All giving is in the form of material objects.

The Buddha Speaks the Sūtra of the Wheel of Dedication Original Text: Thus have I heard. At one time, the Buddha was amidst the great Maṇi Vajra Jewel Mountain Peak, accompanied by a great assembly of Bodhisattvas. At that time, the World-Honored One addressed the Vajra Maṇi Bodhisattva, saying: "O Son of the Buddha, if there is a Bodhisattva who seeks great Bodhi, desiring to rescue and deliver all sentient beings, who has already received the Bodhisattva precepts and training in the Vinaya, who has already generated the great Bodhi mind, who possesses great compassion and pity, constantly wishing to serve all Tathāgatas, who wishes to extensively accumulate the stores of merit and wisdom of the great Bodhisattvas, who wishes to realize the Buddha’s wisdom, who wishes to attain unimpeded samādhis, dhāraṇīs, the gates of liberation, and the sport of supernatural powers, who wishes to make the void space become a great treasury, who wishes to make his own hands resemble a wish-fulfilling jewel—he should make such offerings.

Explanation: The above describes the aspirations of a Bodhisattva seeking great Bodhi. In order to realize the aforementioned aspirations, the Bodhisattva should perform the following act of giving.

Original Text: May all the World-Honored Buddhas, all the great Bodhisattvas abiding on the ten grounds, and the Vajra-holders remember me. Disciple So-and-so has generated the Bodhi mind but has not yet abided in the right path. Now, I dedicate my body and mind at all times, in every way, to offer and serve the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the three times. May the supremely autonomous Buddhas, the Tathāgatas, and all Bodhisattvas who have attained the great grounds accept me. May they cause my great stores of merit and wisdom, my vigorous diligence, vast mind, serene taming, supernatural powers and autonomy, and pāramitās to swiftly become complete and perfect.

Explanation: "Now, I dedicate my body and mind at all times, in every way, to offer and serve the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the three times." These words express the Bodhisattva’s vow to use his own body and mind, at all times, with all kinds of precious substances, to make offerings and serve the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. "May the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas accept me. May they cause my great stores of merit and wisdom, vigorous diligence, vast mind, serene taming, supernatural powers and autonomy, and pāramitās to swiftly become complete and perfect." This should refer to material offerings, not mere visualization without objects. Later, the specific objects are listed.

Original Text: He further speaks thus: 'O Greatly Compassionate Ones, remember me. Disciple So-and-so has fallen into birth and death, bound by great fetters, confined in the prison, separated from the right Dharma, oppressed by the powerful enemies of afflictions, without protector or savior, without eyes or reliance, without guide or leader, wandering on wrong paths, heading toward birth and death, turning away from great Nirvāṇa, following the evil destinies, about to fall onto dangerous paths, facing the precipice of evil realms, constantly encountering evil friends, separated from good spiritual guides, confused about what is right and wrong, beneficial and non-beneficial, meaningful and meaningless, distant from all good, accomplishing the non-virtuous, constantly turning away from the noble sages, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, oppressed by birth, old age, sickness, death, sorrow, and affliction, unable to attain peace, without fear or dread.

His mind is constantly scattered, lacking cultivation of serenity and taming, giving, precepts, and heedfulness. He is distant from the two gates of samādhi and dhāraṇī, unable to abide in the Dharma patience of the ten grounds, profound prajñā pāramitā, and equality. He does not cultivate immeasurable loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. He lacks the Bodhisattva’s three accumulations of precept aggregates. He is distant from unobstructed great wisdom, unable to abide in the cause of tranquility, the well-established Dharma. He is distant from supernatural powers, powers, and fearlessnesses, does not dwell in right mindfulness, cannot accomplish following practices and entering, nor the Dharma of non-forgetfulness.

