Then the Buddhas each patted the enlightening being Diamond Banner on the head with their right hands, after which Diamond Banner rose from absorption and declared to the enlightening beings, “Children of Buddhas, great enlightening beings have inconceivable great vows, filling the cosmos, able to save all sentient beings. That is, to learn and practice the dedications of all Buddhas of past, present, and future. How many kinds of dedication have the great enlightening beings? Great enlightening beings have ten kinds of dedication, which are expounded by the Buddhas of past, present, and future. What are they? (1) Dedication to saving all sentient beings without any mental image of sentient beings. (2) Indestructible dedication. (3) Dedication equal to all Buddhas. (4) Dedication reaching all places. (5) Dedication of inexhaustible treasuries of virtue. (6) Dedication causing all roots of goodness to endure. (7) Dedication equally adapting to all sentient beings. (8) Dedication with the character of true thusness. (9) Unattached, unbound, liberated dedication. (10) Boundless dedication equal to the cosmos. These are the ten kinds of dedication of great enlightening beings, which the past, future, and present Buddhas have, will, and do expound.
“What is the great enlightening beings’ dedication to saving all sentient beings? Here the enlightening beings practice transcendent giving, purify transcendent discipline, cultivate transcendent forbearance, arouse transcendent energy, enter transcendent meditation, abide in transcendent wisdom, great compassion, great kindness, great joy, and great equanimity. Cultivating boundless roots of goodness such as these, they form this thought: ‘May these roots of goodness universally benefit all sentient beings, causing them to be purified, to reach the ultimate, and to forever leave the innumerable pains and afflictions of the realms of hells, ghosts, and animals, and so on.’ When the great enlightening beings plant these roots of goodness, they dedicate their own roots of goodness thus: ‘I should be a hostel for all sentient beings, to let them escape from all painful things. I should be a protector for all sentient beings, to let them all be liberated from all afflictions. I should be a refuge for all sentient beings, to free them from all fears. I should be a goal for all sentient beings, to cause them to reach universal knowledge. I should make a resting place for all sentient beings, to enable them to find a place of peace and security. I should be a light for all sentient beings, to enable them to attain the light of knowledge to annihilate the darkness of ignorance. I should be a torch for all sentient beings, to destroy all darkness of nescience. I should be a lamp for all sentient beings, to cause them to abide in the realm of ultimate purity. I should be a guide for all sentient beings, to lead them into the truth. I should be a great leader for all sentient beings, to give them great knowledge.’ Enlightening beings dedicate all foundations of goodness in this way, to equally benefit all sentient beings and ultimately cause them all to attain universal knowledge.
“The enlightening beings’ protection of and dedication to those who are not their relatives or friends are equal to those for their relatives and friends. Why? Because enlightening beings enter the equal nature of all things, they do not conceive a single thought of not being relatives or friends. Even if there be sentient beings who have malicious or hostile intentions toward the enlightening beings, still the enlightening beings also regard them with the eye of compassion and are never angered. They are good friends to all sentient beings, explaining the right teaching for them, so that they may learn and practice it. Just as the ocean cannot be changed or destroyed by all poisons, so too are enlightening beings—the various oppressive afflictions of all the ignorant, the unwise, the ungrateful, the wrathful, those poisoned by covetousness, the arrogant and conceited, the mentally blind and deaf, those who do not know what is good, and other such evil sentient beings, cannot disturb the enlightening beings.
“Just as the sun, appearing in the world, is not concealed because those who are born blind do not see it, and is not hidden by the obstruction of such things as mirages, eclipses, trees, high mountains, deep ravines, dust, mist, smoke, or clouds, and is not concealed by the change of seasons, so also are the enlightening beings—they have great virtues, their minds are deep and broad, they observe with true mindfulness, without boredom; because they want ultimate virtue and knowledge their minds aspire to the supreme truth; the light of truth illumines everywhere and they perceive the meanings of everything. Their knowledge freely commands all avenues of teaching, and in order to benefit all sentient beings they always practice virtuous ways, never mistakenly conceiving the idea of abandoning sentient beings. They do not reject sentient beings and fail to cultivate dedication because of the meanness of character of sentient beings, or because their erroneous views, ill will, and confusion are hard to quell. The enlightening beings just array themselves with the armor of great vows of enlightening beings, saving sentient beings without ever retreating; they do not withdraw from enlightening activity and abandon the path of enlightenment just because sentient beings are ungrateful, they do not get sick of sentient beings just because ignoramuses altogether give up all the foundations of goodness which accord with reality, or because they repeatedly commit excesses and evils which are hard to bear. Why? Just as the sun does not appear in the world for just one thing, so too the enlightening beings do not cultivate roots of goodness and dedicate them to complete perfect enlightenment just for the sake of one sentient being—it is in order to save and safeguard all sentient beings everywhere that they cultivate roots of goodness and dedicate them to unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment. In the same way, it is not to purify just one buddha-land, not because of belief in just one Buddha, not just to see one Buddha, not just to comprehend one doctrine, that they initiate the determination for great knowledge and dedicate it to unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment—it is to purify all buddha-lands, out of faith in all Buddhas, to serve all Buddhas, to understand all Buddha teachings, that they initiate great vows, cultivate the foundations of goodness, and dedicate them to unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment.
