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Teaching by His Holiness Kyabje Gosok Rinpoche

The Importance of the Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas Practice

The Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas practice is one of the four preliminary practices (ngöndro). You all frequently practice this method in your daily practice to purify karmic obscurations. This practice is of the utmost importance.

Lama Tsongkhapa once said: “How to confess and purify the negative karma created through the three doors of body, speech, and mind due to transgressing the vows (the pratimoksha vows, bodhisattva vows, tantric root downfalls, and samaya commitments) is extremely important.” Whether one can confess and purify negative karma determines whether a practitioner can continue to accumulate merit.

For a practitioner studying the Buddhadharma who wishes to generate the various realizations of the stages of the path in their mindstream, the first requirement is to purify karmic obscurations. If karmic obscurations are not purified, no realizations can arise in the mindstream. The various activities we engage in during this life are intimately connected with the karma of past lives. Whether we can accomplish and perfect any endeavor in this life also depends on whether we can purify the negative karma accumulated in the past. From all of the above, whether it is any worldly aspiration, or avoiding rebirth in the three lower realms in future lives and being born in the happy realms of humans and gods, or ultimately attaining the perfect state of buddhahood — all must begin with the purification of karmic obscurations.

The key to purifying karmic obscurations, as Lama Tsongkhapa stated: “One must rely on the four powers (the power of reliance, the power of the antidote, the power of regret, and the power of restraint) to practice confession constantly and uninterruptedly in order to achieve this.”

In past lives, we have created immeasurable and boundless negative karma. This fact can be confirmed by the conduct and behavior we display in this life. For example, although we are practitioners studying the Buddhadharma and know the terrors of negative karma, constantly reminding ourselves to guard the three doors and not commit negative actions, yet when we are careless or heedless, we still continually commit negative actions. Or, although we remind ourselves not to create negative karma, due to the power of having continuously habituated to negative karma in past lives, we are involuntarily driven to commit negative actions. These many situations are all evidence that we have created immeasurable negative karma in past lives.

Such immeasurable negative karma can be compared to a king’s treasury: the treasures in the treasury, even the tiniest ones, are still priceless. The negative karma we created in past lives, even the smallest negative action, is nonetheless extremely heavy and substantial. This is because when we created negative karma in past lives, first, we gave rise to strong hatred (the preliminary stage), then we committed the negative action with a mind of hatred (the main stage), and afterwards, we rejoiced in the negative action we had committed (the concluding stage). The negative karma we create all completely passes through these three stages. Therefore, every negative action is extremely substantial and will eventually become a heavy result of suffering.

Sentient beings in samsara, due to the power of negative karma habituated in past lives, continually create more negative karma, and negative karma further habituates negative tendencies; this is a vicious cycle. This causes sentient beings, throughout countless cycles of existence, to spend the vast majority of their time expending their energy on continually creating negative karma. We consider ourselves practitioners of the Vajrayana teachings, and our ultimate goal is to swiftly attain the state of the union of Vajradhara through the practice of secret mantra. But facing such immeasurable negative karma, if we think that merely through a superficial motivation, doing some prostrations, or reciting the hundred-syllable mantra a few times, we can purify immeasurable negative karma, this will not achieve the goal. Therefore, only through fierce and firm motivation, continuously confessing and purifying karmic obscurations, can we purify them and thereby achieve the practitioner’s goal of attaining the state of the union of Vajradhara.

The negative karma created by sentient beings in samsara is like raindrops falling from the sky — continuous, dense, and countless. Facing such immeasurable negative karma, contemplate carefully: Do I have the ability to purify my own immeasurable negative karma? The answer is very likely negative. Every person must face death. When will the Lord of Death arrive? When will life end? It is impossible to know for certain. Those who are suffering in the hell realms at this very moment might have met us just moments ago. Since death and impermanence are so unpredictable, and at this moment we still possess life and have not yet faced death, we should deeply rejoice! If we had passed away some time ago, given the immeasurable negative karma created in past lives, where might we be right now? Perhaps in the hell realms, enduring the torment of blazing fires and splitting cold ice; perhaps in the hungry ghost realm, enduring the suffering of hunger and thirst where not even a drop of water or a grain of rice can be obtained. Reflecting in this way, since we still have breath at this moment, we should seize this precious life and actively engage in the practice of confession and purification of karmic obscurations, so as not to waste this life!

Although immeasurable negative karma will propel us into the three lower realms, if we can, with fierce motivation, practice confession through the “four powers,” then karmic obscurations can be completely purified. These are two sides of the same coin, and this was personally taught by the Buddha.

Practicing the Four Powers

If monastics violate the pratimoksha vows and commit downfalls, there are specific times and methods for the practice of confessing and purifying those transgressions. If lay practitioners commit downfalls, they can only rely on the practice of the “four powers” to confess and purify negative karma. The following explains how to practice confession and purification through the four powers:

1. The power of reliance: taking refuge in the Three Jewels and generating bodhicitta.
2. The power of the antidote: prostrations, offerings, and confession.
3. The power of regret (the destructive power): generating a firm mind of regret for the negative karma one has created, which can be combined with the stages of the path by practicing the two sections of “death and impermanence” and “karma and its effects” from the path of the being of lesser capacity.
4. The power of restraint: generating the firm intention never to commit negative actions again from now on.

The order of practicing the four powers is as follows: first, one must generate a firm mind of regret (the power of regret); second, generate the firm intention never to commit again (the power of restraint); only by relying on the power of the Three Jewels and generating bodhicitta can negative karma be purified (the power of reliance); finally, perform prostrations, offerings, mantra recitation, and confession to truly purify negative karma (the power of the antidote).

Taking the karma of killing as an example, if sentient beings commit the act of killing, they will experience four types of results:

1. The fully ripened result: rebirth in the hell realms in the next life. This must be counteracted with the power of the antidote — reciting the hundred-syllable mantra or the names of the Thirty-Five Buddhas along with performing full prostrations.
2. The environmental result: after falling into the hells, perceiving iron walls in all directions — above, below, and on all four sides — with blazing fires burning all around, causing extraordinary suffering. If the fully ripened result has been purified but the environmental result still remains, then even when reborn as a human, one will live in scorching and filthy places. This result must be counteracted with the power of reliance.
3. The causally concordant result in terms of experience: upon leaving the hells and being reborn as a human, one experiences chronic illness and disease that cannot be cured by medicine, and a shortened lifespan; or the mind cannot remain settled, leading to weakened memory or even memory loss. This result must be counteracted with the power of regret.
4. The causally concordant result in terms of behavior: after being reborn as a human, one constantly gives rise to the intention to commit killing and goes on to commit killing again. This result must be counteracted with the power of restraint.

Through the practice of the four powers to confess and purify karmic obscurations, not only can we purify the negative karma already created in the past, but we can also use the ascetic practice of full prostrations to discipline ourselves not to create negative karma again, thereby preventing future transgressions. After committing a negative action, if one does not confess it on the same day, the negative karma doubles by the next day. Thus, day after day, it multiplies exponentially, and by the eighteenth day, the negative karma has increased to hundreds of thousands of times. The speed at which karmic results multiply and the heaviness of their results must not be unknown! One must not be careless!

Practitioners are always clearly aware of how much merit they have accumulated each day — how many times they practiced, how many mantras they recited, carefully counting with their malas, precise to the last bead. But regarding the negative karma created daily through the three doors of body, speech, and mind, they are often negligent and unconcerned, leading to the inevitable maturation of immeasurable and inconceivable painful results in the future. This is absolutely an incorrect attitude and should be corrected as soon as possible.

