大方廣佛華嚴經

Disciples of the Buddha! What is the great bodhisattva’s dedication in accordance with the character of true suchness?

Disciples of the Buddha! This great bodhisattva maintains clear right mindfulness; the mind is steadfast and far removed from delusion. Single-mindedly cultivating, with a profound mind that never wavers, the bodhisattva accomplishes karma that cannot be destroyed, proceeds directly toward all-knowledge without ever retreating, aspires to the Mahayana, is courageous and fearless, plants roots of goodness, brings peace and security throughout the world, gives rise to supreme roots of goodness, cultivates pure wholesome dharmas, increases the virtue of great compassion, perfects the precious mind, constantly recollects all Buddhas, protects and preserves the true Dharma, firmly believes in the bodhisattva path, accomplishes immeasurable, subtle, pure roots of goodness,

diligently cultivates every merit and wisdom, gives rise to wholesome dharmas as a Guide and Tamer, and dedicates them through wisdom and skillful means.

At that time, the bodhisattva surveys with the wisdom-eye the immeasurable and boundless roots of goodness already possessed. While cultivating these roots of goodness, the bodhisattva may seek the requisite conditions, make preparations, clean and arrange, advance directly, exert concentrated effort, set forth, illuminate clearly, contemplate with single-minded purity, or reveal and explain.

All such practices have many gateways, many objects, many characteristics, many matters, many divisions, many practices, many names, many distinctions, many forms of arising, and many modes of cultivation.

All the roots of goodness herein are established through generating the great bodhi-mind and seeking knowledge of all modes. They are solely one and not two. The bodhisattva dedicates these roots of goodness as follows:

May I attain an unhindered, perfectly complete body with which to cultivate bodhisattva practices. May I attain pure, unhindered speech with which to cultivate bodhisattva practices. May I attain a fully accomplished, unhindered mind that abides in the Mahayana.

May I attain a pure, perfectly complete, unhindered mind with which to cultivate all bodhisattva practices. May I give rise to a vast and immeasurable mind of generosity that provides for all beings. May my mind attain mastery over all dharmas, so that I may proclaim the great Dharma without obstruction.

May I penetrate all-knowledge and generate the bodhi-mind that universally illuminates the world. May I constantly maintain right mindfulness of the Buddhas of the three times and contemplate the Tathagatas as always appearing before me. May I abide in supreme, perfectly complete aspiration, far removed from every demonic adversary.

May I abide in the Buddha’s ten powers of knowledge and constantly gather in all beings everywhere. May I attain samadhi that travels throughout all realms without becoming defiled by or attached to the world. May I abide tirelessly in all worlds, constantly teaching and transforming beings.

May I give rise to immeasurable skillful means of contemplative wisdom and accomplish the inconceivable practices of the bodhisattva path. May I attain undeluded knowledge with which I can discern all worlds throughout the ten directions. May I attain mastery of spiritual powers and the power of knowledge, so that in a single thought I can adorn and purify all lands.

May I enter universally into the intrinsic nature of all dharmas and see all worlds as pure. May I give rise to nondiscriminating knowledge and enter all lands in a single instant. May I reveal all the adornments of every land everywhere, to teach and transform immeasurable and boundless beings.

May I reveal the boundless Dharma-realm within a single Buddha-land, and likewise within every Buddha-land. May I attain sovereign knowledge and great spiritual powers by which I can travel to every Buddha-land.

Disciples of the Buddha! With these roots of goodness, the great bodhisattva vows to adorn all Buddha-lands, vows to reach every world universally, and vows to accomplish the wisdom of observation.

Just as the bodhisattva dedicates merit for the sake of the self, so likewise does the bodhisattva dedicate it for all beings:

May all beings forever leave behind every hell, the animal realm, and the realm of hungry ghosts. May all beings eradicate every karmic obstruction. May all beings attain impartial wisdom and minds that encompass every place. May all beings equally gather in both enemies and loved ones, bringing them all peace, happiness, and pure wisdom. May all beings perfect wisdom, their pure light shining everywhere. May all beings perfectly accomplish contemplative wisdom and clearly understand true meaning. May all beings, with pure aspiration, directly seek bodhi and attain immeasurable knowledge. May all beings universally manifest in peaceful and secure dwelling places.

