Liao-fan's four lessons: Silent Voices' translation, with a parallel Chinese text

This translation has been extracted from the translation by Silent Voices. It is the only good English translation that exists, to my knowledge. I have taken it from this PDF http://www.namoamitabha.net/en/publication/liaofan/liaofan_chinkung.pdf. 

The original text is surrounded by rather massive a commentary. It is of the Pure Land buddhist school, and makes frequent references to how the book can be integrated into the Pure land practise.The commentary is extensive indeed. In some cases, one paragraph of the original is followed by four pages of commentary! Mercifully, the authors have provided an uninterrupted commentary of the text-- but only at the very back of the book.

The translation is not always literal, which is understandable, given its purpose. Dates in the Chinese calendar have been turned into the rather vaguer "some years ago" etc. The translators prefer "dollars" or "cents" for the corresponding ancient units. I have re-translated Parts where I have felt the translators have departed greatly from the Chinese.  I have also added some comments etc. where I felt they are necessary. These parts are marked with an "E".

 In this post I have placed Silent Voices' translation next to the Chinese original, which was taken from Wikisource.https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E4%BA%86%E5%87%A1%E5%9B%9B%E8%A8%9  It is hoped that by re-issuing this translation in this form, it may reach a wider audience. May it provide an insight as to Chinese ideas of fate and fortune, as well as a source of moral teachings.

I will set out a preliminary analysis of the text in a future blogpost 

文昌帝君陰騭文 -- . Wenchang's Treatise on Secret Merit : Three translations

In this post I will post three translations of a fairly well-known chinese morality book, called:

文昌帝君陰騭文

Eichel: Treatise of the Secret Law by the Lord and God of Composition 

Carus/ The Tract of the Quiet Way 

Chung / Lord Superior Wen Chang's Tract On The First Step Towards Non Abidance

E.W. Wenchang's Treatise on Secret Merits 

It is much of the nature of the The Sage Therach Guan's true Scripture to Awaken the world. that I featured earlier in this blog: a revelation from an important God, encouraging people to do good, and abstain from evil.  In this case, the God that delivered this text is Wenchang, the God of literature. The text was fairly popular in the 19thc,  with even illustrated versions existing, and is still occasionally printed today. Three English translations exist, but alas, all three of them are flawed one way or another. For that reason, more than any text, it is necessary to set them side-by-side. 

The High King Guanyin Sutra as an apocryphal sutra: A responsa of Master Jingkong,

In Chinese Buddhism we find a scripture known as the High King Guanyin Sutra 高王觀音經. This sutra has already been featured twice before on this blog: 

first in translation: https://edwardwhite123.blogspot.com/2020/11/high-king-avalokitesvara-sutra.html  

and secondly as to its preface: https://edwardwhite123.blogspot.com/2021/05/the-original-preface-to-high-king.html 

However, it has recently come to my attention that Some Chinese buddhists consider this sutra an Apocryphal sutra 偽經 and hence a suboptimal means of devotion,  In this post I shall translate a responsa given by Master Jingkong as to this sutra, available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNYVi96YA98

 

這位同修問：「《高王觀世音經》，請問是真經或是偽經？」

A Devotee asked: "Is the High King Guanyin Sutra a true or apocryphal sutra?

答：古大德說這個經是後人偽造的，不是佛說的。

Answer: "The Great Virtuous ones of old stated that this scripture [i.e. the High King scripture] is created by later people, and is not spoken by the buddha

"你喜歡念也可以，總而言之，都是勸善，不是教你作惡的。 You can recite it if you please- after all, it encourages people to do good, rather than evil.

假如你真的有智慧，為什麼不去念《普門品》 But if you really have Prajna [Wisdom], why not recite the "Universal Gate chapter?

或者是《楞嚴經》第六卷「觀世音菩薩耳根圓通章」？Or indeed, the sixth chapter of the Surangama Sutra "The Chapter of Guanyin's Ear root completion?"

