E.5, The branch of requesting to turn the wheel of Dharma as an antidote to the abandonment of the Dharma:

I enjoin all accomplished Buddhas of all

the myriad worlds of the ten directions–

please turn without delay the wheel of Dharma, 

extensively as well as expediently.

By the Buddhas' super-faculties, they know

and grant our requests gladly.

Just as Brahma offered the gold wheel and Indra offered the right-turning conch shell to request the all-accomplished, perfectly enlightened Buddha (to turn the wonderful wheel of Dharma), one can also visualize: in the vast and boundless worlds of the ten directions, in front of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas,  gurus, the noble ones, who have just attained perfect enlightenment, oneself appears with many bodies, holding auspicious offerings such as the Dharma wheel and conch shell, and supplicate and urge them to quickly turn the profound and limitless wheel of Dharma for the benefit of sentient beings. After they see this with their supernatural power, they happily agree. If one can visualize in this way, it is no different from requesting the Dharma in person. This is visualization with the mind (thought). If one can perform this actually with body and speech, then requesting for four or more sentences of the Dharma in front of the gurus who possess the merits of knowledge and realization of the Dharma, can also bestow on many sentient beings the benefit of the rain of the wonderful Dharma. This can also remove one's own karmic obstacles of abandoning the Dharma, so that one will never be separated from the light of the Three Jewels life after life, and will never be reborn in a dark kalpa (when no Buddhas emerge)#.

E.6, The branch of requesting not to enter Nirvana as an antidote to wrong views:

I supplicate all buddhas, bodhisattvas, 

Dharma upholders, and spiritual 

friends intending to enter Nirvana –

please do not enter Nirvana, but remain in this world.

Just like the blacksmith's son Kunda(?)(珍达) supplicated the Buddha to remain in the world, and the Buddha's presence was extended for three months, one can also visualize: in front of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and knowledgeable Dharma teachers who intend to enter Nirvana, sincerely supplicate that, for the benefit of sentient beings, they remain in the world for countless kalpas and do not enter Nirvana. And they also know and happily agree. (They display Nirvana for three reasons:) If there are no sentient beings to be enlightened, just like the moon cannot be reflected without a water vessel, the Buddha's physical body will naturally merge into Dharmadhatu (and disappear)#; if the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas remain in the world for too long, sentient beings will think that they will remain in the world forever, which will lead to 

laxity in practicing the Dharma. So in order to motivate sentient beings for renunciation, they display Nirvana; there are also those who cannot tame sentient beings who are stubborn and difficult to change in the degenerate age and enter Nirvana out of weariness. Those noble ones who have attained the bhumis, if they are willing, can remain in the world as long as they want. Therefore, we should not have the wrong view that how long or short the lifespans of the Buddhas are. If all the roots of virtue we have accumulated are dedicated to the accomplished monks and virtuous people to extend their presence indefinitely, the same effect can be achieved. And this can also remove the obstacles to our longevity, etc., the merit is very great.

E.7, (the dedication branch as an antidote to doubt) in two parts: 1. Dedication for sentient beings to attain the ultimate Buddhahood; 2. Dedication for the accomplishment of temporary benefits.

F.1, Dedication for sentient beings to attain the ultimate Buddhahood:

My virtue accumulated by this devotion,

and all virtue of the three times, 

I dedicate to benefit sentient beings.

May all beings quickly attain the highest enlightenment, 

and may the samsara of the three realms be

churned to complete destruction from its depth.

What is to be dedicated? Visualize the virtuous deeds that you are currently engaging in as the centrepiece, and all the roots of virtue accumulated in the past and future of the three times. To whom should it be dedicated? Dedicating it to all sentient beings, this is (to dedicate) to benefit others with great compassion, with all sentient beings as the condition. For what purpose is it dedicated? Wish that all sentient beings quickly attain the fruit of perfect enlightenment, and even the term "sentient beings" disappears. Just like shaking a pocket empty, completely eradicate the samsara of the three realms. This is to dedicate with profound wisdom with Buddhahood as the condition. This has the same meaning as in the "Abhisamayalankara" of "aspire to benefit others, aspire for the perfect enlightenment".

