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 mani vajra precious mountain peaks, together with a great assembly of bodhisattvas. At that time, the World-Honored One addressed the Vajra Maṇi Bodhisattva, saying: "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, who has already aroused the great bodhi mind, who possesses great compassionate pity, who constantly wishes to serve and attend upon all Tathāgatas, who wishes to extensively accumulate the stores of merit and wisdom of all great bodhisattvas, who wishes to realize the wisdom of the Buddhas, who wishes to attain unimpeded samādhi, dhāraṇī, the gates of liberation, and the sport of supernatural powers, who wishes to cause the void sky to become a great treasury, who wishes to cause his own hands to resemble wish-fulfilling jewels—let him 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 make the following offerings.

 Original Text: May all World-Honored Buddhas, all great bodhisattvas abiding on the ten grounds, and the Vajra-holders remember me. Disciple so-and-so has already aroused the bodhi mind but has not yet abided in the right path. Now, I dedicate my body and mind at all times, with all kinds [of offerings], to serve and offer to the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the three times. May the supremely free Buddhas, the Tathāgatas, and all bodhisattvas who have attained the great grounds accept me, causing my great stores of merit and wisdom, my vigorous diligence, vast mind, tranquil discipline, mastery of supernatural powers, and pāramitās to swiftly attain perfection.

 Explanation: "Now, I dedicate my body and mind at all times, with all kinds [of offerings], to serve and offer to the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the three times." These phrases 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, causing my great stores of merit and wisdom, vigorous diligence, vast mind, tranquil discipline, mastery of supernatural powers, and pāramitās to swiftly attain perfection." This should refer to offerings of actual substances, not visualization without objects. Later, it enumerates what those actual substances are.

Original Text: Further, he should say thus: "May the great compassionate ones remember me. Disciple so-and-so has fallen into the cycle of birth and death, bound by great fetters, confined in the prison, separated from the Dharma of the right path, oppressed by the powerful forces of the enemy of afflictions, having no protector, no savior, no eyes, no reliance, no leader, no guide, wandering on perilous paths, heading towards birth and death, turning away from great nirvāṇa, following the evil destinies, about to fall onto dangerous paths, facing descent into evil realms, constantly encountering evil friends, separated from good spiritual friends, confused about what is right and wrong, beneficial and non-beneficial, meaningful and meaningless, distant from all virtues, accomplishing non-virtues, constantly turning away from the noble sages, the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, oppressed by birth, old age, sickness, death, sorrow, and troubles, finding no peace, without fear or dread.

"His mind is constantly scattered, lacking cultivation of tranquility, discipline, generosity, and heedfulness. He is distant from the two gates of samādhi and dhāraṇī, unable to abide in the dharma-patience of the ten grounds, the profound prajñā-pāramitā, and the nature of equality. He does not cultivate the immeasurable [qualities of] loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. He does not possess the bodhisattva’s three aggregates of precepts. 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. He does not abide in right mindfulness, unable to accomplish the Dharma of non-forgetfulness as he proceeds.

"Deficient in all merits, holding wrong views and doubts, obstructed from penetrating the seven factors of enlightenment, lacking cultivation of the eightfold noble path as it truly is, oppressed by immeasurable hundreds of thousands of sufferings, constantly blazing fiercely, afflicted by manifold sufferings, his mind is constantly lowly, filled with anger, hatred, and distraction, constantly yielding to afflictions. May all Buddhas and bodhisattvas, relying on great compassionate pity, be my rescuers, my refuge, my guide. May I swiftly attain perfection on the great path to right enlightenment, the great bodhi path, and the stores for bodhi. May I also swiftly attain perfection in the Tathāgata’s ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, the eighteen unshared qualities of the Buddhas, the Dharma of the Tathāgatas, unimpeded eloquence, the gates of samādhi, liberation, and dhāraṇī, the merits, supernatural powers, and pāramitās. May all accomplishments and all merits be bestowed upon me."

 Explanation: This is a bodhisattva who has aroused the great bodhi mind confessing all his faults and transgressions, wishing for the Buddhas and bodhisattvas to accept him and fulfill his aspirations.

Original Text: Furthermore, to transform and make extensive offerings, he should say thus: "May all World-Honored Buddhas and all bodhisattva assemblies who have attained great power remember me. Disciple so-and-so now, before all Buddhas and bodhisattvas, turns great reverence, service, and offerings, dedicating his body in offering. All great adornments in all worlds of the ten directions, namely: various kinds of precious palaces, adornments of all jewels, jeweled trees, jeweled mountains, jeweled thrones, jeweled altars, rows of precious gems, jeweled canopies, jeweled banners, jeweled ornaments, necklaces, pearl nets, precious vessels, heaps of jewels, accumulated jewels emitting light.

"In all jeweled continents, great mani jewels, pure lamp trees, jeweled bells harmoniously ringing, mani jewels radiating light, pure gold tasseled whisks hanging down connected, wonderful golden lotuses with stamens of jambūnada gold, rows of golden trees, various precious palaces, jeweled clouds densely gathering, raining droplets of manifold jewels, all treasure storehouses and halls, exquisite mani jewels inlaid in walls, jeweled balustrades, delightful groves and gardens for great vidyādharas, dwelling mansions, precious palaces, assembly halls, groves—all delightful. With such things, unattached and unpossessed, I dedicate them to all Buddhas and bodhisattvas."

