慈悲道場懺法傳
Transmission of the Compassionate Dharma Assembly Repentance Ritual
此懺者梁武帝為皇后郗氏所集也。郗氏崩後數月。帝常追悼之。晝則忽忽不樂。宵乃耿耿不寐。居寢殿聞外有騷窣之聲。視之乃見一蟒盤躃上殿。睒睛呀口以向於帝。帝大驚駭無所逃遁。不得已蹶然而起謂蛇曰。朕宮殿嚴警非爾蛇類所生之處。必其𪥲孽欲祟朕耶。蛇為人語啟帝曰。蟒則昔之郗氏也。妾以生存嫉妬六宮。其性慘毒怒一發則火熾矢射損物害人死。以是罪謫為蟒耳。無飲食可實口。無窟穴可庇身。飢窘困迫力不自勝。又一鱗甲則有多虫唼嚙肌肉痛苦其劇若加錐刀為蟒非常蛇亦復變化而至。不以皇居深重為阻耳。感帝平昔眷妾之厚。故託醜形骸陳露於帝。祈一功德以見拯拔也。帝聞之嗚呼感激。既而求蟒遂不復見。帝明日大集沙門於殿庭宣其由。問善之最以贖其苦。
This repentance ritual was compiled by Emperor Wu of Liang for his Empress, Lady Xi. Several months after Lady Xi passed away, the emperor remained deeply sorrowful. By day, he was listless and joyless; by night, he lay restless and sleepless. While staying in his bedchamber, he heard a rustling sound from outside. Looking up, he saw a giant serpent slithering into the hall, its eyes gleaming and mouth gaping toward him. The emperor was terrified, with nowhere to flee. Compelled, he rose abruptly and said to the serpent, "My palace is strictly guarded—this is no place for your kind. Have you come with some evil intent to haunt me?"
The serpent replied in human speech, "This serpent is none other than your former Empress, Lady Xi. In life, I was jealous and cruel toward the ladies of the palace. My nature was vicious—when rage seized me, it blazed like fire, and my words shot forth like arrows, wounding others and bringing harm. For these sins, I have been condemned to rebirth as a serpent. I have no food to fill my mouth, no burrow to shelter my body. Starving, exhausted, and desperate, I lack the strength to endure. Moreover, each scale harbors countless insects that gnaw at my flesh—the pain is excruciating, as if pierced by awls and knives. Though I am no ordinary snake, I have taken this form to come to you, undeterred by the depth and majesty of the imperial palace. Moved by your past devotion to me, I have revealed this hideous form to beg your aid. I implore you to perform a virtuous deed to rescue me."
Upon hearing this, the emperor sighed with grief and compassion. But when he looked again, the serpent had vanished. The next day, he gathered a great assembly of monks in the palace courtyard, explained what had happened, and asked, "What is the most virtuous act I can perform to redeem her suffering?"
志公對曰非禮佛。懺滌悃欵方可。帝乃然其言。搜索佛經錄其名號。兼親抒睿思灑聖翰撰悔文共成十卷。皆採摭佛語削去閑詞。為其懺禮。又一日聞宮室內異香馥郁良久轉羙初不知所來。帝因仰視乃見一天人容儀端麗謂帝曰。此則蟒後身也。蒙帝功德已得生忉利天。今呈本身以為明驗也。慇懃致謝言訖不見。自梁迄今已數百年。得此經本虔敬禮懺所為所祈者皆有陰隲感應。猶恐厥事闇然未彰。輒以粗記用達諸耳目矣。
Zhigong replied, "It is not proper to simply worship the Buddha. One must first purify one's heart with sincere repentance." The Emperor accepted his words. He searched through the Buddhist scriptures, recorded the names of the Buddhas, and personally composed a text of repentance with profound wisdom and sacred brushstrokes, compiling it into ten volumes. All were drawn from the Buddha's own teachings, with extraneous words removed, to serve as the basis for repentance.
Another day, he suddenly smelled an extraordinary fragrance filling the palace, growing sweeter over time. At first, he did not know where it came from. The Emperor looked up and saw a heavenly being, dignified and beautiful, who said to him, "I am the transformed spirit of the serpent. Thanks to Your Majesty's merit, I have been reborn in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Now I appear in my true form as clear proof." After expressing heartfelt gratitude, the being vanished.
From the Liang Dynasty to the present, several hundred years have passed. Those who obtain this scripture and sincerely worship and repent with it find their prayers and actions answered with hidden blessings and spiritual responses. Fearing that this matter might remain obscure, I have recorded it briefly to make it known to all.
慈悲道場懺法卷第一
Compassionate Repentance Ritual, Volume 1
立此慈悲道場四字乃因夢感。
The phrase "Compassionate Practice Ground" was established because of a dream.