《華嚴經》跟《楞嚴經》觀世音菩薩這兩章經文都有單獨流通，合《法華經‧普門品》，叫「觀音三經」。"These two chapters, from the Flower Ornament Sutra, the Surangama Sutra, along with the Guanyin Chapter of the Lotus sutra, are collectively called the "Three Sutras of Guanyin."

這是真實的，決定不是虛偽的，為什麼不念這個？這是給諸同修自己去選擇。 These are true scriptures, and are not false. Why not recite those? I leave the choice to all those who intend to cultivate [the Buddhist path]"

***

Comments:

When read together with the preface shown above, it is evident why the scripture is considered "false" or 'Apocryphal' as it was not transmitted by the Buddha. As the preface makes plain, this scripture was revealed by a monk who appeared in a dream to someone.

Indeed, Master Jingkong's point actually restores the hierarchy that was inverted in the High King Sutra's preface. Said preface explicitly states that the person to which the sutra was revealed, chanted the Lotus sutra's Guanyin chapter endlessly to no effect.

But, returning to Master Jingkong's speech, he does not state the scripture is harmful: after all, about half the scripture is consisted of nothing but the names of buddhas and Buddhisatvas. Indeed, the comments left beneath the youtube videos suggest that the sutra is still effective- eg reporting cures of cancer after reciting the sutra ten thousand times

Another commentator added that reciting this scripture allowed them to have a dream-vision of their mother

More broadly, one wonders if this rejection of the sutra yet another example of the protestantisation of buddhism- emphasis more securely canonical works, rather than extra-canonical literature like this. In any case, I recently heard form a Singaporean acquaintance, when he tried to ask Internal Printers-- a Singaporean company that exclusively prints Buddhist scriptures-- if they could print this scripture, they refused to do so, saying "it is not a buddhist scripture".

In any case, it is interesting to note that this scripture has also found its way into the Taisho Tripitaka-- albeit under volume 85,the volume of (amongst other things) "Doubtful sutras")

http://tripitaka.cbeta.org/T85n2898_001

The "Original Preface to the High King Guanyin Sutra" 高王觀世音真經 原序: A bilingual edition

In this post I shall translate the "Original Preface to the High King Guanyin Sutra" 高王觀世音真經 原序, which tells a rather dramatic story of religious practise, a monk seen in a dream, and escape from execution. It was previously posted as a twitter thread here, but with some editits, I repost it on my blog now. 

For starters, if you want to read a translation of the sutra itself, see here: https://edwardwhite123.blogspot.com/2020/11/high-king-avalokitesvara-sutra.html 

The preface to this sutra itself is found in the following 19thc. woodblock edition https://books.google.com/books?id=ZDRbAAAAcAAJ&pg=PP3#v=onepage&q&f=false  

as well as a modern transcription on this blog https://m.xuite.net/blog/tum4vu6/twblog/122883551 also web.archive.org/web/2021030707…

As is oft the case with Chinese texts, there are small variations between the two texts; I will point them out as we go along.

 

*** *** *** 

1【高王觀世音真經 原序】 The original preface to the High King Guanyin sutra 

昔五代時有高歡國王。為相州郡主。好殺

During the Five Dynasties period, there was the Prince of Gaokuan. He was the governor of the commandery of Xiangzhou. He liked killing.

 

2。適寶藏官‧孫敬德誤犯重法。囚禁[就死](1)。專持觀世音普門品經。日夜不歇
 The controller of the treasury 適寶藏官 Sun Jingde was falsely accused of a high crime. He was imprisoned and sentenced to death In prison he chanted the "universal gate chapter "(2) day & night without ceasing 

1)Words omitted by woodblock

2 The famous 25th Chapter of the Lotus Sutra, wherein the powers of Guanyin are expounded. - E.W.

 

3/ 忽夢見一憎曰。「汝持此經。不能免死。吾勸汝持誦‧高王觀世音真經※一千遍。當脫刑」。名敬德曰。「今在禁中。安得經典」。僧曰。「吾口受汝」。睡覺，敬德便無忘失。(1)虔心誦念得九百遍。

 

3/ One night, he suddenly dreamed of a monk, who said "Reciting this scripture [i.e. the Lotus sutra] will not deliver you from death. I counsel you to recite the high king Guanyin sutra 1000 times, thereupon you will be released from death" . Jingde said, “I am in prison; how May I get this scripture?” The monk replied "I shall transmit it to you orally". (Upon awakening) Jingde did not forget it. He then recited it sincerely, eventually accumulating 900 recitations.

