectable scholar to teach them the Dharma so that they reach their goals.
14. If there are living beings who wish to govern cities and towns, I will appear as a magistrate to teach them the Dharma so that they reach their goals.
15. If there are living beings who delight in practicing mysticism for self-welfare, I will appear as a Brahmin to teach them the Dharma so that they reach their goals.
16. If there are men who are keen on study and learning and leave home to practice the rules of morality and discipline, I will appear as a bhikṣu to teach them the Dharma so that they reach their goals.
17. If there are women who are eager to study and learn and leave home to observe the precepts, I will appear as a bhikṣuṇī to teach them the Dharma so that they reach their goals.
18. If there are men who observe the five precepts, I will appear as a upāsaka to teach them the Dharma so that they reach their goals.
19. If there are women who observe the five precepts, I will appear as a upāsikā to teach them the Dharma so that they reach their goals.
20. If there are women who are keen to fulfil their home duties thereby setting a good example to other families and the whole country, I will appear as a queen, a princess or a noble lady to teach them the Dharma so that they reach their goals.
21. If there are young men who are chaste, I will appear as a celibate youth to teach them the Dharma so that they reach their goals.
22. If there are young women who are keen to avoid carnality in order to preserve their virginity, I will appear as a maiden to teach them the Dharma so that they reach their goals.
23. If there are gods who wish to be freed from bondage in their realms, I will appear as a deva to teach them the Dharma so that they reach their goals.
24. If there are nāgas who wish to be freed from bondage in their realms, I will appear, as a nāga to teach them the Dharma so that they reach their goals.
25. If there are yakṣas who wish to be freed from bondage in their realms, I will appear as a yakṣa to teach them the Dharma so that they reach their goals.
26. If there are gandharvas who wish to be freed from bondage in their realms, I will appear as a gandharva to teach them the Dharma so that they reach their goals.
27. If there are asuras who wish to be freed from bondage in their realms, I will appear as an asura to teach them the Dharma so that they reach their goals.
28. If there are garuḍas who wish to be freed from bondage in their realms, I will appear as a garuḍa to teach them the Dharma so that they reach their goals.
29. If there are kinnaras who wish to be freed from bondage in their realms, I will appear as a kinnara to teach them the Dharma so that they reach their goals.
30. If there are mahoragas who wish to be freed from bondage in their realms, I will appear as a mahoraga to teach them the Dharma so that they reach their goals.
31. If there are living beings who wish to be reborn as human beings, I will appear in human form to teach them the Dharma so that they reach their goals.
32. If there are non-human beings with or without forms and either thoughtful or thoughtless, who wish to be freed from bondage in their realms, I will appear as one of them to teach them the Dharma so that they reach their goals.
These are my thirty-two transformation-bodies in response to (the needs of) all countries in saṁsāra, achieved by means of the effortless sovereign power of Samādhi realized by the cultivation of hearing habituated hearing (三昧聞薰聞修).
Fourteen Fearlessnesses
「世尊！我復以此聞薰聞修金剛三昧無作妙力，與諸十方三世六道一切眾生同悲仰故，令諸眾生於我身心，獲十四種無畏功德：
“World-Honored One! I also, by the effortless marvelous power of this Vajra Samādhi derived from hearing habituated hearing, and from sharing with all sentient beings in the six realms throughout the Ten Directions the same plea for compassion, cause all those within my body and mind to attain fourteen kinds of fearless merit:
一者由我不自觀音以觀觀者，令彼十方苦惱眾生，觀其音聲即得解脫；
1. Since, by observing the observer, I do not observe sound myself, I cause all suffering sentient beings throughout the Ten Directions to observe the sound of their own voices in order to obtain liberation;
二者知見旋復，令諸眾生設入大火火不能燒；
2. Knowing turned back around, I cause fire to be unable to burn those who happen to enter a great fire;
三者觀聽旋復，令諸眾生大水所漂水不能溺；
