THE EIGHT MAHAYANA PRECEPTS

Composed by H.H. Trijang Dorje Chang (1900 - 1981 C.E.)

Gaden for the West

Version 1.0 May 2007

May 2007 Ver. 1.0

Table of Contents
THE EIGHT MAHAYANA PRECEPTS ................................................................................................ 1 Purifying The Place ........................................................................................................................... 1 Multiplying The Offerings ................................................................................................................ 1 The Offering-Cloud Mantra .............................................................................................................. 1 Blessing The Environment And The Offerings ................................................................................. 1 Invocation ......................................................................................................................................... 1 Seven-Limb Prayer............................................................................................................................ 2 Mandala Offering.............................................................................................................................. 2 Prostrations ....................................................................................................................................... 2 Taking The Precepts .......................................................................................................................... 3 The Commitment Prayer To Keep The Precepts ............................................................................... 3 The Mantra Of Pure Morality ........................................................................................................... 4 Prayer To Keep One's Morality Pure ................................................................................................ 4 Dedication Prayers ............................................................................................................................ 4 Colophon .......................................................................................................................................... 5 References ......................................................................................................................................... 5

EightMahayanaPrecepts

THE EIGHT MAHAYANA PRECEPTS

Mahayana Refuge I take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and The Supreme Assembly until I reach enlightenment. In order to accomplish the purpose of myself and others I shall generate bodhicitta. All buddhas of the ten directions please listen to me: In order to attain enlightenment, from now on I shall generate bodhicitta. Purifying The Place May all the realms where sentient beings exist be pure and devoid of coarse objects. May they be as smooth and as flexible as the nature of lapis and the palm of one's hand. Multiplying The Offerings May the entire realm of space be filled with the offerings of gods and men, those that are actually offered and those that are imagined, like the supreme clouds of offerings made by Samantabhadra. The Offering-Cloud Mantra OM NAMO BHAGAVATE VAJRA SARVA PRAMARDINE TATHAGATAYA ARHATE SAMYAKSAM BUDDHAYA TAYATA OM VAJRA VAJRA MAHA VAJRA MAHA TEJA VAJRA MAHA VIDYA VAJRA MAHA BODHICITTA VAJRA MAHA BODHI MANDO PASAM DRAMANA VAJRA SARVA KARMA AHWARANA BISHO DHANA VAJRA SVAHA Blessing The Environment And The Offerings By the power of the truth of the Triple Gem, The blessings of the buddhas and bodhisattvas, The spiritual energy of the two vast collections, And the pure and inconceivable Dharmadhatu, May these offerings become suchness. Invocation Holy Buddha, who has complete control and all realizations, You are the saviour of each and every sentient being, The destroyer of harmful groups with only your everlasting great love, which fully sees each and every existence. You and your surrounding attendants, Please be at this place.
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3x

(3x)

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After the invocation, visualize that your infinitely kind root guru Avalokiteshvara, surrounded by the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions, actually appears in space before you.

Seven-Limb Prayer Respectfully I prostrate to Guru Avalokiteshvara with body, speech, and mind. I make all offerings, without exception, both actual and imagined. I confess every deluded action collected within cyclic existence since beginningless time. I rejoice in the virtuous actions of all ordinary and noble beings. Please, Buddha, remain as our guide, And turn the Wheel of Dharma until samsara ends. Through the merit created by myself and others, may the two bodhicittas ripen and may I attain buddhahood for the sake of all sentient beings. Mandala Offering By the virtue of offering to you, the assembly of buddhas visualized before me, this mandala built on a base resplendent with flowers, saffron water and incense, and adorned with Mount Meru, the four continents, the sun and the moon, may all sentient beings share in its good effects. Please enjoy well and bless me and all sentient beings to be released from the three poisonous minds, for I am offering without the slightest hesitation or attachment my body, friends, enemies and strangers, and all possessions that are the object of my greed, ignorance, and hatred. Prostrations OM NAMO MANJUSHRIYE NAMO SUSHRIYE NAMO UTTAMA SHRIYE SVAHA

(Recite while doing prostrations, 3x)

Having made three prostrations, kneel on your right knee with your hands together in prostration and your head and shoulders bowed, visualize Guru Avalokiteshvara before you, and repeat three times:

