Definitive Tenets Imparted by Buddha

《了義佛旨》

(Attention: Regardless of their sect or school, all Buddhists who practice, recite, or enter inner visualization of any Buddha Dharma—Dharmas in Exoteric Buddhism or Esoteric Buddhism, chanting the holy names of Buddhas, meditation, śamatha-vipaśyanā, and so forth—must abide by these “Definitive Tenets Imparted by Buddha” at all times. If you violate these Tenets, you will not actualize any beneficial effects or attain any accomplishment from whatever Buddha Dharmas you practice! This is of critical importance! This is of utmost importance!)

I, _____________, am a Buddhist disciple who profoundly understands that the Great Holy Vidyārāja Judgement King strictly upholds and enforces the Dharma and will judge everyone’s good and evil on His own initiative without being requested. With a sincere mind seeking to attain purity, I respectfully beseech all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of all Worlds in the ten directions to examine, throughout day and night, my three karmas—action, speech, and mind. (Now chant the Mantra for Invoking Buddhas and Bodhisattvas 請佛菩薩咒.)

I respectfully beseech the Great Holy Vidyārāja Judgement King to determine if all the Dharmas and holy mantras that I practice are efficacious. (Now Chant the Judgement King Mantra 裁判王咒.)

With a sincerely clear and pure mind, I understand the ironclad stipulations of the “Definitive Tenets Imparted by Buddha”: “All Buddhist work that a Buddhist cultivator undertakes must be based upon a foundation of great compassion. One must not intentionally harm living beings in the slightest way. One must not deliberately cause living beings to lose their dwellings. One must not deliberately deprive living beings of food or water, intentionally give them poisonous food, or cause adversities to harm living beings. Even in times of self- defense, one still must not knowingly violate the above-mentioned. As a Buddhist disciple, one should perform life releases, which are virtuous deeds. If one clearly understands, yet knowingly violates these Tenets, one will not actualize any beneficial effects from any holy Dharmas that one practices. Rather, as a result of one’s causality and karmic forces, one will suffer the retribution of transmigrating into the three lower realms to repay the karmic debt that one owes. If one violates any Tenets due to avidyā, one must deeply repent and must not violate them again. As a Buddhist cultivator, by not doing any evil and doing all kinds of good deeds, one will attain fruition in correspondence with the karmic conditions and actualize beneficial effects from all the Dharmas that one practices.”

Thus empowered, I wish that I and all living beings will actualize accomplishment in the Dharma, realize the state of ultimate reality, and soon attain enlightenment.