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Chapter 2 - Confession of Negativity

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The understanding and practice of bodhicitta depends on the knowledge of the stories, key concepts, texts, and people associated with it. Explore these various aspects to gain a better understanding of bodhicitta, the desire to seek the ultimate happiness for all sentient beings.

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Concise Summary of Essential Points

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Chapter 1 introduces us to the incredible qualities and vast intent of bodhicitta, the mind wishing to attain complete enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. We may feel tremendous appreciation for this incredible altruistic thought. Its great depth and profundity may inspire us to begin the process of cultivating that noble mind, but we need to know how to set out on that journey.

The Supreme Worship

In chapters 2 and 3, Śāntideva provides us with a framework within which to begin the journey of cultivating bodhicitta, the seven-limb prayer. This is one form of the ancient Buddhist practice of the supreme worship (anuttarā pūja), which includes the practices of accumulating merit and purifying the negative actions that we have performed. This practice dates back to at least the fourth century CE, and in its shortest form it is literally seven lines. The roots of this prayer are found in the Mahāyāna sūtra entitled Samantabhadra's Prayer Called The King of Prayers (Samantabhadracarīpraṇidhānarāja), which makes up the last section of the Gaṇḍavyūha in the Avataṃsakasūtra.

This second chapter contains the first three branches of the supreme worship—the practices of prostration or paying homage, making offerings, and the confession of negative actions. In this chapter, Śāntideva also adds the central practice of taking refuge to the traditional seven-limb prayer, to make a total of eight limbs or branches.

The initial part of the chapter, verses 1 to 23, actually starts with the practice of making offerings. We make offerings primarily to the Three Jewels—the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha. These offerings include things we ourselves possess and manifestly offer up, but they also encompass the wonderful things of the entire universe—such as elements of natural beauty not personally owned by anyone—as well as the virtue we have performed throughout all of our lifetimes, whether through physical, verbal, or mental actions. It is also considered very positive to imagine many wonderful places, environments, or things and to offer these up as well.

There are also verses of homage and prostrations to the Three Jewels. We pay reverence to them for the incredible qualities of wisdom and compassion that they possess.

Refuge

Śāntideva then describes one of the key elements of a Buddhist practitioner's life: taking refuge in the Three Jewels. Refuge is a practice shared by all the Buddhist traditions across the world, although here, in the context of the conduct of a bodhisattva, there is special emphasis on Mahāyāna refuge.

Until the essence of enlightenment is reached, I go for refuge to the Buddhas. Also I take refuge in the Dharma And in all the host of Bodhisattvas.

Verse 2.26

[ src citation ]The Way of the Bodhisattva (2006)
Page(s) 41
Blankleder, Helena, and Wulstan Fletcher (Padmakara Translation Group), trans. The Way of the Bodhisattva: A Translation of the Bodhicharyāvatāra. By Śāntideva. Rev. ed. Shambhala Classics. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2006.

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བྱང་ཆུབ་སྙིང་པོར་མཆིས་ཀྱི་བར། །

སངས་རྒྱས་རྣམས་ལ་སྐྱབས་སུ་མཆི། ། ཆོས་དང་བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་དཔའ་ཡི། །

ཚོགས་ལའང་དེ་བཞིན་སྐྱབས་སུ་མཆི། །

This means that we take refuge in the Three Jewels as our guides and sources of protection but with the specific purpose of attaining complete enlightenment for the welfare of all. This refuge is maintained until we reach the state of buddhahood. It is not a process of asking for another powerful and omnipotent force to help us out. It is an active process of training one's own mind. The Buddha very clearly stated that he can only show us the path but that it is up to us to actually walk that path.

Confession of Our Negative Actions

Having oriented ourselves with refuge, we need to create a stable ground on which the qualities and practices can be built. If we look closely, we may understand how a lot of our lives have been characterized by harmful actions of body, speech, and mind. We do not need to look any further than this life to see that there are many negative things which we have done, which have either directly or indirectly harmed other sentient beings. At times we have rejoiced in being negative and have even encouraged others to join in. If we bring in the perspective of past lives, then there must be countless actions which we need to feel remorse for and to purify. This is not supposed to make us feel bad about ourselves or cause us to sink into guilt. We are not trying to beat ourselves up but to recognize the reality of who we are and where we are. Confession is not an avoidance of responsibility. Indeed, it is the opposite. We approach all these past negative actions with the goal of relinquishing negative habits and moving forward positively. The second half of the chapter, from verse 27 until the end, focuses on the process and sentiment of disclosing our actions through confession. We then purify our negative actions through wisdom that understands what we did, and we make a commitment to not repeat the same mistakes. This is done in a formal way through the four antidotal forces or strengths, such as the force of regretting what one has done wrong, which are explained more fully in the introductory essay.

Avoiding Laziness

Even though we may be inspired by the spirit of bodhicitta and now have the tools at our disposal to start building a solid foundation for our Dharma practice, it is easy for us to get sidetracked or to lose sight of our long-term goals.

We may easily become lazy and drawn into the byways of distraction. To counteract this, Śāntideva forcefully points out to us that we cannot wait for tomorrow. Verses 32 to 45 provide us with powerful reminders of how everything, including our own lives, is momentary, in a state of constant flux.

We cannot trust the wanton Lord of Death. The task complete or still to do, he will not wait. In health or sickness, therefore, none of us can trust Our fleeting, momentary lives.

Verse 2.33

[ src citation ]The Way of the Bodhisattva (2006)
Page(s) 42
Blankleder, Helena, and Wulstan Fletcher (Padmakara Translation Group), trans. The Way of the Bodhisattva: A Translation of the Bodhicharyāvatāra. By Śāntideva. Rev. ed. Shambhala Classics. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2006.

