With many thanks again for everyone’s patience, these are the notes of Geshe la’s teaching on Monday, 1 May 2023.
We had been talking about the various practices under the 7 Limb Prayer which contains detailed instructions on how one prostrates, and makes offerings through one’s body speech and mind etc.
Today we will be speaking about the limb concerning Confession of one’s wrong-doings – how to do so and how it helps us.
III) CONFESSION OF ONE’S WRONGS
If we look at the Text of the Prayer, at Line 8 of the Prayer, it says “I confess very type of wrong that I have done in thought word or deed under the influence of desire, anger or ignorance.”
Essentially this part involves the purification of the past acts of body speech and mind that had been motivated by the 3 poisons of desire (attachment), anger (aversion) or ignorance which, if not purified, will lead to such negative karmic seeds ripening that will result in greater suffering for us.
It is not difficult to understand this concept – do you not notice that in many moments of the day, we are constantly tormented by unhappiness of the mind. We seem not to be able to be at ease with ourselves and are dissatisfied with this and that. These little thoughts or emotions which prevent us from being at rest, are examples of negative karmic seeds ripening, however innocuous and insignificant they may seem.
That is why in The Way of the Bodhisattva, Shantideva advises us that Confession of all our wrongs of the past is important as it will go a long way to reduce these karmic seeds that have the potential to ripen into negative events that cause us suffering.
Some people think: “Ok, I have a method to purify these past negative karmic deeds, but I’m still young, so I still have time to do it next time as I need to first focus on making money, pursuing my career etc.”
But that approach ignores the fact that life is uncertain. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the young have more time to practise – an unexpected death can take place any time. So we should not take things for granted and should instead seize the opportunity to practise Confession of one’s wrongs while we are young and healthy. Such is the advice in many of the Indian texts that set out the ways in which we can practise.
The negative karmic seeds, once sown, will invariably ripen into negative effects. It is important to remember that the karmic seeds will not disappear on their own unless we take action to purify them to either destroy them or otherwise prevent them from sprouting. In addition, the sutras tell us that negative karmic seeds can grow exponentially as well – like a malignant tumour, they are not content to just remain the same size. The small act of killing an ant can ripen into an effect that is serious.
It is also to important that karma may not ripen immediately or in the near future. It will grow and grow, and by the time conditions are right for them to ripen, one may be facing something monstrous. Therein again lies the importance of Confession.
Geshe la told of how Lama Atisa, one of the great Kadampa Masters, would explain he would observe himself committing many wrongs and transgressions each day, but he would always make it a point to Confess all his wrongs and downfalls several times a day to prevent such negative karmic seeds from growing exponentially.
The sutras tell us that karmic seeds have a life cycle of 12 hours (day) and 12 hours (night). For instance, even in the night, one can commit negative karmic seeds by way of unwholesome thoughts (actions of the mind), so that’s why Confession in the morning when one wakes is important, as much as Confession in the night before one sleeps.
The specific Confession practice can be done via the Vajrasattva Hundred Syllable mantra（金刚萨垛百字明咒）, but it is not as simple as just chanting the mantra or Dharani, but one has to apply the 4 opponent antidotes in order for the Confession to be effective.
These 4 opponent antidotes are important whether one practices purification via the Vajrasattva Hundred Syllable Mantra or the Sadhana of the 35 Confessional Buddhas.
When Lama Tsongkhapa developed the ability to communicate with Lord Manjushri directly, receiving teachings etc, Lama Tsongkhapa was initially not able to fully understand what was being transmitted. He continued his purification practices diligently, and applied the 4 opponent powers, doing hundreds of thousands of full length prostrations and mandala offerings in the process, and by practising Confession to the 35 Confessional Buddhas.
He practised the 7 limb prayers religiously to purify delusions that were extant as a result of past negative karma, so that he eventually was able to understand the teachings that Lord Manjushri imparted to him.
So one can see why it is so important to do the 7 limb prayer as it goes a long way to bringing the practitioner towards Arhatship or other levels of attainments.
During previous Dharma classes, we talked about the 4 opponent powers that one needs to deploy when doing Confessions, in order for the practice to be effective.
