At that time enlightening beings dedicate the roots of goodness in this way: ‘May all sentient beings always associate with the Buddhas and enter the realm of Buddha knowledge; may all sentient beings attain adaptable knowledge and abide in unexcelled awareness; may all sentient beings always be in the assemblies of Buddhas and their minds be well tuned; may all sentient beings always comport themselves with the dignity of Buddhas; may all sentient beings attain nirvana and profoundly understand the meaning of the teaching; may all sentient beings be complete in knowledge and conduct and be born in the house of the Buddhas; may all sentient beings give up ignorant craving and abide in the aspiration of buddhahood; may all sentient beings develop excellent roots of goodness and sit at the tree of enlightenment; may all sentient beings slay the brigands that are the afflictions and get rid of these enemies; may all sentient beings fully preserve all Buddha teachings.’ This is great enlightening beings’ dedication of roots of goodness when giving their bodies to all sentient beings, because they want to benefit all sentient beings and cause them to reach the realm of supreme peace.
“Great enlightening beings personally attend the Buddhas, wanting to requite their great benevolence, thinking of them as like parents. They have deep faith in the Buddhas, and preserve enlightenment, abiding by the principles of the Buddhas, detaching from mundane conceptions. Born in the house of the enlightened, they follow the Buddhas, leaving the realm of delusion. They arrive at the sphere of action of all Buddhas and become vessels of the teachings of all Buddhas. At that time the enlightening beings dedicate these roots of goodness in this way: ‘May all sentient beings attain pure minds and adorn themselves with the jewel of universal knowledge; may all sentient beings abide in good self-control and avoid all bad actions; may all sentient beings gain indestructible, steadfast retinues, able to absorb the true teaching of the Buddhas; may all sentient beings become students of Buddhas and reach the enlightening beings’ stage of coronation; may all sentient beings always be in the keeping of the Buddhas and forever give up whatever is not good; may all sentient beings follow the Buddhas and practice the supreme principle of enlightening beings; may all sentient beings enter the sphere of Buddhas and receive the prediction of omniscience; may all sentient beings be thoroughly equal to the Buddhas and master all the Buddha teachings; may all sentient beings be in the care of the Buddhas and always be able to practice acting without grasping or attachment; may all sentient beings become the foremost attendants of the Buddhas, and in the company of the Buddhas cultivate the practice of knowledge and wisdom.’ This is great enlightening beings’ dedication of roots of goodness when attending Buddhas, because they want to actually realize the enlightenment of the Buddhas, because they want to save all sentient beings, because they want to transcend all in the triple world, because they want to perfect nonmalevolence, because they want to attain immeasurably great enlightenment, because they want to develop knowledge illuminating the Buddha teachings, because they want to always receive acceptance by the Buddhas, because they want to gain the protection of the Buddhas, because they want to truly understand all Buddha teachings, because they want to develop roots of goodness equal to those of the Buddhas of all times, and because they want to fully develop an unembittered mind and realize the teachings of all Buddhas.
“Great enlightening beings give up their countries, able to relinquish all things, including kingship; their minds attain freedom from all worldly concerns, and they have no ties, no bonds, no obsessions or attachments. They avoid evil deeds and work for the benefit of sentient beings without attachment to the results of their deeds. They do not take pleasure in worldly things, and are no longer attached to or eager for any realm of existence. Though they live in the world, they do not set their hearts on it. They do not cling to material, mental, or sense phenomena, and their minds do not rest on anything internal or external. They never forget the practices of enlightening beings, and never abandon the wise; keeping the far-reaching practical commitments of enlightening beings, they always gladly serve all good companions.
“At such times, the enlightening beings dedicate these roots of goodness in this way: ‘May all sentient beings become monarchs of truth, masters of truth, and reach the other shore; may all sentient beings become monarchs of the Buddha teaching and destroy their enemies, the afflictions; may all sentient beings dwell in the sovereignty of buddhahood, attain enlightened knowledge, and expound the Buddha teachings; may all sentient beings live in the realm of buddhahood and be able to turn the wheel of the teaching of unexcelled freedom; may all sentient beings be born in the house of the enlightened ones, master the teachings, and preserve the family of Buddhas forever; may all sentient beings reveal innumerable true teachings of the king of truth, perfecting boundless great enlightening beings; may all sentient beings abide in the pure realm of reality, become monarchs of the great truth, and manifest the emergence of Buddhas, continuing unbroken; may all sentient beings be monarchs of knowledge and wisdom in all worlds, edifying and guiding living beings without ever abandoning them; may all sentient beings be donors of truth to all sentient beings in all worlds throughout the space of the cosmos, enabling them all to abide in the Great Vehicle; may all sentient beings manage to become monarchs replete with myriad virtues, with roots of goodness equal to those of the Buddhas of past, present, and future.’ This is great enlightening beings’ dedication of roots of goodness when giving away kingship, because they want to cause all sentient beings to ultimately live in peace.
