Repentance method: An impt thing to enter the Dharma door
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We must all understand the need to Repent as we are afflicted by Past Karma
Repentance is to tune our heart to be soften and more receptive towards teachings
Repentance is very much emphasis in Mahayana and Vajrayana tradition
I will post onto the blogs as some of the sutra does not have English Equivalent translation
http://wisdombliss.blogspot.com/ -
Yes repentance is v impt and is also a way to clear past karmas..
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What is the difference between repentance and not letting go of the past?
The following quote was from AEN's post in a previous thread (http://buddhism.sgforums.com/?action=thread_display&thread_id=226295), quoting from the book "The Power of Now".
Is the difference between the two a matter of degree, or are these two things fundamentally different?Does the past take up a great deal of your attention? Do you frequently talk and think about it, either positively or negatively? The great things that you have achieved, your adventures or experiences, or your victim story and the dreadful things that were done to you, or maybe what you did to someone else? Are your thought processes creating guilt, pride, resentment, anger, regret, or self-pity? Then you are not only reinforcing a false sense of self but also helping to accelerate your body's aging process by creating an accumulation of past in your psyche. Verify this for yourself by observing those around you who have a strong tendency to hold on to the past.
Die to the past every moment. You don' t need it. Only refer to it when it is absolutely relevant to the present. Feel the power of this moment and the fullness of Being. Feel your presence. -
Hi, they are for quite different purposes actually.
Repentance deals with our pre-conscious karmic seeds. It also somehow has an effect of accessing and clearing some karmic seeds, I think, if done properly and sincerely. I have an ex moderator who even recalled his past lives through repentance practise. That's as far as I understand for now.
Apart from meditation, my dharma teacher does 45 minutes of repentance (would equate to roughly 108 times) everyday as her practise.http://www.jenchen.org.sg/vol6no2c.htm
Repentance is a demonstration of wisdom
To repent means to confess to our wrong doings committed by way of our body, speech and mind, and not to repeat such negative actions from this day on. If we say that we are repentant about what we have done, said or thought, and yet repeat those actions, then that is not repentance.
When we repent, it has to be done sincerely. It is not done by a simple recital of the Repentant Verse:
All the evil karma that I have committed in the past,
Arising from my aeons of greed, anger and ignorance,
Committed by my body, speech and mind,
Now I repent before the Buddha.
More importantly we must have a remorseful mind, a sense of shame and sincerely repent.
The Humanity Vehicle Buddhism advocates the Repent Method as an important method of cultivation. In this world it is only the clever people who know and admit their mistakes, but only the wise who know and repent their wrong doings.
The Repent Method that the Humanity Vehicle Buddhism advocates is that the moment people realise that they have committed a wrongdoing, they should repent spontaneously. It is not necessary that people repent only before the image of the Buddha, for it is not always convenient or possible to find one when a person realises his wrong doings and wishes to repent. While sitting here, you can also repent as long as you feel the Buddha in you. When people repent sincerely or even to the extent of bursting into tears, then that is true repentance. It is of course a good thing if the repentance is carried out according to a religious ritual. However, genuine repentance does not need to subscribe to any fix form or time. The best thing to do is to repent spontaneously. Moreover, when we are promoting the Repent Method across the world, it would not be practical if people can only repent in a fixed form or a fixed venue. The Dharma-nature is everywhere in space and the Buddha is omnipresent. When we understand this truth, we can then repent spontaneously at anytime and at any place, and be spontaneously pure and be with Buddha.
People generally feel that they can repent for those wrong doings that they can remember having committed in this life. They have no idea about those that were committed in their past lives and therefore they don't know what to do. When Buddhism speaks of repentance, it means repenting for all the wrongs committed in the aeons of our many past lives.
Each and every one of us has eight consciousness'. In addition to the six sense-consciousness', namely, eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind, there is the seventh and eighth (alaya-vijnana) consciousness. (The sixth, seventh and eighth consciousness' are also called mind-consciousness'). The eighth mind-consciousness is the planting field of the mind. The seeds of all affairs, virtuous and evil, of our aeons of many past lives are planted here. When the virtuous seeds encounter virtuous conditions, they sprout, grow, flower and bear virtuous fruits. Similarly, when the evil seeds encounter evil conditions, for example, gambling, drinking alcohol, bad company, etc., they sprout and grow, causing people to commit evil deeds that result in evil consequences and suffering.
Since the field of the eighth sense-consciousness contains countless virtuous and evil seeds, it is necessary that people are repentant about their evil karma. There is also no need to be attached to the virtuous karma. We will be able to become pure and liberated when we distance ourselves from both the virtuous and evil karma that we have committed.
