Ritual Repentance Text

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

2.8

Word count: 847 words
Chapters: 2

Summary

For all offenses of body, I have fully repented. I take refuge and pay homage to the Three Jewels. With sincere heart I urge and invite the Buddhas of the ten directions, those present and those who have attained the Way. I request them to turn the Dharma wheel, to bring peace and happiness to all beings. All Buddhas of the ten directions, if they wish to relinquish their lives, I now bow face to the ground and urge them to remain long in the world. Having urged and invited, I take refuge and pay homage to the Three Jewels. With sincere heart I rejoice in all the merit of giving, of keeping precepts, cultivating meditation, and attaining wisdom, born from body, speech, and mind. All who have practiced and learned the Three Vehicles, those who have fulfilled the One Vehicle, immeasurable humans, gods, and multitudes—I rejoice in them all. Having rejoiced, I take refuge and pay homage to the Three Jewels. With sincere heart I dedicate all the meritorious deeds I have done, all brought together, for the sake of saving the many beings; I rightly dedicate them to the path of Buddhahood. Offenses should be repented thus. The merit of urging, inviting, and rejoicing I dedicate to bodhi. Having dedicated, I take refuge and pay homage to the Three Jewels. With sincere heart I make vows: may all beings alike awaken the bodhi mind, fix their minds and constantly remember all Buddhas of the ten directions. Again I vow that all beings may forever destroy all afflictions and clearly see the Buddha-nature, equal to Wonderful Virtue and the like.

Editor's review

This book collects Buddhist repentance ritual texts, covering the complete sequence of confession, invitation, rejoicing, dedication, and vow-making, with “taking refuge and paying homage to the Three Jewels” running throughout, presenting a clearly structured text for repentance practice. Its strength lies in preserving the original order and phrasing of the ritual, allowing readers to observe the logic of Buddhist confession: from confessing bodily offenses to urging the Buddhas to remain long in the world, then rejoicing in merit, dedicating it to bodhi, and finally vowing that all beings realize the Buddha-nature together—a progression that embodies the Mahayana spirit of benefiting both self and others. For readers studying Buddhist ritual, religious literature, or monastic practice, this book offers a primary text for comparison; for readers with a Buddhist background, it can serve as a reference for understanding the procedures and meaning of repentance ritual. When reading, one should keep the ritual context in mind; it is not meant to be read straight through like an ordinary essay, but experienced in light of Buddhist repentance tradition, with attention to its chanting rhythm and visualization sequence.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Scholars studying Buddhist ritual and religious literature
Learners interested in Buddhist repentance practice
Enthusiasts of religious culture who need to understand monastic confession procedures
Readers with a Buddhist background who wish to understand the meaning of repentance texts

Not a good fit for

Readers entirely unfamiliar with Buddhist ritual and classical Chinese expression
General readers seeking popular introductions to Buddhism
Non-religious readers looking for modern psychological methods of confession

Reading tips

First understand the basic procedure of repentance ritual, then read in the order of confession, invitation, rejoicing, dedication, and vow-making
Use reference materials on Buddhist ritual to understand how “taking refuge and paying homage to the Three Jewels” links the stages
When reciting, attend to the rhythm of the phrasing and appreciate the text’s function in chanting rather than merely scanning the words
Compare specific passages with related Buddhist scriptures to understand the intellectual background of the vows and dedication

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
礼忏文

FAQ

What ritual stages does the repentance text mainly include?

The ritual text in the book proceeds in order through confessing bodily offenses, urging the Buddhas of the ten directions to turn the Dharma wheel and remain long in the world, rejoicing in all merit, dedicating accumulated merit to bodhi, and vowing that beings awaken the bodhi mind and see the Buddha-nature. Each section concludes with “taking refuge and paying homage to the Three Jewels,” forming a complete sequence of repentance ritual.

Is this book suitable for learning the basics of Buddhism?

Not really. This book is a ritual text for repentance; both its language and content presuppose a background in Buddhist ritual and it offers no introductory explanation. Beginners should first read basic Buddhist works, then come to understand the specific meaning and ritual function of the text.

What should one pay attention to when reading the repentance text?

One should keep its ritual context in mind. Repentance texts are designed for chanting and visualization, with repetitive phrasing and a clear sequence; they are not meant to be read quickly like an ordinary essay. Understanding the place of concepts such as confession, rejoicing, and dedication in Buddhist practice helps readers grasp the overall structure of the ritual text.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.