Among the scriptures in which the Buddha taught methods for confessing and purifying negative karma, the *Sutra of Golden Light* and the *Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas Practice* are the most detailed. Today, the teaching focuses primarily on the Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas practice. The currently widespread practice of combining full prostrations with the Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas practice has its lineage beginning with Lama Tsongkhapa. From the definitive perspective, Lama Tsongkhapa was a true emanation of the noble Manjushri and did not actually need to practice such asceticism. But to benefit future sentient beings, Lama Tsongkhapa went to the place called “Aka” and entered retreat for the practice of purifying negative karma. He practiced full prostrations combined with the Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas practice with great vigor and diligence, and had a vision of the Thirty-Five Buddhas appearing before him, thus leaving behind the lineage of this sublime teaching. The special quality of this practice is that it simultaneously engages the three doors of body, speech, and mind: the body performs full prostrations, the speech recites the Buddha names, and the mind visualizes the Thirty-Five Buddhas. Therefore, it can counteract the negative karma created by the practitioner in past lives through the three doors of body, speech, and mind. In addition to counteracting the negative karma created through the three doors, this practice also includes the practice of the four powers:

1. Taking refuge in the Guru, taking refuge in the Buddha, taking refuge in the Dharma, taking refuge in the Sangha — this is the power of reliance.
2. Reciting the names of the Thirty-Five Buddhas — this is the power of the antidote.
3. “All such karma… I now sincerely confess and openly acknowledge” — this is the power of regret.
4. “I do not conceal it, and henceforth I will restrain from it and never commit it again” — this is the power of restraint. Furthermore, “All Buddhas, Bhagavans, please witness me, please remember me… I dedicate to the great perfect enlightenment” — this passage of scripture includes the seven-limb practice: prostrating, offering, confessing, rejoicing, requesting the turning of the Dharma wheel, requesting the Buddhas to remain, and dedication. Therefore, this practice is also a sublime teaching for accumulating the collections of merit.

The Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas practice is also called the “Bodhisattva’s Confession” or the “Bodhisattva’s Downfall Confession.” It includes three sections:

1. Confessing negative karma.
2. Dedicating the roots of virtue.
3. Accumulating merit (the seven-limb practice).

Therefore, it is also called the “Sutra of the Three Heaps” or the “Sutra of the Three Accumulations.”

The text begins with “I take refuge in the Guru, I take refuge in the Buddha, I take refuge in the Dharma, I take refuge in the Sangha.” Its meaning is the power of reliance. The power of reliance includes two parts: taking refuge and generating the bodhicitta intention of “for the sake of all sentient beings, may I attain buddhahood.” The objects toward which we create negative karma are none other than the guru, the Three Jewels, and sentient beings. The negative karma created toward the guru and the Three Jewels must be counteracted through taking refuge. The negative karma created toward sentient beings must be counteracted through generating bodhicitta. Therefore, the power of reliance can be said to be the root of counteracting negative karma.

The method for practicing the power of the antidote is through reciting the names of the Thirty-Five Buddhas and performing full prostrations. The visualized field of refuge has Shakyamuni Buddha as the central figure, surrounded by the other thirty-four Buddhas. Outside the thirty-four Buddhas, all the Buddhas of the three times and ten directions, bodhisattvas, arhats, and other noble beings surround them, all endowed with magnificence, perfection, and the qualities and ability to purify the practitioner’s karmic obscurations.

The Names of the Thirty-Five Buddhas

The meaning represented by the names of the Thirty-Five Buddhas, using the name of our teacher Shakyamuni Buddha as a representative example, is briefly explained as follows: The name of Shakyamuni Buddha, in Tibetan, is read as: “Chomden De Deshin Shekpa Drachompa Yangdakpar Dzokpe Sangye Palgyalwa Shakyatubpa La Chagtsal Lo.”

“Chomden De” is translated into Chinese as “Bhagavan” (薄伽梵), which is a direct phonetic rendering from Sanskrit. “Chom” means “destroyer” — the destroyer of the four maras: the mara of death, the mara of afflictions, the mara of the divine sons, and the mara of the aggregates. “Den” means “endowed with,” endowed with six qualities:

1. Endowed with the quality of perfect mastery: Because the Buddha can destroy the four maras, eliminate all afflictions and latent habitual tendencies, and is not swayed by external conditions, he is endowed with the quality of perfect mastery.
2. Endowed with the quality of perfect form: The Buddha possesses the thirty-two major marks and eighty minor signs of physical perfection, and thus is endowed with the quality of perfect form.
3. Endowed with the quality of perfect fame: The Buddha has eliminated all afflictions, karmic obscurations, and the seeds of habitual tendencies, and is far from all ill repute. Moreover, in the three realms, he turns the great wheel of Dharma and possesses all good reputation. Therefore, he is endowed with the quality of perfect fame.
4. Endowed with the quality of perfect auspiciousness: The Buddha possesses all the supramundane qualities of the bodhisattvas on the first through tenth grounds, as well as those of the path of accumulation and the path of preparation. Therefore, he is endowed with the quality of perfect auspiciousness.
5. Endowed with the quality of perfect wisdom: The Buddha perceives all existent phenomena exactly as they are, possessing the quality of omniscience. Therefore, he is endowed with the quality of perfect wisdom.
6. Endowed with the quality of perfect diligence: After the Buddha realized the perfect state of enlightenment, without any effort or artificiality, every single thought and action at all times is for the benefit of sentient beings. Therefore, he is endowed with the quality of perfect diligence.

“De” means “transcended” — transcended both existence and peace. “Existence” refers to samsara, and “peace” refers to nirvana. The Buddha does not wander in samsara, nor does he remain absorbed in nirvana like an arhat without generating bodhicitta to benefit sentient beings extensively. Therefore, the meaning is that he has transcended both samsara and nirvana.

“Deshin Shekpa” is translated into Chinese as “Tathagata” (如來). The Buddha has completely realized and understood the true nature of all phenomena — emptiness — and abides within the meaning of the true nature of phenomena. Therefore, we praise the Buddha’s qualities with the epithet “Tathagata.”

“Drachompa” is translated into Chinese as “Worthy of Offering” (應供). Translated from the Tibetan, it means “enemy destroyer.” Only the Buddha can completely destroy the most fundamental enemy of sentient beings — the afflictions. Therefore, we honor the Buddha as the “enemy destroyer.”

“Yangdakpar Dzokpe” is translated into Chinese as “Perfectly Complete” (正等) or “Perfectly Accomplished” (正圓滿), praising the Buddha for having perfected all true and authentic qualities.

“Sangye” is translated into Chinese as “Fully Awakened” (正覺) or “Buddha” (佛). According to the Tibetan meaning, “Sang” means “purified,” praising the Buddha for having completely purified the obscurations of afflictions and the obscurations to knowledge, attaining purity. “Gye” means “increased” and “perfected,” praising the Buddha for having perfected and continuously increased the wisdom that knows the nature of all phenomena as they are and in all their variety.

“Pal” praises the Buddha for having perfected the qualities of “higher rebirth” and “definite goodness.” “Higher rebirth” refers to the human and divine states. The meaning of “definite goodness” is liberation and buddhahood.

“Gyalwa” is translated into Chinese as “Transcendent” (超勝), praising the Buddha for having transcended all adverse conditions and obstacles that should be abandoned.

“Shakya” is the clan into which the Buddha was born — the Shakya clan.

“Tubpa” or “Muni” means “Capable One” (能仁), praising the Buddha for being able to destroy the enemy of afflictions and lead sentient beings into peace.

