Vajradhvaja (’Vajra Banner’) Bodhisattva enters the Bodhisattva Wisdom Light Samādhi and buddhas appear from the each of the Ten Direction, each named Vajra Banner, bestowing all kinds of wisdom and eloquence, then touching the crown of Vajradhvaja’s head. He arises from samādhi and explains the Ten Transferences of merit.
pariṇāmanā from pari (for, towards) + namana (bending in reverence, root nam)
1. Transference that rescues all sentient beings, free of the characteristics of sentient beings 救護一切眾生離眾生相迴向
Practicing the pāramitās, the bodhisattva reflects thus:
“May these roots of goodness be everywhere able to benefit all beings, enabling them….”
Then ‘transfers’ all roots of goodness thus:
“May I become a shelter for all beings…
“May I become a protector of all beings…
“May I become a refuge…
“May I become a path…
“May I become a source of peace…
“May I become a light…
“May I become a torch…
“May I become a lamp…
“May I become a guide…
“May I become a great guide
‘Whatever I cultivate, may it enable all beings to succeed in becoming sovereigns of all-knowledge. It is not for myself that I seek liberation. Rather it is only to rescue all beings and enable them all to gain the resolve to attain all-knowledge, to cross beyond the river of samsara, and to become liberated from the many kinds of sufferings.”
2. Indestructible (Avināśya) Transference 不壞迴向
Attaining faith in Tathagata’s of the past, present and future, one plants roots of goodness in relation to all buddhas, bodhisattvas, and other sources of wisdom, making offerings of all kinds of things in each mind-moment to all of them.
3. Transference equal to all buddhas 等一切諸佛迴向
Not similar to the way the buddhas transfer merit, the same as and equal to the transferences of all buddhas.
“As the bodhisattva cultivates the transference of merit, whenever any form, sound, scent, flavor, feeling or dharma as object of mind is perceived, whether it be beautiful or repulsive, they do not either desire or dislike it. Rather, the mind achieves a state of sovereign mastery in which it remains free of any fault, is vast, pure, joyful, pleased, and apart from all worrisome afflictions. The mind abides in supple pliancy and all the sense faculties experience clarity and coolness.”
When bodhisattvas experience joy like this, they then transfer those roots of goodness to buddhas, bodhisattvas, and to all sentient beings.
Even when abiding as a householder, because of the mind of kindness, they accord with their spouse and children in a way that represents no obstacle to the bodhisattva’s path of purification.
Even when giving a single grain of food to an animal, the bodhisattva wishes for the welfare of all animals.
Just as the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the past practiced the transference of merit.
4. Transference reaching all locations 至一切處迴向
“May it be that, by these transferences, all worlds are caused to become purified and all beings are enabled to gain emancipation, to dwell on the ground of the ten powers, and to acquire unimpeded Dharma light with respect to all dharmas.”
When bodhisattva-mahāsattvas are transfering all their roots of goodness in these ways, they use the inapprehensibility of anything at all as a skillful means. They do not distinguish karmic rewards within actions and do not distinguish actions within karmic rewards. Although they remain free of such discriminations, they still everywhere enter the Dharmadhatu.
Although they have nothing whatsoever that they do, they still constantly abide in roots of goodness. Although they have nothing whatsoever they initiate, they still diligently cultivate supreme dharmas. They do not place trust in any dharma and yet they are still able to deeply enter them. Although they do not attribute existence to dharmas, they still completely know and perceive them. Whether they be conditioned or unconditioned, they are all inapprehensible. They know the nature of all dharmas is for them to never have any inherent existence of their own. Although they perceive all dharmas, there is still nothing at all that they perceive. They everywhere know everything and yet have nothing whatso
ever that they know.”
5. Transference of inexhaustible treasuries of merit 無盡功德藏迴向
Bodhisattvas bring to mind all the vast roots of goodness of countless different kinds, their own and those of ineffable buddhas, in particular, the roots of goodness from entreating and requesting for Dharma teachings, rejoicing in getting them, then transfer all [these roots of goodness] to the “adornment of buddha lands” produced by the wisdom of the tathāgatas and adorned with countless marvelous precious things, namely: all kinds of incense adornments, flower adornments, robe adornments, etc.
These things are not visible by those abiding in the world, for only one with the bodhisattva’s purified eyes would be able to illuminate and see them.