Disciples of the Buddha! The great bodhisattva constantly dedicates roots of goodness in this way, wishing all beings to encounter cooling clouds that shower down the rain of Dharma; wishing all beings always to encounter supreme fields of merit; wishing all beings to skillfully enter and themselves preserve the great bodhi-mind; wishing all beings to abide well, free from afflictions; wishing all beings to attain unhindered knowledge and spiritual powers; wishing all beings to attain mastery of the body and manifest everywhere; wishing all beings to accomplish supreme knowledge of all modes and universally perform beneficial deeds, never letting any opportunity pass in vain; wishing all beings to gather in every kind of being and cause them all to become pure;

wishing all beings ultimately to attain all-knowledge; and wishing all beings to possess unwavering, unobstructed minds.

Disciples of the Buddha! When the great bodhisattva sees desirable things—such as lands, gardens, forests, grasses, trees, flowers, fruits, fragrances, fine garments, jewels, ornaments, villages, and settlements—or sees sovereign rulers endowed with awe-inspiring virtue and mastery, or sees quiet dwelling places, then, having seen them, the bodhisattva diligently cultivates by means of Buddha-knowledge and accomplishes immeasurable, sublime merits.

For the sake of beings, the bodhisattva seeks wholesome dharmas, remains heedful, and amasses goodness as vast as the ocean, covering all and serving as the support of all wholesome dharmas. The bodhisattva dedicates the roots of goodness through skillful means without discrimination, revealing immeasurable gateways of roots of goodness, revealing immeasurable gateways of roots of goodness. The bodhisattva’s knowledge constantly observes all beings, while the mind continually recollects the domains of roots of goodness, unceasingly dedicating to beings roots of goodness that are equal to true suchness.

At that time, the bodhisattva dedicates these roots of goodness as follows:

May all beings attain the unsurpassed knowledge of the Tathagata, see the true nature of all dharmas as equal, perfectly complete, and pure, and grasp at nothing. May all beings behold the Buddhas, who are most worthy of reverence, and make perfect offerings to them. May all beings be reborn in pure lands free from every affliction.

May all beings behold the Buddha’s Dharma, which is worthy of reverence. May all beings always delight in preserving all the admirable practices of bodhisattvas. May all beings attain the admirable eye of a spiritual benefactor, seeing universally and without obstruction.

May all beings always behold every desirable thing without opposition. May all beings realize and diligently preserve the Dharma that is worthy of reverence. May all beings attain luminous knowledge of all the admirable dharmas of the Buddhas.

May all beings cultivate the bodhisattvas’ admirable mind of relinquishment and generosity. May all beings attain fearless knowledge and be able to expound every admirable Dharma. May all beings attain the extremely profound and greatly cherished samadhis of bodhisattvas.

May all beings attain the greatly cherished dharani gateways of bodhisattvas. May all beings attain the greatly cherished knowledge of skillful observation possessed by bodhisattvas. May all beings manifest the greatly revered sovereign spiritual powers of bodhisattvas.

May all beings expound the extremely profound and admirable wondrous Dharma amid the great assemblies of the Buddhas. May all beings use skillful means to reveal and expound deeply cherished phrases. May all beings constantly give rise to greatly revered, impartial great compassion.

May all beings, thought after thought, continually generate the vast and greatly cherished bodhi-mind, causing their six sense faculties to become joyful and refreshed. May all beings enter the greatly cherished house of the Buddha. May all beings attain admirable practices of taming and unceasingly use these practices to tame beings.

May all beings attain inexhaustible eloquence with which to expound the greatly cherished dharmas of bodhisattvas. May all beings, throughout ineffable, ineffably many kalpas, teach and transform beings tirelessly in every cherished world. May all beings use immeasurable skillful means to awaken to and enter the greatly cherished Dharma gateways of the Buddhas.

