Part 11 (1/2)

The initial confession is that to Samantabhadra and Samantabhadr, the father and mother consorts HUM We pray to you, father and mother, listen and attend to us!

Mind and phenomena are atemporally manifest buddhas, But even though this [reality] is the expression of your enlightened intention, O Samantabhadra and Samantabhadr, father and mother, in union, Due to our ignorance, we have not understood this to be so.

For whatever ways we have contradicted the buddha-mind Of you, Samantabhadra and Samantabhadr, father and mother, We seek your forgiveness, O greatly compa.s.sionate ones!

Second is the confession to the five male buddhas of the enlightened families of the conquerors We pray to you, the five [male buddhas] of the enlightened families of the conquerors, listen and attend to us!

The five psycho-physical aggregates are atemporally manifest buddhas, But even though this [reality] is the expression of your enlightened intention, O five [male buddhas] of the enlightened families of the conquerors, Due to our ignorance, we have not understood this to be so.

For whatever ways we have contradicted the buddha-mind Of the five [male buddhas of the] enlightened families of the conquerors, We seek your forgiveness, O greatly compa.s.sionate ones!

Third is the confession to the five female buddhas of the enlightened families We pray to you, the five female buddhas of the enlightened families, listen and attend to us!

The five elements are atemporally manifest buddhas, But even though this [reality] is the expression of your enlightened intention, O, five female buddhas of the enlightened families, Due to our ignorance, we have not understood this to be so.

For whatever ways we have contradicted the buddha-mind Of the five female buddhas of the enlightened families, We seek your forgiveness, O greatly compa.s.sionate ones!

Fourth is the confession to the eight male bodhisattvas of the retinue We pray to you, the eight male bodhisattvas, listen and attend to us!

The eight cla.s.ses of consciousness are atemporally manifest buddhas, But even though this [reality] is the expression of your enlightened intention, O, eight male bodhisattvas, due to our ignorance, we have not understood this to be so.

For whatever ways we have contradicted the buddha-mind of the eight male bodhisattvas, We seek your forgiveness, O greatly compa.s.sionate ones!

Fifth is the confession to the eight female bodhisattvas We pray to you, the eight female bodhisattvas, listen and attend to us!

The eight objects of consciousness are atemporally manifest buddhas, But even though this [reality] is the expression of your enlightened intention, O, eight female bodhisattvas, due to our ignorance, we have not understood this to be so.

For whatever ways we have contradicted the buddha-mind of the eight female bodhisattvas, We seek your forgiveness, O greatly compa.s.sionate ones!

Sixth is the confession to the six sages We pray to you, the six sages, listen and attend to us!

The six dissonant mental states are atemporally manifest buddhas, But even though this [reality] is the expression of your enlightened intention, O, six sages, due to our ignorance, we have not understood this to be so.

For whatever ways we have contradicted the buddha-mind of the six sages, We seek your forgiveness, O greatly compa.s.sionate ones!

Seventh is the confession to the four male gatekeepers We pray to you, the four male gatekeepers, listen and attend to us!

The four immeasurable [aspirations] are atemporally manifest buddhas, But even though this [reality] is the expression of your enlightened intention, O, four male gatekeepers, due to our ignorance, we have not understood this to be so.

For whatever ways we have contradicted the buddha-mind of the four male gatekeepers, We seek your forgiveness, O greatly compa.s.sionate ones!

Eighth is the con fession to the four female gatekeepers We pray to you, the four female gatekeepers, listen and attend to us!

The four extremes of eternalism and nihilism are atemporally manifest buddhas, But even though this [reality] is the expression of your enlightened intention, O, four female gatekeepers, due to our ignorance, we have not understood this to be so.

For whatever ways we have contradicted the buddha-mind of the four female gatekeepers, We seek your forgiveness, O greatly compa.s.sionate ones!

