What are the misdeeds that we need to confess?
【Explanation of the Confession to the 35 Buddhas Practice - Notice 6】What are the misdeeds that we need to confess?
By Teacher Zhen-Ru, 15/12/2017
With reference to the book “Explanation of the Confession to the 35 Buddhas Practice”, page 132, from L13.
Scriptural quote: “Be it my current life, be it my previous lives, from beginningless time, for all negative karmic deeds performed by myself within all samsaric cycles and realms, or have instigated/influenced others to similarly perform, or have rejoiced in seeing others perform thus…” – this is the overall general statement. The extensive explanation elaborates further, “Whether unethically pilfering monetary wealth from holy institutions (i.e., stupas/temples, etc), possessions of the Sangha community in the ten directions; and this includes instigating others to do so, or have rejoiced in seeing others do so”. Further on, the sutra stated, “Or have performed the five heinous crimes, or have instigated others to do so, or have rejoiced in seeing others do so.” For the last portion, we have the ten non-virtues – “…shown interest (be it in thoughts, speech or action) in the ten non-virtues, or have instigated others to do so, or have rejoiced in seeing others do so.” The above-mentioned points tell us of the negative karmic deeds that we need to discern and recognize.
What does it specifically mean to “discern and recognize”? This means we need to know this is a misdeed. The first is to know a misdeed. The second is to know the misdeeds that are being confessed. First, we have to recognize a particular behaviour is classified as a negative deed. Let us take an example of the three mental poisons (greed, anger and ignorance). When one blows his top due to anger/hatred, he should not misconstrue such behaviour as being valiant and rejoice about it, and also not know that anger/hatred is part of the ten non-virtues that have negative karmic consequences. As for greed, this is also one of the ten non-virtues. When thoughts of greed or its corresponding behaviour arises, and yet one does not regard that to be a negative deed, but rejoice over it, thinking how fortunate he is and continues to gloat over it. In actual fact, this is a misdeed and is exactly what we need to confess.
We may think that we are very clear in recognizing the misdeeds. However, when negative deeds start arising in our minds, are we really able to clearly discern and recognize these are misdeeds? There is another, for example, when we are working on our confessions, it is stated “…recognize the misdeeds we are confessing…” Sometimes, we may have a habitual thought-pattern where we say to ourselves,” Do we really have to especially decipher the misdeeds? Isn’t it obvious that we can recognize them and therefore confess about them?”. However, after we attempt to discern and recognize, with regards to asking someone else to perform such deeds, are we able to clearly discern this? Are we used to such discernment and recognition? There is also the part on rejoicing when others are doing the misdeeds.
We will confess to misdeeds of this life, those that we remember clearly. However, with regards to those misdeeds since beginningless time for the past eons until now, are we able to confess to all the misdeeds of the ten non-virtues etc, including any pilfering acts towards the Triple Gem, or those that we have instigated others to perform? Will we know to confess all of these? If we do not learn, it will be very difficult to know these are what we need to confess. In addition, there were those acts where we had rejoiced others in doing during our past lives, and had felt happy when we saw the acts. All of these are to be included as part of what we need to confess about. In summary, when we are discerning and identifying the misdeeds that we need to confess, from when do we start taking account of them? It is since beginningless time, wherever we are born, in whatever form, all those that are mentioned above, whether the deeds are performed by ourselves personally, or instigating others to do so, or rejoicing others in doing so – all these are misdeeds that we need to confess.
【三十五佛忏讲记—预告 6】什么是我要忏的“罪”？
参考书本位置：《吾愿无悔：三十五佛忏讲记》第 132 页第 13 行起
经文：“若我此生，若我前生，从无始生死以来，于一切轮回受生处中造作罪业，或教他作，或见作随喜。”这是总的。广的就是：“或夺取塔庙信财、僧财、以及十方僧物，或教他作，或见作随喜。”下面是：“或造五无间罪，或教他作，或见作随喜。”就是教他作或见作随喜五无间罪。最后一个是十不善：“或趣入十种不善业道而正受取，或教他趣，或见趣随喜。”上面列举的这些都是我们需要辨识的罪。
什么叫“辨识”啊？就是要知道这个是罪。第一点这是罪，第二点要知道所忏的这些罪。第一要知道这是罪，比如说贪瞋痴，不要有人发了瞋恨还觉得自己很英勇，还自己随喜，不知道瞋恨是属于十业道门的一种恶业。还有贪心，是十不善业道所摄的，贪心发作的时候，不以为是恶业，还自己随喜，觉得好像自己很幸福、很高兴的样子。实际上这是罪，这是所忏的罪。
我们会觉得我们对罪的辨识是很清晰的，可能会有这种认识。但是当罪真正在心续中出现的时候，是否当下能够辨识到这就是罪呢？还有一个，比如忏悔的时候，这里边说”辨识所忏之罪“，可能我们有一个最习惯的思路就是：“罪还用特别去辨识吗？我们都知道什么是罪啊，都知道应该忏什么。”但实际上这上面辨识完了之后，比如教他作的部分，辨识得清楚吗？会习惯辨识吗？还有见作随喜。
我们会忏今生做的恶业、记得清楚的恶业；会忏悔无始劫来到现在我们所造的十恶业等等，什么夺取塔庙信财这些，甚至过去生教他作的，会知道忏这个吗？不学习是很难知道这个是我要忏悔的。还有见作随喜，见别人做这些、我过去生高兴的那些，是全部要在忏悔的范围内的。所以辨识所忏的罪，它的时间是多长啊？无始劫来到一切受生之处所有这里边列举的这些恶业，我自己做的、教他作的，还有看到人家做随喜的，全部都是所忏的罪。