大方廣佛華嚴經

O children of the Buddha! What is the bodhisattva’s dedication of indestructible faith?

This great bodhisattva attains indestructible faith in the Buddhas of the three times, because the bodhisattva is able to serve all Buddhas fully; attains indestructible faith in all bodhisattvas, even those who have first aroused the aspiration to seek the unsurpassed path, because the bodhisattva vows to cultivate all bodhisattvas’ roots of goodness without weariness; attains indestructible faith in all Buddha-Dharmas, because the bodhisattva has formed a profound resolve and aspiration; attains indestructible faith in all the Buddha’s teachings, because the bodhisattva safeguards and preserves them;

attains indestructible faith in all sentient beings, because with impartial loving-kindness the bodhisattva regards sentient beings and universally dedicates roots of goodness for their benefit; attains indestructible faith in all pure wholesome dharmas, because the bodhisattva universally gathers boundless roots of goodness; attains indestructible faith in the path of dedication practiced by all bodhisattvas, because the bodhisattva fulfills supreme vows; attains indestructible faith in bodhisattva Dharma teachers, because the bodhisattva regards bodhisattvas as Buddhas; attains indestructible faith in the sovereign spiritual powers of all Buddhas, because the bodhisattva deeply believes that the Buddhas are inconceivable;

and attains indestructible faith in the skillful means of all bodhisattvas, because the bodhisattva embraces immeasurable and innumerable practices.

When the great bodhisattva abides in such indestructible faith, the bodhisattva skillfully plants immeasurable and boundless roots of goodness in relation to Buddhas, bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas, shravakas, the Buddha-Dharma, the Buddha’s teachings, sentient beings, and so forth, thereby increasing the aspiration for bodhi, expanding great compassion, contemplating impartially, cultivating and learning in accordance with the deeds of the Buddhas, embracing all pure roots of goodness within the true meaning, accumulating meritorious practices, carrying out great giving, cultivating all virtues, and regarding the three times as equal.

The great bodhisattva dedicates such roots of goodness and merit toward omniscience, vowing always to behold Buddhas, draw near to good spiritual friends, dwell together with bodhisattvas, remain constantly mindful of omniscience, receive and uphold the Buddha’s teachings and diligently safeguard them, teach and bring all sentient beings to maturity, constantly dedicate the mind toward the supramundane path, make offerings to and serve all Dharma teachers, clearly understand all dharmas and remember them without forgetting, and cultivate great vows so that all are fulfilled.

Thus the great bodhisattva accumulates roots of goodness, accomplishes roots of goodness, increases roots of goodness, contemplates roots of goodness, mindfully protects roots of goodness, discerns roots of goodness, cherishes roots of goodness, cultivates roots of goodness, and abides in roots of goodness.

Having accumulated such roots of goodness, the great bodhisattva employs the circumstantial rewards arising from these roots of goodness to cultivate the bodhisattva practices, beholding immeasurable Buddhas in every thought and serving and making offerings to them.

With innumerable jewels, flowers, garlands, garments, canopies, banners, ornaments, innumerable perfumed ointments, powdered incense, blended incense, burning incense, substances for coating the ground, innumerable forms of service, profound faith, loving delight, purity of mind, reverence, praise, homage, innumerable jeweled seats, flower seats, incense seats, garland seats, sandalwood seats, cloth seats, vajra seats, mani seats, jeweled lion seats, seats of precious colors, innumerable promenades strewn with flowers, jewels, incense, garlands, garments, and colored silks, innumerable promenades planted with jeweled tala trees and covered with jeweled railings and nets of jeweled bells, innumerable jeweled palaces, flower palaces, garland palaces, incense palaces, sandalwood palaces,

palaces containing treasuries of wondrous fragrances, vajra palaces, and mani palaces—all more precious and beautiful than those in the heavenly realms—innumerable jeweled trees, incense trees, trees bearing precious garments, trees of music, trees of wondrous sounds, trees bearing ornaments, trees hung with rows of jeweled silk, trees bearing jeweled bracelets, innumerable trees adorned with flowers, incense, banners, and canopies that shade the palaces, as well as innumerable ornamented eaves, innumerable ornamented main gates and windows, innumerable ornamented towers and pavilions, innumerable ornamented crescent-shaped structures, innumerable ornamented curtains, innumerable golden nets spread overhead, innumerable fragrances diffusing everywhere,

and innumerable jeweled carpets covering the ground, the bodhisattva reverently makes offerings to all Buddhas throughout immeasurable, innumerable, unspeakable and yet more unspeakable kalpas, continuing these offerings without retreat, cessation, or rest.

After each Tathagata enters nirvana, the bodhisattva likewise makes offerings to the relics, wishing to enable sentient beings to give rise to pure faith, gather roots of goodness, leave all suffering behind, attain vast understanding, adorn themselves with great adornments, bring their cultivation to ultimate perfection, understand that the appearance of Buddhas in the world is exceedingly difficult to encounter, fully attain the Tathagata’s immeasurable powers of wisdom, adorn and make offerings to the stupas and shrines of the Buddhas, and preserve the Buddha-Dharma.

