Mahāsthāmaprāpta is one of the Eight Great Bodhisattvas in Mahāyāna Buddhism, along with Mañjuśrī, Samantabhadra, Avalokiteśvara, Akasagarbha, Kṣitigarbha, Maitreya and Sarvanivarana-Vishkambhin.
In Chinese Buddhism, he is usually portrayed as a woman, with a likeness similar to Avalokiteśvara. He is also one of the Japanese Thirteen Buddhas in Shingon. In Tibetan Buddhism (Tantrism), Mahāsthāmaprāpta is equated with Vajrapani, who is one of his incarnations and was known as the Protector of the Buddha.
Mahāsthāmaprāpta is one of the oldest bodhisattvas and is regarded as powerful, especially in the Pure Land school, where he takes an important role in the long Sutra of Infinite Life. He is also associated with the temple guardians Kongo Rikishi across Japan.
In the Shurangama Sutra, Mahāsthāmaprāpta tells of how he gained enlightenment through the practice of Buddha recitation, or continuous pure mindfulness of Amitābha, to obtain samādhi. In the Contemplation Sutra, Mahāsthāmaprāpta is symbolised by the moon while Avalokiteśvara is represented by the sun.
Monk Yinguang (印光), a teacher of Pure Land School, was widely considered to be a metaphorical manifestation of him after a Christian who said to have never heard of him before and a student of him dreamed of that independently. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahasthamaprapta)
《大势至菩萨心咒》︰
HUM VAJRA PHAT OM VAJRA CHANDA MAHA RO KHA NA HUM PHAT
嗡 巴杂 嘿 嗡 巴杂 詹杂 摩诃 噜 呵 呐 吽 嘿
《大势至菩萨真言》︰
OM SAM JAMJAM SAH SVAHA
唵 散 髯 髯 娑婆诃
or 或者
NAMAH SAMANTA BUDDHANAM SAM JAMJAM SAH SVAHA
曩莫 三曼多 没驮南 三 髯 髯 索 莎贺
大势至菩萨，根据“观无量寿经”记载大势至菩萨以独特的智慧之光遍照世间众生，使众生能解脱血光刀兵之灾，得无上之力。
因此，大势至菩萨被认为光明智能第一，所到之处天地震动，保护众生，免受邪魔所害。
大势至：音译摩诃娑太摩钵罗钵跢。
意译作‘得大势’、‘大精进’。略称势志菩萨、势至菩萨。
此菩萨以智慧光普照一切，令众生离三涂，得无上力；
又彼行时，十方世界一切地皆震动，故称大势至。
与观世音菩萨同为西方极乐世界阿弥陀佛之胁侍，世称西方三圣。
首楞严经卷五念佛圆通章谓，大势至菩萨于因地时，以念佛心入无生忍，
故今摄此娑婆世界之念佛众生，归入净土。
又依悲华经卷三载，当阿弥陀佛入灭后，由观世音菩萨补其位；
观世音入灭后，则由大势至补处成佛，掌握化权，号善住珍宝山王如来。
(http://baike.baidu.com/view/5033160.htm)
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