善知識 既自歸依三寶 總各各至心 與善知識說 無相懺悔 滅三世罪障 善知識 各隨我語 一時道 弟子等 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 願一時消滅 永不復起 弟子等 從前念今念及後念 念念不被驕誑染 從前所有惡業驕誑等罪 悉皆懺悔 願一時消滅 永不復起 弟子等 從前念今念及後念 念念不被嫉妬染 從前所有惡業嫉妬等罪 悉皆懺悔 願一時消滅 永不復起
Shàn zhī shí jì zì guī yī sān bǎo zǒng gè gè zhì xīn yǔ shàn zhī shí shuō wú xiàng chàn huǐ miè sān shì zuì zhàng shàn zhī shí gè suí wǒ yǔ yī shí dào dì zǐ děng cóng qián niàn jīn niàn jí hòu niàn niàn niàn bù bèi yú mí rǎn cóng qián suǒ yǒu è yè yú mí děng zuì xī jiē chàn huǐ yuàn yī shí xiāo miè yǒng bù fù qǐ dì zǐ děng cóng qián niàn jīn niàn jí hòu niàn niàn niàn bù bèi jiāo kuáng rǎn cóng qián suǒ yǒu è yè jiāo kuáng děng zuì xī jiē chàn huǐ yuàn yī shí xiāo miè yǒng bù fù qǐ dì zǐ děng cóng qián niàn jīn niàn jí hòu niàn niàn niàn bù bèi jí dù rǎn cóng qián suǒ yǒu è yè jí dù děng zuì xī jiē chàn huǐ yuàn yī shí xiāo miè yǒng bù fù qǐ
Key Message
Repentance is not a ritual. A sincere vow to be free from all past and present delusion, pride, and envy — that is formless repentance.
▸The Chapter on Repentance presents Huineng's teaching on 'formless repentance' (無相懺悔, wú xiàng chàn huǐ) and 'taking refuge in the three jewels of self-nature' (自性三歸依).
The Chapter on Repentance presents Huineng's teaching on 'formless repentance' (無相懺悔, wú xiàng chàn huǐ) and 'taking refuge in the three jewels of self-nature' (自性三歸依). Formless repentance is not repentance bound by ritual or external form, but a sincere repentance of all karmic wrongdoing of past, present, and future, performed without even holding the thought 'I am repenting' — that is, without reifying repentance as an object. Three categories of sin are named: delusion and confusion (愚迷, yú mí), pride and deceit (驕誑, jiāo kuáng), and envy (嫉妬, jí dù). One vows to repent of all wrongdoing arising from each and to never again allow them to arise. Huineng then teaches taking refuge in the Three Jewels that exist within self-nature: awareness (覺, jué) as the Buddha-jewel, correctness (正, zhèng) as the Dharma-jewel, and purity (淨, jìng) as the Sangha-jewel.