The Liturgy of Prostrating to the Buddha and Repentance

Disciple so-and-so, from beginningless time until this present life, has slandered and destroyed the Three Jewels and acted as an icchantika. Now, before the Three Jewels of the ten directions, and before the sentient beings of the six realms, I sincerely repent of the sins of the three periods of time. As for the ten unwholesome deeds of body, speech, and mind in the present, may they never arise again, for all future time; as for the ten unwholesome deeds of body, speech, and mind in the future, may they never arise at all, for all future time; as for the ten unwholesome deeds of body, speech, and mind in the past, may they never arise again, for all future time.

I only pray that the Buddhas of the ten directions and the three periods of time, with great loving-kindness and compassion, may take pity on me. I dwell in saṃsāra with nothing to rely upon; through the long night of birth-and-death I remain ever unawakened. As an ordinary being, I am bound by all fetters, my mad mind inverted, everywhere grasping at conditions; I dwell in the burning house of the three realms, falsely defiled by the six sense objects, with no one to protect or rescue me; I was born into a poor and lowly family, without freedom, constantly enduring suffering; I was born into a family of parents holding wrong views, committing sins while relying upon evil companions.

I only pray that the greatly compassionate venerable Buddhas may take pity on me, protect and be mindful of me as their only child. Having repented once, I will never again commit such sins. May the Tathāgatas of the three periods of time bear witness, and bestow upon me the Bodhisattva's Three Sets of Pure Precepts. I vow to uphold them without regression, diligently cultivating to deliver suffering sentient beings from their suffering; before I myself am liberated, I will liberate others first, without interruption for all future time.

I beg the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the ten directions and the three periods of time to bless me, that my evil karma may be eliminated and my roots of goodness may grow, and to bestow upon me the Bodhisattva's Three Sets of Pure Precepts. May I henceforth be able to receive and uphold the Three Sets of Pure Precepts: to bring benefit to all sentient beings, to cultivate and gather in all wholesome dharmas, and to cultivate and gather in all forms of discipline.