Bhadracari

The Arya-samantabhadra-carya-pranidhana-raja or Bhadracari is arguably the most popular devotional text in the Mahayana Buddhist tradition. A collection of verses originally composed in Sanskrit or Prakrit sometime before the fifth century CE, the Bhadracari recounts in the first person a bodhisattva's aspiration to worship all Buddhas and become enlightened for the sake of all beings. By the eighth century, these verses were incorporated as the conclusion of the Mahayana narrative known as the Gandavyuha-sutra. From this time, the text gained popularity throughout the entire Asian Buddhist world. In the Indian and Tibetan traditions it is referenced in numerous literary sources and appears in Sanskrit and Tibetan inscriptions. Evidence suggests that beyond their semantic significance these verses were considered a dharani or 'spell', which would bestow merit upon its reciter.

Filled with faith, I honor with my body, speech and mind
All the lions among men without exception
Who abide within all three times,
In the world with its ten directions. (1)

Through the strength of my vow for the Good Course,
With a mind directed toward all Conquerors,
I prostrate with as many bodies as there are
Atoms in the world to all Conquerors. (2)

Buddhas equal in number to atoms
Are seated in the middle of the sons of Buddhas within an atom.
In this way, I am entirely intent upon
The whole Dharma Realm filled with Conquerors. (3)

Speaking with voices endowed with an
Entire ocean of qualities about all the
Conquerors' oceanic imperishable good qualities,
I praise all the Sugatas. (4)

I worship those Conquerors with
The finest flowers, garlands, musical instruments,
Unguents, parasols, lamps and incense. (5)

I worship those Conquerors with the best garments and fragrances,
With vessels of powder as voluminous as Mount Meru
And with the best of all the excellent arrays. (6)

Whatever are supreme, noble offerings,
I devote them to all the Conquerors.
Through the strength of my resolution for the Good Course,
I honor and worship all the Conquerors. (7)

Whatever evil might be done by me
From passion, hatred or through the power of delusion
With my body, speech and mind;
I confess it all. (8)

Whatever merit there is in the ten directions
Belonging to worldly beings, disciples, worthies,
Solitary Conquerors, the sons of the Buddhas and all Conquerors;
I rejoice in all of it. (9)

Those world-illuminators in the ten directions
Who are wide awake to enlightenment
And have obtained nonobstruction-
All those lords I request to turn the supreme wheel of Dharma. (10)

And those who desire to manifest extinction,
With my hands joined together
I request them to remain for as many eons as there are
Atoms in the world for the welfare and happiness of all beings. (11)

Whatever good I have collected through
Honoring, worshipping, confession, delighting in,
Requesting and asking the Buddhas to teach,
All of it I direct toward awakening. (12)

May the Buddhas of the past and those existing in the world
With its ten directions be worshipped.
And may those Buddhas of the future quickly have
Their desires fulfilled and awaken to enlightenment. (13)

As many worlds as there are in the ten directions,
May they become purified and great.
And may they become completely filled with Conquerors
Residing under the best enlightenment trees along with the sons of the Buddhas. (14)

As many beings as there are in the ten directions,
May they always be comforted and free from disease.
And may the righteous aim of all beings be
Successful and may their hope increase. (15)

And may I, coursing in the way of awakening,
Remember my rebirths in all states of existence.
Having died, may I always go forth to homelessness
In every rebirth. (16)

Imitating all the Conquerors,
Perfecting the Good Course,
May I always follow flawlessly and without interruption
Stainless, pure moral conduct. (17)

And may I teach the Dharma in all the voices of beings;
Such as with the voices of the gods,
Nagas, yakshas, kumbhandas and men. (18)

May the beautiful mind aimed at awakening
Intent upon the perfections never be confused.
And what evil obstructions there might be,
Let them entirely be destroyed. (19)

May I move within the states of existence in the world,
Liberated from karma, defilements, and the path of the Evil One,
Like a lotus undefiled by water,
Or like the sun and the moon unimpeded in the sky. (20)

Pacifying all the sufferings of the evil states of existence
And establishing all beings in happiness,
May I travel as many paths in the various worlds
As there are within every direction. (21)

Conforming to the way of beings,
Perfecting the course to awakening,
Nurturing the Good Course,
May I transverse all future eons. (22)

And may I always be in union
With those whose conduct is like mine.
May I observe my vow as a single practice
With my body, speech, or mind. (23)

And may I also always be in union
With friends who desiring my welfare
Expound the Good Course.
And may I never offend them. (24)

May I see face to face the Conquerors,
Those Lords surrounded by the sons of the Buddhas.
And may I perform great reverence to them,
Unwearied for all future eons. (25)

Holding fast to the good Dharma of the Conquerors,
Expounding the course to awakening,
Purifying the Good Course,
May I transverse all future eons. (26)

Wandering in all existences,
Through merit and gnosis
I have obtained the indestructible.
Through wisdom, means, trances, liberations and all good qualities,
May I become an indestructible treasury. (27)

In a single atom,
There are worlds equal in number to atoms.
Practicing the course to awakening,
May I see in each world inconceivable numbers of Buddhas
Seated in the middle of the sons of the Buddhas. (28)

