勸發菩提心集 1.65

1.65

Next is the repentance of the ear faculty. According to the sūtra, there is first an exhortation, followed by: At that time, having heard these words, the practitioner again joined palms, threw their five limbs to the ground, and spoke these words: “World-Honoured One of correct and universal knowledge, appear now as my witness to the vaipulya scriptures; be the master of compassion! I only pray that you look upon me and hear what I say. From many kalpas down to my present body, through the conditions of the ear faculty I have heard sounds and become deluded and attached, like glue adhering to grass. When hearing bad sounds, the poison of afflictions arises, deludedly clinging everywhere without resting for even a moment. Emitting these base sounds wearies my conscious spirit, causing me to fall and plunge into the three evil destinies. Only now have I awakened and realized; before the World-Honoured Ones I disclose and repent.” Next is the sūtra text for repenting the transgressions of the nose faculty: first it speaks of the faults, next it speaks of the principle of signlessness, next one pays homage to Śākyamuni, Prabhūtaratna, and the emanations of Śākyamuni, and next one pays homage to the Buddha Guṇabhadra of the eastern direction and the Buddhas of his emanations. Just as seen by the eyes, with single-minded devotion one pays homage to each, making offerings of incense and flowers. Next, having completed the offerings, one kneels on the right knee with joined palms and praises the Buddhas with various verses. Having praised the Buddhas, one next repents the ten unwholesome courses of action. Next it says that having repented, one speaks these words: “In past lifetimes for immeasurable kalpas, I craved fragrances, tastes, and tangible objects, committing many evils. Due to these causes and conditions, throughout immeasurable lives I have continually received unwholesome bodies in the hells, hungry ghosts, animals, border lands, and [under] wrong views. All such evil karma I now disclose, taking refuge in the Buddhas, the kings of the correct Dharma.” One confesses the sins and repents. Next is repenting the four [faults] of speech, which are the transgressions of the tongue faculty. First, visualize speaking one's own faults before the Buddhas: the Buddhas, Tathāgatas, are your compassionate fathers; you must speak yourself of what the tongue faculty has committed. Then speak of all the faults of the four karmas, and throw your five limbs to the ground. Pay homage to the Buddhas of the ten directions, join palms, and kneel upright. You should speak these words: “The faults of this tongue are immeasurable and boundless; the thorns of all evil karmas arise from the tongue faculty, and cutting off the wheel of the correct Dharma begins from this tongue. Such an evil tongue cuts off the seeds of merit, stubbornly asserting many things in matters devoid of meaning. Praising wrong views is like adding fuel to fire; like a blazing fire it harms living beings; it is like one who drinks poison and dies without a wound or sore. For such retribution of transgressions—evil, wrong, and unwholesome—I ought to fall into the evil destinies for hundreds and thousands of kalpas. Because of lying I will fall into the great hells. I now take refuge in the Buddhas of the ten directions, the World-Honoured Ones of great compassion, disclosing the dark evils and sincerely repenting.” Having spoken these words, throw the five limbs to the ground and pay homage again to the Buddhas. Next, speak of the great compassion of the Buddhas, and speak of the four immeasurables and the six concords to cause the practitioner to cultivate them. Next is the repentance of body and mind, which says: “The body commits killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct; the mind thinks on all unwholesome things, committing the ten unwholesome courses of action and the five deeds of immediate retribution. It is like an ape or a monkey, and also like birdlime; craving and clinging everywhere, it extends to all the six emotional sense-faculties. The branches, flowers, and leaves of the karma of these six faculties completely fill all places of birth within the three realms and the twenty-five states of existence, and can also augment the twelve painful matters of ignorance, old age, and death; there are none of the eight wrongs and eight difficulties that one has not passed through. You should now repent such evil and unwholesome karma.” Next it says: “At that time, having heard these words, the practitioner heard a voice in the air: ‘Where shall I now practice the method of repentance?’ Then the voice in the air spoke these words: ‘Śākyamuni is named Vairocana, Pervading Everywhere. That Buddha's dwelling place is called 常寂光 [Eternal Silent Light], the place brought together and perfected by the permanence-pāramitā, the place where the self-pāramitā abides, the place where the purity-pāramitā extinguishes the marks of existence, the place where the bliss-pāramitā does not abide in the marks of body and mind, the place where the marks of existing and non-existing dharmas are not seen. Like silent liberation, up to the prajñāpāramitā, because this form is an eternally abiding dharma, in this way should one contemplate the Buddhas of the ten directions.’ Then the Buddhas of the ten directions each extended their right hands, stroked the practitioner's crown, and spoke these words: ‘Excellent! Excellent, good man! Because you recite the Mahāyāna, the Buddhas of the ten directions speak the method of repentance. In the practice of a bodhisattva, one does not sever the fetters, nor does one abide in the ocean of fetters. Contemplate the mind as having no mind, arising from inverted notions; a mind with such marks arises from false thought, like the wind in the sky having no place of reliance. Dharmas of such a nature neither arise nor perish. What is transgression? What is merit? My own mind is naturally empty; transgression and merit have no master. All dharmas are thus without abiding and without destruction. In repenting thus, one contemplates that the body has no dharma and does not abide in dharmas; all dharmas are liberation, the cessation of suffering, and quiescence. Such a characteristic mark is called the Great Repentance, the Great Adornment Repentance, the Signless Repentance of Transgression, and the Destruction of Mind and Consciousness. For one who practices this repentance, body and mind are pure and do not abide in dharmas, like flowing water; in thought after thought one is able to see Samantabhadra Bodhisattva and the Buddhas of the ten directions.’ Next it says: ‘By performing this repentance, one can extinguish the heavy transgressions of birth and death for hundreds of millions of koṭis of asaṃkhyeya kalpas.’” At that time, if the practitioner wishes to fully receive the bodhisattva precepts, they should join their palms in a secluded and quiet place, pay homage everywhere to the Buddhas of the ten directions, repent all transgressions, and speak their own faults. Thereafter, in a quiet place facing the Buddhas of the ten directions, they should speak these words: “The Buddha, the World-Honoured One, eternally abides in the world. Due to my karmic hindrances, although I have faith in the vaipulya scriptures, I do not see the Buddha clearly. Now I take refuge in the Buddha. I only pray that the World-Honoured One Śākyamuni, of correct and universal knowledge, will be my upādhyāya. May Mañjuśrī, who possesses great compassion, through his wisdom confer upon me all the pure bodhisattva dharmas. May Maitreya Bodhisattva, of supreme and great compassionate practice, out of pity for me also allow me to receive the bodhisattva dharmas. May the Buddhas of the ten directions appear now as my witnesses, and may the great bodhisattvas each be called by their names; these supreme great beings protect sentient beings and assist and protect us. Now I receive and uphold the vaipulya scriptures; even up to abandoning my life, or even if I fall into the hells to undergo immeasurable suffering, I shall never revile the correct Dharma of the Buddhas. Due to the power of the merit of these causes and conditions, may Śākyamuni Buddha now be my upādhyāya, Mañjuśrī be my ācārya, the future Maitreya confer the Dharma upon me, the Buddhas of the ten directions witness and know me, and the venerable bodhisattvas be my companions. Now relying on the profound and sublime meaning of the Mahāyāna scriptures, I take refuge in the Buddha, take refuge in the Dharma, and take refuge in the Saṅgha.” Speak this three times. Having taken refuge in the Triratna, one should next make a personal vow to receive the six grave rules. Having received the six grave rules, one should next diligently cultivate unobstructed pure conduct, arouse the mind of universal salvation, and receive the eight grave rules. Having established this vow, in a secluded and quiet place, burn various famous incenses, scatter flowers, and make offerings to all the Buddhas and all the bodhisattvas of the Mahāyāna vaipulya [scriptures], and speak these words: “Today I arouse the bodhicitta, and by means of this merit, I universally deliver all beings.” Having spoken these words, again bow the crown of one's head to all the Buddhas and all the bodhisattvas, and contemplate the meaning of the vaipulya [scriptures]. Furthermore, for kṣatriyas and householders there are five methods of repentance, as explained in the preceding excerpt.