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The Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara of Bunhwangsa: A Blind Child Gains Sight芬皇寺千手大悲 盲兒得眼

Samguk Yusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms) 三國遺事 · Iryeon · 1281 (Goryeo, 7th year of King Chungnyeol) · 2 passages · 195 Chinese characters · reading time 0.8 min

Samguk Yusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms) Pagodas and Images, Part Four A collection of tales of the Three Kingdoms period, compiled by Iryeon, a monk of Goryeo. He gathered the stories the official histories had cast aside. It is the oldest book that carries the myth of Dangun.

1A song sung before the wall painting, and the eyes grow bright

景徳王代漢歧里女希眀之児生五稔而忽盲.一日其母抱児詣芬皇寺左殿北壁畫千手大悲前,令児作歌禱之,遂得明.其詞曰.膝肹古召旀,二尸掌音毛乎攴内良,千手觀音叱前良中祈以攴白屋尸置内乎多.千隠手□叱千隠目肹.一等下叱放一等肹除惡攴.二于萬隠吾羅,一等沙隠賜以古只内乎叱等邪,阿邪也,吾良遺知攴賜尸䓁焉,放冬矣用屋尸慈悲也根古.

In the reign of King Gyeongdeok, the child of a woman named Huimyeong (希明), who lived in Hangi-ri (漢歧里), suddenly went blind five years after birth.

One day the mother carried the child to Bunhwangsa, before the Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara (千手大悲) painted on the north wall of the left hall, and had the child compose a song and pray, and at last the child's eyes grew bright.

The words of the song are these:

⟪Hyangga⟫

膝肹古召旀 二尸掌音毛乎攴内良 千手觀音叱前良中 祈以攴白屋尸置内乎多 千隠手□叱千隠目肹 一等下叱放一等肹除惡攴 二于萬隠吾羅 一等沙隠賜以古只内乎叱等邪 阿邪也 吾良遺知攴賜尸䓁焉 放冬矣用屋尸慈悲也根古

2In praise it is said

讃曰.竹馬葱笙戱陌塵,一朝雙碧失瞳人.不因大士逥慈眼,虛度楊花㡬社春.

In praise it is said:

Riding a bamboo horse, blowing a leek-pipe, playing in the dust of the lane, Then one morning both eyes lost their pupils. Had the great sage not turned back the eyes of compassion, How many springs of drifting willow blossom would have passed in vain?

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