The Resolve to Practice Excellence

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I prostrate to Manjushri Kumara Bhuta.

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To all the countless ones in the worlds 
of the ten directions,
Lions of humanity, who have gone beyond 
the three times, 
To all of them without exception, 
I sincerely prostrate with body, speech, and mind.

With the power of aspiration for good action, 
Holding all the victorious ones vividly in mind, 
I bow with as many bodies as there are atoms 
in the universe. 
I prostrate to all the victorious ones.

Buddhas as countless as multitudes of atoms 
upon atoms, 
Dwelling among buddha-sons, 
Filling all the dharmadhatus without exception-
I venerate those victorious ones.

Proclaiming inexhaustible oceans of praise, 
With sonorous oceans of diverse melodies, 
Expressing the good qualities 
of all the victorious ones, 
I praise all the sugatas.

With splendid flowers, choice garlands, 
Musical instruments, ointments, 
and excellent umbrellas, 
With excellent lamps and the best of incense, 
I make offerings to the victorious ones.

Also, with splendid clothing, the finest perfumes, 
Vessels of aromatic powder as high as Mount Meru, 
All excellently and supremely arranged,
I make offerings to the victorious ones.

With whatever offerings there are, unsurpassable 
and vast, 
Again, venerating all those victorious ones, 
With the power of faith in good action, 
I prostrate and offer to all the victorious ones.

Whatever evil deeds I have committed 
Due to passion, aggression, and ignorance, 
Through body, speech, and likewise mind, 
I confess them, each and everyone.

Whatever the merit of beings in the ten directions, 
Of those returners, nonreturners, 
and pratyekabuddhas, 
Of buddha-sons and all the victorious ones, 
I rejoice in all that.

All those who are lights of the worlds 
of the ten directions, 
Who have unobstructedly attained enlightenment 
and awakening, 
I urge those protectors 
To turn the unsurpassable wheel for everyone.

Those teachers who intend to pass into nirvana, 
I request you, with palms joined, 
To remain for as many kalpas as there are atoms 
in the universe, 
For the peace and welfare of all beings.

By prostrating, offering, confessing, 
Rejoicing, requesting to teach, and asking to remain, 
Whatever trifle of virtue I have accumulated 
I dedicate for the sake of enlightenment.


I present offerings to all the buddhas of the past
And to the buddhas who abide in all worlds 
Throughout the ten directions!

May those who have not yet appeared as buddhas 
Quickly fulfill their aim,
And appear as fully enlightened ones, 
Demonstrating the stages of enlightenment.

May all worlds throughout the totality of space 
Become vast and completely pure, 
And be filled with all the victorious ones 
and buddha-sons, 
Who have come into the domain of the bodhi tree.

May all beings in all directions, 
however many there are, 
Always have the joy of good health; 
And, so that their hopes for enlightenment 
be realized, 
Enjoy conditions favorable for the aims of dharma.

As I engage in bodhi conduct, wherever I am born, 
I will recall the training of former lives. 
While I experience birth and death in the succession of my  lives, 
May I always renounce the world of samsara.

Emulating the training of all the victorious ones 
And completing my practice of excellence, 
May I, with purest motivation, 
engage in stainless moral conduct, 
Never weakening and free from faults.

In the language of the gods, and nagas and yakshas, 
In that of the kunbhandas 
and in all the tongues of men; 
In all the languages of all beings, whoever they are, 
May I teach the vast and deep dharma.

With an appropriate gentle attitude, may I strive 
at the six perfections,
And never forget bodhicitta.
May all unskillful actions and limitations of karma and emotionality,
Be completely purified and washed away.

Free of karma, emotionality and disruptive forces, 
May I act in every realm of existence, 
Like the sun and the moon unobstructed in the sky, 
Or like a lotus to which mud does not cling.

In all directions, the extent of the misery 
of evil existences
Equals the magnitude of all buddha realms.
May I quench this misery,
Establish all beings in happier existences,
And through my deeds, 
Bring true benefit to them all.

