佛吉祥德讚

I now take refuge in the Buddha, the World-Honored One

Extolling and praising the supreme merits and virtues

Spoken at the right time, at the right moment, never amiss

Words of truth, words of Dharma, words of true meaning

Right speech, tranquil speech, words free of self

Revealing the meaning of the foremost ultimate truth

Manifesting many bodies seen everywhere

Wholesome it is to behold the illuminating light

Opening for sentient beings the eye of wisdom

Shattering the dark gloom of delusion

The ten powers, true and real, arise from this

Reaching even to the supreme cool ground

The four kinds of Fearlessness are all complete

Creating a great radiance, bearing an illuminating lamp

Opening forth the light, shining its illumination

So that they may clearly know the place of brightness

Giving rise to firm and steadfast diligent conduct

Diminishing not any of all the merits and virtues

Sakyamuni, with a great voice like a Lion

Able to expound that Dharma without entanglement

Praising the world's Dharma yet untainted by it

Supreme purity together with great compassion

Brahma the King, Sakra, and Vaisravana

Together with the devas ever pay him reverence

The Buddha is able to ever speak words of likeness

Sweet and beautiful, profound and far-reaching, vast and broad

The right cause, in accord with reason, the sound of liberation

And able to clearly know all sounds

Vast, broad, and pure as empty space

Supremely born into the lineage of kings

The Buddha is luminous as the sun and moon

Devas, humans, and Asuras make offerings to him

He has realized the precious Seven Factors of Enlightenment

Establishing the supreme realm of the Dharma-treasure

The foolish and the dull are at once illumined

Golden light shines forth upon his beautiful body

Among beings he is the supreme, most precious in the world

Severing greed, hatred, delusion, and defilement

Such a one is like the precious white lotus

Such a one is more beautiful than the lotus flower

Pure of birth-and-death, grief, sorrow, and affliction

Ignorance and arrogant pride are all removed

Free from the suffering of disputes and litigation

Forever severing all defiling causes

Together receiving the dharmas beyond conception

Leading us to that place of the Dharma-banner

Turning the Dharma-wheel to benefit the multitude of beings

Extinguishing the path of birth-and-death and all sufferings

That concentration, like settled water, is truly pure

Like the ocean that holds, deep and bottomless

Able to remove the dry thirst, the source of craving

And thus is fully endowed with the water of merit

Those who see, of every kind, are joyful in heart

In all places he is without attachment

Able to give up this body for the sake of beings

Toward enemy and kin, both alike, with equanimity

His color, like true gold, newly radiant

His tongue, likened to the lotus, truly pure

His body's radiance, brilliant, grows ever brighter

Steadfast as gold and as lightning

Diligent and subtle, taking this as foremost

Abiding in the place of Samadhi

His wisdom penetrates to the crown of the head

One after another he displays the marks of adornment

The Tathagata, valiant, the Fearless One

All things, vast and far, he wholly penetrates

Able to crush the power of Mara like a mighty elephant

Skillfully expounding the supreme teachings of the Self of dharmas

Abiding peacefully and at ease, delighting in patient endurance

Severing all the bonds of craving

Right wisdom established, knowing with certainty

Wisdom vast and deep, wisdom surpassing all

The supreme, hard-to-obtain Udumbara flower

Endowed with a hundred thousand kinds of great merit

The Tathagata, the Sacred Honored One, is hard to encounter

Endowed with the boundless Dharma of merit

Like the earth that can hold all the seeds

Settled, tranquil, and vast

The Tathagata's wisdom is likewise so

Endowed with the boundless Dharma of merit

Stainless and undefiled, pure at the root

Cleansing the body and mind of the Tamer

Guiding sentient beings to the other shore

Devotedly expounding the true Dharma to save the world

The thirty-two marks are all complete

The eighty graceful features further adorn him

The hundred blessings fully pervade his whole body

Vast and pervading, lofty and exalted, beyond compare

In all dharmas he attains sovereign mastery

Revealing the purity of the clear meaning

His wisdom can pervade all realms

His Vajra wisdom shatters all afflictions