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ཡིད་བརྟན་མི་རུང་འཆི་བདག་འདི། །

བྱས་དང་མ་བྱས་མི་སྡོད་པས། ། ན་དང་མི་ན་ཀུན་གྱིས་ཀྱང་། །

གློ་བུར་ཚེ་ལ་ཡིད་མི་བརྟན། །

We, as individuals, those for whom we engaged in negative actions, and those whom we harmed in the process will all eventually pass. Death will not wait for us to finish all that we have planned, and nothing but our Dharma practice can help us at the time of death.

These verses are there to inspire us to ensure we do not pass away with so much negativity left unresolved. We will carry forward the effects of those actions imprinted on our mental continuums, and in the future we may be born in realms of great suffering. There is no way to avoid the unwanted and painful results of these negative actions if we cannot overcome them.

Understanding the fragility of our situation, we are encouraged to confess everything right away and to rid ourselves of all our destructive habits. The remaining verses, from verse 54 until the end of the chapter, relate an essential part of the confession process—that is, to regret what we have done and to promise to restrain ourselves from ever doing it again. There must be some commitment moving forward, a real positive sense of change of direction. Without this sincere commitment, the process of purification will not be complete.

Additional resources

Learn About Śāntideva's Texts

Bodhicaryāvatāra
The Way of the Bodhisattva

An "Introduction to Bodhisattva Practice," the Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra is a poem about the path of a bodhisattva, in ten chapters, written by the Indian Buddhist Śāntideva (fl. c. 685–763). One of the masterpieces of world literature, it is a core text of Mahāyāna Buddhism and continues to be taught, studied, and commented upon in many languages and by many traditions around the world. The main subject of the text is bodhicitta, the altruistic aspiration for enlightenment, and the path and practices of the bodhisattva, the six perfections (pāramitās). The text forms the basis of many contemporary discussions of Buddhist ethics and philosophy.

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Śikṣāsamuccaya
The Compendium of Training

The Compendium of Training is an anthology of excerpts from the Mahāyāna sūtras that discusses the bodhisattva path and principles in much greater length and detail., Śikṣāsamuccaya (T. Bslab pa kun las btus pa; C. Dasheng ji pusa xue lun; J. Daijōjū bosatsugakuron; K. Taesǔng chip posal hak non 大乘集菩薩學論). In Sanskrit, "Compendium of Training," a work by the eighth-century Indian Mahāyāna master Śāntideva. It consists of twenty-seven stanzas on the motivation and practice of the bodhisattva, including bodhicitta, the six perfections (pāramitā), the worship of buddhas and bodhisattvas, the benefits of renunciation, and the peace derived from the knowledge of emptiness (śūnyatā). The topic of each of the stanzas receives elaboration in the form of a prose commentary by the author as well as in illustrative passages, often quite extensive, drawn from a wide variety of Mahāyāna sūtras. Some ninety-seven texts are cited in all, many of which have been lost in their original Sanskrit, making the Śikṣāsamuccaya an especially important source for the textual history of Indian Buddhism. These citations also offer a window into which sūtras were known to a Mahāyāna author in eighth-century India. The digest of passages that Śāntideva provides was repeatedly drawn upon by Tibetan authors in their citations of sūtras. Although Śāntideva's Bodhicaryāvatāra and Śikṣāsamuccaya both deal with similar topics, the precise relation between the two texts is unclear. Several of the author's verses appear in both texts and some of the sūtra passages from the Śikṣāsamuccaya also appear in the Bodhicaryāvatāra. One passage in the Bodhicaryāvatāra also refers readers to the Śikṣāsamuccaya, but this line does not occur in the Dunhuang manuscript of the text and may be a later interpolation. (Source: "Śikṣāsamuccaya." In The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, 821. Princeton University Press, 2014. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.)

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Recommended Texts Related to Chapter 2

Triskandhakasūtra

The Sūtra of the Three Heaps (Skt. Triskandhakasūtra; Tib. 'Phags pa phung po gsum pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po'i mdo, Toh 284) is a Mahāyāna liturgical sūtra set at hermitage called chos kyi dbye dgon pa. Its first part is an extended practice in which the practitioner offers homage, makes offerings, confesses all obscuring karma, rejoices in the virtue of all beings, exhorts the buddhas to turn the wheel of Dharma, and supplicates them not to pass into nirvāṇa. The practitioner then takes all roots of virtue as their own, dedicates them to awakening, and generates bodhicitta on the model of past buddhas and bodhisattvas. In the second part, Mañjuśrī teaches the bodhisattva Sarvadharmapratijñāsthita the "irreproachable" heaps of confession, rejoicing, exhortation, supplication, and dedication, understood in the light of emptiness and non-apprehension. This text should be distinguished from the popular confession liturgy addressed to the thirty-five buddhas, widely recited as the "Three Heaps" or Bodhisattva's Confession of Downfalls. That liturgy circulates under the same Tibetan title, 'Phags pa phung po gsum pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po'i mdo, but its content is an excerpt from the Upāliparipṛcchā (Toh 68), which itself calls the practice the "Dharma discourse of the Three Heaps." It is the Upāliparipṛcchā passage, not Toh 284, that Śāntideva quotes in the Śikṣāsamuccaya (ch. 8) and prescribes for recitation three times by day and three times by night in the Bodhicaryāvatāra (5.98).

