“If great enlightening beings are able to cultivate such pure religious practices for their own sake, then they will be able to do so for the sake of all sentient beings, enabling all sentient beings to attain stability, enabling all sentient beings to attain open understanding, enabling all sentient beings to attain completion, enabling all sentient beings to attain purity, enabling all sentient beings to attain nondefilement, enabling all sentient beings to attain illumination, enabling all sentient beings to be unstained by sense objects, enabling all sentient beings to be free from blinding hindrances, enabling all sentient beings to be freed from inflaming afflictions, enabling all sentient beings to be freed from all bonds, enabling all sentient beings to forever depart from all evils, enabling all sentient beings to be harmless and ultimately pure. Why? If great enlightening beings cannot themselves be pure in religious practice, they cannot cause others to attain purity; if they themselves regress from religious practice, they cannot cause others not to regress; if they themselves are corrupt in religious practice, they cannot cause others to be free from corruption; if they themselves stray from religious practice, they cannot cause others not to stray; if they themselves are lazy in religious practice, they cannot cause others not to slack off; if they themselves have no faith in religious practice, they cannot cause others to have faith; if they themselves do not live steadily by religious practice, they cannot cause others to live steadily; if they themselves have no realization of religious practice, they cannot cause others’ minds to attain realization; if they themselves give up religious practices, they cannot cause others to persevere; if they themselves waver in religious practice, they cannot cause others not to waver. Great enlightening beings act without delusion and teach doctrine that is free from delusion; what they say is truthful, and they practice what they preach. They purify their deeds, words, and thoughts, eliminating all dross and defilements. They abide in unobstructed action and annihilate all hindrances. Great enlightening beings themselves attain pure minds and explain to others ways to purify the mind; they themselves cultivate harmony and tolerance, taming their minds with roots of goodness, and cause others to be harmonious and tolerant, taming their minds with roots of goodness. They themselves get rid of doubt and regret, and also cause others to be forever rid of doubt and regret. They themselves attain pure faith and also cause others to attain indestructible pure faith. They themselves abide by the truth, and also cause others to live by the truth.
“Great enlightening beings also dedicate the roots of goodness arising from giving of teaching in this way: ‘May I attain the infinite means of teaching of all Buddhas and analyze and explain them for all sentient beings, causing them all to rejoice and be satisfied in mind, shattering all false philosophies; may I be able to expound the ocean of teachings of the Buddhas of past, present, and future for all sentient beings, in terms of the upshot of each teaching, the meanings and principles of each teaching, the interpretation of each teaching, the revelation of each teaching, the ways of access to each teaching, the awakening to each teaching, the contemplation and investigation of each teaching, and the field and position of each teaching, attain infinite treasuries of truths, acquiring fearlessness, endowed with all powers of analysis and elucidation, extensively analyzing and explaining for sentient beings, throughout the future, inexhaustibly.’ Because they want to enable all sentient beings to establish transcendent will and develop unhindered, impeccable discernment; because they want to cause all sentient beings to be joyful; because they want to enable all sentient beings to develop the light of all pure principles, unceasingly expounding them in expressions adapted to the type of audience; because they want to cause all sentient beings to be profoundly faithful and joyful, they abide in universal knowledge, discern and comprehend all things, and cause them to be without confusion, thinking in these terms: ‘I should earnestly cultivate practice in all worlds for the sake of sentient beings, attain an infinite free body pervading the cosmos, attain an infinite great mind pervading the cosmos, become endowed with infinite pure speech equal to the realms of the cosmos, appear in sites of enlightenment of infinite congregations throughout the extent of the cosmos, cultivate enlightening practices as infinite as the cosmos, attain stations of enlightening beings as infinite as the cosmos, realize equanimity of enlightening beings as infinite as the cosmos, learn principles of enlightening beings as infinite as the cosmos, live by practices of enlightening beings as infinite as the cosmos, and enter into dedications of enlightening beings as infinite as the cosmos.’ This is great enlightening beings’ dedication of roots of goodness, to cause all sentient beings to be able to attain universal knowledge.