Explanation: This passage describes the bodhisattva's specific offerings: service and offerings, dedicating his body in offering. The phrases "All great adornments in all worlds of the ten directions" signify the bodhisattva's willingness 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 referring to actual substances.

Offering the great adornments with one's body signifies that it is not mere visualization but actual offerings of real substances. Even if it were visualization, one must visualize the actual substances and present them before the Buddhas and bodhisattvas; otherwise, how could the Buddhas and bodhisattvas see the actual substances and consider it an offering? If I were to visualize every day that everyone has eaten three full meals, consuming such-and-such delicious food, would everyone truly be full? If it is said that the Buddhas and bodhisattvas have supernatural powers and can receive offerings, then is this offering made by you, or did the Buddhas and bodhisattvas manifest it themselves through their supernatural powers, making offerings to themselves?

Original Text: "All excellent medicines in Jambudvīpa, medicines of longevity, various mani jewels that can naturally produce beautiful, excellent food and drink desired by sentient beings, along with various kinds of fragrant trees of different types: sandalwood trees, agaru (aloeswood) trees, sinking aloeswood, red sandalwood, great-leaved kadamba flowers, intoxicating fragrances, and other kinds of trees producing delightful wonderful fragrances—unattached and unpossessed. Various wish-fulfilling trees. In the great ocean, various kinds of mani jewels, wish-fulfilling jewels, and Mount Sumeru, Mount Kailāsa, Mount Gandhamādana, Mount Malaya, Mount Mandara, Mount Vajra, and other great mountains, various jeweled peaks, jeweled terraces, jeweled stones, jeweled caves, jeweled palaces, jeweled ornaments, jeweled fragments, stairways of manifold jewels, mani pillars, jeweled lamp wheels, vaidūrya and other kinds of mani jewels.

"All unowned heavenly palaces in the heavens, celestial renowned flowers, delightful and pleasing to see, celestial musical instruments gently stirred by the breeze, rows of aerial palaces producing harmonious beautiful sounds, celestial music spontaneously producing wonderful melodies without being played, celestial birds dwelling in aerial palaces singing wonderful tones, along with jeweled clouds emitting great beautiful sounds, celestial mani jewels singing music, along with wonderful fragrances, flower trees, garland trees, trees of unguents, trees of incense, lamp trees, banner trees, jeweled trees.

"All these things, unattached and unpossessed, I offer to all Buddhas and bodhisattvas. All 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 unguents, clouds of jeweled canopies, clouds of jeweled banners, clouds of jeweled streamers, clouds of jeweled robes, clouds of heaped jewels, clouds of precious vessels, clouds of great heaps of mani jewels, clouds of various exquisite great precious pearls. Also, with fragrant oil filling great lamp vessels equal in measure to a thousand worlds, with wicks the size of a hundred Mount Sumerus, I offer to all World-Honored Buddhas and all great bodhisattvas."

 Explanation: All these are specific adornments offered, all actual substances.

Original Text: "The supreme merit born from these offerings, I dedicate entirely to unsurpassed bodhi. Just as the past Buddhas dedicated all virtues they cultivated, using non-attainment as the skillful means to dedicate towards bodhi, so too do I, holding this merit, dedicate it to unsurpassed right and perfect enlightenment. I exhort all Buddhas, may they proceed to the bodhi maṇḍala, subdue the māras and enemies, realize great bodhi, turn the great Dharma wheel. For those wishing to enter parinirvāṇa, for the sake of all sentient beings, I exhort and request them to abide for a full great kalpa. I rejoice in all merits 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 repent their sinful obstructions, so too do I, may my sins be eliminated.

"After the offerings up to the repentance are completed, immediately with a pure mind, recollecting all Buddhas and bodhisattvas, before the Buddha image, recite this mantra eight times to completion. The mantra is: Oṃ sphara sphara vimana sara mahā jvala hūṃ"

Explanation: This passage describes the bodhisattva dedicating the merit from his actual offerings to bodhi, and further making vows, repenting to eliminate sins, and then reciting the mantra.

Original Text: "After reciting the mantra, immediately according to his wish, he accomplishes the wonderfully divine great cloud of offerings, which manifests before all Buddhas. If a virtuous man or virtuous woman, with mindfulness fixed on the Buddha, whether day or night, recites this Great Wheel of Dedication, such a virtuous man or virtuous woman will have his sins eliminated, all afflictions gradually become slight and weak, and he will be able to obtain the merits described previously. 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 it."

 Explanation: After the bodhisattva recites the mantra, under the blessings of the Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and Dharma protectors, his aspirations are fulfilled, the great cloud of offerings is perfected, 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 eliminated, afflictions will gradually become slight, weak, and lose their power, and they will be able to obtain 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 additional explanations and conditions regarding how to recite the sūtra and to what extent one must recite it to obtain this merit.

The transmitted scripture text, having undergone arbitrary punctuation changes, arbitrary modifications to punctuation marks, and arbitrary division into paragraphs, has led to the meaning within the scripture becoming vague and unclear, making it difficult to comprehend its true meaning. I spent some time revising it back, making the scripture's principles manifest and its meaning clear. In the future, when reading Buddhist scriptures, one should read the original text from the Tripitaka, scriptures untouched by human hands, so that the Buddha's original intent is not distorted.