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Ratnolkādhāraṇīsūtra

The Dhāraṇī of the Jewel Torch starts with a profound conversation between the Buddha and the bodhisattvas Samantabhadra and Mañjuśrī on the nature of the dharmadhātu, buddhahood, and emptiness. The bodhisattva Dharmamati then enters the meditative absorption called the infinite application of the bodhisattva's jewel torch and, at the behest of the millions of buddhas who have blessed him, emerges from it to teach how bodhisattvas arise from the presence of a tathāgata and progress to the state of omniscience. Following Dharmamati's detailed exposition of the "ten categories" or progressive stages of a bodhisattva, the Buddha briefly teaches the mantra of the dhāraṇī and then, for most of the remainder of the text, encourages bodhisattvas in a long versified passage in which he recounts teachings by a bodhisattva called Bhadraśrī on the qualities of bodhisattvas and buddhas. Some verses from this passage on the virtues of faith have been widely quoted in both India and Tibet. (Source: 84000)

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Rājāvavādakasūtra

Sutra of Advice to the King (Skt. Rājāvavādakasūtra; Tib. འཕགས་པ་རྒྱལ་པོ་ལ་དམས་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ།, Wyl. 'phags pa rgyal po la gdams pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po'i mdo) — The main topic of this sutra is impermanence. (Source: Rigpawiki)

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Ākāśagarbhasūtra

While the Buddha is dwelling on Khalatika Mountain with his retinue, an amazing display of light appears, brought about by the bodhisattva Ākāśagarbha’s liberating activities. As he joins the gathering, Ākāśagarbha manifests another extraordinary display, and the Buddha, praising his inconceivable accomplishments and activities, explains how to invoke his blessings. He sets out the fundamental transgressions of rulers, ministers, śrāvakas, and beginner bodhisattvas, and, after explaining in detail how to conduct the rituals of purification, encourages those who have committed such transgressions to turn to Ākāśagarbha. When people pray to Ākāśagarbha, Ākāśagarbha adapts his manifestations to suit their needs, appearing to them while they are awake, in their dreams, or at the time of their death. In this way, Ākāśagarbha gradually leads them all along the path, helping them to purify their negative deeds, relieve their sufferings, fulfill their wishes, and eventually attain perfect enlightenment. (Source: 84000)

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Bhadracaryāpraṇidhānarāja

༄༅། །འཕགས་པ་བཟང་པོ་སྤྱོད་པའི་སྨོན་ལམ་གྱི་རྒྱལ་པོ་བཞུགས།

The King of Aspiration Prayers: Samantabhadra’s “Aspiration to Good Actions” (Zangchö Mönlam) from the Gaṇḍavyūha chapter of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra. Many translations of this text exist as it is regularly chanted around the world in many different traditions. For an example, see Lotsawa House.

Bhadracarīpranidhāna. (T. Bzang po spyod pa'i smon lam; C. Puxian pusa xingyuan zan; J. Fugen bosatsu gyōgansan; K. Pohyǒn posal haengwǒn ch'an 普賢菩薩行願讚). In Sanskrit, "Vows of Good Conduct," the last section of the Gaṇḍavyūha in the Avataṃsakasūtra and one of the most beloved texts in all of Mahāyāna Buddhism; also known as the Samantabhadracarīpraṇidhānarāja. The Bhadracarīpraṇidhāna focuses on the ten great vows (praṇidhāna) taken by Samantabhadra to realize and gain access to the dharmadhātu, which thereby enable him to benefit sentient beings. The ten vows are: (1) to pay homage to all the buddhas, (2) to praise the tathāgatas, (3) to make unlimited offerings, (4) to repent from one's transgressions in order to remove karmic hindrances (cf. karmāvaraṇa), (5) to take delight in others' merit, (6) to request the buddhas to turn the wheel of dharma (dharmacakrapravartana), (7) to request the buddhas to continue living in the world, (8) always to follow the teachings of the Buddha, (9) always to comply with the needs of sentient beings, and (10) to transfer all merit to sentient beings for their spiritual edification. The text ends with a stanza wishing that sentient beings still immersed in evil be reborn in the Pure Land of Amitābha. The text was translated into Chinese in 754 by Amoghavajra (705–774). Other Chinese recensions appear in the Wenshushili fayuan jing ("Scripture on the Vows made by Mañjuśrī"), translated in 420 by Buddhabhadra (359–429), which corresponds to the verse section from Ru busiyi jietuo jingjie Puxian xingyuan pin, the last roll of the forty-roll recension of the Huayan jing translated by Prajña in 798. (There is no corresponding version in either the sixty- or the eighty-roll translations of the

Huajan jing.) The verses are also called the "Précis of the Huayan jing (Lüe Huayan jing), because they are believed to constitute the core teachings of the Avataṃsakasūtra. In the main Chinese recension by Amoghavajra, the text consists of sixty-two stanzas, each consisting of quatrains with lines seven Sinographs in length, thus giving a total number of 1,736 Sinographs. In addition to the sixty-two core stanzas, Amoghavajra's version adds ten more stanzas of the Bada pusa zan ("Eulogy to the Eight Great Bodhisattvas") from the Badapusa mantuluo jing ("Scripture of the Maṇḍalas of the Eight Great Bodhisattvas") . . . Buddhabhadra's version consists of forty-four stanzas with 880 Sinographs, each stanza consisting of a quatrain with lines five Sinographs in length. Prajña's version contains fifty-two stanzas with each quatrain consisting of lines seven Sinographs in length. There are five commentaries on the text attributed to eminent Indian exegetes, including Nāgārjuna, Dignāga, and Vasubandhu, which are extant only in Tibetan translation. In the Tibetan tradition, the prayer is called the "king of prayers" (smon lam gyi rgyal po). It is incorporated into many liturgies; the opening verses of the prayer are commonly incorporated into a Tibetan's daily recitation. (Source: "Bhadracarīpraṇidhāna." In The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, 106. Princeton University Press, 2014. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.)