“When great enlightening beings see people come asking for the magnificent buildings of the royal capital as well as the revenues from customs duties collected at the borders, they give it all ungrudgingly, wholeheartedly turning toward enlightenment, making great vows, abiding in great benevolence, practicing great compassion, their minds joyfully intent on helping sentient beings. By great knowledge they understand the profound truth and abide in the equal real nature of Buddhas. They practice giving because they are determined to find omniscience, because they have profound longing for freedom, because they seek realization of independent knowledge, because they purify all virtues, because they abide in steadfast great knowledge, because they extensively gather all kinds of roots of goodness, because they carry out the undertakings of all the Buddha teachings, because they spontaneously awaken to the principle of great knowledge, because they abide in enlightenment without regressing, because they cultivate the practical vows of all enlightening beings, and because they thoroughly consummate knowledge of methods of enlightenment.
“These roots of goodness they dedicate in this way: ‘May all sentient beings be able to purify infinite lands and present them to the Buddhas to live in; may all sentient beings always enjoy living in forests, silent, peaceful, undisturbed; may all sentient beings not dwell in capitals or cities, their hearts delighting in peace and quiet, forever attaining ultimate serenity; may all sentient beings be forever unattached to any world and always gladly avoid all mundane talk; may all sentient beings attain hearts free from covetousness, giving whatever they have without regret; may all sentient beings attain emancipated minds, giving up occupation with business; may all sentient beings be free from miserliness and always practice generous giving; may all sentient beings have unattached minds, transcending the events of home life; may all sentient beings attain freedom from suffering and eliminate all fear of calamity; may all sentient beings purify all worlds in the ten directions and present them to the Buddhas.’ This is great enlightening beings’ dedication of roots of goodness when giving away royal capitals, to cause sentient beings to all be able to purify the buddha-fields.
“Great enlightening beings’ ladies-in-waiting are all beautiful and talented, witty and graceful, skilled in conversation, dancing, and singing, adorned with various clothes, flowers, and perfumes, endlessly delightful to all who see them: such precious women, countless numbers of them, are all born of the good deeds of enlightening beings, free to do as they will, yet impeccably r
espectful and agreeable—all of them the enlightening beings give to those who ask for them, without longing for them, without missing them, without obsession with them, without attachment to them, without clinging to them, without craving for them, without thinking about them, without pursuing them, without attachment to their appearance, without lust for them.
“At such a time the enlightening beings contemplate the roots of goodness and dedicate them to enabling all sentient beings to attain emancipation, to attain the joy of the Buddha teachings, to attain the enduring in the midst of the unenduring, to attain the incorruptible mind of adamantine knowledge, to enter the site of Buddha’s enlightenment, to reach the other shore, to attain the supremely enlightened mind, to be able to comprehend all things, to produce all roots of goodness, to enter the house of the Buddhas of all times.
“Great enlightening beings, abiding by this principle, are born in the house of the enlightened, develop the pure, supreme causal basis of the Buddhas, produce the supreme path of universal knowledge, enter deeply into the far-reaching work of knowledge of enlightening beings, and get rid of all worldly defilements and afflictions. They are always able to provide offerings to the virtuous fields of blessings. They expound the wondrous teaching to sentient beings, skillfully arranging it, causing them to cultivate pure practices, always endeavoring to embody all roots of goodness.
“At such a time the enlightening beings dedicate the roots of goodness in this way: ‘May all sentient beings always attain a retinue of innumerable concentrations, the supreme concentration of enlightening beings, continuing uninterrupted; may all sentient beings always delight in seeing Buddha and enter absorption in the adornments of Buddhas; may all sentient beings accomplish the inconceivable concentration of enlightening beings, sporting freely in immeasurable spiritual powers; may all sentient beings enter concentration in accord with truth and attain incorruptible minds; may all sentient beings thoroughly attain the most profound concentration of enlightening beings, and realize freedom in all meditations and concentrations; may all sentient beings attain liberated minds and accomplish the group of all concentration states; may all sentient beings attain skill in all kinds of concentration, able to take in all aspects of concentration; may all sentient beings attain concentration of supreme knowledge, able to learn and practice the various methods of concentration; may all sentient beings attain unobstructed concentration and enter into deep meditation concentration, never regressing or losing it; may all sentient beings attain unattached concentration, their minds always sensing truly and not grasping duality.’ This is great enlightening beings’ dedication of roots of goodness when giving away their retinues, because they want to cause all sentient beings to gain indestructible pure retinues, because they want to cause all sentient beings to gain retinues of enlightening beings, because they want to cause all sentient beings to be able to fulfill the powers of omniscience, because they want to cause all sentient beings to realize supreme wisdom, because they want to cause all sentient beings to have amenable retinues, because they want to cause all sentient beings to attain the pure reality-body of the enlightened, because they want to cause all sentient beings to attain orderly, reasonable powers of elucidation and skillfully expound the inexhaustible treasury of the Buddha’s teachings, because they want to cause all sentient beings to forever relinquish all conventional mundane virtues and equally cultivate pure transmundane virtues, because they want to cause all sentient beings’ purifying work to be complete, and develop all pure qualities, and because they want to cause all Buddha teachings to be evident to all sentient beings, universally purified by the light of truth.
