Fascicle 1

The naming of this rite as "The Hall of Compassion," these four characters, came about through a response received in a dream. Since the World-Honored Maitreya's kindness rises to its height in this very age, and his compassion will reach its fullness in the kalpa to come, this rite is named according to that very fact, and the name is not to be altered. Relying on the power of this intention, we wish to protect the Three Jewels, causing Māra to be hidden away and subduing those swollen with pride and arrogance; causing those who have not yet planted wholesome roots to plant them now, and those who have already planted them to grow further; causing all who reckon they have attained something and cling to their views to give rise to a mind of release; causing those who delight in the lesser teaching to no longer doubt the greater, and those who delight in the greater teaching to give rise to joy. This compassion, moreover, is the king among all wholesome things, the very place to which every living being turns for refuge — like the sun illuminating the day, like the moon illuminating the night, it is the eye of every person, the guide of every person, the parent of every person, the sibling of every person, and together we turn to this rite as our true and good companion. The closeness of compassion outweighs even flesh and blood, following us life after life, never parting even in death — and for this reason we set our minds equally upon it, and give it the title set out above. Today, the assembly gathered at this rite, both hidden and manifest, establishes this repentance rite and gives rise to the great mind through twelve great causes and conditions. What are these twelve? First, the vow to transform all beings of the six destinies, a mind without limit or measure. Second, to repay the kindness of compassion, a merit without limit or measure. Third, by this wholesome power, to cause all living beings to receive the Buddha's precepts without giving rise to a mind that transgresses them. Fourth, by this wholesome power, to cause all living beings to give rise to no arrogant mind toward their elders and superiors. Fifth, by this wholesome power, to cause all living beings, wherever they are born, to give rise to no mind of hatred. Sixth, by this wholesome power, to cause all living beings to give rise to no mind of jealousy toward another's body or beauty. Seventh, by this wholesome power, to cause all living beings to give rise to no mind of stinginess regarding any teaching, inward or outward. Eighth, by this wholesome power, to cause all living beings, whatever merit they cultivate, to do so not for themselves, but entirely for the sake of all who have no shelter or protection. Ninth, by this wholesome power, to cause all living beings to practice the four means of gathering others not for their own sake. Tenth, by this wholesome power, to cause all living beings, upon seeing one who is solitary, imprisoned in darkness, or ill, to give rise to a mind of rescue and relief, that they may attain peace and joy. Eleventh, by this wholesome power, that whichever beings ought to be subdued be subdued, and whichever beings ought to be gathered in and received be gathered in and received. Twelfth, by this wholesome power, to cause all living beings, wherever they are born, to constantly and continually recollect and give rise to the awakening-mind, so that this awakening-mind may continue without ever being broken off. We look up and pray that the assembly of hidden and manifest beings, ordinary and noble alike, may together extend their protection and together receive us, so that we, the disciples — here each should speak his own name, and this convention applies in every case that follows — may have what we confess made pure and what we vow fulfilled, equal to the mind of all the Buddhas, one with the vow of all the Buddhas, so that beings of the six destinies and four modes of birth may all follow along and fulfill the vow of awakening. To purify the three kinds of karma: to purify the body, one should bathe; to purify speech, one should praise the Buddha's merit; to purify the mind, one should set it in motion toward confession. Only once the three kinds of karma are purified may we then fix our minds and take refuge in the Three Jewels, the great and compassionate father. [Contents of Fascicles 1–2:] Refuge in the Three Jewels, first. Resolving Doubt, second. Confession, third. Arousing the Awakening-Mind, fourth. Making the Vow, fifth. Arousing the Mind of Dedication, sixth.

Today, the assembly gathered together in this common practice — each of us should arouse a mind of awakening, reflecting that the world is impermanent, that this form cannot long endure, that youth and vigor must inevitably decline. Let none of us rely on our appearance to indulge in defiled conduct. All things are impermanent and must return to death — in all the heavens above and the earth below, who can remain forever? The bloom of youth, the freshness of the skin, the fragrance of the breath — none of these can be kept safe within this body. Whatever comes together in a human life must in the end wear away and be destroyed; birth, old age, sickness, and death arrive with no fixed hour — who is there to drive them back on our behalf? Calamity arrives suddenly and cannot be escaped; the noble and the humble alike come, in the end, to this same death. The body swells and rots, its stench unbearable — what use is it, then, to cherish it in vain? Unless we diligently practice what is truly excellent, there is no way to escape. We disciples reflect on ourselves: our form is like the morning dew, our life passes as swiftly as the light of the setting sun in the west; born into this world poor and lacking, we have no virtue worth the name — no wisdom with the brilliance of a sage or a great being, no understanding with the penetrating insight of the noble ones, no words with the beauty of loyalty, harmony, benevolence, and goodness, no conduct with the proper measure of advance and retreat, high and low. And yet we have wrongly set our resolve to this task, wearying the benevolent and troubling this great assembly to bow before us — shame and dread fill our hearts together. Since this Dharma-assembly has its appointed term, and what we long for cannot now be recalled, from this parting on, may each of us strive with diligence, applying our minds morning and evening to offering our reverence in person, each person adding to their own diligence — this alone is our true joy. We look up and pray that this whole assembly, each holding fast to this resolve, may don the armor of patience and enter this profound gate of the Dharma. Today, the assembly gathered together in this common practice — each of us should earnestly and solemnly arouse a mind of courage, a mind free of heedlessness, a mind settled and abiding, a great mind, a mind of excellence, a mind of great compassion, a mind that delights in goodness, a mind of joy, a mind of gratitude, a mind that delivers all beings, a mind that guards all beings, a mind that rescues and protects all beings, a mind equal to the bodhisattvas, a mind the same as the Tathāgatas — and with this single mind and resolve, prostrate ourselves fully to the ground, on behalf of kings and rulers, the lands and their peoples, our parents and teachers, good and evil companions of high, middle, and low