Fascicle 5

Today, the assembly gathered together in this common practice — every living being carries grudges and enmities. How do we know this? If there were no grudges and enmities, there would be no evil destinies. Since the evil destinies never cease, and the three evil paths boil on without end, we know that grudges and enmities are truly without limit. The sūtra says: every living being possesses a mind, and whoever possesses a mind can attain buddhahood. And yet the thoughts of living beings are inverted; sunk for so long in the sleep of birth and death, they cannot awaken, clinging to the world and not knowing the essential way out, establishing the very root of suffering and nourishing the root of enmity — and this is why they turn through the three realms of existence, passing back and forth through the six destinies, discarding one body and taking up another without a moment's rest. Why is this so? Every living being, since beginningless time, has passed down a darkened consciousness from one life to the next, covered by ignorance and drowned in the waters of craving, giving rise to the root of the three poisons and the four inverted views. From the root of the three poisons arise the ten afflictions; relying on the view of a self, the five views arise; relying on the five views, the sixty-two views arise; relying on body, speech, and mind, the ten evil deeds arise — 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 oneself, instructing others to commit the ten evils, praising the ten evil deeds, and praising those who commit the ten evil deeds, so that, relying on body, speech, and mind in this way, forty kinds of evil arise. Relying further on the six faculties, one craves the six sense-objects, extending even to the broad opening of the eighty-four thousand gates of worldly affliction. Within a single thought, the sixty-two views arise; in the space of a single thought, the forty kinds of evil are committed; within a single thought, the eighty-four thousand gates of worldly affliction are opened. How much more, then, the many faults committed in a single day, a single month, a single year, a whole lifetime, across many kalpas! Faults and evils of this kind are immeasurable and boundless, and grudges and enmities follow one after another without end. And yet living beings, bound up with their own folly, their wisdom covered by ignorance and their minds obstructed by affliction, are unaware of this themselves. Their thoughts inverted, they do not believe the sūtras' teaching, do not rely on the Buddha's own word, do not know how to dissolve enmity, and do not hope for liberation — and if enmity is repaid with enmity in this way, when will liberation ever come? They cast themselves into the evil destinies like a moth flying into a flame, undergoing immeasurable suffering through the long night of many kalpas. And even should their karma at last run its course and they return to the human realm, such evil people never once reform themselves. This is precisely why the sages arouse great compassion — for the sake of living beings caught in enmity such as this. We ourselves, together, having aroused the awakening-mind and walking the bodhisattva path — for the great bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, rescuing beings from suffering is their very provision, dissolving enmity is their essential practice, and never abandoning living beings is their very foundation — we ourselves, today, do just the same: arousing a courageous mind, arousing a compassionate mind, a mind equal to the Tathāgatas', relying on the power of the Buddhas, we raise the banner of this rite and strike the drum of ambrosia, take up the bow of wisdom and grasp the firm arrow, and, on behalf of every enmity of the three periods of time throughout the four modes of birth and six destinies, our parents, teachers, and every degree of kin, we dissolve every grudge and enmity, entirely giving up whatever fault has already been committed, and vowing never to create the enmity that has not yet arisen. We look up and pray that all the Buddhas and great bodhisattvas, by the power of compassion, the power of their original vows, and their supernormal power, may together extend their shelter, subdue, and receive us, so that every immeasurable enmity of the three periods of time, from this day forward until we reach awakening, may have its grudges dissolved and its enmities resolved, never to give rise to enmity again, and every suffering may be cut off once and for all. Let us together, with sincere mind, in this same anguish of resolve, prostrate ourselves fully to the ground, on behalf of the enmities of the three periods of time among gods, humans, and the six destinies, and our parents, teachers, and every kin, 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 Good Intention. Homage to the Buddha Who Has Left Stain Behind. Homage to the Buddha of the Moon's Mark. Homage to the Buddha of Great Renown. Homage to the Buddha of the Jeweled Topknot. Homage to the Buddha of Awesome Might. Homage to the Buddha of the Lion's Stride. Homage to the Buddha of the Tree of Virtue. Homage to the Buddha Who Contemplates and Explains. Homage to the Buddha of Gathered Wisdom. Homage to the Buddha Who Abides in Peace. Homage to the Buddha of Intention. Homage to the Buddha Aṅgada. Homage to the Buddha of Boundless Intention. Homage to the Buddha of Wondrous Form. Homage to the Buddha of Abundant Wisdom. Homage to the Buddha of Brightness. Homage to the Buddha of Firm Precepts. Homage to the Buddha of Auspiciousness. Homage to the Buddha of the Jeweled Mark. Homage to the Buddha of the Lotus. Homage to the Buddha Nārāyaṇa. Homage to the Buddha of Peace and Joy. Homage to the Buddha of Accumulated Wisdom. Homage to the Buddha of Virtuous Reverence. Homage to the Bodhisattva of Firm and Courageous Diligence. Homage to the Bodhisattva of Vajra Wisdom. 