Repentance Text before Taking the Eight Precepts

Original text from the Sixteenth Volume of the Ekottarika Āgama, "High Banner Chapter": At that time, the instructor shall teach the recipient to speak thus: I now uphold the Tathagata’s precepts. Until the clear dawn of tomorrow, I shall cultivate pure precepts, removing all evil dharmas. If there are evil bodily deeds, evil speech from the mouth, or evil thoughts arising in the mind—the three evils of body, the four evils of speech, the three evils of mind—all evil actions, whether already committed or to be committed, whether created due to greed, or created due to hatred, or created due to delusion, or created deliberately because of noble lineage, or created under the influence of evil companions, or committed through this present body, future bodies, or countless bodies, or committed through not recognizing the Buddha or the Dharma, or committed through disrupting the community of monks, or committed through killing parents or any venerable teachers—I now confess them all myself. I do not conceal them. Relying on the precepts and the Dharma, I shall perfect my precept practice and receive the Tathagata’s eight precepts of abstinence.

Explanation: At this time, the precept-instructing master teaches the recipient to say: I now uphold the Tathagata’s eight precepts of abstinence until the clear dawn of tomorrow, cultivating pure precepts and removing evil dharmas. If there are evil bodily deeds, evil speech from the mouth, or evil thoughts in the mind—the three evils of body, the four evils of speech, the three evils of mind—all evil actions already committed or to be committed, I now fully expose and confess them all, without concealment. Whether they are evil actions created due to greed, or created due to hatred, or created due to delusion; or evil actions deliberately committed by relying on noble lineage; or evil actions created under the influence of evil companions; or evil actions committed through the present body, future bodies, or countless bodies; or evil actions committed through not recognizing the Buddha and the Dharma; or evil actions of disrupting the community of monks; or evil actions of killing parents or all venerable teachers—all such evil actions, I now confess them all myself, no longer covering or hiding them. Relying on the precepts, relying on the Vinaya, I shall perfect my precept practice and receive the Tathagata’s eight precepts of abstinence.

This content is the confession text before receiving the precepts. By confessing and exposing one’s evil actions, one purifies the mind and repents of transgressions. Only when transgressions are repented without obstruction can one receive the eight precepts of abstinence, obtain the precept-essence, and perfect the precept practice. Among these, the gravest transgressions are killing parents and teachers, followed by disrupting the monastic community and harming the Three Jewels—such evil actions bring immense retribution. Some transgressions are committed due to not recognizing the Buddha and the Dharma, being unable to distinguish good from evil; some are committed despite encountering the Buddha and the Dharma but following the misguided teachings of evil companions. Due to delusion, one cannot distinguish good spiritual friends from evil ones, regarding all the words of evil companions as infallible standards and following them meticulously, thus committing evil deeds and indulging all afflictions of the mind, even generating new afflictions through habitual influence. Grave transgressions require prolonged and earnest repentance to be purified. Only afterward can wisdom arise, enabling one to distinguish right from wrong, abandon evil, cultivate good, and attain purity of mind.