In accordance with good spiritual guides with whom they have causal affinities from previous lives, bodhisattvas manifest all kinds of endless and inexhaustible adornments of meritorious qualities, in particular all kinds of incense adornments, garland adornments, etc. Measurelessly and innumerably many other adornments such as these adorn all the buddha lands within the worlds throughout the ten directions of the Dharmadhatu and the realm of empty space.”
6. Transference entering equally all roots of virtue 入一切平等善根迴向 or ‘Solidifying all good roots’ 隨順堅固一切善根迴向
This transference is told from the perspective of a bodhisattva serving as an emperor or king, who gives everything away gladly, even their own throne and country. The section then goes on to list different kinds of offerings given by the bodhisattva and the wish/intention with which they give, including:
- Food
- Drink
- Flavors
- Vehicles
- Clothing
- Flowers
- Garlands
- Incense
- Perfumes
- Beds & seats
- Living quarters (rooms)
- Dwelling places (houses)
- Lamplight
- Herbal decoctions
- Vessels
- Jeweled carriages to buddhas
- Jeweled carriages to kalyāṇamitra
- Jeweled carriages to the sangha
- Jeweled carriages to śrāvakas & pratyekabuddhas
- Jeweled carriages to fields of blessings
- Elephant & horse ‘treasuries’
- Jeweled thrones
- Jeweled canopies
- Banners & flags
- All kinds of jewels
- Adornments
- Jeweled crowns
- Giving everything to rescue beings from imprisonment
- Giving one’s own life to rescue beings
- Uṣṇīṣa
- Eyes
- Ears
- Nose
- Teeth
- Tongue
- Head
- Hands & Feet
- Blood
- Marrow & Flesh
- Heart
- Inner organs (intestines, kidneys, liver, lungs)
- Limbs, Joints, & Bones
- Skin
- Fingers & Toes
- Jumping into a pit of fire for Dharma
- Undergoing suffering, seeking the Dharma
- Country & Land (nationality)
- Ending killing karma in their country
- Prohibiting castration of animals
- Praise to the emergence of buddhas in the world
- Large pieces of land
- Servants
- Give the body
- Giving the body as an offering to the buddha
- Service to buddhas
- Their position as king
- Their capital city
- Inner palace retinues
- Wife & children
- Land & property
- Parks, Groves, terraces, etc.
- Charitable assemblies
- All the necessities of life
7. Transference in accord with all sentient beings 等隨順一切眾生迴向
The bodhisattva accords with (’reflects’) whatever roots of goodness have been accumulated: small, large, vast, abundant, etc. up to roots of goodness related to protecting and nurturing al beings in all worlds, abides in them, becoming fully possessed of awesome deportment, etc, and then transfers all the merit from all that, becoming perfectly complete in meritorious qualities. The bodhisattva then reflects in a number of ways and develops an unprecedentedly vast mind of giving. At this point the reflections and ways of transferring become equal to the reading of the text itself.
8. The Characteristic of Reality Transference (Bhūta-tathatā-lakṣaṇāni) 真如相迴向
This transference focuses on transferring merit in accord with Suchness. “Just as true Suchness is boundlessly pervasive, so too it is with the bodhisattva’s transference of roots of goodness, for they are boundlessly pervasive.” When bodhisattvas transfer merit like this they realize the equality of all buddha kṣetras through purifying all worlds, the equality of all beings through turning the unimpeded wheel of Dharma for them, etc. Then, abiding in this transference, they realize countless pure Dharma gateways and become able to roar the Tathāgata’s great lion’s roar freely and fearlessly.
9. Unattached, unbounded, liberated transference (asaṅga-abandha-adhivimokṣa) 無縛無著解脫迴向，
The bodhisattva-mahāsattva reveres all roots of goodness, accords with them, experiences the most ultimate happiness and steadfast resolute faith in them, and becomes securely established in them, then transfers all their roots of goodness to using the mind of the unattached and unbound liberation to perfect the physical, verbal, and mental actions of Samantabhadra and to knowing all the ‘extreme subtleties’ of the bodhisattva.
10. Transference entering the immeasurable Dharmadhatu 入法界無量迴向。
In the final transference, the bodhisattva serves as a teacher of the Dharma, taking the giving of the Dharma as what is foremost, and making vows accordingly, then transferring all roots of goodness in ways comparable to the Dharmadhatu.