Name: Lotus Samadhi Practice Visualization Supplement Ritual · Volume 1 · Lotus Samādhi Practice Visualization Supplement (法华三昧行事运想补助仪 · 第一)
Author: 湛然撰

About 法華三昧行事運想補助儀

1,926 · about 6 min

The *Supplemental Rites and Contemplative Practices for the Fahua Samādhi*, composed by the eminent Tang dynasty monk Zhanran, is a vital liturgical manual of the Tiantai school, completed in the mid-eighth century. Centered on the *Lotus Sutra*, this work systematically expounds the practical methods and sequential contemplations of the Fahua Samādhi repentance rite. It encompasses practices such as reverence, confession, sutra recitation, and seated meditation, providing clear guidance for practitioners. The text embodies the Tiantai principle of cultivating both śamatha (calm abiding) and vipaśyanā (insight), integrating theory with practice. It exerted a profound influence on the development of Buddhist repentance systems in China and is regarded as a key text for the study of Tiantai meditation and liturgical repentance.

初嚴淨道場(如無別屋亦可同間絕無己物方可外求)。二淨身(新衣舊衣新染並得。若無此二澣舊勝者)。三三業供養(若總禮三寶。未須一一隨方想念。但想己身及十方諸佛。實相理體本無能所故。無能禮所禮想。此無能所名法界海。願諸眾生同見此理。名為同入)。次運香(唱至受用作佛事竟。次生想念不起此心。能運到十方。故云一念。想曰。願此香華遍十方。以為微妙光明臺。諸天音樂天寶香。諸天餚膳天寶衣。不可思議妙法塵。一一塵出一切塵。一一塵出一切法。旋轉無閡互莊嚴。遍至一切三寶前。十方法界三寶前。皆有我身修供養。一一皆悉遍法界。彼彼無雜無障閡。盡未來際作佛事普熏法界。諸眾生蒙熏皆發菩提心。同入無生證佛智)。請佛(我三業性如虛空。釋迦牟尼亦如是。不起真際為眾生。與眾俱來受供養)。次請佛菩薩(但改牟尼及形相來處)。五歎佛(偈前一一別想。己身在三寶前立。次口宣偈隨聲運想。我之身心本無生滅。故雖稱歎如影如響)。六禮佛(當唱一心時。先專至敬禮。為事一心。次想能所為理一心。應想曰。能禮所禮性空寂。感應道交難思議。我此道場如帝珠。釋迦牟尼影現中。我身影現如來前。頭面接足歸命禮)。多寶佛(多寶如來影現中。我身影現多寶前。餘同上想)。分身(分身諸佛亦同上想。)東方諸佛(東方諸佛影現中。我皆影現諸佛前。乃至十方一一皆爾)。三世諸佛(乃至過現未來並同上想)。舍利形像等(諸佛法身如虛空。化事住世難思議。我皆影現化事前。一一皆悉歸命禮)。妙法(真空法界如虛空。常住法寶難思議。我皆影現法寶前。莫不皆悉歸命禮)。諸菩薩(彼一一菩薩影現中。乃至下方亦如是)舍利弗等(先想聲聞皆是本來諸佛。今從初說故云聲聞)。普賢菩薩(為滅障故接足禮餘同上)。普為(我及眾生無始常為三業六根重罪所障。不見諸佛。不知出要。但順生死不知妙理。我今雖知猶與一切眾生同為一切重罪所障。今對普賢十方諸佛前。普為眾生歸命懺悔。惟願加護令障消滅)。七懺悔應運逆順十心云(我與眾生無始來。今由愛見故。內計我人外加惡友不隨喜他一毫之善。唯遍三業廣作眾罪。事雖不廣惡心遍布。晝夜相續無有間斷。覆諱過失不欲人知。不畏惡道無慚無愧。撥無因果。故於今日對十方佛普賢大師。深信因果生重慚愧。生大怖畏。發露懺悔斷相續心。發菩提心斷惡修善。勤策三業翻昔重過。隨喜凡聖一毫之善。念十方佛有大福慧。能救拔我及諸眾生從二死海置三德岸。從無始來不知諸法本性空寂。廣造眾惡。今知空寂為求菩提。為眾生故。廣修諸善遍斷眾惡。惟願普賢慈悲攝受)。次懺六根(至文並須略知。文相含於逆順十種心相縱有闕略。在四悔中於菩提中見不清淨等。是橫計我人。毘盧遮那是觀罪性空。一切世尊是念十方佛。後四悔中有發隨喜心。以是因緣令畢竟清淨。是斷相續心歸向普賢及一切世尊。是為眾生發菩提心。一一悔文皆具三業。是修功補過等說過等。是發露過失。當墮惡道生大怖畏等。是怖畏惡道及生慚愧。信因果等。凡宣悔詞須加事想破於愛心。至觀罪性空總想事理悔於見心。若欲更略眼耳鼻三根。亦可或時用。若舌身意三根是業故不得。全略前三根縱略。並使不失。逆順十心大意即得)。勸請(十方諸佛以道眼力故知我見我。勸請諸佛。唯願久住轉正法輪。所在生處常能勸請)。隨喜(十方凡聖一毫之善。我皆隨喜。福德能令見者生喜。是故我喜)。迴向(無始來時乃至今日盡未來際一毫之善。及以懺悔勸請隨喜。皆同法界與諸眾生共成佛道)。發願(大體須存滅罪除障開顯法門滿四弘誓。餘者皆須順於菩提)。行道(欲行時更須正立想。此道場猶如法界。十方三寶畟塞虛空。以次回身旋遶法座想十方三寶心性寂滅。影現十方經聲如響。心想如夢梵聲亦然)。三歸(一一各想三處三寶與頂禮俱運。初文雖即直云十方。意亦兼於三處。若從懺悔已下凡云禮三寶者。皆須一一別起三想。頭三叩地。一十方三寶。二法華經中一切三寶。三普賢大師。對此三處求懺悔等。又凡散華皆於言前散華之時。想三寶及普賢上想已。次宣懺悔等詞。至後文中云。散華等者心指前所散之華。若焚香者送法座爐。亦應想身各送爐。遍至十方一一法華經前乃至普熏一切三寶。若焚手爐但先添香。次執爐已隨事起想。然後口宣詞句)。

