Day 29 covers all of Chapter 25, The Universal Gate of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva.
World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva and the explicit promises are another area that troubles my literalist delusions.
Thereupon Endless-Intent Bodhjsattva rose from his seat, bare j his right shoulder, joined rus hands together towards the Buddha, and said, “World-Honored One! Why is World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva caJled World-Voice-Perceiver?”
The Buddha said to Endless-Intent Bodhisattva:
“Good man! If many hundreds of thousands of billions of living beings hear [the name of] World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva and call his name with all their hearts when they are under various sufferings, World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva will immediately perceive their voices, and cause them to emancipate themselves [from the sufferings].
And then later:
Thereupon Endless-lntent Bodhisattva asked the Buddha in gathas:
World-Honored One with the wonderful marks
I ask you about this again.
Why is the son of the Buddha
Called World-Voice-Perceiver?The Honorable One with the wonderful marks answered Endless-Intent in gathas:
Listen! World-Voice-Perceiver practiced
According to the conditions of the places [of salvation].
His vow to save [people] is as deep a the sea.
You cannot fathom it even for kalpas.
On many hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddhas
He attended and made a great and pure vow.
I will tell you about his vow in brief.
If you hea.r his name, and see him,
And think of him constantly,
You will be able to eliminate all sufferings.
The Daily Dharma from June 8, 2016, turns this around in a way that eases my silly misconception.
Suppose bandits are surrounding you,
And attempting to kill you with swords.
If you think of the power of World-Voice-Perceiver,
The bandits will become compassionate towards you.
The Buddha gives this description of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva (Kannon, Kanzeon, Kuan Yin, Avalokitesvara) to Endless-Intent Bodhisattva in Chapter Twenty-Five of the Lotus Sūtra. When we allow this Bodhisattva, the embodiment of compassion, into our minds, we realize the value of the connections we have with all beings, even those who are so deluded that they want to harm us. When we ourselves embody compassion, we should not be surprised when it awakens the compassion that is at the core of our existence.
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