station, all the gods and immortals, the Four Heavenly Kings who guard the world, the dragon-kings of the five directions and the eightfold host of dragon-spirits who reward good and punish evil, and, extending it out endlessly to the ten directions without limit, every living being possessed of spirit and consciousness throughout the realms of water, land, and air. We take refuge in all the Buddhas throughout the ten directions and the whole reach of empty space — one bow. We take refuge in all the venerable Dharma throughout the ten directions and the whole reach of empty space — one bow. We take refuge in all the sages and worthies throughout the ten directions and the whole reach of empty space — one bow. Today, the assembly gathered together in this common practice — why must we take refuge in the Three Jewels? The Buddhas and bodhisattvas possess a great compassion without limit or measure, delivering the world from suffering, and a great loving-kindness without limit or measure, comforting the world; they regard every living being as an only child, their great kindness and compassion never wavering, forever seeking what is good for the benefit of all, vowing to extinguish the fire of the three poisons in every being, teaching and transforming them until they attain unsurpassed, perfect awakening. Should living beings fail to attain buddhahood, they vow never to accept true awakening themselves. For this reason, we must take refuge in them. Moreover, the Buddhas' compassionate regard for living beings surpasses even that of parents. The sūtra says: "A parent's love for a child lasts only for a single lifetime, but the Buddha's compassionate mind toward living beings is without end. Moreover, when parents see their child turn against their kindness and betray what is right, resentment arises in their hearts, and their compassion grows thin. The compassionate mind of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas is not so — seeing such a being, their heart of sorrow only grows heavier, even to the point of entering the great wheel of fire in the hell of unceasing torment, to bear immeasurable suffering in that being's place." From this we know that the Buddhas and great bodhisattvas cherish living beings even more than a parent does. And yet living beings, their wisdom covered by ignorance and their minds obstructed by affliction, do not know to turn toward the Buddhas and bodhisattvas; even when the Dharma is taught to instruct them, they do not believe or accept it, and go so far as to slander it with coarse words, never once giving rise to a thought of gratitude for the Buddhas' kindness. Because of this disbelief, they fall among the hells, the hungry ghosts, and the animals, and every kind of evil destiny, passing through the three evil paths in full, undergoing immeasurable suffering. When their fault is at last exhausted and they escape, they are born for a brief time among humans, but their faculties are incomplete and cannot adorn themselves properly; they have no water of meditative concentration, no power of wisdom — and every one of these obstructions comes from the lack of a believing mind. Today, the assembly gathered together in this common practice — the fault of disbelief stands above every other fault, for it alone can keep a practitioner from ever seeing the Buddha for a very long time. Let us together today, each with real resolve, break down our own stubbornness and subdue our own feelings, giving rise to a mind of exalted resolve and a heart of shame, bowing our heads to the ground and begging for mercy in confessing our past faults. Only once the accumulated weight of karma is exhausted, inside and out alike made pure, can we then turn our thoughts and enter the gate of faith and refuge. If we do not arouse a mind such as this, and set such a resolve in motion, then I fear we will be cut off and obstructed, unable to pass through, and once we lose this direction, we will vanish into darkness with no way back. How, then, can each of us fail to prostrate fully to the ground like a great mountain collapsing, our whole mind turned to faith and refuge, with no trace of doubt remaining? We disciples, today, through the power of the compassionate mind of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, have at last begun to awaken, and a deep sense of shame has arisen in us. Whatever fault we have already committed, we pray that it be entirely dissolved; whatever fault we have not yet committed, we dare not commit it now. From this day forward, until we reach awakening, we arouse a firm and unshakable faith, never to retreat from it again. We disciples vow: whatever body we take up after giving up this life — whether born in the hell-destiny, or the hungry-ghost destiny, or the animal destiny, or the human destiny, or the heavenly destiny; whether, within the three realms, we receive a male body, a female body, or a body that is neither male nor female; whether great or small, whether rising or falling — however great the oppression and torment we must undergo, however hard to bear and hard to endure, we vow never, because of such suffering, to let this faith we hold today fall away. Rather than lose this faith, we would gladly undergo every kind of suffering across a thousand, ten thousand kalpas; we vow never, because of such suffering, to let this faith we hold today fall away. We look up and pray that the Buddhas and great bodhisattvas may together extend their rescue and together receive us, so that we, the disciples, may have our faith made firm, equal to the mind of all the Buddhas, one with the vow of all the Buddhas, unable to be destroyed by any demon or heterodox teaching — and together, with one mind, in the same anguish of resolve, we prostrate ourselves fully to the ground. We take refuge in all the Buddhas throughout the ten directions and the whole reach of empty space — one bow. We take refuge in all the venerable Dharma throughout the ten directions and the whole reach of empty space — one bow. We take refuge in all the sages and worthies throughout the ten directions and the whole reach of empty space — one bow. Today, the assembly gathered together in this common practice — listen well, with a mind carefully composed. This world of gods and humans is an illusion, a deception, empty and false; because this illusion and deception are not real, it bears no true fruit, and because it is false and fragile, it changes and shifts without end. Because it bears no true fruit, beings remain long mired in the flow of birth and death; because it constantly shifts and changes, they remain long adrift on the vast sea of love and suffering. Living beings caught in this way are held in sorrowful regard by the sages. This is why the Compassionate Flower Sūtra says: "Every bodhisattva who attains buddhahood does so according to his own original vow." Śākyamuni chose not to manifest a long life, but shortened it instead — grieving that living beings change and transform in an instant, sinking for so long in the sea of suffering with no way to leave it, he therefore remained in this world to save its wicked and depraved. His teaching includes words that are stern and severe, for he does not spare beings the suffering in order to deliver them, and yet there has never been a moment when his mind of skillful, beneficent rescue through wholesome means was absent. This is why the