First, prepare the purification of the practice space. (If there is no separate room, the same space can be used, provided it is completely free of one's own personal belongings; only then may external items be sought.)

Second, purify the body. (New clothes, old clothes, or newly dyed clothes are all acceptable. If one lacks these, thoroughly washed old clothes are preferable.)

Third, make offerings with body, speech, and mind. (When generally paying respects to the Three Jewels, there is no need to visualize each direction separately. Simply visualize oneself and all Buddhas of the ten directions. The true nature of reality is fundamentally without subject and object; therefore, visualize that there is no one performing the prostration and nothing being prostrated to. This state of no subject or object is called the ocean of the Dharma Realm. Make the aspiration that all beings may realize this principle, which is called entering together.)

Next, offer incense. (After chanting up to "for the purpose of performing Buddha deeds," then generate the visualization without arising this thought: "This mind can transport [the offering] to the ten directions." Therefore, it is called a single thought. The visualization is: "May this incense and flowers pervade the ten directions, becoming a subtle and wondrous platform of light. May heavenly music, heavenly precious incense, heavenly delicacies, heavenly precious robes, and inconceivably wondrous Dharma particles—each particle producing all particles, each particle producing all Dharmas—revolve without obstruction, mutually adorning, reaching everywhere before the Three Jewels of the ten directions. Before the Three Jewels throughout the Dharma Realm of the ten directions, may there be my body practicing offerings, each one completely pervading the Dharma Realm, each distinct yet without intermingling or obstruction, performing Buddha deeds throughout the future, universally perfuming the Dharma Realm. May all beings, perfumed by this, all generate the Bodhi Mind, together enter the Unborn, and realize Buddha wisdom.")

Invite the Buddha. ("The nature of my three karmas is like empty space. So too is Shakyamuni. Not arising from the true reality, for the sake of beings, together with the assembly, come to receive offerings.")

Next, invite Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. (Simply change "Shakyamuni" and the form and place of coming.)

Fifth, praise the Buddha. (Before the verse, separately visualize: one's own body standing before the Three Jewels. Then, verbally recite the verse while visualizing with the sound: "My body and mind are fundamentally without birth or extinction. Therefore, although offering praise, it is like a shadow, like an echo.")

Sixth, bow to the Buddha. (When chanting "with one mind," first focus wholeheartedly on respectful prostration—this is the "one mind" of practice. Next, visualize the subject and object—this is the "one mind" of principle. The visualization should be: "The nature of the one bowing and the one bowed to is empty and still. The interaction of response and connection is inconceivable. My practice space is like Indra's net. Shakyamuni's image appears within it. My image appears before the Tathagata. With head and face touching the feet, I take refuge and bow.")

Prabhutaratna Buddha. ("The image of Prabhutaratna Tathagata appears within. My image appears before Prabhutaratna. The rest is the same as the visualization above.")

Manifestation Buddhas. ("The manifestation Buddhas also follow the same visualization above.")

Buddhas of the East. ("The images of the Buddhas of the East appear within. My image appears before all these Buddhas. And so on for all ten directions, each one likewise.")

Buddhas of the Three Times. ("...and so on for past, present, and future, all following the same visualization above.")

