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Chapter 2 - Confession of Negativity

Summary

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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

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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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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

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-        |imageSource=Shakyamuni Buddha with the 35 Buddhas of Confession - Himalayan Art Resources
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-	|text=In chapter 2, Śāntideva demonstrates the importance of making offerings—material and nonmaterial—paying homage through veneration (prostrations), going for refuge, and, in particular, confessing one's evil deeds. By openly acknowledging one's past negative behaviors and tendencies through confession, only then can one begin to move in a different direction and transform oneself.
+	|header=Learn About Śāntideva's Texts
+	|tiles=Bodhicaryāvatāra;Śikṣāsamuccaya
+}}{{AddResSection
+	|header=Recommended Texts Related to Chapter 2
+	|tiles=Triskandhakasūtra;Ratnolkādhāraṇīsūtra;Rājāvavādakasūtra;Ākāśagarbhasūtra;Bhadracaryāpraṇidhānarāja;Caturdharmakasūtra;Prātimokṣasūtra
+}}{{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>
-Chapter 1 introduces to us to the incredible qualities and vast intent of bodhicitta, the mind wishing to attain complete enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings.
+'''[[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.
-We may feel tremendous appreciation for this incredible altruistic thought for the welfare of all sentient life. 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.
 <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 [LINK TO TERMS]. This is one form of the ancient Buddhist practice of the supreme worship (''annutara pūja'') [LINK TO TERMS], which includes the practices of accumulating merit and purifying the negative actions that we have performed. This practice seems to date back to at least the fourth century CE, and in its shortest form 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''.
+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.
+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 Sangha. These offerings include things which we ourselves possess and which we manifestly offer up, but they also include all the beautiful and wonderful things of the whole universe, such as those things of natural beauty, which are not personally owned. Moreover, they also include the virtue that we have performed throughout all of our lives, whether that be our physical, verbal, or mental actions. And these offerings are not limited to that which is physically manifest. It is also considered very positive to imagine many wonderful places, environments, or things which we create in our minds and to offer them up.
+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.
 <h4>Refuge</h4>
-Śāntideva then describes one of the key elements of a Buddhist practitioner’s life, that of taking refuge in the Three Jewels[LINK to terms]. 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.
+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}}
-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.
+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.
 <h4>Confession of Our Negative Actions</h4>
-Having oriented ourselves with refuge, we need to create a stable ground on which the qualities and practices can be built.
+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.
-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 letting the bad habits go and moving forward positively. The second half of the chapter, from verse 27 until the end,  focuses on the process and sentiment of laying open 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 [LINK to main terms], such as the force of regretting what one has done wrong, which are explained more fully in the introductory essay.
 <h4>Avoiding Laziness</h4>
 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.
@@ Line 45: / Line 77: @@
 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 who 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.
+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.
+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}}
-<div class="row justify-content-center my-3 pt-3 tsdwiki-border-tb-redfade">{{MiniTile
-	|wrapperclasses=col-md-6 col-lg-4
-	|link=Texts/Bodhicaryāvatāra/Chapter_2
-	|text=<span style="color: #29659a;">Read Chapter Two Verses <i class="fa-sharp-duotone fa-solid fa-angles-right ml-1 fa-sm"></i></span>
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-}}{{MiniTile
-	|wrapperclasses=col-md-6 col-lg-4
-	|link=Explore/Chapter Three - Taking Hold of Bodhicitta
-	|text=<span style="color: #29659a;">Read Chapter Three Summary <i class="fa-sharp-duotone fa-solid fa-angles-right ml-1 fa-sm"></i></span>
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-	|text=<span style="color: #29659a;">Detailed Introduction <i class="fa-sharp-duotone fa-solid fa-angles-down ml-1 fa-sm"></i></span>
-	|text-wrapper-classes=justify-content-center w-100
-}}</div>
-{{PanelLargerText
-	|bg-image=File:Library-unsplash.webp
-	|classes=tsdwiki-depth-3 my-5
-	|styles=background-position: 50% 50%;
-	|header=Additional resources
-	|offset=col-md-3 p-0 order-md-last
-	|text-cols=col-md-9
-	|text=<big>'''Here we need to think about what would be particularly useful to the student/reader at this point. Link to key terms found in chapter two? Any thoughts? '''</big>
-	<div class="row my-4">{{Tile
-		|wrapper-classes=col-lg-6
-		|image=Shantideva Tsemrinpoche.jpg
-		|header=Bodhicaryāvatāra <br> <small>''The Way of the Bodhisattva''</small>
-		|text=The ''Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra'' is considered to be one of the most influential Buddhist classical writings. Combining highly inspirational exhortations and incisive philosophical arguments in an evocative poetic language, the book, it is safe to claim, has shaped the lives of millions throughout the centuries.
