Repentance and Confession

A comparison of the Bible's repentance (metanoia) and Buddhism's confession (懺悔). We explore the teachings of both traditions on turning around, purification, and starting anew.

The Meaning of Turning

Bible

μετανοήσατε οὖν καὶ ἐπιστρέψατε εἰς τὸ ἐξαλειφθῆναι ὑμῶν τὰς ἁμαρτίας, ὅπως ἂν ἔλθωσιν καιροὶ ἀναψύξεως ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ κυρίου.

“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.”

Sutra

千劫所積罪，一懺悉清淨，是故智慧者，應勤修懺悔

“Sins accumulated over a thousand kalpas are all purified by a single act of confession; therefore the wise diligently cultivate confession.”

Comparison

Christian repentance (metanoia) and Buddhist confession both speak of a fundamental turning away from past wrongs. If repentance is a redirection toward God, confession is the purification of karmic obstructions and a new vow. Both traditions emphasize that turning around is not mere emotional regret but a transformation of the whole being, and teach that deep purification and a new beginning become possible as a result.

The Power of Confession

Bible

לֵב טָהוֹר בְּרָא־לִי אֱלֹהִים וְרוּחַ נָכוֹן חַדֵּשׁ בְּקִרְבִּי׃

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

Sutra

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

“All the evil deeds committed in the past, arising from beginningless greed, anger, and delusion, born from body, speech, and mind — all of these I now confess entirely.”

Comparison

David in Psalm 51 and the Confession Verse of the Avatamsaka Sutra both discern that the root of sin and karma lies not in external acts but within the mind. David identifies impurity of heart, and the Confession Verse identifies the three poisons of greed, anger, and delusion as the fundamental cause. In Christianity, the power of purification comes from God's creative ability; in Buddhism, the power of purification is inherent in the very vow of heartfelt confession. Both traditions teach that confession must lead not to mere guilt but to a fundamental inner transformation.

A New Beginning

Bible

ὥστε εἴ τις ἐν Χριστῷ, καινὴ κτίσις· τὰ ἀρχαῖα παρῆλθεν, ἰδοὺ γέγονεν καινά.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Sutra

是諸衆生，從佛聞法，究竟皆得一切種智

“All these sentient beings, having heard the Dharma from the Buddha, will ultimately all attain the knowledge of all kinds.”

Comparison

The 'new creation' of 2 Corinthians and the 'attainment of all-encompassing wisdom' of the Lotus Sutra both proclaim the possibility of a fundamental transformation that transcends the past. In Christianity, the new beginning is a gift given by God's grace through Christ; in Buddhism, the new beginning is the process of attaining awakening by hearing and practicing the Dharma. Both traditions affirm that no past, no sin or karma, can bind a person forever, and that through genuine repentance and confession a completely new life is opened.