The Bodhisattva’s Confession of Moral Downfalls

from The Exalted Mahayana Three Heaps Sutra

The 35 Confession Buddhas Purification Practice
Begin by visualizing the 35 confession buddhas in space in front of you. Think of all the negative karma you have
created in this and in all previous lives and generate the four opponent powers in your mind. To increase the benefit
of each prostration, first prostrate three times while reciting with each prostration:
OM NAMO MANJUSHRIYE NAMAH SUSHRIYE NAMA UTTAMA SHRIYE SVAHA (3x)
Continue to prostrate while reciting the names of the buddhas and the confession prayer.
I, (say your name) THROUGHOUT ALL TIMES, TAKE REFUGE IN THE GURU; I TAKE REFUGE IN THE
BUDDHA; I TAKE REFUGE IN THE DHARMA; I TAKE REFUGE IN THE SANGHA. (3X)
Shakyamuni Buddha (gold):
TO THE FOUNDER, BHAGAVAN, TATHAGATA, ARHAT, PERFECTLY COMPLETED BUDDHA,
GLORIOUS CONQUEROR SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA, I PROSTRATE.
Akshobhya Buddha family (blue), mirror-like wisdom, purifies anger and aversion:
TO TATHAGATA THOROUGHLY DESTROYING WITH VAJRA ESSENCE, I PROSTRATE.
TO TATHAGATA RADIANT JEWEL, I PROSTRATE.
TO TATHAGATA KING, LORD OF THE NAGAS, I PROSTRATE. (blue body with white face)
TO TATHAGATA ARMY OF HEROES, I PROSTRATE.
TO TATHAGATA DELIGHTED HERO, I PROSTRATE.
TO TATHAGATA JEWEL FIRE, I PROSTRATE.
Vairochana Buddha family (white), wisdom of the sphere of truth, purifies delusions and ignorance:
TO TATHAGATA JEWEL MOONLIGHT, I PROSTRATE.
TO TATHAGATA MEANINGFUL TO SEE, I PROSTRATE.
TO TATHAGATA JEWEL MOON, I PROSTRATE.
TO TATHAGATA STAINLESS ONE, I PROSTRATE.
TO TATHAGATA BESTOWED WITH COURAGE, I PROSTRATE.
TO TATHAGATA PURE ONE, I PROSTRATE.
TO TATHAGATA BESTOWED WITH PURITY, I PROSTRATE.
Ratnasambhava Buddha family (yellow), wisdom of equality, purifies pride and avarice:
TO TATHAGATA WATER GOD (alt. CELESTIAL WATERS), I PROSTRATE.
TO TATHAGATA DEITY OF THE WATER GOD (alt. DEITY OF THE CELESTIAL WATERS), I PROSTRATE.
TO TATHAGATA GLORIOUS GOODNESS, I PROSTRATE.
TO TATHAGATA GLORIOUS SANDALWOOD, I PROSTRATE.
TO TATHAGATA INFINITE SPLENDOR, I PROSTRATE.
TO TATHAGATA GLORIOUS LIGHT, I PROSTRATE.
TO TATHAGATA SORROWLESS GLORY, I PROSTRATE.
Amitabha Buddha family (red), wisdom of discriminating insight (individual analysis), purifies lust and craving:
TO TATHAGATA SON OF NON-CRAVING, I PROSTRATE.
TO TATHAGATA GLORIOUS FLOWER, I PROSTRATE.
TO TATHAGATA PURE LIGHT RAYS CLEARLY KNOWING BY PLAY, I PROSTRATE.
TO TATHAGATA LOTUS LIGHT RAYS CLEARLY KNOWING BY PLAY, I PROSTRATE.
TO TATHAGATA GLORIOUS WEALTH, I PROSTRATE.
TO TATHAGATA GLORIOUS MINDFULNESS, I PROSTRATE.
TO TATHAGATA GLORIOUS NAME WIDELY RENOWNED, I PROSTRATE.
 Amoghasiddhi Buddha family (green), wisdom of achieving activities, purifies jealousy and envy:
TO TATHAGATA KING HOLDING THE VICTORY BANNER OF FOREMOST POWER, I PROSTRATE.
TO TATHAGATA GLORIOUS ONE TOTALLY SUBDUING, I PROSTRATE.
TO TATHAGATA UTTERLY VICTORIOUS IN BATTLE, I PROSTRATE.
TO TATHAGATA GLORIOUS TRANSCENDENCE THROUGH SUBDUING, I PROSTRATE.
TO TATHAGATA GLORIOUS MANIFESTATIONS ILLUMINATING ALL, I PROSTRATE.
TO TATHAGATA ALL-SUBDUING JEWEL LOTUS, I PROSTRATE.
TO TATHAGATA, ARHAT, PERFECTLY COMPLETED BUDDHA,
KING OF THE LORD OF MOUNTAINS, FIRMLY SEATED ON JEWEL AND LOTUS, I PROSTRATE. (3X)

