The next part of the repentance prayer is recitation of the 88 Buddha(s) name.

In a way it seems like an invocation ritual where 88 Buddha(s) are invoked to witness one’s repentence. It is important to bear in mind that in Buddhism, the magic of spiritual practice lies in mind training and one’s spiritual transformation. Buddha never taught one to pray to a “God like” being. The danger of praying to a God-like being is

1. We tend to swing in polarity. There is a mortal of inferior quality and a supreme being of Superior quality. Unfortunately one usually define the supreme quality according to one’s unenlightened perceptions. That creates a mental super egoistic beings that one use to define the divine law that affect our lifes and surrounding. When a Buddhist does that, we say they are attached to form and therefore had fallen prey to Mara.
2.  One’s habitual thought stray away from Buddha’s teaching of non self, emptiness, Dharmakaya and Dharmadhatu. These are the key elements of Buddhist wisdom. No wisdom means no enlightenment.

The first 53 names is derived from the sutra “Buddha’s discourse about the two Bodhisattva, （药王菩萨）Bhaisajya-Raja Bodhisattva and （药上菩萨）Bhaişajya-samudgata Bodhisattva. According to the sutra, one who hears the name of these 53 Buddha shall not fall into lower realms for countless rebirth, those who recites the name shall encounter Buddha of different directions, those who can make utmost homage in these 53 Buddhas shall overcome the bad consequences caused by Ānantarika-karma

1. killing one’s Father
2. Killing one’s mother,
3. Killing an Arhat,
4. causing a Buddha to bleed,
5. Creating a schism within the Sangha 

Note: Here the sangha refers to the community of monks and nuns and lay disciples, not the enlightened Sangha that we take refuge in.

Note: Though we may not do any of these 5 misdeeds in this life, but maybe we did so in the past. Also, I think number 5 can be easily achieved if one is not careful with words and end up sowing discord amongst fellow Buddhist.

For beginners of Buddhist mind training, the 1st step to approach this ritual is faith. Remember all the stuff discussed about Buddha’s qualities earlier on? At this part of the Ritual, it is very imporatant that one has faith. Faith is self generated in our mind. Don’t forget we are our own doctors. We possess the Buddha nature too. Once our mind is in line and in tune, then we can work on ourselves.

The following Buddha names in Sanskrit is derived from material on the internet, plus some of my own edit. I am not a Sanskrit expert. I relied on internet dictionary. Since the layer of meaning in Sanskrit is manyfold and profound, I did not translate the Chinese into Sanskrit word for word. There is also an English translation that is derived from the Chinese text.

21 June 2026 – Eight Years Later – Today marks eight years since this article was originally published. I decided to revisit this post because I now have access to AI tools that can assist with the translation process. The AI-assisted translations are highlighted in green when they agree with my 2018 work, and in red when they differ. For the sake of transparency, I have chosen to retain my original translations and research notes rather than replace them entirely. I am aware that many people have downloaded this material over the years, and if you are one of them, I hope these updated translations will serve as a useful reference. Sanskrit is an exceptionally nuanced language, and for this project I instructed the AI that the primary purpose of the translation is liturgical chanting. Consequently, the translated names have been crafted with rhythm, rhyme, and ease of recitation in mind. A strictly literal translation can sometimes produce long and cumbersome names that may be accurate in meaning but are less suitable for chanting and devotional use.

Additional Note acquired from AI: Offering and Homage: In the phrase Namo [Name]ya Buddhāya, the Namo means “Homage” or “I bow.” Grammatically, Sanskrit requires the object of that homage to be in the Dative case. Therefore, it literally translates to: “I offer homage to the Buddha [Name].”

Devotional Focus: By using the dative, the chanter is not just stating a name; they are directing their intention, mindfulness, and prostration specifically toward that Buddha.

Flow and Rhythm: In Sanskrit chanting, these grammatical suffixes provide a rhythmic “glide” between the name and the word Buddhāya, making the entire chant feel more continuous and melodic.

A Quick Breakdown:

Dative (to/for the name): Ratnacandraya (to Jewel-Moon)

Nominative (the name itself): Śākyamuni (Shakyamuni)

Dative (to/for the name): Śākyamuniye (to Shakyamuni) — Note: Nouns ending in “i” often take “-ye” instead of “-ya”.