“La Chagtsal Lo” means “I prostrate” (頂禮). To the Buddha who possesses such inconceivable qualities as described above, I should pay respectful homage.

Full Prostrations

When performing full prostrations, as described in the previous section, one should visualize in the space before oneself the central figure of Shakyamuni Buddha, surrounded by the thirty-four Buddhas. Outside the thirty-five Buddhas, all the Buddhas, bodhisattvas, arhats, and noble beings surround them. The Thirty-Five Buddhas and all the Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and arhats are perfectly adorned with the major and minor marks, endowed with the qualities and ability to purify the practitioner’s karmic obscurations.

We have wandered in samsara countless times, being born in the hell realm, the hungry ghost realm, the animal realm, the god realm, the human realm, or the asura realm — the six realms. The bodies obtained through taking birth are also immeasurable, and the karmic obscurations created are likewise immeasurable. Therefore, when the practitioner performs full prostrations, they should visualize that all the bodies obtained during countless cycles of existence appear in human form, and that these immeasurable bodies perform full prostrations simultaneously with oneself. Meditate in this way. The *King of Aspirations Prayer of Samantabhadra* records: “May I manifest as many bodies as there are dust particles of the earth, and may each body possess countless heads, and each head possess countless tongues. Before the Thirty-Five Buddhas and all the Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and arhats, I confess the immeasurable negative karma created in past lives.” Confess and purify together all the immeasurable negative karma created in each of one’s countless lives.

In addition to visualizing countless forms of oneself performing confession before the field of refuge, one must also visualize countless sentient beings performing full prostrations around oneself. The practitioner regards sentient beings as being the same as oneself — deeply immersed in samsara, enduring immeasurable suffering. Therefore, one generates in the mind a firm sense of regret and the determination never to commit negative actions again. The “body” performs full prostrations, the “speech” recites the names of the Buddhas, and the “mind” contemplates the qualities of the Buddhas. In this way, one confesses and purifies karmic obscurations.

Reciting the Buddha Names

When practicing this method, when one begins reciting “I take refuge in the Guru, I take refuge in the Buddha, I take refuge in the Dharma, I take refuge in the Sangha,” one simultaneously begins performing full prostrations. When reciting “Namo Bhagavan Tathagata Arhat Samyaksambuddha Shakyamuni Buddha,” since this Buddha’s name is longer in Tibetan, it is recited once. Afterwards, when reciting “Namo Vajrapramardi Buddha, Namo Ratnarchi Buddha, Namo Nageshvararaja Buddha… Namo Ratnapadmasupatikhita Shalendraraja Buddha,” since these Buddha names are shorter, one may recite the Buddha’s name three times and perform one full prostration. When reciting “Namo Bhagavan Tathagata Arhat Samyaksambuddha Ratnapadmasupatikhita Shalendraraja Buddha,” since this name is longer, one recites it once and performs one full prostration. After finishing reciting the names of the Thirty-Five Buddhas, if one wishes to continue performing full prostrations, one begins again from “Namo Bhagavan Tathagata Arhat Samyaksambuddha Shakyamuni Buddha,” and following the above method, recites the names while performing full prostrations. If after completing the recitation of the Thirty-Five Buddha names one does not continue with full prostrations, one takes one’s seat and continues reciting the ritual text from “All such karma…” onwards. If one cannot memorize the names of the Thirty-Five Buddhas, one may play a recording of the names and recite along with it, but one must not perform full prostrations alone without reciting the names.

Accumulating the Collections of Merit and Wisdom

Lama Tsongkhapa once taught: “If sentient beings wish to obtain the ultimate happiness — liberation and buddhahood — they must possess sufficient conditions and causes. Among these, the most sublime and difficult to obtain is the precious human life of leisure and endowments. Endowed with the precious human life of leisure and endowments, one can practice the path to liberation and thereby swiftly reach the far shore of liberation and buddhahood.” Just as a farmer enjoys this year the harvest from last year’s diligent cultivation, and this year’s hard work ensures next year’s livelihood is secure, so too, our ability to obtain this precious human life of leisure and endowments in this lifetime is rooted in having accumulated sublime merit in past lives. In this life, we must strive even harder to accumulate and increase our merit so that in future lives we may obtain even more sublime results.

A practitioner who wishes to embark on the great path to liberation and buddhahood must perfect the practice of accumulating merit and purifying negativities, and through devout prayers of aspiration, accomplish the goal. “Accumulating merit” means gathering the collections of merit and wisdom. In this life and future lives, whether wishing for longevity, wealth, power, good reputation, or ultimately attaining the perfect state of buddhahood, one needs to accumulate the perfect collections of merit and wisdom. “Purifying negativities” means confessing and purifying the karmic obscurations created in past lives, removing the obstacles to accumulating the collections of wisdom and merit, so that the various realizations of the stages of the path can arise in the mindstream. “Devout prayers of aspiration” means dedicating the collections of wisdom and merit that one has accumulated to perfect enlightenment, wishing that one may attain the perfect state of buddhahood in order to benefit countless sentient beings. If one merely accumulates merit diligently but fails to generate the aspiration of “for the sake of all sentient beings, may I attain buddhahood,” then it is easy to create tremendous negative karma while enjoying the fruits of one’s merit. There are many vivid examples of this among practitioners.

The most complete method for accumulating the collections of merit and wisdom is the “seven-limb practice.” The Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas practice completely includes the “seven-limb practice.” Finally, it dedicates the accumulated merit toward the correct direction — perfect enlightenment. Therefore, the Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas practice completely encompasses the purification of karmic obscurations, the accumulation of merit, and prayers of dedication. This is why it is called the “Sutra of the Three Heaps” or the “Sutra of the Three Accumulations.”

For Vajrayana practitioners who wish to swiftly attain perfect enlightenment through the practice of secret mantra, the key lies in whether one can diligently practice the accumulation of merit and purification of negativities. Only by completely purifying karmic obscurations can the various realizations of the stages of the path arise in the mindstream. Only by accumulating the perfect collections of wisdom and merit can one attain the perfect state of buddhahood. Therefore, practitioners should earnestly engage in the practice of accumulating merit and purifying negativities, diligently practicing the Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas practice without any excuse for delay.

The Visualization of the Thirty-Five Buddhas

When practicing the Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas practice, one must visualize a field of refuge in the space before oneself. The central figure is our teacher Shakyamuni Buddha. The Buddha’s throne is supported by a great white elephant (which differs from other practices where the Buddha’s throne is supported by lions). Upon it are a lotus and moon disc. The surroundings are adorned with a precious canopy studded with pearls. The Buddha possesses the thirty-two major marks and eighty minor signs, and his entire body radiates light like a hundred thousand suns. Thus endowed with all the dignified bearing, he sits upon the throne. The reason why the Buddha’s throne is visualized as supported by a great white elephant rather than lions is that the purpose of practicing this method is to purify karmic obscurations, and the great white elephant possesses tremendous strength. This serves as the auspicious connection for being able to purify all karmic obscurations through this practice. The pearl canopy symbolizes the auspicious connection for the practitioner’s ability to purify negative karma from the mindstream.