 

(1) Woodblock has for the last sentence “睡覺驚，書便無妄失，志心誦念得九百遍。
 “He awoke with a fright, but yet he did not forget the book; he then sincerely recited it, accumulating 900 recitations.

 

4/ 文案已成。事須呈押。王遂令赴市斬之。敬德畏懼。問監史市之遠近。監史曰。「問※何之故？」敬德曰。「時夜夢一僧。令持觀音經千遍。當得免死。今尚欠一百遍。請求緩行！」。隨路急念滿數。 The documents were completed and sealed; The king ordered [Jingde] to be taken to the market and be beheaded. Jingde fearfully asked the gaoler "how far is the market from here?”. The gaoler replied "why do you ask me that?" Jingde answered. “Last night I dreamt of a monk, who ordered me to recite the Guanyin scripture 1000 times. By doing so I would be delivered from death. I have only 100 recitations to go; Sir, I beg you to travel slowly!" On the road to the market, he hurriedly completed the last 100 recitations.

 

5/ [監史從之](1)至市監史乃宣敕斬之。身首不損。刀折三段。
When he reached the market The gaoler received the order to behead him. His head and body did not separate, and the knife split into 3 pieces 

(1) words omitted by internet

 

6/ 呈王。王駭議題問曰。「汝使何幻術。令得如此！」※
 The king of wu, in a great fright said "what sorcery is this? I order you to tell me how did you get this power?:

 

7/ 敬德曰。「實無幻術。因在獄中畏死。持誦觀世音普門品經。忽夢見一僧。教誦高王觀世音一千遍。獲福如是。」
Jingde replied "This is no sorcery! I was jailed and in fear of death, and so I recited the universal gate chapter. I then dreamt of a monk who taught me to recite the high king Guanyin sutra 1000 times to protect my fate.

 

8/ 王謂敬德曰。「汝勝於我。與佛何異」。
The king told Jingde. “You have surpassed me! Indeed, your relationship with the Buddha is most extraordinary.”

 

9/ 王喚典獄者。書是經。令諸罪人與死者。各持誦千遍。斬之取※驗悉應。
The king ordered the jailor to write down this scripture, He then ordered all those condemned to death to recite the scripture 1000 times. When they were brought to be executed to test the scripture’s effects, it proved effective every time.

 

10/ 王乃敕下。令民普誦。用證福果。世遂傳稱高王觀世音經云。 The emperor pardoned all of them, and ordered the people to recite this scripture, (and thus create roots of goodness). Thereafter this scripture called the "High king Guanyin sutra."

 

11/ 蓋感應之理。誠至斯孚謹述其緣起并載其徵應俾齋心向善者。有所勸云[耳](1).
 Such is the principle of Ganying (action-response). With great sincerity this truthful description has been recorded, and has been displayed as a truthful account to encourage the hearts of those who would cultivate purity. Let those who have the power to do so, spread it to those who can [hear it]

 (1) *Omitted by woodblock

(I am somewhat unsure about the translation of the last sentence; if anyone can suggest a better translation I would be most glad)

 

~ Analysis ~

The reference to "The knife split into three pieces" is actually a reference to the Universal Gate Chapter of the lotus sutra: As translated by Fo Guang Shan (p 47)

或遭王难苦 临刑欲寿终 念彼观音力 刀寻段段坏 

"Or if persecuted by the royal court,

Facing death by execution;

 Keep in mind Avalokitesvara’s powers,

And the executioner’s blade will break into pieces."