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. May every enmity of the three periods of time, and every being of the six destinies now bearing such enmity, by the power of the Buddha, the power of the Dharma, and the power of the sages, attain liberation entirely. Should any being of the six destinies be owed such requital, or not yet have received it, may they never again enter the evil destinies, never again turn a hateful mind toward one another, and never again inflict cruelty and poison upon each other; may all be given up entirely, with no notion of enemy or friend remaining; may every fault and transgression be dissolved, and every enmity attain liberation, all minds joined in harmony as water blends with milk, every joy like that of the first ground; may their lives be without end, their bodies and minds forever at peace, born at will into heavenly palaces and pure lands, their clothing arriving the moment they think of it, their food arriving the moment they wish for it, with no more sound of enmity or weeping; may their four limbs never be assailed by change, and their five faculties never be defiled by the dust of confusion; may every goodness gather together and every evil be dissolved in competition with it, arousing the Great Vehicle and cultivating the bodhisattva practice, the four immeasurables and six perfections all fully complete, discarding the retribution of birth and death and together accomplishing true and equal awakening. Today, the assembly gathered together in this common practice — what, then, is the root of enmity, the very root of suffering? The eye craves form, the ear craves sound, the nose craves fragrance, the tongue craves flavor, the body craves smoothness and softness, and one is constantly bound by these five sense-objects — this is why, through the long night of many kalpas, one cannot attain liberation. And moreover, our six degrees of kin and every one of our family are themselves the very root of our enmity across the three periods of time. Every enmity arises out of closeness — where there is no closeness, there is no enmity, and to be free of closeness is precisely to be free of enmity. Why is this so? If two people each dwelt in different places, far apart in distant lands, such two people would never give rise to a hateful, resentful mind. That resentment arises at all is entirely because of closeness — through the root of the three poisons, people irritate one another, and because of this irritation, a resentful mind frequently arises, so that family and kin quickly come to hold expectations of one another — a parent expecting something of a child, or a child expecting something of a parent, and brothers and sisters are all just the same, holding expectations of one another, resenting one another, giving rise to anger over the smallest displeasure. Should there be wealth or treasure that kin compete for, on the day of poverty there was at first no such worry — and yet the more one obtains, the more one feels it is too little, the more one gains, the more one feels unsatisfied; a hundred requests granted a hundred times bring no gratitude, while a single disappointment increases resentment. And so a person harbors an evil thought and gives rise to an estranged mind, binding grudges and connecting calamities life after life without end. Reasoning in this way, the enmities of the three periods of time are, in truth, no strangers at all — they are entirely our own kin and family. We should know that our very family is itself a gathering of enmity — how, then, could each of us fail to repent earnestly? Let each of us, with sincere mind, prostrate ourselves fully to the ground, on behalf of every spirit possessed of consciousness from time immemorial down to this present day — our parents through every life, our kin across every kalpa, wherever we have bound enmity within the six destinies, whether the debt has been repaid or not, whether light or grave — today, whether they dwell in the hell-destiny, the animal-destiny, the hungry-ghost destiny, the asura-destiny, the human destiny, the heavenly destiny, or the destiny of immortals, or whether they now stand present among our own family — for every such enmity of the three periods of time, and each of their kin, we disciples, today, with a compassionate mind and no notion of enemy or friend, equal to the mind of all the Buddhas, one with the vow of all the Buddhas, universally dedicate this on their behalf, 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 Brahmā's Virtue. Homage to the Buddha of the Jeweled Accumulation. Homage to the