Even if one were to speak for innumerable kalpas, one could not fully describe the bodhisattva’s offerings to the Buddhas presently abiding in the world and to the Buddhas’ relics. The bodhisattva cultivates this immeasurable merit entirely to bring all sentient beings to maturity, without retreating, ceasing, resting, or growing weary; without grasping; free from conceptual thought; relying on nothing and utterly severing all bases of reliance; far removed from self and possessions of self; sealing every gateway of karma with the seal of Dharma in accordance with reality; attaining the Dharma of non-arising; dwelling in the dwelling place of the Buddhas; contemplating the nature of non-arising; sealing all realms of experience; being mindfully protected by the Buddhas;

arousing the mind of dedication; making dedication consonant with the Dharma-nature; dedicating through skillful means that enter the unconditioned Dharma, whereby all that is to be done is accomplished; dedicating through skillful means that abandon attachment; dedicating through skillful means established in immeasurable forms of skillfulness; dedicating so as to transcend completely all realms of conditioned existence with outflows; dedicating through skillful cultivation that does not abide in characteristics; dedicating so as to embrace universally all roots of goodness; dedicating so as to purify universally all the vast practices of bodhisattvas; dedicating by arousing the aspiration for unsurpassed bodhi; dedicating so as to abide together with all roots of goodness;

and dedicating so as to fulfill the mind of unsurpassed faith and understanding.

When the great bodhisattva dedicates roots of goodness in this way, although following the course of birth and death, the bodhisattva does not change; while seeking omniscience, the bodhisattva never retreats; within the three realms, the bodhisattva’s mind is neither disturbed nor confused; the bodhisattva is ultimately able to liberate all sentient beings; remains undefiled by conditioned dharmas; does not lose unobstructed wisdom; carries out the bodhisattva practices through inexhaustible causes and conditions; cannot be shaken by worldly dharmas; purely and fully perfects the paramitas; and is ultimately able to accomplish the powers of omniscience.

Thus the bodhisattva leaves behind all delusion and darkness, perfects the aspiration for bodhi, reveals the radiance of wisdom, increases pure dharmas, dedicates merit toward the supreme path, fulfills all practices, and with pure intention skillfully discerns and clearly understands that all dharmas appear in accordance with the mind. The bodhisattva knows that karma is like an illusion, its result like a reflected image, practices like magical transformations, and dharmas arising from causes and conditions like echoes; that all bodhisattva practices are like shadows.

The bodhisattva gives rise to the pure and unattached Dharma-eye, beholds the vast realm of non-action, realizes the nature of quiescent cessation, understands the nonduality of dharmas, attains the true characteristic of dharmas, fulfills the bodhisattva practices, remains unattached to all characteristics, skillfully carries out practices of cooperation, never abandons pure wholesome dharmas, leaves all attachments behind, and abides in unattached practice.

Thus the bodhisattva contemplates skillfully and without confusion, does not oppose any dharma, does not destroy the causes of karma, clearly perceives true reality, dedicates merit skillfully, knows the Dharma-nature, and through the power of skillful means brings karmic results to the other shore. With wisdom, the bodhisattva contemplates all dharmas and attains the wisdom of spiritual powers; without deliberate action, the bodhisattva carries out deeds rooted in goodness with mastery according to the mind.

Having thus dedicated these roots of goodness, the great bodhisattva seeks to liberate all beings, ensure that the lineage of the Buddhas is never severed, forever leave behind the works of Mara, behold boundless omniscience and delight in it with unwavering faith, transcend all realms, and put an end to every defilement. The bodhisattva also vows that all beings will attain pure wisdom, enter profound skillful means, escape the phenomena of birth and death, acquire the roots of goodness of the Buddhas, forever put an end to all the works of Mara, universally seal all karma with the seal of equality, resolve to enter directly into the wisdom that knows all modes, and perfect all supramundane dharmas.

This is the great bodhisattva’s second dedication, the Indestructible Dedication.

When abiding in this dedication, the great bodhisattva beholds countless Buddhas, perfects immeasurable wondrous and pure dharmas, attains a mind of universal equality toward all beings, has no doubts concerning any dharma, receives the empowering protection of all Buddhas’ spiritual might, subdues all maras and forever leaves behind the works of Mara, perfects noble birth and the complete mind of bodhi, attains unobstructed wisdom and understanding not derived from others, skillfully expounds the meaning of all dharmas, is able to enter all lands according to the power of thought, and universally illuminates all beings, causing them all to become pure.

The great bodhisattva gathers all roots of goodness through the power of this Indestructible Dedication.

Bodhisattva Vajra Banner, empowered by the Buddha’s spiritual might, surveyed the ten directions and then spoke these verses:

The bodhisattva has attained an indestructible resolve

And cultivates every wholesome deed;

Thus the Buddhas are caused to rejoice—

The wise dedicate merit in this way.

They make offerings to immeasurable, boundless Buddhas,

Practice generosity, uphold the precepts, and tame their faculties;

Wishing to benefit all beings,

They cause every one of them to become pure.

All varieties of supremely wondrous incense and flowers,

Immeasurably diverse and excellent garments,

Jeweled canopies and every kind of ornament—

They offer these to all the Tathagatas.

Thus they make offerings to the Buddhas

Throughout immeasurable, countless, inconceivable kalpas;

Reverent, respectful, and ever joyful,

They never give rise to a single thought of weariness.