Deficient in all merits, afflicted by views, clinging, and doubts, obstructed from penetrating the seven factors of enlightenment, lacking cultivation of the true eightfold noble path, oppressed by immeasurable hundreds of thousands of sufferings, constantly blazing fiercely, tormented by manifold sufferings, his mind constantly lowly, resentful, and scattered, constantly yielding to afflictions. I only pray that all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, relying on great compassion and pity, rescue me, be my refuge, be my guide. I only pray that I may swiftly attain complete perfection of the great path to right enlightenment, the great Bodhi path, the stores of Bodhi. I further pray that I may swiftly attain complete perfection of the Tathāgata’s ten powers, four fearlessnesses, eighteen unique qualities of the Buddhas, unimpeded eloquence, samādhis, liberations, dhāraṇī gates, meritorious qualities, supernatural powers, and pāramitās. And may all accomplishments, all meritorious qualities, be bestowed upon me.'

Explanation: This is the great Bodhisattva generating the Bodhi mind, confessing all his faults, praying that the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas accept him and fulfill his wishes.

Original Text: Furthermore, to transform the extensive offerings, he should say thus: 'I further pray that all World-Honored Buddhas and the great assembly of Bodhisattvas who have attained great power remember me, Disciple So-and-so. Now, before all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, I transform great reverence, service, and offerings, dedicating my body in offering. All the great adornments in all the worlds of the ten directions, namely, various jeweled palaces, adornments of various jewels, jeweled trees, jeweled mountains, jeweled thrones, jeweled altars, rows of precious gems, jeweled canopies, jeweled banners, jeweled ornaments, necklaces, pearl nets, jeweled vessels, accumulations of jewels, flames of accumulated jewels.

In the jeweled continents, great Maṇi jewels, pure lamp trees, jeweled bells harmoniously ringing, the radiance of Maṇi jewels, whisks of genuine gold, pendants covering and connecting, wonderful golden lotuses with stamens of Jambūnada gold, rows of golden trees, various jeweled palaces, jeweled clouds densely gathering, raining drops of various jewels, treasure storehouses, wonderful Maṇi jewels set in the walls, jeweled balustrades, delightful groves and mansions of great Vidyādharas, houses, jeweled palaces, halls, groves, all delightful. With all such things, unattached and unclaimed, I dedicate them to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.'

Explanation: This passage describes the Bodhisattva’s specific offerings: "Service and offerings. Dedicating my body in offering. All the great adornments in all the worlds of the ten directions." These words signify that the Bodhisattva is willing to personally dedicate his body to offer the great adornments to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the ten directions. What follows are the names and types of adornments, all concrete material objects.

Offering the great adornments with the body signifies that it is not mere visualization but real material offering. Even if it is visualization, one must visualize the actual objects and present them before the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas; otherwise, how could the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas receive the offerings if they do not see the actual objects? If I visualize every day that everyone has eaten three full meals of such-and-such delicious food, would everyone truly be full? If one argues that the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have supernatural powers and can receive the offerings, then is this offering something you provided, or did the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas manifest it themselves through their supernatural powers, offering to themselves?

Original Text: 'All the excellent medicines in Jambudvīpa, the types of longevity medicines, all Maṇi jewels that can grant sentient beings their desired medicines, naturally forming excellent, supreme food and drink, along with various fragrant trees of different kinds, sandalwood trees, agaru (aloeswood) trees, sinking-water sandalwood, large-leafed Kadamba flowers, intoxicating fragrances, etc., all kinds of trees emitting delightful wonderful fragrances, unattached and unclaimed, wish-fulfilling trees. In the great ocean, various kinds of Maṇi jewels, wish-fulfilling pearls, and Mount Sumeru, Mount Kṣīra, Mount Gandhamādana, Mount Indīvara, Mount Mandara, Mount Vajra, etc., all the great mountains with their various jeweled peaks, jeweled terraces, jeweled stones, jeweled caves, jeweled palaces, jeweled ornaments, jeweled pieces, stairways of various jewels, Maṇi pillars, jeweled lamp wheels, various vaidūrya, etc., types of Maṇi jewels.

