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Pure Conduct

When I see a shramana,
I vow that sentient beings
Will become subdued, gentle, and tranquil,
And ultimately foremost.

When I see a brahman,
I vow that sentient beings
Will forever uphold brahma conduct,
And depart from all evil.

When I see an ascetic,
I vow that sentient beings
Will rely on ascetic practices
And reach the final destination.

When I see a person of integrity,
I vow that sentient beings
Will be steadfast in resolve,
And not renounce the Buddha Path.

When I see a person dressed in armor,
I vow that sentient beings
Will always wear the armor of goodness,
And will seek the Dharma that requires no teacher.

When I see a person without armor or weapons,
I vow that sentient beings
Will forever depart from
All unwholesome karma.

When I see a person who engages in debate,
I vow that sentient beings
Will completely refute and overturn
All kinds of heterodox theories.

When I see a person of right livelihood,
I vow that sentient beings
Will attain pure livelihoods
And not feign awesome deportment.

When I see a king,
I vow that sentient beings
Will become Dharma Kings
And forever propagate the Proper Dharma.

When I see a prince
I vow that sentient beings
Will be born by transformation from the Dharma
And become disciples of the Buddha.

When I see an elder,
I vow that sentient beings
Will make clear and skillful judgments
And refrain from evil dharmas.

When I see a high official,
I vow that sentient beings
Will always guard their proper mindfulness
And learn to practice all good deeds.

When I see a city and its ramparts,
I vow that sentient beings
Will possess strong, robust bodies,
And not be devious in their minds.

When I see a capital city,
I vow that sentient beings
Will accumulate meritorious virtues
And always be joyous in their minds.

When I see a forest of trees,
I vow that sentient beings
Will be worthy of praise and respect
From gods and people.

When I enter a village to beg for food,
I vow that sentient beings
Will enter the profound Dharma Realm
Without any obstructions in their minds.

When I reach the door of a residence,
I vow that sentient beings
Will enter all the doors
Leading to the Buddhadharma.

When I enter a residence,
I vow that sentient beings
Will enter the Buddha Vehicle
And equal the Buddhas of the three periods of time.

When I see a person who doesn’t give,
I vow that sentient beings
Will never give up or renounce
The Dharma of excellent merit and virtue.

When I see a generous person, capable of giving,
I vow that sentient beings
Will forever give up and renounce
The sufferings of the three evil paths.

When I see an empty bowl,
I vow that sentient beings
Will be clean and pure in mind,
Empty, and without affliction.

When I see a full bowl,
I vow that sentient beings
Will fully accomplish and perfect
All wholesome dharmas.

When I receive respect and reverence,
I vow that sentient beings
Will reverently cultivate
All Dharmas of the Buddhas.

When I don’t receive respect and reverence,
I vow that sentient beings
Will desist from practicing
Unwholesome dharmas one and all.

When I see a person with a sense of shame and remorse,
I vow that sentient beings
Will possess a sense of shame and remorse,
And will carefully protect their faculties.

When I see a person without a sense of shame and remorse,
I vow that sentient beings
Will renounce the state of shamelessness
And dwell on the path of great kindness.

When I obtain delicious food,
I vow that sentient beings
Will fulfill their vows
And be free of envy in their minds.

When I obtain unappetizing food,
I vow that sentient beings
Will attain, without exception,
The flavors of all samadhis.

When I obtain soft food,
I vow that sentient beings
Will be permeated by great compassion,
So their minds are supple and soft.

When I obtain coarse and rough food,
I vow that sentient beings
Will have no defiled attachments in their minds,
And will sever worldly greed and love.

When I eat my food,
I vow that sentient beings
Will take dhyana bliss as food
And be filled with the joy of Dharma.

When I taste flavor,
I vow that sentient beings
Will taste the Buddha’s superior flavor
And be filled with sweet dew.

When I finish the food,
I vow that sentient beings
Will finish whatever they do
And perfect all Buddhadharmas.

When I speak the Dharma,
I vow that sentient beings
Will attain limitless eloquence
And widely proclaim the essential Dharma.

When I come out of the house,
I vow that sentient beings
Will deeply enter the Buddha’s wisdom,
And eternally transcend the three realms.

When I enter the water,
I vow that sentient beings
Will enter All Wisdom, and understand
The equality of the three periods of time.

When I bathe my body,
I vow that sentient beings
Will be undefiled in body and mind,
Bright and clean inside and out.

During the blazing, poisonous heat of summer,
I vow that sentient beings
Will leave all afflictions behind,
And completely put an end to them.

When the summer ends and the cool season begins,
I vow that sentient beings
Will realize the unsurpassed Dharma
And ultimately be clear and cool.

When I recite the sutras,
I vow that sentient beings
Will accord with what the Buddha says,
And remember it all without forgetting.

When I set eyes upon the Buddha,
I vow that sentient beings
Will attain unhindered vision
And behold all Buddhas.

When I gaze upon the Buddha,
I vow that sentient beings
Will all resemble Universal Worthy—
Upright, adorned, and majestic.

When I see a stupa,
I vow that sentient beings
Will be respected like the stupa
And receive offerings from gods and people.

When I contemplate a stupa with respectful mind,
I vow that sentient beings
Will be gazed upon and revered
By all gods and people.

When I make obeisance before a stupa,
I vow that sentient beings
Will attain a summit that cannot be seen
By gods or people.

As I walk clockwise ‘round a stupa,
I vow that sentient beings
Will not oppose the Dao in their practice,
And will accomplish All Wisdom.

When I circle a stupa three times,
I vow that sentient beings
Will diligently seek the Buddha Way.
Without thoughts of laziness or rest.

When I praise the Buddha’s merit and virtue,
I vow that sentient beings
Will be endowed with myriad virtues,
And will utter endless praises.

When I praise the Buddha’s hallmarks and characteristics,
I vow that sentient beings
Will accomplish a Buddha’s body,
And realize the Dharma of no characteristics.

When I wash my feet,
I vow that sentient beings
Will be endowed with complete spiritual power
And travel freely without obstruction.

When it’s time to sleep and rest,
I vow that sentient beings
Will be peaceful and secure in their bodies,
And not be moved or confused in their minds.

When I awake from sleep,
I vow that sentient beings
Will enlighten to All Wisdom,
And see everything in the ten directions.

Disciples of the Buddha, if all the Bodhisattvas apply their minds in these ways, they will attain all kinds of excellent fine meritorious virtues. They will not be moved by any of the gods, demons, Brahmas, shramanas, brahmans, gandharvas, asuras, and so forth, nor by any of the Hearers and Sages Enlightened by Conditions in all the worlds.

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