Once we understand this, it is an extremely powerful practice that can help purify even the most heinous of karma.
It is important to remember that when we create negative karma, we invariably commit such transgression towards either of these 2 objects: –
(a) Slandering the Triple Gem as a result of our wrong views etc, which means the wrong is done vis a vis the Triple Gem, or
(b) Causing harm to other sentient beings more generally, motivated by our poisons.
For category (a), we need not go further than a recent incident during which criticisms were widely made of H. H. The Great 14th Dalai Lama following an incident in India where some people took issue with His Holiness’ well meaning banter with a young Indian boy. Some people, Dharma practitioners included, were very affected by the video clip that was widely circulated online, and were quick to jump on the bandwagon to say certain nasty things about His Holiness without pausing to try to understand the background and cultural context behind the incident. Others actually transmitted these clips far and wide, and continued to be antagonistic by fanning the flames and perpetrating Wrong Views (one of the 10 non-virtuous actions of the Mind), causing others to lose faith in the Triple Gem of which the Sangha (and His Holiness) are an important part of.
This is an example of how one’s delusions can (possibly inadvertently) lead to one slandering the Buddha Dharma which in turn creates negative karmic seeds. It is even sadder that many were Dharma practitioners, by reason of such lack of perspective, lost faith in the Buddha Dharma and sought to extend that state of affairs to others who were otherwise devoted.
The spreading of these things are potentially worrying as it causes many others devoted to His Holiness to question their own faith in the Buddha Dharma.
Moving on to what are the 4 Opponent powers.
- The 1st Opponent Power – Reliance (on the Triple Gem)
When it comes to Confession regarding having slandered the Buddha Dharma, the way to do it is to repeatedly take refuge in the Buddha Dharma and Sangha, and for those done against sentient beings, to meditate upon and to develop loving kindness and compassion to them.
If those Masters whom we may have slandered in the past had already departed, it is alright to perform such Confessions before an image or picture of the relevant Master or person who was representative of the Buddha Dharma.
Many of the Kadampa Masters of the past were known to travel with a little box or a tiny shrine known in Tibetan as a “Gawu”, in which they would place a small statue of the Buddha. This was the very image before which they would perform Confessions in respect of any transgressions which they committed in the course of the day.
Geshe la shared that the great Kadampa master Lama Atisha would bring with him on travels, a representative of the Triple Gem, representing the Buddha’s Body Speech and Mind, namely a Statue, a Sutra and a Stupa before whom he would Confess any transgressions. Our late guru Lama Zopa Rinpoche had a similar practice. He would carry these with items with him, and the stupa he brought along would contain the Sarira (relics) of his own root guru, the late Lama Yeshe. It was before these holy items that they would practise Confessions and also make offerings, even on their travels.
Some people ask: why do they have to go to such lengths to take these items along? Some believe that these practices also help to remove obstacles along their path, but that is just a by product. The main motivation dating back from the day, was to allow easy access to these holy reliquaries before one could practise Confessions and to whom the practitioner could make offerings as part of their day to day practices as well.
- The 2nd Opponent Power – Regret (not Guilt)
The stronger one regrets one’s negative actions, the more powerful the purification.
Once, there was a lady who had gone for an abortion when she was young- such an act causes the karma of killing to be complete. The lady regretted her actions very much and worked tremendously hard to practise Confession diligently and was thus able to achieve her goal of purification.
Let’s also think about the Buddhist sage Milarepa who killed almost 20 of his own relatives as a gesture of revenge. But due to his proper application of the 4 opponent powers, he managed to purify the negative karma from these heinous crimes in one lifetime.
There was another Arhat formerly known as Angulimala, who had, prior to meeting the Buddha, a teacher with Wrong Views who had said to (and misled) Angulimala thus: if you want to gain attainments and become an Arhat, you need to kill 1,000 people, and then also chop their finger off and wear them as a necklace! Angulimala then met the Buddha who saw that Angulimala had the potential to become enlightened and taught him the Dharma, after which Angulimala successfully purified the negative karma from his horrible crimes of the past, and attained Arhatship in that life.
