8th Condition to Arise Bodhi Mind
Being Repentant of Karmic Hindrances
Master Xing’an (1686–1734), the 11th Patriarch of the Chinese Pure Land School, has composed “An Inspiration to Give Rise to the Bodhi Mind” when he experienced sudden enlightenment and generated the great vows of enlightenment for all sentient beings.
Master Xing’an emphasized the importance of generating the true Bodhi mind and making a vow in cultivation, urging that our goal is to be reborn in the Western Pure Land and then we will return to this world to liberate other sentient beings.
An Inspiration to Give Rise to the Bodhi Mind
Eighth Criterion: Being repentant of karmic hindrances
What is being repentant of karmic hindrances?
The sutra says,
“Even committing the tiniest wrongdoing will result in hell for the duration of five hundred years of four heavenly kings.”
It must be indescribable for committing a major wrongdoing. For what we consume and use, for every thought and action, we break the precepts constantly. For each meal and drink we violate numerous precepts.
In a day, we make countless errors. In a lifetime, our errors must be incalculable. Nine out of ten people cannot uphold even the five precepts. Most of them also hide their offenses, instead of honestly repenting.
The five precepts are only precepts for laypeople, yet they are not upheld. If we cannot uphold them, then how much more difficult it is for the sramanera, bhiksu, and bodhisattva precepts. In name, we may be a bhiksu. In fact, we are not even an upasaka. Should we not be ashamed?
Once we have received the precept, we should uphold it and not break it. Once we break the precept, it will cause us to retreat from the Way.
If we fail to take pity on ourselves and others, or we hurt ourselves and others, we should weep and repent our wrongdoings with our sincere mind and body in front of all sentient beings. Otherwise, it would be difficult to escape from our unwholesome karma for ten thousand kalpas. This is the eighth cause and condition for the initiation of Bodhi mind.
Continued …
Ninth criterion: Aspiring toward rebirth in the Pure Land
Ten Causes and Conditions that Help Initiate the Bodhi Mind
The Bodhi mind is the king of all wholesomeness, yet there must be some causes and conditions that lead one to set one’s mind on Bodhi. Here are ten causes and conditions that help one to initiate the Bodhi mind.
- Being mindful of the Buddha’s deep kindness.
- Being mindful of our parents’ deep kindness.
- Being mindful of our teachers’ deep kindness.
- Being mindful of our benefactors’ deep kindness.
- Being mindful of all sentient beings’ deep kindness.
- Being mindful of the suffering of life and death.
- Having respect for our own spiritual being.
- Being repentant of karmic hindrances.
- Aspiring toward rebirth in the Pure Land.
- Being mindful of the importance of preserving the right Dharma for a long time.
The above is excerpted from the masterpiece “An Inspiration to Give Rise to the Bodhi Mind” (勸發菩提心文) authored by Master Xing’an 省庵大師 (1686–1734), originally composed in Chinese and was translated into English. Translation credits to Fo Guang Shan International Translation Center.
