Bodhisattva Vow Ceremony

Noble Sūtra, The King, Good Conduct’s Prayer

Homage to the noble one, Gentle Glory Ever Young!

Ten directions' worlds, all purity
Three times' bliss gones, lions ev'rywhere
To them all, with none left out, let's pray
Sincer'ly with body, speech, and mind

By the forces of Good Conduct’s Pray'r
All the victors manifest to mind
We bow down with bodies, bits of fields
To all victors tot'lly hail and pray

On each bit as many bits buddhas
Each does dwell amidst their buddha heirs
Thus such spheres of truth exclude nothing
All is filled with victors int'resting

Paeans inexhaustible as seas
Oceanic sounds each melody
We express all victors' qualities
Glorifying all the bliss gone ones

Sacred flowers, holy garlands too
Instruments, substances, parasols
Supreme butter lamps, sublime incense
We make off'rings to victorious ones

Sacred robes and gowns, supreme perfumes
Fragrant powders heaped as high Meru
All superior, special arrays
We make off'rings to victorious ones

Off'rings’ opulence are unsurpassed
Consecrated for victorious ones
By powers of trust in Good Conduct
Hands in pray'r to victors, we offer

Since desire, anger, ign'rance affect
Body, speech, so similar to mind
Sins committed, whatever they be
Do confess, put each and all aside

Ten directions' victors, buddha heirs
Auto-victors, learners, consummates
Even all the merits of all souls
All of them we follow and rejoice

Worlds of ten directions' luminaires
Those who found desireless buddhahood
Those protectors, so to all of them
We implore they turn the Dharma Wheel

Those who'd wish display their transcendence
Please for bliss to benefit all souls
Bide as many eons bits of fields
We join palms, beseech they please do stay

Homage, offering, confession too
Rejoicing, imploring, beseeching
These few virtues we have just amassed
Dedicate them to awakening!

The Actual Vow of Spiritual Heroes

Gain the buddhas' and masters' attention:

All buddhas, conquerors dwelling in the ten directions; along with the great spiritual heroes abiding on the tenth ground; and the great highnesses, vajra holders, please pay attention to us!

First go for refuge (x3)

Wakened heart, until it's come
We take refuge in buddhas
Dharma, spiritual heroes
Too collectives, take refuge!

Then take the actual vow (x3)

Just how bliss gones of the past
Roused awakened heart and then
Trained as spiritual heroes
Biding on their stage, so too
Similar to serve all souls
We do rouse awakened heart
Also train like those of yore
Doing deeds each stage accords!

[“It is sown!”
“So good!”]

Rejoicing Aspirations in the Vow

Now our life is meaningful
Humanity's excellence
Now we're born in Buddha's line
Become as a buddha heir

Now, no matter what comes next
Let us act in harmony
Never doing anything
That could taint our family

Like a blind hand in a heap
Striking on a precious jew'l
Similar, amidst a mess
Our awakened heart has rose

Before eyes of all our refuge guides
Ordinary souls to bliss gone ones
We've called guests of ev'ry type today
Gods and demigods— we all rejoice

Precious, best awakening
Where it hasn't, let it rise
Where it has, don't let decrease
Let it flourish evermore

Never parting from this mind
Diligent in woke conduct
Wholly held by the buddhas
Māra's deeds are cast aside

All the spiritual heroes
Keep souls' purpose in their heart
Those protectors' intentions
Join with beings' in each their turn

All the sentient beings be happy ones
Bad migrations desolate fore'er
Spiritual heroes on the grounds
Each and all prove aspirations true!

The Arising of Perfectly Pure Moral Conduct

Homage to all thus gone ones!

Homage to the great spiritual hero, Noble Looking Eye Almighty!

OṂ  AMOGhAŚĪLA SAMBhARA SAMBhARA BhARA BhARA MAHĀŚUDDhASATTVA PADMABhIBUṢITEBhUJA DhARA DhARA SAMANTĀVALOKITE HŪṂ PhAṬ SVĀHĀ

Ours and all sentient beings' mindstreams be wholly complete in the ways of transcendent moral conduct!

All the sins and defilements that have arisen as moral conduct has strayed due to afflictions be cleansed and purified!

Noble ones be pleased with the moral conduct of fortunate heirs!

Encountering and abiding in afflictions couldn't possibly crush the happiness of perfect freedom!

Conduct that's unflawed by codes
Conduct that's perfectly pure
Unpresumptive conduct be
Conduct transcendent, complete

Training after all victorious ones
Excellent conduct's wholly complete
Moral conduct's acts be stainless, pure
Conduct's unimpaired, faultless fore'er!

Tibetan Source Bibliography

This “Bodhisattva Vow Ceremony" is formatted according to Palyul Monastery's daily practice:

‍Namcho Daily Practice. New York: Palyul Ling International, 2010. 

The Ceremony consists of these sources:

"The Seven Branch Prayer" is from the fifty-sixth chapter of the great Dharma teaching entitled Stem Array (Gaṇḍa­vyūha) from within the Noble Scripture, A Multitude of Buddhas (Mahāvaipulya Sūtra). Shin tu rgyas pa chen po’i mdo sangs rgyas phal po che zhes bya ba las sdong pos brgyan pa’i le’u ste bzhi bcu rtsa lnga pa’o. bKa' 'gyur (sde dge), vol. 38, ff. 358b-359b.

The Vow and Rejoicing are from Shantideva's The Way of the Bodhisattva (Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra), Byang chub sems dpa’i spyod pa la ‘jug pa. bsTan ‘gyur (sde dge), vol. 105, Chapter 3.

The Arising of Perfectly Pure Moral Conduct is from the dharaṇi of Amoghapāśa, from the collection of Ancient Word: Extensive Version. sNga 'gyur bka' ma shin tu rgyas pa. Vol. 41.