金光明經文句 3.4

3.4

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.