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On Special days, such as Guanyin Pusa Avalokiteshvara's birthday (19th of 2nd lunar month), merit from recitation of Guanshiyin's sutra, Universal Gate Sutra is multiplied millions of times, extinguishing negative karma. This beautiful recitation is less than 12 minutes. On sacred days, ideally, chant three times and before bed, and on any other day when you need purification, reassurance or the virtue of meritorious sutra recitation. TO RECITE ALONG: Turn on CC. We also have translations, choose your language. This special Sutra, the Lotus Sutra Avalokiteshvara Universal Gate 妙法蓮華經觀世音菩薩普門品 Chapter is important, explaining how Compassion is not limited to a single form, a single sex, or a single concept, but may arise in all spiritual traditions, in all forms of sentient beings, however is best to help suffering beings. Recited here in English, you can use the Sanskrit name, as we have -- Avalokiteshvara अवलोकितस्वर-- or any of the translated names, such as Guan Yin 观世音, 觀世音, Guanshiyin Pusa, KuanYin, Chenrezig སྤྱན་རས་གཟིགས, Kannon, Gwaneum 관음, ကွမ်ယင်, อวโลกิเตศวร — and you can also say “He” or “She” with complete confidence. As stated in this very Sutra, She or He appears in countless forms, by countless names, and as both male and female. The face of compassion has no limits. It is for this reason, teachers often say, “all Bodhisattvas arise from Avalokiteshvara.” This Sutra also explains how the practice of Homage to Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva or Namo Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattvaya or Namo Guan Shi Yin Pusa is all we need, together with faith, if we need rescue or help from the boundless Bodhisattva of Compassion. This Sutra is recited as a sacred, purifying and empowering practice on any day. Its merit and purifying benefits are multiplied infinitely on Guan Yin Avalokiteshvara’s three sacred days: March 29 2024 Guan Yin's Birthday! (19th day of the 2nd lunar month) Guan Yin's Enlightenment Day is July 25, 2024 (on the lunar calendar, the 19th day of the 6th Lunar Month, Lunar June). November 19 2024 will be Guan Yin's Renunciation Day (19th day of the 9th lunar month) For more about these special days, and other practices for these days, see our full written feature on Buddha Weekly: The Universal Gate Sutra is both a stand-alone Sutra and is also known as Chapter 25, the Universal Gate Chapter of the Lotus Sutra. NOTE: For chanting Namo Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva we usually add the suffix “ya” For example, if we say “Namo Buddha” it means (more or less) Homage The Buddha. Instead, we chant Namo Buddhaya, and it becomes more “grammatically” correct (in Sanskrit and Pali both): Homage TO the Buddha. Likewise here, if you chant Namo Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, it’s more or less correct (so don’t worry if you’ve been doing that), but it means strictly “Homage Avaokiteshvara Bodhisattva” whereas when we chant the more traditional “Namo Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattvaya” it more correctly means “Homage TO Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva.” (CAPS for emphasis only.) So, ideally, for a chant or refuge, you’d chant “Namo Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattvaya” if you are doing Sanskrit (for more correct grammar) or “Homage to Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva” if you’re are doing English (with “to” in English, no need for the “ya“) and “Namo Guan Shin Yin Pusa” if you are doing Chinese, etc. “Ya” at the end of Sanskrit just makes it more “correct” and adds the qualifying “to.” This is why the refuge chant many of us do each morning is: Namo Buddhaya, Namo Dharmaya, Namo Sanghaya (instead of Namo Buddha). This means “Homage to the Buddha, Homage to the Dharma, Homage to the Sangha.” Without the “ya” it becomes, more or less abbreviated (but somewhat okay): Homage Buddha, Homage Dharma, Homage Sangha. The “to” makes it more explicitly clear we are taking refuge. Likewise, Namo Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattvaya makes it clear we take refuge in the Great Bodhisattva of Compassion. If you abbreviate it, you might say Namo Avalokiteshvaraya (i.e. if you didn’t use the title Bodhisattva, the ya is suffixed to Avalokiteshara in the same way we take refuge with Namo Buddhaya.) This makes it, more or less Homage to Avalokiteshvara instead of Homage Avalokiteshvara. Either way, the main aspect is calling out the “name” of the Bodhisattva and taking refuge in his compassionate activity and power. #namoavalokiteshvaraya #namoavalokiteshvara #namoguanshiyinpusa #namoavalokiteshvarabodhisattva
