無生懺=the repentance of non-arising; 實相懺悔=the repentance of the true nature; 六根懺悔=the repentance of the six roots; 普賢=Samantabhadra; 罪性本空=the ultimate empty nature of sin
Samantabhadra-bodhisattva-dhyana-carya-dharma-sutra, written after the Lotus Sutra, propagates the thought of repentance. It had affected the Repentance Ritual of Saddharma-pundarika-samadhi by Chi－i, and influences the establishment of the repentance rituals in later times and hence is vital to the cultivation and spreading of the repentance practices of Chinese Buddhism. Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, who rides on a six-tusk white elephant, is perfect in his virtues and wisdom. His wholesome deeds benefit all beings, and hence is representative of Maha-yana bodhisattvas. Based on the standpoint of the Lotus Sutra, it also says Samantabhadra Bodhisattva is a sage that leads cultivators to repent and enlighten into the Truth Reality of Maha-yana. The sutra also develops further the teachings of “protecting the six roots” of the Agama and “purifying the six roots” of the Lotus Sutra, and offers feasible and meaningful suggestions for repentance practice, such as thinging the Buddha, chanting sutras, prostrating, openly making confession, and doing repentance through the Truth Reality. The sutra tells of two types of repentance practice: that of form and that of no-form. Among these practices, the repentance of the six roots and the repentance of the true nature are of special feature. About the former, one’s six roots have made many bad karma in infinite eons due to one’s ignorance and attachment to desire and so one has to bear sufferings. In order to get rid of these, he should sincerely repent all his unwholesome deeds through the repentance of the six roots. With regards to the latter - the repentance of the true nature, one realizes that dharmas only arise due to his illusive mind. In fact they neither arise nor cease, and neither increase nor decrease. Not a single subject whatsoever creates them, and so the nature of his sin is ultimately empty. This kind of thorough repentance purges one’s mind from the form of sin and hence he will no longer make any bad karma, in turn his cultivation will be elevated to a higher level. This thesis aims to explore the content and meaning of the Repentance Thought of the Samantabhadra-bodhisattva-dhyana-carya-dharma-sutra, and hopes to provide modern practitioners with a new notion and means of cultivation so as to bring peace of mind.