“Great enlightening beings can give away their beloved spouses and children, as did the Loving Prince, Adornment Manifesting King, and countless other great enlightening beings. At such a time, the enlightening beings mount the mind of all-knowledge, carry out total giving, and purely cultivate the path of giving of enlightening beings, their minds clear and without regret. They give up what they prize in quest of omniscience, to cause sentient beings to have profound, pure aspirations, accomplish the practice of enlightenment, observe the path of enlightening beings, reflect on the enlightenment of the Buddhas, and abide in the family of Buddhas.
“When great enlightening beings have developed such a giving mind, they determine to seek the body of buddhahood; they observe their own bodies to be bound to everything and unable to be independent. Still, they help all sentient beings with their own bodies, like continents of treasure, giving all, causing the unfulfilled to be fulfilled. Thus do enlightening beings care for sentient beings, wishing to cause their own bodies to be the best of monuments, to cause all to become joyful. They want to create an egalitarian, equanimous attitude in the world. They want to be reservoirs of pure coolness for sentient beings. They want to give all peace and happiness to sentient beings. They want to be great donors to sentient beings. They are capable of such magnificent commitments because their knowledge is free and they know the practices carried out by enlightening beings. Proceeding toward omniscience, they vow to become supremely wise fields of blessings. They care for all sentient beings and always follow and protect them, while being able to accomplish their own salvation. Their light of knowledge and wisdom illumines the whole world. They always conscientiously remember the generosity of enlightening beings and always raptly contemplate the sphere of realization of thusness.
“Great enlightening beings dedicate the roots of virtue collected by giving away spouses and children with unbound, unattached, liberated minds in this way: ‘May all sentient beings, abiding in the enlightenment of Buddhahood, produce phantom bodies pervading the cosmos, turning the wheel of teaching that never turns back; may all sentient beings attain the body of nonattachment and go to all buddha-fields by the power of will; may all sentient beings give up the mind of love and hate and sever the knot of greed and anger; may all sentient beings be children of the Buddhas, following the course of the Buddhas; may all sentient beings steadfastly think of the Buddhas as themselves; may all sentient beings always be children of Buddha, born by transformation from the teaching; may all sentient beings reach the ultimate and accomplish the independent knowledge and wisdom of the enlightened; may all sentient beings realize the enlightenment of buddhahood and be forever free of afflictions; may all sentient beings be able to fully expound the way to enlightenment, always blissfully practicing the giving of the unsurpassed teaching; may all sentient beings attain a rightly concentrated mind, their concentration unbroken by any objects; may all sentient beings sit at the tree of enlightenment, attain supreme true awakening, and teach innumerable good men and women born by transformation from the teaching.’ This is enlightening beings’ dedication of roots of goodness when giving spouses and children, to cause sentient beings to all realize the unattached knowledge of unhindered liberation.
“Great enlightening beings give houses and furniture to any who ask for them, practicing the principle of generosity, having no attachments to home, leaving behind all thoughts of home life, fed up with family business, having no craving or taste for comforts and conveniences. Their minds are without ties or attachments; they know the household is fragile, and they disdain it, having no craving for it at all, only wanting to leave home and cultivate the practices of enlightening beings, adorning themselves with the enlightening teachings and qualities of buddhahood. They give up all without regret, always praised by the Buddhas, generously giving whatever they have—houses, goods—wherever they are, without attachment in their minds. When they see beggars come they are joyful, and the enlightening beings dedicate these roots of goodness in this way: ‘May all sentient beings be liberated from the ties of householding, enter homelessness, and cultivate religious practice in Buddhism; may all sentient beings get rid of the taint of miserliness and gladly give all, their minds never shrinking back; may all sentient beings forever detach from householding, have few desires, be content, not storing anything; may all sentient beings leave
the home of conventional society and live in the home of the enlightened; may all sentient beings be free from clinging to home and family, and though they live at home have no attachment in their minds; may all sentient beings be skillful teachers and guides, expounding enlightened wisdom without leaving lay life; may all sentient beings, while physically living at home, mentally always live in accord with Buddha-knowledge; may all sentient beings, while in the state of lay home life, dwell in the state of buddhahood and cause infinite sentient beings to develop joyful minds.’ This is great enlightening beings’ dedication of roots of goodness when giving houses, to cause sentient beings to accomplish the various practical vows and spiritual powers and knowledge of enlightening beings.
“Great enlightening beings give all kinds of gardens, groves, terraces, and pleasant parks, with this thought: ‘I should make a fine grove for all sentient beings; I should show all sentient beings the pleasure of the teaching; I should give all sentient beings joy; I should show all sentient beings boundless enjoyment; I should open the gate of the teaching of purity for all sentient beings; I should cause all sentient beings’ minds to swell with joy; I should cause all beings to attain complete enlightenment; I should cause all beings to fulfill the great vow; I should be like a benevolent father to all sentient beings; I should cause all sentient beings to observe with knowledge and wisdom; I should give all beings the necessities of life; I should be like a loving mother to all sentient beings, nurturing all roots of goodness and great aspirations.’
The Flower Ornament Scripture Page 78