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The Universal Door Sutra
The Universal Dharma Door (Phổ Môn) is the 25th chapter of the Lotus Sutra, introducing the great vow and practice of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara (Quan Thế Âm – “the one who listens deeply to the cries of the world”). Avalokiteśvara is also known as Quán Tự Tại, Liên Hoa Thủ, and can manifest as male or female, old or young, monastic or layperson, depending on the circumstances, in order to rescue living beings in both this Saha world and the Western Pure Land.
Through the section of verses (gāthā), the sutra describes that “whoever hears the name, sees the image, and gives rise to mindfulness in their heart will be liberated from suffering in all realms”—from disasters of fire and water, fierce animals, storms, imprisonment, warfare, poisons, to hatred and enmity. Mindfulness of the power of Avalokiteśvara can transform a pit of fire into a lotus pond, prevent one from being drowned by waves and storms, break swords and blades, and unlock the chains of prison…
Practitioners are encouraged to contemplate the five inner contemplations and the five outer sounds of Avalokiteśvara in order to cultivate compassion:
- true contemplation
- pure contemplation
- vast and great wisdom contemplation
- compassionate contemplation
-
loving-kindness contemplation
and - wondrous sound
- Avalokiteśvara
- Brahma sound
- the Sound of the Rising Tide
- sound surpassing all worldly sounds
With constant, unwavering mindfulness, taking the pure and holy Avalokiteśvara as a place of refuge, “with eyes of love looking upon the world, the ocean of merit boundless, therefore we should bow in reverence.”