四之六•意根的懺悔
前面講到身根的種種顛倒行為，俗話說：「擒賊擒王。」身根是付諸行動，起惑造業了，但每一行動源自於心意識，因此《普賢觀經》說：「意根貪著諸法相，隨因綠境界生起貪瞋癡念頭，這些邪念能生長一切雜業，十惡五逆，就好像猿猴和捕黏飛鳥的膠水，處處貪著，遍滿眼耳鼻舌身六情根。六根所生長的業猶如枝條花葉，充滿三界二十五類，一切眾生生處，還會增長無明老死等十二因緣，使眾生經歷八邪八難的惡報。」意根像冰山，露出水面的一角是身業，藏匿水下的全體是意根。如果不預加提防，以為冰山就是露出的那一小角而已，忽略了水下的大塊冰山，那就會有觸冰山而沉船之危。因此菩薩戒以起心動念就算犯戒，這是為正本清源，找出造罪的起源。生死輪迴的起源，就因為一念無明，而有行、識、名色、六入、觸、受、愛、取、有、生、老死，憂悲苦惱，環環相扣，陷於輪迴的巨輪下。
明白了意根的可佈可畏，就瞭解為什麼修行要念怫、參禪，就為了制心一處，不起妄想，才能「心清水現月，意定天無雲。」因此，「如來隨好光明功德品」中第九種逆生死心，「念十方佛」、第十「觀罪性空」，憶念十方佛，如華藏世界海之廣博；觀「罪業如霜露，慧日能消除」，「若欲懺悔者，端坐念實相。」《普賢觀經》。而《法華三昧懺儀》以禪觀入實相，因此修事懺也修理懺，今已不流傳，如果有發心修者，也是懺法的輔行，都是助道益法。「華嚴懺」是否也可以依天臺懺法來修呢？因為《華嚴經》義理廣博高妙，輔以禪觀，事理融通，應是有益的。理懺之提倡是因現今修懺法門，淪為「經懺」（註三），而以此警示行者，目前流通最廣的「大悲懺」，亦不出「華嚴懺」之十種順逆生死心，瞭解「華嚴懺」有助於瞭解其他懺法，心念的懺悔是一致的。
五•發願與迴向懺悔罪障是懺悔的前半段，後半段的「發願」、「迴向」和懺悔罪障同樣重要，因為發心懺悔，為的就是改惡向善。什麼是善呢？「華嚴懺」和其他懺法不同的是，「華嚴發願文」：「普與眾生發同善財童子的行願，行菩薩道，依普賢菩薩十大行願--禮敬諸佛、稱讚如來、廣修供養、懺悔業障、隨喜功德、請轉法輪、請佛住世、常隨佛學、恆順眾生、普皆迴向。」所發大乘菩薩願，也將成就大乘菩薩果。
除了發願等同普賢行願，「華嚴懺之迴向是往生（阿彌陀佛極樂世界）。這是高麗淨源國師所編《華嚴普賢行願懺儀》，或許有人懷疑，為什麼不是迴向往生「毗盧遮那如來華藏世界」？因為《普賢行願品》中敘述：「唯此願王不相捨離，於一切時引導其前，一剎那中，即得往生極樂世界。……是諸人等於一念中，所有行願皆得成就，所獲福聚無量無邊，能於煩惱大苦海中拔濟眾生，令其出離，皆得往生阿彌陀佛極樂世界。」
《華嚴經》最後導歸極樂淨土，因此「華嚴懺」也依據《普賢行願品》，迴向往生阿彌陀佛極樂世界，這是它特別明確的地方。
六•結論
懺悔的立意在重新做人，「華嚴懺」的立意則是改過自新，行菩薩道。求懺悔者以慚愧心出發，「已作之罪願得除滅；未來之惡不敢復作。」著重在持戒，明因果，以防未來之惡。持戒在心態上，依《優婆塞戒經》所雲：「是人常觀犯輕如重，觀已生悔及慚愧心，怖畏愁惱心不樂至，至心懺悔，既懺悔已，心生歡喜，慎護受持更不敢犯，是名淨戒。善男子，有智之人既受戒已，當觀三事不作惡行，一者自為，二者為世，三者為法。」
這是以利他之心出發，發大乘的菩提心，如果能把輕戒看作如重戒一樣慎重，才能不違犯，守護淨戒。戒是修行人的盔甲，除惡習有決斷力，業障才能真正除滅，剷除業障，行菩薩道才得以日有精進。
註三：同前，P．3～4《懺法之再興》
參考書目
1．《優婆塞戒經》卷第六，大藏經第二十四冊，中華佛教文化館，臺北、1956，P．1065。
2．《大方廣佛華嚴經》第一冊《華嚴懺儀》，法界佛教總會，萬佛聖城，1999，P．77～112 。
3．《大方廣佛華嚴經》第六冊卷八十一《普賢行願品》，法界佛教總會，萬佛聖城，1999，P．4031 ～4032。
4．《六祖法寶壇經》，法界佛教總會，萬佛聖城，1999，P．53 ～54。
5．《法華三昧懺儀輔行集註》，法藏法師述，和裕出版，臺南，1996，序文 P．3 ～26，正文P．51～79。
6．《慈悲三昧水懺法》唐悟達國師著，濱城洪福寺出版，1992。
7．《華嚴發願文》妙通寺，高雄縣，1997，P．10 。
8．《來果禪師語錄》和裕出版，臺南，1999，P．222 。
9．《法句譬喻經今譯》，陳慧劍譯註，靈山講堂，臺北，1991，P．103 ～106。
10．《佛教與中國文化》張曼濤主編，大乘文化出版，臺北，1978。
11．《古代中國文化與佛教》吳仲行，P．21～30。
12．《四書讀本•倫語學而篇》邱燮友等編譯，臺北，1995，P．66。13．《中國文化史三百題》上海古籍出版社編，建宏，臺北，1995。14．《什麼是道教》，潘雨廷。
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6. THE REPENTANCE OF THE MIND
Earlier, we talked about the perverse acts of the body, however, a proverb says, "To catch a gang of criminals, one must capture their leader first." The body acts, creating delusion and karma. However, every action begins with the mind. Therefore, the Sutra of Universal Worthy's Contemplation says, "The mind is greedy for and attached to all characteristics of the Dharma, giving rise to thoughts of greed, aversion, delusion when causes and conditions and states develop. These evil thoughts can grow all weeds of karma, the ten evil deeds and the five rebellious acts. Similar to rambunctious monkeys or to glue that is meant to trap birds, greed and attachment are everywhere, pervading the six emotional organs of eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind. The karma that results from the six sense organs resembles branches, flowers and leaves, filling the three realms and birthplaces of the twenty-five categories of beings. They also breed ignorance, birth and death, and the twelve causes and conditions so that all beings experience evil retribution of the eight evils and eight difficulties.