May all beings attain cherished, unhindered skillful means and know that all dharmas are without a root. May all beings attain the cherished practice of freedom from desire, know that all dharmas are ultimately nondual, remove every obstruction, and know all dharmas to be equal and true. May all beings fully accomplish the bodhisattvas’ cherished dharmas free from falsity.

May all beings attain a diligent vajra-mind and perfect the cherished path of all-knowledge. May all beings possess cherished and unhindered roots of goodness that crush every affliction. May all beings attain the cherished gateway to all-knowledge and universally manifest bodies throughout the world that realize perfect enlightenment.

Disciples of the Buddha! When the great bodhisattva cultivates roots of goodness in this way, the bodhisattva attains luminous wisdom and is gathered in by all spiritual benefactors. Buddha-knowledge illuminates the bodhisattva’s mind, thereby forever ending delusion. The bodhisattva diligently cultivates the true Dharma, enters the functions of knowledge, skillfully studies the grounds of knowledge, spreads a net of roots of goodness throughout the Dharma-realm, and, through wisdom, dedicates merit by penetrating to the ultimate source and depths of the bodhisattvas’ roots of goodness. Through knowledge, the bodhisattva deeply enters the great ocean of skillful means and accomplishes immeasurable, vast roots of goodness.

Disciples of the Buddha! The great bodhisattva dedicates these roots of goodness as follows:

Not grasping at the world and not grasping at beings, the bodhisattva’s mind remains constantly pure and without dependence. Maintaining right mindfulness regarding all dharmas, the bodhisattva abandons discriminating views, never forsakes the Buddhas’ sovereign wisdom, never turns away from the gateway of dedication to the true nature realized by the Buddhas of the three times, accords with the equality of all true Dharma, and never loses the Tathagata’s characteristic of truth.

Equally observing the three times as devoid of the characteristic of beings, the bodhisattva skillfully accords with the Buddha path, skillfully expounds the true Dharma, deeply understands its meaning, enters the supreme ground, awakens to the true Dharma, perfects wisdom, and possesses firm faith and vows. Although skillfully cultivating right action, the bodhisattva knows that the nature of karma is fundamentally empty, understands that all dharmas are like illusions and transformations, knows that all dharmas lack intrinsic nature, and observes all meanings and practices while according with worldly speech without attachment.

The bodhisattva knows principles as they truly are, observes that the nature of all dharmas is entirely quiescent, understands that all dharmas share the one characteristic of reality, and knows that the characteristics of dharmas do not conflict with one another. Dwelling together with other bodhisattvas, the bodhisattva cultivates bodhisattva practices, skillfully gathers in beings, enters the gateway of dedication of the bodhisattvas of the three times, and harbors no fear regarding any Buddha-Dharma.

With an immeasurable mind, the bodhisattva causes all beings everywhere to become pure; gives rise to no grasping at self or possessions in any world throughout the ten directions; harbors no discrimination toward any world; is never defiled by or attached to any object; diligently cultivates every supramundane Dharma; neither seizes nor relies upon any world; maintains firm right view concerning the profound and wondrous path; abandons all false views; and understands the true Dharma.

Just as true suchness pervades every place without limit, so does the dedication of roots of goodness pervade every place. Just as the nature of true suchness is true, so does the dedication of roots of goodness understand the nature of all dharmas as truly wholesome. Just as true suchness always preserves its fundamental nature without alteration, so does the dedication of roots of goodness preserve its fundamental nature unchanged from beginning to end.

Just as true suchness takes the lack of intrinsic nature in all dharmas as its nature, so does the dedication of roots of goodness understand that all dharmas take the absence of dharma as their nature. Just as true suchness takes signlessness as its characteristic, so does the dedication of roots of goodness understand that all dharmas take signlessness as their characteristic. Just as one who realizes true suchness does not retreat, so one who attains the dedication of roots of goodness no longer retreats from the Buddha-Dharma.

Just as true suchness is the course traveled by all Buddhas, so is the dedication of roots of goodness the course traveled by all Buddhas. Just as true suchness takes as its domain the transcendence of the characteristics of domains, so does the dedication of roots of goodness take as its domain the perfectly complete domain of all Buddhas, beyond the characteristics of domains. Just as true suchness can establish all things, so can the dedication of roots of goodness establish all beings.