 

The circumstances of this sutra are also worth mentioning here. The lotus sutra, as you may recall, is a translation from the Sanskrit, which came from India, a nation distant and removed from China...

 

What this tale forcefully shows, is that far from buddhism and its buddhisatvas being alien to the Chinese people, these same figures are, on the contrary willing to help, and indeed directly contact, the people of China.

 

Indeed, one could go so far as to say that the tale inverts the expected hierarchy of scriptural authority: The Lotus Sutra, transmitted in the distant past by the historical Buddha, is less explicitly stated to be less effective than this scripture that was revealed directly to a real person in a real time and place by a Bodhisattva-- and indeed, proved to work in exactly the same manner as the celebrated Lotus sutra itself.

 

Such tales like this doubtless contributed greatly to the popularisation and acceptance of Buddhism in China.

Note, however, it is precisely because of this property that some buddhists now reject the scripture as  an authentic scripture: See this post for more; 

The Blood Basin Sutra 血盆經 A bilingual edition

This page displays a copy of the "Blood Bowl Sutra". It is derived from a twitter thread that I posted in November 2020. With some edits, I reproduce it here for the ease of citing: 

The Chinese  text of the sutra for this edition has been taken from the Baidu page baike.baidu.com/item/%E8%A1%80…, but you can find a substantially identical text here. archive.org/details/xuepen…, which is a chapbook purchased from a Chinese vendor in about 2018-2019. I shall call thus the Chapbook edition. The full extent of this sutra is reproduced below: 

The English translation featured here comes mostly from Beata Grant and Wilt. J. Idema’s "Escape from Blood Pond Hell" (University of Washington press, 2011). Their translate most of the relatively short sutra (~400 chars), but one or two passages they leave untranslated. 

I have hence supplied translations of my own. These are marked with a "E" in what follows. Grant and Idema's translations are marked with "GI" 

However, I must confess, as these parts contain some technical terms, my translations may not be entirely accurate; I thus beg the reader's forgiveness. 

*** *** *** 

1/~血盆經~

The Blood Basin Sutra

尔时目连尊者。昔日往到羽州追阳县。见一血盆池地狱。阔八万四千由旬*。

GI: ‘Once some time ago, Venerable Mulian was travelling in the Zhuiyang district of Yuzhou province when he saw a Blood Bowl Pond Hell that was eighty-four thousand leagues wide. 

*Chapbook has 游 for 由旬

2a/ 池中有一百二十件事。铁梁铁柱铁枷铁索*。见南阎浮提许多女人。披头散发。长枷杻手。在地狱中受罪。 

2b/

GI: In the pool there were 120 implements of iron beams, iron pillars, iron yokes and iron chains. He saw many women of Jambudvipa – their hair in disarray, their necks in cangues and their hands in fetters—suffering for their sins in this hell 
* Chapbook has 铁梁铁柱铁枷锁 "Iron beams, yokes, pillars, iron fetters and locks."

3/ 狱卒鬼王一日三度。将血勒叫罪人吃。此时罪人不敢服吃(1)。遂被狱主(2)。将铁棒打作叫声。

GI: The demon in charge of the punishments three times a day takes the blood and makes the sinners drink it. If the sinners are not willing to submit to him & drink , then he takes his iron rood and beats them as they scream. 

(1)chapbook has 甘 for 敢 an obvious error 
(2) Chapbook has 此遂被狱主

4/ 目连悲哀问狱主。不见南阎浮提丈夫之人受此苦报。只见许多女人受此苦痛。

GI: When Mulian saw this, he sadly asked the hell warden “ I do not see any men from Jambudvipa here suffering these torments. [why] do I only see women here suffering this cruel retribution?” 

