All sins are just as frost and dew,
[So] wisdom’s sun can disperse [them].
Therefore intently
[One] should repent of the six sense organs.–The Sutra of Meditation on the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue (Samantabhadra)
Repentance practices are so transformative, and are also fundamental to many Buddhist systems of practice. This page serves as a collection of some of the texts that these practices are rooted in.
The Lotus Sutra includes a glimpse of how repentance can lead to living a rich a fulfilling life.
Man’s life is not limited to this world but continues eternally in each world to come. However, if we could foresee the repetition of the various occurrences of our daily lives in each and every world to come, we would be discouraged and would reject such a bleak prospect. Most people repeat the same suffering without any repentance in world after world because they cannot foresee this repetition. On the other hand, those who have been able to gain a true faith do not tire of and feel no objection to the journey of human life, however long it may be, because they know they can approach Perfect Enlightenment step by step. They can live rich lives filled with hope.
-The Lotus Sutra
A set of repentance verses found in the Flower Garland (Avatamsaka) Sutra.
Son of Good Family, as for what is meant by “repenting of karmic obstacles,” the bodhisattva thinks to himself, “Throughout the beginningless kalpas of the past, due to greed, hatred, and delusion manifesting in body, speech, and mind, I have committed measurelessly and boundlessly many bad karmic actions. If these bad karmic actions had substance and signs, even all the realms of space would be unable to contain them.
Now, with purity in the three types of karmic actions, directly before all buddhas and bodhisattva congregations everywhere in all kṣetras as numerous as the atoms in the entire Dharma realm, I sincerely repent [of these bad karmic actions], resolving to never commit them again and resolving to always abide in all the meritorious qualities of the pure moral precepts.I continue in this way until the realms of space come to an end, until the realms of beings come to an end, until beings’ karmic actions come to an end, and until beings’ afflictions come to an end. Only then will my repentance come to an end. However, because the realms of space and so forth up to and including beings’ afflictions can never end, this repentance of mine is endless. It continues on in each successive mind-moment, uninterrupted and free of any weariness in the actions of body, speech, or mind.”
-Avatamsaka Sutra (kalavinka.org)
Here is a more compact version.
All the bad karmic actions that I have committed throughout the past
have arisen because of beginningless greed, hatred, and delusion
which have then manifested through body, speech, and mind.
Of them all I do now repent.-Avatamsaka Sutra
The Sutra of Meditation on the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue (Samantabhadra) serves as a primary reference for Mahayana repentance practices. It contains a deep exposition on repentance practices, how to approach them, as well as their benefits. Some excerpts are found below but the curious are encouraged to read and reflect on the whole Sutra.
“At that time, if the follower desires to be perfect in the precepts of the
bodhisattva, he must fold his hands, dwell in the seclusion of the wilds, universally salute the buddhas in all directions, and repent his sins, and must himself confess his errors. After this, in a calm place, he should speak to the buddhas in all directions, saying thus: ‘The buddhas, the world-honored ones, remain forever in this world. Because of the impediments of my karmas, though I believe in [the sutras of] Great
Extent, I cannot clearly see the buddhas. I have now taken refuge in the buddhas. Be pleased, Shakyamuni Buddha, All Wise and World-honored One, to be my preceptor! Manjushri, possessor of great compassion! With your wisdom, be pleased to bestow on me the laws of pure bodhisattvas! Bodhisattva Maitreya, supreme and great merciful sun! Out of your compassion for me, be pleased to permit me to receive the laws of the
bodhisattvas! Buddhas in all directions! Be pleased to reveal yourselves and bear testimony to me! Great bodhisattvas! Through calling each upon your names, be pleased, supreme great leaders, to protect all living beings and to help us! At present I have received and kept the sutras of Great Extent. Even if I should lose my life, fall into hell, and receive innumerable sufferings, I would never slander the Righteous