With single-minded concentration, they recollect the Buddhas,

The radiant lamps of every world;

All the Tathagatas throughout the ten directions

Appear before them as clearly as if seen with their own eyes.

Throughout inconceivable, immeasurable kalpas,

Their minds never tire of practicing every kind of generosity;

For hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of kalpas,

They cultivate all wholesome deeds in this same way.

After those Tathagatas have entered cessation,

They tirelessly make offerings to their relics;

Using every kind of wondrous adornment,

They construct immeasurable stupas and shrines

And create immeasurable images of the Buddhas.

They adorn them with jewels, gold, and silver,

Lofty and majestic as great mountains,

Their number immeasurable—hundreds of thousands of kotis.

Having made offerings with a pure and reverent mind,

They again give rise to joyful thoughts of benefiting others;

Throughout inconceivable kalpas in the world,

They rescue and protect beings, causing them to attain liberation.

They clearly know that beings are all immersed in deluded perceptions,

Yet make no discriminations concerning any of them;

They skillfully discern the faculties of beings

And bring benefit to beings everywhere.

The merits cultivated by bodhisattvas

Are vast, supreme, and beyond compare;

They fully comprehend that their essential nature has no existence,

And with such certainty dedicate them all.

With supreme wisdom they contemplate all dharmas

And see that not a single dharma arises therein;

Cultivating dedication through such skillful means,

Their immeasurable merit can never be exhausted.

Through these skillful means they purify their minds,

Becoming equal in all respects to the Tathagatas;

Because the power of these skillful means is inexhaustible,

Their merit and virtue are likewise inexhaustible.

They bring forth the unsurpassed mind of bodhi,

Relying on nothing in any world;

They reach all worlds throughout the ten directions,

Everywhere entirely unobstructed.

All Tathagatas appear in the world

To guide and awaken the minds of beings;

They contemplate the nature of those minds as it truly is,

And upon ultimate examination, it cannot be found.

All dharmas, without exception,

Enter true suchness and are devoid of inherent nature;

With pure vision they make dedication

And open the prison of birth and death in the world.

They cause every land to become pure,

Yet make no discriminations among those lands;

They know the nature of all lands to be nonexistent,

While causing minds to become joyful and pure.

They rely on nothing in any single Buddha-land;

All Buddha-lands are likewise so.

Nor are they attached to conditioned dharmas,

Knowing that the nature of dharmas has no place of dependence.

Through this they cultivate and perfect omniscience;

Through this they are adorned with unsurpassed wisdom;

Through this all Buddhas rejoice—

This is the bodhisattva’s practice of dedication.

The bodhisattva single-mindedly recollects the Buddhas,

With unsurpassed wisdom and skillful means;

Just as the Buddhas rely on nothing whatsoever,

So do I vow to perfect this merit and virtue.

Single-mindedly rescuing and protecting all beings,

They cause them to leave all evil karma far behind;

Thus they benefit every being,

Single-mindedly contemplating what has never been before.

They abide in the Dharma that safeguards the ground of wisdom,

And do not grasp at the nirvana of other vehicles;

They vow only to attain the unsurpassed Buddha-path—

In this way bodhisattvas skillfully dedicate merit.

They do not grasp the language of beings.

All conditioned things are false and illusory;

Although they do not rely upon the path of language,

Neither do they cling to the absence of verbal expression.

All Tathagatas throughout the ten directions

Fully comprehend all dharmas without remainder;

Although they know all dharmas to be empty and quiescent,

They do not give rise to the thought of abiding in emptiness.

With one adornment they adorn all things,

Yet make no discriminations among any dharmas;

Thus they awaken and enlighten the multitudes of beings:

All is without inherent nature, and there is nothing to be contemplated.

Disciples of the Buddha! What is the bodhisattva’s Dedication Equal to All Buddhas?

This great bodhisattva accords with and cultivates the path of dedication practiced by the Buddhas of the three times.

While cultivating this path of dedication, upon encountering any of the six sense objects—forms, sounds, scents, flavors, tangible objects, and dharmas—whether pleasing or displeasing, this bodhisattva gives rise to neither attraction nor aversion. The mind attains mastery, remains free from error, vast and pure, joyful and delighted, apart from all afflictions; the mind and intentions are gentle and compliant, and the faculties are cool and refreshed.

When the great bodhisattva attains such peace and bliss, the bodhisattva again voices a dedication to the Buddhas, thinking:

May the roots of goodness I am now cultivating further increase the bliss of the Buddhas: the bliss of abiding in the Buddhas’ inconceivable state; the bliss of the Buddhas’ incomparable samadhi; the bliss of immeasurable great loving-kindness and compassion; the bliss of the liberation of all Buddhas; the bliss of boundless great spiritual powers; the bliss of supremely honored great mastery; the bliss of immeasurable powers that are ultimate and vast; the bliss of quiescence, apart from all cognition and perception; the bliss of constantly abiding in right concentration and unobstructed abiding; and the bliss of practicing the nondual, unchanging conduct.