Samādhi Sūtra says: "The mind of the Buddhas is great compassion. What great compassion takes as its object is the suffering of living beings. Whenever the Buddha sees a being undergoing suffering and affliction, it is as though an arrow pierced his heart, as though his very eyes were shattered. Seeing this, he weeps in sorrow, his mind never at ease for a moment, wishing only to draw out that suffering and bring the being to peace and joy." And though all the Buddhas share equal wisdom and their transformative work is the same, Śākyamuni alone is singled out for his courage, for his ability to endure suffering in order to deliver living beings. We should know that the kindness of our fundamental teacher is truly profound, for in the midst of suffering and afflicted beings he spoke words of every kind for the benefit of all. Today we ourselves have not yet received liberation — looking forward, we cannot hear the teaching of his very voice; looking back, we cannot see the light that once shone beneath the twin śāla trees — and this is truly because our karmic obstruction stands between us and his compassion. Let us together, today, arouse a heart of sorrowful longing, and because of this sorrowful longing for the Tathāgata, let our wholesome mind grow rich and deep. Being now in the midst of suffering, remembering the Tathāgata's kindness, we weep and grieve, our faces flushed with shame, choking with sorrow together as one — and with this same anguish, we prostrate ourselves fully to the ground, and with sincere mind, dedicate this on behalf of: kings and rulers, the lands and their peoples, our parents and teachers, the faithful donors who provide our support, good and evil companions, the gods and immortals bright and upright, the Four Heavenly Kings who guard heaven, earth, and the reaches of empty space, the dragon-kings of the five directions and the eightfold host of dragon-spirits who reward good and punish evil, and, extending it out endlessly to the ten directions without limit, every living being — and once again: We take refuge in all the Buddhas throughout the ten directions and the whole reach of empty space — one bow. We take refuge in all the venerable Dharma throughout the ten directions and the whole reach of empty space — one bow. We take refuge in all the sages and worthies throughout the ten directions and the whole reach of empty space — one bow. Let us together, with sincere mind, kneel with palms joined, and speak with mind and voice together, saying: Prostrating fully to the ground, let each of us reflect and say: "We look up and pray that the Three Jewels of the ten directions, by the power of compassion, by the power of their original vows, by their power of great supernatural ability, by their inconceivable power, by their power of boundless mastery, by their power to deliver living beings, by their power to shelter and protect living beings, and by their power to comfort living beings, may cause all living beings to awaken and come to understanding. We disciples, today, take refuge in the Three Jewels on their behalf, that by the power of this merit, all living beings may each attain what they wish. If they dwell among the gods or immortals, may their every defilement be exhausted; if they dwell among the asuras, may they cast off the habit of pride; if they dwell in the human realm, may they suffer no more; if they dwell in the hell, hungry-ghost, or animal destinies, may they be freed and released at once. And moreover, whether they have heard the names of the Three Jewels today or have not heard them, may the Buddha's supernatural power cause all living beings to attain complete liberation, to accomplish unsurpassed awakening at last, and to ascend together with all the bodhisattvas to true awakening." One bow.

Today, the assembly gathered together in this common practice — listen closely, with a single mind. Cause and effect, response and reflection, arise from and answer one another — this is a necessary principle, and there is no error in it. Yet the karmic conduct of living beings is impure, good and evil alternating within it; and because this karma is impure, its retribution comes out refined or coarse, noble or humble, good or evil, in every kind of unequal variety. Since such variation exists, and beings do not understand its underlying working, this failure to understand gives rise to confusion and doubt. Some say: one who diligently keeps the precepts ought to gain a long life, and yet we see him die young; one who slaughters and kills ought to see his years cut short, and yet, on the contrary, his life is extended. A person of pure integrity ought to be rewarded with abundance, and yet we see him poor and suffering; a person given to greed and theft ought to be brought to ruin, and yet he grows only more prosperous. Who among us has never had such a doubt arise? And yet we do not realize that this all comes from the causes planted by karma in the past. Consider, too, what the Prajñāpāramitā makes clear: if one who reads and recites this sūtra is looked down upon and despised by others, this person's karmic fault from a former life ought to have caused him to fall into an evil destiny — but because he is despised by people in this present life, that former karmic fault is thereby dissolved instead. The reason living beings cannot deeply believe the sūtra's words, and give rise to this very doubt, is entirely because ignorance and delusion give rise to false, inverted thinking. Beings likewise do not believe that what lies within the three realms is suffering, nor do they believe that what lies beyond the three realms is joy; steeped always in the world, they call it joy in every instance. But if it is truly joy, why does suffering keep arising within it? Overindulge in food and drink, and illness results — the breath grows short and labored, the belly swells and cramps in pain. Consider clothing as well, and one finds only further worry and toil: in the cold, put on garments too thin, and the deprivation is felt keenly; in the heat, put on heavy furs, and the suffering runs deep already. If this is truly joy, why does it give rise to such distress? Hence we know that food, drink, and clothing are not truly joy at all. Or one might say that one's family and kin are a joy — then surely one should be able to laugh and delight with them forever, without end. Why, then, does impermanence arrive so suddenly, taking them away in an instant — here just now, and gone; present a moment ago, and vanished now — so that one cries out to heaven and beats the earth, one's very liver and heart torn to pieces? And not knowing where birth comes from or where death leads, one carries one's grief all the way to the desolate mountain to see the dead off, holding their hand for one long parting, a single farewell across ten thousand kalpas. Sufferings of this kind are without measure, and yet living beings, deluded in their view, call them joy — while the very causes of the joy that lies beyond this world, they call suffering instead. Or one sees another who eats only simple vegetables, restrained and disciplined in his meals at the proper hour, giving up soft and fine things for the coarse robe of discarded rags — and calls this an unnatural, self-imposed hardship, not knowing that this very practice is the path of liberation. Or one sees another practicing giving, keeping the