-		|label=Text
-		|page=The Bodhicaryāvatāra
-	}}{{Tile
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-		|image=Shantideva (floating).jpg
-		|header=Śikṣāsamuccaya <br> <small>''The Compendium of Training''</small>
-		|text=''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.
-		|label=Text
-		|page=The Śikṣāsamuccaya
-	}}</div>
-	<div class="d-flex justify-content-center flex-wrap tsdwiki-border-tb-redfade py-3 my-4">
-		{{RelatedButton
-			|link=Books/The Way of the Bodhisattva (2006)
-			|imagefile=The Way of the Bodhisattva (2006)-front.jpg
-			|text=The Way of the Bodhisattva
-			|label=Book
-			|label-right=<i class="fa-duotone fa-arrow-up-right ml-1"></i>
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-		}}
-		{{RelatedButton
-			|link=Books/Bodhicaryâvatâra: La marche vers l'éveil (1992)
-			|imagefile=La Marche vers l'Eveil (1992)-front.jpg
-			|text=Bodhicaryâvatâra: La marche vers l'éveil (1992)
-			|label=Book
-			|label-right=<i class="fa-duotone fa-arrow-up-right ml-1"></i>
-			|wrapperclasses=my-2
-		}}
-	</div>
-}}
-<h2 id="detailedIntro">
-	<div>[[Articles/Confession_of_Negativity_Overview|Detailed Introduction to Chapter Two]]</div>
-	<div class="d-flex justify-content-between pt-2">
-		<div class="text-80">[[Articles/Confession_of_Negativity_Overview|''Confession of Negativity'']]</div>
-		<div class="text-80">by ''[[Simon Houlton]]''</div>
-	</div>
-</h2>
-<div class="drop-cap">
-{{:Articles/Confession_of_Negativity_Overview}}
-</div>
-}}
-<h3>Introductory Essay</h3>
-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 Lobsang Trinley, in his ''Introduction to the Way of the Bodhisattva'', mentions that when beginning our engagement in any spiritual activity, our progress will be best facilitated by two important practices—accumulating merit and purifying the negative actions that we have performed.<ref>Dungkar Rinpoche Lobsang Trinley, ''An Introduction to the Bodhicaryāvatāra'', ''Spyod 'jug gi gzhung gi ngo sprod'' (Dharamsala: Sara Tibetan Publishing House, 2017), 40.</ref> Chapters 2 and 3 of ''The Way of the Bodhisattva'' is basically divided into these two sections, although chapter 3 is also concerned with practices related to merit.
-In the ''Bodhicaryāvatāra'' the practice of accumulating merit is explained through the classical seven-limb prayer [LINK to terms]. This is also referred to as the supreme worship (''annutara pūja'') and includes a series of religious activities such as rejoicing in the merit of others, making offerings, and dedicating our own merit to other beings' awakening. It provides us with a complete form of daily religious practice. Chapters 2 and 3 basically cover the branches of practice of the seven-limb prayer, with this second chapter containing the first three branches of the practice—prostration or paying homage, making offerings, and the confession of negative actions.
-<h4>1. Making Offerings</h4>
-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.
-{{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, as exemplified by verse 10.