“Enlightening beings, focusing on all the Buddha teachings, develop a broad mind and great determination, a determination never to retreat, and through measureless eons cultivate and collect rare, hard to obtain mental jewels, all equal to those of all Buddhas. Thus observing the bases of goodness, enlightening beings’ mind of faith is pure, their great compassion is firm and enduring; they truly and genuinely dedicate them to sentient beings with a most profound intent, a joyful mind, a pure mind, a mind conquering all, a gentle mind, a kind, compassionate mind, a mind of pity and sympathy, with the intention to protect, to benefit, and to give peace and happiness to all sentient beings—they do this sincerely and in reality, not just in words.
“When great enlightening beings dedicate roots of goodness, they think in these terms: ‘By my roots of goodness may all creatures, all sentient beings, be purified, may they be filled with virtues which cannot be ruined and are inexhaustible. May they always gain respect. May they have right mindfulness and unfailing recollection. May they attain sure discernment. May they be replete with immeasurable knowledge. May all virtues of physical, verbal, and mental action fully adorn them.’ They also think, ‘By these roots of goodness I’ll cause all sentient beings to serve all Buddhas, to their unfailing benefit. I’ll cause their pure faith to be indestructible; I’ll cause them to hear the true teaching, cut off all doubt and confusion, remember the teaching without forgetting it and practice in accord with the teaching. I will cause them to develop respect for the Enlightened, to act with purity, to rest securely on innumerable great foundations of goodness, to be forever free of poverty, to be fully equipped with the seven kinds of wealth—faith, self-control, shame, conscience, learning, generosity, and wisdom—to always learn from the Buddhas, to perfect innumerable supreme roots of goodness, to attain impartial understanding, to abide in omniscience, to look upon all sentient beings equally with unobstructed eyes, to adorn their bodies with all marks of greatness, without any flaws, to have pure, beautiful v
oices replete with all fine qualities, to have control over their senses, to accomplish the ten powers, to be filled with good will, to dwell or depend on nothing, to cause all sentient beings to attain the enjoyments of buddhahood, attain infinite spiritual stations, and abide in the abode of Buddhas.
“When enlightening beings see sentient beings doing all sorts of bad things and suffering all sorts of misery and pain, and being hindered by this from seeing the Buddha, hearing the teaching, and recognizing the community, the enlightening beings think, ‘I should, in those states of woe, take on the various miseries in place of the sentient beings, to liberate them.’ When enlightening beings suffer pain in this way, they become even more determined—they do not give up or run away, are not shocked or frightened, are not discouraged or intimidated, and are unwearied. Why? Because according to their vows they are determined to carry all sentient beings to liberation. At such a time, enlightening beings think in these terms: ‘All sentient beings are in the realm of the pains and troubles of birth, old age, sickness, and death, revolving in repeated routines according to the force of their acts, ignorant, with erroneous views, bereft of qualities of goodness—I should save them and enable them to attain emancipation.’
“Also, sentient beings are wrapped up in the web of attachments, covered by the shroud of ignorance, clinging to all existents, pursuing them unceasingly, entering the cage of suffering, acting like maniacs, totally void of virtue or knowledge, always doubtful and confused; they do not perceive the place of peace, they do not know the path of emancipation, they revolve in birth and death without rest, always submerged in the mire of suffering. Enlightening beings, seeing this, conceive great compassion and desire to help them, wanting to enable sentient beings to all attain liberation; to this end they dedicate all their virtues, dedicating them with a great, magnanimous heart, in conformity with the dedication practiced by the enlightening beings of all times, in accord with dedication as explained in the scriptures, praying that all sentient beings be thoroughly purified and ultimately accomplish knowledge of all means of liberation. They also think, ‘What I practice is in order to enable sentient beings to all become supreme sovereigns of knowledge; I am not seeking liberation for myself, but only to serve all sentient beings, to cause them to all attain the omniscient mind, to cross over the flow of birth and death, and be freed from all suffering.’
“They also form this thought: ‘I should accept all sufferings for the sake of all sentient beings, and enable them to escape from the abyss of immeasurable woes of birth and death. I should accept all suffering for the sake of all sentient beings in all worlds, in all states of misery, forever and ever, and still always cultivate foundations of goodness for the sake of all beings. Why? I would rather take all this suffering on myself than to allow sentient beings to fall into hell. I should be a hostage in those perilous places—hells, animal realms, the nether world, etc.—as a ransom to rescue all sentient beings in states of woe and enable them to gain liberation.’