Among the thirty-four Buddhas, the first thirty Buddhas surround Shakyamuni Buddha in the ten directions (east, west, south, north, southeast, southwest, northeast, northwest, above, and below), encircling him three times, with ten Buddhas in each circle. The final four Buddhas are positioned in the fourth circle around the Buddha, dwelling in the four directions of east, west, south, and north. The positions of the Buddhas and the benefits of reciting their names are listed below:

The Benefits of Reciting the Names of the Buddhas

The benefits of reciting the names of the Buddhas are based on the lineage of Atisha. The forms of the Thirty-Five Buddhas were recorded by Lama Tsongkhapa when he personally saw the Thirty-Five Buddhas during his retreat at the place called “Aka.” The Master did this not to show off that he could see the Thirty-Five Buddhas, but for the benefit of future sentient beings. A great practitioner, if it benefits other sentient beings, may display miraculous powers at the appropriate time. However, if one merely uses miraculous powers to deceive the world, or even claims to have clairvoyance without actually possessing realizations, deceiving others — such conduct is completely contrary to the Buddhadharma and will cause great harm to the practice of future disciples and the propagation of the Dharma. Can one have accomplishments in practice? The key lies in whether attachment, aversion, and ignorance in the mindstream have gradually become more subdued and pure, and whether the various realizations of the stages of the path have progressively arisen — not whether one can see Buddhas and bodhisattvas or fly through the sky. The great conduct displayed throughout Lama Tsongkhapa’s life, though he possessed extremely profound and vast realizations, was completely in accordance with the vinaya in its outer expression. The Master’s insistence on this had an outstanding and far-reaching influence and contribution for the practice of future disciples and the propagation of the Dharma. The forms of the Thirty-Five Buddhas recorded by Lama Tsongkhapa and the oral instructions he transmitted are completely in accordance with the scriptures, without the slightest contradiction.

The Forms of the Thirty-Five Buddhas

1. “Namo Bhagavan Tathagata Arhat Samyaksambuddha Shakyamuni Buddha” — golden body, right hand in the earth-touching mudra, left hand in the meditation mudra, wearing the three robes of a monk, appearing in the form of a celibate renunciant, endowed with the thirty-two major marks and eighty minor signs, seated in vajra posture upon a lotus and moon disc throne. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify the negative karma of ten thousand eons. If, in addition to reciting the name orally, the practitioner can perform full prostrations with the body and recall the Buddha’s qualities with the mind, the negative karma purified will far exceed this.

2. First Circle:

1. “Namo Vajrapramardi Buddha” (金剛不壞佛) — located above the Buddha. His body is yellow, with both hands in the teaching mudra, wearing the three robes of a monk, appearing in the form of a celibate renunciant, endowed with the thirty-two major marks and eighty minor signs, seated upon a lotus and moon disc throne. (The forms of all the Buddhas are the same as Shakyamuni Buddha except for the color of their bodies and their hand mudras.) The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify the negative karma of ten thousand eons.

2. “Namo Ratnarchi Buddha” (寶光佛) — located to the east of the Buddha, which is in front of the Buddha. His body is red, with both hands in the meditation mudra. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify the negative karma of thirty thousand eons.

3. “Namo Nageshvararaja Buddha” (龍尊王佛) — located to the southeast of the Buddha. His face and neck are white, and his body and arms are blue. Both hands are in the teaching mudra. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify the negative karma of eight eons.

4. “Namo Virasena Buddha” (精進軍佛) — located to the south of the Buddha. His body is yellow, with the right hand in the protection mudra and the left hand in the teaching mudra at the chest. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify all verbal karma from past lives.

5. “Namo Viranandi Buddha” (精進喜佛) — located to the southwest of the Buddha. His body is yellow, with both hands in the teaching mudra. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify all mental karma from past lives.

6. “Namo Ratnagni Buddha” (寶火佛) — located to the west of the Buddha. His body is red, with the right hand in the earth-touching mudra and the left hand in the meditation mudra. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify the karma of stealing the possessions of the Three Jewels in past lives.

7. “Namo Ratnachandraprabha Buddha” (寶月光佛) — located to the northwest of the Buddha. His body is white, with the right hand in the earth-touching mudra and the left hand in the meditation mudra. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify the negative karma of one eon.

8. “Namo Amoghadarshi Buddha” (現無愚佛) — located to the north of the Buddha. His body is green, with the right hand in the fearlessness mudra at the chest and the left hand in the meditation mudra. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify the karma of speaking of the faults of the four types of noble beings.

9. “Namo Ratnachandra Buddha” (寶月佛) — located to the northeast of the Buddha. His body is white, with both hands in the teaching mudra. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify the karma of matricide (one of the five heinous crimes of immediate retribution).

10. “Namo Nirmala Buddha” (無垢佛) — located below the Buddha. His body is blue, with both hands in the meditation mudra. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify the karma of patricide (one of the five heinous crimes of immediate retribution).

3. Second Circle:

1. “Namo Suradatta Buddha” (勇施佛) — located above the Buddha. His body is yellow, with both hands in the teaching mudra, one above and one below. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify the karma of killing an arhat (one of the five heinous crimes of immediate retribution).

2. “Namo Brahma Buddha” (清淨佛) — located to the east of the Buddha. His body is yellow, with the right hand in the earth-touching mudra and the left hand in the meditation mudra. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify the karma of causing a schism in the sangha (one of the five heinous crimes of immediate retribution).

3. “Namo Brahmadatta Buddha” (清淨施佛) — located to the southeast of the Buddha. His body is reddish-yellow, with both hands in the teaching mudra. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify the karma of drawing blood from a Buddha’s body (one of the five heinous crimes of immediate retribution).

4. “Namo Varuna Buddha” (娑留那佛) — located to the south of the Buddha. His body is white, with both hands in the meditation mudra. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify the karma of expelling or banishing arhats.

5. “Namo Varunadeva Buddha” (水天佛) — located to the southwest of the Buddha. His body is white, with both hands in the teaching mudra. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify the karma of killing a bodhisattva.

6. “Namo Bhadrashri Buddha” (堅德佛) — located to the west of the Buddha. His body is yellow, with the right hand in the protection mudra and the left hand in the teaching mudra. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify the karma of killing an acharya or teacher.

7. “Namo Chandanashri Buddha” (旃檀功德佛) — located to the northwest of the Buddha. His body is blue, with the right hand in the earth-touching mudra and the left hand in the meditation mudra. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify the karma of preventing the offering of food to monks.

8. “Namo Anantatejas Buddha” (無量掬光佛) — located to the north of the Buddha. His body is red, with both hands in the teaching mudra. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify the karma of destroying stupas and temples.

9. “Namo Prabhashri Buddha” (光德佛) — located to the northeast of the Buddha. His body is blue, with both hands in the teaching mudra, one above and one below. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify all karma of hatred.

10. “Namo Ashokashri Buddha” (無憂德佛) — located below the Buddha. His body is light red, with both hands in the meditation mudra. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify all karma of attachment.

4. Third Circle:

1. “Namo Narayana Buddha” (那羅延佛) — located above the Buddha. His body is yellow, with both hands in the teaching mudra, one above and one below. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify the negative karma of ten thousand eons.

2. “Namo Kusumashri Buddha” (功德華佛) — located to the east of the Buddha. His body is yellow, with the thumb and index finger of the right hand touching and placed on the right knee, and the left hand in the teaching mudra. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify the negative karma of one hundred thousand eons.

3. “Namo Brahmajyotivikriditabhijna Buddha” (清淨光遊戲神通佛) — located to the southeast of the Buddha. His body is yellow, with the right hand in the earth-touching mudra and the left hand in the meditation mudra. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify the negative karma of one thousand eons.

4. “Namo Padmajyotivikriditabhijna Buddha” (蓮華光遊戲神通佛) — located to the south of the Buddha. His body is red, with the right hand in the earth-touching mudra and the left hand in the meditation mudra. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify the negative karma of seven eons.

