摩訶止觀 4.67

4.67

Fourth is to disclose and confess, not concealing flaws and blemishes. Bandits, poison, and noxious weeds must be removed urgently; when the roots are exposed the branches wither, and when the source dries up the flow ceases. If one conceals transgressions, one is an untruthful person. The dhūta Kāśyapa required disclosure amidst the great assembly; the vaipulya [repentance] requires disclosure to a single person; other ritual methods require only turning with a sincere heart to a Buddha image to reform. It is like an ulcer in a secret part of the body: if one conceals it and avoids treatment, one dies. In this way one overturns and shatters the mindset of concealing transgressions.