5/ 狱主答师言。不关丈夫之事(1)。只(2)是女人产下血露。污触地神（3）。若秽污衣裳。将去溪河洗濯。流水污漫(4)。

GI: The warden answered him “Master, it is not something that involves men. It only has to do with women, who every month leak menses or in childbirth release blood, which seeps down and pollutes the earth gods, And what is more, they take their filthy garments to the river to wash, thereby polluting the river water." 
(1) Chapbook: 不千丈夫之事 ,which i think is an error 
(2) Chapbook: 此 instead of 只
(3) Chapbook: 污浊地水二神 “Pollutes the two gods of water and earth"
(4)Chapbook: 将去溪河洗出水流污浊漫. "They take thee garments to wash in the river, and the water which flows therefrom is polluted" 

6/ 误诸善男女。取水煎茶供奉诸圣(1)。致(2)令不净。天大将军刻下名字。附在善恶簿中。候百年命终之后。受此苦报。

GI: Later an unsuspecting good man or woman draws some water from the river, boils it for tea, and then offers it to the holy ones, causing them to be impure. The great general of heaven takes note of this and marks it in his ledger of merits and sins, After a hundred years, when their lives are over, [these sinful women] undergo this retribution of suffering [that you see before you]. 
(1) Chapbook has 尊 “Worthies" instead
(2) Chapbook: 自 

7/ 遂问狱主。将何报答产生阿娘之恩。出离血盆池地狱。狱主答师言。

EW: [Mulian] then asked the Guardian “How can I repay my mother for giving birth to me, [and] let her escape the Blood Bowl Hell?” The Warden replied:

8惟有小心。孝顺男女。敬重三宝。更为阿娘。持(1)血盆斋三年。仍结(2)血盆胜会。请僧转诵此经一藏。满日忏散(3)。

GI: "Master, you only need to take care to be a filial son or daughter, respect the three jewels, & for the sake of your mother, hold Blood Bowl feasts for three years, including organizing Blood Bowl gatherings to which you invite monks to recite this sutra for a full day, as well as ceremonies of repentance. (4)
(1) chapbook has 吃 an obvious error. 
(2) chapbook has 任及
(3) chapbook has 满日忏忏散

(4)The Chinese punctuation in both the Chapbook and Baidu versions  suggests the following reading instead: 

"....which you invite monks to recite this sutra, and perform a day-long ceremony of repentance."-- E.W. 

9 便有般若船。载过奈河(1)江岸。看见血盆池中（2）。有五色莲花出现。罪人欢喜。心生惭愧。便得超生佛地。

GI: Then there were will be a prajnana ( enlightened wisdom) boat to carry the mothers across the River Alas奈河 , & they will see 5-coloured lotuses appear in the blood pond, and the sinners will come out happy and contrite and they will be able to take birth in a Buddha Land. 
(1) chapbook has 爱河
(1) chapbook has 看见血河池中

10/ 诸大菩萨。及目连尊者。启吿奉劝。南阎浮提善男信女。早觉修取大办前程。莫敎(1)失手万劫难复。

EW: All Great bodhisattvas, along with Mulian received this teaching. The Good men and Believing women of Jambudvipa, soon attained the prospect of enlightenment, and they did not lose their way again in the myriads of Kapalas of suffering.
（1） Chapbook has 教 instead.  

11/ 佛说女人血盆经。若有信心书写受持。令得三世母亲。尽得生天受诸快乐。衣食自然长命富贵。

GI: The Buddha again told women, saying: “As for the Blood Bowl Sutra, if you copy and keep this sutra with a believing mind, then you will be causing, as far as possible, the mothers of the three worlds to gain rebirth in heaven, where they will receive pleasures, clothes and food naturally; their lives will be long, and they will be rich aristocrats. 

12/ 尔时天龙八部。人非人等。皆大欢喜。信受奉行。作礼而去

EW: At that moment, the Nagas , Eight Divisions, Humans, non-humans and others all rejoiced, at receiving this teaching and practised it; they paid their respects and left. 

*** *** ***

The western study of this text is fairly substantial- doubtless because of its obvious interest to feminists.

