佛說八種長養功德經

I take refuge in all the Buddhas; I humbly beseech the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to embrace me.

I now take refuge in the fruit of bodhi,

In the supreme and pure Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha.

I bring forth the vast and great bodhicitta,

To accomplish the benefit of myself and others.

Through repentance I exhaust all unwholesome karma,

I rejoice in the boundless accumulations of merit.

First, I shall not eat after midday,

Then I cultivate the eight kinds of nourishing dharmas.[1]

You should know that these eight nourishing dharmas are precisely the eight precepts.

The disciple should, before the Ācārya, recite the verse above two or three times. Having recited that verse, he should then declare his own name: "I, named…, humbly beseech the Ācārya to embrace and receive me. From this very moment, I bring forth pure faith, until I sit at the seat of bodhi and become one of Right and Equal Enlightenment:

– I vow to turn back and take refuge in the Buddha, the most excellent among human beings.

– I vow to turn back and take refuge in the Dharma, the most excellent dharma for being free from desire.

– I vow to turn back and take refuge in the Saṅgha, the most excellent assembly that has been disciplined.

The Three Jewels are that to which I turn back and take refuge.

I, the Upāsaka…, with pure faith, humbly beseech the Ācārya to remember and protect me with mindful care. From this day, at this hour, I bring forth a pure mind, until past midnight and on into tomorrow when the sun newly rises—throughout that span, I uphold and observe the eight precepts: not killing, not stealing, not engaging in sexual conduct, not lying, not drinking liquor, not eating at improper times, not adorning oneself, singing, dancing, or amusing oneself, not sitting or lying on high and broad beds. Now I keep far away from such things. I vow not to forsake the eight kinds of merit that come from upholding the pure prohibitive precepts.

Repeat this three times in this way, and then recite again: "I uphold the discipline of the precepts to adorn my mind, causing my mind to delight and rejoice. Thereafter I shall cultivate all corresponding supreme practices, in order to seek the attainment of Buddhahood, ultimate and perfectly complete."

Then recite the verse:

I bring forth the supreme mind, free of duality,

Becoming an uninvited friend to all sentient beings.

Skillfully cultivating supreme practices, the practices of bodhi,

I become a Buddha to benefit all the world.

I rely upon that wholesome karma,

That in this very life I may swiftly attain Right Enlightenment,

Expounding the Dharma to benefit all the world,

Teaching sentient beings about the suffering of the three realms.

THE SŪTRA SPOKEN BY THE BUDDHA ON THE EIGHT THINGS THAT NOURISH AND INCREASE MERIT.

Annotation:

[1] Nourishing (長養; S: Aupacayika): to nurture so as to cause growth.