“They also form this thought: ‘I vow to protect all sentient beings and never abandon them. What I say is sincerely true, without falsehood. Why? Because I have set my mind on enlightenment in order to liberate all sentient beings; I do not seek the unexcelled Way for my own sake. Also I do not cultivate enlightening practice in search of pleasure or enjoyment. Why? Because mundane pleasures are all suffering, the realm of maniacs, craved by ignorant people but scorned by Buddhas; all misery arises from them. The anger, fighting, mutual defamation, and other such evils of the realms of hells, ghosts, animals, and the nether world are all caused by greedy attachment to objects of desire. By addiction to desire one becomes estranged from the Buddhas and hindered from birth in heaven, to say nothing of unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment.’ Observing thus how worldlings, because of greed for a little taste of what they desire, experience immeasurable suffering, enlightening beings after all do not seek unexcelled enlightenment and cultivate enlightening practice for the sake of those pleasures of the senses; it is only to bring peace and comfort to all sentient beings that they set their minds on enlightenment and practice to fulfill their great vows to cut sentient beings’ halter of miseries and enable them to attain liberation.
“Great enlightening beings also form this thought: ‘I should dedicate roots of goodness in this way to enable all sentient beings to attain ultimate bliss, beneficial bliss, the bliss of nonreception, the bliss of dispassionate tranquility, the bliss of nondependence, the bliss of imperturbability, immeasurable bliss, the bliss of not rejecting birth and death yet not regressing from nirvana, undying bliss, and the bliss of universal knowledge.’
“They also think, ‘I should be for all sentient beings as a charioteer, as a leader, holding the torch of great knowledge and showing the way to safety and peace, freeing them from danger, using appropriate means to inform them of the truth; and also, in the ocean of birth and death, be as a skillful ship’s captain who knows all, to deliver sentient beings to the other shore.’
“In this way do great enlightening beings dedicate all their basic virtues—that is, they save all sentient beings by employing means appropriate to the situation to cause them to emerge from birth and death, serve and provide for all the Buddhas, attain unhindered, omniscient knowledge, abandon all maniacs and bad associates, approach all enlightening beings and good associates, annihilate all error and wrongdoing, perfect pure behavior, and fulfill the great practical vows and innumerable virtues of enlightening beings.
“When great enlightening beings have properly dedicated their roots of goodness, they form this thought: ‘Many suns do not appear because of the multitude of sentient beings in the four continents—only one sun appears, yet it can shine on all sentient beings. Also, sentient beings do not know the day and night, or travel, or see, or carry out their work by the light of their own bodies—the accomplishment of these things all depends on the emergence of the sun; yet the sun is only one, not two.’ In the same way, great enlightening beings, cultivating and amassing roots of goodness, thinking as they dedicate them, ‘Sentient beings cannot save themselves—how can they save others? Only I alone have this unique determination,’ they cultivate and amass roots of goodness and dedicate them in this way—that is to liberate all sentient beings, to illumine all sentient beings, to guide all sentient beings, to enlighten all sentient beings, to watch over and attend to all sentient beings, to take care of all sentient beings, to perfect all sentient beings, to gladden all sentient beings, to bring happiness to all sentient beings, and to cause all sentient beings to become freed from doubt.
“Great enlightening beings also think, ‘I should be like the sun, shining universally on all without seeking thanks or reward, able to take care of all sentient beings even if they are bad, never giving up my vows on this account, not abandoning all sentient beings because one sentient being is evil, just diligently practicing the dedication of roots of goodness to cause all sentient beings to attain peace and ease. Even if my roots of goodness be few, I embrace all sentient beings and make a great dedication with a joyful heart. If one has roots of goodness but does not desire to benefit all sentient beings, that’s not called dedication. When every single root of goodness is directed toward all sentient beings, that is called dedication.’
“They cultivate dedication to place sentient beings in the true nature of things where there is no attachment, dedication seeing that the intrinsic nature of sentient beings doesn’t move or change, dedication without depending on or grasping dedication, dedication without attachment to the appearances of roots of goodness, dedication without false ideas about the essential nature of consequences of actions, dedication without attachment to the characteristics of the five clusters of material and mental existence, dedication without destroying the characteristics of the five clusters, dedication without grasping action, dedication without seeking reward, dedication without attachment to causality, dedication without imagining what is produced by causality, dedication without
attachment to reputation, without attachment to location, dedication without attachment to unreal things, dedication without attachment to images of sentient beings, the world, or mind, dedication without creating delusions of mind, delusions of concepts, or delusions of views, dedication without attachment to verbal expression, dedication observing the real true nature of all things, dedication observing the aspects in which all sentient beings are equal, dedication stamping all roots of goodness with the seal of the realm of truth, dedication observing all things dispassionately; they understand that all things have no propagation and that roots of goodness are also thus; they observe that things are nondual, unborn, and unperishing, and that so is dedication.
“Dedicating such roots of goodness, they cultivate and practice pure methods of curing spiritual ills. All of their roots of goodness are in accord with transcendental principles, but they do not conceive of them dualistically: it is not in their deeds that they cultivate omniscience, yet it is not apart from deeds that they are dedicated to omniscience; omniscience is not identical to action, but omniscience is not attained apart from action either. Because their action is pure as light, the consequences are also pure as light; because the consequences are pure as light, omniscience is also pure as light. Detached from all confusions and thoughts of self and possession, they know perfectly in this way and skillfully dedicate all roots of goodness.
The Flower Ornament Scripture Page 66