The Fudō Sutra - Koei's Translation

This short sutra is often chanted at Goma fire offering ceremonies, as well as sacred sites associated with the wrathful deity Fudō Myō-Ō (Sanskrit: Arya Acalanatha Vidyaraja). In a few short lines it covers much of Fudō's iconography and importance in esoteric Buddhism.

My goal here was to make a version in verse that's easy to chant. Below the poetic translation is a straight prose translation that sticks closer to the original. Please refer to these and other more scholarly translations as you study.

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The Sutra of the Noble Unmoved One, Preached by the Buddha

Amidst the Great Assembly dwells

A single Unmoved Wisdom King.

With might endowed, his visage tells

His myriad saving qualities.

By great compassion he manifests

Skin blue-black with soil and sweat.

His mind's unwavering sturdiness,

Is the diamond seat on which he rests.

His radiant wisdom, tongues of flame,

Flares up in the minds of every being.

His right hand grips a wisdom blade

That smashes folly, rage, and greed.

The obstinate and hard to save

By samadhi's coil he brings to heel.

Completely one with empty Space,

The Dharmakaya's formless form,

He has no single dwelling place,

yet in our minds he makes his home.

Through all the pell-mell thoughts of beings

He follows Mind, creates benefit

And by his great compassion brings

All longed-for things to fulfillment.

The Great Assembly, at that time

hearing the Buddha preaching thus

With sublime happiness enflamed

Rekindled and renewed their trust.

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The Sutra of the Noble Unmoved One, Preached by the Buddha

At that time in the Great Assembly appeared a Wisdom* King. This wisdom King has great majestic power. By the merit of his compassion he manifests a blue-black form. By the merit of his great samadhi he sits upon an indestructible rock. By his great wisdom he manifests great flames. Holding a sword of great wisdom he destroys [the three poisons] of greed, anger, and ignorance. By the rope of samadhi he lassos those who are difficult to subdue. Of one substance with the formless space of the Dharmakaya, he has no dwelling place. Even so, he dwells within the consciousness of sentient beings. Since the thoughts of each being are dissimilar, he follows beings' minds and creates benefits for them, and brings all their pleas to fulfillment. At that time all in the Great Assembly, hearing this sutra preached, rejoiced greatly and had their faith stirred.

*Vidya 明 can mean both "wisdom" and "incantation."