Although there are many ways to dedicate merits, the best way is to visualize "how all Buddhas and their followers dedicate merits, I also dedicate merits in the same way." Even if it is a small merit, if one makes an ultimate dedication, all sentient beings can also receive it. This is due to the power of the Buddha's sublime qualites, the power of the nature of Dharma, and the power of one's own virtuous intention. If one regards the tainted merits of an unenlightened person as one's own and do not dedicate it, then it will likely be destroyed by anger and other afflictions; if one dedicate it for oneself and others to attain Buddhahood, because the Dharmadhatu is boundless, just like the metaphor of a drop of water (falling into the sea), there is no need to worry that it will be exhausted one day. This is to dedicate for the ultimate benefit.

F.2, Dedication for temporary benefit:

May this virtue quickly ripen for me so

that the eighteen kinds of untimely death may not affect me.

May I remain free from disease, and

may my body have the strength of an adolescent.

May my splendour never be exhausted,

but remain as abundant as the river Ganga in the rainy season.

May I perform the activities of the liberating

Dharma without being endangered by hostile forces;

may all intentions I have in mind be

completely fulfilled according to the Dharma;

may I accomplish great benefits for the

advancement of the Dharma and for all beings;

may I make this human existence full of meanings.

After practicing virtues, one can make two kinds of dedications: first, wishing that all sentient beings attain perfect enlightenment, that is, dedicating with Buddhahood as the condition by wisdom and dedicating with sentient beings as the condition by great compassion; second, wishing that the roots of virtue can ripen in one's lifetime without waiting for future lives, and attain temporary perfection.

(This is for)# the Bodhisattva who vows to accomplish temporary benefits for others: The merits dedicated with such a boundless aspiration will not wait until future lives, but will accomplish the benefits of both oneself and others in this life. Therefore, one wishes that these merits will ripen quickly in oneself in the current life, thereby eliminating the eighteen kinds of untimely death, making one's lifespan long like the sun and the moon; will be free from the harm of demons such as diseases, (healthy) like diamond; youthful and beautiful like a lotus in full bloom, always in the prime of life; strong and healthy like a deva; wealth will continue to grow endlessly like the water of the Ganges in summer. 

When dedicating for temporarily perfection, one should be moderate. Becasue these are not the ultimate goals. As it is said in "The Way of the Bodhisattva": "Accumulating it, protecting it, exhausting it, it is all suffering. We should know that wealth brings disasters. Distracted and greedy for money, there is no end to suffering for such people.

Through the blessing of the roots of virtue, to make us not be distracted by excessive accumulation, protection, and growth (of property), nor will we be obstructed by the Mara of exultation or Mara of devas, and not have malice because of the harm caused by enemies and robbers who are karmic creditors with whom we have unpaid debts. May we, by the power of the roots of vitue, enjoy the Dharma freely and effortlessly. If we have a short life, many illnesses, no money, and suffer harms from Maras and enemies, they will become obstacles to altruistic work. When we are rich and healthy, we should vow to be like Bodhisattvas such as Manjushri and Samantabhadra, etc. (offering and giving). If Bodhisattvas have means, they will use it for charity, etc., and benefit sentient beings with the four means of magnetizing, which is completely different from ordinary people when they have wealth. As stated in the "Mahayana-sutra-alamkara-karika", "The three fruits of compassion are: more compassion, giving, and wealth, these are constantly growing for people with compassion, and they will have three happinesses, love for, embracing, and helping sentient beings." In this way, all wishes will be in accordance with the Dharma, and will be fulfilled as desired without obstacles. Following the "The King of Aspiration Prayers" and other sutras, one can vow to practice the Dharma of scriptural transmission and the Dharma of realization.

The effect of the wish-fulfilling jewel Dharma is realized by teaching and practice. Because the Dharma is the root of benefiting sentient beings, it can accomplish the temporary and ultimate vast benefits of sentient beings, so that the precious human body that one received will not be wasted and has great meanings. The "Abhidharma-kosha" says, "the Buddhas have two wonders, the Dharma of scriptural transmission and the Dharma of realization. Teaching the Dharma is the only way to uphold the teachings, and practicing the Dharma is the only way to attain realization." Only by teachhing, listening, furthering the Dharma teachings, and practicing for, applying, and attaining the realization are the activities that true Buddhist followers should engage in. Other rules and regulations, articles and blessings (buildings, instruments, beating drums and blowing conch shells), etc., no matter how perfect and splendid they are, are not true Dharma. 