- The 3rd Opponent Power – Remedial
The Lam Rim Chenmo tells us that certain remedial actions can be taken to reduce one’s negative karma. For instance, recitation of the Sutras, reflection on the emptiness of all phenomenon, recitation of mantras/ Dharanis such as the Vajrasattva Hudred Syllable Mantra or the 35 Confessional Buddhas, or the creation of images of the Buddhas such as Stupas and Tsatsas, generosity by donation towards the Buddha Dharma, doing prostrations etc.
- The 4th Opponent Power – Resolve not to do it again
This is actually the most important bit. When one has built a house, it is important to fasten the joints, to prevent moving parts from falling off or becoming mis-aligned. For instance, someone may be addicted to alcohol leading one to lose control and perform negative acts. If the individual does it yet again and again, he will not be able to make progress through the Confessional practices.
Let’s take Angulimala’s example again. He had taken a very strong vow not to kill or harm anyone else. He had killed many people, and the relatives of those victims actually harboured hatred for Angulimala. Time and again, they came to attack him. When he was attacked and beaten, Angulimala made a strong resolve not to retaliate, and vowed to not harm anyone even if he were beaten to death. That was the extent of his resolve.
So if we are able to apply the 4 Opponent Powers, they will be very powerful. Now, if we apply it at the very highest level, all negative karma can be purified. If it is of the middle level, then a large portion no doubt can be purified. But if it is of the small level, it will be a small purification but that is not to be under-estimated – it could potentially save one from rebirth in the Hells!
Purification can reduce negative karma, allow it to stay stagnant or totally eradicate it.
Now, some very highly accomplished masters are able to allow past negative karma to ripen in a manner that whilst appearing to normal people as serious, is actually ripening of karma in a far less serious way compared to, for instance, the effect of being born in the Hells. Many Masters are able to use their bouts of illness as a path of purification even if they may eventually succumb to these illnesses. Some people do not understand and ask: how is it that this highly accomplished master is ill from cancer, and succumbing to it. What people need to understand is that while the individual is indeed an accomplished practitioner in this lifetime, he or she has had countless of past lives during which he or she, like anyone else, is likely to have committed negative karma.
Even in the time of the Buddha, the Buddha’s foot was once pricked by a thorn and his foot bled. Those who witnessed the event were astonished and asked the Buddha how could this happen to the fully enlightened Buddha. Buddha explained that this arises from past negative karma. If that karma had not yet been purified, that karma will ripen. The Buddha relayed the story of how He had in a previous life, committed the karma of killing when He killed a merchant onboard a ship (which He was also onboard) as that merchant had plans to scupper the ship and kill all the others onboard in order to keep all the treasure and merchandise onboard for himself. The Buddha explained that this incident was the ripening of the karma of killing.
That is why we need to understand that once conditions are right, the effects of unpurified past negative karma will manifest.
Another example of karma being real and not imaginary dates back from when the Buddha was preaching the Dharma after He became enlightened. Many disciples were there to hear His teachings, apparently by chance, but that is not the case. These disciples had created the causes in their past lives to be there at that crucial point in time! That phenomenon itself was the effect of a prior precise cause.
The above can be contrasted with another individual who did not have that good fortune to meet the Buddha. When the Buddha had just been born, the Buddha’s father heard of this, and asked an astrologer to predict the child’s life. The astrologer predicted that He would become enlightened in his early thirties, but before he made his prediction, he said nothing but broke down and cried. The Buddha’s father, King Suddhona, was shocked and was worried that the astrologer had a negative prognosis for the child. The astrologer explained that He had cried because he realised he had not created sufficient positive karma to be able to listen to the Buddha’s teachings when He eventually became enlightened.
Now, even though we can’t meet the Buddha in person, we are nonetheless able to learn His teachings, and this is the result of some positive karma!
Geshe la emphasised that one should not despair, because all negative karma can be purified, so we should exert effort in our practices of purification. That explains why some people with serious transgressions may only experience mild retribution, but someone else with a small transgression may suffer from serious retribution!
The Maha Tare Team