Relics, images, etc. ("The Dharma Body of all Buddhas is like empty space. Their transformative manifestations abiding in the world are inconceivable. My image appears before all these transformative manifestations. To each and every one, I take refuge and bow.")

The Wondrous Dharma. ("The true emptiness of the Dharma Realm is like empty space. The eternally abiding Dharma Jewel is inconceivable. My image appears before the Dharma Jewel. Without exception, I take refuge and bow.")

All Bodhisattvas. ("The image of each and every Bodhisattva appears within... and so on down to the nadir, also like this.")

Shariputra, etc. (First, visualize that the Hearers are all originally Buddhas. Now, speaking from the initial perspective, they are called Hearers.)

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. ("For the sake of eliminating obstacles, I bow with head touching the feet. The rest is the same as above.")

Universally for all. ("Myself and all beings, from beginningless time, have constantly been obstructed by the heavy offenses of the three karmas and six senses. We do not see the Buddhas. We do not know the essential path of liberation. We only follow birth and death, unaware of the wondrous principle. Although I now know, I am still, together with all beings, obstructed by all heavy offenses. Now, before Samantabhadra and the Buddhas of the ten directions, I universally for all beings take refuge and repent. I only wish for their support and protection, that these obstructions may be eliminated.")

Seventh, repentance. One should apply the ten minds of inversion and correction, saying: ("Myself and all beings, from beginningless time until now, due to craving and views, internally cling to self and person, externally associate with bad friends, not rejoicing in even a hair's breadth of others' goodness. Only with the three karmas do we extensively create all offenses. Although the deeds may not be extensive, the evil mind pervades everywhere, continuing day and night without interruption. We conceal faults, not wishing others to know. We fear not the evil paths, without shame or remorse. We deny cause and effect. Therefore, today, before the Buddhas of the ten directions and the great teacher Samantabhadra, I deeply believe in cause and effect, generate profound shame and remorse, generate great fear and dread, disclose and repent, sever the mind of continuity, generate the Bodhi Mind, cease evil and cultivate goodness, diligently urge the three karmas to overturn past heavy transgressions, rejoice in the goodness of ordinary beings and sages even a hair's breadth, recollect that the Buddhas of the ten directions possess great merit and wisdom, able to rescue and pull me and all beings out of the sea of two deaths and place us on the shore of the three virtues. From beginningless time, not knowing the inherently empty and still nature of all dharmas, we have extensively created all evils. Now, knowing emptiness and stillness, for the sake of seeking Bodhi, for the sake of beings, I extensively cultivate all goodness and universally sever all evils. I only wish Samantabhadra to compassionately receive me.")

Next, repent for the six senses. (Up to the text, one must generally understand. The wording contains the aspects of the ten minds of inversion and correction. Even if there are omissions or simplifications, they are within the four repentances. "Seeing impurity within Bodhi, etc." refers to the false clinging to self and person. "Vairocana" is for contemplating the emptiness of the nature of offenses. "All World-Honored Ones" is for recollecting the Buddhas of the ten directions. Within the latter four repentances, there is generating the mind of rejoicing. "By these causes and conditions, enabling ultimate purity" is severing the mind of continuity. "Turning towards Samantabhadra and all World-Honored Ones" is generating the Bodhi Mind for the sake of beings. Each repentance text fully involves the three karmas. "Cultivating merit to compensate for faults, etc., speaking of faults, etc." is disclosing offenses. "Should fall into evil paths, generating great fear and dread, etc." is fearing evil paths and generating shame and remorse. "Believing in cause and effect, etc." When proclaiming the words of repentance, one must add visualization of the deed to break the mind of craving. Up to "contemplate the nature of offenses as empty," generally visualize both deed and principle, repenting the mind of view. If one wishes to further abbreviate the three senses of eye, ear, and nose, it is also possible to use them at times. As for the three senses of tongue, body, and mind, because they involve karma, they cannot be fully omitted. Even if the first three senses are abbreviated, one must still ensure the general meaning of the ten minds of inversion and correction is not lost.)

Requesting. ("By the power of the Dharma eye, the Buddhas of the ten directions know me and see me. I request all Buddhas: I only wish you would long abide and turn the Wheel of the True Dharma. In all places of birth, may I always be able to make such requests.")

Rejoicing. ("For the goodness of ordinary beings and sages of the ten directions, even a hair's breadth, I all rejoice. Merit can cause those who see it to generate joy. Therefore, I rejoice.")

Dedication. ("From beginningless time until today, and throughout the future, for all goodness even a hair's breadth, together with repentance, requesting, and rejoicing, may it all be identical with the Dharma Realm, and together with all beings, may we accomplish the Buddha Way.")

Generating Aspirations. (The main intent must preserve eliminating offenses, removing obstructions, revealing the Dharma gate, and fulfilling the Four Great Vows. The rest must all accord with Bodhi.)