5. “Namo Dhanashri Buddha” (財功德佛) — located to the southwest of the Buddha. His body is blue, with both hands in the meditation mudra. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify the karma created by the habitual tendencies of afflictions.

6. “Namo Smritishri Buddha” (德念佛) — located to the west of the Buddha. His body is yellow, with both hands in the meditation mudra. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify all bodily karma.

7. “Namo Suparikirtitanamadheyashri Buddha” (善名稱功德佛) — located to the northwest of the Buddha. His body is white, with the right hand in the teaching mudra at the chest and the left hand in the meditation mudra. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify the karma created by not rejoicing in the appearance of a Buddha in the world.

8. “Namo Indraketudhvajaraja Buddha” (紅焰幢王佛) — located to the north of the Buddha. His body is blue, with the right hand holding a victory banner resting on the left shoulder and the left hand in the meditation mudra. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify the karma created by jealousy.

9. “Namo Suvikrantashri Buddha” (善遊步功德佛) — located to the northeast of the Buddha. His body is blue, with the right hand holding a sword at the chest and the left hand in the meditation mudra. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify the karma of inciting others to commit negative actions.

10. “Namo Yuddhajaya Buddha” (鬥戰勝佛) — located below the Buddha. His body is blue, with both hands holding armor at the chest. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify the karma created by pride.

5. Fourth Circle:

1. “Namo Suvikrantagami Buddha” (善遊步佛) — located to the east of the Buddha. His body is blue, with the right hand in the earth-touching mudra and the left hand in the meditation mudra. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify the karma created by divisive speech (sowing discord).

2. “Namo Samantavabhasavyuhashri Buddha” (周匝莊嚴功德佛) — located to the south of the Buddha. His body is reddish-yellow, with the right hand in the protection mudra and the left hand in the teaching mudra. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify the karma of rejoicing in the unwholesome deeds of others.

3. “Namo Ratnapadmapathakrami Buddha” (寶華遊步佛) — located to the west of the Buddha. His body is reddish-yellow, with the right hand in the protection mudra and the left hand in the teaching mudra. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify the karma of slandering the Dharma.

4. “Namo Bhagavan Tathagata Arhat Samyaksambuddha Ratnapadmasupatikhita Shalendraraja Buddha” (薄伽梵如來應供正遍知寶蓮華善住娑羅樹王佛) — located to the north of the Buddha. His body is yellow, with both hands in the meditation mudra, supporting Mount Meru above. The merit of reciting this Buddha’s name can purify the karma of slandering one’s guru and violating samaya commitments.

The above are the forms of the Thirty-Five Buddhas and the benefits of reciting their names. The merits of reciting the names of the Buddhas and the negative karma that can be purified appear to differ. However, this is not because there are differences in the realizations and qualities of the Buddhas, but rather due to the aspirations made by the Buddhas in the past and their correspondence with the dispositions and karmic connections of sentient beings.

When practicing this method, in addition to reciting the names of the Thirty-Five Buddhas, one may also continue reciting the names of the “Seven Medicine Buddhas”:

1. Namo Suparikirtitanamashri Buddha (善名稱吉祥王佛)
2. Namo Ghoshadatta Buddha (威音王佛)
3. Namo Suvarnabhadra Vimala Buddha (金色無垢佛)
4. Namo Ashokottamashri Buddha (無憂最勝吉祥佛)
5. Namo Dharmakirtisagara Buddha (法海雷音佛)
6. Namo Dharmasagaravijayabhijna Buddha (法海勝慧遊戲神通佛)
7. Namo Bhaishajyaguru Vaiduryaprabha Buddha (藥師琉璃光王佛)

This is because the aspirations and deeds of the Seven Medicine Buddhas have particularly sublime blessings for sentient beings in the degenerate age of the five defilements.

Performing full prostrations has extremely sublime merits and is primarily used to counteract the harmful habit of “pride.” If the practitioner’s mindstream contains the habitual tendency of pride, it will obstruct the arising of the various realizations of the stages of the path.

The Merit of Prostrating to Buddha Images

Whenever we see a Buddha image, regardless of the material from which the image is made, or a painting on a wall, even if we see it with a somewhat incorrect state of mind, it still plants the cause for meeting ten million Buddhas in the future. If upon seeing a Buddha image we can place our palms together in respect, it plants the cause for attaining perfect enlightenment in the future. If such causes can be accumulated so easily, then if a practitioner can prostrate devoutly before a sacred site or a blessed Buddha image, one will certainly accumulate even more sublime and inconceivable merit. The Buddha stated in the *Ratnakuta Sutra*: “The merit of performing prostrations and offerings before me while I am in the world, and the merit of performing prostrations and offerings before Buddha images after I have passed into nirvana, is not different in any way.” This is because the Buddha has realized the ultimate perfect dharmakaya and abides within the dharmakaya of emptiness, without any difference between remaining in the world and nirvana. Therefore, the merit of performing prostrations and offerings before the Buddha or before Buddha images is the same. The Buddha has accumulated the perfect collections of merit and wisdom and attained the ultimate perfect state of buddhahood, making him the most sublime field of merit for sentient beings. Therefore, the ability to accumulate sublime and inconceivable merit by performing prostrations and offerings before Buddha images stems from this.

Methods for accumulating merit, in addition to prostrations and offerings, include cleaning stupas and monasteries and wiping Buddha images clean. These too can accumulate sublime merit and remove attachment and ignorance from the mindstream. These very ordinary tasks of sweeping and cleaning are also sublime practices for accumulating merit, as personally taught by the Buddha in the scriptures. One must never be negligent or dismissive of them!

The masters of the Kadampa tradition once taught: “Performing virtue should be like a brahmin musician, not like young calves or lambs.” The meaning of this instruction is to teach practitioners that when performing virtue, they must be as focused as a musician performing, and not scattered like young calves and lambs. Practitioners should carefully and attentively observe their own virtuous and non-virtuous thoughts. The Kadampa masters used white and black stones to record their virtuous and non-virtuous deeds of the day. If practitioners can do this, at the end of the day, they can reflect on their conduct throughout the day: Are virtuous deeds increasing day by day? Are non-virtuous deeds gradually decreasing? If one finds that one is still continually creating non-virtuous deeds, one should give oneself a small punishment as a warning! If one’s virtuous deeds are gradually increasing, one should also rejoice in oneself. By diligently practicing the Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas practice every day and performing full prostrations, generating a firm sense of regret for non-virtuous deeds and the determination never to commit them again, non-virtuous deeds can gradually decrease day by day, eventually ceasing and being eliminated entirely. Virtuous deeds can then continually increase, eventually becoming vast and perfect.

The following continues with the explanation of the ritual content of the power of regret (the destructive power).

The Power of Removal

The power of removal can be divided into three sections:

1. Requesting the Buddhas of the three times and ten directions to be the practitioner’s witnesses.
2. Recognizing the karmic obscurations that need to be confessed.
3. Generating a firm sense of regret for the karmic obscurations one has created.

