Page:Sacred Books of the East - Volume 21.djvu/454

 CHAPTER XXIV.

CHAPTER CALLED THAT OF THE ALL-SIDED ONE, CONTAINING A DESCRIPTION OF THE TRANSFORMATIONS OF AVALOKITESVARA.

Thereafter the Bodhisattva Mah&sattva Akshayamati rose from his seat, put his upper robe upon one shoulder, stretched his joined hands towards the Lord, and said : For what reason, O Lord, is the Bodhisattva Mah&sattva Avalokitervara called Avalokitcrvara ? So he asked, and the Lord answered to the Bodhisattva Mahdsattva Akshayamati: All the hundred thousands of myriads of ko/is of creatures, young man of good family, who in this world are suffering troubles will, if they hear the name of the Bodhisattva Mahdsattva Avalokitervara, be released from that mass of troubles. Those who shall keep the name of this Bodhisattva Mah&sattva Avalokitejvara, young man of good family, will, if they fall into a great mass of fire, be delivered therefrom by virtue of the lustre of the Bodhisattva MahAsattva. In case, young man of good family, creatures, carried off by the current of rivers, should implore the Bodhisattva Mah&sattva Avalokitervara, all rivers will afford them a ford. In case, young man of good family, many hundred thousand myriads of ko/is of creatures, sailing in a ship on the ocean,