In this way, may I comprehend completely
Within all directions, within the pathways of the ignorant,
Oceans of Buddhas throughout the three times,
Oceans of worlds, and oceans of eons of practices. (29)

May I always comprehend through an ocean of sounds within a single voice,
The purity of the quality of voice of all the Conquerors,
Their speech according to the intentions of all beings,
And the eloquence of those Buddhas. (30)

And understanding the principle of the wheel of Dharma,
May I enter through the power of the mind,
The sounds of the indestructible speech of
The Conquerors within all three times. (31)

In a single instant may I enter all future eons.
And having reached the end of that instant,
May I transverse the eons of the three times. (32)

And in a single instant may I see
Those lions among men within the three times.
And through the power of illusory liberations,
May I always comprehend their range. (33)

And within a single atom may I realize
The arrays of worlds within the three times.
In this way, may I entirely comprehend
The Conquerors' arrays of worlds in all directions. (34)

Perceiving the future world-illuminators turning the wheel of Dharma,
Their tranquility, and their ending with the appearance of extinction,
May I approach all these Lords. (35)

Through supernatural powers with universal speed,
Through the power of the vehicle facing all directions,
Through the power of practice with all good qualities,
Through the power of universal love, (36)

Through the power of universally good merit,
Through the power of unobstructed gnosis,
Through the power of wisdom, means and trance,
Gathering the power of awakening, (37)

Purifying the power of action,
Destroying the power of the afflictions,
Making powerless the power of the Evil One,
May I fulfill all the powers of the Good Course. (38)

Purifying an ocean of worlds,
Liberating an ocean of beings,
Learning an ocean of teachings,
Plunging into an ocean of gnosis, (39)

Purifying an ocean of practices,
Fulfilling an ocean of vows,
Worshipping an ocean of Buddhas,
May I transverse an ocean of eons unwearied. (40)

And by the Good Course, may I awaken to enlightenment,
And fulfill without remainder all the special properties of
The vow concerning the course to awakening possessed by the
Conquerors of the three times. (41)

The eldest son of the Conquerors
Is named Samantabhadra.
All this merit I direct toward
A course like that of this wise one. (42)

As this wise one's purity of body, speech, mind
Conduct and world is called 'Good',
May I become equal to such a one through this practice. (43)

May I undertake Manjusri's vow
Regarding the universally beneficial Good Course.
May I fulfill all undertakings without remainder
Unwearied for all future eons. (44)

And may there be no measure to this course,
And may there be no measure to its virtues.
Establishing myself in this measureless course,
I will know all their miracles. (45)

As great as would be the limit of the sky,
Just as the limit of beings without remainder,
As much as the limit of action and affliction,
To such an extent, is the limit of my vow. (46)

And may I give to the Conquerors
Endless worlds adorned with gems throughout the ten directions.
May I give the best enjoyments both divine and human
For eons equal in number to atoms in a world. (47)

And who has heard this king of spiritual maturation,
Seeking after the blessing of awakening,
May [that one] at once beget the resolution for awakening.
May the merit [from this] be the foremost and most excellent. (48)

Possessing this Vow to Follow the Good Course,
One abandons evil states of existence and bad friends,
And quickly sees Amitabha. (49)

For such ones profit and a happy life are easily obtained.
They duly arrive at this human birth;
Before long they even become like Samantabhadra. (50)

Whoever has committed through the power of ignorance
The heinous five deadly sins,
Reciting this Good Course,
He quickly brings this evil entirely to its destruction. (51)

He will be endowed with gnosis, beauty,
The characteristic marks of a superior person,
A good social class and clan.
He will be unassailable by the hosts of heretics and evil ones,
And be worshipped in all three worlds. (52)

Quickly he goes to the best tree of awakening.
Having gone there, he sits for the benefit of beings.
Awakening to enlightenment, he would turn the wheel of Dharma, and
Overcome the Evil One and his entire army. (53)

Whoever henceforth would maintain, recite or teach
This Vow to Follow the Good Course,
For such a one the Buddha knows the spiritual maturation arising from this.
You should not beget doubt regarding this most excellent awakening. (54)

As the hero Manjusri knows,
Just so also does Samantabhadra.
Imitating them, I will direct
This merit toward all. (55)

The Conquerors abiding within all three times
Have praised this spiritual maturation as foremost.
I will direct all this merit toward
This most excellent Good Course. (56)

And when I am dying,
May I remove all obstacles,
See Amitabha face to face
And proceed to the land of Sukhavati. (57)

Having gone there,
May all these vows be fully present before me,
And may I fulfill them all without remainder
For the benefit of beings, as many as are in the world. (58)

Arising there in the best of radiant lotuses,
Within the glorious and delightful assembly of the Conqueror,
May I receive my prediction of awakening
In the presence of the Conqueror Amitabha. (59)

And after receiving my prediction there,
May I carry out through the power of my mind
Numerous benefits for beings
By means of many billons of manifestations
Within the ten directions. (60)

By whatever merit I have accumulated
Through reciting the Vow to Follow the Good Course,
May all the good vows of the world
Be accomplished in a single instant. (61)

By whatever most excellent, infinite merit
Obtained through my developing the Good Course,
May beings submerged in the flood of passions
Go to the very best city of Amitabha. (62)