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Caturdharmakasūtra

In this short sūtra the Buddha explains that throughout one's life there are four beliefs one should not hold: (1) that there is pleasure to be found among women, (2) or at the royal court; (3) that happiness can be ensured by depending on health and attractiveness, (4) or on wealth and material possessions. (Source: 84000)

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Prātimokṣasūtra

Prātimokṣasūtra. (T. So sor thar pa'i mdo; C. Jie ben; J. Kaihon; K. Kye pon 根本). In Sanskrit, "Sūtra on the Code," a scripture that provides a separate listing of the code of conduct and monastic rules (prātimokṣa) for monks (bhikṣu) and for nuns (bhikṣunī). Several of the mainstream Buddhist schools, including the Mahāsāṃghika and Mūlasarvāstivāda schools, had a separate text, called the Pratimokṣasūtra, that listed the prātimokṣa rules for monks and for nuns. There is no such separate text in the Theravāda school, where the pāṭimokkha is included in the suttavibhaṅga, the first major section of the Pāli Vinayapiṭaka, which includes the mahāvibhaṅga with the rules for monks and the bhikkunīvibhaṅga with the rules for nuns. (Source: "Prātimokṣasūtra." In The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, 667. Princeton University Press, 2014. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.)

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Recommended Books Related to Chapter 2

The Confession of Downfalls

The Confession of Downfalls contains translations along with extensive commentaries to the two main sutra and tantra practices of mental purification in Tibetan Buddhism, the Sutra of Three Heaps and the visualization and mantra recitation of Vajrasattva. The commentaries include excerpts from a śāstra by the Indian master Nāgārjuna to the Sūtra of Three Heaps and both practices are supplemented by verbally transmitted commentaries from the Tibetan lamas Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey, Geshe Rabten, Tubten Zopa Rinpoche, and Gegen Kyentse. (Source Accessed Feb 23, 2026)

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Maintaining the Bodhisattva Vow and the Bodhicitta Precepts

When the Bodhisattva vow is taken, it should be renewed three times or six times in each twenty-four hour period. If, due to the normal pressures of daily existence, three times is impossible, then the vow should be renewed at least once or twice a day. Great benefit will accrue from this daily practice. The habit of renewing the vow and reviewing one's daily activities will protect one more and more from

negative influences and increase virtuous propensities.

The Bodhisattva mind is pure and stainless, without fault, and naturally possessing all transcendental knowledge. This is the result. For the beginner, the vow is to this great goal like the seed is to a great tree. It must be nurtured in order to bear fruit. However, if this is done according to the instructions contained in this book, the result will follow with absolute certainty.

The practitioner, whether new or old to this tradition, should view this book as a set of precious instructions. But this is only half the treasure map. The other half is the practitioner's attitude. Just like a worldly treasure it will never be found if the instructions are not followed. Reviewing the vow each day will remind the practitioner of the importance of the Six Paramitas. Contemplating the Paramitas

and practicing them will help develop humility and devotion. The practitioner will gradually come to realize the profound interconnections and wisdom contained in this book. (preface, Lama Lodrö)

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Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life: An Oral Explanation of Chapter 1

This book contains a lightly edited transcript of Kyabje Gelek Rinpoche's oral explanations of Chapter One of Shantideva's Bodhisattvacharyavatara, A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life. Rinpoche gave these teachings as a series on Tuesday nights in Ann Arbor, Michigan, from May to October 1996. . . .

The English translation Rinpoche uses throughout is that by Stephen Batchelor, published by the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives. Since Rinpoche frequently makes reference to Tibetan words and phrasing, the Tibetan translation of the Sanskrit original is included in Wylie transliteration in Appendix I.

Appendices II to IV consist of material presented during the period of these teachings that was not strictly a part of the oral explanation of the Bodhisattvacharyavatara, yet may be of interest to the reader. They include a discussion by Rinpoche of the Seven-Limb Practice, and a Dharma talk by Kyabje Rilbur Rinpoche, one of Gelek Rinpoche's own teachers.

Rinpoche did not introduce a traditional outline in giving this teaching. For those interested, an outline of this sort may be found in Geshe Kelsang Gyatso's Meaningful to Behold. The headings and subheadings in this present volume have been added by the editor for ease of reference, and to help delineate changes of topic. Footnotes and a glossary provide some background information; the first use of each term mentioned in the glossary is printed in bold.

The transcription of these teachings from tapes was done by Hartmut Sagolla, who has spent countless hours transcribing a great number of Rinpoche's teachings. Much editorial advice and support was given by Marianne Soeters, to whom all Jewel Heart owes a debt of gratitude for the efforts she has put in as editor to make transcripts of Rinpoche's teachings available in useful form. Marianne also provided the glossaries from which most of the entries in the glossary in this volume were drawn. (Anne Warren, acknowledgements, i-iii)

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Everlasting Rain of Nectar

In Purification in Tibetan Buddhism, Geshe Jampa Gyatso explains The Bodhisattva’s Confession of Downfalls, a daily practice for purifying negativities. This essential practice helps us to clear negative thoughts and actions from our body, speech, and mind. In his delightfully conversational manner, Geshe Jampa teaches us the details of the law of cause and effect, the powerful use of the four opponent powers, and the proper manner and movements of prostrating, and provides clear descriptions of each of the thirty-five confession buddhas. (Source: Wisdom Publications)

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Explore All Resources Related to Chapter 2

Chapter 2 Topics Page

A complete list of sources related to Bodhicaryāvatāra chapter 2

Topic

Key Terms for Chapter 2

Anuttarā-pūjā

A foundational Mahāyāna Buddhist ritual known as 'Supreme Worship' or the 'Seven-Branch Service.' It commonly consists of seven parts although there are several variations. The practices include prostrating, making offerings, and confessing mistakes, and are designed to clear away negative energy and build the positive mental conditions needed for spiritual progress.