Eight Mahayana Precepts

Taking The Precepts All buddhas and bodhisattvas dwelling in the ten directions, Please pay attention to me! Just as the tathagathas of the past, the foe destroyers, The purified and developed Buddhas, Like the wise horse, the great elephant, Did what had to be done, accomplished the work, Left the burden, and afterwards achieved their own work, Their always-joining aggregates completely extinct, of perfect speech, Of well-liberated Holy Mind and with well-liberated wisdom, All, for the sake of all sentient beings, in order to benefit them, In order to liberate them, In order to eliminate famine, In order to eliminate sickness, In order that the thirty-seven dharmas of enlightenment be perfected, and In order to definitely actualize the no-higher result, pure, completed Enlightenment, Have taken the Restoring and Purifying Vows, So do I, [say your name], from now until sunrise tomorrow, For the sake of all sentient beings, In order to benefit them, In order to liberate them, In order to eliminate famine, In order to eliminate sickness, In order that the thirty-seven dharmas of Enlightenment be perfected, and In order to definitely actualize the no-higher result, pure, completed Enlightenment, Take the Restoring and Purifying Vows.
On completing the third recitation, think that you have received the virtues in your continuum and rejoice. Then regenerate the thought of bodhicitta, the altruistic aspiration to attain Enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings, by thinking:

Just as the foe destroyers of the past have abandoned All misconduct of body, speech, and mind, such as taking the lives of others, So shall I, for the sake of all beings, abandon for one day these wrong actions and Devote myself to the pure practice of the training. The Commitment Prayer To Keep The Precepts From now on I shall not kill, steal others' possessions, engage in sexual activity or lie. I shall avoid intoxicants, from which many mistakes arise. I shall not sit on large, high or expensive beds. I shall not eat food at the wrong times. I shall avoid singing, dancing and playing music, and I shall not wear perfumes, garlands or ornaments. Just as arhants have avoided wrong actions such as taking the lives of others, So shall I avoid wrong actions such as taking the lives of others. May I quickly attain enlightenment, and May the living beings who are experiencing the various sufferings be released from the ocean of cyclic existence.
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The Mantra Of Pure Morality OM AHMOGA SILA SAMBARA BHARA BHARA MAHA SHUDDHA SATO PADMA BI BHUKITE BHUDZE DHARA DHARA SAMANTA AVALOKITE HUM PHAT SVAHA

(21x)

Prayer To Keep One's Morality Pure May I complete the perfection of moral conduct by keeping the law of moral conduct purely and untainted by pride. Prostrations
Make three prostrations.

Dedication Prayers May the perfect bodhi-mind not yet born arise and grow. May that born have no decline, But increase for evermore. Because of the merits of taking the ordination and keeping the precepts, May I and all sentient beings achieve the two Enlightened Holy Bodies Created by the two vast accumulations of merit and transcendental wisdom. Dedication (H.H. Fourteenth Dalai Lama) Reading about the Eigth Mahayana Precepts, observing them, or even rejoicing when others observe such practice creates great positive potential in our minds. In order that this positive potential be of greatest benefit to ourselves and others, it is very helpful to dedicate it following the example of the bodhisattva Shantideva. May all beings everywhere plagued by sufferings of body and mind, Obtain an ocean of happiness and joy by virtue of my merits. May no living creature suffer, commit evil or ever fall ill. May no one be afraid or belittled, with a mind weighed down by depression. May the blind see forms, and the deaf hear sounds. May those whose bodies are worn with toil be restored on finding repose. May the naked find clothing, the hungry find food; May the thirsty find water and delicious drinks. May the poor find wealth, those weak with sorrow find joy; May the forlorn find hope, constant happiness and prosperity. May there be timely rains and bountiful harvests; May all medicines be effective and wholesome prayers bear fruit. May all who are sick and ill quickly be freed from their ailments. Whatever diseases there are in the world, may they never occur again. May the frightened cease to be afraid and those bound be freed; May the powerless find power and may people think of benefiting each other
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Eight Mahayana Precepts

Colophon The Venerable Thubten Dekyong translated the Commentary on the Actual Taking of the Precepts. Chiu-Nan Lai edited the first English version with the Venerable Frank Brock. The Venerable Thubten Detong helped with the second edit, and the Venerable Thubten Gyatso helped with the third (in particular, with advice from Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche on the translation of the Special Allowances). Finally, the whole text was edited by Nick Ribush and checked again by Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

Gaden For The West Colophon Under the kind supervision of the Venerable 13th Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, this Gaden for the West GFTW version has been edited by Chuck Damov and formatted by Peter Lewis. Updated versions will be available on the Web. We dedicate any and all merit of this effort to the study and pure practice of the precious Vajrayana teachings. References 1 H.H. Trijang Dorje Chang, from his Collected Works, commentary by Trusang Rinpoche. 2 H.H. Trijang Dorje Chang, A Whole Single Collection. 3 H.H. Trijang Dorje Chang, The Method for Taking the Mahayana Precepts Written in a Clear Explanation As an Ascending Stair to the Mansion of Great Purification. 4 Geshe Lamrimpa (in Tibet).