Translations

Je Tsongkhapa’s ‘Aspiration Prayer For Rebirth In The Western Pure Land Of Ultimate Bliss’ 宗喀巴大师之《往生西方极乐世界发愿文》


胜行无尽利有情
一念永弃死王畏
恒愍众生如爱子
礼天人师阿弥陀

I pray to Buddha Amitayus, teacher of gods and men. Your excellent activities give endless benefit to beings. Remembering you just once pushes away fear of the lord of death. Your mind always generates compassion towards beings like a mother towards her only son.

Alternative translation: [With your] excellent practices without limit benefitting sentient [beings], once [with] mindfulness [of you] forever abandoning fear [of the] king [of] death, constantly sympathetic [of] sentient beings like [an only] beloved child, [I] prostrate [to] heavenly [and] human [beings’] teacher Amitā[bha Buddha].

能仁数称赞
最胜极乐刹
发愿往生文
随力而宣说

Many times the good qualities of the supreme paradise, Dewachen, were praised by Lord Buddha. By compassion’s power and prayers to be born there, I will explain whatever I can.

无明障取舍
瞋剑斩善趣
贪索系生死
业水漂有海

Blocked by thick ignorance of the points to be abandoned and obtained, the chances for beings to reach a higher life are killed by the weapon of anger. We are locked in samsara’s prison, bound by the rope of desire, and carried away by the great river of karma into samsara’s ocean.

老病苦浪击
将入死鲸口
非爱苦担逼
无依苦哭唤

Adrift in sufferings’ waves of sickness and old age, swallowed by the sea monster’s mouth of the ruthless lord of death, and buried under a load of unwanted sufferings, I am unprotected and moaning with depression.

启白愿证成
救苦无量光
观音大势至
并及多眷属

My mind aspires to witness a destitute person’s only friend, the Savior Amitabha. You are accompanied by the great bodhisattva, Lord Avalokiteshvara, and surrounded by a supreme entourage.

多劫为度生
莫忘所发心
如鹏飞于空
现通速降临

Please don’t forget your unwavering promise to benefit us, made for immeasurable eons by generating the bodhisattva mind. By the power of that, I supplicate you respectfully to come here through the force of your miraculous powers and compassion, just like the king of birds flies through the deities’ path of the sky.

今依自他三世所集资粮大海,总集之力,愿我临终,现见弥陀,观音势至,海众围绕。尔时缘于佛及圣众,发殷重信,无解支苦。

By depending on the power of amassing the ocean-like two collections of virtue accumulated by myself and others throughout the three times, I pray, Amitabha, that you, together with your two chief sons and your entourage, will stay close to me at the time of my death and protect me. Please, Buddha, may I see you directly along with your entourage. At that time may very strong faith in you arise in me. May there be no extreme pain at the time of death.

又愿具足信境,明记不忘,死已无间,八大菩萨现通而至,亦与往生极乐之路。

Without forgetting, may I remember the object of my faith. At the moment of death, may the eight bodhisattvas come to me with their miraculous power and show me the exact path to travel to Dewachen.

依此得生极乐国土,宝莲华中,利根大乘。

Because of that may I be born from a lotus into the precious pure land of Dewachen with sharp faculties and among the Mahayana race of beings.

又愿生已无间,证得无量大陀罗尼,妙三摩地,无缘菩提心,无尽大辩才等功德宝藏,承事供养无上大师阿弥陀等十方诸佛菩萨,受学大乘。

As soon as I am born, may I retain everything previously learned about concentration, selfless bodhichitta, endless ability, confidence, and so forth. May I achieve immeasurable collections of good qualities. May Amitabha, his entourage, and the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions have confidence in me, and may I receive the complete Mahayana teachings, understanding them exactly as intended.

又愿如实了知诸法真义,刹那刹那以神通力遍往十方无央数佛刹,圆满一切菩萨大行。

Through miraculous power, may I go unobstructed to the many buddhafields, completing all the great bodhisattva activities.

又愿生净土已,此以猛利悲心发起无碍神通而还秽土,为诸有情如其根器而说正法,皆悉立于诸佛所赞妙清净道。

Even though I take birth in the pure realms, may I be drawn by the great power of compassion to go, without obstacles and through miraculous ability, mainly into impure lands. May I teach the Dharma to all beings exactly as fits each one’s ability. Because of that, may I be able to establish them in the perfect, pure path praised by the buddhas.

又愿速疾圆满微妙大行,为利无边诸众生故,速当成佛。

May I quickly complete all excellent activities and easily achieve buddhahood for the sake of the vast numbers of beings.


愿舍寿行时,
现见阿弥陀,
海众遍围绕,
信悲满我身。

One day, when this life’s activities are finished, may my mind become full of faith and compassion from being able to see you clearly, Amitabha, surrounded by your ocean of disciples.