(Some people nowadays) do not know what is Dharma teachings and practice. Drven by desire, aversion, and partiality, they just do many extravagant and irrelevant things endlessly like turning a wheel, and claim that this is the Dharma. But this is not the case. There is one metaphor: a lion will be destroyed by parasites in its stomach, and the Dharma is the same (will be destroyed by Buddhists). As the Buddha once said: "This extremely profound teachings of mine, cannot be destroyed by others, except by those who look like a practitioner but are not true followers." Generally speaking, it is mostly the Dharma princes who undertake the great cause of advancing the teaching and practice of the Dharma - eminent monks and the great noble ones. But all the followers of the Buddha should uphold the Dharma (and advance the Dharma) in proportion to their own abilities. In a wider sense, understanding one sentence of the Dharma correctly and completely is also Dharma teaching, and contemplating one sentence of the Dharma and by which giving rise to a virtuous state of mind for just one moment is also  the Dharma of realization. At a time when the Dharma is on the verge of disappearing, advancing the Dharma and benefiting sentient beings just by this can also make one's life meaningful.

Lay men and women should not think: How can we bear the burden of advancing the Dharma? As the Tibetan proverb says, "After a child is born ordinarily, he should engage in Dharma activities." Therefore, even if one cannot advance and practice the Dharma extensively, he can still become a favorable condition for advancing the Dharma. Such as advising others to study the scriptures, providing food for students and retreatants, trying every means to let others listen to one session of Dharma teaching, serving, offering, and assisting the gurus who teach the Dharma, and having true faith in the Dharma, stopping nonvirtues and performing virtues. If one can do this, it can also be called advancing the Dharma. Although he is not famous, he is also advancing the Dharma and benefiting sentient beings.

Originally, the so-called "The Dharma has disappeared completely" refers to, in a certain area or city, the time when there is no one who understands one sentence of the Dharma and no one who has a moment of virtuous thoughts. If there are such people (who understand the Dharma or have virtuous thoughts), it should be said that the Dharma exists there.

Therefore, in today's degenerate age, people who understand the Dharma should teach and advance the Dharma with pure intention and the feeling of respect for the supreme Dharma. As the treatise (The Way of the Bodhisattva)# says: "Others engage in worldly matters, how can I be just like them?" It is also said in the tantra: "In this degenerate age of disappearing Dharma, I will practice the Buddhas' impossible activities, and I will practice the Bodhisattvas' impossible practice." Those who can teach, listen to, and advance the Dharma, as the "Satipatthana Sutra" says: "After hearing the Dharma, those wise ones who spread it extensively, will be free from old age and death, and be reborn in supreme places."

If one is stingy with the Dharma or lazy and does not teach it to others, he will become a stupid and dull person life after life: Suddhipanthaka studied for a month, but he did not understand a single sentence of the verse. This was due to the karmic obstacle created when he had been reborn as a monk who became proficient in the Tripitaka under the teachings of Buddha Kasyapa, but he was stingy and did not teach the Dharma to others at that time.

As for this method of accumulating merits--the seven-branch offering, one must start practicing it diligently now. If one wants to perform virtuous deeds and meanwhile the favorable conditions are present, but does not act on it immediately and keep delaying, then the desire for virtues will vanish in no time like a fleeting lightning. On the contrary, the power of negative karma is very strong, nonvirtues have been practiced habitually for the longest time, and the effect is present continuously. As such, one will be carried off by negative karma. As is said in the Vinaya: "One should carry out virtuous deeds promptly, and stop malicious thoughts. When one's merits are exhausted, he will start wanting to commit misdeeds." Now, we must practice to accumulate merits and purify the negative karma. Although we have committed crimes as big as the king of mountains, we have never confessed and repented once. We have not accumulated a sesame seed worth of virtuous deeds but still hope to gain wealth and benefits in the future. This is the thinking of ordinary lay people in the world.