And he can tame the world

Awakening hope, that nature is removed

Counteracting afflictions until none remain

Vast and pervading eloquence without obstruction

Giving, upholding precepts, and patient endurance

Diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom

The Paramitas are all perfectly fulfilled

The sage Asita ever made offerings to him

The Buddha's merit is lofty as a mountain

His accumulated merit is like the water of the ocean

Awakening himself and awakening others, his conduct perfected

The Sravakas of the ten directions are all shaken

Boundless speech, boundless virtue

Eloquence unobstructed and likewise boundless

The Buddha, omniscient, the Unsurpassed One

I take refuge in the Buddha, the One of Great Kindness

I take refuge in the Wholesome One who aids the world

In accord with all dharmas, all is clearly heard

That wisdom penetrates all the Dharma-gates

I bow my head to the Most Victorious, the One who knows the Dharma

First knowing of himself and seeing all dharmas

Realizing the unsurpassed Great Bodhi

Then liberating beings, benefiting them likewise

I bow my head to the One Truly Awakened, for self and others

Truly knowing all the pure conducts

Unbreakable, hard-to-sever, that bodily strength

Fully clear and luminous, and all-pervading

I bow my head before the One who cultivates the pure conduct

Not forgetting the Dharma, and abiding therein

Valiant and firm, the Most Victorious One

The Buddha's mind is vast and truly boundless

Able to illumine the natures of joy and suffering

The Buddha is the Most Victorious, the wholesome Tamer

Again proclaimed the Unsurpassed, the Twice-Honored One

Among all the Sramanas, the Great Sramana

I bow my head to the Sramana who never errs

The Buddha has fully cultivated all the pure conducts

Able to be the great king of medicine for the world

And because he is able to see, the Liberated One

I bow my head to the Honored Teacher of Great Wisdom

Taming, tranquil, near to tranquility

Abiding in the supreme, the mind tamed

Entering the gate of the foremost meaning

Having bowed my head, I come to the clean, cool ground

All, with palms joined, together pay reverence

He alone is worthy to receive the offerings of devas and humans

Deeply, for devas and humans, he is the field of blessings to bestow

I take refuge in the Unsurpassed One, born of blessings

Knowing the Dharma, knowing the meaning, knowing the measure of time

Truly knowing himself and also knowing others

The root-natures of self and others, all clearly known

Clearly knowing here and there and every place of grasping

Established in Samahita, the senses tranquil

All deeds and works are perfectly complete

His observance of precepts is complete, truly beyond compare

I bow my head to the great power of Samadhi

Abiding in the unextinguished Samadhi

Without contradiction, without opposition, free from all perils

Neither high nor low, the mind detached from grasping

Continued rebirths are all departed from

Like Mount Sumeru, the mind is settled in stillness

The wisdom that does not regress is all accomplished

In all places that wisdom ever follows

I bow my head to the unsurpassed, unextinguished wisdom

Clearly knowing all dharmas—what could surpass this?

The Buddha is the One of beloved sight, of wholesome sight

Knowing love, wholesome love, virtue boundless

I bow my head to the One for whom love and anger are alike equal

His supreme dignity is delighted in and beloved by all

Endowed with beautiful and wondrous eloquence

Eloquence following intent, shattering delusion

I bow my head to the proclaimer, the One of right speech

His renown is vast and pervading and rarely found

Throughout the three realms all hear and know it

The wise of the world, according to their questions,

The Buddha answers them all well, concealing nothing

The marks of the Buddha's dignity are beyond compare

Seeing the multitude of beings, his mind responds fittingly

Causing the world to give rise to joy and love

I bow my head to the One who skillfully gives joy

Swift is his speech, never repeating

Equal, beyond compare, without distinction

Of fine flavor and complete, a pure and wondrous sound

I bow my head to speech that cannot be compared

The Buddha, in the world, is the One of wisdom

And he is the supreme among the Sages

The world, seeing otherwise, gives rise to nothing

I bow my head to the One far removed from the wrong, the deluded thought, and false perception