Immersing myself totally in bodhi conduct, 
May I engage in action appropriate to the dispositions of all, 
And revealing clearly this excellent practice, 
Continue it throughout all future aeons.

May I  forever be in the company of those whose conduct is similar to mine. 
And with aspiration identical to theirs, 
Act in harmony in body, speech and mind.

May I always come to meet those friends 
who wish to help me, 
Who teach completely this practice of excellence; 
May I never renounce those friends.

May I continually look upon all the victorious ones, 
The sovereigns, who surrounded by the buddha sons, are really present, 
And in all future aeons tirelessly, 
Present vast offerings to every one of them.

Upholding the sacred dharma 
of all the victorious ones, 
And demonstrating bodhi conduct 
in all circumstances, 
May I continue the practice of excellence 
in all future aeons, 
Though my training in it is complete.

As I circle through realms of experience,
May I be filled with an inexhaustible treasury 
of all the qualities,
Of means, wisdom, samadhi and the liberated state;
May I accumulate an inexhaustible store of merit 
and awareness.

In a single atom are buddha realms as numerous 
as all atoms; 
In every atom in each buddha realm, abide inconceivable numbers 
Of buddhas amid their buddha-sons. 
I will watch them and emulate their bodhi conduct.

Similarly, in every direction throughout the totality 
of space, 
An ocean of buddhas who appear in the three times, 
And an ocean of their buddha realms, 
are present in every atom. 
For an ocean of aeons, I will watch them 
and immerse myself in bodhi conduct.

I will penetrate completely the speech 
of the victorious ones, 
Each word of which has an ocean of the qualities 
of sound-  
A melody of the purest quality harmonizing 
with the wishes of all beings.

With strength of mind, I will fathom the speech 
Of the victorious ones of all times, who set in motion 
The wheel of dharma, bringing understanding 
To those who hear the endless tune of the teaching.

I will know what will come in future aeons; 
And, moreover, penetrate instantly the phenomena 
of all times.
I will embrace in an instant of awareness, 
all phenomena in the totality of time,
And so immerse myself in bodhi conduct.

I will see in an instant
All the lions of humanity who appear in all times.
And free in the knowledge that all appearances 
are fantasy,
I will immerse myself in the unceasing activity 
of the enlightened ones.

In a single atom are clearly set 
All the buddha realms in the totality of time; 
Similarly, I will set all the realms 
of the victorious ones 
In every single atom throughout time and space.

I will come into the presence of the sovereigns, 
The future buddhas who appear as lights 
in the world,
Who by progressively reaching fullness, 
turning the dharma wheel,
And passing beyond misery,
Demonstrate their achievement of peace.


Through the powers of the absolute instantaneous miracles, and
The powers of the vehicles of the absolute gates, and
The powers of the activity of absolute qualities, and
The power of pure all-pervasive love,
Through the power of the merit of absolute virtue, 
And the power of transcending awareness 
which leads to non-attachment,
Through the power of wisdom, means and samadhi,
I will realize the power to attain enlightenment!

As the power of karma is washed completely away, 
And the power of emotionality is completely conquered, 
As the powers of antagonistic forces are rendered ineffectual, 
The power of my practice of excellence becomes complete.

I will transform oceans of impure realms 
into utterly pure ones, 
And place oceans of beings in a state of freedom; 
With the eye of wisdom I will behold an ocean 
of dharma, 
And exercise oceans of awareness.

I will engage in oceans of conduct 
with complete purity, 
Fulfill oceans of aspiration, 
And worship perfectly oceans of buddhas. 
Thus will I act tirelessly for oceans of aeons.

All the victorious ones appearing 
throughout the three times,
Have various aspirations while engaged 
in bodhi conduct,
And through their practice of excellence, awaken 
to the enlightenment of a buddha;
I will fulfill the aspirations 
of all these victorious ones!