“Great enlightening beings also dedicate roots of goodness to their aspiration to see Buddhas infinite as the cosmos, to tame sentient beings infinite as the cosmos, to maintain buddha-lands infinite as the cosmos, to realize enlightening knowledge infinite as the cosmos, to attain fearlessness infinite as the cosmos, to attain enlightening beings’ inconceivable abodes infinite as the cosmos, to be endowed with virtues infinite as the cosmos, and to fulfill roots of goodness beneficial to sentient beings as infinite as the cosmos. They also pray that by these roots of goodness they will be enabled to attain impartiality of virtue, impartiality of knowledge, impartiality of power, impartiality of fearlessness, impartiality of purity, impartiality of freedom, impartiality of true awakening, impartiality of teaching, impartiality of doctrine, impartiality of certitude, and impartiality of all spiritual powers, fully developing all these qualities and also vowing that all sentient beings should attain them just as they have.
“Great enlightening beings also dedicate roots of goodness in this way: that is, as the cosmos is infinite, so is the dedication of roots of goodness—the wisdom attained is ultimately infinite; as the cosmos is boundless, so is the dedication of roots of goodness, seeing all Buddhas without any bounds; as the cosmos is unlimited, so is the dedication of roots of goodness, going to buddha-fields without limit; as the cosmos has no boundaries, so also is the dedication of roots of goodness, cultivating enlightening practices in all worlds, without boundaries; as the cosmos has no end, so too is the dedication of roots of goodness, abiding in universal knowledge forever without end; as the cosmos is of one nature, so too is the dedication of roots of goodness of the same nature of knowledge as all beings; as the cosmos is inherently pure, so too is the dedication of roots of goodness, causing all sentient beings to ultimately be pure; as the cosmos is adaptive, so too is the dedication of roots of goodness, causing all sentient beings to accord with the practical vows of Universal Good; as the cosmos is adorned, so too is the dedication of roots of goodness, causing all sentient beings to be adorned with the practices of Universal Good; as the cosmos cannot be lost or destroyed, so too is the dedication of roots of goodness, causing all enlightening beings never to lose or destroy pure practices.
“Great enlightening beings also dedicate roots of goodness in this way: ‘By these roots of goodness may we serve all Buddhas and enlightening beings and gladden them all; by these roots of goodness may we quickly attain entry into the essence of universal knowledge; by these roots of goodness may we cultivate omniscience in all places; by these roots of goodness may we cause all sentient beings to always get to go see all the Buddhas; by these roots of goodness may we cause all sentient beings to always see the Buddhas and be able to do buddha-work; by these roots of goodness may we enable all sentient beings to always see the Buddhas and never be lazy about buddha-work; by these roots of goodness may we enable all sentient beings to always see the Buddhas and be joyful and pure in mind and never regress; by these roots of goodness may we enable all sentient beings to always get to see the Buddhas and attain good understanding; by these roots of goodness may we cause all sentient beings to always see the Buddhas and not give rise to clinging attachments; by these roots of goodness may we cause all sentient beings to always see the Buddhas and comprehend withoùt obstruction; by these roots of goodness may we ena
ble sentient beings to always see the Buddhas and accomplish the practices of Universal Good; by these roots of goodness may we cause all sentient beings to always see the Buddhas appearing before them, never leaving them for moment; by these roots of goodness may we cause all sentient beings to always see the Buddhas and produce the infinite powers of enlightening beings; by these roots of goodness may we enable all sentient beings always to see the Buddhas and never forget their teachings.’
“Great enlightening beings also dedicate the roots of goodness in these ways: they dedicate them in conformity with the nonoriginated nature of the cosmos; they dedicate them in conformity with the fundamental nature of the cosmos; they dedicate them in conformity with the inherent essential nature of the cosmos; they dedicate them in conformity with the nonreliant nature of the cosmos; they dedicate them in conformity with the unforgetting nature of the cosmos; they dedicate them in conformity with the empty nature of the cosmos; they dedicate them in conformity with the placeless nature of the cosmos; they dedicate them in conformity with the tranquil nature of the cosmos; they dedicate them in conformity with the immutable nature of the cosmos; they dedicate them in conformity with the undifferentiated nature of the cosmos.