Buddha of the Heavenly Flower. Homage to the Buddha of Excellent Reflection. Homage to the Buddha, Sovereign of the Dharma. Homage to the Buddha of Renowned Intention. Homage to the Buddha of the Gathering of Joyful Speech. Homage to the Buddha of the Vajra Mark. Homage to the Buddha Who Seeks Benefit. Homage to the Buddha Who Plays with Supernormal Power. Homage to the Buddha Who Has Left Darkness Behind. Homage to the Buddha, Renowned in Heaven. Homage to the Buddha of Mount Meru's Mark. Homage to the Buddha of Many Lights. Homage to the Buddha, Treasury of Jewels. Homage to the Buddha of the Utmost Lofty Conduct. Homage to the Buddha Tiṣya. Homage to the Buddha of the Pearl's Horn. Homage to the Buddha Praised for Virtue. Homage to the Buddha of Sun-and-Moon Brightness. Homage to the Buddha of Constellations. Homage to the Buddha of the Sun's Brightness. Homage to the Buddha of the Lion's Mark. Homage to the Buddha King Vairāma. Homage to the Buddha, Treasury of Blessing. Homage to the Bodhisattva Who Casts Off the Hindrances. Homage to the Bodhisattva of Tranquil Faculties. 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. We pray that, by the power of the Buddha, the power of the Dharma, the power of the great bodhisattvas, and the power of all the sages, our parents and kin, we disciples — whoever among the six destinies bears such enmity with us, and each of their kin — may all gather together at this very rite at the same time, to confess our former faults together and dissolve every grudge and enmity. Should there be any whose bodily form is confined and unable to come, we pray that, by the power of the Three Jewels, their very spirit may be drawn here to arrive together with the rest, to receive our confession today, we the disciples, so that every enmity may be granted liberation. Let the whole assembly at this rite, each and every one, speak with mind and voice: we disciples, since beginningless consciousness until this very day, toward our parents through every life, our kin across every kalpa, our aunts and uncles both maternal and paternal, and every degree of kin within and without, have, through the roots of the three poisons, committed the ten evil deeds — whether from ignorance or from disbelief, giving rise, because of this ignorance, to every kind of grudge, so that even toward our own parents and kin, extending to every being of the six destinies, we have incurred enmity. 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, whether through hatred, through craving, or through folly, we have created every kind of fault from the roots of the three poisons. Faults and evils of this kind are immeasurable and boundless; in shame we confess them, and pray that they be forgiven and let go. Furthermore, from beginningless time until this very day, whether over farmland, over a dwelling, or over money and wealth, we have given rise to the karma of enmity, even inflicting killing upon our own kin because of it. Matters of this kind, in every variety, cannot all be told, and the enmity thus arisen has known no end. Today, in shame, we lay it bare and confess it, praying that our parents, our six degrees of kin, and every family member, with a compassionate mind, accept our confession, giving up everything entirely, with no trace of resentment remaining — extending even to theft, sexual misconduct, false speech, the five heinous crimes, and the ten evils, none left uncommitted, our deluded and inverted thoughts clinging to every object and creating every kind of fault. Faults of this kind are immeasurable and boundless. Whether toward our parents, our brothers and sisters, or our aunts and uncles and their kin, extending from the time we first possessed consciousness until this very day, whatever fault we have committed toward our own kin, and its bitter fruit, and however many kalpas of enmity and grudge we have incurred — only the Buddhas and great bodhisattvas of the ten directions know and see this in its fullness. Whatever measure of fault and however many kalpas of enmity the Buddhas and bodhisattvas know and see in us, yet to be received as requital in the ages to come, we disciples, today, our faces flushed with shame, choking with grief, reproach ourselves in sorrow, vowing to correct what is past and cultivate what is to come, and dare not commit it again. We pray only that our parents and kin, with a gentle mind, a harmonious mind, a mind that delights in goodness, a mind of joy, a mind of protection, a mind equal to the Tathāgatas', accept our confession today, giving up everything entirely, with no notion of enemy or friend remaining. We further pray that, should our parents and kin bear enmity anywhere among the six destinies, every being of the six destinies may likewise together give it up entirely, so that every enmity of the three periods of time may be exhausted at once. From this day forward, even to the very seat of awakening, may they forever leave behind the three evil paths and be free of the suffering of the four evil destinies, all joined in harmony as water blends with milk, all unhindered as empty space itself, forever becoming kin in the Dharma and compassionate family, each cultivating boundless wisdom, fully accomplishing every merit, courageous and diligent without rest, walking the bodhisattva path without ever growing weary, equal to the mind of the Buddhas, one with the vow of the Buddhas, attaining the Buddha's three mysteries and the fivefold Dharma-body, and, ultimately, unsurpassed awakening, accomplishing true and equal awakening.