Law of the buddhas. For this reason and by the power of this merit, Shakyamuni Buddha! Be now pleased to be my preceptor! Manjushri! Be pleased to be my teacher! Maitreya in the world to come! Be pleased to bestow on me the Law! Buddhas in all directions! Be pleased to bear witness to me! Bodhisattvas of great virtues! Be pleased to be my friends! I now, by means of the profound and mysterious meaning of the Great-vehicle sutras, take refuge in the Buddha, take refuge in the Law, and take
refuge in the Sangha.’“The follower must speak thus three times. Having taken refuge in the Three Treasures, next he must himself vow to receive the sixfold laws. Having received the sixfold laws, next he must zealously practice the unhindered brahma-conduct, raise the mind of universally saving all living beings, and receive the eightfold laws. Having made such vows in the seclusion of the wilds, he must burn rare incense, strew
flowers, pay homage to all the buddhas, the bodhisattvas, and [the sutras of] Great Extent, the Great-vehicle, and must speak thus, saying: ‘I have now raised the aspiration to Buddhahood: may this merit save all the living!’“Having spoken thus, the follower should again further prostrate himself
before all the buddhas and the bodhisattvas, and should think of the meaning of [the sutras of] Great Extent. During a day or three times seven days, whether he be a monk or a layman, he has no need of a preceptor nor does he need to employ any teacher; even without [attending the ceremony of] the jnapti-karman, because of the power [coming] from his receiving and keeping, reading and reciting the Great-vehicle sutras
and because of the works which the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue helps and inspires him to do–they are in fact the eyes of the Righteous Law of the buddhas in all directions–he will be able, through this Law, to perform by himself the five kinds of Law-bodies: precepts, meditation, wisdom, emancipation, and knowledge of emancipation. All the buddhas, the tathagatas, have been born of this Law and have received the prediction [of their enlightenment] in the Great-vehicle sutras. Therefore,
O wise man! Suppose that a shravaka breaks the threefold refuge, the five precepts, and the eight precepts, the precepts of bhikshus, of bhikshunis, of shramaneras, of shramanerikas, and of shikshamanas and their dignified behavior, and [also suppose] that because of his foolishness, evil, and bad and false mind he infringes many precepts and the rules of dignified behavior. If he desires to rid himself of and destroy these errors, to become a bhikshu again and to fulfill the laws of monks, he must
diligently read the sutras of Great Extent, considering the profound Law of the Void of the first principle, and must bring this wisdom of the Void to his heart; know that in each one of his thoughts such a one will [gradually] end the defilement of all his longstanding sins without any remainder–this is called one who is perfect in the laws and the precepts of monks and fulfills their dignified behavior. Such a one will be
served by all gods and men. Suppose any upasaka violates his dignified behavior and does bad things. To do bad things means, namely, to proclaim the errors and sins of the Buddha-laws, to discuss evil things perpetrated by the four groups, and not to feel shame even in committing theft and adultery. If he desires to repent and rid himself of
these sins, he must zealously read and recite the sutras of Great Extent and must think of the first principle. Suppose a king, a minister, a Brahman, a citizen, an elder, a state official, all of these persons seek greedily and untiringly after desires, commit the five deadly sins, slander the sutras of Great Extent, and perform the ten evil karmas. Their recompense for these great evils will cause them to fall into evil paths faster than the breaking of a rainstorm. They will be sure to fall into the Avici hell. If they desire to rid themselves of and destroy these impediments of karmas, they must raise shame and repent all their sins.”The Buddha addressed Ananda: “If, in future worlds, there be any who
practices these laws of repentance, know that such a man has put on the robes of shame, is protected and helped by the buddhas, and will attain Perfect Enlightenment before long.”–The Sutra of Meditation on the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue (Samantabhadra)
‘During the innumerable kalpas of my former lives, I yearned after odors, flavors, and contacts and produced all manner of evils. For this reason, for innumerable lives I have continuously received states of evil existence including hells, hungry spirits, animals, and faraway places of false views. Now I confess such evil karmas, and taking refuge in the buddhas, the kings of the Righteous Law, I confess and repent my sins.’