After the great bodhisattva has dedicated these roots of goodness to the Buddhas, the bodhisattva then dedicates them to the bodhisattvas: causing those who have not yet attained perfection to attain perfection; causing those whose minds are not yet pure to become pure; causing those who have not yet perfected the paramitas to perfect them; enabling them to abide in the vajra mind of bodhi, attain non-retrogression from omniscience, never abandon great diligence, safeguard the gateway to bodhi, and possess all the roots of goodness capable of causing beings to abandon pride and conceit, bring forth the mind of bodhi, and fully perfect their aspirations;

enabling them to abide in the dwelling of bodhisattvas, attain the keen faculties of bodhisattvas, cultivate roots of goodness, and realize the Buddhas’ wisdom that knows all modes.

After the great bodhisattva has thus dedicated roots of goodness to the bodhisattvas, the bodhisattva again dedicates them to all beings, vowing that whatever roots of goodness all beings may possess—even as little as those produced in the snap of a finger—will enable them all to behold the Buddha, hear the Dharma, and revere the Sangha. May those roots of goodness be entirely free from obstruction; may their recollection of the Buddha be perfect, their recollection of the Dharma be skillful, and their recollection of the Sangha be reverent; may they never cease to behold the Buddha;

may their minds become pure, may they attain the Buddha-Dharma, gather immeasurable virtues, purify their spiritual powers, relinquish doubtful thoughts concerning the Dharma, and abide correctly in the Buddha’s teaching.

This bodhisattva dedicates merit for the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas in the same way.

He further vows that all beings may forever leave behind the hells, the realm of hungry ghosts, the animal realm, the realm of King Yama, and all other evil and painful destinies; that they may increase their aspiration for unsurpassed bodhi, single-mindedly and diligently seek omniscience, forever cease slandering the true Dharma of the Buddhas, attain the bliss of a Buddha, purify body and mind, and realize omniscience.

Whatever roots of goodness the great bodhisattva possesses are all brought forth through great vows, rightly brought forth, accumulated and rightly accumulated, increased and rightly increased, and all are vast and complete.

Though the great bodhisattva lives at home together with spouse and children, he never abandons the aspiration for bodhi even for a moment. With right mindfulness, he contemplates the realm of omniscience, delivering himself and others so that they may attain the ultimate. Through skillful means, he guides and transforms his own family, enabling them to enter the wisdom of bodhisattvas and bringing them to maturity and liberation. Although he lives together with them, his mind is free from attachment. Because of his fundamental great compassion, he manifests as living in a household; because of his loving-kindness, he accords with his spouse and children; yet he remains entirely unobstructed upon the bodhisattva’s path of purity.

Although the great bodhisattva lives at home and conducts worldly affairs, he never abandons the aspiration for omniscience even for a moment. Whether dressing, eating food, taking medicine, bathing, turning or looking, walking, standing, sitting, lying down, acting through body, speech, or mind, sleeping or waking, and so forth, the bodhisattva’s mind is always directed toward the path of unsurpassed awakening. He gathers his mindfulness and concentrates upon it, never abandoning or departing from it even for a moment.

Desiring to benefit all beings, the bodhisattva abides in immeasurable great vows for bodhi, gathers innumerable vast roots of goodness, diligently practices all virtuous deeds, and universally delivers beings of every kind. He remains far from all pride and heedlessness, is certain to reach the stage of omniscience, and never sets his mind upon other paths. He constantly contemplates the bodhi of all Buddhas, forever casts aside all defiled and adulterated dharmas, and cultivates everything studied by bodhisattvas.

On the path to omniscience he is unobstructed; he abides upon the ground of wisdom and delights in recitation and study. With immeasurable wisdom he gathers roots of goodness. His mind neither cherishes nor delights in anything worldly, nor is it attached to the practices he performs.

He single-mindedly receives and upholds the teachings of all Buddhas.

In this way, while dwelling at home, the bodhisattva universally gathers roots of goodness, causes them to increase, and dedicates them to the unsurpassed bodhi of all Buddhas.

At that time, whenever the bodhisattva gives even a handful or a single grain of food to an animal, he vows: “I shall cause these beings to escape the retribution of the animal realm, attain ultimate benefit, peace, joy, and liberation, forever leave the ocean of suffering, completely end painful sensations, utterly remove the skandha of suffering, and forever put an end to the perception of suffering, the accumulation of suffering, painful practices, the causes of suffering, the basis of suffering, and all abodes of suffering. May those beings all be liberated from every kind of suffering.”

The bodhisattva thus single-mindedly recollects all beings, takes this root of goodness as foremost, and dedicates it on their behalf to omniscience.

When the bodhisattva first brings forth the aspiration for bodhi, he universally gathers beings and cultivates roots of goodness, dedicating them all so that beings may forever escape birth and death, attain the unobstructed bliss of the Tathagatas, emerge from the ocean of afflictions, cultivate the Buddha’s path, extend loving-kindness everywhere, and possess vast powers of compassion. He causes all beings universally to attain the joy of quiescence, preserve their roots of goodness, draw near to the Buddha-Dharma, leave the domain of Māra, enter the domain of the Buddhas, end the lineage of worldliness, plant the lineage of Buddhahood, and abide within the Dharma of the equality of the three times.

Whatever roots of goodness have been, will be, or are now being accumulated are all dedicated in this way.