Just as the nature of true suchness always accords, so does the dedication of roots of goodness always accord throughout all future kalpas. Just as no one can measure true suchness, so is the dedication of roots of goodness like space, immeasurable by any being. Just as true suchness fills all things, so does the dedication of roots of goodness encompass the entire Dharma-realm in a single instant.

Just as true suchness eternally abides and is inexhaustible, so is the dedication of roots of goodness ultimately inexhaustible. Just as true suchness has no object, so can the dedication of roots of goodness universally perfect every Buddha-Dharma, likewise without an object. Just as the essence and nature of true suchness are steadfast and cannot be obstructed or destroyed by afflictions, so too is the dedication of roots of goodness.

Just as true suchness cannot be destroyed, so can no one destroy the dedication of roots of goodness. Just as the essence of true suchness is radiant, so does the dedication of roots of goodness take universal radiance as its nature. Just as there is nowhere that true suchness is absent, so there is nowhere that the dedication of roots of goodness is absent.

Just as true suchness pervades all times, so does the dedication of roots of goodness pervade all worlds. Just as the nature of true suchness is always pure, so does the dedication of roots of goodness remain pure by nature even while in the world. Just as true suchness is unobstructed with respect to all dharmas, so does the dedication of roots of goodness travel everywhere without obstruction.

Just as true suchness is the eye of all dharmas, so can the dedication of roots of goodness become the eye of all beings. Just as the nature of true suchness knows no weariness, so does the dedication of roots of goodness cultivate all bodhisattva practices without weariness. Just as the essence and nature of true suchness are extremely profound, so are the essence and nature of the dedication of roots of goodness extremely profound.

Just as true suchness contains not a single thing, so does the dedication of roots of goodness clearly know that its intrinsic nature contains not a single thing. Just as the nature of true suchness is not manifest, so are the subtle essence and nature of the dedication of roots of goodness difficult to perceive. Just as true suchness is free from obscuring specks, so is the pure wisdom-eye of the dedication of roots of goodness free from delusive obscurations.

Just as nothing equals the nature of true suchness, so is the dedication of roots of goodness, which accomplishes all bodhisattva practices, supreme and unequaled. Just as the essence and nature of true suchness are quiescent, so does the dedication of roots of goodness skillfully accord with the Dharma of quiescence. Just as true suchness has no root, so can the dedication of roots of goodness enter all rootless dharmas.

Just as the essence and nature of true suchness are boundless, so does the dedication of roots of goodness purify boundless beings. Just as the essence and nature of true suchness are unattached, so does the dedication of roots of goodness ultimately abandon every attachment. Just as true suchness is unobstructed, so does the dedication of roots of goodness eradicate every worldly obstruction.

Just as true suchness is not the course of the world, so is the dedication of roots of goodness beyond the world’s reach. Just as the essence and nature of true suchness abide nowhere, so is the dedication of roots of goodness not a dwelling place within any birth and death. Just as the nature of true suchness is fundamentally unconditioned, so does the dedication of roots of goodness entirely abandon everything conditioned.

Just as the essence and nature of true suchness abide securely, so does the dedication of roots of goodness abide in truth.

Just as true suchness corresponds with all dharmas, so does the dedication of roots of goodness correspond with what bodhisattvas see, hear, and cultivate. Just as the nature of true suchness is always equal in all dharmas, so does the dedication of roots of goodness cultivate practices of equality within the world. Just as true suchness does not depart from any dharma, so does the dedication of roots of goodness never forsake the world throughout all future time.

Just as true suchness is ultimately inexhaustible within all dharmas, so does the dedication of roots of goodness make inexhaustible dedications for beings. Just as true suchness does not conflict with any dharma, so does the dedication of roots of goodness not conflict with any Buddha-Dharma. Just as true suchness universally encompasses all dharmas, so does the dedication of roots of goodness encompass all beings’ roots of goodness.