All those [you thirty-five buddhas] and others, as many tathagatas, arhats, perfectly completed buddhas as there
are existing, sustaining, and residing in all the world systems of the ten directions; all you buddha-bhagavans,
please pay attention to me.
In this life and in all the states of rebirth in which I have circled in samsara throughout beginningless lives,
whatever negative actions I have created, made others create, or rejoiced in the creation of; whatever possessions
of stupas, possessions of the Sangha, or possessions of the Sangha of the ten directions that I have appropriated,
made others appropriate, or rejoiced in the appropriation of; whichever among the five actions of immediate
(retribution) I have done, caused to be done, or rejoiced in the doing of; whichever paths of the ten non-virtuous
actions I have engaged in, caused others to engage in, or rejoiced in the engaging in: whatever I have created,
being obscured by these karmas causes me and sentient beings to be born in the hell realms, in the animal realm,
and in the preta realm; in irreligious countries, as barbarians, or as long-life gods; with imperfect faculties, hold-
ing wrong views, or not being pleased with Buddha’s descent. In the presence of the buddha-bhagavans, who are
transcendental wisdom, who are eyes, who are witnesses, who are valid, and who see with omniscient conscious-
ness, I am admitting and confessing all these negativities, I will not conceal them nor hide them, and from now
on in the future I will abstain and refrain from committing them again.
All buddha-bhagavans, please pay attention to me. In this life and in all other states of rebirth in which I have
circled in samsara throughout beginningless lives, whatever roots of virtue I have created by generosity, even
as little as giving just one mouthful of food to a being born in the animal realm; whatever roots of virtue I have
created by guarding morality; whatever roots of virtue I have created by following pure conduct; whatever roots
of virtue I have created by fully ripening sentient beings; whatever roots of virtue I have created by generating
bodhichitta; and whatever roots of virtue I have created by my unsurpassed transcendental wisdom: all these
assembled and gathered, combined together, I fully dedicate to the unsurpassed, the unexcelled, that higher than
the high, that superior to the superior. Thus, I completely dedicate to the highest, perfectly complete enlightenment.
Just as the previous buddha-bhagavans have fully dedicated, just as the future buddha-bhagavans will fully dedicate,
and just as the presently abiding buddha-bhagavans are fully dedicating, like that I too dedicate fully.
I confess all negativities individually. I rejoice in all the merits. I urge and implore all buddhas to grant my request:
may I receive the highest, most sublime transcendental wisdom.
To the conquerors, the best of humans — those who are living in the present time, those who have lived in the past,
and those who will likewise come — to all those who have qualities as vast as an infinite ocean, with hands folded, I
approach for refuge.

Colophon:
The Bodhisattva’s Confession of Moral Downfalls is based on an original translation by Lama Zopa Rinpoche and was extracted from a
booklet of the same name, Kopan Monastery, Nepal.
All elements herein were revised and edited for the FPMT Prayer Book by the FPMT Education Department and its Editorial Board (Ven.
Thubten Dondrub and Ven. George Churinoff) in December 2000. All prayers and mantras have been checked for accuracy against the
original Tibetan.
All errors are entirely the responsibility of the editor.
The information related to the Dhyani Buddha families was added by CM based on the teaching of Ven. Thubten Chodron.
 The Hundred-Syllable Vajrasattva Mantra (say it 3 to 21 times)
OM BENZA SATO SAMAYA,
The Vajrasattva Samayas (One who has made a promise from the beginning of time to help sentient beings
purify their negativities and karmic obscurations.)
MANU PALAYA BENZA SATO, TENO PER THI KYA DRI DRO ME BHAWA,
Grant your protection and reside in me, Vajrasattva. Remain firm in me and let me recognize my Vajra nature.
SUTO KYO YO MEY BHAWA,
Make me totally satisfied by being free from conceptualization.
SUPO KYO YO MEY BHAWA
Increase the positive energy within me through non-dual bliss emptiness.
ANU RAKTO MEY BHAWA,
Be loving towards me, and let me be compassionate by being free from attachment and aversions that give rise to
many other disturbing defilements.
SAWA SITI MEY TRA YA TSA, SARVA KAMA SUTSA MEY, TSE TAM SHRI YAM KURU,
Bestow all the spiritual attainments and let all the actions and activities of my mind always be virtuous.
HUM (Hum: The essence seed syllable)
HA HA HA HA, (Symbolizes the four immeasurable attitudes, four empowerments, four joys, and the four kayas)
HO, (The sound of joyous laughter in them)
BHA GHA WANA SARVA TATHA GATA, BENZA MA MEY MUN ZHA,
Bhagavan, all the Tathagatas and Vajrasattva, do not abandon me.
BHENZA BHAWA, MAHA SAMAYA SATO.
Make me indivisible from you, great Vajrasattva, the promise keeper.
AH - HUM - PHED.
(AH Signifies uniting in non-duality) (HUM The essence seed of syllable of Vajrasattva)
(PHED Signifies intensifying the positive energy and uniting in a state of non-duality or a state of purity)