It may appear odd that while people should repent their misdeeds, yet they should not be attached to the good things that they have done.
If we continue to hold at heart the good things that we have done, that is not being liberated. At the very most, because of the immense blessings one may be reborn in heaven in the next life. However, as soon as those blessings are exhausted they will be caused to be reborn in a lower realm. A Chinese proverb says, "It is not necessary to make known the good things one has done." In this regard, Buddhism advocates that when performing an act of giving, one should not bear any notion of who is the giver, who is the receiver and what is the gift. One simply maintains a pure mind.
If people are not repentant for the evil seeds that they have planted, and do not seek liberation, then in future, when the seeds sprout they may be enough to cause them to fall into the realm of hell. Thus we learn and practise the Buddha's teachings, to surpass heaven and hell, or even to be free from transmigration in the six realms of existence (human, heaven, asura, animal, hungry ghost and hell). First and foremost we must repent with deep regret, be pure and liberated. Only then is it the ultimate.
The proper way to repent
The proper way to repent is to recite the Repentance Verse, and at the same time sincerely repent according to the meaning of the words contained therein until your mind is completely pure and you manifest the nature of that purity. However, this may become a mere formality if one is not genuine in one's heart and does not commit wholeheartedly to turning over a new leaf. Some people repent with thoughts of greed for blessings or of lessening the effects of their negative karma. Once such thoughts arise, then the repentance will have no effect. Thus the purpose of repentance is defeated. The most appropriate way is to repent at the very moment you realise that a wrongdoing has been committed, and then resolve not to repeat that. This is true repentance. People must have awareness and correct their wrongdoings at all times.
The attitude in repenting
People must genuinely feel repentant when they repent and this would be most effective. If a person is casual in his attitude towards repentance, then there is no effect. For example, if a person has done another wrong and he sincerely apologises, then the offended party would have no problem at all in accepting his apology. On the other hand if he says 'sorry' casually and walks away, then nobody will heed his apology. Thus, with what frame of mind should one repent? With sincerity and with true repentance, and one can be sure that the repentance will be accepted. -
i can repent for almost anythings?
Like for my daoness ?
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You repent for anything related to your greed, hatred, ignorance... or just greed, hatred, ignorance in general.Originally posted by Isis:i can repent for almost anythings?
Like for my daoness ? -
Repentance by the Confession to the 35 Buddha
Prostrations to the 35 Buddhas
Ven Thubten Chodron has a very nice explaination of the entire practice [view pdf]
http://www.onclipevent.com/archives/sugatagarbha/cat_the_35_tathagathas.html
The 35 Buddhas of Confession
You should pay homage to these thirty-five Fully Awakened Beings through the three gates of your body, speech and mind. The awakening warriors who were mentioned previously did not actually commit any downfalls, but this prayer was intended for use by people in later times. Thinking that this prayer is particularly meant for you, you should make sincere confession.
The 35 Tathagathas: Ratnapadmasupratisthitasailendraja
In the north, in the celestial field of ‘precious jewels’ sits the one the “One Thus Gone, the Foe Destroyer ..... -
http://www.fpmt-osel.org/meditate/35buddha.htm
The Bodhisattva's Confession of Ethical Downfalls
Prostrations to the Thirty-Five Buddhas
To increase the benefit of each prostration, first prostrate three times while reciting:
om namo manjushriye namo sushriye namo uttama shriye soha
Continue to prostrate while reciting the names of the Buddhas and the confession prayer.
I, (say your name) throughout all times, take refuge in the Gurus; I take refuge in the Buddhas; I take refuge in the Dharma; I take refuge in the Sangha.
To the Founder, the Transcendent Destroyer, the One Thus Gone, the Foe Destroyer, the Fully Enlightened One, the Glorious Conqueror from the Shaykas I bow down.
To the One Thus Gone, the Great Destroyer, Destroying with Vajra Essence I bow down.
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Recitation of Bodhisattva name - Ksheetigarbha Bodhisattva
B]The Great Vow Bodhisattva
Animals and insects kill each other only for food, but human beings may kill each other because of anger or hatred, shown most vividly in all the wars throughout human history. We kill animals to indulge our greed for meat or money. We resort to lying and stealing in order to fulfill our desires. People commit many crimes or sins out of ignorance, and so there are always souls being punished in hell.
In the Buddhist concept, hell is one of the six destinations in the cycle of reincarnation. Souls are punished there for the crimes or sins they committed in previous incarnations. There are many different levels in hell for various kinds of punishment. Contrary to the Western concept of eternal punishment in hell, souls can be reborn in another realm once their punishments have been completed. However, even though they have received their punishments, some people may still not have become better people for it or fully repented for serious crimes committed in previous lives, so they may be reborn as animals or insects.
