Dedication verses commonly seen in the Chinese Buddhist tradition

"May my three hindrances and various afflictions dissolve. May I attain wisdom, as well as true understanding and realization…" Do you know the meaning of the dedication verses you chant? The ancient masters, patriarchs and great practitioners in the Chinese Buddhist tradition have all stressed the importance of merit transfer, which, besides offering blessings for people to soon attain Buddhahood, also serves as a reminder for us to repent and thus remove obstacles on our path of self-cultivation and pray for their elimination.

Disaster Relief and Auspiciousness

Among the various practices of Chinese Buddhism ---such as Dharma assemblies, sutra or mantra recitation, praying for blessings and disaster relief, Buddha name recitation or Chan meditation--- the most frequently heard verse of merit transfer used at their completion is the "Auspicious Disaster-dispelling Verse." By dedicating the merit generated from practicing virtuous deeds, we repent our transgressions and pray for the elimination of obstacles on our journey of cultivation:

May my three hindrances and various afflictions dissolve.
May I attain wisdom, as well as true understanding and realization.
May my disasters and obstacles dissolve and be eliminated.
May I always tread the Bodhisattva Path, lifetime after lifetime.

May my three hindrances and various afflictions dissolve:
The three hindrances refer to obstacles of karma, retribution, and affliction. May we eliminate all these obstacles in the way of our journey of self-cultivation.

May I attain wisdom, as well as true understanding and realization:
May we develop pure, liberated wisdom without outflows, thus being able to fully understand one's self and others without committing transgressions.

May natural disasters and obstacles all dissolve and be eliminated:
We pray that we and everyone else can be freed of various disasters and misfortunes, both in our environment and on our path of cultivation. Disasters include both external disasters and internal disasters. The former encompasses three major disasters involving water, fire, and wind, as well as three minor disasters of warfare, plague, and famine. The latter include the eight disastrous challenges derived from the practice of samadhi: grief, rapture, pain, joy, initial mental application and subsequent discursive reasoning (vitakka-vicāra), exhalation, and inhalation.

May I always tread the Bodhisattva path, lifetime after lifetime:
I vow to practice the Six Perfections along with innumerable good deeds lifetime after lifetime, continually striving forward on the Bodhisattva Path to benefit self and others.

Dedicating the merit for attaining Bodhi (Enlightenment)

The contents of the Morning and Evening Chanting Text adopted by Dharma Drum Mountain were edited by Master Sheng Yen himself, who is the founder of Dharma Drum Mountain. In the text, the Master wrote a merit transfer verse for concluding the morning and evening chanting:

May this merit be transferred to all sentient beings;
May all generate Bodhi mind to be liberated from the suffering of the Three Realms.

Besides the practices of chanting sutras and dharanis to rein in our mind, one is also required to chant the Ten Great Vows by Bodhisattva Samantabhadra and the Four Noble Vows. The morning chanting practice to start the day emphasizes the element of making aspirations. We should emulate Bodhisattva Samantabhadra’s Dharma practice of delivering sentient beings, remaining firm in our faith without retrogression. Master Sheng Yen especially valued generating and developing the Bodhi mind. Therefore, in the verse of merit transfer that concludes a chanting session, he wanted to remind practitioners to dedicate the merit performed to all sentient beings, wishing them to be able to leave suffering behind and attain happiness. In addition, merit should be transferred towards one's direction and goal of practice—thus, may sentient beings all be able to generate the Bodhi mind to attain Buddhahood, seeking the Buddha path for themselves while delivering other sentient beings throughout their future lives.

Dedicating the merit for the Dharma realm and the Buddha Path

There is another commonly seen merit transfer verse that comes from The Chapter on the Apparitional City in the Lotus Sutra. It is also included in the Collection of Essential Sutras for Daily Chanting, as a verse of merit transfer:

May the merit of this practice be universally transferred to all.
Together, may all sentient beings attain Buddhahood.

This four-phrase verse was originally said by the king of the Brahman-heaven to praise the merit of the Buddha Mahābhijñā-jñānābhibhū when first attaining ultimate enlightenment. The Brahman King then made a vow to share the merit generated from his personal practice with all sentient beings in the ten directions, wishing them to eventually attain Buddhahood. This act of merit-transfer, which is full of the Mahayana Bodhisattva spirit of benefiting self and others, echoes the concept in the Lotus Sutra that all beings have the potential to attain Buddhahood.

Upon the completion of their practice sessions, Buddhists will instantaneously share their merit with all sentient beings in the ten Dharma realms to form karmic affinities with them. In the moment of the dedication, we transfer our merit towards our ultimate goal of practice -- attaining Buddhahood, while wishing all sentient beings, including ourselves, to equally benefit from the Dharma. This is the simplest yet most important practice.

Transferring the merit towards rebirth in the pure land

Among myriad Dharma methods, the Pure Land method can be said to be the most popular one. In particular, the Buddha-name recitation method is effective regardless of time, locality, and the practitioner's karmic roots. That is, as long as we are willing to single-mindedly recite the Buddha's name, we can free ourselves of disasters and difficulties, eradicate karmic transgressions of countless kalpas in the cycle of birth and death, and dedicate all our merit to rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Ancient patriarchs and masters composed many verses of merit transfer for rebirth in the Western Pure Land to urge practitioners to dedicate the merit of their practice towards attaining birth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, thereby continuing to accumulate spiritual provisions in their Buddhist practice. Among them, the Tzu-yun Chan Master's Pure Land Text, Aspiration for Rebirth in the West, and the Great Dedication Verse written by the Tzu-yun Repentance Master Zunshi Zhibai in the Song Dynasty are well-known and frequently recited texts for merit transfer.