3. Observing hearing turned back around, I cause water to be unable to drown those adrift at sea;
四者斷滅妄想心無殺害，令諸眾生入諸鬼國鬼不能害；
4. Severing and ceasing ignorant perception, the mind without harm or malice, I cause ghosts to be unable to harm those entering ghostly realms;
五者薰聞成聞，六根銷復同於聲聽，能令眾生臨當被害刀段段壞，使其兵戈猶如割水，亦如吹光性無搖動；
5. Habituated hearing having become perfected hearing, the six senses dissolve into each other in ‘hearing’ and I am able to cause those in danger to be immune from sharp weapons, which become blunt and useless like trying to cut water; and like a puff of air to light, they are unfazed;
六者聞薰精明明遍法界，則諸幽暗性不能全，能令眾生，藥叉、羅剎、鳩槃茶鬼及毘舍遮、富單那等，雖近其傍目不能視；
6. Hearing the luminous essence of habituation illuminating the entire Dharmadhatu, there being no dark, hidden places, I am able to dazzle all yakṣas, rakṣasas, kumbhāṇḍas, piśācī, pūtana, etc., making people invisible to them;
七者音性圓銷，觀聽返入離諸塵妄，能令眾生禁繫枷鎖所不能著；
7. The nature of sound having been completely dissolved, I observe hearing entering itself, free of all dust and delusion, and I am able to cause bonds to be unable to bind those bound in them;
八者滅音圓聞遍生慈力，能令眾生經過嶮路賊不能劫；
8. With the elimination of sound and the perfection of hearing, there arises an all-pervading power of compassion, able to cause thieves to be unable to rob those passing through their territories;
九者薰聞離塵色所不劫，能令一切多婬眾生遠離貪欲；
9. Habituated hearing free of the ‘dust’ of forms, I am able to cause craving and desire to leave those who are lustful;
十者純音無塵，根境圓融無對所對，能令一切忿恨眾生離諸嗔恚；
10. Pure hearing, without dust (objects), the sense fields completely blended together, without subject or object (without a ‘side to side with’), I am able to cause all vindictive people to be free of anger and hate;
十一者銷塵旋明，法界身心猶如瑠璃朗徹無礙，能令一切昏鈍性障諸阿顛迦永離癡暗；
11. Upon the dissolution of the dust and the return of illumination, the mind and body of the Dharmadhatu are unobstructed, like perfectly clear vaiḍūrya crystal, able to cause dull and ignorant icchantikas to be free of the darkness of ignorance;
十二者融形復聞，不動道場涉入世間，不壞世界能遍十方，供養微塵諸佛如來，各各佛邊為法王子，能令法界無子眾生，欲求男者誕生福德智慧之男；
12. [All] shapes being combined in reverse hearing, wading through worldly realms while immovable upon the site of enlightenment (bodhimaṇḍala), able to permeate all Ten Directions without destroying the world, making offerings to buddha, tathāgatas, as uncountable as the dust, and serving buddhas as a child of the King of the Dharma, I am able to cause those in the world (Dharmadhatu) without children, who have a desire for a boy, to have a boy, virtuous and wise;
十三者六根圓通，明照無二含十方界，立大圓鏡空如來藏，承順十方微塵如來，祕密法門受領無失，能令法界無子眾生，欲求女者誕生端正福德柔順，眾人愛敬有相之女；
13. The six senses being all-pervasive (’totally perfected’), radiantly encompassing the realms of the Ten Directions without duality, the great perfect mirror of the empty tathāgatagarbha is established, corresponding with tathāgatas of the Ten Directions as uncountable as the dust, receiving their secret Dharma gateways, without error, I am able to cause those in the world (Dharmadhatu) without children, who have a desire for a daughter, to have a girl, upright, blessed, virtuous, and liked and respected by all.
十四者此三千大千世界百億日月，現住世間諸法王子，有六十二恒河沙數修法垂範，教化眾生隨順眾生，方便智慧各各不同，由我所得圓通本根發妙耳門，然後身心微妙含容遍周法界，能令眾生持我名號，與彼共持六十二恒河沙諸法王子，二人福德正等無異。世尊！我一號名與彼眾多名號無異，由我修習得真圓通。是名十四施無畏力，福備眾生。
14. In this Three Thousand Great Thousand World-System with its hundreds of thousands of suns and moons, there are now appearing in the world children of the Dharma King as numerous as the sand grans in sixty-two Ganges Rivers cultivating the Dharma, setting a good example, teaching and transforming by befriending others, implementing various different expedient means, and since I, by attaining complete perfection (all-pervasiveness, pariniṣpanna) of the original organ, generated the subtle ear gateway (or, ‘the ear as a gateway to the subtle’), my body and mind encompass the entire Dharmadhatu and I am able to cause those who call my name to receive the same benefit as those derived from calling the names of all those children of the Dharma King as numerous as the sand grans in sixty-two Ganges Rivers. World-Honored One! My single name does not differ from those uncountable ones, because of my practice and training which led to my true penetrating understanding. These are the fourteen fearless (powers) which I bestow upon living beings.”
