Day 30 covers all of Chapter 26, Dhāraṇīs

Having last month heard Medicine-King Bodhisattva’s dhāraṇīs, we hear Brave-In-Giving Bodhisattva’s dhāraṇīs.

Thereupon Brave-In-Giving Bodhisattva said to the Buddha:

“World-Honored One! I also will utter dhārānis in order to protect the person who reads, recites and keeps the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma. If he keeps these dhārānis, this teacher of the Dharma will not have his weak points taken advantage of by any yakṣa, rākṣasa, pūtana, kṛtya, kumbhāṇḍa or hungry spirit.”

Then he uttered spells before the Buddha:

“Zarei (1), makazarei (2), ukki (3), mokki (4), arei (5), arahatei (6), netsureitei (7), netsureitahatei (8), ichini (9), ichini (10), shichini(11), netsureichini (12), netsurichihachi (13).”

[He said to the Buddha:]

“World-Honored One! These dhārānis, these divine spells, have already been uttered by as many Buddhas as there are sands in the River Ganges. Those Buddhas uttered them with joy. Those who attack and abuse this teacher of the Dharma should be considered to have attacked and abused those Buddhas.”

Having nothing relevant to this section in the remaining quotes from The Introduction to the Lotus Sutra, I offer this quote from Nichiren’s letter to Lady Nichinyo.

The Dhārāṇi chapter states that two bodhisattvas, two heavenly kings and ten female rākṣasa demons will protect the practicer of the Lotus Sūtra. The two bodhisattvas are the Bodhisattva Medicine King and the Bodhisattva Brave Donor. The two heavenly kings are Vaiśravaṇa and Dhṛtarāṣṭra. The ten female rākṣasa demons are ten great demons, mothers of all demons in the four quarters of the world. Their mother is Hāriti.

They eat men after the custom of demons. A man’s body is composed of thirty-six substances such as excrement, urine, spittle, flesh, blood, skin, bone, five viscera and six entrails, hair, breath, and spirit. Inferior demons feed on excrement and the like. Mediocre demons feed on bones and the like. Superior demons feed on spiritual essence. The ten female rākṣasa demons have supreme qualities and thus feed on man’s spiritual essence. They are the great demons of epidemic.

Nichinyo Gozen Gohenji, A Response to My Lady Nichinyo, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 4, Faith and Practice, Page 134