Just as true suchness shares one essence and nature with all dharmas, so does the dedication of roots of goodness share one essence and nature with the Buddhas of the three times. Just as true suchness is never separated from any dharma, so does the dedication of roots of goodness gather in and preserve all mundane and supramundane dharmas. Just as nothing can conceal true suchness, so can the world never conceal the dedication of roots of goodness.

Just as true suchness cannot be shaken, so can no demonic karma shake the dedication of roots of goodness. Just as the nature of true suchness is stainless, so is the dedication of roots of goodness unstained while cultivating bodhisattva practices. Just as true suchness never changes, so does the dedication of roots of goodness remain unchanged in its constant compassion for beings.

Just as true suchness cannot be exhausted, so can no worldly dharma exhaust the dedication of roots of goodness. Just as the nature of true suchness is constantly awakened, so can the dedication of roots of goodness awaken, so can the dedication of roots of goodness awaken, universally to all dharmas. Just as true suchness is neither lost nor destroyed, so are the supreme aspirations generated by the dedication of roots of goodness for beings never lost or destroyed.

Just as true suchness is exceedingly radiant, so does the dedication of roots of goodness illuminate the world with wisdom. Just as true suchness cannot be expressed in speech, so can the dedication of roots of goodness not be expressed in words. Just as true suchness gathers in and sustains all worlds, so can the dedication of roots of goodness gather in and sustain all bodhisattva practices.

Just as true suchness accords with worldly modes of speech, so does the dedication of roots of goodness accord with all expressions of wisdom. Just as true suchness pervades all dharmas, so does the dedication of roots of goodness pervade all Buddha-lands throughout the ten directions, manifest great spiritual powers, and realize perfect enlightenment. Just as true suchness is without discrimination, so is the dedication of roots of goodness nondiscriminating toward the world.

Just as true suchness pervades all bodies, so does the dedication of roots of goodness pervade immeasurable bodies in the realms of the ten directions. Just as the essence of true suchness is fundamentally unborn, so, although the dedication of roots of goodness provisionally manifests birth, it remains unborn. Just as true suchness pervades all things, so does the dedication of roots of goodness manifest spiritual powers throughout all Buddha-lands of the ten directions and three times.

Just as true suchness pervades the darkness of night, so does the dedication of roots of goodness emit great light and perform Buddha-work throughout every dark night. Just as true suchness pervades the daytime, so does the dedication of roots of goodness cause beings during the day to behold the Buddha’s spiritual powers and hear the teaching of the pure, undefiled, non-retrogressing Dharma, never letting time pass in vain.

Just as true suchness pervades a fortnight and even an entire month, so does the dedication of roots of goodness attain skillful means regarding the seasons and periods of the world and clearly know all times within a single thought. Just as true suchness pervades every year, so does the dedication of roots of goodness abide for immeasurable kalpas, clearly illuminating and maturing all roots of goodness and causing them all to become perfectly complete.

Just as true suchness pervades kalpas of formation and destruction, so does the dedication of roots of goodness abide throughout all kalpas, pure and undefiled, teaching and transforming beings and causing them all to become pure. Just as true suchness extends throughout future time, so does the dedication of roots of goodness cultivate bodhisattva practices until the end of future kalpas, perfecting great vows without ever retreating.

Just as true suchness pervades the three times, so does the dedication of roots of goodness cause beings to behold the Buddhas of the three times within a single instant, never being separated from them for even one thought. Just as true suchness pervades every place, so does the dedication of roots of goodness transcend the three realms and attain mastery everywhere. Just as true suchness abides in existent and nonexistent dharmas, so does the dedication of roots of goodness thoroughly understand all existent and nonexistent dharmas as ultimately pure.

Just as the essence and nature of true suchness are pure, so can the dedication of roots of goodness skillfully assemble the provisions for the path and cultivate all bodhisattva practices in purity. Just as the essence and nature of true suchness are luminous and pure, so does the dedication of roots of goodness cause all bodhisattvas to attain samadhi and possess pure, luminous minds. Just as the essence and nature of true suchness are stainless, so does the dedication of roots of goodness abandon defilement and perfectly fulfill every pure intention.