“Great enlightening beings also dedicate the revelations and enlightenment of the giving of teaching, as well as the roots of goodness arising therefrom, in this way: ‘May all sentient beings become enlightening teachers, always in the care of the Buddhas; may all sentient beings become unsurpassed teachers, skillfully establishing all sentient beings in universal knowledge; may all sentient beings become indefatigable teachers, never stymied by challenging questions; may all sentient beings be unobstructed teachers, attaining the unobstructed light of all truths, may all sentient beings be teachers with a treasury of knowledge, able to skillfully explain all Buddha teachings; may all sentient beings become teachers with the freedom of the enlightened ones and be able to skillfully analyze the knowledge of the enlightened; may all sentient beings be teachers with the eye of thusness, explaining the truth without depending on the instruction of another; may all sentient beings become teachers who remember all the teachings of Buddhas, expounding them in accord with their principles, not deviating from the meaning of their expressions; may all sentient beings become teachers practicing the signless path, adorning themselves with subtle characteristics, emanating immeasurable light, skillfully entering into all truths; may all sentient beings become great-bodied teachers, their bodies pervading all lands, creating great clouds of teaching, showering the Buddha-teachings; may all sentient beings become teachers preserving the treasury of the teachings, setting up the banner of invincibility, preserving the Buddha-teachings, causing the ocean of true teaching not to diminish; may all sentient beings become teachers who are suns of all truths, attain the powers of analysis and elucidation of Buddhas, and skillfully explain all truths; may all sentient beings become teachers with skill in means of vocal expression, skillfully explaining the boundless treasury of the realm of truth; may all sentient beings become teachers who have arrived at the other shore of the doctrine, opening up the treasury of teaching with the spiritual powers of knowledge; may all sentient beings become teachers stably abiding by the true teaching, and expound the ultimate knowledge of the enlightened; may all sentient beings become teachers who have thoroughly comprehended all the teachings, able to explain infinite, inexhaustible virtues; may all sentient beings become teachers who don’t deceive the world, able with skill in means to enter reality; may all sentient beings become teachers destroying the throngs of demons, able to be well aware of all workings of demons; may all sentient beings become teachers accepted by the Buddhas and get rid of the mind taken in by ego and possessiveness; may all sentient beings become teachers pacifying all worlds, accomplishing the will power of teaching of truth of enlightening beings.’
“Great enlightening beings also dedicate roots of goodness in this way: they do not dedicate them because of attachment to deeds, they do not dedicate them because of attachment to rewards, they do not dedicate them because of attachment to mind, they do not dedicate them because of attachment to things, they do not dedicate them because of attachment to events, they do not dedicate them because of attachment to cause, they do not dedicate them because of attachment to words and speech, they do not dedicate them because of attachment to names, phrases, and statements, they do not dedicate them because of attachment to dedication, they do not dedicate them because of attachment to benefiting sentient beings.
“Great enlightening beings also dedicate roots of goodness in this way: they do not dedicate them because of involvement in forms, they do not dedicate them because of involvement in sounds, smells, tastes, feelings, or things, they do not dedicate them to seek birth in heaven, they do not dedicate them to seek pleasure, they do not dedicate them because of attachment to objects of desire, they do not dedicate them in hopes of getting followers, they do not dedicate them in quest of rulership, they do not dedicate them for the sake of mundane happiness, they do not dedicate them because of attachment to life, they do not dedicate them because of enjoyment of existences, they do not dedicate them in search of the pleasures of union, they do not dedicate them because of seeking that which one may be fondly attached to, they do not dedicate them because of maliciousness, they do not dedicate them for that which would destroy roots of goodness, they do not dedicate them because of dependence on the world, they do not dedicate them because of attachment to stages of meditation, liberation, or concentration, they do not dedicate them because of dwelling in the vehicles of Buddhas’ disciples and self-enlightened people—they only dedicate them to edify and pacify all sentient beings, to fulfill all-knowledge, to attain unobstructed knowledge, to attain unhindered pure roots of goodness, to cause all sentient beings to transcend birth and death and realize great knowledge, to cause the great determination for enlightenment to be adamant and unbreakable, to accomplish the method of ultimate immortality, to adorn the lineage of Buddhas with infinite adornments, to reveal the freedom of universal knowledge, to seek enlightening beings’ great spiritual superknowledge clarifying all things, to carry out the practice of Universal Good in all buddha-fields throughout the space of the cosmos, completely fulfilling it without regressing, don the strong, durable armor of great vows and cause all sentient beings to abide in the realm of Universal Good, to liberate sentient beings throughout the future without resting, and show the unobstructed light of the stage of universal knowledge, forever uninterrupted.