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Yan lag bdun

The seven branches, or sections, of devotional religious services, or prayers, recited consecutively in order to accumulate merit. The typical set of seven are prostrations, offering, confession, rejoicing in virtue, requesting to turn the wheel of Dharma, requesting to not pass into nirvāṇa, and the dedication of merit, presented in that order.

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Śaraṇagamana

The foundational act of entering the Buddhist path by formally seeking protection and guidance from the Three Jewels: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha.

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Pāpadeśanā

The Buddhist practice of 'confession' or 'laying aside evil.' It involves honestly acknowledging past mistakes and negative actions with regret, then committing not to repeat them. This process helps clear the mind of guilt and negative karmic imprints, creating space for positive qualities to grow.

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+}}{{AddResSection
+	|header=Recommended Books Related to Chapter 2
+	|tiles=The Confession of Downfalls;Maintaining the Bodhisattva Vow and the Bodhicitta Precepts;Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life: An Oral Explanation of Chapter 1;Everlasting Rain of Nectar
+}}{{AddResSection
+	|header=Recommended Articles Related to Chapter 2
+	|tiles=Śāntideva's Statement about Confession; Comparative Confession: A Comparative Study of Confession in the Writings of Tertullian, Cassian, and Śāntideva; Ritual Structure and Material Culture in the Guide to Bodhisattva Practice
+}}{{AddResSection
+	|header=Recommended Videos Related to Chapter 2
+	|tiles=Bodhicharyavatara - Chapter 2: Confession: Teaching by Ringu Tulku (Part 1 of 21);Shantideva's Engaging in the Bodhisattva's Deeds: Offering Natural Substances: Teaching by Venerable Thubten Chodron (Part 7);Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life by Ringu Tulku Rinpoche: Lesson 2. Confession;Geshe Lhakdor: Shantideva "A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life" (4 of 11);The Way of the Bodhisattva Workshop (Part 3 of 6);Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life by Don Handrick, Ch. 1 to 3 (Part 1 of 4)
+}}{{AddResSection
+	|header=Explore All Resources Related to Chapter 2
+	|tilesRaw={{Tile
+		|wrapper-classes=col-lg-6 mb-4
+		|image=Shantideva (Sahil Phopal) cropped.jpg
+		|header=Chapter 2 Topics Page<br> <small></small>
+		|text=A complete list of sources related to ''Bodhicaryāvatāra'' chapter 2
+		|label=Topic
+		|page=Topics/BCA_Chapter_2
+	}}
+}}{{AddResSection
+	|header=Key Terms for Chapter 2
+	|tilesRaw={{FloatingTermBox
+		|size=col-sm-6 col-md-3
+		|term=Anuttarā-pūjā
+	}}{{FloatingTermBox
+		|size=col-sm-6 col-md-3
+		|term=Yan lag bdun
+	}}{{FloatingTermBox
+		|size=col-sm-6 col-md-3
+		|term=Śaraṇagamana
+	}}{{FloatingTermBox
+		|size=col-sm-6 col-md-3
+		|term=Pāpadeśanā
+	}}
 }}
+|main-text=
+<h3>Concise Summary of Essential Points</h3>
+'''[[File:Bodhicaryāvatāra Chapter 2 precis.mp3|thumb|Listen Here! Read by Laura Swan. <small>[[Media:Bodhicaryāvatāra Chapter 2 precis.mp3|⬇ Download audio file]]</small>|left]]'''<br>
+Chapter 1 introduces us to the incredible qualities and vast intent of bodhicitta, the mind wishing to attain complete enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. We may feel tremendous appreciation for this incredible altruistic thought. Its great depth and profundity may inspire us to begin the process of cultivating that noble mind, but we need to know how to set out on that journey.
-<h3>Introductory essay</h3>
+<h4>The Supreme Worship</h4>
+In chapters 2 and 3, Śāntideva provides us with a framework within which to begin the journey of cultivating bodhicitta, the seven-limb prayer. This is one form of the ancient Buddhist practice of the supreme worship (''anuttarā pūja''), which includes the practices of accumulating merit and purifying the negative actions that we have performed. This practice dates back to at least the fourth century CE, and in its shortest form it is literally seven lines. The roots of this prayer are found in the Mahāyāna sūtra entitled ''Samantabhadra's Prayer Called The King of Prayers'' (''Samantabhadracarīpraṇidhānarāja''), which makes up the last section of the ''Gaṇḍavyūha'' in the ''Avataṃsakasūtra''.
-Inspired by the qualities of this jewel-like bodhicitta and the amazing practices of the bodhisattva, our interest is now raised to enter into this Mahāyāna path.
-Although we may be enthusiastic to get going on the path, at the beginning obstacles may lie in our way. Dungkar Rinpoche mentions that when beginning our engagement in any spiritual activity, our progress will be best facilitated with two important practices—accumulating merit and purifying the negative actions that we have performed.
-Chapter two of ''The Way of the Bodhisattva'' is basically divided into these two sections, although chapter three is also concerned with practices related to merit.
+This second chapter contains the first three branches of the supreme worship—the practices of prostration or paying homage, making offerings, and the confession of negative actions. In this chapter, Śāntideva also adds the central practice of taking refuge to the traditional seven-limb prayer, to make a total of eight limbs or branches.
-In the ''Bodhicaryāvatāra'' the practice of accumulating merit is explained through the classical seven-limb prayer. This is a form of supreme worship (Skt. ''annutara puja''), which is a series of religious activities that includes branches such as rejoicing in the merit of others and the dedication of our own merit. It provides us with a complete form of daily religious practice.
-Chapters two and three basically cover the branches of practice of this seven-limb prayer, with the second chapter containing the first three branches of the practice—prostration or paying homage, making offerings, and the confession of negativity.
+The initial part of the chapter, verses 1 to 23, actually starts with the practice of making offerings. We make offerings primarily to the Three Jewels—the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha. These offerings include things we ourselves possess and manifestly offer up, but they also encompass the wonderful things of the entire universe—such as elements of natural beauty not personally owned by anyone—as well as the virtue we have performed throughout all of our lifetimes, whether through physical, verbal, or mental actions. It is also considered very positive to imagine many wonderful places, environments, or things and to offer these up as well.
