「第六念報佛恩」，思憶佛陀教法的慈悲，有懺悔的法門，我們才能重新做人，以感恩的心修諸善法，無事不辦。
「第七觀罪性空」，這是說明罪業的本質，《華嚴經》說：「罪從心起將心懺，心若滅時罪亦亡；心亡罪滅兩俱空，是則名為真懺悔。」我們的行為有「身、語、意」三業，一切行為的緣起就是「起心動念」；從一念無」明起造種種罪，所以改過也要從心裡改起。眾生造罪，看似傷害別人，但受傷害最大的卻是自己的自性，人造罪之後有罪惡感，變成自性的煩惱，這又是對自性加一層的染污。所以懺悔知過能改之後，就不要再去懊惱悔恨了；「憶往期來念」都是染污自性的，懺悔後也要放下它，不起執著心。
六祖大師《法寶壇經》中詳述「無相懺悔」：從前念、今念及後念，念念不被愚迷染，從前所有惡業愚迷等罪，悉皆懺悔，願一時銷減，永不復起。弟子等，從前念今念及後念，念念不被憍誑染，從前所有惡業憍誑等罪，悉皆懺悔，願一時銷滅，永不復起。弟子等，從前念今念及後念，念念不被嫉妒染，從前所有惡業嫉妒等罪，悉皆懺悔，願一時銷滅，永不復起。」罪業既從心念起源，必也從心念下手。
《觀普賢菩薩行法經》也說：「眾罪如霜露，慧日能消除。」罪業既沒有形相，但它蒙蔽自性如染垢霜露，至誠懺悔的心猶如智慧光、陽光，便把霜露銷融了。
懺悔的力量不可思議，《慈悲道場懺法》中說：「所以輪迴於六趣，漸遠涅槃山，豈能究竟於一乘，長溺生死海，塵塵造業，種種為非，不假懺摩之慧鋒，難逃業惑之密網。」我們因為身口意三業而造罪，或因眼耳鼻舌身意六根而起惑，才被業網網住，沉溺生死海，輪迴於六道。懺摩的智慧劍鋒利無比，把細密結實的業力網割斷了，我們才得以跳出生死海，登涅槃岸，得到真正自在安樂。
待續 |
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The sixth is to be mindful of repaying the Buddha's kindness—to be mindful of the Buddha's compassion in teaching the Dharma. Only because of the Dharma door of repentance we are able to start anew as people, cultivating various good dharmas with gratitude, thus fulfilling every deed.
The seventh is to contemplate that the nature of offenses is empty. This makes clear the fundamental quality of karmic obstruction. The Avatamsaka Sutra states, "Offenses arise from the mind, therefore we must repent from the mind. When the mind is extinguished, offenses also die. When both the mind and offenses extinct, that is called true repentance and reform." Our behavior consists of the three karmas of body, mouth, and mind. The conditions for any action result from "the arising of a thought and the movement of will." From one thought of ignorance, we create various offenses. Therefore, reform must occur in the mind. Living beings create offenses that appear to harm others, but the greatest injury is to one's inherent nature. The guilt that results from offenses is like lacerations to one's nature. Yet another film of contamination is added on top of one's self-nature. Therefore, don't be depressed or regret any more when you repent and reform, and change your faults. "Recollect that all thoughts of the past" defile the self-nature. One must not be attached to them, but let them go, after one repents and reforms.
The Great Master, the Sixth Patriarch, described "the markless repentance and reform" in the Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra: "May this disciple be, in past, present, and future thought, in every thought, unstained by ignorance and confusion. May these be wiped away at once and never arise again. May this disciple be, in past, present, and future thought, in every thought, unstained by arrogance and deceit. May these be wiped away at once and never arise again. May this disciple be, in past, present, and future thought, in every thought, unstained by jealousy. May it be wiped away at once and never arise again."
However, the Sutra of Contemplating the Dharma of Universal Worthy Bodhisattva's Conduct also states, "The multitude of offenses, like frost and dew, can be melted by the sun of wisdom." Although offense karma has no form, it occludes the inherent nature like a covering of frost or dew. Sincere repentance is likened to the light of wisdom—sunshine that melts frost and dew.
The power of repentance is inconceivable. The Repentance Dharma of the Bodhimanda of Compassion says, "The six destinies of the wheel of transmigration gradually distance themselves from the mountain of Nirvana. How could you reach the ultimate in the One Vehicle if you have been sinking in the sea of birth and death, creating karma that resembles layers upon layers of dust, and doing all kinds of misdeeds? Without relying on the repentance's blade of wisdom, it will be difficult to escape the dense net of karmic consequences. Since we have created offenses with the three karmas of body, mouth, and mind, or erred because of the six senses of eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind, we are trapped by the net of karma and drown in the sea of birth and death. Consequently, we continue to transmigrate in the cycle of the six paths. The blade of a repentance's sword of wisdom is incomparably sharp, slashing apart the dense and tough net of karma so that we are able to jump out of the sea of birth and death, reach the shore of nirvana, and attain true ease and peace.
To be continued |