The bodhisattva further reflects: “Just as the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the past performed acts of reverence and made offerings to all Buddhas, delivered beings and enabled them to attain liberation, diligently cultivated all roots of goodness, and dedicated them all without attachment—that is, without relying upon form, without being defiled by sensation, without inverted perception, without giving rise to volitional formations, without following consciousness, abandoning the six sense objects, not abiding in worldly dharmas, delighting in the supramundane path, and knowing that all dharmas are like empty space, coming from nowhere, neither arising nor ceasing, devoid of true substantiality, free from attachment, and far removed from all discriminating views and attachments;

unmoving, unchanging, neither lost nor destroyed, abiding in the realm of reality, without characteristics, free from characteristics, and solely of one characteristic.”

The bodhisattva thus deeply enters the nature of all dharmas, always delights in cultivating the universal gateways of roots of goodness, and beholds all assemblies of all Buddhas.

“Just as all Tathagatas of the past dedicated their roots of goodness, so too shall I dedicate mine. I shall understand the Dharma in this way, realize the Dharma in this way, and, relying upon the Dharma in this way, bring forth the resolve to cultivate without contradicting the characteristics of dharmas. I shall know that all cultivation is like an illusion, a shadow, the moon reflected in water, or an image in a mirror, manifested through the conjunction of causes and conditions, until the ultimate stage of Tathagatahood is reached.”

The bodhisattva further reflects: “Just as the Buddhas of the past, while cultivating bodhisattva practices, dedicated their roots of goodness in this way, so too do all Buddhas of the present and future.

“Now I too should bring forth the aspiration as the Buddhas brought forth their aspiration, and dedicate my roots of goodness: the foremost dedication, the excellent dedication, the supremely excellent dedication, the sublime dedication, the unsurpassed dedication, the unequaled dedication, the dedication equal to the unequaled, the incomparable dedication, the peerless dedication, the honored dedication, the wondrous dedication, the impartial dedication, the upright dedication, the dedication of great merit, the vast dedication, the virtuous dedication, the pure dedication, the dedication that departs from evil, and the dedication that does not follow evil.”

After the bodhisattva has rightly dedicated his roots of goodness in this way, he perfects pure karma of body, speech, and mind; abides in the abiding place of bodhisattvas; is free from all faults; cultivates wholesome karma; abandons evil in body, speech, and mind; possesses a mind free from transgression; cultivates omniscience; abides in a vast mind; knows that all dharmas are without an agent; abides in supramundane dharmas; is undefiled by worldly dharmas; clearly distinguishes and knows immeasurable kinds of karma; perfects skillful means in dedication; and completely uproots all roots of attachment.

Disciples of the Buddha! This is the great bodhisattva’s third dedication, the Dedication Equal to All Buddhas.

The great bodhisattva who abides in this stage of dedication deeply enters the karmic practices of all Tathagatas, proceeds toward the excellent and wondrous merit of the Tathagatas, and enters deeply into the realm of pure wisdom. He never departs from the practices and deeds of all bodhisattvas, skillfully distinguishes ingenious means, deeply enters the Dharma-realm, and well understands the successive stages of bodhisattva cultivation. He enters the lineage of the Buddhas and, through ingenious skillful means, clearly distinguishes and knows all immeasurable and boundless dharmas. Although he manifests a body born into the world, he is not defiled by or attached to worldly dharmas.

At that time, Bodhisattva Vajra Banner, empowered by the Buddha’s spiritual might, universally contemplated the ten directions and then spoke these verses:

Those bodhisattva-mahāsattvas

Cultivate the dedications of past Buddhas,

And also train in the practices of the Buddhas

Of the present and the future.

All joys attained within every realm,

Praised by all the Buddhas,

With clear, pure, and all-embracing vision,

They dedicate entirely to great wisdom.

The bodhisattva’s bodily faculties and all their joys,

And likewise those of eye, ear, nose, and tongue—

Those immeasurable, sublime, and wondrous joys

Are all dedicated to the supreme state.

All wholesome dharmas of the worlds

And all attainments of the Buddhas

Are gathered there without remainder;

They rejoice in them all to benefit beings.

The world’s rejoicing is of immeasurable kinds.

They dedicate it for the sake of beings;

The joys of the Teacher of Humans—

May all beings fulfill them completely.

All lands and all Buddhas,

Whatever joys are seen and known

May all beings attain them completely.

May they become great radiant lamps illuminating the world.

The supreme and wondrous joys attained by bodhisattvas

Are all dedicated to the multitudes of beings.

Although they dedicate them for the sake of beings,

They have no attachment to the dedication.

Bodhisattvas who cultivate this dedication

Arouse immeasurable great compassion.

As the Buddhas cultivated the virtue of dedication,

May my practice also be perfectly fulfilled.

As all the Tathagatas have accomplished

The wondrous joy of the path of omniscience,

So too are my deeds within the world

And the immeasurable joys of bodhisattva practices.

Manifesting among the various realms of beings to bring peace and joy,

Ever guarding the faculties in the joy of quiescence,

I dedicate them all to the multitudes of beings,

Causing all everywhere to cultivate and attain the unsurpassed state.

It is neither body, speech, mind, nor karma,

Yet neither does it exist separately apart from these.