In fact, it is very difficult for us to reap Dharmic benefits from inheritance, children, etc. after we die. Look at today's children, they nevertheless abuse their parents with such violence as sprinkling ashes into their eyes when they are alive. It is unlikely that they will do their best to perform pujas for the death for them after they die. However, the fruits of the misdeeds we have committed are waiting for us ahead all along. If we try our best to accumulate merits and remove our obstacles now when we don't have to rely on others, and die with confidence, then we don't need the pujas for the death in the seven periods (49 days) after death. Nor do we need to be terrified because of the fear of the karmic retribution waiting for us. Instead, one will feel like he has been freed from a blazing house that is on fire, with no complaints and no regrets, no fear. While contemplating the meaning and visualizing by the guidance of the paragraph above, joining one's palms, and slowly recite "To develop heartfelt joy when one hears about the virtuous deeds done by others ... may I make this human existence full of meanings" once.

Those who have received the superior human body 

that can go towards Sukhavati,

and are happy to accumulate merits with virtuous deeds,

May they not indulge in the mundane matters of samsara, 

please give blessings so they always practice the Dharma diligently.

(this verse is not in the root text, 

this may be a quote from the expository)#

End of the second cause - accumulating merits and clearing karmic obstacles

Generating Bodhichitta

D.3, Generating Bodhichitta:

The third cause of rebirth in Sukhavati--generating the supreme bodhichitta, is not mentioned separately in this verse. But it can be included in the previous section for dedication, or it has been summarized in the previous "the preliminary supreme method of aspiration". If you want to practice it separately, visualize in the space in front of you: Amitabha and other Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Vajradhara Gurus are present here, and you are taking the Mahayana bodhisattva vow in front of them. Recite the refuge and aspiration verse, "Until I attain perfect enlightenment, I take refuge in all the Tathagatas, the Dharma, and the assembly of bodhisattvas. Just as the Buddhas in the past, generated bodhichitta first, then established themselves by stages, in the training of a bodhisattva" three times, or recite "From now on until perfect enlightenment, I take refuge in all the Buddhas, the Dharma, and the Sangha the Three Jewels. With all the merits I have accumulated such as Dana, for the benefit of all sentient beings, I aspire to attain perfect enlightenment", and then recite "May the supreme, precious jewel bodhichitta,

take birth where it has not arisen. Where it has arisen, may it never wane,

but continue to grow forevermore!."(*by Khenpo Sherab Sangpo, www.bodhicittasangha.org) If one takes the bodhisattva vow like this every day, one can generate and grow bodhichitta through practice, and accumulate incredible merits. As "The Questions of Sagaramati" says: "offering to countless kotis of Buddhas, with the wonderful treasures of the ten directions, and generating bodhichitta just once, the merits of the later is incomparably greater..."  "The Flower Garland Sutra" and "The Way of the Bodhisattva" and other sutras and treatises also proclaim the many merits of generating bodhichitta.

If we train our mind with virtuous thoughts and generation of bodhichitta, then even if we fall into the lower realms due to the force of karma, we will still not have malicious thoughts due to the good karma of generating bodhichitta. And we can also purify ourselves of karmic obstacles even as a being in the lower realms. As recorded in the Jataka Tales of the great compassionate teacher. And as the verse says: "The fruition of karma is inconceivable, and the great compassionate one is also reborn as animals."

Originally, the Buddha should not even touch with his feet the carriage of the arhats who is a Sravaka, (let alone pull the carriage?). But it is fine for the Buddha to pull with his head the carriage of a bodhisattva who has just generated bodhichitta. Because bodhichitta is the cause of Buddhahood. (The sutras say:) Compared with attaining liberation after receiving the Pratimoksha vows for Sravakas, taking the bodhisattva vow but breaking it after and falling into the lower realms is still superior to the former. 

In short, if, on the basis of generating bodhichitta, the bodhisattvas in this world aspire to be reborn in Sukhavati, they will realize their wishes easily. Therefore, it is extremely important for us to generate bodhichitta diligently in our daily lives.

The intermission verse:

Self-interested Sravakas and Pratyeka-buddhas 

do not have this superior aspiration, 

how can fools who do not even think about self-interest know it?

The cause for perfect enlightenment and achieving the two benefits, 

may sentient beings practice altruistic bodhichitta.

The end of the third cause - generating bodhichitta