The 108 Prostrations of Great Repentance
Of course, there's no need to go beyond a good Catholic Examination of Conscience, but this which I stumbled upon on the local Buddhist television network the other night reminds us the penance is a universal need — 108 영어 참회문:
- 1. With sincere devotion, I take refuge in Shakyamuni Buddha.
2. With sincere devotion, I take refuge in the Dharma.
3. With sincere devotion, I take refuge in the Sangha.
4. I prostrate in repentance for being ignorant of where I came from and unmindful of where I will go.
5. I prostrate in repentance for being ignorant of my true self and correct situation, relationship, and function.
6. I prostrate in repentance for having taken this body for granted.
7. I prostrate in repentance for having neglected my original nature.
8. I prostrate in repentance for having taken my ancestors for granted.
9. I prostrate in repentance for having taken my parents for granted.
10. I prostrate in repentance for having taken my relatives for granted.
11. I prostrate in repentance for being unmindful of all those who have contributed to my learning and education.
12. I prostrate in repentance for being unmindful of all those who have grown, prepared, and provided my nutrition.
13. I prostrate in repentance for being unmindful of all those who have made and provided my clothing.
14. I prostrate in repentance for being unmindful of all those who have built and provided my shelter.
15. I prostrate in repentance for manipulating people for my own selfish needs.
16. I prostrate in repentance for having ignored the effects of my misdeeds on others.
17. I prostrate in repentance with complete devotion to eradicate Karma accumulated in the past, present, and the future.