precepts, patience, diligence, walking meditation, prostration, and recitation, earnest and unflagging — and calls this suffering too, not knowing that this is the very cultivation of a mind that transcends the world. Should illness or the day of death then arrive, doubt at once arises: "To labor this body and mind all day long without a moment's rest — how can a person's strength bear such a thing? If one did not toil so hard, would one really come to this ruin? One has thrown away one's very life and body for nothing, and gained no benefit from it." Some hold to just such a view themselves, believing the reasoning to be sound. Not knowing how to trace the effect back to its cause, they wrongly construct this very confusion for themselves. If such a person meets a good companion, this confusion can be dispelled; but if he meets a bad companion, his foolishness only deepens further. Because of this very doubt, he falls into the three evil destinies — and once in an evil destiny, what good can regret possibly do? Today, the assembly gathered together in this common practice — every cause and condition behind this doubt is without measure, and even the habitual tendency toward doubt is not fully exhausted until one has left the three realms behind entirely — how, then, could it simply vanish all at once in this present body? If it is not cut off in this life, it will only grow further in the next. Let this whole assembly, together, as we now walk this long road and practice these austerities ourselves, rely on the Buddha's own words and cultivate exactly as he taught, and not, out of doubt, excuse ourselves from the effort as too wearisome. The reason the Buddhas and sages were able to leave birth and death behind and cross over to the far shore is entirely because of the merit they accumulated through goodness, and so they attained unobstructed, sovereign liberation. We ourselves, today, have not yet left birth and death behind, and this alone is cause for grief — how, then, could we bear to remain contentedly in this evil world? Now, fortunately, our four elements have not yet declined, and the five blessings are still ours in good health; we can move about and act as we please — and if we do not now make the effort, what else are we waiting for? In our past life we already failed to see the truth, and if we now throw away this present life for nothing again, gaining no realization, by what means shall we be delivered in the life to come? Searching our own hearts on this, we find truly sorrowful feeling within. This assembly, today, should only urge one another to strive with diligent effort, and not say again, "Let us take things easy for now." The noble path is long and far, and cannot be accomplished in a single morning — and if we let one such morning pass and then another, when will what needs to be done ever be done? Now, should one, through reciting sūtras, sitting in meditation, and diligently practicing austerities, fall into some minor illness, one is quick to say that this was brought on by the diligence of one's own practice and recitation — not realizing that, had one not taken up this practice, one would likely have already met one's end, and it is precisely because of this practice that one has lived to see today. Moreover, the rising and falling of the four elements and the occurrence of illness are simply the ordinary course of things, and even old age and death cannot be avoided — a human life in this world comes, in the end, to wearing away and destruction all the same. If we wish to attain the Way, we should rely on the Buddha's own words — there has never been a case of attaining it by going against them. It is precisely because all living beings go against the Buddha's words that they turn through the three evil paths, undergoing ten thousand sufferings in full. If we follow the Buddha's words instead, without any rest, diligent in every practice as though putting out a fire on our own head, we shall not let this one life pass with nothing gained. Let us together, every one of us, with this same anguish of resolve, prostrate ourselves fully to the ground like a great mountain collapsing, on behalf of every spirit possessed of consciousness from time immemorial down to this present body — our parents through every life, our kin across every kalpa, our preceptors and instructors, the venerable witnesses of high, middle, and low station who share this very platform with us, the faithful donors who provide our support, good and evil companions, the gods and immortals, the Four Heavenly Kings who guard the world, the dragon-kings of the five directions and the eightfold host of dragon-spirits who reward good and punish evil, and, extending it out endlessly to the ten directions without limit, every living being — and take refuge in the great and compassionate father of the world. Homage to the Buddha Maitreya. Homage to the Buddha Vipaśyin. Homage to the Buddha Śikhin. Homage to the Buddha Viśvabhū. Homage to the Buddha Krakucchanda. Homage to the Buddha Kanakamuni. Homage to the Buddha Kāśyapa. Homage to the Buddha Śākyamuni. Homage to the Bodhisattva of Boundless Body. Homage to the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara. We further take refuge in all the Three Jewels throughout the ten directions and the whole reach of empty space. We pray that, by the power of compassion, they may together receive us, and, by the power of their supernatural ability, shelter, protect, and draw us to safety, so that from this day forward, until we reach awakening, the four immeasurable minds and the six perfections may always stand present before us, and the four unhindered forms of knowledge and the six supernormal powers be ours according to our own free will, that we may walk the bodhisattva path, enter the Buddha's own wisdom, and, transforming the ten directions together, ascend together to true awakening. One bow. Today, the assembly gathered together in this common practice — once again, with utmost sincerity, let us hold our minds and thoughts well. We have already entered the gate of faith and refuge together, and should now simply set our intention on moving forward, no longer creating obstacles in matters within or without. If our own karma is unclear, we may not be able to create merit ourselves — but upon seeing another do so, we should only encourage and praise it, snapping our fingers and joining our palms to make plain our support for their virtue. We ought not to give rise to a mind that creates various obstacles, causing that practitioner's heart to falter and retreat. For if he does not retreat, and advances just as before, he himself loses nothing — it is only we ourselves who suffer the loss, having stirred up conflict for nothing, to no benefit of our own. Whoever is able to place no obstacle before another's goodness may truly be called a person of power in accord with the Way. But whoever creates such an obstacle now — how could he ever hope to penetrate the Buddha's path in the world to come? Considered by principle, the harm done is truly severe, and the fault of obstructing another's wholesome root is genuinely no light matter. As the Sūtra on Guarding the Mouth relates: there was once a hungry ghost, hideous and ugly in form, whom no one could see without their hair standing on end in terror. Fierce flames poured from its body like a blazing fire; from its mouth came