Requesting the Buddhas as Witnesses

1. Requesting the Buddhas of the three times and ten directions to be witnesses to the practitioner’s confession: This section of the ritual is: “All such karma, all you Buddhas, Bhagavans, who remain in the world, please attend to me with compassion.” “All such” refers to the Thirty-Five Buddhas. “All Buddhas, Bhagavans” refers to all the Buddhas of the three times and ten directions who have realized the perfect dharmakaya, whether they have already passed into nirvana or still remain in the world. “Please attend to me with compassion” is a request to all the Buddhas of the three times and ten directions who have realized the perfect sambhogakaya to generate great compassion and remember the practitioner. Sentient beings all share the common trait of wishing for happiness and wishing to avoid suffering. Yet they do not know how to accumulate the cause of happiness — virtuous actions — or how to avoid the cause of suffering — non-virtuous actions. This leads to continually creating negative karma while sinking into the ocean of samsaric suffering, unable to escape and attain liberation. Therefore, we pray that the Buddhas of the three times and ten directions may generate great compassion, remember the practitioner, and serve as witnesses to the practitioner’s confession of karmic obscurations.

The Buddha taught in the *Ratnakuta Sutra*: “If sentient beings wish to confess the five heinous crimes of immediate retribution, the destruction of stupas and temples, the theft of the possessions of the Three Jewels, and all other downfalls, they should practice diligently day and night before the Thirty-Five Buddhas, confessing sincerely and openly.”

Recognizing the Karmic Obscurations

2. Recognizing the karmic obscurations that need to be confessed: This section can be further divided into the general recognition of karmic obscurations and the specific recognition of karmic obscurations.

The ritual content for the general recognition of karmic obscurations is: “If in this life, or in past lives, from beginningless samsara, I have committed any negative actions, whether I did them myself, or instructed others to do them, or rejoiced in seeing them done.” Confess openly all the negative karma of this life and past lives, whether personally committed, incited others to commit, or rejoiced in seeing others commit.

The specific recognition of karmic obscurations can be divided into (1) negative karma created toward the Three Jewels, (2) the five heinous crimes of immediate retribution, and (3) the ten non-virtues (ten unwholesome actions).

The ritual for confessing negative karma created toward the Three Jewels is: “Whether it is the possessions of the stupa, the possessions of the sangha, or the possessions of the sangha of the ten directions, whether I took them myself, or instructed others to take them, or rejoiced in seeing them taken.” “Possessions of the stupa” includes the Buddha Jewel and the Dharma Jewel. “Possessions of the sangha” refers to the Sangha Jewel. “Possessions of the sangha of the ten directions” generally refers to the belongings of all monastics (bhikshus, bhikshunis, shramaneras, and shramanerikas). If such possessions of the Three Jewels are taken and used without permission, whether one takes them oneself, instructs others to take them, or rejoices in seeing others take them, this constitutes negative karma created toward the Three Jewels. You all frequently visit monasteries and have frequent contact with monastics, so it is easy to transgress this precept. Therefore, one should be particularly careful! Never casually take for oneself the offerings that others have sincerely made to the sangha!

The ritual for confessing the five heinous crimes of immediate retribution created in the past is: “The five heinous crimes of immediate retribution, whether I did them myself, or instructed others to do them, or rejoiced in seeing them done.” The five heinous crimes of immediate retribution include killing one’s father, killing one’s mother, killing an arhat, drawing blood from a Buddha’s body, and causing a schism in the sangha (sowing discord within the sangha community, causing disharmony). These five extremely grave crimes, whether personally committed, incited others to commit, or rejoiced in seeing others commit — all can be sincerely confessed openly. If one commits these five crimes and does not confess them, at the time of death, one will fall directly into the hell realms without any interval. Hence they are called “immediate.”

The ritual for confessing the ten non-virtuous actions created in the past is: “The ten unwholesome paths of action, whether I did them myself, or instructed others to do them, or rejoiced in seeing them done.” The “path” in “ten unwholesome paths of action” refers to the “path of karma,” which is different from the “path” of the bodhisattva path. The ten unwholesome paths of action (ten non-virtues) include the three negative actions of the body — killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct; the four negative actions of speech — false speech, idle chatter, divisive speech, and harsh speech; and the three negative actions of the mind — covetousness, ill will, and wrong views. Whether personally committed, incited others to commit, or rejoiced in seeing others commit — all can be sincerely confessed openly.

Generating a Sense of Regret

3. Generating a firm sense of regret for the karmic obscurations one has created: This section of the ritual is: “All the karmic obscurations I have created, whether concealed or unconcealed, that would cause me to fall into the hell realms, the animal realm, or the hungry ghost realm, or to be born in a border region, or among low or barbarous people, or among the long-lived gods, or with incomplete sense faculties, or to hold wrong views and deny cause and effect, or to be averse to the appearance of Buddhas in the world — all such karmic obscurations, before all Buddhas, Bhagavans, who are omniscient, who are witnesses, who are realized, who are authorities, who know and see, I now sincerely confess and openly acknowledge, not daring to conceal them.” The karmic obscurations we have created will cause us to fall into the eight states of no leisure:

(1) The three lower realms: hell, hungry ghost, and animal realms.

(2) The states of no leisure among humans: birth in a border region (born in a border region where the Dharma has never been heard), among low people, among barbarians (violent people), with incomplete sense faculties (deaf, blind, mute, dumb), or holding wrong views and denying cause and effect (generating wrong views in the mind and not believing in cause and effect), or being averse to the appearance of Buddhas in the world (feeling unhappy and averse to being able to encounter a Buddha remaining in the world).

(3) The state of no leisure among gods: the long-lived gods (whose lifespans are extremely long, but who spend the vast majority of their time in states of dullness and sleep).

In our daily lives, we often inadvertently create many negative actions. Yet even when we deliberately try to increase our virtuous actions, it is very difficult. This is all due to the power of having habituated to creating negative karma in past lives, which makes it extremely easy for practitioners to create negativities and extremely difficult to perform virtue. Therefore, for the karmic obscurations created in the past, one should generate a firm sense of regret, as if one had mistakenly eaten poison.

“Omniscient” describes how the Buddhas, the Bhagavans, have realized the wisdom of all-knowing awareness, understanding perfectly the workings of karma and its causes and effects, and are fully aware of all the virtuous karma (white karma) and non-virtuous karma (black karma) of sentient beings. Only the Buddhas who have attained the perfect state of buddhahood possess this ability. “Who are witnesses” praises the Buddhas for seeing the workings of karma and its effects as clearly as seeing a fruit in the palm of their hand. “Who are realized” originally means “those who can bear witness” — only the Buddhas are qualified to judge the virtuous and non-virtuous karma created by sentient beings: which is virtuous, which is non-virtuous. Only the Buddhas can serve as witnesses. “Who are authorities” praises the Buddhas for being able to accurately judge virtuous and non-virtuous karma without any confusion or error. “Who know” praises the Buddhas for directly realizing emptiness and abiding within it. “Who see” praises the Buddhas for accurately perceiving the true nature of all phenomena. For the karmic obscurations created in this life or past lives, whether remembered or forgotten, one must generate a firm sense of regret. Before all the Buddhas, with complete sincerity, one should fully confess and openly reveal all the karmic obscurations created in the past, generating a firm sense of regret. This is how one practices the power of regret.

“Concealing” means covering up — deliberately hiding the negative actions one has committed so that others do not know. “Hiding” means concealing — when others point out the negative actions one has committed, deliberately denying them and refusing to admit one’s mistakes. If the objects toward whom one has created karmic obscurations are ordinary sentient beings, one may still be able to deceive them through “concealment.” But before the Buddhas who possess omniscient wisdom, covering up and hiding one’s faults is an extremely laughable act. Not only does it fail to eliminate the negative karma, but because one attempts to deceive the Buddhas, one deepens one’s negative karma, merely causing the Buddhas even more sorrow. It is like a child who has done wrong and tries to deceive their parents, but the parents see everything clearly. Seeing their child refuse to admit fault only makes the parents even more saddened and distressed. Therefore, practitioners should be like students instructed by a strict teacher, constantly visualizing the Buddhas before them, strictly disciplining their behavior. If one makes a mistake, one should immediately and sincerely confess openly, without any hesitation.