Then the con fession should be made to the [entire array o f the] peace ful deities in the following way: OM Since our minds are not endowed with pristine cognition, which is intrinsic awareness, We have not correctly integrated the psycho-physical aggregates, the sensory spectra, and their activity fields, Within the mandala of the peaceful deities.

We seek the forgiveness of each of you, the forty-two peaceful deities!

Since our minds are not endowed with pristine cognition, which is intrinsic awareness, We have not correctly integrated the five psycho-physical aggregates with the five [male buddhas] of the enlightened families, And further still, our own minds, swayed by ignorance, have continued to be afflicted by egotism.

We seek the forgiveness of you, the a.s.sembly of Samantabhadra!

Since our minds are not endowed with pristine cognition, which is intrinsic awareness, We have not correctly integrated the five elements with the five female buddhas, And further still, our own minds, swayed by ignorance, have continued to be afflicted by egotism.

We seek the forgiveness of you, the a.s.sembly of Samantabhadr!

Since our minds are not endowed with pristine cognition, which is intrinsic awareness, We have not correctly integrated the four cla.s.ses of consciousness and four sense organs with the [eight] male bodhisattvas, And further still, our own minds, swayed by ignorance, have continued to be afflicted by egotism.

We seek the forgiveness of you, the a.s.sembly of male bodhisattvas!

Since our minds are not endowed with pristine cognition, which is intrinsic awareness, We have not correctly integrated the four objects of consciousness and four times with the [eight] female bodhisattvas, And further still, our own minds, swayed by ignorance, have continued to be afflicted by egotism.

We seek the forgiveness of you, the a.s.sembly of female bodhisattvas!

Since our minds are not endowed with pristine cognition, which is intrinsic awareness, We have not correctly integrated the six dissonant mental states with the [six] sages, And further still, our own minds, swayed by ignorance, have continued to be afflicted by egotism.

We seek the forgiveness of you, the emanational buddha-bodies, the six sages!

Since our minds are not endowed with pristine cognition, which is intrinsic awareness, We have not correctly integrated the four immeasurable [aspirations] with the [four] male gatekeepers, And further still, our own minds, swayed by ignorance, have continued to be afflicted by egotism.

We seek the forgiveness of you, the wrathful male gatekeepers!

Since our minds are not endowed with pristine cognition, which is intrinsic awareness, We have not correctly integrated the eternalist and nihilist [perspectives on] awareness with the [four] female gatekeepers, And further still, our own minds, swayed by ignorance, have continued to be afflicted by egotism.

We seek the forgiveness of you, the wrathful female gatekeepers!

Since our minds are not endowed with pristine cognition, which is intrinsic awareness, We have not correctly integrated mind and phenomena with Samantabhadra and Samantabhadr, the father and mother, And further still, our own minds, swayed by ignorance, have continued to be afflicted by egotism.

We seek the forgiveness of you, Samantabhadra and Samantabhadr!

Since our minds are not endowed with pristine cognition, which is intrinsic awareness, We have been afflicted by bewildering ignorance, And have been alienated from the meditational deities By the force of dissonant mental states and past [negative] actions.

Swayed by self-deception, we have disappointed our teachers, Stirred by strong pride, we have agitated our spiritual brothers and sisters, Distracted by vanity,6 we have divulged the secret mantras, Gripped by miserliness, we have been untimely in the dedication of offerings, Entrapped by base friends.h.i.+ps, we have violated the secret [precepts] of the rituals, Weakened by feeble yogic discipline, we have failed to eradicate obstructing forces.

Thus, [our commitments] have degenerated due to either excessive or deficient determination and strength.

Throughout our lives, from beginningless time until the present [life], In which we have a.s.sumed this body, However much negativity and non-virtuous past actions we have accrued, We seek your forgiveness for all these transgressions.

O you whose cognisance and knowledge spans [the three] times, Since you are sublime beings, embrace us!

Since we are sentient beings, we are flawed and bewildered, And, since [this separation] is an illusion, may our confession be granted!

Since you are accomplished in skilful means, bestow your purity upon us!