Rite of Repentance

Opening Verse I sincerely repent because for uncountable lifetimes I have forgotten my true mind and unawared of the right Way Therefore, I have fallen into three paths of suffering caused by the mistakes of six sensual organs If I don't repent now, I should regret later

Karmas of The Eyes The eyes observe carefully evil matters, while ignore good deeds They misperceive fake flowers and forget to look at the real moon Affection and hatred arise to cause rivalry in good and bad forms Suddenly, delusion arises to cover the right view White, green, purple, or yellow, we dispute which is better The eyes misview like blind Seeing good-looking people, the eyes glance back and forth Dimmed the eyes, but the true nature still not arises Seeing wealthy people, the eyes open wide staring Seeing poor people, the eyes quickly ignore When strangers die, the eyes shed no tear But our relatives pass away, the eyes sob In front of the Three Jewels or in the temples Never care to look at Buddhist scriptures But they pay attention to other men or women Exchanging eyes, we indulge in sexual acts Neither fear of Dharma protectors nor Saints The eyes open wide in joy, the head would never bow Those karmas are innumerable Committed by the eyes, which lead us into hell After innumerable lifetimes, we reborn as humans As a result, we become blind

Karmas of The Ears Because the ears hate listening to dharmas, but enjoy evil speeches, > We have forgotten the true mind to run after sensual objects Ordinary music sounds like a masterpiece Bells sound like amphibian's trilling All satirizations, we remember well Recitations, the ears are careless to hear Hearing complements, we would wish for more Hearing truthful advices, we strongly oppose With a few buddies or party friends Together enjoy listening and gossiping Sincerely, our teachers and friends advice But to those rightful matters, the ears refuse to listen Hearing bracelet sounds, arise sensual feelings Hearing chants, understand nothing Such karmas are innumerable Mound like dusts, indescribably After death, we fall into three evil paths At the end of karmic rebirths, we reborn as deaf humans

Karmas of The Nose Often likes exclusive and sweet scents Never interested in the true and pure scent Attracted in appealing scents or musk Never pay attention to the scent of discipline or concentration On the Buddha altar, sandalwood is burning Sniffing its scent improperly Attach to mundane fragrances, regardless of Protectors' reaction We would never be tired Seeing pretty faces, we strongly pursue But quickly turn away from wisdom and mindfulness Whether at the marketplace or in the kitchen Crave of filthy or rotten foods Be mindless of stinkiness or to abstain from onion and garlic Enjoy them like pig on excrete pit Nose-blowing, spitting, wiping sputum everywhere even on the floor Sleep tranquilly at Buddha shrine or Sangha's rooms Exhale bad breath smearing scriptures and Buddha statues Improperly smell lotus is same as robbing the scent Smelling perfumes arise sensual mind Such evil acts of the nose are those that we are not awared of These types of transgression are innumerable After death, we fall into three evil paths After thousands of millions of lifetimes, we reborn as humans As a result, we have a nose disease

Karmas of The Tongue Craves for all kinds of flavors Be selective in good/bad foods Eat all types of foods and know them all Killing animals to nurture our body Roasting, frying, or stewing meats With garlic and onion, they become tasty Want more foods as the stomach never gets full Attend religious ceremony with empty stomach, waiting for the serving time Eating vegetarian foods in the morning like ill people swallow medicine or congi Seeing meats, we are delighted Wines and foods are changing and offering Throwing parties or wedding receptions Killing animals just for the craving of the tongue Saying lies and tailoring The tongue splits in two and evil speech karma arises Scolding at the Three Jewels and cursing at parents Disdain sages, deceive people Disparage others to cover our mistakes Discuss past and current events, we praise or criticize Brag on our wealth, but humiliate the poor Drive away the Sangha, scold at servants Backbiting is like poison, while smooth talking like soft music Embellish wrongful matters or fibbing Hate weather, slander the homeland Converse in the monks' chamber or even boast at the Buddha hall These types of transgression are innumerable Mound like uncountable dusts in this world After death, we fall into Ploughing Tongue Hell The tongue is drawn forth, ploughed by hot iron, and burned by melting copper After retribution and thousands of millions of lifetimes, we reborn as humans As a result, we become mute

Karmas of The Body The contribution of both parents have made of our body The five organs and hundred internal bones together are formed As we obstinate this body as real, we have forgotten our dharma body Therefore, we develop three karmas from the evil acts of adultery, killing, and stealing

Karma of Killing Often ruthlessly make cruel acts Killing four species without knowing all carry the same type of formation Mistakenly kill or harm others, even show them the way Either find talisman from a sorcerer to exorcise someone, Or make poison to kill sentient beings All purposes are to kill people and so there's no loving for animals Burn forests, mountains, or fill in the springs Make all traps to capture animals Because our false perception is in control, the false thoughts dictate our acts All committed acts are transgressional

Karma of Stealing Seeing other people's possessions, evil mind arises First, break door locks, then steal others' belongings Seeing the temple's properties, greedy mind arises Lift them away, fearless of Protectors' anger Not only stealing valuable objects like gold or jade is transgressional But even a small object like a blade of grass or a needle is transgressional as well

Karma of Adultery The mind indulges in beauty, while the eyes indulge in fake makeup Regardless of shame, arises the mind of sexuality At temples, Buddhist halls, or Sangha's chambers Male and female laities touch and play Throw flowers or fruits, then flirt Dig holes or climb up the walls All of these acts are the acts of adultery These types of transgression are innumerable After death, we fall into hell Females will have to lie on iron bed Males will have to hold bronze pole After thousands of millions of lifetimes, we still subject to negative retribution

Karmas of The Consciousness Keeps thinking nonsense without stopping Dwells in six sensual objects as well as attaches to forms It's like a silkworm spinning a cocoon, and being trapped when the silk gets thicker Like butterflies kill themselves by hurling at the light The foolishness causes the mind of confusion Disturbs the mind is the three poisons

Transgression of Greed Hate people, we conspire to take away their possessions Gaining thousand dollars of profit from ten dollars is not enough The assess is huge like a river, but the heart is like a jar leaks It's just full, but gets emptied; therefore, we claim it's not full Even though money decays and wheat gets rotten, we still refuse to help the poor The silk piles high, but we're careless to help anyone If we're given several hundreds of dollars, it's not a lot But if loosing one dollar, it's our tremendous loss From jewelries to silks We pile them, but would never give them away So many matters that we have to care and worry day and night All annoyances are developed by the karma of greed

Transgression of Anger The anger is caused by greed Eyes open wide, we shout to destroy harmony Not only laities, but even monastic people Dispute on Dharmas, then attack each other Criticize the masters and scold at parents The grass of endurance withers while the fire of anger blazes We pour evil speeches to hurt people and harm animals We forget compassion and disfollow forbidden rules Explain the concept of Zen real well, but become fool when facing with reality Even standing at the gate of emptiness, we still not yet discern the concept of formlessness It's like a tree bursts with fire, and the fire then burns the tree These types of transgression are developed by the karma of anger

Transgression of Ignorance Our natural characteristic is dull, so as the mind Doesn't understand the hierarchy or distinguish right versus wrong Chopping trees would cost our life, meanwhile, killing bears would detach our arm Scolding at the Buddha causes disaster, while spitting at the sky would wet our face We forget and ingrate other's gratitude We are unawakened to make assessment because of the karma of ignorance > These types of transgression is quite deep > After death, we fall into hell > In thousands of millions of lifetimes, we reborn as humans > As a result, we become unintelligent

Closing Verse If we don't repent, these karmas could not be terminated Now, in front of the Buddha's altar, we vow to repent them all.