The mind is identical to an iceberg in that the part revealed above the water is the karma of the body, while the rest hidden beneath the water is the organ of the mind. If we are not on our guard, we might think that the iceberg is just that one small part that is exposed, thus ignoring the large mountain of ice beneath the water. Then, we run the risk of crashing our boat into the iceberg and sinking. Therefore, the Bodhisattva Precepts considers every arising and movement of thought as a violation of the precepts. This is to find the origin of the offense. The origin of the cycle of birth and death is simply this one thought of ignorance. As a result, every chain of activity, consciousness, name and form, the six organs, contact, feeling, love, grasping, becoming, birth, old age and death interlock with depression and affliction. We therefore sink beneath the giant wheel of transmigration.
Once you understand how frightening the mind is, you will understand why you cultivate the recitation of the Buddha's name and investigate dhyana: it is to regulate the mind and bring it to one point so that it doesn't give rise to any false thoughts. That way, "With a clear mind, the moon reflects on water, with thoughts calmed, the sky is without a wisp of cloud."
Number Ten is to contemplate the nature of offenses as empty: To be mindful of Buddhas throughout the ten directions throughout the expansive sea of the world of the Flower Treasury. To contemplate that, "Offense karma is comparable to frost and dew; wisdom is like the sun, which dispels them." "Anyone who wishes to repent may sit upright and be mindful of the true mark" (Sutra of Universal Worthy's Contemplation) Yet the "Dharma Flower Samadhi Repentance Rites" uses dhyana contemplation to enter the true mark. Therefore, to practice the repentance based on phenomena is to practice the repentance based on noumena. Though this is no longer widespread, it complements the Dharma of Repentance and is a helpful dharma along the Way. Could the Avatamsaka Repentance be cultivated according to the Tiantai Repentance? Since the Avatamsaka Sutra's meaning and significance are wide and vast, lofty and wondrous, it is beneficial to aid it with dhyana contemplation, thus allowing for the integration and penetration of phenomena and noumena. The Repentance based on noumena is promoted because the way that repentances are cultivated nowadays, it is merely a repentance of sutra recitations. This serves as a warning for practitioners. The most widely spread repentance, the "Great Compassion Repentance," is not beyond the Avatamsaka Repentance's ten adherences and defiances of birth and death. To understand the Avatamsaka Repentance is helpful in understanding other repentances. The repentances of the mind are all the same.