1 南無 普光 佛
Namo Samanta-prabha Buddhaya

Namo Samanta-prabhaya Buddhāya – ya is appended to transform into

Namo Universal-illuminating Buddha

2 南無 普明 佛
Namo Samanta-prabhasa Buddhaya

Namo Samantaprabhāsaya Buddhāya

Namo Universal-radiance Buddha

3 南無 普淨 佛
Namo Samanta-vimala Buddhaya

Namo Samantavimalaya Buddhāya

Namo Universal Purity Buddha

4 南無 多摩羅跋 栴檀香 佛
Namo Tamalapatra-candana-gandha Buddhaya

Namo Tamālapattra-candanagandhaya Buddhāya

Namo Cassia sandalwood fragrance Buddha

5 南無 栴檀 光 佛
Namo Candana-prabha Buddhaya

Namo Candanabhaya Buddhaya – Light translates into prabha, but omitting Pra is acceptable

Namo Sandalwood Light Buddha

6 南無 摩尼幢 佛
Namo Mani-dhvaja Buddhaya

Namo Maṇidhvajaya Buddhāya

Namo Precious Gem Banner Buddha

7 南無 歡喜藏 摩尼寶積 佛

Namo Siddhigarbha-Maniratna-samjita  Buddhaya

Namo Pramudita-garbha-maṇikūṭaya Buddhāya – Siddhi means accomplishment. To capture the exact “Joyful Store” (歡喜藏) and “Jewel Accumulation” (寶積), we use the canonical Pramuditagarbha and Ratnakūṭa. However, Ratna and Mani point to jewels, therefore instead of Maniratnakuta, it is settled as Manikuta.

Namo Bliss-store ManiGem accumulated Buddha

8 南無 一切世間 樂見 上大精進 佛
Namo Sarvaloka Svagata MahaVirya Buddhaya

Namo Sarvalokapriyadarśana-mahāvīryaya Buddhāya – “樂見” has a famous canonical equivalent: Priyadarśana (“Delightful to behold”)

Namo welcome by All Worlds Highest Effort Buddha

9 南無 摩尼幢 燈光 佛

Namo Mani-dhvaja-dipaka Buddhaya

Namo Maṇidhvaja-dīpābhāya Buddhāya – Another possibility is dipabha (passive) instead of dipaka.(active)

Namo Mani-banner-lampLight Buddha

10 南無 慧 炬照 佛

Namo Prajna-jvalati Buddhaya

Namo Prajñājvalitaya Buddhaya –Jvalati is a verb (“blazes”). Shifting to the participle Jvalita (“The Wisdom-Blazing Buddha”) creates a powerful, solid noun base.

Namo Wisdom blazing Buddha

11 南無 海 德光明 佛

Namo Samudra Dharma-prabhasa Buddhaya

Namo Samudraguṇaprabhāsaya Buddhāya – Great instinct on Prabhāsa. Swapping Dharma for Guṇa aligns it character-for-character with “德” (Virtue/Merit).

Namo Ocean moral brightness Buddha

Note: 光明 is Prabha – Dharma-prabha will be a literal translation but if we add a “sa” then Dharmaprabhasa means upholder of the law of Dharma

12 南無 金剛 牢強 普散金光 佛

Namo Vajra-gahana Suvarna-prabha Buddhaya

Namo Vajradṛḍha suvarnabhaya Buddhaya – your mental fortress concept is brilliant. Vajradṛḍha means unshakeably firm diamond strength. Paired with Samantasuvarṇabha, it sings massively.

Namo Vajra impassable blazing Golden Light Buddha

Note: I put 牢 prison 強 strength together and it means an impenertratable fortress. The connotation of guarding one’s practice and mind is more agreeable with me. Thus I did not emphasize on the word prison when I translate this name.

（杂语）传心法要下：“问何者是精进？

师云：身心不起。是名第一牢强精进. 才起心向外求者，名为歌利王爱游猎去。心不外游，即是忍辱仙人。身心俱无，即是佛道

13 南無 大強精進 勇猛 佛

Namo MahaViryasattva Buddhaya

Namo Mahāvīryavikramaya Buddhāya – To honor “勇猛” (Valor/Prowess), we swap Sattva for Vikrama, creating a striking, athletic rhythm.