Only through skillful means is the darkness of delusion extinguished;

Thus is unsurpassed wisdom cultivated and attained.

Bodhisattvas cultivate all practices

And amass immeasurable, supreme merit;

Following the Tathagatas, they are born into the family of the Buddhas,

Serene and undistracted, they rightly dedicate it all.

All the worlds throughout the ten directions

And all the beings therein are embraced;

They dedicate all their roots of goodness to them,

Vowing that they may be fully endowed with peace and joy.

They do not seek benefit for themselves,

But wish to bring peace and joy to all.

Never even briefly do they give rise to conceptual proliferation,

But contemplate all dharmas as empty and without self.

The immeasurable Tathagatas throughout the ten directions

See and know all true disciples of the Buddhas,

Who dedicate all their roots of goodness,

Aspiring swiftly to attain unsurpassed enlightenment.

All sentient beings in the world

Are impartially embraced, with none omitted.

May the wholesome karma I have cultivated

Cause those beings swiftly to attain Buddhahood.

The immeasurable and boundless great vows

Proclaimed by the unsurpassed Guides—

May all disciples of the Buddhas be purified,

And may all be fulfilled according to their hearts' aspirations.

Contemplating universally all worlds throughout the ten directions,

They bestow all merit upon sentient beings,

Vowing that all may be endowed with wondrous adornments;

Thus do bodhisattvas cultivate dedication.

Their minds do not conceive distinctions among dharmas,

But ever clearly comprehend the nonduality of dharmas.

Whether dharmas are dual or nondual,

Ultimately they remain unattached to either.

All worlds throughout the ten directions

Are discriminations conceived by sentient beings.

In perception and non-perception, nothing can be found;

Thus do they clearly comprehend all perceptions.

When that bodhisattva's body has been purified,

The mind is purified and without fault;

The karma of speech is purified and free from error—

Know that the purified mind is undefiled.

Single-mindedly and with right mindfulness, they recollect the Buddhas of the past;

They also recollect all Buddhas of the future

And the World-Honored Ones of the present;

Bodhisattvas study all the Dharma of the Buddhas.

All the Buddhas of the three times

Possess lucid wisdom and unobstructed minds.

Wishing to benefit all sentient beings,

Bodhisattvas gather their practices and dedicate them.

Foremost wisdom, vast wisdom,

Unfailing wisdom, unerring wisdom,

Equal wisdom of true reality, and purified wisdom—

Thus spoke the One of Supremely Excellent Wisdom.

Disciples of the Buddhas! What is the great bodhisattva's dedication reaching all places?

When cultivating all roots of goodness, this great bodhisattva reflects: May the power of the merit of these roots of goodness reach every place.

Just as the ultimate reality reaches everywhere without exception—reaching all things, all worlds, all sentient beings, all lands, all dharmas, all space, all time, all conditioned and unconditioned things, and all speech and sounds—

May these roots of goodness likewise reach everywhere: reaching universally the presence of all Tathagatas and making offerings to all Buddhas of the three times—to the Buddhas of the past, whose vows and practices were perfectly fulfilled; to the Buddhas of the future, fully endowed with adornments; and to the Buddhas of the present, whose lands, places of enlightenment, and assemblies pervade all space and the Dharma-realm.

May it be through the great awe-inspiring power of faith and understanding, through vast and unobstructed wisdom, and through the dedication of all roots of goodness that offerings like those of the devas are presented to all Buddhas throughout immeasurable and boundless worlds.

The great bodhisattva further reflects: The Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, pervade all space and the Dharma-realm. The practices and deeds they perform extend throughout ineffable worlds in the ten directions, ineffable Buddha-lands and Buddha-realms, worlds of every kind, immeasurable worlds, revolving worlds, tilted worlds, downward-facing worlds, and upward-facing worlds.

In all such worlds, the Buddhas presently abiding in the world manifest spiritual powers and transformations.

In those worlds are bodhisattvas who, through the power of supreme understanding, universally reveal to beings ready to be taught the immeasurable sovereign spiritual powers of the Tathagatas; the Dharma-body that reaches everywhere without distinction and equally enters all Dharma-realms; and the unborn and undying body of the tathagatagarbha. Through skillful means they manifest universally in the world and realize the true nature of dharmas, because they transcend all things, because they have attained the power of unobstructed non-retrogression, and because they are born within the unobstructed knowledge and vision of the Tathagata's vast virtuous nature.

Disciples of the Buddhas! With all the roots of goodness they have planted, great bodhisattvas vow to present to such Buddhas beautiful flowers, fragrant incense, garlands, canopies, banners, clothing, lamps, and all other adornments. They likewise make such offerings before images and stupas of the Buddhas.

They dedicate these roots of goodness in this manner: undistracted dedication, single-minded dedication, voluntary dedication, reverent dedication, unwavering dedication, non-abiding dedication, unsupported dedication, dedication without a mind that conceives sentient beings, dedication with a mind free from contention, and dedication with a quiescent mind.

The great bodhisattva further reflects: Throughout all space, to the utmost reaches of time, in every kalpa, Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, attain omniscience and realize bodhi under immeasurably different names. Whenever they manifest the attainment of perfect enlightenment, they all abide and live until the end of the future. All Buddhas adorn their bodies with the adornments of the Dharma-realm; their places of enlightenment and assemblies pervade all lands throughout the Dharma-realm; and whenever they appear in the world, they perform the work of the Buddhas.

