自忏悯众　林钰堂

返观己过诚愿改，环顾众苦衷心悲；
念佛礼忏消业障，法露遍洒长菩提。

跋

修行者能觉察自己的过失，才是消减我执的开端。觉察己过之后，诚心悔改才能消业增慧。宜以念佛、拜忏来补过。环顾众生深陷纠缠之苦，不宜自己再随之深堕计较、批评之中，而应为一切众生而向诸佛、菩萨祈祷早得解脱之安乐，从而长养自己的慈悲胸怀与气度。进而努力修习佛法，并尽力弘扬，使有缘见闻者皆能受到法益。如此，则自己与有缘者的菩提心皆得以长养、茁壮。自忏、悯众，双管齐下；福慧圆证，有日可期。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　一九九九年四月六日
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　养和斋　　　于加州

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Repent One's Faults and Compassionate Others

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Repent One's Faults and Compassionate Others　 Yutang Lin

Reflecting on one's faults and sincerely repent;
Looking around to see suffering of beings, truly sad.
Chanting and prostrating to reduce karmic debts;
Sprinkling nectar of Dharma everywhere to grow Bodhi.

Comment:

When a practitioner becomes aware of his own faults then is the beginning of his reduction of self-centered grasping. Only with earnest desire to repent can karmic debts be reduced and wisdom grow. It is appropriate to repent through chanting a Buddha's holy name or prostrating to a Buddha image. Looking around one would see sentient beings engulfed in whirlpools of entanglement, hence it is inappropriate to follow suit in engaging in criticism and haggling. Instead, one should pray to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for all sentient beings to soon attain the peace and joy of ultimate liberation. In this way one may cultivate one's compassionate attitude and frame of mind. Furthermore, one should learn and practice the Dharma with great efforts, and try to propagate Buddhist teachings so that whoever has the opportunity to come across it would be benefited. Thus, the Bodhi mind would sprout and grow sturdy in all who comes across Buddhist teachings. Repenting over one's faults and constantly be compassionate toward others, both working side by side would ensure the realization of harmonious unification of complete wisdom and merits.

Written in Chinese: April 6, 1999
Translated: September 18, 1999
El Cerrito, California

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