Today, the assembly gathered together in this common practice — together we have now dissolved the enmity toward our parents; next we should dissolve the grudges and enmities toward our teachers and masters. Even the great sages, since their attainment is not yet perfectly complete, and even in reaching the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas, still undergo the passing away of the three marks — even the Tathāgata himself still made use of stern words, so that evil beings might be awakened through them. And if one whose virtue and clarity transform beings still made use of such words, how much more should the ordinary and foolish, whose reasoning is far from a pure realm? Now, good and evil lie mixed together, not yet made clear and distinct — how, then, could one suddenly be free of the faults of the three kinds of karma? If, upon hearing what is said, one truly feels shame, and reproaches oneself deeply for the kindness and virtue of one's teachers and masters, one need not be alarmed or suspect that ill will is meant. The sūtra says: even one who has left home is not free of every affliction and has not attained liberation, and one should not therefore say there is no evil left in him; and a lay person should not therefore say there is no good in him at all. But let us set this matter aside, and turn to what the sūtra itself says. The Buddha told the assembly: "You should reflect on the kindness of your teachers and masters. Though your parents gave birth to you, raised you, and instructed you, they could not free you from the three evil paths. Your teachers and masters, out of great compassion, guide the ignorant child forward, enabling him to leave home and receive the full precepts — this is to carry the very embryo of an arhat and give birth to the fruit of an arhat, leaving behind the suffering of birth and death and attaining the joy of nirvāṇa. Since teachers and masters possess kindness and virtue of this world-transcending kind, who could ever repay it in full? Even should one practice the Way to the end of one's life, this would only benefit oneself — it would not be enough to repay a teacher's kindness." The Buddha said: "Among all the good friends in the world, none surpasses one's own teacher and master." Today, the assembly gathered together in this common practice — as the Buddha has taught, our teachers and masters possess kindness and virtue such as this. And yet we have never once given rise to the thought of repaying their kindness; or, when instructed, we fail to believe and accept it, going so far as to slander them with coarse words, wrongly stirring up controversy and causing the Buddha-dharma itself to decline. How could faults of this kind ever be escaped? The bitter retribution of the three evil paths has no one to bear it in our place, and when we at last give up this life, longing to leave suffering behind and return to joy, our spirit will be stricken with anguish, our mind confused and dim, our six consciousnesses dulled and our five faculties failing — wishing to walk, the feet will not move; wishing to sit, the body cannot support itself; even wishing to hear the Dharma spoken, the ears will hear nothing more; wishing to behold some excellent sight, the eyes will see nothing more. At such a time, even if we then think to perform this very rite of confession, how could it possibly be done? There will be nothing left but the immeasurable suffering of the hells, and such bitter retribution is always one's own doing, to be borne by oneself alone. This is why the sūtra says: the foolish, relying on themselves, disbelieve in calamity, slandering their teacher, defaming their teacher, hating their teacher, and envying their teacher — people such as this are the great demons within the Dharma, the very seed of the hells, binding their own enmity and receiving its retribution without end. Consider the monk Huaguang, skilled in expounding the essentials of the Dharma, who had a disciple forever filled with arrogance and pride; whenever his teacher taught him, he never once believed or accepted it, and said outright: "My great teacher has no wisdom at all — he can only praise matters as empty as the sky. I hope never again to have the misfortune of seeing him in my next life." And so this disciple called the Dharma not the Dharma, and called what was not the Dharma the Dharma; though he kept the precepts without transgression, because of this very misunderstanding, when his life ended, in the time it takes an arrow to fly, he fell into the hell of Avīci, and for eighty koṭis of kalpas underwent great suffering there without ceasing. Today, the assembly gathered together in this common practice — as the sūtra describes, how could each of us fail to arouse great dread? Merely uttering one evil word against one's own preceptor brought a fall into the hell of Avīci for eighty koṭis of kalpas — how much more, then, for the evil karma we have