往昔所造諸惡業 皆由無始貪瞋癡
從身語意之所生 一切我今皆懺悔
人因為沒有真正的智慧，活在世界上覺得一切都是真的，人人執著放不下，所以生生世世造了很多罪業，帶來很多惡果。
貪瞋癡來自無明，這三毒是萌發無數罪業的根源。（一）貪心，如無底洞，對歡喜的境界起貪愛，非得到不可，甚至為達到目的不擇手段。（二）瞋心，對不如意的境界生瞋恨，發脾氣，甚至殺人。（三）癡心，沒有智慧，是非善惡不分，糊塗顛倒。
身方面所造的罪業是殺、盜、淫。殺生：從殺人乃至殺微細生物，如蚊蟻，皆屬殺生。殺人的業最重，除受法律的制裁外，被殺的人，成為冤鬼，時刻跟著殺主，使他心神不寧，精神崩潰，不是死亡，便是發狂。殺畜生的業雖不如殺人嚴重，因為畜生愚癡，一時找不到殺主。可是因果律是公平的，在不知不覺間，就撞上你，教你生一種怪病，用病痛來折磨你。好像患癌症，多數是因前生或今生殺業太重所致。殺業太重也是形成天災人禍的因素，又會造成墮畜生、餓鬼、地獄三惡道，及六根不全等果報。
偷盜：不與而取就是盜。從盜竊他國，乃至偷人一針一線，一草一木都是。它會引來貧窮苦楚，常懷恐懼等報。淫方面：出家人絕對禁淫，在家人（除夫妻之外）不可行邪淫。造淫業會得到眷屬不得隨意、夫妻不和、不貞等果報。
口會造哪些罪業呢？一、綺語：說男女間不正經，令人想入非非的話。二、妄語：說與事實相違的話。三、惡口：罵人、說粗話。四、兩舌：說挑撥離間，令人不和的話。口業會帶來被人誹謗、欺騙或不信任及口氣惡臭等報。
從無始劫來，由於貪、瞋、癡，我們以身口意造了無量無邊的惡業。這些惡業織成一張大的業網，導致種種憂悲苦惱，疾病叢生，災劫連連，也帶來現實生活中種種不如意。眾生在業網中常沈生死苦海，不得出離，愈陷愈深，罪業愈來愈重。即使要修行也有很多障礙。這一切的罪業，我們要至誠懇切地懺悔，所謂「彌天大罪，一悔便消」。
懺是懺其前愆，對以往所造的罪業，生大
慚愧心；悔是悔其後過，立定主意，改過自新，永遠不再犯錯。有過能改，歸於無；若想掩飾，不欲人知，是罪加一等。
《華嚴經》裡教導我們以清淨的身口意，觀想在遍法界那麼多的國土諸佛菩薩前誠心誠意的懺悔，從今以後，再不復造，要念念相續，三業常常守住淨戒，不斷修行沒有疲倦厭煩的時候。你越拜佛，越有精神；越懺悔，越歡喜，這才是真懺悔。一旦重新做人後，就別再記掛著過去，否則心理總有負擔，就像身上老揹著一個包袱，不能邁向光明的前程。
不管你想修行超凡入聖，或只想過個快樂平安的人生，懺悔業障是必須的，因為唯有人人懺悔業障改過自新，世界和平才有希望。
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For all the evil deeds I have done in the past
Based on beginningless greed, anger, and delusion,
And created by body, mouth, and mind,
I now repent of them all.
Because we lack true wisdom, we live in the world thinking that everything is real, so we get attached and cannot let go of things. Therefore, in life after life, we have created many karmic offenses and brought much bitter retribution upon ourselves.
Greed, hatred and stupidity come from ignorance. These three poisons are the source of limitless karmic offenses. 1) Greed is like a bottomless pit. You crave pleasant situations and pursue them at all costs. In order to attain your goal, you stop at nothing. 2) Hatred means you detest adverse situations and lose your temper, to the point that you may even commit murder. 3) Stupidity means you have no wisdom and can't tell the difference between right and wrong, good and bad. You are muddled and upside-down.
The offenses created by the body are killing, stealing, and lust. Killing ranges from murdering people to killing tiny creatures, such as ants and mosquitos. Killing a person is the most serious offense. Aside from being punished by the law, the killer will constantly be followed by the ghost of the victim, which causes him to be restless to the point of having a nervous breakdown. The person will either die or become insane. The karma of killing animals is not as heavy as that of killing people, because animals are stupid and may not be able to find their killer. However, the law of cause and effect is fair. Unconsciously, it will get to you and cause you to come down with some strange illness, torturing you with the pain of the illness. For example, in most cases, people get cancer because they have committed too much killing karma, either in this life or in previous lives. Heavy killing karma is also one of the causes of natural and manmade disasters. It also incurs the retribution of falling into the realms of animals, hungry ghosts, or hell-beings, or being born with imperfect faculties.
Stealing means taking what is not given. From plundering another country to stealing even a needle, some thread, a blade of grass or a piece of wood from someone, all such acts are considered stealing. Stealing incurs the retribution of poverty and misery, constant fear, and so on. As for lust, left-home people must abstain from all sexual conduct. Laypeople should not engage in sexual conduct outside of marriage. The karma of sexual misconduct incurs the retribution of having a disharmonious family, not getting along with one's spouse, or having an unfaithful spouse.
What are the offenses committed by the mouth? 1) Frivolous speech: talking about improper affairs between men and women, letting people's imaginations run wild. 2) False speech: not speaking according to the facts. 3) Harsh speech: scolding others and speaking rudely. 4) Double-tongued speech: saying things which arouse ill-will or disputes between people. The karmic offenses of the mouth bring the retributions of being slandered and deceived, not being trusted by others, and having bad breath.
Since time without beginning, because of greed, hatred and stupidity, we have created limitless and boundless offenses with our body, mouth and mind. These evil deeds have woven a vast karmic web which brings all kinds of grief and suffering, a myriad illnesses, continuous calamities, and various misfortunes in our daily life. Living beings in the karmic web are constantly submerged in the bitter sea of birth and death, unable to escape. We keep sinking deeper and deeper, and our offenses get heavier and heavier. Even if we want to cultivate the spiritual path, we encounter many obstructions. We must sincerely repent and reform of all our offenses. As it is said, "Offenses great enough to fill the heavens will be eradicated if one can simply repent."
Repentance means one repents for offenses done in the past. He is deeply ashamed of and remorseful for the karmic offenses he committed in the past. Reform means one reforms by not committing these offenses in the future. He is determined to change himself and start anew, and never repeat those mistakes. If one has offenses and can reform, then his offenses will disappear. However, if one tries to cover up his offenses and doesn't want people to know about them, then his offenses are doubled.
The Flower Adornment Sutra teaches us to make the contemplation of sincerely repenting, with pure body, mouth and mind, before all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in worlds pervading the Dharma Realm, and vowing that from today onwards, we will never commit those offenses again, that in thought after thought, our three karmas will always abide in pure precepts, and that we will cultivate unceasingly, without weariness or vexation. The more you bow to the Buddhas, the more energetic you feel. The more you repent, the more joyful you become. This is true repentance. Once you make a fresh start as a new person, don't think about the past anymore; otherwise, your mind will always be burdened, if you were carrying a heavy bag which prevented you from advancing on the bright journey ahead.
Whether you want to cultivate to transcend the common and enter sagehood, or you just want to lead a happy and peaceful life, you must repent of your karmic obstacles. There is hope for world peace only if every person can repent of his karmic obstacles and turn over a new leaf in life.
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