Repentance Master Tzu-yun's Pure Land Verses

Wholeheartedly, I take refuge in the Land of Ultimate Bliss and Buddha Amitabha.
May his pure light shine upon me, and may his kind vows embrace me.
I, hereby, with right mindfulness,
recite the Thus Come One's name,
for the sake of the Bodhi path,
seek rebirth in his Pure Land.
The Buddha's ancient fundamental vow states:
‘If there are sentient beings,
who desire rebirth in my land
with utmost sincerity and joyful faith
If, even after only ten mindful recitations
they are not reborn there,
I shall not attain right awakening.’
With this mindfulness of the Buddha as the cause and condition,
may I attain entry into the Thus Come One’s great ocean of vows.
Aided by the Buddha's power of loving-kindness,
may my many transgressions be eradicated,
and virtuous roots grow.
When approaching the end of life,
may I personally know the time of arrival,
may my body be without suffering from sickness,
may my mind be without attachment,
and may my thoughts be without inversion,
as if entering meditative concentration.
May the Buddha and his noble assembly,
with his hand carrying a golden lotus dais,
come to receive me.
Within one thought-moment,
may I be born in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.
When the flower blossoms, I shall see the Buddha,
immediately hear the teaching of the Buddha-vehicle,
swiftly awaken to the Buddha's wisdom,
and extensively deliver sentient beings, to fulfill my Bodhi vow.

In the Commentary on Master Tzu-yun's Verses on Pure Land Practice, Master Sheng Yen explained that the text of the verses is meant to encourage us to wholeheartedly take refuge and yearn for rebirth in Amitabha's Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. We pray that Buddha Amitabha allows his light of purity, compassion, and wisdom to illuminate us, as well as receive and accept us with the power of his compassionate vows. Now, I am mindfully reciting Buddha Amitabha's name as part of my Bodhisattva practice, as well as to seek rebirth in Buddha Amitabha's Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Buddha Amitabha had made a great vow in the past. That is, for sentient beings wishing to come to his pure land, as long as they have a sincere mind and sufficient faith, they will be able to be reborn in his Sukhavati even after only ten recitations of his name. Otherwise, he shall not attain Buddhahood.

Based on my practice of reciting Buddha Amitabha's name as the cause and condition, and, thanks to the Buddha's compassionate vows, all my negative karma will be eradicated, while my virtuous karmic roots and merits increase. Towards the end of my life, may I know in advance when exactly I will be reborn to the Western Pure Land. At the moment my life ends, may I be freed of illness and my mind let go of attachment to people, things, and wealth in this mundane world. May I remain mentally aware and alert, as if entering meditative concentration.

At that point, may Buddha Amitabha, along with Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta, Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, and countless other noble beings, come to me. May Buddha Amitabha carry a golden lotus platform to welcome me, and in an instant I will arrive in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, Buddha Amitabha's Pure Land. On arriving in the Pure Land, may I be reborn by manifesting in a lotus flower. When the lotus blooms, may I see Buddha Amitabha and hear the most sublime Buddhadharma, instantly realizing the wisdom of the Buddha, and being able to widely spread the Dharma to benefit all sentient beings. May I fulfill my Bodhisattva vows and achieve the compassion and wisdom of the Buddha, thus becoming a Buddha myself.

Aspiration for Rebirth in the West

I wish to be reborn in the Western Pure Land,
with nine grades of lotus flowers as my parents.
As the flower blossoms, I will see the Buddha and realize the non-arising,
with Bodhisattvas in the stage of non-retrogression as my companions.

Pure Land practitioners, having recited the Amitabha Sutra and performed death-bed chanting, will recite this verse to dedicate their merit. This verse signifies our aspiration to rely on Buddha Amitabha's kind and compassionate vows to attain rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, thereby allowing us to be liberated from suffering and attain happiness, while continuing to follow Buddha Amitabha for further practice. Beings reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss will all become Bodhisattvas in the state of non-retrogression. As a result, all these Bodhisattvas in the stage of non-retrogression will be with us as our Dharma friends and spiritual companions.

Great Dedication Verse

May this merit adorn the Buddha's Pure Land,
Repaying the fourfold kindness, relieving the suffering of the Three Lower Realms.
If there are those who see and hear this, may they all generate the Bodhi mind.
After exhausting this body of karmic retribution, we can all be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

The Great Dedication Verse is often recited upon the completion of Dharma assemblies, morning and evening recitations, personal intensive practice sessions, and group practices. Regardless of whether one practices the Pure Land method, may they generate the mind of gratitude, compassion, Bodhi, and attain Buddhahood by vowing to attain rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.

The general idea of the text is to pray to adorn the Buddha's Pure Land with our merit from practicing the Dharma. May the merit be transferred to our parents, the general public, our nation, and the Three Jewels. May this merit safeguard the sentient beings currently in the Three Lower Realms—the hell realm, the hungry ghost realm, and the animal realm—and may they be liberated from their suffering and attain happiness. Moreover, may the general public, upon seeing or hearing of this Dharma assembly, generate the great Bodhi mind of attaining Buddhahood and delivering sentient beings. When this body of karmic retribution comes to an end, may they along with other sentient beings in all Dharma realms attain rebirth in Buddha Amitabha's Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.


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
Photo: Humanity Magazine Issue #413
Translation: Ariel Shen
Editing: Keith Brown, Chiacheng Chang