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Pure Conduct

In taking refuge with the Buddha,
I vow that sentient beings
Will perpetuate the Buddhas’ lineage,
And bring forth the unsurpassed resolve.

In taking refuge with the Dharma,
I vow that sentient beings
Will deeply enter the Sutra Treasury,
And have wisdom like the sea.

In taking refuge with the Sangha,
I vow that sentient beings
Will unite and lead the great assembly,
All without obstruction.

When receiving and learning precepts,
I vow that sentient beings
Will skillfully learn precepts
And avoid all evil deeds.

When receiving the acharya’ s teaching,
I vow that sentient beings
Will possess awe-inspiring deportment
And be true in what they do.

When receiving instructions from a Great Monk,
I vow that sentient beings
Will enter the wisdom of the non arising of dharmas
And reach the stage of independence.

When receiving the complete precepts,
I vow that sentient beings
Will be endowed with all expedients
And attain the most excellent Dharma.

When entering the hall,
I vow that sentient beings
Will enter the Unsurpassed Hall,
And dwell peacefully in stillness.

When spreading out the bedsheet,
I vow that sentient beings
Will open and unfold wholesome dharmas
And see the character of reality.

When sitting upright and proper,
I vow that sentient beings
Will sit on the bodhi seat
With no attachments in their minds.

When sitting in the full lotus posture,
I vow that sentient beings
Will have solid good roots
And attain the ground of unmoving.

When cultivating samadhi,
I vow that sentient beings
Will subdue their minds with samadhi,
And ultimately have no residual habits.

When cultivating contemplation,
I vow that sentient beings
Will see the principle of reality
And abandon unreasonable contention forever.

When coming out of the lotus posture,
I vow that sentient beings
Will contemplate that all phenomena
Are bound to disperse and cease from existence.

When putting down my legs,
I vow that sentient beings
Will attain liberation in their minds
And peacefully dwell in stillness.

As I lift up my foot,
I vow that sentient beings
Will leave the sea of birth and death,
And perfect all wholesome dharmas.

As I put on my lower garments,
I vow that sentient beings
Will be clothed in good roots,
And be endowed with a sense of shame.

When straightening my clothes and fastening my belt,
I vow that sentient beings
Will gather and examine their good roots
And not let them become scattered or lost.

As I put on upper garments,
I vow that sentient beings
Will attain excellent good roots
And reach the other shore of Dharma.

When putting on the sanghati,
I vow that sentient beings
Will enter the foremost position,
And attain the unmoving Dharma.

As my hand holds my toothbrush,
I vow that sentient beings
Will all attain wonderful Dharma
And be ultimately pure.

When I brush my teeth,
I vow that sentient beings
Will be harmonious and pure in mind,
And bite through all afflictions.

As I go to the toilet,
I vow that sentient beings
Will cast out greed, anger, and delusion,
And cleanse themselves of offense dharmas.

When I use water,
I vow that sentient beings
Will quickly reach
Transcendental dharmas.

When I wash away the body’s filth,
I vow that sentient beings
Will be pure, regulated, and compliant,
And ultimately without defilement.

As I use water to wash my hands,
I vow that sentient beings
Will have clean hands
To receive and uphold the Buddhadharma.

As I use water to wash my face,
I vow that sentient beings
Will attain pure dharma doors
And be forever free from defilement.

As I hold the tin staff,
I vow that sentient beings
Will establish assemblies of great giving,
And reveal the path to ultimate reality.

As I hold the vessel,
I vow that sentient beings
Will become Dharma vessels
And receive the offerings of gods and people.

When I set forth on the Path,
I vow that sentient beings
Will emulate the Buddhas’ practice
And develop the quality of self-reliance.

When traveling on a path,
I vow that sentient beings
Will walk on the Buddha Path
And advance toward the Dharma of no residue.

While walking on a road,
I vow that sentient beings
Will roam the pure Dharma Realm,
Their minds free and unhindered.

When I see a road going uphill,
I vow that sentient beings
Will eternally transcend the Three Realms,
Their minds fearless and undaunted.

When I see a road going downhill,
I vow that sentient beings
Will be humble and respectful in their minds,
And foster the good roots of a Buddha.