Even grief, sorrow, and affliction

He has wholly removed the defiling dharmas, leaving none

Frivolousness and agitated confusion arise not

I bow my head to the One far removed from all errors

When the Tathagata is reviled, his mind is not lowered

When the Tathagata is praised, his mind is not raised

He praises with equanimity, his wisdom at peace

I bow my head to the One untainted by praise or blame

Calm before high and low, defiled and pure

The dharma of suffering, the dharma of joy, and love and anger

The Buddha's wisdom is untainted and never errs

I bow my head to the Tathagata, the One of wholesome speech

When beings speak evil, it means nothing to him

The Tathagata kindly covers it, not revealing it

Practicing all the dharmas of giving, he embraces the world

I bow my head to the upright and true, the One who speaks well

When evil ones speak evil, all offending him

The Buddha's mind does not stir, truly at peace

Words of kindness, words of malice, both are without error to him

I bow my head to the One for whom love and anger are alike equal

Yellow gold, lapis lazuli, and precious pearls

These are the most precious things of the world

The Tathagata has departed from the mind of greed and craving

Regarding them as grass, wood, and earth and stone

The Tathagata has departed from the three kinds of pride

This mind is at peace and tranquil

Bedding, sleeping-gear, and precious things

Seeing those who come to beg, he gives to them all

With gain or no gain, he is neither joyful nor sorrowful

Even toward contempt he gives rise to the mind of joyful equanimity

Free of grief, free of affliction, these too arise not

I bow my head to the Wise One who shatters the wrong dharmas

And who can keep far from all disturbances

He ever speaks with those who are wholesome and near

He speaks not the world's words of gain and profit

Nor does he speak any false and empty words

His speech is of his own intent, and self-mastered

His speech is tranquil, apart from joy and pleasure

His speech is pure and singular, clean and undefiled

I bow my head to the speech of the One who is tranquil

His speech is sweet yet undefiled

His speech can subdue all Maras

His speech is decisive, departing from the world

I bow my head to the One departed from all unwisdom

And who can keep far from inverted views

And keep far from frivolous and agitated confusion

And keep far from all non-speech

I bow my head to the One of wholesome speech who embraces and transforms

Ever without flattery, without deceit and falsehood

In accord with purity, with a mind true and real

Broadly practicing love and reverence, truly without falsehood

I bow my head, for he carries us across the peril of birth-and-death

All his deeds are accomplished

This is the gate of entry and exit of the true Dharma

Those who see rejoice in the One of the World

I bow my head and take refuge in the Pure One

I take refuge in the One who well expounds all teachings

Adapting fittingly, without turning back, removing afflictions

Rightly and well knowing, going forth from the gate

Reaching the realization of Bodhi, the true Dharma

Unbroken and higher, returning to the Dharma

Skillfully teaching the world the gate of tranquility

And causing the true Dharma to be broadly proclaimed

The Dharma that benefits and gladdens the worlds of devas and humans

The Tathagata has spoken all the Dharma-words

Departing from craving and the defiling attachment to sound

The sound that does not tame must be removed

I bow my head to the One who skillfully speaks the Dharma that teaches others

The Tathagata ever cultivates the pure livelihoods

His mind unstirred and unconfused, truly at peace

Toward the three realms with equal mindfulness he guards his mind

I bow my head to the Capable Sage, the threefold non-guarding

The Buddha has severed words of doubt and confusion

In equal station, ever in his place of action

Nirvana is not other than the gate of victorious love

I bow my head to the One who has entered the vast and great

The Buddha is the supreme one of the victorious path

Endowed with all virtues, the One of Devas and Humans

His spiritual powers and skillful means are all perfectly fulfilled

I bow my head to the One who has attained all masteries

I bow my head and take refuge in the One of complete virtue

The Ten Titles complete, beyond compare

The Tathagata, the Worthy of Offerings, the Perfectly Enlightened One

Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, the Well-Gone One

The Knower of the World, the Unsurpassed One

The Tamer of Beings, the Teacher of Devas and Humans

The Buddha, the World-Honored One—all these are proclaimed

And therefore I now again praise and pay homage

The Tathagata, undefiled and without awakening-arousal

Departing from the womb-store, born in surpassing excellence

Able to fulfill the prayers and wishes of sentient beings

I bow my head to the One who skillfully embraces all dharmas

Manifesting birth, pure, in the lineage of kings

Vast in wealth and nobility and reaching the heights

He gave it all up to go forth into homelessness

I bow my head to the One who humbles his mind and departs from pride