To all such Buddhas and Tathagatas, I universally dedicate all my roots of goodness. May I offer countless fragrant canopies, fragrant garlands, fragrant banners, fragrant curtains, fragrant nets, fragrant images, fragrant lights, fragrant flames, fragrant clouds, fragrant seats, fragrant walking paths, fragrant dwellings, fragrant worlds, fragrant mountains, fragrant seas, fragrant rivers, fragrant trees, fragrant garments, fragrant lotus flowers, fragrant palaces . . . each in countless numbers.

May I also offer boundlessly many canopies of flower garlands, up to and including boundlessly many palaces of flower garlands; peerlessly many canopies of fragrant ointments, up to and including peerlessly many palaces of fragrant ointments; innumerably many canopies of powdered incense, up to and including innumerably many palaces of powdered incense; inexpressibly many canopies of garments, up to and including inexpressibly many palaces of garments; inconceivably many jeweled canopies, up to and including inconceivably many palaces of jeweled canopies; immeasurably many radiant lamps, up to and including immeasurably many palaces of radiant lamps; ineffably many canopies of adornments;

and ineffably ineffable numbers of canopies of mani jewels, up to and including ineffably ineffable numbers of palaces of mani jewels.

Within each and every such realm are countless balustrades and countless palaces; countless towers and pavilions, countless gateways, countless windows, countless crescent-shaped ornaments, countless pure jewels, and countless adornments.

With such offerings, they reverently present offerings to all the aforementioned Buddhas.

May all worlds be purified; may all sentient beings attain liberation and abide on the Ten Grounds; and may they attain unobstructed illumination of the Dharma within all dharmas. May all sentient beings endowed with roots of goodness be fully tamed. May their minds become vast and immeasurable, pervading the realm of space; may they pass through all lands without arriving anywhere; enter all lands and practice wholesome dharmas; constantly behold the Buddhas and cultivate roots of goodness; accomplish the Great Vehicle without attachment to any dharma; perfect every virtue and establish immeasurable practices; universally enter the boundless Dharma Realm; accomplish the spiritual powers of the Buddhas; and attain the wisdom of a Buddha.

Just as non-self universally encompasses all dharmas, so too do my roots of goodness encompass all Buddhas and Tathagatas, because offerings are made to them all without exception; they encompass all immeasurable Dharma, because it can all be realized without obstruction; they encompass all assemblies of bodhisattvas, because ultimately they all share the same roots of goodness; they encompass all bodhisattva practices, because through the power of original vows they are all brought to perfection; they encompass all bodhisattvas’ illumination of the Dharma, because all dharmas are thoroughly understood without obstruction; they encompass the great spiritual powers of the Buddhas, because immeasurable roots of goodness are accomplished;

they encompass all the Buddhas’ powers and fearlessnesses, because immeasurable resolve is brought forth and all is perfected; they encompass all the samadhis, eloquence, and dharanis of bodhisattvas, because they can skillfully illuminate and comprehend the nonduality of dharmas; they encompass all the Buddhas’ skillful means, because the Tathagatas’ great spiritual powers are manifested; they encompass the eight signs of attaining the Way displayed by the Buddhas of the three periods, because all are universally revered and honored with offerings; they encompass all worlds throughout the ten directions, because all Buddha-lands are ultimately adorned and purified; they encompass all vast kalpas, because bodhisattva practices are cultivated within them without interruption;

they encompass all forms of existence, because birth is manifested within them all; they encompass the entire realm of sentient beings, because the practices of Samantabhadra are perfected; they encompass all afflictions and habitual tendencies, because skillful means are used to purify them all; they encompass all the immeasurable differences in sentient beings’ faculties and dispositions, because they are all clearly known; they encompass all sentient beings’ understandings, knowledge, and desires, because beings are enabled to abandon defilement and attain purity; they encompass all deeds involved in teaching and transforming sentient beings, because bodies are manifested according to the needs of those who should be liberated;

they encompass all kinds of sentient beings who should be liberated, because entry is made into the entire realm of sentient beings; and they encompass all the Tathagatas’ wisdom-nature, because all the Buddhas’ teachings are safeguarded and upheld.

When a great bodhisattva dedicates roots of goodness in this way, the bodhisattva takes non-attainment as skillful means, does not discriminate retribution within karma, does not discriminate retribution within retribution, and does not discriminate karma within retribution. Although making no discriminations, the bodhisattva universally enters the Dharma Realm. Although doing nothing, the bodhisattva constantly abides in roots of goodness.

Although giving rise to nothing, the bodhisattva diligently cultivates supreme dharmas. Without regarding dharmas as real, the bodhisattva can nevertheless enter deeply into all dharmas. Without abiding in any dharma, the bodhisattva sees and knows all dharmas.

Whether acting or not acting, nothing can be attained. The bodhisattva knows that the nature of all dharmas is never autonomous. Although seeing all dharmas, there is nothing seen.

Although knowing everything universally, there is nothing grasped.