an endless stream of maggots; pus and blood and every kind of decay adorned its very body, and its stench reached so far that no one could come near it. At times flame burst from its mouth and every limb caught fire, and it would cry out, wailing, and run wildly in every direction. At that time an arhat of full accomplishment asked the hungry ghost: "What fault of yours in the past has brought you to suffer like this now?" The hungry ghost answered: "Long ago I was once a monk, but I clung to my own comfort and possessions, stingy and greedy, unwilling to let go; I did not guard my dignified conduct, and my speech was coarse and foul. Whenever I saw someone who kept the precepts and practiced with diligence, I would revile and insult him, glaring at him with a hateful eye. Relying on my own arrogant strength, I supposed I would never die, and thus created a root of countless unwholesome deeds — and now, remembering it, my regret can accomplish nothing. Better to have cut out my own tongue with a sharp blade, and gladly endured suffering from kalpa to kalpa, than to have spoken even a single word slandering another's goodness. Venerable one, when you return to Jambudvīpa, use my very form as a warning to every monk and every disciple of the Buddha — let them well guard the faults of their mouth, and not speak carelessly. Should they see one who keeps the precepts or one who does not, let them think only to proclaim that person's virtue. I have borne this ghost's body now for several thousand kalpas, undergoing bitter torment day and night without rest, and when this life comes to its end, I shall fall into the hells besides." Having said this, the hungry ghost cried out, wailing, and threw itself to the ground like a great mountain collapsing. Today, the assembly gathered together in this common practice — as the sūtra describes, this is truly a thing to be feared: from the fault of the mouth alone, such retribution is incurred across many kalpas — how much more so, then, from every other root of unwholesomeness! To give up this body and undergo suffering is always the result of the karma one has made — if the cause is not made, how could the effect ever come to be? Whatever cause is created, its effect is never lost; fault and merit are never far off, and one must bear them oneself, just as a shadow or an echo can never be set aside. Beings are born through ignorance, and they die through it as well; among those, past, present, and future, who indulge in heedlessness, none has ever been seen to attain liberation. But whoever is able to guard against it receives blessing without end. This assembly, today, should each feel shame, wash the body and mind clean, and confess and repent our past faults, putting an end to the old without creating anything new — this is what all the Buddhas praise. Let us, together, from this day forward, whenever we see another's goodness, pay no mind to whether it succeeds or fails, whether it lasts long or briefly — for even a single thought, a single moment, a single hour, a single day, a single month, half a year, or a full year of such goodness already surpasses the one who does nothing at all. This is why the Lotus Sūtra says: "If a person, even with a distracted mind, enters a stūpa or a shrine and utters a single 'Homage to the Buddha,' he has already accomplished the path of buddhahood." How much more, then, should one who is able to arouse such a great mind and strive diligently in blessed goodness — and yet finds no joy in it — be held in sorrowful regard by the sages! We disciples reflect on ourselves: since beginningless birth and death until this very day, we must surely have harbored countless evil thoughts obstructing others' excellent goodness. Why do we say this? Were it not so, how is it that today we find so many obstacles standing in the way of every wholesome practice — unable to cultivate meditative concentration, unable to cultivate wisdom, calling even a brief period of prostration already a great hardship, growing weary and reluctant the moment we hold a sūtra scroll, stirring up every kind of evil karma through our restlessness all day long, so that this very body and form of ours cannot attain liberation — like a silkworm spinning its own cocoon, binding and entangling itself, like a moth flying into the flame, scorching itself through the long night. Obstructions of this kind are immeasurable and boundless, obstructing the awakening-mind, obstructing the awakening-vow, and obstructing the awakening-conduct — and all of it comes from an evil mind that has slandered another's goodness. Only now do we begin to awaken to this, and a great shame arises in us; we bow our heads to the ground and beg for mercy in confessing this fault. We pray only that the Buddhas and great bodhisattvas, with a compassionate mind, may together extend their supernatural power, so that whatever we, the disciples, confess may be dissolved, and whatever we repent be made pure, so that every obstruction and every immeasurable karmic fault may, through this confession today, be entirely purified without remainder. Let us together, every one of us, with this same anguish of resolve, prostrate ourselves fully to the ground, and take refuge in the great and compassionate father of the world. Homage to the Buddha Maitreya. Homage to the Buddha Śākyamuni. Homage to the Buddha of Wholesome Virtue. Homage to the Buddha of Sorrowless Virtue. Homage to the Buddha of Sandalwood Virtue. Homage to the Buddha of Jeweled Giving. Homage to the Buddha of Boundless Radiance. Homage to the Buddha of Flower Virtue. Homage to the Buddha of Marked Virtue. Homage to the Buddha of the Three-Vehicle Practice. Homage to the Buddha of Vast Multitudinous Virtue. Homage to the Buddha of Bright Virtue. Homage to the Bodhisattva Who Plays as a Lion. Homage to the Bodhisattva of the Lion's Vigorous Leap. Homage to the Bodhisattva of Boundless Body. Homage to the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara. We further take refuge in all the Three Jewels throughout the ten directions and the whole reach of empty space in this way. Let us together kneel with palms joined, each speaking our own name, and say with mind and voice: We disciples, since beginningless birth and death until this very day, have not yet been able to attain the Way; in receiving this retributive body, we have not been free of the four elements, and the three poisons have blazed within us, greed, hatred, and jealousy, giving rise to every kind of evil karma. Seeing another give, seeing another keep the precepts, we ourselves have been unable to rejoice with them. Seeing another practice patience, seeing another practice diligence, we ourselves have been unable to practice these, and unable to rejoice with them. Seeing another sit in meditation and cultivate wisdom, we ourselves have been unable to practice this, and unable to rejoice with them. Faults of this kind are immeasurable and boundless; today we confess them, and pray that they be dissolved. Furthermore, from beginningless time until this very day, whenever we have seen another do good and cultivate merit, we have been unable to rejoice with them. In walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, our four postures have carried no sense of shame; arrogant and idle, we have given no thought to impermanence, not knowing that, once this body is given up, we ought to