佛說觀佛三昧海經 2.42

2.42

“Furthermore, suppose a person merely hears of the white hair and their mind is neither alarmed nor doubtful, but rejoices, believes, and accepts it; this person will also eradicate the sins of birth and death spanning eight billion kalpas. If bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, or upāsikās commit the four root offenses, offenses such as minor infractions, or the five deeds of immediate retribution, excepting slander of the vaipulya sūtras—if such persons wish to repent, then during the six periods of the day and night they must be tireless in body and mind. It is like a person walking through deep grass, when fire erupts on all four sides and a fierce wind blows, about to consume his body; that person thinks: ‘If the fire burns me, before I die my limbs will be severed and destroyed. How can I extinguish this fire? If I do not devise a plan, my life will certainly not be saved. Who is the wise person of many expedients that can save my life? If my life is fully preserved, I will begrudge that person nothing!’ Having reflected thus, like a great mountain collapsing, he throws his five limbs to the ground, weeping and shedding tears like rain, joins his palms toward the Buddha, and praises the Tathāgata’s various virtues. Having made this praise, he recites the repentance liturgy, binds his mindfulness before him, and contemplates the light of the white ūrṇā mark between the Buddha’s brows. From one day to seven days, the former four kinds of offenses can be alleviated; at twenty-one days, the marks of the offenses will gradually vanish; and after forty-nine days, the legal act (karman) may then be performed—this matter is found in other sūtras. If a bhikṣu commits a minor infraction and, when contemplating the light of the white ūrṇā, sees it dark, black, and non-manifest, he should enter a stūpa to contemplate between the brows of an image, for one to three days, joining his palms, weeping, and single-mindedly and attentively contemplating, and then enter the saṅgha to declare his former offenses; this is called eradicating offenses. For the former five kinds of offenses, one contemplates the light of the white ūrṇā for eight hundred days, and then there is another separate karman procedure.”