金光明經文句 3.4

3.4

諸大乘經多分散明懺悔，此經專以懺悔當品。今先釋名。懺者首也，悔者伏也。如世人得罪於王，伏欵順從、不敢違逆，不逆為伏，順從為首。行人亦爾，伏三寶足下，正順道理、不敢作非，故名懺悔。又懺名白法，悔名黑法，黑法須悔而勿作，白法須企而尚之，取捨合論，故言懺悔。又懺名修來，悔名改往，往日所作惡不善法鄙而惡之，故名為悔；往日所棄一切善法，今日已去誓願勤修，故名為懺。棄往求來，故名懺悔。又懺名披陳眾失發露過咎不敢隱諱，悔名斷相續心厭悔捨離，能作所作合棄故言懺悔。又懺者名慚，悔者名愧，慚則慚天、愧則愧人，人見其顯、天見其冥，冥細顯麁，麁細皆惡，故言懺悔。又人是賢人、天是聖人，不逮賢聖之流，是故懺悔。又賢聖俱是人，天是第一義天，第一義天是理、賢聖是事，不逮事理，俱皆懺悔。又慚三乘之聖天、愧三乘之賢人，不逮此天人，故名慚愧，慚愧名懺悔。又三乘賢聖皆是人，第一義理為天，約此人天慚愧，故名懺悔。又三乘賢聖尚非菩薩之賢，況菩薩之聖。今慚愧三十心之賢、十地之聖，故名慚愧懺悔。總此賢聖皆是人，第一義理名為天，約此人天論慚愧，故名懺悔。又三十心去自判聖人，十信是賢人，約此賢聖論慚愧懺悔。總此賢聖皆名人，第一義理名為天，約此人天論慚愧懺悔。合十番釋名也。

Most Mahāyāna sūtras explain confession in scattered places; this sūtra devotes an entire chapter specifically to confession. First, I explain the name. Chan (repentance/confession) means to submit (shou); hui (regret/reform) means to yield (fu). Just as when a worldly person commits an offense against a king, he yields sincerely and complies, not daring to disobey; not defying is "yielding" (fu), and complying is "submitting" (shou). The practitioner is also like this: yielding at the feet of the Three Jewels, fully complying with principle and not daring to do wrong; hence it is called chanhui (confession). Furthermore, chan is called white dharmas, and hui is called black dharmas; black dharmas must be regretted and not done, while white dharmas must be aspired to and esteemed. Taking and discarding are discussed together; hence it is called chanhui. Furthermore, chan is called cultivating the future, and hui is called reforming the past. Despising and abhorring the evil and unwholesome dharmas done in past days is called hui; vowing to diligently cultivate henceforth all the wholesome dharmas forsaken in past days is called chan. Abandoning the past and seeking the future is therefore called chanhui. Furthermore, chan is called disclosing all errors, laying bare offenses, and not daring to conceal them; hui is called severing the continuous mind, feeling revulsion, regretting, and relinquishing them. Discarding both the agent and what was done together is called chanhui. Furthermore, chan is called shame (hrī), and hui is called remorse (apatrāpya). Shame is shame before heaven, and remorse is remorse before humans. Humans see what is manifest; heaven sees what is hidden. The hidden is subtle and the manifest is coarse; both coarse and subtle are evil, hence it is called chanhui. Furthermore, humans are worthy persons, and heaven is noble persons; because one does not match the ranks of worthies and nobles, one therefore confesses. Furthermore, both worthies and nobles are humans, and heaven is the heaven of the ultimate truth (paramārtha). The heaven of the ultimate truth is principle; worthies and nobles are phenomena. Not matching principle or phenomena, one confesses for both. Furthermore, feeling shame before the noble heaven of the three vehicles, and feeling remorse before the worthy humans of the three vehicles: because one does not match these devas and humans, it is called shame and remorse; shame and remorse is called confession. Furthermore, the worthies and nobles of the three vehicles are all humans, and the principle of the ultimate truth is heaven; discussing shame and remorse in relation to these humans and heaven, it is therefore called confession. Furthermore, the worthies and nobles of the three vehicles are not even the worthies among bodhisattvas, much less the nobles among bodhisattvas. Now, feeling shame and remorse before the worthies of the thirty stages of mind and the nobles of the ten grounds is therefore called shame and remorse, or confession. Generally, all these worthies and nobles are humans, and the principle of the ultimate truth is called heaven; discussing shame and remorse in relation to these humans and heaven, it is therefore called confession. Furthermore, from the thirty stages of mind upward are judged to be noble persons, and the ten faiths are worthy persons; discussing shame and remorse in relation to these worthies and nobles is confession. Generally, all these worthies and nobles are called humans, and the principle of the ultimate truth is called heaven; discussing shame and remorse in relation to these humans and heaven, it is called confession. In total, there are ten explanations of the name.