Circumambulation. (When about to walk, one must further stand upright and visualize: This practice space is just like the Dharma Realm. The Three Jewels of the ten directions fill empty space. Then, turning the body, circumambulate the Dharma seat, visualizing the mind-nature of the Three Jewels of the ten directions as still and extinct, their images appearing in the ten directions. The sound of the sutra is like an echo. The mind's thoughts are like a dream; the sound of chanting is likewise.)

Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels. (Each time, visualize the Three Jewels in the three places together with the prostration. The initial text, although it directly says "ten directions," the meaning also includes the three places. From repentance onward, whenever it says "bow to the Three Jewels," one must each time separately generate the three visualizations. The head touches the ground three times: 1) to the Three Jewels of the ten directions, 2) to all Three Jewels within the Lotus Sutra, 3) to the great teacher Samantabhadra. Before these three places, seek repentance, etc. Furthermore, whenever scattering flowers, do so before speaking. When scattering flowers, visualize the Three Jewels and Samantabhadra above. After the visualization, then proclaim the words of repentance, etc. In the later text, where it says "scatter flowers, etc.," the mind refers to the flowers scattered previously. If burning incense, send it to the incense burner at the Dharma seat. One should also visualize the body sending it to each burner, pervading to the ten directions, to each and every Lotus Sutra, and even universally perfuming all Three Jewels. If using a hand-held incense burner, first add incense. Then, holding the burner, generate visualization according to the deed. After that, verbally proclaim the words.)

坐禪文略。應如止觀十法成乘等。行法華懺黃昏五更。時促則此略文。我(某甲)及法界眾生從無始世來。無明所覆顛倒迷惑。而由六根三業不善廣造十惡四重五逆。乃至十重四十八輕。無量無邊說不可盡。十方諸佛常在世間法音不絕。妙香充塞法味盈空。放淨光明照觸一切。常住妙理遍滿虛空。我無始來六根內盲三業昏暗。不見不聞不覺不知。以是因緣長流生死。經歷惡道百千萬劫。永無出期。經云。釋迦如來名毘盧遮那遍一切處。是故當知。一切諸法無非佛法。而我不了隨無明流。是則於菩提中見不清淨。於解脫中而起纏縛。今始覺悟今始改悔。生大慚愧生大怖畏。誦持大乘三業供養。歸向普賢菩薩及一切世尊。燒香散華發露懺悔。六根三業所作永斷。相續不復更造。以是因緣今我與法界眾生三業六根無始所作。現作當作自作教他見聞隨喜。若憶不憶若識不識。若疑不疑若覆若露。畢竟清淨(懺悔已歸命禮三寶)。

A Brief Text for Seated Meditation. It should be practiced in accordance with the Ten Methods for Accomplishing the Vehicle, as taught in the *Śamatha-vipaśyanā*. Perform the *Lotus Sutra* repentance ritual from dusk until the fifth watch. If time is short, use this condensed text.

I, (so-and-so), and all beings throughout the Dharma realm, since beginningless time, have been obscured by ignorance, confused and deluded by inverted views. Through the six senses and the three karmic actions, we have extensively committed the ten evils, the four grave offenses, the five heinous crimes, and even the ten major and forty-eight minor transgressions—immeasurable, boundless, and beyond description.

The Buddhas of the ten directions are ever-present in the world; the Dharma's sound never ceases. Sublime fragrances fill the space; the flavor of the Dharma saturates the air. They emit pure light, illuminating and touching all. The eternal, wondrous principle pervades the entire universe.

Yet, since beginningless time, my six senses have been inwardly blind, my three karmic actions shrouded in darkness—not seeing, not hearing, not perceiving, not knowing. Because of this, I have long drifted through the cycle of birth and death, passing through evil destinies for countless millions of kalpas, with no end in sight.

The sutra says: “The Thus-Come One Śākyamuni is named Vairocana, pervading all places.” Therefore, it should be understood that all phenomena are none other than the Buddha-Dharma. But I, failing to realize this, have followed the flow of ignorance. Thus, within Bodhi, I have seen impurity; within liberation, I have created bondage.

Now, for the first time, I awaken. Now, for the first time, I repent. I feel great shame and great fear. Reciting and upholding the Mahayana, I offer the three karmic actions as worship. I turn toward Samantabhadra Bodhisattva and all World-Honored Ones. Burning incense, scattering flowers, I openly confess and repent.

May the actions done through the six senses and three karmas be severed forever, never to be committed again. By this cause and condition, may all that I and all beings throughout the Dharma realm have done, are doing, or will do through the three karmas and six senses—whether done by oneself, taught to others, seen, heard, or rejoiced in; whether remembered or not, recognized or not, doubted or not, concealed or revealed—be utterly purified. (Having repented, I take refuge in and bow to the Three Jewels.)