Just as true suchness is without self or possessions of self, so does the dedication of roots of goodness fill the Buddha-lands of the ten directions with a pure mind devoid of self and possessions of self. Just as the essence and nature of true suchness are equal, so does the dedication of roots of goodness attain the equality of all-knowledge, illuminate all dharmas, and forever abandon delusion. Just as true suchness transcends all measure, so does the dedication of roots of goodness dwell together with the Dharma treasury of all-knowledge and raise vast clouds of Dharma throughout all worlds in the ten directions.

Just as true suchness abides in equality, so does the dedication of roots of goodness give rise to all impartial bodhisattva practices and abide upon the path of all-knowledge. Just as true suchness abides universally throughout the realm of beings, so does the dedication of roots of goodness fully possess unhindered knowledge of all modes and appear universally before all throughout the realm of beings. Just as true suchness is without discrimination and universally present in all knowledge and sounds, so does the dedication of roots of goodness fully possess knowledge of every form of speech and manifest diverse sounds to teach and transform beings.

Just as true suchness forever transcends the world, so does the dedication of roots of goodness cause all beings everywhere forever to escape the world. Just as the essence and nature of true suchness are vast, so can the dedication of roots of goodness receive and preserve the vast Buddha-Dharma without forgetting it and diligently cultivate all bodhisattva practices. Just as true suchness is uninterrupted, so too is the dedication of roots of goodness; wishing to establish beings securely on the ground of great knowledge, the bodhisattva cultivates bodhisattva practices throughout all kalpas without interruption.

Just as the essence and nature of true suchness are vast and pervade all dharmas, so does the dedication of roots of goodness, with pure and unobstructed mindfulness, encompass all vast Dharma gateways. Just as true suchness encompasses all beings, so does the dedication of roots of goodness realize immeasurable knowledge and cultivate subtle and true bodhisattva practices. Just as true suchness is unattached, so does the dedication of roots of goodness grasp at no dharma, but eradicates every worldly grasping and causes all to become pure.

Just as the essence and nature of true suchness are unmoving, so does the dedication of roots of goodness abide ultimately and immovably in Samantabhadra’s perfectly complete practices and vows. Just as true suchness is the domain of the Buddha, so does the dedication of roots of goodness cause beings fully to attain the domain of all-knowledge and end the domain of afflictions, causing them all to become pure. Just as nothing can subdue true suchness, so too can no demonic karma, non-Buddhist teaching, or erroneous doctrine subdue the dedication of roots of goodness.

Just as true suchness is neither something that can be cultivated nor something that cannot be cultivated, so does the dedication of roots of goodness abandon every deluded thought and attachment, making no distinction between cultivation and non-cultivation. Just as true suchness never withdraws or abandons, so does the dedication of roots of goodness constantly behold all Buddhas, generate the bodhi-mind, and never withdraw from or abandon its vast vows.

Just as true suchness encompasses all sounds and languages of the world, so can the dedication of roots of goodness attain every distinct language and, through spiritual powers and wisdom, utter every form of speech. Just as true suchness seeks nothing from any dharma, so does the dedication of roots of goodness cause beings to rely upon the practices of Samantabhadra and attain liberation, without seeking or craving anything from any dharma.

Just as true suchness abides on every ground, so does the dedication of roots of goodness cause beings to abandon worldly grounds and abide in wisdom, adorning themselves with the practices of Samantabhadra. Just as true suchness is never cut off, so does the dedication of roots of goodness attain fearlessness regarding all dharmas and continually teach everywhere in accordance with the sounds of each kind of being. Just as true suchness is far removed from outflows, so does the dedication of roots of goodness cause all beings to accomplish knowledge of dharmas, thoroughly comprehend all dharmas, and perfect the undefiled merits of bodhi.

Just as not the slightest part of true suchness can be damaged, disturbed, or shaken by any dharma, so does the dedication of roots of goodness cause beings to awaken to all dharmas, their vast scope of mind encompassing the Dharma-realm. Just as, in true suchness, the past is not a beginning, the future is not an end, and the present is not an alteration, so too does the dedication of roots of goodness constantly generate the bodhi-mind for all beings, causing all to become pure and forever leave birth and death behind.