enter the hells for it. Toward another's body and appearance we have given rise to every kind of ill will, obstructing others from establishing the Three Jewels and making offerings, obstructing others from cultivating every kind of merit — obstructions and faults of this kind are immeasurable and boundless. Today we confess them, and pray that they be dissolved. Furthermore, from beginningless time until this very day, not believing that the Three Jewels are a true refuge, we have obstructed others from leaving home to become monastics, obstructed others from keeping the precepts, obstructed others from giving, obstructed others from patience, obstructed others from diligence, obstructed others from sitting in meditation, obstructed others from reciting sūtras, obstructed others from copying sūtras, obstructed others from making images, obstructed others from holding vegetarian feasts, obstructed others from making offerings, obstructed others from ascetic practice, obstructed others from walking the path — extending even to obstructing the very smallest goodness of another. Not believing that leaving home is a means of departing far from the world, not believing that patience is a practice of peace and joy, not knowing that equanimity is the path of awakening, not knowing that departing from clinging to appearances is the mind that transcends the world — we have brought it about that, wherever we are born, we meet with many obstructions. Faults and obstructions of this kind are immeasurable and boundless, known and seen only in their fullness by the Buddhas and great bodhisattvas. Whatever measure of fault the Buddhas and bodhisattvas know and see in us, today, in shame, we lay it bare and confess it, and pray that every cause of fault and every bitter fruit be dissolved. From this day forward, until we sit at the very seat of awakening, may we walk the bodhisattva path without ever growing weary, may our giving of both wealth and Dharma never come to an end, may our wisdom and skillful means never act in vain, and may everything we see and hear lead only to liberation. Let us together, with sincere mind, prostrate ourselves fully to the ground. We look up and pray that all the Buddhas, great bodhisattvas, and sages of the ten directions, with a compassionate mind, may together extend their supernatural power, so that all living beings of the six destinies, through this rite of confession today, may have every one of their many sufferings cut off entirely, depart from every inverted condition, and give rise to no evil thought; may they abandon the karma of the four evil destinies and give rise to wisdom, walking the bodhisattva path without rest, their practice and vow soon perfected, swiftly ascending the ten grounds, entering the vajra-mind, and accomplishing true and equal awakening. One bow. Today, the assembly gathered together in this common practice — the sūtra says: "What binds one in the state of an ordinary being is called bondage; what frees one in the state of a sage is called release." Bondage is precisely the evil that the three kinds of karma give rise to; release is precisely the unhindered good. Every sage rests his mind in this very release, his spiritual wisdom and skillful means opening boundless gates of Dharma, clearly understanding the good and evil karma of every living being. He can, with a single body, produce countless bodies; with a single form, manifest every kind of transformation; he can compress a whole kalpa into a single day, or extend a single day into a whole kalpa; should he wish to halt his own lifespan, it will never come to an end, and should he wish to manifest impermanence, he displays his own entry into nirvāṇa; his supernormal power and wisdom appear and vanish freely, he flies wherever he pleases, sits and lies in empty space, and walks on water as though on solid ground, seeing no danger in it at all; he dwells ultimately in emptiness and stillness, penetrates the ten thousand dharmas so that emptiness and existence are both made clear to him, and accomplishes an eloquence and a wisdom without measure. Qualities such as these are not born from evil karma, not born from greed, hatred, and jealousy, not born from foolishness and wrong view, not born from laziness and idleness, and not born from arrogance and self-indulgence — they are born only from carefulness in avoiding every evil deed and diligence in wholesome practice. Where, then, has anyone ever seen a person who cultivates every wholesome practice and follows the Buddha's own word, and yet is poor and destitute, ugly and deformed, crippled and beset by a hundred illnesses without any freedom of movement, lowly and despised by others, or unable to have his own words believed? I now offer my own body as proof: if there is even a single person who follows the Buddha's own word and cultivates merit not for his own sake, and yet receives an evil retribution for it, then I would rather have my own body enter the hell of Avīci and undergo every kind of suffering there — but that such a person should receive an evil retribution: there is no such possibility. Today, the assembly gathered together in this common practice — if we wish to leave the state of the ordinary being behind and enter that of the sage, we should rely on the Buddha's own word and cultivate exactly as he taught, and not, out of reluctance for some small hardship, give rise to a lazy and slothful mind, but should strive with our own effort to confess and dissolve our faults. The sūtra says: "Fault arises from causes and conditions, and is also extinguished through causes and conditions." Since we have not yet escaped the ranks of the ordinary being, we remain deeply confused at every turn, and unless we rely on confession, there is no way to escape it. Let us together, today, arouse a courageous mind and give rise to the intention to confess. The power of confession is inconceivable. How do we know this is so? King Ajātaśatru committed the gravest of rebellious crimes, and yet, through shame and repentance, he received his heavy retribution lightly instead. This very rite of repentance, moreover, brings every practitioner to peace and joy. If one is able, through one's own effort, to bare one's sincerity to the utmost, bowing the head to the ground in confession and taking refuge until the very end, and yet fails to move the Buddhas in response — there has never been such a case. Let each of us, with sincere mind and this same anguish of resolve, prostrate ourselves fully to the ground, and speak with mind and voice together, saying: from afar we entreat the Buddhas to extend their compassionate regard together. Homage to the Buddha Maitreya. Homage to the Buddha Śākyamuni. Homage to the Buddha Vajra-Indestructible. Homage to the Buddha of Jeweled Radiance. Homage to the Buddha King, Honored Among Dragons. Homage to the Buddha of Diligent Armies. Homage to the Buddha of Diligent Joy. Homage to the Buddha of Jeweled Fire. Homage to the Buddha of Jeweled Moonlight. Homage to the Buddha Who Manifests Without Folly. Homage to the Buddha of the Jeweled Moon. Homage to the Buddha Without Stain. Homage to the Buddha Who Has Left Stain Behind. Homage to the Bodhisattva of the Lion's Banner. Homage to the Bodhisattva of the Lion's Deeds. Homage to the Bodhisattva of Boundless Body. Homage to the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara.