created toward our own preceptors from the time we left home until this very day, its fault immeasurable, so that giving up this body and form to the same fate is beyond any doubt. Why is this so? Our preceptors and instructors constantly add to our instruction, and yet we have never once practiced as the Dharma teaches; toward our various teachers and masters we have given rise to disobedience time and again; or we have received their generosity without ever being satisfied; the teacher grows angry at the disciple, or the disciple resents the teacher, joy and anger without measure across the three periods of time — faults of this kind cannot be counted or reckoned. The sūtra says: give rise to a single thought of hatred, and the enmity it produces is without measure. Enmity of this kind is not confined to one's own family alone — the resentment between teacher and disciple, master and student, can be just as severe. Furthermore, those who share the same quarters and dwell together, of high, middle, and low station, fail to believe deeply that leaving home is itself a means of departing far from the world, do not know that patience is a practice of peace and joy, do not know that equanimity is the path of awakening, and do not know that departing from clinging to appearances is the mind that transcends the world. Teacher and disciple, dwelling in the same quarters together, their accumulated karma not yet exhausted, oppose one another, and a mind of anger and contention arises confusedly between them — this is why, life after life, they cannot achieve harmony. Moreover, among those who have left home, whether fellow students of the same subject or disciples under the same teacher, when their understanding differs and the day of advancement comes, poison and hatred are harbored, without ever saying to oneself that it is only because of accumulated wisdom from past habituation that another has such merit while I lack such a wholesome root. Hearing or seeing another's glory, an unsettled nature stirs, and a defiled mind quickly gives rise to feelings of superiority or inferiority, provoking contention more often than achieving harmony, unable to think generously of others while dwelling humbly oneself, resenting one another instead; failing to examine one's own faults, one speaks only of another's shortcomings. Or, through the three poisons, they slander one another, with no mind of loyalty and trust, no thought of reverence — how, then, could there be any room left to remember that this violates the Buddha's own precept? Extending even to raising the voice, shouting, cursing, and using foul language, the instruction of teachers and masters is met with no belief or acceptance at all. Those of high, middle, and low station each harbor resentment, and because of this resentment, dispute one another further. Among the evil destinies, much of the enmity found there belongs to precisely this kind — teacher and disciple, fellow students dwelling together, high, middle, and low station — a single thought of resentment giving rise to enmity without measure. This is why the sūtra says: in this present life, a slight thought of resentment and mutual hatred grows, in the life to come, ever more severe, until it becomes a great enmity — how much more so, then, the evil karma accumulated over a whole lifetime? Today, the assembly gathered together in this common practice — none of us knows in which destiny we ourselves have already given rise to such grudges and enmities toward our teachers and masters of high, middle, and low station; enmity of this kind knows no end, no fixed term of years, and no measure of kalpas, and when the time comes to undergo its suffering, it will be unbearable. This is why the great bodhisattva-mahāsattvas abandon the mind of enemy and friend, depart from the very notion of enemy and friend, and receive all beings with a compassionate mind, impartially. We, together, today, having already aroused the awakening-mind and the awakening-vow, should now practice what the bodhisattvas themselves practice: the four immeasurable minds, the six perfections, the four means of gathering others, and the four universal vows. Just as the Buddhas and bodhisattvas themselves practice, we too should practice today, treating enemy and friend with equal impartiality, unhindered in every way. From this day forward, until we reach awakening, we vow to rescue and protect every living being, bringing them ultimately to the single vehicle. Let us together, with sincere mind, prostrate ourselves fully to the ground, on behalf of every preceptor and instructor with whom we have borne enmity since first possessing consciousness, through every life we have left home; on behalf of every venerable witness of this very platform with whom we have borne enmity; on behalf of every fellow student and kin of high, middle, and low station with whom we have borne enmity — every enmity of the three periods of time, whether the debt is repaid or not, whether light or grave, and each of their kin. Should we, the disciples, bear enmity with any being of the six destinies, whether it is to be repaid in the future or is being repaid even now, today we confess it, and pray that it be dissolved. Should every being