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva vowed that as long as there was still one suffering soul in hell, he would not attain buddhahood. Since there are always many souls in hell, Ksitigarbha has a lot of work to do! However, because of his great compassion, the bodhisattva still vowed to save them all. He does not want to see people being punished in hell and then committing still more crimes in their next lives. In addition to suffering souls in hell, the bodhisattva also helps living beings in other realms: humans, celestial beings, asuras, hungry ghosts, and animals and insects. He hopes that by teaching all these creatures, he will be able to stop them from committing more crimes, and thus help them to end their constant suffering.
The bodhisattva appears in different transformations, depending on which realm he is in. Nevertheless, the most popular depiction of this bodhisattva in Chinese temples is as a monk with or without a five-sided crown. This appearance is quite extraordinary because other bodhisattvas tend to be portrayed as lay people with jewels and ornaments around their bodies and heads. The difference is that Ksitigarbha wants all people to respect the Three Treasures--the Buddha, the dharma and the sangha--and to believe in the law of cause and effect.
He is usually portrayed holding a lotus flower in his left hand and forming a gesture of courage with his right hand. Other well-known images show his left hand holding a precious jewel while the right hand either forms a gesture of granting wishes or holds a Buddhist staff. In these cases, the jewel symbolizes the treasure of another world.
Previous incarnations
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was different from other bodhisattvas in that he was never an enlightened buddha in any of his previous incarnations. The Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra describes previous existences of the bodhisattva and explains what caused his previous incarnations to vow to carry out the Path of the Bodhisattvas.
In the first incarnation, the young bodhisattva saw a buddha one day, and he was awed by the buddha's majestic appearance. His appearance stemmed from his abundant blessings, which in turn originated from his compassion. He asked the buddha how he could obtain such an exalted appearance and temperament, and the buddha replied, "You must help all suffering beings for generations to come." The young man then vowed to do so. -
In another life, the bodhisattva was a woman named Kuang Mu. One day, she made an offering to an arhat, and he asked her if she had any wish. The woman said that she would like to know where her deceased mother had gone. The arhat went into meditation and discovered that her mother was being punished in hell. The arhat then came out of his meditation and asked the woman why her mother should suffer so. Kuang Mu replied that her mother used to enjoy eating tortoises, especially young ones. The arhat told her to sincerely recite the name of the Pure Lotus Eyes Buddha, and he drew the buddha's image for her to worship. Kuang Mu then went home and did as the arhat had said. She saw the buddha in a dream, and he said to her, "Your mother will soon be born in your home."
Later, a maid at her home gave birth to a daughter. Only three days later, the child suddenly started talking. She told Kuang Mu that she was her mother from the previous life, and that thanks to Kuang Mu's constant prayers; she was able to ascend from hell. However, she would only live for thirteen years, and after she died she would fall again to an evil realm. Kuang Mu felt very sad about her mother's plight, so she vowed to rescue all beings from their suffering and help them to attain buddhahood.
In a third incarnation, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was the ruler of a small kingdom. He and the king of a neighboring realm were good friends, as well as good and righteous kings. However, some of their citizens still committed all kinds of crimes. So one day, these two kings got together and decided to help their people. One vowed to attain buddhahood as soon as possible so that he could save these poor people. The other king vowed to save these poor people first, and then he would be willing to attain buddhahood only after all his people had done so. The latter king was the one we know today as Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.
These are just three of the bodhisattva's incarnations described in the sutra. The Path of the Bodhisattvas is long and requires the continuous efforts of the practitioner. But we can see that Ksitigarbha is one of the greatest bodhisattvas because of his great vow to bring relief to all suffering beings, especially the souls in hell. In the sutra, Sakyamuni Buddha praised Ksitigarbha for his compassionate deeds, and he proclaimed that the bodhisattva had acquired unlimited blessings from his great vow and his eons of work to help others. The bodhisattva's spiritual cultivation has also reached the level of a buddha, but due to his great vow to save all suffering beings first, he still appears as a bodhisattva.
One thing in the sutra worth noticing is that Sakyamuni Buddha entrusted to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva the responsibility of continuing to save people after the Buddha himself passed away. The next buddha, Maitreya, will appear on earth several thousand years from now, and during this period humans and other living beings will have no buddha to guide them on the path to enlightenment. The Buddha thus requested Ksitigarbha to shoulder the responsibility of relieving people from their worries and guiding them to enlightenment.