One early article is TAKEMI Momoko's "Menstruation Sutra" Belief In Japan (Japanese Journal of Religious studies, 10/2-3, p. 229). The article has a fairly comprehensive account of the sutra as it was received in Japan. There are apparently several such sutras of varying lengths. The author notes that the sutraplayed a particularly prominent role in the funerals of women who died in childbirth.

佛說却溫黃神咒經: The Sutra spoken by the Buddha on the Divine Incantation to Dispel Epidemics: A bililngual edition.

 0a/ I shall now tweet the translation of this sutra, found on this site eaa.fas.harvard.edu/sutra-epidemic. The english version below was "translated by XX", a PHD candidate in Chinese buddhism. The translation is fairly accurate, save in one part, in No. 10, where the translator [and I] have doubts

I have taken the Chinese text from  tripitaka.cbeta.org/X02n0193_001

*** *** *** 

1.聞如是
[Thus I have heard]
一時佛遊王舍城竹林精舍與四部弟子大眾俱會為說經法
At one time, the Buddha travelled to Bamboo Grove Monastery in Rājagṛha in order to preach the Dharma before a great number of disciples of the four assemblies who had gathered. 

2.爾時維耶離國屬疫氣猛盛赫赫猶如熾火死亡無數無所歸趣無方救療
At that time, in the country of Vaiśālī, there just happened to be plague running rampant & spreading like wildfire. Those who had perished were countless in number and there was no end in sight, and no means for treating and saving those who had been infected. 

3.於是阿難長跪合掌白佛言彼阿耶離國遭溫氣疫毒唯願世尊說諸聖術却彼毒氣令得安穩離眾苦患
Thereupon, Ānanda knelt before the Buddha with his palms together and spoke to the Buddha saying, “Vaiśālī has encountered a deadly epidemic... 

3b. I only pray that the World-Honored One preach various sacred techniques to dispel their contagion and allow them to obtain peace and be free from suffering and illness." 

4.佛告賢者阿難汝當聽受之有七鬼神常吐毒氣以害萬姓
The Buddha spoke to the wise one, Ānanda, “You must listen to this. There are seven demons and they incessantly spew forth contagions and by means of this infect the myriad people. 

5.若人得毒頭痛寒熱百節欲解苦痛難言人有知其名字者毒不害人If a person contracts this contagion, he or she will have headaches and bouts of cold and fever, his or her body will long for cessation and his or her pain is difficult to express but, if a person has knowledge of that name, then the contagion will not harm him or her. 

6.是故吾今為汝說之。阿難言願欲聞之
For this reason, I will now preach this for your sake. Ānanda said, “Please, I desire to hear this.” 

7.佛言若四輩弟子欲稱鬼神名安之時當言:
The Buddha said, “When the four assemblies of disciples desire to recite the name of these demons and pacify them, then they should say: 

8.南無佛陀耶。南無達磨耶。南無僧伽耶。南無十方諸佛。南無諸菩薩摩訶薩。南無諸聖僧南。無呪師(某甲)
Na mo fo tuo ye, namo damoye, namo sengqieye, namo shifang zhufo, namo zhu pusa mohesa, namo zhushengseng, namo zhoushi, [mou jia] 

8b. [translated:] ‘I take refuge in the Buddha, I take refuge in the Dharma, I take refuge in the Sangha, I take refuge in the Buddhas from ten directions, I take refuge in all the Bodhisattvas, I take refuge in all the Arhats, I take refuge in (name of the practitioner).’ 

9.今我弟子所說神呪即從其願. 如是神名
Now, my disciples, this incantation that I preach is in accordance with your prayers. The name of such demons 

10.我今當說沙羅佉三說沙羅佉已便說呪曰。
I will now preach to you the [Saluo Expulsion]‘沙羅佉.’” After having [thrice said the saluo explusions] “三説沙羅佉,” the Buddha, moreover, preached the incantation saying,
[this is the doubtful bit] 

11/ 

夢多難鬼、
Meng duo nan gui*:
阿佉尼鬼、
A qu ni gui
尼佉尸鬼、
Ni qu shi gui
阿佉那鬼、
A qu na gui
波羅尼鬼、
Po luo ni gui
阿毗羅鬼、
A bi luo gui
波提棃鬼.”
Pi ti li gui.