of the six destinies likewise bear such enmity with one another, we, the disciples, today, with a compassionate mind and no notion of enemy or friend, universally beg for mercy in confession on behalf of every enmity of the three periods of time, praying that it all be given up entirely, with no further evil thought inflicted upon another, no poison harbored toward one another — together giving it all up, in complete joy. From this day, may every grudge be dissolved and no hatred remain, each of us reverent and mindful of repaying kindness instead, equal to the mind of the Buddhas, one with the vow of the Buddhas — each of us, with sincere mind, 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 Who Sees the Boundary of Existence. Homage to the Buddha of Lightning Brightness. Homage to the Buddha of the Golden Mountain. Homage to the Buddha of the Lion's Virtue. Homage to the Buddha of the Victorious Mark. Homage to the Buddha Praised for Brightness. Homage to the Buddha of Firm Diligence. Homage to the Buddha Praised in Full. Homage to the Buddha Who Has Left Fear Behind. Homage to the Buddha Who Answers Heaven. Homage to the Buddha of the Great Lamp. Homage to the Buddha, Brightness of the World. Homage to the Buddha of Wondrous Fragrance. Homage to the Buddha Who Upholds Supreme Merit. Homage to the Buddha Who Has Left Darkness Behind. Homage to the Buddha Praised as a Jewel. Homage to the Buddha of the Lion's Cheek. Homage to the Buddha Who Extinguishes Transgression. Homage to the Buddha Who Holds Ambrosia. Homage to the Buddha of the Human Moon. Homage to the Buddha Joyfully Beheld. Homage to the Buddha of Adornment. Homage to the Buddha of the Pearl's Brightness. Homage to the Buddha of the Mountain's Peak. Homage to the Buddha of Renowned Marks. Homage to the Buddha Praised for the Dharma. Homage to the Bodhisattva of Supreme Wisdom. Homage to the Bodhisattva Who Never Leaves the World. 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. We pray that, by the power of the Buddha, the power of the Dharma, the power of the great bodhisattvas, and the power of all the sages, every immeasurable enmity of the three periods of time, whether the debt is repaid or not, and every living being throughout the whole Dharma-realm of empty space, may together confess and dissolve every grudge and enmity, giving it all up entirely, with no notion of enemy or friend remaining, all joined in harmony as water blends with milk, every joy like that of the first ground, all unhindered as empty space itself. From this day forward, until we reach awakening, may we forever be kin in the Dharma, with no thought of difference remaining, and forever be compassionate family among the bodhisattvas. By the merit and cause and condition of this bowing, confession, and dissolving of grudges and enmities today, we further pray that our preceptors and instructors, the venerable witnesses of this very platform, our fellow students and disciples of high, middle, and low station, and every kin with whom we bear enmity — extending even to every enmity of the three periods of time not yet resolved among the four modes of birth and six destinies, whether they dwell today in the heavenly destiny, the destiny of immortals, the asura-destiny, the hell-destiny, the hungry-ghost destiny, the animal-destiny, or the human destiny, or now stand present among our own family — every such enmity of the three periods of time throughout the ten directions, whether the debt is repaid or not, and each of their kin, from this day forward, until we reach awakening, may have every obstruction of fault dissolved, every enmity liberated once and for all, the habituated affliction of grudges made forever pure, forever leaving behind the four evil destinies to be reborn at will, every thought flowing with the Dharma and every mind at ease, the six perfections fully adorned, the practice and vow of the ten grounds brought to their ultimate completion, attaining the Buddha's ten powers and unhindered supernormal power, and swiftly accomplishing unsurpassed, perfect awakening, true and equal awakening.

Today, the assembly gathered together in this common practice — up to now we have, in general terms, dissolved every grudge and enmity toward others across the three periods of time; from this point on, let us turn to purifying ourselves and govern our own minds. Together, today, why have we received this body of birth and death and not attained liberation, unable, looking forward, to behold a prediction of awakening given to our face, and unable, looking back, to hear the Buddha's own voice expounding the Dharma? This is truly because our karmic fault runs deep and our grudges and enmities lie firm and fast — not only do we fail to see the Buddhas past and future, the bodhisattvas and sages, but I fear we may even find the twelve divisions of the teachings, heard only as an echo of a sound, forever cut off from the path of our own mind, with no way to escape the enmity of the evil destinies. Once we give up this body and life, we shall sink into the boiling sea, turning through the three evil paths and passing through every evil destiny in full — when shall we ever obtain this human body again? To give rise to a thought such as this