Q7: Are there corresponding dedication verses for different Dharma methods? Can these dedication verses be used interchangeably?

A：Dedication verses are usually written by Venerable Patriarchs. Some verses indicate authors, while others have unknown sources. However, these dedication verses were all created to serve as guidance for teaching their disciples to make vows and practice self-cultivation. The verses share commonalities; hence, some dedication verses could surely be used interchangeably.

However, the dedication verses are relevant to the Dharma method, vows, living environment, and state of being of the authors. Hence, there remains to be certain disparities between the different dedication verses. Take, for example, the dedication verse of the Amitabha Sutra from the Pure Land sect: "I vow to be reborn in the Western Pure Land, with the nine-grade lotuses as my parents; realizing that there is no birth as the lotus blossoms and I see the Buddha; with the never-regressing bodhisattvas as my companions." The meaning behind this verse is to first vow to practice self-cultivation in the Western Pure Land, then return to the mundane (Saha World) to practice the Bodhisattva Path. The dedication verse which reads "I vow to transfer this merit to all sentient beings, and that all sentient beings and I are able to attain buddhahood together" reflects the core teachings in the Lotus Sutra, which is that all sentient beings possess Buddha nature.

Having witnessed social chaos in his time and thus generated Great Compassion in his heart, Master Sheng Yen wrote the following dedication verse: "I vow to transfer this merit to all sentient beings in the hopes that they can all be liberated from the suffering in the Three Realms and generate a Bodhi mind." Shifu hoped that everyone can practice the Bodhisattva Path and create a Pure Land in the human realm.


Extended reading:

Transfer of Merit –The Practice of Generating a Great Mind

The Transfer of Merit: the Giving of Dharma that could be Practiced at any Time

What Buddhist Scriptures Reveal about the Evolution of Merit Transfer

Dedicating the merit for attainment of nirvana is superior to praying for karmic blessing in the human and heavenly realms

To practice the Buddhist teaching is to transfer merit in its true sense

Compassionately delivering sentient beings, dedicating the merit for supreme Bodhi

Dedication verses commonly seen in the Chinese Buddhist tradition

Tibetan Buddhism: The most sublime chapter on the Practices and Vows of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra

Q1: How is merit transfer different from the blessings we give to others in our everyday life?

Q2: Must we first accumulate merit before we can transfer it to others?

Q3: Would it matter if I don't transfer merits after chanting?

Q4: When we transfer the merit generated from self-cultivation to our family, friends, and deceased loved ones, can they really receive it?

Q5: Should we still transfer merit to specific people after we have already transferred it to all sentient beings in the Dharma realm?

Q6: The terms "making vows" and "transfer of merit" are often used alongside each other in Mahayana Buddhist scriptures. What are the differences between them?

Q7: Are there corresponding dedication verses for different Dharma methods? Can these dedication verses be used interchangeably?


Resource: Humanity Magazine Issue #413
Translation: Ariel Shen 
Editing: Keith Brown, Glen Sha