All the unowned heavenly palaces in the heavens, the heavenly renowned flowers, delightful and pleasant to see, heavenly musical instruments gently blown by the wind, rows of aerial palaces producing harmonious beautiful sounds, heavenly music naturally producing exquisite sounds without being struck, heavenly birds dwelling in aerial palaces singing wonderful sounds, along with jeweled clouds emitting great beautiful sounds, heavenly Maṇi jewels singing hymns and music, along with wonderful fragrances, flower trees, garland trees, trees of ointment and incense, lamp trees, banner trees, jeweled trees.

All these things, unattached and unclaimed, I dedicate and offer to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. All the great clouds of offerings seen by the Buddha’s eye in all Buddha-lands: clouds of flowers, clouds of incense, clouds of garlands, clouds of burning incense, clouds of ointment, clouds of jeweled canopies, clouds of jeweled banners, clouds of jeweled pennants, clouds of jeweled robes, clouds of jewel accumulations, clouds of jeweled vessels, clouds of great Maṇi accumulations, clouds of various subtle great jeweled pearls. Also, with fragrant oil filling great lamp vessels equal in measure to a thousand worlds, lit with wicks as large as a hundred Sumerus, I dedicate and offer them to all World-Honored Buddhas and great Bodhisattvas.'

Explanation: All these are specific adornments being offered, all material objects.

Original Text: 'The supreme merit born from these offerings, I dedicate entirely to unsurpassed Bodhi. Just as the Buddhas of the past dedicated all their wholesome roots toward Bodhi with non-attainment as the skillful means, so too do I dedicate this merit toward unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. I entreat all Buddhas, praying they proceed to the Bodhi maṇḍala, subdue the Māra enemies, realize great Bodhi, turn the great Dharma wheel. For those about to enter Parinirvāṇa, I entreat them on behalf of all sentient beings, praying they abide for a full great kalpa. I rejoice in all the merit cultivated by all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and all sentient beings. I confess and repent all sins, just as the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the three times confess their sinful obstructions. So too do I pray that my sins be eradicated.'

After the offerings and even the confession are completed, immediately with a pure mind, recollect all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Before the Buddha image, recite this mantra eight times fully. The mantra is:  OṂ   SPHARA   SPHARA   VIMANA   SARA   MAHĀJVALA   HŪṂ

Explanation: This passage describes the Bodhisattva dedicating the merit from his true offerings toward Bodhi, making vows, confessing to eradicate sins, and then reciting the mantra.

Original Text: 'After reciting the mantra, immediately, according to his wish, he accomplishes a heavenly, wonderful, great cloud of offerings, which manifests before all Buddhas. If a virtuous man or virtuous woman, with mind fixed on the Buddha, day or night, recites this Great Wheel of Dedication, this virtuous man or virtuous woman will have his sins eradicated, all afflictions gradually become thin and weak, and he will attain the merits described before. If he recites it once, he obtains the merit of a hundred Brahmās, constantly sees the Buddha in dreams, and after death, will be reborn in a pure land.' After the Buddha spoke this sūtra, the assembly of Bodhisattvas rejoiced and respectfully practiced accordingly.

Explanation: After the Bodhisattva recites the mantra, under the blessings of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Dharma protectors, his wishes are fulfilled, he accomplishes the great cloud of offerings, and the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas personally manifest.

If virtuous men or virtuous women can recite this Great Wheel of Dedication Sūtra, their sins will be eradicated, afflictions will gradually become thin, weak, and lose their power, and they will attain the merits described earlier. If one can recite it once, one fully obtains a hundred kinds of pure merit, constantly sees the Buddha in dreams, and after death is reborn in a pure land. This means the merit of reciting the sūtra is supreme, but there are some explanations and conditions regarding how to recite it and to what extent one must recite it to attain this merit.

The scripture sent over has undergone artificial punctuation, artificial modification of punctuation marks, and artificial division into paragraphs, resulting in the meaning within the scripture becoming vague and unclear, making it difficult to understand its true meaning. I spent some time revising it back, making the principles of the scripture clear and its meaning distinct. In the future, when reading Buddhist scriptures, one should read the original texts from the Great Canon, scriptures that have not been tampered with by humans, so that the Buddha’s original intent is not distorted.