The Pure Lands of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva
There are two places seen as the Pure Lands of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, one in India and one in China. The one in India is Kharadiya Mountain, near the ancient city of Gaya, ninety-six kilometers southwest of modern Patna. The Buddha once gave a lecture about Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva on this mountain. Just before he began to speak, all sorts of incredible things happened: clouds made fantastic formations around the mountain, and the people in the audience saw themselves decorated with flowers, jewels, and other ornaments. The radiance of the jewels shone in every direction to the Pure Lands of other buddhas. Then, the Buddha told the people why all this was happening. -
The other Pure Land is at Chiuhua Mountain, one of the four most famous mountains in China. It is located in Anhui Province, eastern China. A Korean monk named Chin Chao-chueh once lived there with his white dog. Some villagers came to the mountain and discovered his crude, ascetic lifestyle, and they built a temple for him in which he could carry out his spiritual cultivation. At that time, the person who owned the mountain was a rich old man whom everyone called "Elder Min." He was a devoted Buddhist, and when he learned that a holy man had been living on his mountain, he promptly invited him for a meal. During the meal, Chin asked Elder Min for a piece of land to build a larger temple. Elder Min agreed, but he teased the monk by saying, "You may have as much land as you can cover with the shadow of your robe." Chin took off his robe and threw it up into the air, and its shadow covered the whole mountain. Amazed by this display of supernatural power, Elder Min happily agreed to donate the whole mountain to the monk.
It is said that during the day Chin gave lectures on Buddhism to his disciples and lay followers, but at night he also taught ghosts and suffering souls in hell. Therefore, people believed that Chin was a transformation of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, and they built a temple on the mountain to commemorate him after he died. Chiuhua Mountain thus became this bodhisattva's Pure Land in China.
Following the buddhas and bodhisattvas
The Buddhist figures that I have introduced in the last several issues of the Tzu Chi Quarterly may seem mysterious or even fabricated, especially since they all have supernatural powers that allow them to travel to distant places or to change their appearance. They do not seem to come from this earth. But can we say they are not real because they seem superhuman and have supernatural powers? We have to remember that our universe is truly vast and there are billions or even trillions of stars in this universe. This means that there are countless worlds and other forms of life. Then, why can't there be living beings like Amitabha Buddha, the Medicine Buddha, and the bodhisattvas? Why do we think that our earth is the only place in the universe that can sustain life? Why does all life have to look like us?
The buddhas and the bodhisattvas have all gone through many incarnations to become what we know today. In the same way, we must work hard to attain to their level.
The levels that these buddhas and bodhisattvas have reached indicate that they practiced the Path of the Bodhisattvas for eons. Such practitioners must maintain a spirit of compassion towards all living beings, and they must put that compassion into action and do good deeds for many lifetimes. Compassion is the foundation of Buddhism. If we can summarize the Buddhist dogmas with one word, it is "compassion." After he had attained enlightenment, the Buddha compassionately decided to teach his discoveries to all people, because he did not want to see them ensnared by common, worldly things.
The things of this world are not permanent. They come, change and disappear. Even we human beings must go through the stages of birth, aging, illness and death. Thus, there is no need to cling to anything in this world. Unfortunately, people keep trying to cling to the things around them. All over the world, men kill their girlfriends (and vice versa!) because they refuse to let go of their love, even after it has faded and dried up. If they could learn to let go of their attachments--to let go of things that are not really theirs, things that keep changing and vanishing no matter how hard they may try to cling to them--they would not commit such crimes.
The buddhas and bodhisattvas have learned to let go. Thus, they can have total peace of mind since they are free from any kind of entanglement, physical or mental. They feel compassion towards people who are trapped into causing troubles or committing crimes. They want to help these people and teach them compassion so that they can in turn help others.
This is the path that Master Cheng Yen and the members of Tzu Chi have been following. They want to put compassion into action to bring peace and happiness to the world. They teach people to help others and thus start a cycle of goodness. They walk on the same Path of the Bodhisattvas that the buddhas and bodhisattvas went on before. Thus, they hope that they will also ultimately achieve enlightenment and become like the buddhas and bodhisattvas -
Repentance Text as according to the ritual ceremony of Emperor Liang Huang
It is said Emperor Liang have concubine who died tragically , as the concubine is very evil which killed living beings when she was alive .She told Emperor Liang to help her to reduce her suffering in hell
Emperor Liang assembled the sangha and started on devising a repentance ceremony for her
With this ,his deceased concubine was reborn in the heavenly realm
This is was passed down for centuries and common practisec during the early days of Lunar New year
English Translation of Emperor Liang..., ..Emperor Liang/Lyang Repentance
http://www.lioncity.net/buddhism/index.php?showtopic=34550