The Dharani Sutra of The Buddha on Longevity, The Extinction of Offences and The Protection of Young Children: 29 of 33

“Moreover, Manjushri! After my extinction, in the Evil World of Five Turbidities, there are living beings who have created bad karma and fallen into the hells after passing away. After they have finished undergoing the retribution of the hells, they will be born as animals.”

“Even if such a man is able to obtain a human form, his six roots will be incomplete. May be he is born deaf, blind, dumb and mute. The shape of the body may be hunch backed, deformed, with abnormal curvature of the spine. Or at times such a person is born as a woman who is illiterate and unable to read the Sutras. Even if he is born as a man, he will be deluded, stupid and dull in nature because of the evil karma from past lives. He will not be able to read and recite The Sutra of Longevity.”

“As he is always worried and experiences all kinds of sufferings and anger, his mind is never at ease and so he will die at a young age.”

“But if he is able to invite the Good Knowing Adviser to write the Sutra for him in order to give to others, besides making obeisance respectfully and wholeheartedly to the Sutra. With the innumerable merits and virtues thus accumulated, he will never have to undergo such evil retribution. Presently he will obtain a long lifespan.”

“Moreover, Manjushri! After my extinction, in the Five World of Five Turbidities, if there is a living being who after his death, his relatives are able to practice good deeds on his behalf so as to create merits and virtues for him within the first seven days or forty-nine days. If the merits and virtues were to divide into seven portions, the dead one can only obtain the benefit of one portion.”

“On the contrary, within forty-nine days, if a man who during his present lifespan is able to stop all household and worldly activities to write this Sutra, to offer incense and flowers to it and to make obeisance to The Buddha. He also specially prepares seven times of Vegetarian Food as Dana to offer to the Sangha in order to cultivate offering widely. The merits and virtues thus accumulated will be as many as there are sands in the Ganges River!”

“By doing so, such a man will obtain a long lifespan presently. He will never fall into the three evil paths to undergo acute sufferings. If he has already passed away, his next of kin can then use, his wealth and property to practice giving widely, to relieve the poor and make offering to the virtuous ones in the ten directions. If they can cultivate such blessings and virtues for him, the dead one will obtain all the seven portions of merits and virtues.”