大乘義章 7.41

7.41

次明五逆可盡不盡。五逆之罪是定報業，假修對治，但可令輕不可令盡。故《成實》云「五逆之罪，但可令滅，不可都盡。如王法中有重罪者，但赦令輕，不可全放。故彼闍王殺父之愆，諸佛懺悔，如來但言阿闍世王重罪微薄，不言滅盡。」五逆之業，略之云爾。

Next is clarifying whether the five deadly sins can be exhausted or not. The five deadly sins are karma of definite retribution: even if one cultivates antidotes, they can only be mitigated, not completely exhausted. Hence the *Tattvasiddhi* says: "The sins of the five deadly sins can only be diminished, not entirely eliminated. Just as when there is a capital crime under royal law, one can only be pardoned so as to make it lighter, but cannot be released entirely. Therefore, regarding the fault of King Ajātaśatru killing his father, though he repented before all the Buddhas, the Tathāgata only said that King Ajātaśatru's heavy sin was made slight and thin; he did not say it was completely eliminated." Such, in brief, is the karma of the five deadly sins.