The bodhisattva comprehends such a realm, knows that all dharmas are rooted in causes and conditions, beholds the Dharma-body of the Buddhas, understands that the world is like a magical transformation, and thoroughly realizes that sentient beings are only one dharma, without two natures. Without abandoning the sphere of karma, the bodhisattva skillfully reveals the unconditioned Dharma within the realm of the conditioned, yet does not destroy the characteristics of conditioned things; and reveals conditioned dharmas within the realm of the unconditioned, yet does not discriminate the characteristics of the unconditioned.

Contemplating in this way that all dharmas are ultimately quiescent and extinguished, the bodhisattva accomplishes all pure roots of goodness and gives rise to the resolve to rescue and protect sentient beings. With wisdom, the bodhisattva penetrates the ocean of all dharmas and constantly delights in cultivating practices that transcend delusion. Having fully accomplished world-transcending merit and virtue, the bodhisattva no longer trains in worldly dharmas, attains the pure eye of wisdom free from the darkness of delusion, and skillfully cultivates the path of dedication through expedient means.

The great bodhisattva dedicates roots of goodness in this way, brings joy to the Buddhas, adorns and purifies all Buddha-lands, teaches, transforms, and brings all sentient beings to maturity, fully receives and upholds all Buddhadharmas, becomes the supreme field of merit for all sentient beings, serves as a guide of wisdom for all who practice the Way, and becomes a radiant sun illuminating every world. Each root of goodness extends throughout the Dharma Realm, can rescue and protect all sentient beings, and enables them all to become pure and fully endowed with merit and virtue.

When the great bodhisattva makes dedication in this way, the bodhisattva can preserve all seeds of Buddhahood, bring all sentient beings to maturity, ensure that no practice or deed is corrupted, clearly know all dharmas, contemplate all nondual dharmas with impartiality, travel universally throughout the worlds of the ten directions, thoroughly comprehend the true reality free from desire, accomplish pure faith and understanding, and perfect keen and luminous faculties.

This is the great bodhisattva’s fourth dedication, the Dedication Reaching All Places.

When a great bodhisattva abides in this dedication, the bodhisattva attains bodily action reaching all places, because bodies can be manifested throughout all worlds; verbal action reaching all places, because the Dharma is taught in all worlds; mental action reaching all places, because all Buddhadharmas are received and upheld; spiritual powers reaching all places, because the bodhisattva appears wherever sentient beings’ minds incline; wisdom of direct realization reaching all places, because all dharmas can be universally comprehended; dharani and eloquence reaching all places, because the bodhisattva accords with sentient beings’ minds and causes them all to rejoice; entry into the Dharma Realm reaching all places, because all worlds are universally entered within a single pore;

a universally pervasive body reaching all places, because the bodhisattva enters the body of every sentient being; universal vision of kalpas reaching all places, because all Buddhas are constantly seen within each and every kalpa; and universal vision in every thought reaching all places, because in each and every thought all Buddhas appear directly before the bodhisattva.

Upon attaining the Dedication Reaching All Places, a great bodhisattva is able to dedicate roots of goodness in this way.

At that time, Bodhisattva Vajra Banner, empowered by the awe-inspiring might of the Buddha, contemplated throughout the ten directions and then spoke these verses:

All worlds, both inward and outward—

The bodhisattva is attached to none,

Yet never forsakes deeds that benefit sentient beings;

Thus does the Great Being cultivate wisdom.

All lands throughout the ten directions,

All without reliance and without abiding—

The bodhisattva grasps neither life nor any other dharma,

Nor falsely gives rise to discriminations.

All sentient beings in the lands of the ten directions

Are universally embraced, with none omitted;

Their essential nature is contemplated as having no existence—

Thus skillfully dedicating toward all places.

Universally encompassing conditioned and unconditioned dharmas,

The bodhisattva gives rise to no false thought concerning them;

Toward worldly dharmas it is likewise thus—

The Illuminating Lamp of the World has awakened to this.

The deeds and practices cultivated by bodhisattvas

Differ as superior, middling, and inferior;

Yet all their roots of goodness are dedicated

To all the Buddhas throughout the ten directions.

The bodhisattva’s dedication reaches the other shore;

All that is learned and practiced in accord with the Buddhas is accomplished.

Constantly contemplating skillfully with wondrous wisdom,

All supreme human qualities are perfected.

Pure roots of goodness are universally dedicated;

The bodhisattva never forsakes benefiting sentient beings,

And enables each and every sentient being

To become an unsurpassed Lamp Illuminating the World.

Never discriminating or clinging to sentient beings,

Nor falsely conceiving or recollecting dharmas,

Though unattached to the world,

The bodhisattva never abandons living beings.

The bodhisattva constantly delights in the Dharma of quiescent extinction

And, following it, reaches the realm of nirvana;

Yet never departs from the path of sentient beings—

Thus attaining such subtle and wondrous wisdom.

The bodhisattva has never discriminated among karmic actions,

Nor does he grasp at their various fruits and retributions.

All worlds arise from conditions;

Without departing from causes and conditions, he beholds all dharmas.

He deeply penetrates all such realms,

Yet gives rise to no discrimination within them.

As a Tamer and Teacher of sentient beings,

He clearly understands this and skillfully dedicates the merit.