-The first section of the chapter deals with making offerings of the physical actions of our body, the verbal actions of our speech, and and the mental actions of our mind. We make these offerings to the Three Jewels—the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.
+There are also verses of homage and prostrations to the Three Jewels. We pay reverence to them for the incredible qualities of wisdom and compassion that they possess.
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.1}}
-We go on to offer everything in the universe. This is not limited to the things we actually own, but we also offer up even things which do not have any owner, such as the beauty of the natural world:
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.3}}
-We also offer a host of wonderful offerings which are mentally created:
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.10}}
-The verses of homage and prostration come after the verses of offering:
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.24}}
-Bringing to mind the qualities of those Three Jewels, Śāntideva physically and mentally prostrates to those Three Jewels. He imagines himself to have innumerable bodies, as innumerable as there are atoms in the universe, and respectfully recites the words of homage.
-<h4>Refuge</h4>
-The chapter then goes on to discuss the Buddhist method of refuge. We take refuge in the Three Jewels.
-Refuge is the key orientation for Buddhists, which is essential in considering ourselves to be Buddhist. We place our trust in the Three Jewels and commit to relying on them regardless of what is happening in our lives. It is not just a request seeking help when times are hard but an understanding of the qualities of the Three Jewels, and particularly the Dharma Jewel, which is said to be the real refuge.
+<h4>Refuge</h4>
+Śāntideva then describes one of the key elements of a Buddhist practitioner's life: taking refuge in the Three Jewels. Refuge is a practice shared by all the Buddhist traditions across the world, although here, in the context of the conduct of a bodhisattva, there is special emphasis on Mahāyāna refuge.
 {{PullBcaVerses|2.26}}
-Refuge is a shared practice across all the Buddhist traditions. Because Śāntideva is introducing us to the conduct of the bodhisattvas, here the refuge is specifically Mahāyāna refuge. We go for refuge for the purpose of attaining the unsurpassed, fully enlightened state for the welfare of all sentient beings. We carry this refuge with us until we reach the ultimate state of buddhahood, where we will then be able to spontaneously and most effectively work for their benefit. Khenpo Kunpal reminds us of the general way in which we take refuge:
+This means that we take refuge in the Three Jewels as our guides and sources of protection but with the specific purpose of attaining complete enlightenment for the welfare of all. This refuge is maintained until we reach the state of buddhahood. It is not a process of asking for another powerful and omnipotent force to help us out. It is an active process of training one's own mind. The Buddha very clearly stated that he can only show us the path but that it is up to us to actually walk that path.
-{{QuoteCite
-		|quote-text=In accordance with the formula "The Buddha is the teacher unsurpassed; the sacred Dharma is the guardian unsurpassed, the Sangha is the leader unsurpassed," the actual protector or refuge for beginners is in fact the Dharma. The Buddha said, "I have taught you the methods that lead to liberation. Practice with diligence; your liberation depends on you."<ref>Kunzang Pelden, ''The Nectar of Manjushri's Speech: A Detailed Commentary on Śāntideva's Way of the Bodhisattva'', trans. Helena Blankleder and Wulstan Fletcher (Padmakara Translation Group) (Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2007), 90.</ref>
-}}
-The Buddha is telling us that, for beginners, the main refuge is the teachings and realizations. But he also makes sure to point out that although he has revealed the way, walking the path must be done by ourselves. Thus, taking refuge is not giving up responsibility to another higher power who will pull us along the path but is a process of relying on someone with deep experience and knowledge and then integrating their advice and teachings into our own lives.
-As the famous lines from the [NEED to identify] sūtra say:
-{{QuoteCite
-		|quote-text=The Sage does not wash sins away with water,
-Nor wipe away the pain of beings with his hands.
-His realization he does not transfer to others,
-He frees by showing them the peace of ultimate reality.<ref>''Udānavarga''? or Prajñāvarman's commentary on it.</ref>
-}}
-There are two main causes of refuge. One is the fear of the suffering which is an inevitable consequence of the negative actions we have done. The other cause is to understand that the Three Jewels have the power to protect us from those sufferings.
-<h4>Confession of our negative actions</h4>
+<h4>Confession of Our Negative Actions</h4>
-The next branch of the seven-limb prayer is confession, or literally the "laying aside" or the "laying or putting down," of all negative actions of body, speech, and mind that we have performed in the past.
+Having oriented ourselves with refuge, we need to create a stable ground on which the qualities and practices can be built. If we look closely, we may understand how a lot of our lives have been characterized by harmful actions of body, speech, and mind. We do not need to look any further than this life to see that there are many negative things which we have done, which have either directly or indirectly harmed other sentient beings. At times we have rejoiced in being negative and have even encouraged others to join in. If we bring in the perspective of past lives, then there must be countless actions which we need to feel remorse for and to purify. This is not supposed to make us feel bad about ourselves or cause us to sink into guilt. We are not trying to beat ourselves up but to recognize the reality of who we are and where we are. Confession is not an avoidance of responsibility. Indeed, it is the opposite. We approach all these past negative actions with the goal of relinquishing negative habits and moving forward positively. The second half of the chapter, from verse 27 until the end, focuses on the process and sentiment of disclosing our actions through confession. We then purify our negative actions through wisdom that understands what we did, and we make a commitment to not repeat the same mistakes. This is done in a formal way through the four antidotal forces or strengths, such as the force of regretting what one has done wrong, which are explained more fully in the introductory essay.