brings a truly urgent sorrow; to hold a reflection such as this, one cannot help but feel the pain of a stricken heart. We, together, have already been fortunate enough to receive this transforming influence, cutting off attachment, taking leave of our kin, giving up glory and abandoning the world — with no other condition remaining, how could we fail to race against time and each seek our own peace? If we do not make our resolve firm, endure hardship, bear suffering, and carry this grief and sorrow with us, then, should our body suddenly be struck with a grave illness, and the signs of the intermediate state appear, the jailers, rākṣasas, and ox-headed, horse-faced demons, in strange and monstrous forms, will arrive in a single morning, the wind-blades dismembering the body, the mind thrown into terror and confusion, while our own family wails around us, unaware of any of it. At such a time, should we wish to arouse a single wholesome thought, to prostrate ourselves fully to the ground and bow to the Buddha in confession — how could this possibly be achieved? There will be nothing left but the immeasurable suffering of the three evil paths. This assembly, today, should each strive on our own, racing against time. If we indulge our own feelings and seek only comfort, our advance toward the truth will be slow; if we endure hardship and bear suffering, our progress toward it will be swift. This is why the sūtra says: sorrow is itself the training-ground, because it enables one to endure weariness and suffering; setting out into practice is itself the training-ground, because it enables one to accomplish the task. Hence we know that the adornment of ten thousand goodnesses has no foundation without diligence, and that to cross the vast ocean, without a boat, what could one possibly rely on? If one has a mind that wishes for and delights in something, but does not carry out the deeds that wish and delight require, that wish will surely remain empty, and its fruit will never be seen. It is like a man cut off from food, whose mind dwells on a hundred flavors — such thoughts bring no relief at all to his hunger and distress. We should know that whoever wishes to seek an excellent, wondrous fruit must have mind and deed proceed together; let us, together, in time, give rise to a mind of exalted resolve, harbor a sense of shame, confess and dissolve our fault, and resolve every grudge and enmity. Should we instead remain in darkness with no fixed date for our own awakening, while everyone else attains liberation, do not pursue regret only afterward. Let each of us, with sincere mind, in 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 Settled Meaning. Homage to the Buddha Who Gives the Vow. Homage to the Buddha of the Jeweled Multitude. Homage to the Buddha King of the Multitude. Homage to the Buddha Who Wanders Afar. Homage to the Buddha of Peace. Homage to the Buddha of the Dharma's Distinctions. Homage to the Buddha, Honored Above. Homage to the Buddha of the Utmost Lofty Virtue. Homage to the Buddha, Supreme Lion's Voice. Homage to the Buddha of Joyful Play. Homage to the Buddha of the Dragon's Brightness. Homage to the Buddha of the Flower Mountain. Homage to the Buddha of the Dragon's Joy. Homage to the Buddha, Sovereign of Fragrance. Homage to the Buddha of Great Renown. Homage to the Buddha of Heaven's Power. Homage to the Buddha of the Garland of Virtue. Homage to the Buddha of the Dragon's Hand. Homage to the Buddha of Excellent Conduct and Intention. Homage to the Buddha Adorned by Causes. Homage to the Buddha Victorious in Wisdom. Homage to the Buddha of the Measureless Moon. Homage to the Buddha of Jeweled Words. Homage to the Buddha of the Sun's Brightness. Homage to the Bodhisattva Medicine King. Homage to the Bodhisattva Supreme Medicine. 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. We disciples have accumulated fault and obstruction deeper than the great earth itself, covered by ignorance through a long night without dawning, constantly following the three poisons to create the causes of enmity, bringing about our own confusion and immersion in the three realms of existence, with no time of escape ever in sight. Today, through the power of the great compassion of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, we have at last begun to awaken, and a sense of shame has arisen in us; with utmost sincerity we beg for mercy, laying our faults bare in confession. We pray that the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, with a compassionate mind, may receive us, by their power of great wisdom, their inconceivable power, their boundless power of mastery, their power to subdue the four demons, their power to extinguish every affliction, their power to dissolve every grudge and enmity, their power to deliver living beings, their power to bring living beings to peace, their power to liberate beings from the hells, their power to relieve the hungry ghosts, their power to rescue the animals, their power to gather and transform the asuras, their power to receive and gather the human realm, their power to exhaust the defilements of the gods and immortals, their immeasurable and boundless power of merit, and their immeasurable and inexhaustible power of