“When great enlightening beings dedicate these roots of goodness, they dedicate them in these frames of mind: they dedicate roots of goodness with mindfulness of the equality of fundamental nature, with mindfulness of the equality of the essence of things, with mindfulness of the equality of the infinity of all sentient beings, with mindfulness of the equality of noncontradiction, with mindfulness of the equality of nonproduction of inherent nature, with a mind knowing all things without disturbance, with a mind entering into the equality of past, present, and future, with a mind producing the seed nature of Buddhas of all times, with a mind that has attained undiminishing spiritual powers, with a mind producing and maturing practical applications of universal knowledge.
“Also, they dedicate the roots of goodness to cause all sentient beings to forever leave behind all hells, to cause all sentient beings not to enter into animalistic dispositions, to cause sentient beings not to go to the realm of ghosts, to cause all sentient beings to get rid of all factors hindering enlightenment, to cause all sentient beings to fulfill all roots of goodness, to cause all sentient beings to be able to expound the teaching in accord with the time and bring joy to all, to cause all sentient beings to enter the sphere of the ten powers, to cause all sentient beings to fulfill the boundless pure ways and vows of enlightening beings, to cause all sentient beings to follow the instructions of all good spiritual teachers so the vessel of the determination for enlightenment may be fulfilled, to cause all sentient beings to a
bsorb, retain, and apply the most profound Buddha teachings and attain the light of knowledge of all Buddhas, to cause all sentient beings to cultivate the unobstructed practices of enlightening beings and always be in their presence, to cause all sentient beings to always see the Buddhas appearing before them, to cause all sentient beings to always be in the presence of the pure light of the truth, to cause the fearless great determination for enlightenment to always be present in all sentient beings, to cause the inconceivable knowledge of enlightening beings to always occur to all sentient beings, to cause all sentient beings to everywhere rescue and safeguard living beings and cause the pure mind of great compassion to always be present, to cause all sentient beings to adorn all buddha-fields with unspeakably many superb ornaments to cause all sentient beings to obliterate all ensnaring doings of conflict provoked by all demons, to cause all sentient beings to cultivate enlightening practices in all buddha-fields without relying on anything, to cause all sentient beings to develop knowledge of all means of liberation and enter the wide doors of all Buddha teachings.
“Great enlightening beings also dedicate these roots of goodness with purity of right mindfulness; with certainty of knowledge; knowing all the methods and expedients of the Buddhas’ teachings; in order to accomplish immeasurable unobstructed knowledge; desiring to fulfill pure transcendent aspirations; by virtue of abiding kindness toward all sentient beings; by virtue of abiding compassion for all sentient beings; by virtue of abiding joy for all sentient beings; by virtue of abiding equanimity toward all sentient beings; in order to forever abandon attachment to duality and to live by supreme roots of goodness; in order to ponder, investigate, distinguish, and explain all aspects of interdependent origination; in order to establish the mind marked by great courage; in order to establish the treasury of invincibility; in order to demolish the hordes of demons; in order to attain unobstructed mindfulness of the purity of all things; in order to cultivate all enlightening practices without regressing; in order to attain the mind that happily seeks the supreme truth; in order to attain the free pure omniscient mind happily seeking all virtuous qualities; in order to fulfill all wishes and remove all conflict, attain free, pure, unobstructed buddhahood and expound the nonregressive teaching for all sentient beings; in order to become adorned by the hundreds of thousands of light beams of the sun of knowledge of the supreme truth of the enlightened ones and illumine the sentient beings of all realms; in order to tame all sentient beings, always satisfying them according to their pleasures, not giving up their original vows throughout all time, listening to the true teaching, cultivating its great practice, attaining the undefiled light of pure wisdom, getting rid of all conceit, dissolving all afflictions, breaking the net of craving, destroying the darkness of delusion, and fulfilling the undefiled unobstructed teaching; in order to always cultivate the practice of universal knowledge through incalculable eons for the sake of all beings, without regressing, causing each to attain unobstructed wisdom, and manifest the autonomous spiritual powers of the Buddhas without cease.
The Flower Ornament Scripture Page 86