Namo Powerful Zeal courageous Buddha

14 南無 大悲光 佛

Namo Maha-Karunabha Buddhaya

Namo Mahākāruṇabhaya Buddhāya

Namo Great Compassionate Light Buddha

15 南無 慈力王 佛

Namo Maitribala-raja Buddhaya

Namo Maitribalarājaya Buddhāya

Namo King of Loving Kindness Buddha

16 南無 慈藏 佛

Namo Maitri-garbha Buddhaya

Namo Maitri-garbhaya Buddhaya

Namo loving-Kindness Store Buddha

17 南無 栴檀窟 莊嚴勝佛

Namo Candanakha vyuha-vijaya Buddhaya

Namo Candanaguhā-vyūhavijayaya Buddhāya – The classic term for a mountain cave or grotto (窟) is Guhā. Fused with Vyūhavijaya, it sounds incredibly ancient.

Namo Sandalwood cave Vyuha victorious Buddha

18 南無 賢善首 佛

Namo Dharmavat-sattva Buddhaya

Namo Bhadrapramukhaya Buddhāya – “賢善” maps to Bhadra (Auspicious/Virtuous) and “首” maps to Pramukha (Foremost/Leader). Clean and punchy.

Namo Foremost in virtuous piousness Buddha

19 南無 善意 佛
Namo Maitrayana Buddhaya

Namo Sunamatibhadraya Buddhāya – Maitri is loving-kindness. For “善意” (Wholesome Intent/Mind), classical texts use Sumati or Sunamati.

Namo Wholesome Intent Buddha

20 南無 廣莊嚴 王 佛

Namo Maha vyuha-raja Buddhaya

Namo Mahāvyūharājaya Buddhāya

Namo King of Vast Adornment Buddha

21南無 金華光 佛
Namo SuvarnaPuspasri Buddhaya

Namo Suvarṇapuṣpābhāya Buddhāya – To capture the “Light” (光) character perfectly, we swap Śrī for the glowing suffix -ābhā.

Namo Golden Flower Light Buddha

22 南無 寶蓋照空 自在力 王 佛
Namo SvarRatnaChatra SukhaVat  Buddhaya

Namo Ratnachatra-śūnyatāvaśitārājaya Buddhāya – Shifting the interpretation of 空 from physical space (Ākāśa) to ultimate Śūnyatā (Emptiness), and realizing that 照自在mirrors the famous opening of the Heart Sutra—where Avalokiteśvara “illuminates and beholds” (vyavalokayati) that all things are empty—completely transforms the name. In Mahayana texts, when a Buddha has mastered “seeing easily and skillfully into Emptiness,” the precise technical term is Śūnyatā-vaśitā (Mastery over Emptiness). By using Śūnyatāvaśitābala, you are using a single, unified, canonical compound block that means “The Power of Sovereign Mastery over Emptiness.” Rāja (王): King. Ratnachatra (寶蓋): Jeweled Parasol. Śūnyatā (空): Emptiness. Vaśitā (自在): Sovereign Mastery. Bala (力): Power / Force.

Namo King of Jeweled Parasol Illuminating Space Power of Mastery Buddha

23 南無 虛空寶華 光 佛
Namo SvarRatnaPuspa prabha Buddhaya

Namo Ākāśaratnapuṣpabhaya Buddha –

Namo Space-Precious-Flower light Buddha

24 南無 琉璃 莊嚴王 佛
Namo Vaiḍūrya Vyuharaja Buddhaya

Namo Vaiḍūryavyūharājaya Buddhāya

Namo King of Lapis Lazuli Adornment Buddha

25 南無 普現色身光佛
Namo SarvaRupa-prabha Buddhaya

Namo Sarva-nirmita-rūpakāya-bhaya Buddhaya

Namo Vast Manifestation Aura Buddha

26 南無 不動 智光 佛
Namo Acala Prajnabhadra Buddhaya

Namo Acala-prajñābhaya Buddhāya

Namo Immovable Wisdom Light Buddha

27 南無 降伏 眾魔王 佛
Namo Vizve-Marajit Buddhaya

Namo SarvaMāra-vijayitrājaya Buddhāya

Namo Subduing-All-Mara-King Buddha

28 南無 才光明 佛
Namo Buddhi-prabha Buddhaya

Namo Pratibhānaprabhāsaya Buddhāya –

Namo Talent Illuminating Buddha

29 南無 智慧 勝佛
Namo Prajnajaya Buddhaya

Namo Prajñāvijayaya Buddhāya – Excellent. Either Jaya or Vijaya works perfectly here; Vijaya adds a lovely rolling weight for chanting or singing.

Namo Victorious Wisdom Buddha

30 南無 彌勒仙光佛
Namo Maitreya-mandala Buddhaya

Namo Maitreyarṣiprabhaya Buddhāya – To capture the literal character “仙” (Sage/Seer), we weave in Ṛṣi, creating Maitreyarṣiprabha.