Endowed with the supreme colors and hues

Upright and adorned, his fair marks delighting all who see

The worldly realms of pleasure he left all behind

I bow my head to the Pure One who speaks of liberation

His observance of precepts is pure and without flaw

As he is able to speak, so he is able to do

The Great Wisdom, the Great Insight, the Great Holy One

I bow my head to the One who, sharing in their tasks, embraces and subdues

The Buddha's words are clear and transparent

Severing craving and desire, error arises not

All the defiling dharmas are wholly removed

Proclaiming the right cause, the words of right action

Speaking of deeds and works that depart from bondage

Ever using fine and gentle words to expound and speak

Those Sramanas and Brahmins

The Tathagata ever speaks lofty words

His countenance full and round, departed from grief

Straightforward, leading the way, all at peace

How wonderful are the good words that embrace beings

I bow my head to the One who speaks rightly, embracing the matter without error

In every case he uses words wholly complete

His fearless karma he proclaims and praises well

Profound words, right speech, the speech of wisdom

I bow my head to the Tathagata who ceases evil speech

The Buddha speaks without attachment, never clinging

Nor does he err in his words

And therefore his words are truly boundless

I bow my head to the One whose words are perfectly complete to the end

Using fine and beautiful words, skilled in eloquence

Benefiting and compassionate toward all sentient beings

Broadly teaching beings the place of taming

I bow my head to the holy Dharma, the nature that tames

The Buddha is the one who tames by the true Dharma

Departing from defilement in all dharmas, the One who tames

Beyond compare in his Dharma-gate, the Master who Tames

Using immeasurable dharmas, the One who tames

The Tathagata's precepts are complete and alike

His concentration and insight complete and without error

His liberation complete, the root fundamentally the same

His liberation-knowledge-and-vision all without difference

The Holy, Right, and Auspicious One, the Greatly Enlightened

The supreme Tamer, one and the same gate

Ever in forests and mountains he stills all conditions

As he wishes he sits or lies and rests at ease

With the mark of non-harming he expounds the Dharma

With the mark of no deceit he expounds the Dharma

With the mark of non-stirring he expounds the Dharma

Manifesting the mark of going forth he expounds the Dharma

Severing the mark of samsara he expounds the Dharma

With the lovely mark of Nirvana he expounds the Dharma

With the mark of that non-suffering he expounds the Dharma

With the mark of the wholesome self-nature he expounds the Dharma

With the mark of benefit to the world he expounds the Dharma

With the mark of departing from wrong views he expounds the Dharma

With the mark of like-arising and unlike-arising he expounds the Dharma

With the mark of the unchanging continuum he expounds the Dharma

I bow my head to the One who, with the mark of non-abiding, expounds the Dharma

Illuminating the true and upright meaning

Both the Dharma and the wisdom are thus truly real

Explaining clearly the meaning, shattering doubt and confusion

Expounding the Dharma clearly, skillful in discernment

Equal toward high and low, speaking according to them

The right path and the wrong path he at once clearly distinguishes

Benefit and non-benefit he wholly clearly knows

Whether wholesome or unwholesome he discerns them all

Penetrating the right teaching and the wrong teaching

When merit is complete, the surplus he then sets apart

Able to use the wholesome Dharma to shatter the evil paths

Within pleasure, by skillful means he speaks of the unpleasurable

The arising and ceasing of the world he truly clearly knows

He skillfully speaks of the most victorious Dharma-treasures

The Tathagata teaches the most truly real words

The deeds of the three realms he is able to accomplish

The wholesome path and the evil path he wholly clearly knows

Good and evil within them he clearly knows without confusion

Clearly knowing release from bondage, the nature as it has ever been

And able to skillfully speak of the place of binding and loosing

The wrong and right, the defiled and pure, he then clearly knows all

The wholesome and unwholesome meaning he wholly clearly knows

And is able to fully complete the supreme good

Those who are complete in wholesome deeds he extols and praises all

Rescuing and lifting all from places of suffering

The Tathagata, out of compassion, is the single medicine

I bow my head to the Most Victorious among Devas and Sages

Undefiled, profound, delighting in meditative concentration

Giving rise to no enmity, his mind joyful and loving

Vowing to ferry the foolish and deluded across the sea of craving and desire

With his own body he broadly ferries all forms and marks

His ultimate perfection is wholly proclaimed

The Most Victorious of the three realms, worthy of offering and reverence

I now take refuge—it can scarcely be told in full.

In Praise of the Buddha's Auspicious Virtues

End of the Upper Volume