ལས་རྣམ་པར་འབྱད་པ 12

12

but having carried out these actions, one feels neither shame nor remorse, and one neither deprecates nor confesses and admits the actions done. One does not vow not to do them again in the future but instead rejoices and is satisfied like, for instance, Devadatta, Kokālika, and so forth.¹⁴¹ Action like this leads to being reborn in hell and passing away from there only after having completely exhausted the lifespan of the hell.

“What kind of action leads to being reborn in hell and passing away from there after only half the lifespan of the hell is exhausted? In this regard, someone has carried out actions that lead to becoming a hell being but feels shame and remorse and deprecates, confesses, admits, rejects, and gives up those actions and vows not to do them again in the future. In this way does this kind of action lead to being reborn in hell and passing away from there after only half the lifespan of the hell is exhausted.¹⁴²

“What kind of action leads to passing away from hell immediately upon being born there? In this regard, one has carried out actions that lead to rebirth as a hell being, and these actions are accumulated; but, having done these actions, one feels shame, remorse, and deprecation, confesses and admits those actions, and gives them up. By making the promise, ‘From now on I will not do it again!’ one will pass away from that state immediately upon being reborn there.

“For example, when King Ajātaśatru heard that he would go to the Avīci hell¹⁴³ for carrying out the evil actions that bring immediate retribution—namely, murdering his father, splitting the monastic saṅgha, releasing the wild elephant Dhanapāla,¹⁴⁴ and hurling a boulder onto the Tathāgata¹⁴⁵ to kill him—he became distraught¹⁴⁶ and developed faith in the Bhagavān. He confessed his sins and, as is related in the Śrāmaṇyaphala­sūtra,¹⁴⁷ restored his roots of virtue.¹⁴⁸ When he was about to die, he prayed, ‘From the core of my being¹⁴⁹ I take refuge in the Buddha. I have carried out intolerable actions, for which I feel remorse and which I confess; by promising not to do such actions ever again, they will diminish and eventually be completely erased.’