* Gui is the Chinese for demon. 

12.佛言是七鬼神呪名字如是若人熱病時當呼七鬼神名字言

The Buddha said, “This is the incantation of the seven demons. Their names are as such. When one has a fever or sickness, he should call the names of these seven demons and say, 

13/ “疾去疾去莫得久住“
‘leave immediately, leave immediately, do not stay for long’ 

14.我弟子身令毒消滅病速除愈我弟子今歸依三寶燒香禮敬行是諸佛所說神呪
As for the bodies of my disciples, the contagion will be banished & the illness will quickly leave and they will be healed. My disciples, now devote yourself to the three treasures, burn incense and prostrate and practice this incantation of the various Buddhas. 

15.若有呪神不隨諸佛教者頭破作七分如阿棃樹枝
If there is a demon that does not obey the teachings of the various Buddhas, its head will split into seven parts like the branches of the arjaka tree. 

16.若人得病一日二日三日乃至七日熱病煩悶先呪神水以與病者飲之當三七遍誦此呪經病毒五溫之病並皆消滅
If a person acquires a disease, for one day, two days, three days, up to seven days, and experiences fever and anguish, first use this incantation make holy water and then give to the sick and have them drink it,* one should recite this text twenty-one times. Diseases, contagion, and epidemics will be eradicated

* I suggest adding a full stop here, i.e. "... drink it. One should recite [this text] 21 times. Diseases [etc] will be eradicated" 

17.若亦立門書著氣病者當額書七鬼神名字復取五色縷線各各結其名字繫著門上大吉祥也

Also, if one sets up a gate and writes [the name of] the disease, one should write on his forehead the names of the seven demons. 

17b/ Again, if one takes cords of the five-colored (blue, red, white, black, yellow) threads, ties one to each of the names and connects them to the top of the gate, this will be extremely auspicious. 

18.若能勤誦此經專心受持齋戒不喫熏辛誦此七鬼神名字溫鬼永斷不過門戶
If one diligently recites this sutra, exclusively devotes one’s heart and memorizes it, holds the lay precepts and does not imbibe vegetables with pungent smells, and recites the names of these seven demons, these demons of disease will be forever cutoff and unable to pass through the doors of the gate. 

19.自進至患家鬼見皆走一身永不染天行
If one proceeds to & enters a house that of one who is suffering from illness,the demons will encounter him or her & each & every one of them will flee leaving the body [of the inflicted] eternally free of contamination from contagious disease 

20.若能專心勸人書寫受持讀誦此經消殃却害
If one exclusively devotes oneself to recommending this sutra to people, copies it, memorizes it and recites it, then he or she will dissipate misfortune and dispel harm. 

21.若人不能誦得竹筒盛安門戶上溫鬼不敢過門亦得延年養壽大吉祥也
Even if there is a person who cannot recite the incantation, if they are able to place put this sutra in a tube and enshrine it above the doorway, then demons of disease will not dare to pass and, ... 

21b/ moreover, they will extend the years of their life and have great fortune.” 

22.阿難叉手白佛言當何名此經云何奉持
Ānanda put his palms together spoke to the Buddha saying, “What should I call this sutra? How should I uphold it?” 

23.佛言此經名為却溫神呪佛說如是天龍鬼神一切大眾聞呪歡喜作禮奉行
The Buddha said, “This sutra’s name shall be 却温神呪.” [the divine mantra to expel diseases]The Buddha’s teaching was as such. The devas, nagas, demons, divinities and the entire assembly heard of this incantation and rejoiced. They prostrated, received the teaching, and put it into practice.