V. VOWS AND TRANSFERENCES Repenting and reforming karmic obstructions comprise the initial half of a repentance practice; the latter half consists of vows and transferences, which are just as important as repentance and reform because one is turning away from evil and moving toward good. What is goodness? The difference between the Avatamsaka Repentance and other repentances lies in the text of Producing the Vow of the Avatamsaka:
May all beings make the same vows of conduct as that of Youth Good Wealth and practice the Bodhisattva Path according to Universal Worthy Bodhisattva's ten great vows of conduct: to worship and respect all Buddhas, to praise all Thus Come Ones, to vastly cultivate the making of offerings, to repent and reform of karmic obstructions, to take delight in merit and virtue, to always turn the Dharma wheel, to ask that the Buddhas remain in the world, to always follow the Buddha's teachings, to always accord with all living beings, and to make transferences universally.
Making the vows of a Mahayana Bodhisattva will ensure realization of the fruition of a Mahayana Bodhisattva in the future.
Besides making the same vows as that of Universal Worthy's vows of conduct, Korean National Master Jingyuan states in The Avatamsaka Repentance Ceremony of Universal Worthy's Vow of Conduct, "The merit of the Avatamsaka Repentance is also transferred to rebirth [in Amitabha Buddha's Land of Ultimate Bliss]." Perhaps someone will question why the merit isn't dedicated to rebirth in Vairochana Thus Come One's Flower Treasury World. It is as the Chapter of Universal Worthy's Conduct and Vows describes, "These kings of vows alone will stay with him. At all times they will guide him forward, and in a single instant he will be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss."
The Avatamsaka Sutra finally leads us to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Therefore, the Avatamsaka Repentance is also based on the Chapter of Universal Worthy's Conduct and Vows. One particularly clear feature is that its transference is dedicated to rebirth in the Amitabha Buddha's Land of Ultimate Bliss.
VI. CONCLUSION
The purpose of repentance is for a person to begin anew. The purpose of the Avatamsaka Repentance is to cause someone to reform and renew him/herself and cultivate the Bodhisattva Path. The person begins with remorse and a sense of shame. "May the offenses of the past be eradicated; may the evils of the future never occur again." The emphasis here is on upholding the precepts, understanding cause and effect, and preventing future evil. The mental attitude in holding the precepts is as explained in the Upasaka Precepts Sutra:
If one always considers a minor offense in the same light as that of a major offense, then one shall regret and be remorseful as one contemplates. One will be terrified, sad and not at all happy. Having repented and reformed most sincerely, one is delighted; thus, cautiously guarding and upholding precepts so that they never violate them again. The precepts are pure that way. Good men, once wise individuals have received the precepts, they shall commit no evil as they contemplate these three types of deeds: (1) deeds done for oneself, (2) deeds done for the world, and (3) deeds done for the Dharma.
This mentality begins with interest in others, the Bodhi resolve of the Great Vehicle. If one treats the minor precepts with the same caution and care as they would with the major precepts, then one will not violate them, thus they guard these pure precepts. Precepts are the cultivator's armor: to decisively eliminate bad habits is the only way to truly eliminate karmic obstructions. That way, one makes daily progress, on the Bodhisattva path.
NOTES:
1. For details, please consult Complementary Commentaries to the Dharma Flower Samadhi Repentance Ceremony. By Dharma Master Fazang. Heyu Publications: Tainan, Taiwan, 1996. "Differences in Repentances" (p.11).
2. Same as above. "Reference for Scheduling Time to Practice the Dharma Flower Samadhi" (p. 146).
3. Same as above. "The Reemergence of Repentance" (p. 3-4).
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1. Upasaka Precepts Sutra. 24thvolume of the Tripitaka, Roll 6. Chinese Buddhist Cultural Center: Taiwan, Taipei, 1956. p. 1065.
2. The Great Means Expansive Buddha Flower Adornment Sutra. "Avatamsaka Repentance Ceremony" Vol. 1. Dharma Realm Buddhist Association: City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, 1999. P.77-112.
3.The Great Means Expansive Buddha Flower Adornment Sutra. "Universal Worthy's Vows of Conduct Chapter" Dharma Realm Buddhist Association: City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, 1999. p.4031-4032.
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5.Complementary Commentaries to the Dharma Flower Samadhi Repentance Ceremony. By Dharma Master Fazang. Heyu Publications: Tainan, Taiwan, 1996. Preface p.3-26, text proper p.51-79.
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