Practicing the Power of Restraint

The ritual for practicing the “power of restraint” is: “From now on, I will refrain from these actions and never commit them again.” For the karmic obscurations that one has already confessed and eliminated, one makes the firm determination never to commit them again, completely cutting off any opportunity for creating such karmic obscurations again.

The above is the meaning and method of practicing the “four powers” (the power of reliance, the power of the antidote, the power of regret, and the power of restraint). Practitioners should strive diligently in this practice, and they will certainly be able to completely purify their karmic obscurations. During the time when the Buddha was in the world, there was a monk called “Angulimala” (Garland of Fingers). Because he had been deceived by non-Buddhist teachers, he killed nine hundred and ninety-nine people. When he approached the Buddha intending to kill him in order to reach his goal of killing one thousand people to make a garland of fingers, he was accepted and transformed by the Buddha. He then took refuge under the Buddha, and with an extremely strong sense of regret, practiced the confession of karmic obscurations. Through vigorous and diligent practice of confession, he completely purified the extremely heavy karma of killing and attained the state of an arhat in that very life. Therefore, the fact that karmic obscurations can be purified through the practice of the four powers is extremely certain. Since we can create negative karma with strong intention, why can we not use the same strength of intention to confess our karmic obscurations? Shantideva, in the *Bodhicaryavatara*, taught: “Sentient beings should practice confession day and night, continuously, through the Sutra of the Three Heaps (the Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas practice).” We create karmic obscurations without distinction of day or night. Therefore, the practice of confessing karmic obscurations should also be continuous, day and night, practicing confession at all times.

Through the practice of the Buddha’s sublime teachings, countless sentient beings have attained the state of arhats or bodhisattvas. Practitioners should follow the conduct of all the noble liberated beings, seize the rare opportunity of this life, and diligently practice the Buddha’s teachings. They will certainly attain sublime results.

Dedicating the Roots of Virtue

The practice of dedicating the roots of virtue is also divided into three sections: 1. Requesting the Buddhas as witnesses. 2. Identifying the roots of virtue to be dedicated. 3. Recognizing the object of dedication.

1. Requesting the Buddhas as witnesses: This section of the ritual is: “All Buddhas, Bhagavans, please witness me, please remember me.” Request the Buddhas of the three times and ten directions to generate great compassion, remember the practitioner, and serve as witnesses to the practitioner’s dedication of the roots of virtue.

2. Identifying the roots of virtue to be dedicated: This section of the ritual is: “If in this life or in past lives, in the future until the end of time, in any other rebirth within samsara, even as little as giving a single morsel of food to an animal — all the virtuous results of such giving, all the roots of virtue of guarding my ethical discipline, all the roots of virtue of pure conduct, all the roots of virtue of maturing sentient beings, all the roots of virtue of generating the unsurpassed bodhicitta, all the roots of virtue of cultivating the unsurpassed wisdom — I gather them all together, count them, and weigh them.” There is a difference between dedication and aspiration. Dedication can be considered aspiration, but aspiration cannot serve as dedication. The difference lies in the fact that aspiration merely expresses the practitioner’s own hopes and wishes, without necessarily holding onto any specific object or fact as a basis. Dedication, however, must hold onto something that one possesses or some fact that has already been accomplished as the basis for dedication.

The roots of virtue to be dedicated are accumulated over the period described as “if in this life or in past lives, in the future until the end of time, in any other rebirth within samsara.” This passage is from an old translation. The original Tibetan meaning is: “If in this life, if in past lives, in other rebirths within samsara, for an extremely short period.” The meaning of this statement is that in the countless rebirths of sentient beings, the vast majority of time has been spent creating negative karma. The time spent accumulating virtuous karma has been extremely brief and negligible.

During such a brief time, the roots of virtue to be dedicated are as follows:

1. Generosity: The ritual text reads: “Even as little as giving a single morsel of food to an animal — all the virtuous results of such giving.” From the smallest act of giving food in one’s hand to an animal, to the greatest acts of giving away one’s body, family, wealth, and even one’s life; or teaching others the merit of generosity and encouraging them to practice generosity — all the roots of virtue of practicing the perfection of generosity (the generosity of material things, the generosity of Dharma, and the generosity of fearlessness) are all dedicated.

2. Ethical discipline: The ritual text reads: “All the roots of virtue of guarding my ethical discipline.” The merit of guarding ethical discipline includes guarding the ten virtues, the pratimoksha vows, the bodhisattva vows, and the tantric vows. All the roots of virtue of practicing the perfection of ethical discipline are dedicated.

3. Patience: The ritual text reads: “All the roots of virtue of pure conduct.” Here, “pure conduct” does not refer to the pure celibate conduct practiced with the wish to be reborn in the Brahma realm, but rather to the practice of the four immeasurables — loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity — for the purpose of attaining liberation and nirvana, patiently enduring the hatred of all sentient beings. All the roots of virtue of practicing the perfection of patience in this way are dedicated.

4. Joyous effort: The ritual text reads: “All the roots of virtue of maturing sentient beings.” For sentient beings whose mindstreams are not yet matured, to mature them; for those who are already matured, to bring them to liberation. To achieve this goal, one must rely on continuous generation of joyous effort. Therefore, all the roots of virtue of practicing the perfection of joyous effort are dedicated. We consider ourselves Mahayana Buddhists. Regarding the essence of Mahayana Buddhism — generating bodhicitta and practicing the bodhisattva path — we should have correct understanding and intention, and strive diligently in practice. If a practitioner practices any teaching only seeking their own liberation, this is contrary to the spirit of Mahayana Buddhism. As a Mahayana Buddhist, one should try as much as possible to be close to sentient beings. For those who do not have faith in the Three Jewels, one should guide them to take refuge in the Three Jewels. For those who have already generated the intention to take refuge, one should teach them to diligently practice the bodhisattva path of the six perfections. This is the inescapable mission of a Mahayana Buddhist. Practitioners should continually generate the mind of joyous effort, practicing diligently, hoping to achieve this purpose.

5. Meditative concentration: The ritual text reads: “All the roots of virtue of generating the unsurpassed bodhicitta.” To attain perfect enlightenment, one must focus the mind single-pointedly on generating the unsurpassed bodhicitta. In this way, combining meditative concentration with the generation of bodhicitta, one can attain the unsurpassed, perfect, and complete enlightenment. Through this, all the roots of virtue of practicing the perfection of meditative concentration are dedicated.

6. Wisdom: The ritual text reads: “All the roots of virtue of cultivating the unsurpassed wisdom.” “Unsurpassed wisdom” refers to the correct view of emptiness. In order to attain the dharmakaya of emptiness of the Buddha, all the roots of virtue of practicing the Prajnaparamita are dedicated.

The above covers all the roots of virtue of practicing the six perfections of the bodhisattva path — whether personally performed, instructed others to perform, or rejoiced in seeing others perform — all are dedicated to perfect enlightenment.

“I gather them all together, count them, and weigh them.” Gather together completely all the roots of virtue created by oneself and by others, and dedicate them together to perfect enlightenment.

3. Recognizing the object of dedication: The object of dedication is of crucial importance. If a practitioner dedicates sublime and precious roots of virtue to an incorrect object, it is like casually fashioning precious jewels and gold into coarse ornaments — it is an extremely regrettable act.