wisdom, so that every enmity throughout the four modes of birth and six destinies may together arrive at this very rite, and receive our confession today, we disciples, giving it all up entirely with no notion of enemy or friend, so that the karma of enmity thus bound may together attain liberation, forever leaving behind the eight adverse conditions and free of the suffering of the four evil destinies, constantly encountering the Buddhas, hearing the Dharma, and awakening to the Way, arousing the awakening-mind and practicing the deeds that transcend the world, cultivating the four immeasurables and six perfections with a profound mind, every practice and vow equal in rank to the ten grounds, entering the vajra-mind and together accomplishing true and equal awakening. Today, the assembly gathered together in this common practice — enmity follows one after another entirely because of the three kinds of karma, entangling the practitioner in every kind of bitter retribution. We, together, already knowing that this is the very root of every suffering, should courageously crush and extinguish it. The essential means for extinguishing suffering is confession alone, and this is why the sūtra praises two brave men in the world: the first, one who commits no fault to begin with; the second, one who is able to confess. This assembly, today, about to undertake confession, should purify the mind and make solemn one's bearing, harboring shame within and expressing sorrow openly without — and by arousing two kinds of mind, there is no fault that cannot be dissolved. What are these two kinds of mind? The first is called cán (shame before oneself); the second is called kuì (shame before others). Cán is shame before heaven; kuì is shame before others. One who has cán is able to confess and dissolve every enmity by oneself; one who has kuì is able to teach others to resolve their own bonds. One who has cán is able to perform every kind of goodness; one who has kuì is able, upon seeing it, to rejoice in it. One who has cán feels disgrace within; one who has kuì lays it bare before others. By these two dharmas, a practitioner is able to attain unhindered joy. Let us, together, today, arouse this great sense of shame and undertake this great confession, with sincere mind begging for mercy on behalf of every being of the four modes of birth and six destinies. Why is this so? The sūtra says: every living being is our own kin — at some time each has been our parent, at some time our teacher, extending even to brothers and sisters, all just the same. It is truly because we have fallen into the net of ignorance that we no longer recognize one another, and, not recognizing one another, we frequently give rise to irritation, and because of this irritation, enmity is without end. This assembly, today, awakening to this very thought, with utmost sincerity, earnest and sorrowful, applying the mind fully, must let a single thought move the Buddhas of the ten directions, and let a single bow cut off immeasurable enmity. With this same anguish of resolve, let us prostrate ourselves fully to the ground, and once again 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 Settled Intention. Homage to the Buddha of Measureless Form. Homage to the Buddha of Shining Brightness. Homage to the Buddha of the Jeweled Mark. Homage to the Buddha Who Cuts Off Doubt. Homage to the Buddha of Excellent Brightness. Homage to the Buddha of the Unfaltering Stride. Homage to the Buddha of Awakening. Homage to the Buddha of the Flower's Mark. Homage to the Buddha King, Lord of the Mountain. Homage to the Buddha of Great Awesome Virtue. Homage to the Buddha Who Sees All Things. Homage to the Buddha of Measureless Renown. Homage to the Buddha of the Heavenly Jewel. Homage to the Buddha Who Abides in Meaning. Homage to the Buddha of Fulfilled Intention. Homage to the Buddha Praised Above All. Homage to the Buddha Without Sorrow. Homage to the Buddha Without Stain. Homage to the Buddha Brahmā. Homage to the Buddha of the Flower's Brightness. Homage to the Buddha of Bodily Distinctions. Homage to the Buddha of the Dharma's Brightness. Homage to the Buddha Who Sees All Things Fully. Homage to the Buddha of Pure Virtue. Homage to the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī. Homage to the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra. 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. We look up and pray that the Three Jewels may together receive us, so that whatever we, the disciples, confess may be dissolved, and whatever we repent be made pure. We further pray that all who confess together today may, from this day forward, until we reach awakening, have every enmity entirely dissolved, and every suffering liberated once and for all, the habituated affliction of grudges made forever pure, forever leaving behind the four evil destinies to be reborn at will, personally attending the Buddhas and receiving in person their prediction of awakening, the six perfections and four immeasurables all practiced in full, endowed with the four eloquences and the Buddha's ten powers, our very body adorned with the excellent marks, our supernormal power unhindered, entering the vajra-mind and accomplishing true and equal awakening.