We further take refuge in all the Three Jewels throughout the ten directions and the whole reach of empty space, praying only that they come without fail to have pity on the suffering of our three poisons, and grant us peace, joy, and the great nirvāṇa. May they wash away our defilement with the water of great compassion, bringing us at last, upon reaching awakening, to complete purity; and may every being of the six destinies and four modes of birth who bears this same fault attain purity together, accomplishing unsurpassed, perfect awakening and complete liberation. Let us together, with sincere mind, in this same anguish of resolve, prostrate ourselves fully to the ground, and speak with mind and voice: we disciples, from beginningless time until this very day, have been covered by ignorance, entangled by the emissary of craving, and bound by hatred, fallen into the net of folly, passing through the three realms and traversing all six destinies in full, sinking in the sea of suffering, unable to pull ourselves free. Not recognizing the causes and conditions of our past karma, whether destroying our own pure livelihood or another's, destroying our own pure conduct or another's, destroying our own pure precepts or another's — faults and evils of this kind are immeasurable and boundless. Today, in shame, we confess them, and pray that they be dissolved. We disciples, once again with utmost sincerity, prostrate ourselves fully to the ground. Furthermore, from beginningless time until this very day, through body, speech, and mind, we have committed the ten evil deeds — in body, killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct; in speech, false speech, flowery speech, divisive speech, and harsh speech; in mind, greed, hatred, and delusion — committing the ten evils ourselves, instructing others to commit the ten evils, praising the ten evil deeds, and praising those who commit the ten evil deeds, so that within a single thought, forty kinds of evil arise at once. Faults of this kind are immeasurable and boundless; today we confess them, and pray that they be dissolved. We disciples, once again with utmost sincerity, prostrate ourselves fully to the ground. Furthermore, from beginningless time until this very day, relying on the six sense-faculties, acting through the six consciousnesses, and grasping at the six sense-objects, the eye has been attached to form, the ear to sound, the nose to smell, the tongue to taste, the body to smoothness and softness, and the mind to mental objects, giving rise to every kind of karma, extending even to the opening of the eighty-four thousand gates of worldly affliction. Faults and evils of this kind are immeasurable and boundless; today we confess them, and pray that they be dissolved. We disciples, once again with utmost sincerity, prostrate ourselves fully to the ground. Furthermore, from beginningless time until this very day, through body, speech, and mind, we have acted without impartiality — knowing only that we have a body, and not knowing that others have bodies too; knowing only that we suffer, and not knowing that others suffer too; knowing only to seek our own peace and joy, and not knowing that others seek it too; knowing only to seek our own liberation, and not knowing that others seek it too; knowing only that we have our own household and kin, and not knowing that others have kin as well; knowing only that we ourselves cannot bear even a single itch or ache, while beating another's body, we constantly fear only that the pain we inflict is not deep enough; knowing only to fear the small suffering of this present body, and not knowing to fear the evil karma that, once this body is given up, will surely cause us to fall into the hells and undergo every suffering there in full — and not even knowing of the various sufferings that exist among the hungry ghosts, the animals, the asuras, humans, and gods. Because of this lack of impartiality, the thought of "I" and "mine" arises, and the notion of enemy and friend is born, so that enmity spreads throughout all six destinies. Faults of this kind are immeasurable and boundless; today we confess them, and pray that they be dissolved. We disciples, once again with utmost sincerity, prostrate ourselves fully to the ground. Furthermore, from beginningless time until this very day, our mind has been inverted, our perception inverted, our view inverted — keeping distant from good companions and drawing close to bad companions, turning our backs on the eightfold noble path and walking the eightfold wrong path, calling what is not the Dharma the Dharma, and calling the Dharma not the Dharma, calling what is not good good, and calling what is good not good, raising the banner of arrogance, spreading the sail of foolishness, following the current of ignorance into the sea of birth and death. Faults and evils of this kind are immeasurable and boundless; today we confess them, and pray that they be dissolved. We disciples, once again with utmost anguish, prostrate ourselves fully to the ground. Furthermore, from beginningless time until this very day, through the three unwholesome roots, we have given rise to the four inverted views, committed the five heinous crimes, practiced the ten evils, blazed with the three poisons, and nourished the eight sufferings, creating the causes for the eight cold hells and eight hot hells, creating the causes for the eighty-four thousand lesser cell-hells, creating every cause for the animal realm, creating every cause for the hungry-ghost realm, and creating every kind of suffering-cause of birth, old age, sickness, and death among humans and gods, receiving in the six destinies immeasurable bitter fruit, hard to bear and unbearable to hear or see. Faults and evils of this kind are immeasurable and boundless; today we confess them, and pray that they be dissolved. We disciples, once again with utmost anguish, prostrate ourselves fully to the ground, begging for mercy and repenting our transgressions. Furthermore, from beginningless time until this very day, through