Repent One's Faults and Compassionate Others

Yutang Lin


Reflecting on one's faults and sincerely repent;
Looking around to see suffering of beings, truly sad.
Chanting and prostrating to reduce karmic debts;
Sprinkling nectar of Dharma everywhere to grow Bodhi.

Comments:

When a practitioner becomes aware of his own faults then is the beginning of his reduction of self-centered grasping. Only with earnest desire to repent can karmic debts be reduced and wisdom grow. It is appropriate to repent through chanting a Buddha's holy name or prostrating to a Buddha image. Looking around one would see sentient beings engulfed in whirlpools of entanglement, hence it is inappropriate to follow suit in engaging in criticism and haggling. Instead, one should pray to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for all sentient beings to soon attain the peace and joy of ultimate liberation. In this way one may cultivate one's compassionate attitude and frame of mind. Furthermore, one should learn and practice the Dharma with great efforts, and try to propagate Buddhist teachings so that whoever has the opportunity to come across it would be benefited. Thus, the Bodhi mind would sprout and grow sturdy in all who comes across Buddhist teachings. Repenting over one's faults and constantly be compassionate toward others, both working side by side would ensure the realization of harmonious unification of complete wisdom and merits.

Written in Chinese: April 6, 1999
Translated: September 18, 1999
El Cerrito, California


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