Four Effortless Subtle Virtues
「世尊！我又獲是圓通修證無上道故，又能善獲四不思議無作妙德：
“World-Honored One! Also, because I attained this all-pervasive cultivation of the realization of the Supreme Path (i.e. anuttarā-saṃyak-saṃbodhi), I was also able to attain four inconceivable, effortless subtle virtues:
一者由我初獲妙妙聞心心精遺聞，見聞覺知不能分隔，成一圓融清淨寶覺，故我能現眾多妙容，能說無邊祕密神呪，其中或現一首三首五首七首九首十一首，如是乃至一百八首，千首萬首八萬四千爍迦囉首；二臂四臂六臂八臂十臂十二臂，十四十六十八二十至二十四，如是乃至一百八臂千臂萬臂，八萬四千母陀羅臂；二目三目四目九目，如是乃至一百八目千目萬目，八萬四千清淨寶目，或慈或威或定或慧，救護眾生得大自在。
1. Because I initially attained a mind of the subtlest hearing, the essence of mind disengaged itself from hearing. Seeing, hearing, and perceiving could not be separated (隔 gé), becoming a single, perfect combination (融 róng) - a pure jewel of awakening - and therefore I am able to appear in many wonderful forms and explain immeasurable numbers of secret mantras. I can appear with one head, three heads, five heads, seven heads, nine heads, eleven heads and up to 108 heads, 1,000 heads, 10,000 heads and 84,000 wheels (ca-k-ra) of heads; with two arms, four arms, six arms, eight arms, ten arms, twelve arms, fourteen arms, sixteen arms, eighteen arms, twenty arms, twenty-four arms and up to 108 arms, 1,000 arms, 10,000 arms and 84,000 arms making various gestures (mu-d-rās); and with two eyes, three eyes, four eyes, nine eyes up to 108 eyes, 1,000 eyes, 10,000 eyes and 84,000 pure, precious eyes, either compassionate or wrathful, concentrated or wise, and help sentient beings attain great sovereignty.
二者由我聞思脫出六塵，如聲度垣不能為礙，故我妙能現一一形，誦一一呪，其形其呪能以無畏施諸眾生，是故十方微塵國土皆名我為施無畏者。
2. Because my hearing transcends the ‘six dusts’ (sense objects), like a sound going through a wall without obstruction, I can, with each appearance and with the recitation of each mantra, bestow fearlessness upon beings in lands as countless as dust in the Ten Directions in which I am regarded as the Giver of Fearlessness.
三者由我修習本妙圓通清淨本根，所遊世界皆令眾生捨身珍寶求我哀愍。
3. Because I cultivate the practice of the originally wonderous, all-pervasive, pure original sense organ, whatever world in which I roam, everyone there is moved to relinquish body and wealth in search of my compassion.
四者我得佛心證於究竟，能以珍寶種種供養十方如來，傍及法界六道眾生，求妻得妻、求子得子、求三昧得三昧、求長壽得長壽，如是乃至求大涅槃得大涅槃。佛問圓通，我從耳門圓照三昧，緣心自在因入流相，得三摩提成就菩提斯為第一！世尊！彼佛如來歎我善得圓通法門，於大會中授記我為觀世音號，由我觀聽十方圓明，故觀音名遍十方界。」
4. As I have attained the ultimate realization of the Buddha Mind, I can make offerings to tathāgatas throughout the Ten Directions and make sure that sentient beings in the six paths of the Dharmadhatu who seek spouses attain spouses, those who seek children attain children, those who seek samādhi attain samādhi, those who seek a long life to attain a long life, and even those who seek parinirvāṇa attain parinirvāṇa. The Buddha inquires about all-pervasiveness and, for me, the perfectly clear ‘Ear Gate’ samādhi, which regulates the mind for sovereign entry into the mind-stream (流相), attaining samādhi and achieving complete awakening, is foremost! World-Honored One! That [past] Buddha, Tathāgata praised my excellent attainment of this All-Pervasive Dharma Door, and in the presence of a great assembly gave me the prediction [of enlightenment] with the name Avalokiteśvara. Since my observant hearing pervades the Ten Directions, therefore the name ‘Avalokita’ pervades the Ten Directions.”