Just as true suchness makes no discrimination regarding the three times, so does the dedication of roots of goodness maintain constant awakening in the present and remain entirely pure regarding both past and future. Just as true suchness accomplishes all Buddhas and bodhisattvas, so does the dedication of roots of goodness give rise to every great vow and skillful means and accomplish the vast wisdom of the Buddhas. Just as true suchness is ultimately pure and never associated with any affliction, so can the dedication of roots of goodness eradicate every affliction of beings and cause them to perfect every pure wisdom.

Disciples of the Buddha! When the great bodhisattva dedicates merit in this way, the following is attained:

Because the bodhisattva universally adorns and purifies all worlds, the equality of all Buddha-lands is attained. Because the bodhisattva universally turns the Dharma wheel without obstruction, the equality of all beings is attained. Because the bodhisattva universally generates all vows for knowledge, the equality of all bodhisattvas is attained.

Because the bodhisattva observes that the essence and nature of all Buddhas are nondual, the equality of all Buddhas is attained. Because the bodhisattva universally knows that the essence of the nature of all dharmas never changes, the equality of all dharmas is attained. Because the bodhisattva uses the wisdom of skillful means to understand all languages, the equality of all worlds is attained.

Because the bodhisattva dedicates every kind of root of goodness in accordance with its nature, the equality of all bodhisattvas is attained. Because the bodhisattva diligently performs Buddha-work throughout all time without interruption, the equality of all times is attained. Because the bodhisattva is unattached to all mundane and supramundane roots of goodness and brings them all to consummation, the equality of all karmic results is attained.

Because the bodhisattva accords with the world while manifesting Buddha-work, the equality of all the Buddha’s sovereign spiritual powers is attained.

Disciples of the Buddha! This is the great bodhisattva’s eighth dedication: dedication in accordance with the character of true suchness.

The great bodhisattva who abides on this ground of dedication realizes immeasurable gateways of pure Dharma and can utter the Tathagata’s great lion’s roar with mastery and fearlessness, using skillful means throughout all time, without rest, to teach, transform, and bring immeasurable bodhisattvas to accomplishment. The bodhisattva attains the immeasurable, perfectly complete bodies of the Buddha, each body pervading all worlds; attains the immeasurable, perfectly complete voices of the Buddha, each voice awakening all beings; attains the immeasurable, perfectly complete powers of the Buddha, such that every pore can universally contain all lands; attains the immeasurable, perfectly complete spiritual powers of the Buddha, placing beings within a single mote of dust;

attains the immeasurable, perfectly complete liberations of the Buddha, manifesting within the body of a single being every domain in which the Buddhas attain unsurpassed awakening; attains the immeasurable, perfectly complete samadhis of the Buddha, each samadhi universally manifesting all samadhis; attains the immeasurable, perfectly complete eloquence of the Buddha, expounding a single Dharma sentence until the end of future kalpas without exhausting it and completely removing every doubt and delusion of beings; and fully attains the Buddha’s ten powers of knowledge, universally manifesting the attainment of perfect enlightenment throughout the realm of beings.

Disciples of the Buddha! This is the great bodhisattva’s dedication of all roots of goodness in accordance with the character of true suchness.

At that time, the Bodhisattva Vajra Banner, empowered by the Buddha’s awesome might, surveyed the ten directions and spoke these verses:

The bodhisattva’s aspiration ever abides;

With steadfast right mindfulness, free from delusion,

The bodhisattva’s mind is gentle, wholesome, pure, and cool,

Amassing boundless practices of merit.

The bodhisattva is humble, compliant, and never contrary;

All aspirations are entirely pure.

Having attained the great radiance of wisdom,

The bodhisattva skillfully illuminates every karma.

The bodhisattva contemplates vast practices,

Their diverse varieties exceedingly rare and wondrous;

Resolutely cultivating without retreat,

The bodhisattva thereby benefits every being.

The varied practices are of immeasurable kinds;

The bodhisattva diligently cultivates them all,

According with beings and never opposing their minds,

Causing their hearts to become pure and joyful.