彌勒世尊。既慈隆即世。悲臻後劫。依事題名。弗敢移易。承此念力。欲守護三寶。令魔隱蔽。摧伏自大增上慢者。未種善根者。今當令種。已種善根者。今令增長。若計有所得住諸見者。皆悉令發捨離之心。樂小法者。令不疑大法。樂大法者。令生歡喜。又此慈悲諸善中王。一切眾生所歸依處。如日照晝。如月照夜。為人眼目。為人導師。為人父母。為人兄弟。同歸道場。為真知識。慈悲之親重於血肉。世世相隨雖死不離。故目等心。標號如上。
Maitreya, the World-Honored One, has manifested boundless compassion in this present age, extending his mercy even to the distant future. The title of this scripture is based on these profound deeds and cannot be altered. Through the power of this mindfulness, he seeks to protect the Three Jewels, to cause the demons to retreat and hide, and to subdue those who are filled with pride and arrogance.
For those who have not yet planted the seeds of virtue, he will now cause them to be planted. For those who have already planted these seeds, he will cause them to grow and flourish. For those who cling to views and believe they have attained something, he will inspire them to let go of such attachments. For those who delight in lesser teachings, he will dispel their doubts about the greater Dharma. For those who delight in the greater Dharma, he will fill them with joy.
Moreover, this compassion is the king of all virtues, the refuge for all beings. Like the sun that illuminates the day and the moon that lights the night, it is the eye and guide for humanity, a parent and a sibling to all. It leads everyone to the same path of awakening, serving as a true spiritual friend. The bond of compassion is deeper than flesh and blood, following us life after life, never parting even in death. Therefore, with a heart of equality, it is honored with the name above.
今日道場。幽顯大眾立此懺法。并發大心。有十二大因緣。何等十二。一者願化六道心無限齊。二者為報慈恩功無限齊。三者願以此善力。令諸眾生受佛禁戒不起犯心。四者以此善力。令諸眾生於諸尊長不起慢心。五者以此善力。令諸眾生在所生處不起恚心。六者以此善力。令諸眾生於他身色不起嫉心。七者以此善力。令諸眾生於內外法不起慳心。八者以此善力。令諸眾生凡所修福不為自身。悉為一切無覆護者。九者以此善力。令諸眾生不為自身行四攝法。十者以此善力。令諸眾生見有孤獨幽繫疾病起救濟心。令得安樂。十一者以此善力。若有眾生。應折伏者而折伏之。應攝受者而攝受之。十二者以此善力。令諸眾生在所生處恒自憶念發菩提心。令菩提心相續不斷。仰願幽顯凡聖大眾。同加覆護同加攝受。令(某甲)等(某甲字請各自稱名後皆例此)所悔清淨所願成就。等諸佛心同諸佛願。六道四生皆悉隨從滿菩提願淨三業法(淨身當洗浴淨口讚佛功德淨意運心懺悔三業既淨。乃可標心歸依三寶大慈悲父)。
Today, in this place of practice, the assembly of beings both visible and unseen establishes this method of repentance. Together, we arouse the great resolve, which arises from twelve great causes and conditions. What are these twelve?
First, we vow to guide all beings of the six realms with a heart that knows no bounds. Second, we vow to repay the boundless kindness and merit of our parents. Third, by the power of this goodness, may all beings uphold the Buddha’s precepts and never give rise to a mind that breaks them. Fourth, by the power of this goodness, may all beings never give rise to a mind of arrogance toward elders and those worthy of respect. Fifth, by the power of this goodness, may all beings, wherever they are born, never give rise to a mind of anger or hatred. Sixth, by the power of this goodness, may all beings never give rise to a mind of envy toward the appearance or qualities of others. Seventh, by the power of this goodness, may all beings never give rise to a mind of stinginess toward inner qualities or external possessions. Eighth, by the power of this goodness, may all beings practice virtuous deeds not for themselves alone, but entirely for the sake of all who are unprotected and unsheltered. Ninth, by the power of this goodness, may all beings practice the four means of embracing others not for their own sake. Tenth, by the power of this goodness, may all beings, upon seeing those who are lonely, imprisoned, or ill, give rise to a mind of relief and aid, enabling them to attain peace and happiness. Eleventh, by the power of this goodness, may all beings subdue those who should be subdued and embrace those who should be embraced. Twelfth, by the power of this goodness, may all beings, wherever they are born, constantly remember and give rise to the mind of enlightenment, ensuring this mind continues unbroken.
We humbly pray that the assembly of beings, both visible and unseen, worldly and sacred, together extend their protection and embrace. May [so-and-so] and all practitioners achieve purity in repentance and fulfillment in aspiration. May our hearts be equal to the hearts of the Buddhas, and our vows be one with the vows of the Buddhas. May all beings of the six realms and four forms of birth follow along, fulfilling the vow for enlightenment and purifying the practices of body, speech, and mind.
(To purify the body, one should bathe; to purify speech, praise the merits of the Buddha; to purify the mind, apply the heart to repentance. Once the three actions are purified, one can then wholeheartedly take refuge in the Three Jewels, the great compassionate father.)
歸依三寶第一 斷疑第二 懺悔第三發菩提心第四 發願第五 發迴向心第六
Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels, First. Resolving Doubts, Second. Repentance, Third. Arousing the Bodhi Mind, Fourth. Making Vows, Fifth. Dedicating Merit, Sixth.