(Also known as:)
Maha Karuna Dharani Sutra
Maha Karunikacitta Dharani Sutra
Nilakantha Dharani Sutra

Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva then said to the Buddha: “Bhagavan, I remember that countless billions of kalpas ago, a Buddha, whose name was Thousand Rays King Stillness Thus Come One, appeared in the world. Because of his mercy and mindfulness towards me and all living beings, that Buddha, the World Honored One spoke this Vast, Perfect, Unimpeded, Great Compassionate Heart Dharani, rubbed my crown with his golden hand and said: ‘Virtuous man, you should hold this heart-mantra to give great benefit and happiness to all living beings in the future evil age.’ At that time I was just at the first Bhumi(stage of Bodhisattva), right after hearing this mantra, I exceeded the eighth Bhumi. At that time, as my heart was joyful, I vowed: ‘If I will be able to give benefit and happiness to all living beings in the future, let me have one thousand hands and one thousand eyes immediately.’ Instantly after the vow, I got fully one thousand hands and one thousand eyes on my body, then, the grounds of the worlds of the ten directions quaked in six ways, thousands of Buddhas of the ten directions emitted their light to my body and illuminated boundless worlds of the ten directions. From then on, from countless Buddhas and congregations, I have repeatedly heard, accepted and held this Dharani, and the joys were also repeatedly aroused from my heart, and made me greatly enthusiastic. Therefore, I transcended imperceptible births and deaths of countless billions of kalpas. Since then, I have always been reciting and holding this mantra, and have never forgotten it. Because of holding this mantra, I was always born by miraculous creation (nirmana) from lotuses in front of Buddhas, and have never been born from any womb.”

ARYAVALOKITESVARO BODHISATTVO GAMBHIRAYAM PRAJNA-PARAMITAYAM CARYAM CARAMANO
VYAVALOKAYATI SMA: PANCA SKANDHAS TAMS CA SVABHAVA SUNYAN PASYATI SMA’
IHA SARIPUTRA!
RUPAM SUNYATA,SUNYATAIVA RUPAM.
RUPAM NA PRTHAK SUNYATA, SUNYATAYA NA PRTHAG RUPAM.
YAD RUPAM SA SUNYATA, YA SUNYATA TAD RUPAM.
EVAM EVA VEDANA - SAMJNA - SAMSKARA - VIJNANANI.
IHA SARIPUTRA!
SARVA-DHARMAH SUNYATA-LAKSANA, ANUTPANNA-ANIRUDDHA AMALAVIMALANONA NA PARIPURNAH.
TASMAC CHARIPUTRA!
SUNYATAYAM NA RUPAM NA VEDANA NA SAMJNA NA SAMSKARA NA VIJNANAM.
NA CAKSUH - SROTRA - GHRANA -JIHVA - KAYA - MANAMSI.
NA RUPA - SABDA - GANDHA - RASA - SPARASTAVYA - DHARMAH.
NA VIDYA NAVIDYA NA VIDYA - KASAYO NAVIDYA - KSAYO YAVAN NA JARA - MARANAM NA JARA - MARANA - KSAYO NA DUHKHA - SAMUDAYA - NIRODHA - MARGA, NA JNANAM NA PRAPTIH ( NA BHISAMA).
TASMAD APRAPTITVAD BODHISATTVANAM PRAJNAPARAMITAM ASRITYA
VIHARATY ACITTAVARANAH, CITTAVARANA - NASTITVAD ATRASTO VIPARYASATIKRANTO NISTHA - NIRVANAH.
TRYADHVA - VYAVASTHITAH SARVA - BUDDHAH PRAJNA - PARAMITAM ASRITYA - NUTTARAM SAMYAKSAMBODHIM ABHISAMBUDDHAH.
TASMAJ JNATAVYAM PRAJNA PARAMITA MAHA MAN TRO MAHA VIDYA MANTRO’NUTTARA MANTRO’SAMA SAMA MANTRAH!
SARVADUHKHA PRASAMANAH, SATYAM AMITHYATVAT PRAJNA PARAMITAYAM UKTO MANTRAH.
TADYATHA: GATE GATE PARAGATE PARA SAMGATE, BODHI SVAHA!

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Mahāprajñāpāramitā Mahāvidyā Mantra Sūtra
Translated by Yao-qin Tripiṭaka Master Kumārajīva

The Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara,
When coursing in the profound Prajñāparamitā,
Saw that the five skandhas are empty,
And overcame all suffering and distress.
O Śāriputra!,
From the emptiness of form, there is no sign of distress and alteration.
From the emptiness of feeling, there is no sign of experience.
From the emptiness of perception, there is no sign of knowing.
From the emptiness of volition, there is no sign of action.
From the emptiness of cognition, there is no sign of awareness.
Therefore, O Śāriputra!,
It is not that form is other than emptiness,
It is not that emptiness is other than form.
That which is form is emptiness,
That which is emptiness is form.
Feeling, perception, volition, and cognition are also likewise.
O Śāriputra!, all these dharmas are signed with emptiness,
Not produced, not ceasing,
Not defiled, not pure,
Not increasing, not decreasing.
These empty dharmas
Are neither past, nor future, nor present.
Therefore, in emptiness –
No form, no feeling, perception, volition or cognition;
No eye, ear, nose, tongue, body or mind;
No form, sound, aroma, flavour, contact or dharma;
No range of the eye, and so on until, no range of mental consciousness;
No ignorance and also no end of ignorance,
And so on until, no aging-and-death, and no end of aging-and-death;
No suffering, accumulation, cessation or path;
No gnosis and also no attainment.
Because of no attainment,
The Bodhisattvas, through relying on prajñāpāramitā,
Have no mental obstructions.
Due to no obstructions there is no fear,
And they forsake all inverted views, deluded perceptions, suffering and distress,
Ultimately reaching nirvāṇa.
The Buddhas of the three periods of time, through relying on prajñāpāramitā,
Realize anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.
It should thus be known that prajñāpāramitā is the mantra of great wisdom,
The mantra of supreme wisdom,
The mantra of unequalled wisdom,
Able to appease all suffering, it is true because it is not deceptive.
Invoking the prajñāpāramitā mantra, the mantra is invoked thus:
Gate gate pāragate pārasamgate bodhi svāhā.
Mahāprajñāpāramitā Mahāvidyā Mantra Sūtra

All experience is preceded by mind,
Led by mind,
Made by mind.
Speak or act with a corrupted mind,
And suffering follows
As the wagon wheel follows the hoof of the ox.

All experience is preceded by mind,
Led by mind,
Made by mind.
Speak or act with a peaceful mind,
And happiness follows
Like a never-departing shadow.

The Dhammapada, translated by Gil Fronsdal, August 2005