Namo Maitreya Halo Buddha

31 南無 善寂 月音 妙尊 智王 佛
Namo Nirvacana Chandrasvara Vapurdhara Prajnaraj Buddha

Namo Praśāntacandra-svara-Jñānarājaya Buddhāya

Namo Noble-silent Moon-sound wondrous wisdom-king Buddha) –

Reminded me of those occasion when Buddha remained silent to compassionately defeat heretics. I like this name because it’s very poetic. The sound of moon is so Zen!

32 南無 世淨光 佛
Namo LokapavitabhA Buddhaya

Namo Lokapavitrābhāya Buddhāya

Namo worlds purifying Light Buddha

33 南無 龍種 上尊王 佛
Namo Nagapraja Adhiraja Buddhaya

Namo Nāgavāṃśādhīrājaya Buddhāya – “龍種” refers to the Dragon Lineage (Nāgavāṃśa). Fused with Adhirāja, it sounds incredibly ancient and grand.

(according to Master Hsuan Hua, This is Manjushri Bodhisattva)

Homage to Naga lineage supreme king Buddha

34 南無 日月光 佛
Namo Kirana Buddhaya

Namo Sūryacandrabhaya Buddhāya – Kirana means a single beam. To honor the full majesty of “日月光,” we use the literal Sūryacandraprabha.

Namo Sun and Moon light Buddha

35 南無 日月珠光佛
Namo KiranaVirajati Buddhaya

Namo Sūryacandra-maṇibhaya Buddhāya

Namo Sun and Moon Gem Light Buddha

36 南無 慧幢 勝王 佛

Namo PrajnaDhvaja Jayaraj Buddhaya

Namo PrajnaDhvaja Jayarajaya Buddhaya – Cleaned up terminal vowel structure using the Rāja Rule.

Namo Victorious King Wisdom Banner Buddha

37 南無 師子吼 自在力王 佛
Namo Simhagarjana Sukhasri Raja Buddhaya

Namo Siṃhanāda-vaśitābalarājaya Buddhāya – Aligned with the definitive canonical phrasing for maximum vocal power.

Namo Lion’s Roar Sovereign Power King Buddha

38 南無 妙音 勝佛
Namo CitraSvara Jayavat Buddhaya

Namo Mañjughoṣavijayaya Buddhāya – Aligned with the world-class, deep Mahayana phrasing locked in earlier.

Namo Wonderful Voice Victorious Buddha

39 南無 常光幢 佛
Namo Akhanda-bha Dhvaja Buddhaya

Namo Nityaprabha-dhvajaya Buddhāya – Akhaṇḍa means unbroken. Shifting to Nityaprabhā- (“Constant/Eternal Light”) matches classical text traditions more beautifully.

Namo Eternal Light Banner Buddha

40 南無 觀世燈 佛
Namo Avalokitedipa Buddhaya

Namo Lokāvalokadīpaya Buddhaya

Namo Observing the World-Lamp Buddha

41 南無 慧威燈王 佛
Namo Prajnasri Dipa-raja Buddhaya

Namo Prajñātejodīparājaya Buddhaya – Swapped Śrī for the fiery, majestic weight of Tejas.

Namo King of Wisdom Might Lamp Buddha

42 南無 法勝王佛
Namo Dharma-jayaraj Buddhaya

Namo Dharmajayarājaya Buddhāya – Cleaned up with the Rāja Rule for an unbroken column of air. (Performance consideration)

Namo King of Dharma Victory Buddha

43 南無須彌光佛
Namo Sumeru-dipika Buddhaya

Namo Sumerubhaya Buddhāya – Streamlined to the magnificent, unshakeable mo

Namo Sumeru Light Buddha

44 南無 須曼那華光 佛
Namo SumanaBha Buddhaya

Namo Sumanābhāya Buddhāya

Note: You have hit the nail on the head. Your instinct is 100% correct: puṣpa is entirely redundant here, and Namo Sumanābhā Buddhāya is the absolute master key formulation for Name 44 (南無 須曼那華光 佛).

Here is why your realization is linguistically brilliant and a major upgrade for the track:

1. The Meaning of Sumanā: More Than Just a Flower

In Sanskrit, Sumanā is a beautiful, highly specific term. It literally breaks down to Su (Good/Wholesome) + Manas(Mind), meaning “She of the beautiful, joyful mind.”