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.10}}
-<h4>2. Homage</h4>
-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 them. He imagines himself to have innumerable bodies, as innumerable as there are atoms in the universe, and respectfully recites the words of homage. The chapter then goes on to discuss the Buddhist method of taking refuge in the Three Jewels [LINK to terms].
-<h4>3. Refuge</h4>
-Refuge is the key orientation for Buddhists and is essential in considering oneself a 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, particularly the Dharma Jewel, which is said to be the real 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 Kunzang Palden, aka Khenpo Kunpal (1862–1943), in his famous commentary to the ''Bodhicaryāvatāra'' entitled ''The Nectar of Manjushri's Speech'', reminds us of the general way in which we take refuge.
-{{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>Wulstan Fletcher and Helena Blankleder (Padmakara Translation Group), trans., ''The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech'', by Kunzang Pelden (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), 90.</ref>
-}}
-The Buddha is telling us that, for beginners, the main refuge is the teaching and one's own realization. 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 does not involve 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 and oft-repeated lines on this 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>Although it is somewhat difficult to trace the source of these exact lines, they appear to derive at least in part from the ''Udānavarga'' or Prajñāvarman's commentary on the ''Udānavarga''.</ref>
-}}
-There are two main causes of refuge. One is the fear of the suffering that 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>4. Confession of Our Negative Actions</h4>
-The second half of chapter 2 explains the next branch of the seven-limb prayer, confession. Of course, we must strive from the beginning in trying not to engage in negative actions. Even whilst following the path we may stumble, whether through carelessness or our many afflictions, but it is not suitable to thoughtlessly just leave our negative actions unconfessed. Confession means literally "laying aside" or "laying down or putting down" all negative actions of body, speech, and mind that we have performed in the past. It is a combined process of acknowledging our faults, honestly admitting to them and disclosing them, and then laying them aside and letting go of them.
-Confession of downfalls from specific vows that we have taken, such as monastic vows, individual liberation vows [LINK to glossary], and the bodhisattva or tantric vows, should be confessed and restored according to their respective methods. Here, Śāntideva explains to us the process of purifying our general negativity.
-Firstly, we must visualize those who will witness our confession.
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.27}}
-Khenpo Kunpal explains in his commentary how this is done.
-{{QuoteCite
-		|quote-text=In the sky in front of himself, Shantideva visualizes the object of confession: all the perfect Buddhas, victorious, virtuous and transcendent, together with all the great Bodhisattvas, who reside in the infinite buddhafields in the ten directions and who are the sovereigns of great compassion. He prays to them with his palms pressed together.<ref>Fletcher and Blankleder, ''Nectar of Manjushri's Speech'', 95.</ref>
-}}
-We fold our hands together and we make sincere supplications to the fully enlightened buddhas and the bodhisattvas who abide in all directions, requesting them to pay heed to us. Filled with regret, we confess the negative deeds we have committed.
-Since we have been bound to the wheel of samsaric existence since beginningless time, we confess every negative action that we have done in this and all other lives, actions which we did through lack of knowledge about the ripening results of karma.
-Gyaltsap Je Darma Rinchen [LINK to the text] also points out in his commentary ''The Entrance for the Children of the Conquerors'' that all karma can be overcome with confession:
-{{QuoteCite
-		|quote-text=If the created and accumulated karmas are karmas definitely to be experienced then, since they can be cleared away, what need is there to say about those that are not definite.<ref>Fedor Stracke, trans., ''The Entrance for the Children of the Conquerors - A Commentary on the Introduction to the Actions of Bodhisattvas. Chapter Two: Purifying Negativities'', by Gyaltsab Rinpoche (N.p.: HappyMonksPublication, 2016), 15, https://happymonkspublication.org/product/bodhisattvacharyavatara-chapter-1-10-commentary/.</ref>
-}}
-There are two kinds of karma—karma whose result will definitely be experienced and karma the result of which it is not definite to be experienced. If it is possible using the correct methods to clear away even those karmic seeds whose result is definite, then there is no doubt that this is also true for those actions whose result is not definite. But what kind of method can we adopt to clear away the effects of the negative actions we have done? In ''The Sūtra Teaching the Four Factors'' (''Caturdharmanirdeśasūtra'') it says the following:
-{{QuoteCite
-		|quote-text=Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling in the Sudharmā assembly hall in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, together with a great gathering of five hundred monks, and very many bodhisattva mahāsattvas, including Maitreya and Mañjuśrī.
