Vesak praise, repentance, and vow-making
We, today,
The Vesak Day,
With utmost joy,
Bow our heads to
All Buddhas
In the universe
And holy monks.
We and all sentient beings,
Due to our lack of good merits,
Have all been fallen,
Filled with greed, hatred, and ignorance,
Forgotten our way back,
Blinded by attachments,
Imprisoned in the cycle of rebirth,
Tangled by afflictions,
Buried by retribution.
Auspiciously, the Buddha
Extends compassion
Towards those who lack merits
And stay trapped in reincarnation.
In the long dark night,
The Buddha lit the torch of wisdom,
Vowing to save all
Using suitable methods.
On Vesak day, we commemorate.
In Saha world, he was born
Into the Shakya Clan,
Queen Maya dreamt of good omens
For his merits, King Suddhodana
Had a filial son,
With thirty-two major marks.
In the prime of his youth,
With utmost compassion,
And overwhelming will of renunciation,
He rejected the throne,
And sought the ascetic path.
Six years of extreme asceticism,
Seven weeks of solemn meditation,
He attained Buddhahood,
Triumphed over all demons.
All three realms cheered up,
All sentient beings owed his favor.
We vow:
To abandon the desires
That we cling to
And learn from the Buddha's glorious virtues.
May the Buddha bear witness,
And compassionately support us,
May we and all sentient beings
Quickly attain Buddhahood.
Namo Shakyamuni Buddha. (3 times)