Having ascended the honored ground of the Tamer,

Freed from feverish afflictions, the mind unobstructed,

The bodhisattva skillfully knows both Dharma and meaning

And diligently learns for the benefit of beings.

The wholesome practices cultivated by the bodhisattva

Are immeasurable, countless, and diverse;

The bodhisattva clearly knows them all

And dedicates them for the benefit of beings.

With wondrous wisdom, ever contemplating

The vast, ultimate principle of truth,

The bodhisattva ends all outflows without remainder

And skillfully dedicates merit like true suchness.

Just as true suchness pervades all things

And universally encompasses the world,

Through this mind of dedication the bodhisattva

Causes all beings to be free from attachment.

The bodhisattva’s power of vows pervades all things,

Just as true suchness is present everywhere;

Whether seen or unseen, every thought accords,

And all merit is wholly dedicated.

It abides throughout the night and also throughout the day;

It abides through the fortnight and the month;

It likewise abides throughout the year and the kalpa—

As is true suchness, so are these practices.

All times and all places,

All beings and all dharmas,

Abide therein, yet there is no abiding;

With practices such as these, merit is dedicated.

Just as the intrinsic nature of true suchness is,

So too is the mind generated by the bodhisattva.

Wherever true suchness is, the vows are also there;

With practices such as these, merit is dedicated.

Just as the intrinsic nature of true suchness is,

Within it there has never been a single dharma.

The non-attainment of intrinsic nature is true nature;

With practices such as these, merit is dedicated.

As is the character of true suchness, so are the practices;

As is the nature of true suchness, so are the practices.

As the nature of true suchness is fundamentally true,

So are the practices, identical with true suchness.

Just as true suchness has no boundary,

So too do the practices have no boundary;

Yet within them there is no attachment,

And therefore these practices become pure.

Such is the bodhisattva’s great wisdom;

The aspiration is steadfast and unwavering.

Through the power of wisdom, the bodhisattva skillfully penetrates

And enters the Buddhas’ treasury of skillful means.

Awakening to the Dharma King’s true Dharma,

The bodhisattva neither clings nor grasps therein.

With such an unobstructed and sovereign mind,

The bodhisattva has never perceived a single dharma arising.

The Tathagata’s Dharma-body reveals these practices;

All worlds possess that same character.

Teaching that every characteristic of dharmas is signless,

To know this characteristic is to know the Dharma.

The bodhisattva abides in an inconceivable domain

That conceptual thought can never exhaust.

Entering this inconceivable state,

Both thought and non-thought fall utterly still.

Contemplating the nature of dharmas in this way,

The bodhisattva comprehends every distinction of karma;

All forms of clinging to self are eradicated,

And the bodhisattva abides unmoved in merit.

The karmic fruits and recompenses of the bodhisattva

Are all confirmed by inexhaustible knowledge.

When intrinsic nature is exhausted in this inexhaustible way,

Inexhaustible skillful means are also extinguished.

The bodhisattva observes that mind is not outside,

Nor can it be perceived within;

Knowing that the nature of mind fundamentally does not exist,

The bodhisattva abandons self and dharmas, entering perfect quiescence.

Those disciples of the Buddha who know in this way

See the nature of all dharmas as ever empty and still;

There is not a single dharma capable of acting—

Together with the Buddhas, they awaken to non-self.

Clearly knowing that all worlds

Are equal in character to the nature of true suchness,

They behold this inconceivable characteristic;

Thus can they know the signlessness of dharmas.

Those who can abide in this extremely profound Dharma

Constantly delight in cultivating bodhisattva practices.

Wishing to benefit every being,

They adorn themselves with great vows and never retreat.

Thus they transcend the world,

Where all things arise from karmic conditions.

Wishing to rescue beings, they cultivate these practices

And gather in all throughout the three realms, leaving none behind.

They clearly know the diverse kinds of beings,

All distinguished by perception and volitional formations;

They observe this with complete clarity

Without destroying the nature of any dharma.

The wise clearly understand the Buddha-Dharma

And dedicate merit through practices such as these.

They compassionately regard all beings

And cause their cultivated nature to abide in the true Dharma.