Ten Kinds of Unbreakable Faith
Fascicle twenty-four opens with the second of the ten dedications: the indestructible dedication. Vajra Banner Bodhisattva describes a bodhisattva who attains unbreakable faith toward every buddha of the past, future, and present, toward every bodhisattva no matter how newly they have begun the path, toward every buddha's own Dharma and teaching, and toward every living being — ten distinct objects of faith, each declared unbreakable in turn.
Faith That Cannot Be Broken
Where the first dedication opened with vows of rescue, the second opens with faith — ten distinct kinds, each named as unbreakable. The list moves outward in scope: faith in every buddha, then in every bodhisattva regardless of how recently they gave rise to the aspiration for awakening, then in the Dharma and teaching themselves, then in every living being met with an equal eye of loving-kindness, and finally in the inconceivable spiritual powers and skillful means of buddhas and bodhisattvas alike.
「佛子！云何為菩薩摩訶薩不壞迴向？「佛子！此菩薩摩訶薩於去、來、今諸如來所得不壞信，悉能承事一切佛故；於諸菩薩，乃至初發一念之心求一切智，得不壞信，誓修一切菩薩善根無疲厭故；於一切佛法得不壞信，發深志樂故；於一切佛教得不壞信，守護住持故；於一切眾生得不壞信，慈眼等觀，善根迴向，普利益故；
"Child of the Buddha! What is called the bodhisattva mahāsattva's indestructible dedication? Child of the Buddha! This bodhisattva mahāsattva attains unbreakable faith toward every Tathāgata of the past, future, and present, being entirely able to serve every buddha; toward bodhisattvas, even one who has only just given rise to a single thought seeking all-knowing wisdom, they attain unbreakable faith, vowing to cultivate every bodhisattva's own wholesome roots without ever tiring; toward the Dharma of every buddha, they attain unbreakable faith, giving rise to a profound aspiration and joy; toward the teaching of every buddha, they attain unbreakable faith, guarding, protecting, and upholding it; toward every living being, they attain unbreakable faith, regarding them equally with the eye of loving-kindness, dedicating wholesome roots, and universally benefiting them;
於一切白淨法得不壞信，普集無邊諸善根故；於一切菩薩迴向道得不壞信，滿足殊勝諸欲解故；於一切菩薩法師得不壞信，於諸菩薩起佛想故；於一切佛自在神通得不壞信，深信諸佛難思議故；於一切菩薩善巧方便行得不壞信，攝取種種無量無數行境界故。
toward every pure and undefiled dharma, they attain unbreakable faith, universally gathering boundless wholesome roots; toward the path of dedication of every bodhisattva, they attain unbreakable faith, fully satisfying every excellent aspiration and understanding; toward every bodhisattva Dharma-teacher, they attain unbreakable faith, giving rise to the thought of a buddha toward every bodhisattva; toward the sovereign spiritual powers of every buddha, they attain unbreakable faith, deeply believing that every buddha is inconceivable; toward every bodhisattva's own skillful means and conduct, they attain unbreakable faith, gathering in every kind of immeasurable and countless domain of conduct.
"Toward every bodhisattva Dharma-teacher, they attain unbreakable faith, giving rise to the thought of a buddha toward every bodhisattva" is one of the list's more demanding items — it asks not merely for respect toward teachers, but for the same regard given to a buddha, extended to any bodhisattva regardless of their own visible attainment. Paired with the second item's faith toward one who has "only just given rise to a single thought" seeking wisdom, the passage refuses to let faith be calibrated to how advanced a person appears.
Part 225 Complete
This closes Part 225. Chapter 25 continues in Part 226 with the second dedication's further explanation, describing what this unbreakable faith allows the bodhisattva to accomplish.