Homage to the noble Manjushri!
The Seven Offices
With my voice and body and sincere heart, I pay homage to all the lions of
humanity present throughout all time and in all world systems in every direction
with none excepted, however great their number. The force of my resolve to
practice excellence brings all victors clearly to mind; emanations of my body,
numerous as the atoms of all universes, bow down in perfect obeisance before
them. All Buddhas, numerous as the atoms of all Buddha realms, stand in a
single atom, surrounded by their children. Similarly, this host of victors
stands in every single atom throughout the realm of totality. To them I direct
my devotion and faith.
Sounds from an ocean of instruments of melodious speech sing of the qualities
of all the victors; the ocean of their qualities is never depleted. In this
way, I praise all the well-gone ones. To all the victors I present and offer
perfect flowers and holy garlands, sweet music, balms and parasols, oil lamps,
and fragrant incense. Moreover, I offer to all the victors' elegant garments
and the finest of scents, curative powders piled high as Mt. Meru, all displayed
in exceptional splendor. Vast and unsurpassable offerings I create and present
to all the victors. With a firm appreciation of the practice of excellence,
I render homage and offerings to all the victors.
Overpowered by lust, hatred, and stupidity, I have perpetrated much evil
through my actions, words, and in my thoughts; all such evils I confess completely.
With great joy, I think of all the merit gathered by the victors in all directions,
the Buddha's children, and by the self-realized and the partly and thoroughly
trained ones. I rejoice in the merit of all sentient beings.
I urge that the unsurpassable Dharma wheel be set in motion by all the lords,
the lights of all worlds in all directions, who have traversed the stages
of enlightenment and attained Buddhahood, the state of non-attachment and
pure awareness.
With my hands folded in prayer, I beseech those who have transcended misery,
whatever be their concern, to abide for, as many eons as there are atoms in
all realms, for the benefit and happiness of beings.
I dedicate to perfect enlightenment all virtue, however slight, which I have
gathered through homage, offerings, confession, rejoicing, entreaty, and supplication.
Noble Sentiments
I present offerings to all the Buddhas of the past, and to the Buddhas who
abide in all worlds in the ten directions.
May those who have not yet appeared as Buddhas quickly fulfill their aim,
and appear as fully enlightened ones demonstrating the stages of enlightenment.
May all worlds throughout the totality of space become vast and completely
pure, and be filled with all the victors and Buddha-children who have come
into the domain of the bodhi tree.
May all beings in all directions, however many there may be, always have the
joy of good health, and so that their hopes for enlightenment may be realized,
enjoy conditions favorable for the aims of the Dharma.
The Resolve to Maintain Bodhicitta
As I engage in bodhi conduct, wherever I am born, I shall recall the training
of former lives.
While I experience birth and death in the succession of my lives, may I always
renounce the world of Samsara.
Emulating the training of all the victors and completing my practice of excellence,
may I, with purest motivation, engage in stainless moral conduct, never weakening
and free from fault.
In the language of the gods, nagas, and demons, in that of the spirits and
in all the tongues of men, in all the languages of all beings, whoever they
may be, may I teach the vast and deep Dharma.
With an appropriate gentle attitude, may I strive at the six perfections and
never forget bodhicitta.
May all unskillful actions and limitations of karma and emotionality be completely
washed and cleared away.
The Resolve to Establish Practice
Free of karma, emotionality, and disruptive forces, may I act in every realm
of existence like the sun and moon unobstructed in the sky, or like a lotus
to which mud does not adhere.
In all directions, the extent of the misery of evil existences equals the
magnitude of all Buddha realms.
May I quench this misery, establish all beings in happier existences, and
through my deeds, bring true benefit to them all.
Immersing myself totally in bodhi conduct, may I engage in action appropriate
to the dispositions of all, and revealing clearly this excellent practice,
continue it in all future eons.
May I be forever in the company of those whose conduct is similar to mine,
and with aspirations identical with theirs, act in harmony in body, speech,
and mind.
May I always come to meet those friends who wish to help me, who teach completely
this practice of excellence; may I never renounce those friends.
May I continually look upon all victors, the lords who, surrounded by Buddha's
children, are really present, and in all future eons tirelessly present vast
offerings to every one of them.
Upholding the sacred Dharma of all victors and demonstrating bodhi conduct
in all circumstances, may I continue this practice of excellence in all future
eons though my training in it be complete.
As I circle through realms of experience, may I be filled with an inexhaustible
treasury of all the qualities of means, wisdom, samadhi, and the liberated
state; may I accumulate an inexhaustible store of merit and wisdom.
The Resolve to Engage in Activity
In a single atom are Buddha realms as numerous as all atoms; in every atom
in each Buddha realm abide inconceivable numbers of Buddhas amid their children.
I will watch them and emulate their bodhi conduct.
Similarly, in every direction throughout the totality of space, an ocean of
Buddhas who appear in the three times and an ocean of their Buddha realms
are present in every atom.
For an ocean of eons, I will watch them and immerse myself in bodhi conduct.
I will penetrate completely the speech of the victors, each word of which
has an ocean of the qualities of sound, a melody of purest quality harmonizing
with the wishes of all beings.
With strength of mind, I will fathom the speech of the victors of all times
who set in motion the wheel of Dharma, bringing understanding to those who
hear the endless tune of the teaching.