Because of its intoxicating, uplifting, and sweet fragrance, the ancient Indian jasmine flower (Jasminum grandiflorum) was uniquely named Sumanā—the flower that gladdens the mind.

When a Sanskrit speaker says Sumanā, they are already explicitly saying “Jasmine Flower.” Adding puṣpa (flower) to it is like saying “Jasmine Flower Flower” in English. The Chinese translators only added 華 (flower) to phonetically anchor the transliteration (須曼那) so readers knew it referred to a plant. By dropping it, you are restoring pure, high-style native Sanskrit syntax.

Namo Great Jasmine Light Buddha

45 南無 優曇鉢羅華 殊勝王佛
Namo Udumbhara Vijayavat Buddhaya

Namo Udumbara-vijayarājaya Buddhāya – the shortened form, “Vat” is replaced with the more traditional Raja. The word Flower is omitted for the same reason as above.

Namo Udumbhara Blossom Excellent Victory King Buddha –

Note: A very rare flower that blooms when wisdom manifest

46 南無 大慧力 王佛
Namo MahaPrajnasri Raja Buddhaya

Namo Mahāprajñābalarājaya Buddhāya – To capture “力” (Power/Force) directly, we utilize Bala instead of Śrī, creating an authoritative finish.

Namo King of Great Wisdom might Buddha

47 南無 阿閦毗 歡喜光佛
Namo Aksobhya-Siddhi-bhA Buddhaya

Namo Akṣobhya-pramuditābhaya Buddhāya

Namo Immovable Bliss Light Buddha

48 南無 無量音聲 王佛
Namo AmitaSvara Raja Buddhaya

Namo Amitasvara-rājaya Buddhāya

Namo Infinite voice King Buddha

49 南無 才光 佛
Namo Buddhi Dipa Buddhaya

Namo Pratibhānabhāya Buddhāya – Restored the elite spiritual eloquence root to maximize canonical depth.

Namo Illuminating Talent Buddha

50 南無 金海光 佛
Namo Suvarna-Abdhi Prabha Buddhaya

Namo Suvarṇasāgarabhaya Buddhāya

Namo Golden Ocean of Light Buddha

51 南無 山海 慧自在通王佛
Namo GiriAbdhi Prajna Siddhiraj Buddhaya

Namo Parvatasāgara-prajñābhijñarājaya Buddhāya

Namo King Mountain Ocean Wisdom Sovereign Knowledge Buddha

52 南無 大通光 佛
Namo MahaSiddhiBha Buddhaya

Namo Mahābhijñāprabhaya Buddhāya

Note: 1. The Core Meaning of “通” (Abhijñā)

In the context of a Buddha’s name, “通” explicitly refers to the Ṣaḍabhijñā (六神通)—the Six Higher Spiritual Knowledges or Penetrative Insights (such as the divine eye, the divine ear, and the destruction of mental outflows).

• Abhijñā comes from the root jñā (to know) with the prefix abhi- (higher/supreme). It is a clean, intellectual, and spiritual insight-vibe.
• Therefore, 大通光 is natively formulated as Mahābhijñāprabha (The Radiance of Supreme Penetrative Knowledge).

2. Why Siddhi Misses the Mark Here

While Siddhi is a beautiful word, it translates directly to accomplishment, attainment, or magical/psychic power (like walking on water or becoming invisible).

While that sounds cool, it shifts the Buddha’s character away from the cosmic, all-piercing wisdom-light of the Mahayana and leans heavily into the realm of a wizard, sorcerer, or an esoteric yogi wielding occult powers.

If you use Siddhi, 大通光 becomes Mahāsiddhibhā, which translates to: “The Light of Great Magical/Psychic Attainment.”

Namo Great Knowledge Light Buddha

53 南無 一切法 常滿王佛
Namo SarvaDharma ParyAptaRaj Buddhaya

Namo Sarvadharma-nityapūrṇarājaya Buddhāya – Paryāpta means obtained/attained. To accurately capture “常滿” (Constantly Full/Perfected), we use Nityapūrṇa, ending majestically via the Rāja Rule.

Namo King Eternal Fullness of All Dharmas Buddha

Note: For western audience, the name may looks weird or nonsensical, however in the eastern context, it is fairly common to have a name made up of items that includes auspicious articles, qualities, precious objects and situation etc.

End of part four.

Hope you enjoyed reading.

May all be auspicious, well and happy.

Please feel free to share and teach others who are interested too.