The Dharani Sutra of The Buddha on Longevity, The Extinction of Offences and The Protection of Young Children: 3 of 33

Then The Buddha smiled and said to the great assembly, “Please listen whole heartedly and carefully. Now I will expound widely to you The Dharma …”

“In the past, there was a world known as The Pure Land with No-Filth. In that Pure Land, a Buddha by the name The Thus Come One of Pervasive Lights and Proper Views came into the world.”

He was also known as The One who is worthy of offering, or The Equal and Proper Enlightened One, or The One who is perfect is wisdom and practice, or The One who is skillful in leaving the world through liberation, or The One who understands the world, or The Unsurpassed Teacher, or The Taming Hero, or The Teacher of Gods and people, or The Buddha, or The World Honored One. The Buddha was surrounded respectfully by uncountable and limitless Great Assemblies of Bodhisattvas.

When The Buddha was in the world, there was a lay woman by the name Confusion. She was practicing the Buddha Dharma in her home life. She begged The Buddha to allow her to leave the home’s life. Sorrowfully she cried to The Buddha, “World Honored One, I have created deep and evil karma. I am regretful of my evil conduct and seek to repent my offences. I hop to reform in order to lead a life of goodness. I only hope The World Honored One will bestow kindness upon me and listen to the details!”

My circumstance is such that my family’s condition does not allow me to bear any child. That is why I used medicine to murder the fetus which was fully eight months old. The fetus that I aborted was fully grown with four healthy limbs and was complete with a human form.”

“Later I met with a wise man who told me, ‘People who have purposely aborted the fetus will be infected with serious illnesses in the present lifespan and receive the retribution of a short lifespan with very little blessing. After they have passed away, they will fall into Avici Hell to experience terribly acute sufferings.”

“After listen to that, I was very frightened and I deeply regret what I have done. I only hope that the World Honored One, with you strength of great kindness and compassion, will save me from falling into the deep pit. Please tell me the ways of liberation. Do allow me to leave the home life so as not to undergo such acute sufferings.”

The Thus Come One of Pervasive Lights and Proper Views said to Confusion, “There are five kinds of Evil Karma which are difficult to extinguish even if one were to repent on them. What are the five kinds of offences? The first one is killing the father, the second one is killing the mother, the third one is abortion, the fourth one is to injure The Buddha, the fifth one is to create disharmony among the Sangha assemblies. These five types of evil and sinful karma are difficult to be extinguished.”