I will know what will come in future eons, and moreover, penetrate instantly
the phenomena of all times.
I will embrace in an instant of awareness all phenomena in the totality of
times, and so immerse myself in bodhi conduct.
I will see in an instant all the lions of humanity who appear in all times.
And free in the knowledge that all appearances are fantasy, I will immerse
myself in the unceasing activity of the enlightened ones.
In a single atom are clearly set all the Buddha realms in the totality of
time; similarly, I will set all the realms of the victors in every single
atom throughout all time and space.
I will come into the presence of the Lords, the future Buddhas who appear
as lights in the world; who, by progressively reaching fullness, turning the
Dharma wheel, and passing beyond misery, demonstrate their achievement of
peace.
The Resolve to Practice Without Limit
Through the power of unlimited instantaneous miracles, and the power of the
vehicle which is the means to benefit beings completely, through all the power
of activity in totally wholesome qualities, through the power of all-pervasive
love;
Through the power of the merit of total virtue and through the power of transcending
awareness, which leads to non-attachment, through the power of wisdom, means,
and samadhi, I will realize the power to attain enlightenment!
As the power of karma is washed completely away and the power of emotionality
is completely conquered, as the power of antagonistic forces are rendered
ineffectual, the power of my practice of excellence becomes complete.
I will transform oceans of impure realms into utterly pure ones, and place
oceans of beings in a state of freedom; with the eye of wisdom, I will behold
oceans of Dharma and exercise oceans of awareness.
I will engage in oceans of conduct with complete purity, fulfill oceans of
aspiration, and honor perfectly oceans of Buddhas.
Thus will I act tirelessly for oceans of eons.
All victors appearing in the three times have various aspirations while engaged
in bodhi conduct, and through their practice of excellence awaken to the enlightenment
of the Buddha. I, myself, will fulfill the aspirations of all these victors!
All my virtue I dedicate completely, that my deeds equal those of the skilled
one who is the bravest of the children of the victors, who is known as Samantabhadra.
I will emulate this excellent skilled one, Samantabhadra, and dedicate my
virtue as he does - that through this dedication my body, speech, and mind
become completely pure, my conduct stainless, and all realms completely pure.
In order to engage completely in the virtuous practice of excellence, I will
carry out the aspirations of Manjushri.
And in all future eons, tirelessly, I will bring all these deeds to completion.
My practice will have no limit and my capabilities will be unlimited.
While I continue limitless activity, I will seek and attain the manifestations
of the enlightened ones.
As boundless as the reaches of space is the totality of sentient beings.
Boundless is their karma and emotions, and boundless too is my resolve.
The Benefits of These Resolutions
Great is the merit of offering to all the victors, for as many eons as there
are atoms, infinite jeweled realms in the ten directions and the greatest
happiness of gods and men.
Far greater is the perfect merit of just once giving rise to faith after hearing
these royal words of dedication and turning one's mind to perfect enlightenment.
Whoever should recite this Resolve to Practice Excellence no longer experiences
the realms of misery, nor is influenced by evil companions; such persons quickly
come to see Buddha Amitabha.
They gain all that is of worth and dwell in ease; in just this life all their
objectives are happily met; they quickly become just like Samantabhadra in
capabilities and manifestations.
Whoever sincerely recites this Resolve to Practice Excellence quickly and
thoroughly purifies all evil committed in delusion, even the evil of the five
acts which ripen immediately.
Whoever recites this Resolve to Practice Excellence will quickly become pure
in every way, will gain wisdom, beauty and distinctive signs, noble birth
and fine complexion, the respect of all beings in the three worlds, and will
be unassailable by neuroses or the views of realists.
Such a person will go swiftly into the domain of the bodhi tree and there
will sit to benefit beings.
They will awaken to enlightenment, set the Dharma wheel in motion, and subdue
powerful Mara and his host.
Buddha alone knows the complete results of holding, reading, or reciting this
Resolve to Practice Excellence.
May there be not a single doubt that this resolve is the means to perfect
enlightenment.
Dedication and Conclusion
Just as Manjushri, the hero of all beings, knows how to dedicate virtue,
and exactly as Samantabhadra does too, so do I dedicate completely all this
virtue and follow the training of such Bodhisattvas.
With the form of dedication praised by all the victors appearing in the three
times, I dedicate completely all these seeds of virtue so that my excellent
practice will bring enlightenment.
When the hour of death draws near, my limitations will be completely removed.
I will see Buddha Amitabha and experience totally his Buddha Realm of Joy.
I will fill my being with all the qualities needed to bring about the complete
fulfillment of all these resolutions to practice excellence.
As long as worlds exist, I will work for the good of all!
In the pleasing and excellent mandala of the victor, I will be born from a
beautiful and perfect lotus.
In the presence of the victor Amitabha, may I hear his prophecy about me.
After I have received this prophecy, may I, through the strength of my intention,
greatly benefit beings in all directions by unfolding myriad emanations.
Through the little virtue I have gathered by offering this Resolve to Practice
Excellence, may all virtue and aspirations for the welfare of sentient beings
be realized in a single instant.
By such perfect and endless merit as accrues through the total dedication
of the practice of excellence, may all beings drowning in the river of misery
reach the perfect abode of Amitabha.
This excellent and worthy royal resolution is derived from the sutra adorned
by Samantabhadra. It brings aid to all beings without limit.
May all realms of misery be forever emptied!
