THE
BODHISATTVA’S CONFESSION OF ETHICAL DOWNFALLS
Throughout all times, I take refuge in the Gurus, I take refuge in the Buddhas,
I take refuge in the Dharma, I take refuge in the Sangha.
To the Founder, the Transcendent Destroyer, the One Thus Gone, the Foe Destroyer,
the Fully Enlightened One, the Glorious Conqueror from the Shaykas, I bow down.
To the One Thus Gone, the Great Destroyer, Destroying with Vajra Essence, I bow down. To the One Thus Gone, the Jewel Radiating Light, I bow down.
To the One Thus Gone, the
King with Power over the Nagas, I bow down. To the One Thus Gone, the Leader of the
Warriors, I bow down.
To the One Thus Gone, the
Glorious Blissful One, I bow down.
To the One Thus Gone, the Jewel Fire, I bow down.
To the One Thus Gone, the
Jewel Moonlight, I bow down. To the
One Thus Gone, Whose Pure Vision Brings Accomplishments, I bow
down.
To the
One Thus Gone, the Jewel Moon, I bow down.
To the One Thus Gone,
the
Stainless One, I bow down. To the
One Thus Gone, the Glorious Giver,
I bow
down. To the One Thus Gone, the
Pure One, I bow down.
To the One Thus Gone, the Bestower of
Purity, I bow down.
To the One Thus Gone, the
Celestial Waters, I bow down.
To the One Thus Gone, the
Deity of the Celestial Waters, I bow down.
To the One Thus Gone, the
Glorious Good, I bow down.
To the One Thus Gone, the
Glorious Sandalwood, I bow down. To
the One Thus gone, the One of Unlimited Splendor, I bow
down.
To the One Thus Gone, the
Glorious Light, I bow down.
To the One Thus Gone, the
Glorious One Without Sorrow, I bow down.
To the One Thus Gone, the Son of the
Desireless One, I bow down.
To the One Thus Gone, the
Glorious Flower, I bow down. To the
One Thus Gone,
Who Understands Reality
Enjoying the Radiant Light of Purity, I bow down.
To the One Thus Gone, Who Understands Reality Enjoying the Radiant Light of the Lotus, I bow down. To the One Thus Gone, the Glorious Gem, I bow down.
To the One Thus Gone, the Glorious One Who is Mindful, I bow down. To the One Thus Gone, the Glorious One Whose Name is Extremely Renowned, I bow down.
To the One Thus Gone, the
King Holding the Banner of Victory Over the Senses,
I bow down. To the One Thus
Gone, the Glorious One
Who Subdues Everything
Completely, I bow down.
To the One Thus Gone, the
Victorious One in All Battles, I bow down.
To the One Thus Gone, the Glorious One
Gone to Perfect Self-Control, I bow down.
To the One Thus Gone, the
Glorious One Who Enhances and Illuminates Completely,
I bow down.
To the One Thus Gone, the
Jewel Lotus Who Subdues All, I bow down.
To the One Thus Gone, the
Foe Destroyer, the Fully Enlightened One, the King with Power over Mount Meru,
always remaining in the Jewel and the Lotus, I bow down.
All you thirty-five Buddhas,
and all the others, those thus gone, foe destroyers, fully enlightened ones and
transcendent destroyers who are existing, sustaining and living throughout the
ten directions of sentient beings’ worlds—all you Buddhas, please give me your
attention.
In this life and throughout
beginningless lives in all the realms of samsara, I have created, caused others
to create, and rejoiced at the creation of negative karmas such as misusing
offerings to holy objects, misusing offerings to the Sangha, stealing the
possessions of the Sangha of the ten directions; I have caused others to create
these negative actions and rejoiced at their creation. I have created the five heinous actions,
caused others to create them and rejoiced at their creation. I have committed the ten non-virtuous
actions, involved others in them and rejoiced at their
involvement.
Being obscured by all this
karma, I have created the cause for myself and other sentient beings to be
reborn in the hells, as animals, as hungry ghosts, in irreligious places,
amongst barbarians, as long-lived gods, with imperfect senses, holding wrong
views, and being displeased with the presence of a Buddha.
Now before these Buddhas,
transcendent destroyers who have become transcendental wisdom, who have become
the compassionate eye, who have become witnesses, who have become valid and see
with their omniscient minds, I am confessing and accepting all these actions as
negative. I will not conceal or
hide them, and from now on I will refrain from committing these negative
actions.
Buddhas and transcendent
destroyers, please give me your attention: in this life and throughout
beginningless lives in all the realms of samsara, whatever root of virtue I have
created through even the smallest acts of charity such as giving one mouthful of
food to a being born as an animal, whatever root of virtue I have created by
abiding in pure conduct, whatever root of virtue I have created by fully
ripening sentient beings’ minds, whatever root of virtue I have created of the
highest transcendent wisdom,
Bringing together all these
merits of both myself and others, I now dedicate them to the highest of which
there is no higher, to that even above the highest, to the highest of the high,
to the higher of the high. Thus I
dedicate them completely to the highest, fully accomplished enlightenment. Just as the Buddhas and transcendent
destroyers of the past have dedicated, just as the Buddhas and transcendent
destroyers of the future will dedicate, and just as the Buddhas and transcendent
destroyers of the present are dedicating, in the same way I make this
dedication.
I confess all my negative
actions separately and rejoice in all merits. I implore the Buddhas to grant my
request that I may realize the ultimate, sublime, highest transcendental
wisdom.
To the sublime kings of the
human beings living now, to those of the past and to those who have yet to
appear, to all those whose knowledge is as vast as the infinite ocean, with my
hands folded in respect, I go for refuge.
From
Pearl of Wisdom, Book I compiled by Ven. Thubten
Chodron.