–The Sutra of Meditation on the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue (Samantabhadra)
If [one] has evil in the organ of the eye
And the eyes are impure with the impediment of karmas,
[That one] must only recite the Great Vehicle [sutras]
And reflect on the first principle [of emptiness].
This is called the repentance of the eyes,
Exhausting all bad karmas.
The organ of the ear hears disordered sounds
And disturbs the principle of harmony.
This produces a demented mind,
Like [that of] a foolish monkey.
[That one] must only recite the Great Vehicle [sutras]
And meditate on the emptiness and non-form of things,
Forever extinguishing all the evils,
[So that] with the heavenly ears that one may hear [sounds] from the ten directions.
The organ of smell is attached to all odors,
Causing all contacts according to lusts.
The nose, thus deluded,
Gives birth to all dust [of delusion] according to lusts.
If [one] recites the Great Vehicle sutras
And meditates on the fundamental truth of things,
[That one] will become forever free from evil karmas,
And will not again produce them in future lives.
The organ of the tongue causes five kinds
Of bad karmas of evil speech.
Should [one] wish to control it by oneself,
[One] must zealously practice compassion,
And, considering the true principle of quiescence of the Law,
Should not conceive discriminations.
The organ of thought is like [that of] a monkey,
Never resting even for a little while.
Should [one] desire to subdue [this organ],
[One] must zealously recite the Great Vehicle [sutras],
Reflecting on the Buddha’s greatly enlightened body,
The completion of [his] power, and [his] fearlessness.
The body, the master of its organs,
As dust rolls in the wind
Wanders among the six defilements
Freely, without obstacles.
If [one] desires to destroy these evils,
To be removed forever from all the dust of delusions,
Ever dwelling in the city of nirvana,
And to be at ease with tranquil mind,
[One] should recite the Great Vehicle sutras
And reflect on the mother of bodhisattvas. (2)
Innumerable surpassing means of tactfulness
Will be obtained through [one’s] reflection on the true aspect [of all things].
These six teachings
Are called [the doctrine of purification of] the six sense organs.
The ocean of impediment of all karmas
Is produced from [one’s] false imagination.
Should [one] wish to repent of [it],
[One] should sit upright and meditate on the true aspect [of all things].
All sins are just as frost and dew,
[So] wisdom’s sun can disperse [them].
Therefore intently
[One] should repent of the six sense organs.–The Sutra of Meditation on the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue (Samantabhadra)
“Then the bodhisattvas with one voice will cause the follower to purify his six organs. One bodhisattva’s preaching will say: ‘Do you reflect on the Buddha’; another’s preaching will say: ‘Do you reflect on the Law’; yet another’s preaching will say: ‘Do you reflect on the Sangha’; still another’s preaching will say: ‘Do you reflect on the precepts’; still another one’s preaching will say: ‘Do you reflect on giving’; yet another’s preaching will say: ‘Do you reflect on the heavens.’ And the preaching will further say: ‘Such six laws are the aspiration to buddhahood and are the ones that beget the bodhisattvas. Before the buddhas, do you now confess your previous sins and repent them sincerely.’”
-The Sutra of Meditation on the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue (Samantabhadra)
You should repent the actions of your body and mind. Of the body: repent acts of killing, robbery, and intemperance. Of the mind: repent all evil thoughts and the ten evil deeds and the five hellish acts. The mind is like a wild ape. It is like glue in that it sticks to everything through its greed and through the operation of the six senses. The roots of the six senses give rise to the branches and the leaves that proliferate throughout the three realms. The roots of the six senses give rise to ignorance, old age and death. They give rise to the cycle of birth and death and all manner of hardship and trouble. You should repent the actions of your body and mind.
-The Sutra of Meditation on the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue (Samantabhadra)
Finally, a short line of inspiration from the Adbhutadharma Sutra
Evil deeds of the past are like clouds over the moon. The decision to change them is like a torch in the dark.
-The Adbhutadharma Sutra