When I see a winding road,
I vow that sentient beings
Will renounce improper ways
And abandon evil views forever.

When I see a straight road,
I vow that sentient beings
Will have straight and upright minds,
Free from flattery and deceit.

When I see a dusty road,
I vow that sentient beings
Will be far removed from dust,
And attain the pure Dharma.

When I see a road that is free from dust,
I vow that sentient beings
Will always cultivate great compassion,
Their minds brightened and enriched.

When I see a dangerous road,
I vow that sentient beings
Will dwell in the realm of Proper Dharma
And leave behind all offenses and troubles.

When I see a multitude assembled,
I vow that sentient beings
Will proclaim the profound Dharma,
And be harmonious with all.

When I see a huge pillar,
I vow that sentient beings
Will renounce egoistic and contentious thoughts
And be free from rage and hatred.

When I see a forest,
I vow that sentient beings
Will become worthy of respect and veneration
By all gods and people.

When I see a high mountain,
I vow that sentient beings
Will have such outstanding good roots
That none can reach their summit.

When I see a thorny bush,
I vow that sentient beings
Will quickly cut off and eradicate
The thorns of the three poisons.

When I see the luxuriant foliage on trees,
I vow that sentient beings
Will become liberated through concentration,
And act as a shelter.

When I see blossoming flowers,
I vow that sentient beings
Will attain spiritual powers and similar dharmas,
Resembling flowers in full bloom.

When I see a blossoming tree,
I vow that sentient beings
Will attain features resembling flowers
And be endowed with the thirty-two hallmarks.

When I see a fruit,
I vow that sentient beings
Will attain the most excellent Dharma,
And realize the Bodhi Path.

When I see a great river,
I vow that sentient beings
Will flow in Dharma’s stream,
And enter the sea of Buddhas’ wisdom.

When I see a marsh,
I vow that sentient beings
Will swiftly awaken to the Buddhas’
Single flavor of Dharma.

When I see a pond,
I vow that sentient beings
Will perfect their speech karma
And become skillful at speaking.

When I see a well,
I vow that all sentient beings
Will be endowed with eloquence
To proclaim all Dharmas.

When I see a bubbling spring,
I vow that sentient beings
Will develop skillful expedients
And endless roots of goodness.

When I see a bridge crossing,
I vow that sentient beings
Will take all beings across
By acting as a bridge.

When I see flowing water,
I vow that sentient beings
Will realize wholesome aspirations,
And wash away delusion’s filth.

When I see a person cultivate a garden,
I vow that sentient beings
Will hoe out the weeds of love
From the garden of the five desires.

When I see an untroubled forest,
I vow that sentient beings
Will forever separate from greed and love,
And be free from grief and terror.

When I see a garden or a park,
I vow that sentient beings
Will diligently cultivate all practices,
And hasten toward the Buddha’s bodhi .

When I see a person finely adorned,
I vow that sentient beings
Will take the thirty-two fine hallmarks
As their wonderful adornments.

When I see a person who is unadorned,
I vow that sentient beings
Will renounce all fine ornaments
And perfect the dhuta practices.

When I see a person attached to pleasures,
I vow that sentient beings
Will take the Dharma as their happiness,
Delight in it and never renounce it.

When I see a person unattached to pleasures,
I vow that sentient beings
Will not take pleasure
In conditioned events.

When I see a happy person,
I vow that sentient beings
Will always find peace and happiness,
And delight in making offerings to the Buddhas.

When I see a person in distress,
I vow that sentient beings
Will attain the basic wisdom
To extinguish all sufferings.

When I see a healthy person,
I vow that sentient beings
Will enter true and actual wisdom,
And be forever free from sickness and affliction.

When I see a sick person,
I vow that sentient beings
Will realize their bodies are empty and still,
And renounce the dharmas of contention.

When I see a fair and handsome person,
I vow that sentient beings
Will always give rise to pure faith
Toward the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

When I see an ugly person,
I vow that sentient beings
Will not delight or indulge in
Unwholesome affairs.

When I see a person who repays kindness,
I vow that sentient beings
Will understand the kindness shown them
By the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

When I see an ungrateful person,
I vow that sentient beings
Will not take revenge
On evil and malicious people.

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