Exposition of the Confession

Confessional Text: From beginningless time until this present life, I have destroyed the Three Jewels and become an icchantika.

I have slandered the Mahayana sutras, severed the study of prajna, killed my parents, and shed the Buddha's blood.

I have defiled the sangharama, ruined others' pure conduct, burned down stupas and temples, and misappropriated the sangha's property.

I have given rise to all kinds of wrong views, denied cause and effect, befriended evil companions, and disobeyed virtuous teachers.

I have committed these offenses myself, taught others to commit them, and rejoiced upon seeing or hearing them committed. Such sins are immeasurable and boundless.

Therefore, today, I feel profound shame and remorse, sincerely exposing my faults and seeking forgiveness with sorrowful repentance.

May the Three Jewels, with great compassion, accept me, radiate pure light, and illuminate my body.

May all evils be eradicated, the three hindrances removed, and my original mind restored to ultimate purity.

All the evil karma created in the past arose from beginningless greed, hatred, and delusion, born from body, speech, and mind. Before the Buddha, I now seek repentance.

Explanation: If we list the contents of this confessional text item by item and examine ourselves against them, how many of these offenses have each of us committed? Or have we committed them all? Some karmic offenses have already brought retribution, but how many more exist as karmic seeds within the Tathagatagarbha, not yet manifested to bear retribution, or not yet fully requited?

"Destroyed the Three Jewels and become an icchantika" refers to the sin of slandering the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, undermining the Three Jewels, causing sentient beings to lose faith in and reliance upon them, thereby regressing from the bodhi mind. Such individuals sever their virtuous roots, cut off their Buddha-nature, forever unable to attain liberation or enter nirvana. They are called icchantikas.

"Slandered the Mahayana sutras, severed the study of prajna": What actions constitute slandering Mahayana sutras? Claiming that Mahayana sutras were not spoken by the Buddha but fabricated by later people constitutes slander, causing sentient beings to cease believing in and practicing them, thereby also severing practitioners' prajna wisdom. This offense is extremely grave.

"Killed parents, shed the Buddha's blood": Killing one's parents is an immense sin, showing ingratitude for parental kindness and repaying kindness with enmity. Its karmic retribution is falling into the Avici Hell. What actions constitute shedding the Buddha's blood? The Buddha has three bodies: the Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya, and Nirmanakaya. Any act of damaging or insulting these three bodies constitutes shedding the Buddha's blood. The Buddha manifested in the Nirmanakaya, the five-aggregate body, in this Saha world. Sentient beings harming this manifested physical body or damaging Buddha statues constitutes shedding the Nirmanakaya Buddha's blood. Ordinary beings cannot access the Sambhogakaya Buddha and thus cannot shed his blood; bodhisattvas above the first bhumi who can access the Sambhogakaya would never shed his blood. Due to ignorance, sentient beings frequently slander and undermine the formless Dharmakaya Buddha—some deny its existence, others maliciously distort it. These acts constitute shedding the Dharmakaya Buddha's blood, committing the five heinous sins.

"Defiled the sangharama, ruined others' pure conduct": Performing defiled acts in monasteries or temples—drinking alcohol, eating meat, killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, or any acts of greed, hatred, or delusion—constitutes defiling the sangharama. Destroying monastics' pure precept observance and precept substance, or engaging in sexual acts with monastics. These sins generally cannot be purified through repentance and will result in falling into hell to undergo retribution.

"Burned down stupas and temples, misappropriated the sangha's property": Burning or destroying monasteries, temples, or property within them, or stealing belongings of present sangha members. These evil deeds bear immeasurable sin, with retribution in hell, making escape extremely difficult.

"Gave rise to wrong views, denied cause and effect": Harboring all kinds of wrong views, claiming that all actions lack cause and effect and bear no retribution. Such wrong views lead to falling into the three lower realms, enduring suffering for vast kalpas.

"Befriended evil companions, disobeyed virtuous teachers": Associating intimately with evil companions, joining in their corruption, disobeying the earnest teachings of virtuous teachers. Due to the evil karma created, one falls and cannot escape the suffering of birth and death.

"Committed offenses myself, taught others to commit them, rejoiced upon seeing or hearing them committed": Not only committing evil deeds oneself but also teaching others to commit all kinds of evil, and feeling joy upon seeing others commit evil, thereby encouraging their bad habits. For example, when ordinary people with wrong views claim "Mahayana was not spoken by the Buddha," some rejoice upon hearing this, praising them for speaking well. Thus, they share in this gravest, most heinous karma. How immense is this retribution! They will fall into the Avici Hell, with little hope of escape. They fail to rejoice in what merits rejoicing but recklessly rejoice in what does not—such is their ignorant folly.

"From beginningless time until this present life": Continuously creating these heaviest evil deeds. Now, even after studying Yogacara to this extent, I still commit such severe offenses. How deeply defiled are sentient beings! How wicked are their minds! When will they begin to cease evil deeds, never creating them again? When will their evil karma finally end?

"Such sins are immeasurable and boundless": Offenses and retributions like those mentioned above are indeed immeasurable and boundless. Such immense sin stands like a mountain before us, making us unable to move an inch. How can we sever the view of self and realize the mind to attain liberation? Sentient beings truly have sins heavy as mountains, evil karma piled high upon high!