Refrain from All Evil, Cultivate All Good, Purify the Mind—This Is the Teaching of the Buddhas

Refrain from all evil, practice all good, and purify your own mind—this is the teaching of all Buddhas. Whether one commits evil or refrains from evil is determined by the manas (mind root); likewise, whether one practices good or refrains from good is also determined by the manas. If one refrains from all evil, the manas must eradicate all afflictions and all habitual tendencies of afflictions. At this stage, one must at least cultivate to the level of an Eighth Ground Bodhisattva, where the segmental birth and death has ceased.

To accomplish the practice of all good, one must not only extensively generate the pure great vows of a Bodhisattva but also widely and diligently put them into practice. Whenever encountering conditions for endeavors that benefit sentient beings, one must undertake them without the slightest regard for personal gain. Only then can one obtain great benefit in return, for by sacrificing oneself for others, one ultimately benefits oneself and finally attains Buddhahood.

Purifying one's own mind: initially, the conscious mind (mano-vijnana) can purify itself, yet it often remains contaminated by the manas. When the conscious mind's purification of itself is not yet complete, one must then influence the manas to purify its intentions. Once the intentions of the manas are purified, all physical, verbal, and mental actions will inevitably become pure. All defiled seeds will be entirely replaced by pure seeds, thereby exhausting ignorance and accomplishing the Buddha Way. The above is the teaching of all Buddhas. We vow to follow the teachings of all Buddhas, faithfully accept them, and practice accordingly!