Alternative translation: May I, when leaving my life’s activities, presently see Āmítuófó [i.e. Amitābha Buddha]. May his ocean-wide assembly everywhere surround, with faith and compassion filling my body.

中有初现起,
八佛子示路,
化生极乐已,
度浊土众生。

As soon as the appearances of the intermediate state come to me, may the eight bodhisattvas show me the unmistaken path. Because of that, may I be born into Dewachen and then emanate into impure lands in order to save beings.

Alternative translation: If the intermediate state first appears, may the eight sons of the Buddha [i.e. eight great Bodhisattvas] show the road [to Pure Land]. Having manifested birth in the Land Of Ultimate Bliss already, may I deliver defiled lands’ sentient beings.

乃至未得如是胜位,愿一切生得清净身,闻思修习于佛圣教,教证二法。

Even though I may yet to to achieve such a supreme state through all my lives, may I always achieve the basis of a perfect human form. May I strive at hearing, contemplating, and meditating upon the explanations and realizations of Buddha’s teachings.

又愿彼身不离善趣七种功德而为庄严。

May I never be separated from the basis of a human form, ornamented by the seven qualities of the higher realms.

又愿如是一切生中得宿念。

In those lifetimes may I always achieve the ability to remember all my previous existences with exact clarity.

又愿一切生中,恒观三有悉无坚实,欣慕解脱所有功德,于佛世尊善说法律而为出家。

Throughout all my future lives may I see samsaric existence as without essence. May I be attracted to nirvana’s qualities. Because of that, through Buddha’s excellent teachings on vinaya, may I renounce the world and enter the monastic life.

又愿出家之时,虽微小罪,悉皆无犯,究竟戒藏,证大菩提,如不动苾刍。

When I become a monk or nun, may I not commit any of the natural bad deeds nor break even the slightest of Buddha’s precepts. May I be just like Bhikshu Mitrugpa (Undisturbed), achieving great enlightenment by completely developing the heap of ethics.

又愿一切生中,如实了知染净已,究竟支中,明记受持诸法文义,获得圆满大陀罗尼。如自所受为他宣说,获得清净无碍辩才。

Also, throughout all my future lives may I exactly understand the way for purely cleaning away the mental afflictions. Then may I achieve the excellent collections of recollecting everything without exception that I previously learned, including the branches of perfection and holding in mind the words and meanings of the Dharma. May I achieve the pure confidence to teach without obstacle to others I behold.

又愿一切生中得健行等三摩地门,肉等诸眼,神境等通。

Also, throughout all my lives may I enter the samadhis called “going courageously” and so forth, may I gain the “flesh eye” and so forth, and may I achieve the five clairvoyances, such as the miraculous ability to know faraway objects and so forth. May I never be separated from these abilities.

又愿一切生中得广大慧,自力能辨诸所舍处。

Throughout all my future lives may I achieve great wisdom, which makes me able, through my own power, to discriminate between the points of what should be developed and what should be abandoned.

又愿获明了慧,能无紊杂,如实简择,杂染清净,最微细处。

May I achieve clear wisdom, which is able to discriminate even the subtle details of the mental afflictions and of the pure virtues exactly as they are, not mixing them but keeping them separate.

又愿证速疾慧,不解邪解,犹预意乐,生已无间,无余永灭。

May I achieve quick wisdom, which is able to terminate without exception all lack of understanding, wrong views, and mental doubts as soon as they arise.

又愿得甚深慧,于他不能持佛所说文义,无滞能入。

May I achieve profound wisdom, which gives me access to the scriptures of Buddha’s excellent speech, so that without becoming stuck, I may understand the unfathomable depths of meaning.

总愿远离一切恶慧过失,以慧简择佛经文义,由巧便慧究竟一切诸菩萨行,如曼殊尊。

In summary, with the wisdom free from the faults of perverted wisdom, may I become just like venerable Manjushri with a skillful teacher’s wisdom that keeps a clear understanding of the meanings of the Buddha’s teachings and enables me to perfect all the bodhisattvas’ transcendental activities.

获得如是广博明了速疾深慧,为欲摄受䝨善,降伏邪说,喜悦智所有支分,谓缘一切佛教获得讲说辩论著作善巧究竟。

Like that, with wisdom that is great, clear, quick, and profound, may I take care of other fortunate ones with kindness, destroy wrong views, and please the knowledgeable through teaching, debating, and composing scriptures on the various branches of Buddha’s teachings, becoming a completely perfected scholar.

又愿一切生中,破除乐着自利作意,及初一切菩萨大行退屈怯懦一切意乐,爱乐利他到达第一志力彼岸。由于巧便大菩提心,究竟一切诸菩萨行,如观自在。

Throughout all my future lives may I be free of holding thoughts that mainly cling to my own purposes, and may I stop all laziness and cowardliness toward the great activities of the bodhisattvas. Then may I become skillful in the bodhisattva mind, which willingly takes on the purposes of others with a brave mind perfectly complete. By that, may I perfect all bodhisattvas’ activities and become just like venerable Avalokiteshvara.