All my virtue I dedicate completely,
That my deeds equal those of the skilled one,
Who is the bravest of the sons of the victorious ones,
Who is renowned as Samantabhadra.

I will emulate this excellent skilled one, Samantabhadra,
And dedicate my virtue as he does-
That through this dedication,  my body, speech 
and mind become completely pure,
My conduct stainless and all realms completely pure.

In order to engage completely in the virtuous practice of excellence, 
I will carry out the aspirations of Manjushri. 
And in all future aeons tirelessly, 
I will bring all these deeds to completion.

My practice will have no limit, 
And my qualities will be unlimited. 
While I continue limitless activity, 
I will seek and attain the manifestations 
of the enlightened ones.

As boundless as the reaches of space is the totality 
of sentient beings. 
Boundless are their karma and emotions, 
And boundless, too, is my resolve.

Great is the merit of offering 
to all the victorious ones, 
For as many aeons as there are atoms, 
Infinite jeweled realms in the ten directions 
And the greatest happiness of gods and men.

Far greater is the perfect merit 
Of just once giving rise to faith, 
After hearing these royal words of dedication, 
And turning one's mind to perfect enlightenment.

Whoever recites this ‘Resolve to Practice Excellence,’
No longer experiences the realms of misery, 
Nor are they influenced by evil companions; 
They quickly come to see the buddha Amitabha.

They gain all that is of worth and dwell in ease, 
In just this life, all their objectives are happily met; 
They quickly become just like Samantabhadra in qualities and manifestations.
Whoever sincerely recites this 
‘Practice of Excellence,’ 
Quickly and thoroughly purifies all evil committed 
in delusion, 
Even the evil of the five inexpiable acts.

Whoever recites this ‘Resolve,’ will quickly 
become pure in every way, 
Will gain awareness, beauty and distinctive signs, 
A noble birth and fine complexion, 
The respect of all beings in the three worlds, 
And will be unassailable by neurotic fears 
or the views of realists.

They will go swiftly into the domain of the bodhi tree
And will sit there benefitting sentient beings.
They will awaken to enlightenment and set the wheel of dharma into motion,
And subdue totally all maras along 
with their divisions.

Buddha alone knows the complete result
of holding, reading or reciting this 
‘Resolve to Practice Excellence.’
May there be not a single doubt, that this ‘Resolve’ 
is the means to perfect enlightenment.

Manjushri, knowing things just as they are, 
is the hero of all beings 
And Samantabhadra, omnipresent benevolence, 
is exactly the same. 
Training in their examples, 
I dedicate completely, all my virtue 
To the attainment of perfect enlightenment.

All the victorious ones, the tathagatas, 
appearing in the three times, 
Praise dedication supremely and fully.
I also dedicate completely all these bases of virtue,
That my excellent practice will bring enlightenment.

When the hour of death draws near, 
My limitations will be completely removed.
I will see the buddha Amitabha, 
And experience totally his buddhafield of Sukhavati.

I will fill my being with all the qualities needed, 
To bring about the complete fulfillment,
Of all these resolutions to practice excellence.
As long as worlds exist, 
I will work for the good of all!

In the pleasing and excellent mandala of the bhagavat,
I will be born from a beautiful and perfect lotus.
In the presence of the bhagavat Amitabha, 
May I hear his prophecy for me.

After I have received this prophecy,
May I, through the strength of my intentions, 
Greatly benefit beings in all directions, 
Through myriads of unfolding emanations.

Through the little virtue I have gathered, 
By offering this ‘Resolve to Practice Excellence,’ 
May all virtue and aspirations 
for the sake of all sentient beings, 
Be realized in a single instant.

By such perfect and endless merit, as accrues 
Through the total dedication of the practice 
of excellence,
May all beings drowning in the river of misery, 
Reach the perfect abode of Amitabha!

This excellent and worthy royal resolution 
Derives from the sutra adorned by Samantabhadra. 
It brings benefit to all beings without limits.


May all realms of misery be forever emptied!