摩訶止觀 4.61

4.61

若犯事中重罪，依四種三昧則有懺法。《普賢觀》云：「端坐念實相，是名第一懺。」《妙勝定》云：「四重、五逆，若除禪定，餘無能救。」《方等》云：「三歸、五戒，乃至二百五十戒，如是懺悔，若不還生，無有是處。」《請觀音》云：「破梵行人作十惡業，蕩除糞穢，還得清淨。」故知大乘許悔斯罪。罪從重緣生，還從重心懺悔，可得相治。無殷重心，徒懺無益。障若不滅，止觀不明。若人現起重罪，苦到懺悔，則易除滅。何以故？如迷路近故；過去重障，必難迴轉，迷深遠故。

If one commits a grave sin among literal matters, relying on the four kinds of samādhi there are methods of repentance. The Samantabhadra Contemplation Sūtra says: 'Sitting upright and recollecting true reality is called the foremost repentance.' The Miaoshengding says: 'For the four major transgressions and five heinous sins, except for dhyāna-concentration, nothing else can save one.' The Vaipulya says: 'The three refuges, the five precepts, up to the two hundred and fifty precepts—if one repents like this and they are not restored to life, there is no such possibility.' The Qing Guanyin says: 'Even for those who break the brahma-conduct and commit the ten unwholesome deeds, washing away the filth, they are restored to purity.' Therefore we know that the Mahāyāna permits repenting of these sins. Sins arise from heavy conditions, and they can be counteracted by repenting with a profound mind. Without an earnest and profound mind, repentance in vain brings no benefit. If obstacles are not extinguished, calming and contemplation will not be bright. If a person presently gives rise to grave sins and repents with utmost earnestness, they are easily eradicated. Why is this? It is like being near when losing one's way; grave obstacles from the past are inevitably difficult to reverse, because the lost way is deep and distant.