+<h4>Avoiding Laziness</h4>
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.29}}
+Even though we may be inspired by the spirit of bodhicitta and now have the tools at our disposal to start building a solid foundation for our Dharma practice, it is easy for us to get sidetracked or to lose sight of our long-term goals.
-Confession does not mean just simply absolving ourselves of the bad actions we have done. It involves a full understanding of why what we did was negative and the heartfelt promise to not engage in these actions in the future. We put them aside but at the same time continue to improve by trying to prevent them from occurring again. Confession is also not done in the way of wallowing in self-absorption of past actions. It is a practical acceptance that we did wrong, but this is turned into a positive process which has an element of encouraging us to improve in the future.
-We confess these negativities to the buddhas, the bodhisattvas, and our gurus. But this is not asking a savior to wash away those sins with the wave of a hand. This process involves a clear awareness of what we have done and heartfelt regret at the harm that those actions may cause.
-But we may feel lazy to carry out this process of confession everyday. We feel that since we will be around for a long time there is nothing wrong with leaving negativities unconfessed. Śāntideva chides us and reminds us that death can be just around the corner:
+We may easily become lazy and drawn into the byways of distraction. To counteract this, Śāntideva forcefully points out to us that we cannot wait for tomorrow. Verses 32 to 45 provide us with powerful reminders of how everything, including our own lives, is momentary, in a state of constant flux.
 {{PullBcaVerses|2.33}}
+We, as individuals, those for whom we engaged in negative actions, and those whom we harmed in the process will all eventually pass. Death will not wait for us to finish all that we have planned, and nothing but our Dharma practice can help us at the time of death.
-He reminds us that our lives are fleeting and that we do not want to go on to the next life with a whole mass of negative actions left unconfessed. We must be careful and attentive to make sure that whenever we commit transgressions we must repair them and work to never repeat them.
+These verses are there to inspire us to ensure we do not pass away with so much negativity left unresolved. We will carry forward the effects of those actions imprinted on our mental continuums, and in the future we may be born in realms of great suffering. There is no way to avoid the unwanted and painful results of these negative actions if we cannot overcome them.
-Relating confession to the first cause of refuge, which is developing fear of rebirth in the saṃsāric world, we must understand the whole reach of sufferings that may befall us if we do not purify the karmic actions we have accumulated. Of particular concern is to fall into the abyss of the lower realms from where it will be extremely difficult to extricate ourselves.
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.34}}
-We understand that we have engaged in many unconstructive things, mostly for the sake of goals which are ultimately meaningless. Death may come to us at any time, and we will have to go on alone, carrying with us only the karmic imprints from the life we have lived.
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.36}}
-There are constant reminders throughout the text of how everything will eventually pass. All that we own and everyone that we love will eventually become just memories, remaining nothing more than a fleeting dream. Although the situations in which we created the karmic actions have receded into the past, the imprints of those actions remain behind with us. Carried in our continuum, the results can easily mature if the right causes and conditions coalesce.
-Śāntideva also encourages us to imagine the situation when death comes to us. As we lie on our deathbed, no one can help us, however many caring friends and family members are there at our bedside.
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.40}}
-The thread that ties us to this birth is almost worn through, and the messengers from the Lord of Death approach us. Who can help us? What can be done?
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.41}}
-Śāntideva replies that at this moment, as our life force fades, there is only one real protection. Only the Dharma can really help us at that moment, and in particular it is only the  merit that derives from the positive karmic actions we have done throughout our life that can be of aid in this stricken moment. There should be a strong sense of regret that we had opportunities to act in more positive ways, and yet we never took them. The regret of missing such an opportunity to engage in virtue and instead act in negative ways can also be taken as a kind of confession. In this condition we look for a source of guidance and protection—a true place of refuge:
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.45}}
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.46}}
-We are so close to death, and the possibility of falling into the lower realms suddenly becomes real. But if we have not made an effort to seek out and correctly rely on a valid source of refuge and have made no attempt to recognize our past negative actions and confess them, then there will be no chance to do that as we lie there dying. In desperation we search for some kind of safe place, but there is none to be found. Gyaltsab Je's conclusion here is that we must put all of these practices into place now while we have the leisure and time. Leaving them to our last moments will be disastrous.
-Understanding that we will be unable to find any source of help if we leave it until the time of death when terror overwhelms us, we look around right now for a source of support. Therefore, right now we must immediately resolve to rely for that strength on the buddhas, the supreme guardians of beings, who are able to protect us from all sorrow.
