The Bodhisattva of Universal Worthy
With
Samanta meaning "universally extending" and Bhadra meaning
"great virtue" the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra extends his virtue and
compassion to all sentient beings. Samantabhadra is known as the Bodhisattva
of "Universal Worthy" as his virtue is that of a sage's. As a cosmic
entity, Samatabhadra is the embodyment of all Bodhisattva practices and merits indispensable in the attainment of Buddhahood.
The Importance of the Lotus Sutra
The Lotus Sutra is compossed of 28 chapters. There are two broad
themes to the Lotus sutra, the first being found in the first fourteen
chapters. The first fourteen chapters are meant to explain the reality
of intrinsic commonalities that occur in human beings, while the
remaining chapters describe the eternalness of the Buddha. (www.nshi.org/Buddisme/English%20Buddhisme/Lotus-And-Buddha.htm)
The Lotus Sutra is the only sutra that promises the salvation of women,
therefore it was a central part of the Japanese women's religion.
According to other sutras, the only way for a woman to reach
enlightenment would be for her to be reborn as a man, which is why this
particular sutra was so important. Fugen was believed to be the
protector of those who were devoted to the Lotus Sutra, so Fugen became
an important figure to all women and their prayers (http://wsu.edu/~dee/ANCJAPAN/WOMEN.HTM). Like many other sutras, the Lotus Sutra can be recited and copied to pay alms by both men and women (http://news.fjnet.com/english/sutra/t20060617_29976.htm). Listen to the video below if you would like to hear the Lotus Sutra chanted.
The Ten Great Vows
Samantabhadra contributed to the Avatamsaka sutra, which recites the
practices of Bodhisattvas and the merits of the Buddhist teaching. In
the sutra, the Bodhisattva Samatabhadra teaches a student how wisdom is
only present as long as it benefits everyone. In his teaching he
recites ten great vows that he uses to guide himself to enlightenment.
The Ten Great Vows included:
- To pay homage and respect to all Buddhas
- To praise all the Buddhas
- To make extensive offerings to all the Buddhas
- To repent misdeeds and evil karmas
- To rejoice in others' merits and virtues
- To request the Buddhas to continue teaching (Turning the wheel of Dharma)
- To request the Buddhas to remain in the world
- To always follow Buddha's teachings
- To accommodate and benefit all living beings
- To dedicate all merits for the welfare of all living beings
The first eight vows guide one to enlightenment through oneself;
while the last two vows are drawn out to help others reach
enlightenment. The first vow is to show respect to all buddhas for
their wisdom and compassion. The second refers to Samantabhadra’s
belief that there are infinite number of Buddhas and how all should be
praised for their virtues. The third is to make offerings like food or
flowers to the Buddhas. However, Samatabhadra stated that the most
valuable offering is to practice the teachings of the Buddha so everyone
can benefit. In the fourth vow, Samatabhadra identifies how everyone
has sinned from thoughts, words, or actions throughout their past lives.
So, it is best to repent these sins by commiting one's self to not make
the same mistakes. With the fifth vow, Samantabhadra proposed to
benefit from others merits and share the Buddhist teachings. The sixth
is intended to ensure that the Buddhist teachings will continues to be
passed on. The seventh vow is for the Buddhas to remain in the world so
they would be able to guide more individuals. By always following the
Buddha’s teaching in the eighth vow, people are able to attain
enlightenment by taking the Buddha’s same path. The ninth is meant for
all living beings to be able to live in harmony. Finally, the last vow
is designed to save all living beings by gaining merits from following
the first nine vows.
For his dedication to the Buddhist
teachings and through his Ten Great Vows, Samantabhara also became known
as the Bodhsattva of Extensive Conduct. As well as, Samantabhadra’s
vows have become a common practice in East Asian Buddhism and have been
used regularly for morning rituals. The Ten Great Vows have even become basic guidelines for bodhisattvas.
http://www.manjushri.com/Buddha-List/Samantabhadra.html
Samantabdhadra Mantra
adaṇḍe daṇḍapati daṇḍa-āvartani daṇḍa-kuśale daṇḍa-sudhāri
sudhārapati buddhapaśyane sarvadhāraṇi
āvartani saṁvartani saṅgha-parīkṣite saṅgha-nirghātani
dharma-parīkṣite sarva-sattva ruta kauśalya-anugate
siṁha-vikrīḍite anuvarte vartani vartāli svāhā