18. I prostrate in repentance to all those whom I have harmed through fits of anger.
19. I prostrate in repentance to all those whom I have stung with hurtful words.
20. I prostrate in repentance to all those whom I have harmed through arrogance.
21. I prostrate in repentance to all those whom I have harmed through avarice.
22. I prostrate in repentance to all those whom I have harmed through my jealous thoughts.
23. I prostrate in repentance to all those whom I have scorched with the flames of my rage.
24. I prostrate in repentance to all those whom I have harmed through attachment to my possessions.
25. I prostrate in repentance to all those whom I have harmed through attachment to like-and-dislike mind.
26. I prostrate in repentance to all those whom I have alienated through thought, word, and deed.
27. I prostrate in repentance to all those whom I harmed through gossip, slander, and bad speech.
28. I prostrate in repentance to all those whom I have looked down upon.
29. I prostrate in repentance for my cowardly thoughts, words, and deeds.
30. I prostrate in repentance for all my hypocritical deeds and lies.
31. I prostrate in repentance for poisoning other beings through my mindless materialistic overconsumption.
32. I prostrate in repentance to all sentient beings that I have harmed or killed for entertainment and pleasure.
33. I prostrate in repentance for conceiving of this world only through the lens of my ego.
34. I prostrate in repentance to all those I have harmed through attachment to my thinking.
35. I prostrate in repentance to all those I have harmed through foolish or unnecessary speech.
36. I prostrate in repentance to all those whom I have injured by engaging in relationships based on using each other.
37. I prostrate in repentance for all thoughts, words, and deeds which create attachment.
38. I prostrate in repentance for having thought that only what I saw was correct.
39. I prostrate in repentance for having thought that only what I heard was correct.
40. I prostrate in repentance for having thought that only what I smelled was correct.
41. I prostrate in repentance for having thought that only what I tasted was correct.
42. I prostrate in repentance for having thought that only what I felt was correct.
43. I prostrate in repentance for every action born from I-my-me mind.
44. I prostrate in repentance for not seeing clearly my true interconnectedness to all forms of life.
45. I prostrate in repentance for having disregarded our only home, Earth.
46. I prostrate in repentance for selfishly polluting the air.
47. I prostrate in repentance for selfishly polluting the rivers and lakes.
48. I prostrate in repentance for selfishly polluting the mountains and the oceans.
49. I prostrate in repentance for selfishly destroying the flowers and trees.
50. I prostrate in repentance for a lifestyle built on the suffering of other forms of life.
51. I prostrate in repentance for discriminating between the rich and poor in my choice of relations.
52. I prostrate in repentance for discriminating between high and low, the superior and the inferior.
53. I prostrate in repentance for discriminating between "good" and "bad."
54. I prostrate in repentance for seeing this world based on absolute "right" or "wrong."
55. I prostrate in repentance for my lack of compassion for the sick or grieving.
56. I prostrate in repentance for my lack of compassion for those suffering from depression.
57. I prostrate in repentance for my lack of compassion for the poor and needy.
58. I prostrate in repentance for my lack of compassion for those who are stubborn or hard to work with.
59. I prostrate in repentance for my lack of compassion for the lonely, and those trapped by addiction.
60. I prostrate in repentance for my lack of compassion for those in trouble with the law.
61. I prostrate in gratitude for having come to take refuge in the Buddha.
62. I prostrate in gratitude for having come to take refuge in the Dharma.
63. I prostrate in gratitude for having come to take refuge in the Sangha.
64. I prostrate in gratitude for coming to realize that all beings are interconnected as one.
65. I prostrate in gratitude for coming to realize that all beings can communicate and sympathize with one another.
66. I prostrate in gratitude for coming to realize that all beings live in accordance with the Universal Law.
67. I prostrate in gratitude for coming to realize that all beings have the same True Nature.
68. I prostrate in gratitude for coming to see the beauty of this world.
69. I prostrate in gratitude for coming to know the wonders of all life forms.
70. I prostrate in gratitude for coming to hear the pure beauty of the birds' singing.
71. I prostrate in gratitude for coming to know the spiritual sound of the wind.
72. I prostrate in gratitude for coming to hear the bubbling music of the streams.
73. I prostrate in gratitude for coming to feel the energy of new life in Spring.
74. I prostrate in gratitude for coming to see the beauty of a shimmering rainbow.
75. I prostrate in gratitude for coming to see that true peace of mind comes from being in harmony with nature.
76. I prostrate in gratitude for coming to see that nature is Universal Law.
77. I prostrate in gratitude for coming to see that nature is our Great Teacher.
78. I prostrate in gratitude for coming to see that compassion is the greatest blessing of all.
79. I prostrate in gratitude for coming to see that a heart filled with hatred and resentment is the greatest misfortune of all.
80. I prostrate in gratitude for coming to see that selfless love is the greatest power of all.
81. I prostrate as a vow to live in the embrace of the Buddha.
82. I prostrate as a vow to live in accordance with the Dharma.
83. I prostrate as a vow to follow the teachings of the Sangha.
84. I prostrate as a vow to refrain from greed.
85. I prostrate as a vow to refrain from anger.
86. I prostrate as a vow to refrain from arrogance.
87. I prostrate as a vow to refrain from jealousy.
88. I prostrate as a vow to refrain from saying hurtful things.
89. I prostrate as a vow to refrain from hypocritical speech.
90. I prostrate as a vow to refrain from slandering.
91. I prostrate as a vow to refrain from looking down on others.
92. I prostrate as a vow to refrain from resenting others.
93. I prostrate as a vow to be humble in all that I do.
94. I prostrate as a vow to do my best in all my endeavors.
95. I prostrate as a vow to be honest in everything I do.
96. I prostrate as a vow to be positive in everything I do.
97. I prostrate as a vow to live with a compassionate heart.
98. I prostrate as a vow to always have a bright and happy heart.
99. I prostrate as a prayer so that all beings may live in peace.
100. I prostrate as a prayer for an end to all wars.
101. I prostrate as a prayer for an end to poverty.
102. I prostrate as a prayer for an end to all diseases.
103. I prostrate as a vow to always practice the disciplines of the Bodhisattva.
104. I prostrate as a vow to cultivate transcendental wisdom.
105. I prostrate as a vow to never regress in practice.
106. I prostrate as a vow to meet eminent teachers.
107. I prostrate as a vow to meet the Buddhas who always appear in this world, from moment to moment.
108. I prostrate as a vow to transfer all merits accumulated through compassionate action to all beings in the ten directions.
Labels: Buddhism, Corea, The Catholic Faith
4 Comments:
Thank you for this.
A useful lens for examining our lives more closely; I will certainly be adopting it in a Christian context.
So many times, it is easy for me to globally gloss over my sins, rather than to think about them and address them very specifically and practically.
You're welcome. I found myself prostrating while watching the show. I soon gave up because it was really hard. Then my wife came in and said some people use it as an exercise for losing weight.
I agree, it is really hard but a great exercise - spiritual and physical. It was suggested to me as a way of dissolving anger and generating compassion.
I agree, it is really hard but a great exercise - spiritual and physical. It was suggested to me as a way of dissolving anger and generating compassion.
Post a Comment
<< Home