又愿一切生中,行二利时,摧伏一切魔外他论,由巧便力究竟一切诸菩萨行,如秘密主。

Also, throughout all my future lives, when working for the benefit of myself and others, may I subdue all demons, extremists, and opponents with wrong views through the skillful power that enables me to complete all the perfect bodhisattva activities, becoming just like the venerable Vajrapani.

又愿一切生中,永离懈怠,精进圆满大菩提行,从初发心,刹那不癈,由大精进证大菩提,犹如无等释迦法王。

Throughout all my future lives, with effort that abandons all laziness, may I complete the bodhisattvas’ activities by first generating the bodhisattva mind instantly and then not wavering from it. Through that great effort may I find incomparable buddhahood, becoming just like Buddha Shakyamuni.

又愿一切生中,能坏一切身心疾病,菩提障难,略称其名,便能消灭身语意一切痛苦,如药师佛。

Throughout all my future lives, may I be able to overcome all sicknesses of body and mind that are obstacles to achieving enlightenment. May I become just like the thus-gone Medicine Buddha, just by mentioning whose name one is able to pacify all sufferings of body, speech, and mind.

又愿一切生中,欲寿究竟,略称其名,能坏一切非时横死,如阿弥陀佛

Also, throughout all my future lives, may I attain whatever length of life I wish for, becoming just like Buddha Amitayus. Even by saying his name one is able to subdue all untimely death.

又愿有命难时,得见阿弥陀佛四种事中,随顺调伏,示现化身,见已无间,一切命难悉皆消灭。

When obstacles to life come near, please appear to me, Savior Amitayus, and through your four activities, tame your disciples, appearing to them clearly in whatever form is fitting. As soon as your form is seen, may all obstacles to life be extinguished, without exception.

又于如应调伏所现身,了知即是阿弥陀佛,生坚固信。由此力故,一切生中,不离弥陀,为善知识。

When you appear in whatever form is fitting for your disciples, Savior Amitayus, may we be able to recognize those forms as you, and may a faith that is not artificial and that is unshakably strong arise. Through the power of that faith, may we meet directly with you in the form of virtuous friends throughout all our lives, Buddha Amitayus, receiving direct teachings and never becoming separate.

又愿一切生中,常为世出世间一切功德根本,具足德相,大乘善友欢喜摄受。

Throughout all my future lives may I be held in the kindness of a fully qualified Mahayana virtuous teacher, the root of all ordinary and transcendent good qualities, and may that teacher become very happy with me.

又愿被摄受时,于善知识获不坏信,由一切门承事欢喜,凡所不喜,刹那不作。

At that time also, through the power of a strong, unshakable faith toward my virtuous guide, may I only perform activities that please my teacher with all three doors of my body, speech, and mind. May I not do anything that would cause my guide to become displeased for even an instant.

又愿善友开示一切圆满教授教诫。

Having pleased my virtuous friend, may every holy instruction be bestowed without leaving anything out, and may I diligently practice.

又愿如实了悟一切义已,究竟正行。

Understanding whatever meanings are taught, may I strive to be able to accomplish them completely.

又愿刹那不随恶师恶友增上而转。

May I not become influenced for even an instant by misleading friends or non-virtuous teachers.

又愿一切生中,证悟一切深信业果,永出离心,大菩提心,清净正见,无有功用,恒任运转。

Throughout all my lives, may I have reasoned faith in cause and effect, renunciation, the altruistic wish for enlightenment, pure view, and all knowledges entered into effortlessly, experienced without break.

又愿一切生中,身语意业一切善根,唯成利他及成清净大菩提因。

Throughout all my future lives, may the roots of all virtues I perform through my body, speech, and mind serve to benefit others, becoming a cause for their pure enlightenment.

乃至我未得
能仁最胜位
愿得修道身
出家念宿命

总持辩才定
通等功德藏
无比智悲力
速满菩提行

非时死相现
即见弥陀
摧坏死王力
证无死持明

弥陀一切生
作大乘知识
于佛所赞道
刹那不退转

若时弃有情
生起自利心
不愚利他事
巧便行利他

愿诵忆我名
诸受恶业果
得圆满安乐
上升大乘梯

略明佛子传
修菩萨行障
消灭诸顺缘
如意皆成办

释迦法王无量光
弥勒妙音秘密主
观音海众缘起力
如是诸愿速圆满

吉祥圆满!

Source unknown,
lightly edited by Ven. Constance Miller

Related Articles:

Guru Rinpoche & Lama Tsongkhapa’s Exhortation To Reach Pure Land
http://thedailyenlightenment.com/2015/10/guru-rinpoche-lama-tsongkhapass-exhortation-to-reach-pure-land

宗喀巴大师:往生西方极乐世界发愿文
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/MZw7C2wCu8BnaIsrNueTUQ

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