the roots of the three poisons, we have given rise to the three realms of existence, passing through all twenty-five forms of existence within them, giving rise to every kind of evil in every place, following the winds of karma without any awareness of it, at times obstructing others from keeping the precepts, cultivating concentration, and cultivating wisdom, at times obstructing others from cultivating merit and cultivating supernormal powers. Faults and obstructions of this kind obstruct the awakening-mind, obstruct the awakening-vow, and obstruct the awakening-conduct. Today we confess them, and pray that they be dissolved. We disciples, once again with utmost anguish, prostrate ourselves fully to the ground. Furthermore, from beginningless time until this very day, through a mind of greed and craving, we have constructed the six consciousnesses, and, following the six sense-objects, given rise to many faults — whether arising toward living beings or toward what is not a living being, whether arising toward an undefiled person or toward an undefiled dharma. Faults and evils of this kind, arisen from greed and hatred, today we confess, and pray that they be dissolved. And a mind of foolishness has given rise to inverted conduct, trusting in false teachers and accepting false teachings, clinging to annihilationism, clinging to eternalism, clinging to a self, clinging to views, giving rise to immeasurable fault through following the workings of this delusion. Causes and conditions of this kind obstruct the awakening-mind, obstruct the awakening-vow, and obstruct the awakening-conduct. Today we confess them, and pray that they be dissolved. We disciples, once again with utmost sincerity, prostrate ourselves fully to the ground. Furthermore, from beginningless time until this very day, through the three evil deeds of the body, the four evil deeds of speech, and the three evil deeds of mind, arising from the beginningless afflictions of the ground of ignorance, the afflictions above the countless sands of the river, the afflictions that obstruct calming, the afflictions that obstruct insight, the afflictions of the four abiding-grounds, the three poisons, the four kinds of grasping, the five hindrances, the six cravings, the seven fluxes, the eight defilements, the nine fetters, and the ten latent tendencies — every one of these afflictions and obstructions is immeasurable and boundless, obstructing the awakening-mind, obstructing the awakening-vow, and obstructing the awakening-conduct. Today we confess them, and pray that they be dissolved. We disciples, once again with utmost sincerity, prostrate ourselves fully to the ground. Furthermore, from beginningless time until this very day, we have been unable to cultivate a mind of loving-kindness and compassion, unable to cultivate a mind of sympathetic joy and equanimity, unable to cultivate the perfection of giving, the perfection of moral discipline, the perfection of patience, the perfection of diligence, the perfection of meditative concentration, or the perfection of wisdom, and unable, moreover, to cultivate any of the practices that assist awakening. Lacking any skillful means in this way, lacking any wisdom, we have obstructed the awakening-mind, obstructed the awakening-vow, and obstructed the awakening-conduct. Today we confess this, and pray that it be dissolved. We disciples, once again with increasing anguish, prostrate ourselves fully to the ground. Furthermore, from beginningless time until this very day, turning through the three realms, passing through all six destinies in full and receiving bodies of every one of the four modes of birth, whether male or female, neither male nor female, we have given rise to immeasurable fault in every place — whether as a great-bodied being devouring and being devoured by others, or as a small-bodied being devouring and being devoured by others. Karma of killing of this kind is immeasurable and boundless, obstructing the awakening-mind, obstructing the awakening-vow, and obstructing the awakening-conduct. Today we confess it, and pray that it be dissolved. We disciples, once again with utmost sincerity, prostrate ourselves fully to the ground. Since the very first moment we possessed consciousness until this very day, receiving bodies of all four modes of birth within the six destinies, the evils we have given rise to in between are without end and without limit. Faults of this kind are known and seen in their fullness only by all the Buddhas and great bodhisattvas of the ten directions. Whatever measure of evil the Buddhas and bodhisattvas know and see in us, today, with sincere mind, we bow our heads to the ground, beg for mercy, and confess it in shame; whatever fault we have already committed, we pray that it be entirely dissolved, and whatever fault we have not yet committed, we dare not commit it now. We look up and pray that all the Buddhas of the ten directions, with a mind of great compassion, may accept our confession today, and, with the water of great compassion, wash away every defiling fault that obstructs our awakening, bringing us at last, upon reaching the very seat of awakening, to complete purity. We further pray that all the Buddhas of the ten directions, by their inconceivable power, by the power of their original vows, by their power to deliver living beings, and by their power to shelter and protect living beings, may cause us, the disciples, to vow today to arouse the awakening-mind — and that from this day forward, until we sit at the seat of awakening, this resolve may be established once and for all, never to retreat from it again, every vow we make becoming one with the vows that the bodhisattvas themselves have carried out. We look up and pray that all the Buddhas, great bodhisattvas of the ten directions, with a compassionate mind, may together receive us, so that we, the disciples, may attain the fulfillment of the awakening-vow just as we have wished it, and that every living being may likewise, each one, fully attain and fulfill the awakening-vow.