May all beings everywhere

Plagued by sufferings of body and mind

Obtain an ocean of happiness and joy

By virtue of my merits.

May those feeble with cold find warmth,

And may those oppressed with heat be cooled

By the boundless waters that pour forth

From the great clouds of the bodhisattvas' merits.

May the regions of hell become places of joy

With vast and fragrant lotus pools

Beautified with the exquisite calls

Of wild ducks, geese and swans.

May the forest of razor-sharp leaves

Become a beautiful pleasure grove,

And may the trees of knives and swords

Grow into wish-fulfilling trees.

May the rains of lava, blazing stones and weapons

From now on become a rain of flowers,

And may all battling with weapons

From now on be a playful exchange of flowers.

May the blind see forms,

May the deaf hear sounds

And just as it was with Mayadevi,

May pregnant women give birth without any pain.

May the naked find clothing,

The hungry find food;

May the thirsty find water

And delicious drinks.

May the poor find wealth,

Those weak with sorrow find joy;

May the forlorn find new hope,

Constant happiness and prosperity.

May all who are sick and ill

Quickly be freed from their illness,

And may every disease in the world

Never occur again.

May the frightened cease to be afraid

And those bound be freed;

May the powerless find power,

And may people think of benefitting one another.

May all travelers find happiness

Everywhere they go,

And without any effort may they accomplish

Whatever they set out to do.

May those who sail in ships and boats

Obtain whatever they wish for,

And having safely returned to the shore

May they joyfully reunite with their relatives.

May troubled wanderers who have lost their way

Meet with fellow travelers,

And without any fear of thieves and tigers

May their going be easy without any fatigue.

May those who find themselves in trackless, fearful wildernesses,

The children, the aged, the unprotected,

Those stupefied and the insane,

Be guarded by beneficent celestials.

May beings be freed from all states of no leisure

And be endowed with faith, wisdom and kindness;

With food obtained in a proper manner and excellent conduct,

May they be mindful throughout their lives.

May all beings be without want for wealth

Just like the treasury of space,

And without it being the source of dispute or harm

May they always enjoy it as they wish.

May those who have little splendor

Come to be endowed with majesty;

And may those whose bodies are worn with toil

Find magnificent and noble forms.

By the merits I have accumulated

May every single being

Abandon all forms of evil

And be perpetually engaged in virtue.

May no living creature ever suffer,

Commit evil or ever fall ill.

May no one be afraid or belittled,

Or their mind ever be depressed.

In all temples and monasteries

May reading and recitation flourish and remain;

May the sangha always be in harmony

And may their purposes be accomplished.

May those desiring to practice

Find quiet and solitary places,

And through having abandoned all wandering thoughts

May they meditate with flexible minds.

May the teachings, which are the sole medicine for suffering

And the origin of every joy,

Be materially supported and honored

And abide for a very long time.

May all the pains of living creatures

Ripen solely upon myself,

And through the might of the bodhisattva sangha

May all beings experience happiness.

For as long as space endures

And for as long as living beings remain,

Until then may I too abide

To dispel the misery of the world.

These verses are from the dedication chapter of Shantideva’s Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life.
English translation by Stephen Batchelor. Arranged by George Draffan.