MAHAYANA SUTRA OF THE THREE SUPERIOR HEAPS
Namo: The Bodhisattva's Confession of Moral Downfalls
I, whose name is . . . , at all times go for refuge to the Guru, go for refuge
to the Buddha, go for refuge to the Dharma, go for refuge to the Sangha.
To the Teacher, Blessed One, Tathagata, Foe Destroyer, Completely Perfect Buddha,
Glorious Conqueror Shakyamuni I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Complete Subduer with the Essence of Vajra I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Jewel of Radiant Light I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Powerful King of the Nagas I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Leader of the Heroes I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Glorious Pleasure I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Jewel Fire I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Jewel Moonlight I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Meaningful to Behold I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Jewel Moon I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Stainless One I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Bestower of Glory I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Pure One I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Transforming with Purity I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Water Deity I prostrate.
To the Tathagata God of Water Deities I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Glorious Excellence I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Glorious Sandalwood I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Endless Splendor I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Glorious Light I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Glorious One without Sorrow I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Son without Craving I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Glorious Flower I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Clearly Knowing through Enjoying Pure Radiance I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Clearly Knowing through Enjoying Lotus Radiance I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Glorious Wealth I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Glorious Mindfulness I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Glorious Name of Great Renown I prostrate.
To the Tathagata King of the Victory Banner Head of the Powerful Ones I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Glorious One Complete Subduer I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Great Victor in Battle I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Glorious One Complete Subduer Passed Beyond I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Glorious Array Illuminating All I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Jewel Lotus Great Subduer I prostrate.
To the Tathagata Foe Destroyer, Completely Perfect Buddha, King of Mount Neru
Seated Firmly on a Jewel and a Lotus I prostrate.
O All you [Tathagatas] and all the others, however many Tathagatas, the Foe
Destroyers, the Completely Perfect Buddhas, the Blessed Ones there are dwelling
and abiding in all the worldly realms of the ten directions, all you Buddhas,
the Blessed Ones, please listen to me.
In this life and in all my lives since beginningless time, in all my places
of rebirth while wandering in samsara, I have done negative actions, have ordered
them to be done, and have rejoiced in their being done. I have stolen the property
of the bases of offering, the property of the Sangha, and the property of the
Sanghas of the ten directions, have ordered it to be stolen, and have rejoiced
in it being stolen. I have committed the five unbounded heinous actions, have
ordered them to be committed, and have rejoiced in their being committed. I
have completely engaged in the paths of the ten non-virtuous actions, have ordered
others to engage in them, and have rejoiced in their engaging in them.
Being obstructed by such karmic obstructions, I shall become a hell being, or
I shall be born as an animal, or I shall go to the land of the hungry ghosts,
or I shall be born as a barbarian in an irreligious country, or I shall be born
as a long-life god, or I shall come to have incomplete senses, or I shall come
to hold wrong views, or I shall have no opportunity to please a Buddha.
All such karmic obstructions I declare in the presence of the Buddhas, the Blessed
Ones, who have become exalted wisdom, who have become eyes, who have become
witnesses, who have become valid, who see with their wisdom. I confess without
concealing or hiding anything, and from now on I will avoid and refrain from
such actions.
All you Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, please listen to me. In this life and in
all my previous lives since the beginningless time, in all my places of rebirth
while wandering in samsara, whatever root of virtue there is in my giving to
others, even in my giving a morsel of food to one born as an animal; whatever
root of virtue there is in my maintaining moral discipline; whatever root of
virtue there is in my actions conducive to great liberation; whatever root of
virtue there is in my acting to fully ripen sentient beings; whatever root of
virtue there is in my generating a supreme mind of enlightenment; and whatever
root of virtue there is in my unsurpassed exalted wisdom; all of these assembled,
gathered, and collected together, by fully dedicating them to the unsurpassed,
to that of which there is no higher, to that which is even higher than the high,
and to that which surpasses the unsurpassed, I fully dedicate to the unsurpassed,
perfect, complete enlightenment.
Just as the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones of the past, have dedicated fully, just
as the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones who are yet to come, will dedicate fully, and
just as the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones who are living now, dedicate fully, so
too do I dedicate fully.
I confess individually all negative actions. I rejoice in all merit. I beseech
and request all the Buddhas. May I attain the holy, supreme, unsurpassed, exalted
wisdom.
Whoever are the Conquerors, the supreme beings living now, those of the past,
and likewise those who are yet to come, with a boundless ocean of praise for
all your good qualities, and with my palms pressed together I go close to you
for refuge.
This concludes the Mahayana Sutra entitled the Sutra of the Three Superior Heaps.