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.47}}
-The primary thrust of this chapter has been the confession of negativity, and the Three Jewels can act as a support for that confession. But they are also able to act as a support for the process of purification. Understanding what the valid objects of refuge are and reflecting on all the negativity one has done and confessing it to those objects of refuge, we then set a course for ourselves moving forward:
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.62}}
-We swear to ourselves that our one course of action must be to break all of our negative habitual patterns and actions. Khenpo Kunpal insists we ask ourselves:
-{{QuoteCite
-		|quote-text=. . . how can we make sure to rid ourselves of evil, which alone is the cause of sorrow? This should be our only concern, as the text says—our sole and constant thought. This should be our daytime obsession and something that keeps us awake at night! It is thus that we should strive to confess our evil actions.<ref>Pelden, ''The Nectar of Manjushri's Speech'', 116.</ref>
-}}
-In his commentary Khenpo Kunpal also makes a very important point regarding our negative actions. Besides leading us to future suffering in the lower realms, it also prevents our virtuous actions right now, such as trying to study, contemplate, and meditate on the teachings, from being effective.
-To conclude the chapter, Śāntideva mentions another of the key features of confession—the promise never to engage again in the actions which we have confessed:
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.65}}
-This is a central part of the practice. We do not expect to say some simple words of how sorry we feel and then simply be absolved from any further consequence. Confession in the Buddhist tradition is an active process of really taking on board the bad things we have done, admitting honestly to them, confessing them to the buddhas and our teachers, and then, through confession, marking a line in the sand, promising that we will not transgress these boundaries again.
-<h3>Discussion of the main terms</h3>
-'''Three Jewels''' (Skt. ''trīṇi ratna'' or ''triratna''; Tib. ''dkon mchog gsum'')
-:These are the three main places of refuge for Buddhists. In his ''White Conch Dictionary'' (Tib. ''Dung dkar tshig mdzod chen mo''), Dungkar Rinpoche says that, simply put, the Buddha Jewel is the one who speaks/declares the teachings, the Dharma Jewel is what he taught, and the Sangha Jewel is made up of those who put those teachings into practice.
-:The Tibetan etymology uses the word "དཀོན་," which means rare or hard to find, and then "མཆོག་," meaning  supreme, outstanding, or distinguished. Dungkar Rinpoche says the meaning here of being a "Jewel" is taken in terms of something which appears very rarely in this world, which we therefore can consider as more precious than any ordinary diamond or jewel. In terms of being a field of merit, they are the best of all fields and therefore supreme.
-:Technically, the Buddha Jewel is the place of refuge which has taken to its final limit the two aims, of oneself and others. The Dharma Jewel is considered the most important of the three because it includes both the scriptural teachings and the actual path of realizations. The scriptures are those teachings which were spoken to guide us on the path, the actual words of the Buddha. Taking those teachings to heart and practicing them, we develop in our continuum the truths of the path and then the truth of cessation, which is the result of practicing that path. The Dharma Jewel is anything which is a fully purified truth of an ''ārya'' being which is subsumed within the truth of cessation or the truth of the path. The Sangha Jewel is often taken to mean the wider community of ordained sangha members or even the wider diaspora of fellow Buddhists, whether ordained or not. But technically the Sangha Jewel means an ''ārya'' being who has the qualities of wisdom and liberation.
-'''Seven-limb prayer'''
-:The seven-limbed prayer is the name of a Buddhist religious liturgy or ''puja'', which literally contains seven limbs or branches. In the Indian tradition of Mahāyāna Buddhism, a ''puja'' would not be considered complete unless it contained all of these branches.
-:The prayer is part of a tradition of supreme worship (Skt. ''anuttara-puja''), which seems to date back to at last the fourth century CE. This supreme worship took many forms, both extensive and more condensed, with some containing at least nine limbs. In the form of an actual prayer, the shortest form is literally seven lines. The roots of this prayer are found in the Mahāyāna Sūtra, Samantabhadra's prayer called ''The King of Prayers'' (Skt. ''Buddhāvataṃsakamahāvaipūlyasūtra'').
-:The seven limbs or branches of the prayer are:<br>1) the branch of prostration or homage<br>2) the branch of offering<br>3) the branch of confession or laying aside of negativity<br>4) the branch of rejoicing in merit and in particular in other's merit<br>5) the branch of requesting the teachers to turn the wheel of dharma<br>6) the branch of supplicating them not to enter nirvāṇa<br>7) the branch of dedicating virtue to the complete enlightenment of all beings
+Understanding the fragility of our situation, we are encouraged to confess everything right away and to rid ourselves of all our destructive habits.
+The remaining verses, from verse 54 until the end of the chapter, relate an essential part of the confession process—that is, to regret what we have done and to promise to restrain ourselves from ever doing it again. There must be some commitment moving forward, a real positive sense of change of direction. Without this sincere commitment, the process of purification will not be complete. {{TextEndMarker}}
 }}

Explore/Chapter 2 - Confession of Negativity: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 13:43, 12 August 2026

Contents

Concise Summary of Essential Points

The Supreme Worship

Refuge

Confession of Our Negative Actions

Avoiding Laziness

Notes

Additional resources

Learn About Śāntideva's Texts

Recommended Texts Related to Chapter 2

Recommended Books Related to Chapter 2

Recommended Articles Related to Chapter 2

Recommended Videos Related to Chapter 2

Explore All Resources Related to Chapter 2

Key Terms for Chapter 2

Anuttarā-pūjā

Yan lag bdun

Śaraṇagamana

Pāpadeśanā