The sublime objects of dedication can be divided into four types:

1. Dedicating so that the Buddha’s sublime teachings may spread even more widely.
2. Dedicating so that in life after life, one may encounter the greatly kind guru and be accepted by the guru.
3. Dedicating so that all sentient beings may be free from suffering and attain happiness.
4. Dedicating so that one may attain the unsurpassed, perfect, and complete enlightenment. Here, the dedication is to attain the unsurpassed, perfect, and complete enlightenment.

The ritual for dedicating the roots of virtue is: “Now, before the unsurpassed, the invincible, the most excellent of the excellent, the most venerable of the venerable, I dedicate all roots of virtue to the unsurpassed, perfect, and complete enlightenment (Anuttara Samyaksambodhi).” The practitioner dedicates the accumulated roots of virtue to Anuttara Samyaksambodhi (the unsurpassed, perfect, and complete enlightenment), hoping to attain the perfect state of buddhahood. “Unsurpassed” refers to the Buddha’s perfect form body. “Invincible” refers to the Buddha’s pure dharmakaya. “Most excellent of the excellent” in Tibetan is read as “Gongme Yang Gongma” — “Gongme Yang” translates as tenth-ground bodhisattvas, and “Gongma” translates as “more excellent” — more excellent than tenth-ground bodhisattvas, which only the Buddha possesses through his perfect sambhogakaya. “Most venerable of the venerable” in Tibetan is read as “Lame Yang Lama” — “Lama” translates as venerable or more sublime, which is an epithet for arhats (shravakas), pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas on the first through ninth grounds. Being more sublime and venerable than all these noble beings refers to the Buddha’s sublime nirmanakaya. When dedicating roots of virtue, one must pray that oneself and all sentient beings may attain the unsurpassed, perfect, and complete enlightenment.

“However the Buddhas, Bhagavans, of the past dedicated, however the Buddhas, Bhagavans, of the future dedicate, however the Buddhas, Bhagavans, of the present dedicate, I too dedicate in the same way.” The meaning of this section of the ritual is dedication with rejoicing — learning from the way the Buddhas of the past, present, and future dedicate their roots of virtue, I too dedicate all my roots of virtue in the same manner.

Whether dedication is correct or not is directly related to whether the practitioner’s aspiration — attaining the perfect state of buddhahood — can be realized. If one can dedicate all roots of virtue to perfect enlightenment and can view the three spheres (the object of dedication, the act of dedication, and the person performing the dedication) as empty, then until the practitioner attains perfect enlightenment, the roots of virtue will never be destroyed by hatred and will never disappear.

The great accomplished master Milarepa once said: “The key through which a great practitioner and the benefactors who support the practitioner can simultaneously attain accomplishment lies in dedication.” The Buddha in many sutras also mentioned that when the Buddha was still on the bodhisattva grounds practicing the bodhisattva path, many benefactors who had made offerings to the Buddha, after the Buddha attained enlightenment, became the Buddha’s disciples or benefactors and attained the state of arhats in that very life. The karmic connection through which the Buddha and his benefactors could achieve accomplishment in the same lifetime came from dedication. Therefore, practitioners must earnestly practice dedication.

Accumulating Merit

The third section of the “Sutra of the Three Heaps” is the accumulation of merit. The most sublime method for accumulating merit is the “seven-limb practice.” The ritual content is: “I confess all negative karma; I rejoice in all merits; I now request all Buddhas; may I attain the supreme, unsurpassed wisdom.” “I confess all negative karma” — when the practitioner practices confession, they simultaneously practice prostrating and offering to the Buddhas and noble beings. Therefore, this includes the prostration limb, offering limb, and confession limb of the seven-limb practice. “I rejoice in all merits” — this line is the rejoicing limb, rejoicing in all the roots of virtue and merit accumulated by oneself and others. “I now request all Buddhas” — this line includes two parts: the limb of requesting the turning of the Dharma wheel and the limb of requesting the Buddhas to remain. Request the Buddhas not to enter nirvana before the end of samsara for sentient beings, but to continually turn the Dharma wheel to liberate sentient beings. “May I attain the supreme, unsurpassed wisdom” — this line is the dedication limb, dedicating to perfect enlightenment, praying that oneself and all sentient beings may attain the unsurpassed, perfect, and complete enlightenment. These four lines are the summarized content of the seven-limb practice.

“To the Buddhas of the past, future, and present, the most excellent among all sentient beings, I praise the boundless ocean of their qualities; I now join my palms and take refuge and prostrate.” This begins the individual content of the seven-limb practice. The content of these four lines is taking refuge in and prostrating to the Three Jewels — for the Buddhas of the three times (past, future, and present) and ten directions who have attained the most sublime and perfect state, whose qualities are as vast as an ocean, the practitioner should sincerely take refuge and prostrate before them, praising the inconceivable qualities of the Buddhas.

“There are three negative actions of the body, four negative actions of speech, and three negative actions of the mind — I confess all these non-virtues completely. From beginningless time, the ten non-virtues and the five heinous crimes, due to the mind following afflictions, I confess all these negative actions. All the negative karma I created in the past, arising from beginningless attachment, aversion, and ignorance, created through body, speech, and mind — I now confess them all.” This section is the confession of all negative karma created since beginningless time.

“All prostrations, praises, offerings, confessions, rejoicing, and requesting the turning of the Dharma wheel.” This section covers offerings, rejoicing, requesting the turning of the Dharma wheel, and requesting the Buddhas to remain.

“With whatever small roots of virtue I have accumulated, I dedicate them to the great perfect enlightenment.” This section is dedication.

When performing full prostrations, the practitioner must generate a firm sense of regret. With a firm sense of regret, performing full prostrations, the effect of confessing and purifying karmic obscurations will be extremely swift and significant. Even performing one full prostration can purify the negative karma of several eons. The practice of full prostrations is not measured by the number of prostrations to determine whether this preliminary practice is complete, but rather by whether the signs of purified karmic obscurations have appeared, which serves as the basis for determining the completion of this preliminary practice. If these signs have not yet appeared, even if the practitioner has performed one hundred thousand full prostrations, one cannot consider the practice complete based on that alone.

If practitioners can practice one session of the “Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas practice” in the morning and one in the evening, confessing and purifying the negative karma created during the day before going to sleep, and confessing and purifying the negative karma created during the night upon waking in the morning, maintaining this persistently, they will certainly be able to completely purify their karmic obscurations. The signs of purified karmic obscurations include the following: in dreams, seeing oneself vomiting impure food, drinking milk or yogurt, flying through the air, seeing water buffaloes or black people, seeing monks or nuns, and so forth — such dreams frequently appearing. Additionally, observe whether the afflictions of attachment, aversion, and ignorance in one’s mindstream are gradually becoming more subtle and pure. This is the most important and stable sign of purified karmic obscurations.

The teaching on the Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas practice is now complete.

Question: The Pure Land school and the Chan school do not have practices like the Vajrayana’s Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas practice and full prostrations. Does this mean they are unable to completely purify their karmic obscurations?

Answer: The Pure Land school focuses on reciting the name of Amitabha Buddha, which can accumulate extremely sublime merit. Accumulating sublime merit can also have great effect in confessing and purifying karmic obscurations. The practice of purifying karmic obscurations is not limited to confession alone; accumulating merit is also an excellent method. However, because the Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas practice includes all the essential elements necessary for purifying karmic obscurations, it can achieve the goal of purifying karmic obscurations more completely, perfectly, and powerfully.

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