(Narrated by Sramana Zhi Jing of the Ding Jue Monastery of the Tang Dynasty)

The origin of the Usnisa Vijaya Dharani Sutra is as described below.

In the first year of Yi Feng (676 AD) of the Tang dynasty, a Brahmin monk named Buddhapala came to China from India. On arriving at the Wu Tai Mountain in China, he prostrated himself on his knees and elbows on the ground and bowed to the mountain saying, "After the Maha Parinirvana of the Buddha, many of the saints retreated from this world except MahasattvaManjushri who still dwells in this mountain to deliver beings across and instruct the Bodhisattvas. I, Buddhapala, regret to have been born during the period of the eight adversities, and as such, am not able to see your saintly countenance. Travelling from afar across rivers and deserts, I have come specially to pay homage and reverence, appealing to Your Great Compassion and Kindness to respond and show me Your saintly countenance!"

Having said that, he was overcome with emotion and his tears fell like rain as he bowed to the mountain. When he lifted his head after bowing, he suddenly saw an old man coming out from the mountain. Speaking in the Brahminlanguage, the old man said to Buddhapala, "Dharma Master, you have a strong admiration for the Way, searching for the whereabouts of the saints. Enduring the toil and pain of a long arduous journey, you have come from afar to look for Their vestiges. However, many of the living beings in China have committed many evil deeds. Even many of those who have left the home-life have also broken their precepts. The only Sutra that can help to eliminate all the evil karma of sentient beings is the Usnisa Vijaya Dharani Sutra.

I wonder whether you, Dharma Master, have brought it along?"

Buddhapala replied, "I have come solely with the intention to pay homage and offer reverence and hence have not broughl this Sutra along."

The old man said, "Since you do not bring the Sutra, why do you come at all? What good is there when you come empty-handed? Even if you see Manjushri Bodhisattva, how would you recognise Him? You should return to the western country (India), and bring the Sutra back here for circulation. That would be similar to paying homage to all Saints universally, extensively benefiting all sentient beings, delivering beings of the under world and repaying the kindness of the Buddhas. Should you, Master, bring the Sutra here, I will definitely show you the whereabouts of Manjushri Bodhisattva !"

Buddhapala was delighted when he heard this. Controlling his tears, he bowed sincerely to the old rnan. When he lifted his head, the old man had disappeared. He was astonished and became even more sincere in his practice. Being mindful of Manjushri Bodhisattva, he returned to India to get the Usnisa Vijaya Dharani Sutra.

In the second year of Yong Chun (683 AD), Buddhapala returned to the capital city of Xian and reported the entire incident to the Emperor. The Emperor kept the Sutra in the palace, and then invited Tripitaka DharmaMaster Divakara and ordered the Si Bin Monastery's public relations official Du Xing Yi and others to translate the Sutra together. After the translation was completed, the Emperor presented thirty bolts of brocade to Buddhapala but the translated Sutra was not allowed to be taken out of the palace.

Buddhapala then went to see the Emperor. Crying miserably, he pleaded, "I, a poor monk, have riskcd my life to carry out the mission entrusted (by the Bodhisattva) to bring the Sutra from afar, hoping to

universally deliver all sentient beings from their sufferings and miseries. I have no desire for wealth or fame. I appeal to Your Majesty to circulate the Sutra, so that all senticnt bcings can share Tts benefits."

Hence, the Emperor returned the original Sanskrit text to Buddhapala and kept the translated text for himself. Having obtained the original Sanskrit text, Buddhapala went to the Xi Ming Monastery where he found a Chinese monk named Shun Zhen, who was very proficient in the Sanskrit language. Buddhapala then sought the permission of the Emperor to translate the Sutra again. The Emperor granted his request So Buddhapala, Shun Zhen and other great learned monks did the translation together. Thereafter, Buddhapala took the original Sanskrit text with him into the Wu Tai Mountain and was never seen again. Now although both translated versions are widely circulated, there are some minor differences in the phrases of the two versions. it is hoped that readers will take note.

In the third year of Chui Gong (687 AD), I, Zhi Jing, the abbot of the Ding Jue Monastery stopped at the Wei Guo Dong Monastery in the capital city of Shendu (i.e. Luoyang) to pay my respects personally to the Tripitaka DharmaMaster Divakara. I enquired about the details of Buddhapala's visit and the actual happenings. What I was told, were as stated above. I then asked the Tripitaka Dharma Master to teach me the divine Dharani. Dharma Master Divakara then transmitted the Sanskrit text, orally. After 14 days, I was taught the complete text, every phrase in the correct Sanskrit tone without any mistakes. This was then compared with the earlier translated Sanskrit text. All omissions and mistakes were corrected and revised. An annotation stating "The Latest Alternative Version" was also written at the beginning of this Mantra, the phrases of which were slightly different from that translated by Du Xing Yi. Once this newly revised Mantra was ascertained to be free of mistakes, the correct phonetics were then added to enable future students to learn its correct pronunciation.

In the eighth lunar month of the first year of Yong Chang (689 AD), at the Da Jing Ai Monastery, I personally met the Senior Monk,

Dharma Master Cheng of the Xi Ming Monastery. Again, I asked about Buddhapala's visit and the incident related to me was similar to the one stated above. I had also met the translator of the Sutra, Dharma Master Shun Zhen who was then residing at the Xi Ming Monastery.

This Sutra has the inconceivable power to liberate all sentient beings of this world and the under world. In case any student is not aware of this, the whole incident is recorded in detail for their reference.