35 Confessional Buddhas

The Mahayana Sutra of the Three Superior Heaps


Homage to 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.

The Vajra family of Akshobhya (blue)

1. To the Teacher, Blessed One, Tathagata, Foe Destroyer, Completely Perfected Buddha, Glorious Conqueror Shakyamuni, I prostrate.
2. To the Tathagata, Complete Subduer with the Essence of Vajra, I prostrate.
3. To the Tathagata, Jewel of Radiant Light, I prostrate.
4. To the Tathagata, Powerful King of the Nagas, I prostrate.
5. To the Tathagata, Leader of the Heroes, I prostrate.
6. To the Tathagata, Glorious Pleasure, I prostrate.
7. To the Tathagata, Jewel Fire, I prostrate

The Tathagata family of Vairochana (white)

8. To the Tathagata, Jewel Moonlight, I prostrate.
9. To the Tathagata, Meaningful to Behold, I prostrate.
10. To the Tathagata, Jewel Moon, I prostrate.
11. To the Tathagata, Stainless One, I prostrate.
12. To the Tathagata, Bestowed with Glory, I prostrate.
13. To the Tathagata, Pure One, I prostrate.
14. To the Tathagata, Transforming with Purity, I prostrate.

The Ratna family of Ratnasambhava (yellow)

15. To the Tathagata, Water Deity, I prostrate.
16. To the Tathagata, God of the Water Deities, I prostrate.
17. To the Tathagata, Glorious Excellence, I prostrate.
18. To the Tathagata, Glorious Sandalwood, I prostrate.
19. To the Tathagata, Endless Splendour, I prostrate.
20. To the Tathagata, Glorious Light, I prostrate.
21. To the Tathagata, Glorious without Sorrow, I prostrate.

The Lotus family of Amitabha (red)

22. To the Tathagata, Son without Craving, I prostrate.
23. To the Tathagata, Glorious Flower, I prostrate.
24. To the Tathagata, Clearly Knowing through Enjoying Pure Radiance, I prostrate.
25. To the Tathagata, Clearly Knowing through Enjoying Lotus Radiance, I prostrate.
26. To the Tathagata, Glorious Wealth, I prostrate.
27. To the Tathagata, Glorious Mindfulness, I prostrate.
28. To the Tathagata, Glorious Name of Great Renown, I prostrate.

The Karma family of Amoghasiddhi (green)

29. To the Tathagata, King of the Victory Banner, Head of the Powerful Ones, I prostrate.
30. To the Tathagata, Glorious One Complete Subduer, I prostrate.
31. To the Tathagata, Great Victor in Battle, I prostrate.
32. To the Tathagata, Glorious One Complete Subduer Passed Beyond, I prostrate.
33. To the Tathagata, Glorious Array Illuminating All, I prostrate.
34. To the Tathagata, Jewel Lotus Great Subduer, I prostrate.
35. To the Tathagata, Foe Destroyer, Completely Perfected Buddha, King of Mount Meru seated firmly on a jewel and a lotus, I prostrate.

O All you Tathagatas and all the others, however many Tathagatas, Foe Destroyers, Completely Perfect Buddhas, 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 whilst 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 have 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 valid, who see with their wisdom. I confess without concealing or hiding anything, and from now on I shall 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 beginningless time, in all my places of rebirth whilst 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 unsurpassedo that which there is no higher, to that which is even higher than the high, to that which surpasses the unsurpassedI fully dedicate to the unsurpassed, 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, unsurpassedd 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, with my palms pressed together I go close to you for refuge.

This concludes the Mahayana Sutra entitled “Sutra of the Three Superior Heaps”

Source

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