-At that time the Blessed One said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, [F.59.b] “O Maitreya, bodhisattva mahāsattva, if you possess four factors, the misdeeds you have committed and accumulated will be overcome.
-“What are these four? The action of repentance, antidotal action, the power of restraint, and the power of support.<ref>Adam Pearcey, trans., ''The Sūtra Teaching the Four Factors'', ''Caturdharmanirdeśasūtra'', Toh 249 (84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2023), https://read.84000.co/translation/toh249.html?#UT22084-066-007-55.</ref>
-}}
-Here, Śāntideva explains the practice of confession of more general negative actions through the four antidotal forces [LINK to main terms], which are:
-# the force of regretting that one has done wrong, or repentance<br>
-# the force of the support<br>
-# the force of the antidote<br>
-# the force of turning away from repeating the fault, or the force of restraint
-In their commentaries, both Minyak Kunzang Sonam and Khenpo Kunpal use "the force of restoration" or "the force of amendment" instead of the more commonly used phrase "the force of turning away from repeating the fault."
-<h5>1. The Power of Regretting That One Has Done Wrong</h5>
-Verses 27 to 46 explain in much greater detail the power of regretting that one has done wrong.
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.28}}
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.29}}
-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 with respect to past actions. It is a practical acceptance that we did wrong, but this is turned into a positive process which has the element of encouraging us to improve in the future.
-We confess these negative actions to the buddhas, the bodhisattvas, and our gurus. And we confess not only the negativities that we ourselves have done but also those that we have induced others to do. Likewise, we confess the faults of having rejoiced in the negativities of others.
-But this is not asking a savior to wash away those sins with the wave of the hand. This process involves a clear awareness of what we have done and heartfelt regret at the harm that those actions may cause.
-Gyaltsap Je describes how the power of regret must arise from cultivating the understanding of the way in which negative actions give rise to the three kinds of result. <ref>Stracke, ''Entrance for the Children'', 15, https://happymonkspublication.org/product/bodhisattvacharyavatara-chapter-1-10-commentary/.</ref>
-Here the three kinds of result refers to the fully ripening result [LINK to glossary], the dominant result [LINK to glossary], and the result similar to the cause [LINK to glossary]. The result similar to the cause is further divided into (1) བྱས་པ་རྒྱུ་མཐུན་གྱི་འབྲས་བུ། the fruits corresponding to its actions (e.g., the fact that a person who may have been a sinner in the past life has the natural urge to do similar actions in this life, and (2)  མྱོང་བ་རྒྱུ་མཐུན་གྱི་འབྲས་བུ། the fruits corresponding to its experience (e.g., the fact that a person who practices generosity in this life would become rich in his future life.)
-<h4>Fear of Dying Without Confession</h4>
-We may feel lazy to carry out this process of confession everyday and may wonder if it is really necessary to do it regularly. We feel that since we will be alive for a long time there is nothing wrong with leaving negative actions unconfessed. Śāntideva chides us and reminds us that death can be just around the corner:{{PullBcaVerses|2.32}}
-He reminds us that our lives are fleeting and that we do not want death to catch us unaware, sending us 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.
-We go forth into the next life completely alone, leaving everything behind us. In these next verses Śāntideva confesses that he has been forgetful of this and instead has been engaged in many wrongdoings.
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.34}}
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.35}}
-He tells us that he himself has committed many negative actions such as killing, lying, and  stealing, as well as encouraging others to do so. These were driven by attachment to protect his family and those close to him and by aversion to his enemies and the wish to get the better of them. But this has all been pointless. Everyone and everything will eventually disintegrate. Khenpo Kunpal expands on the theme of this last verse in his commentary.
-{{QuoteCite
-		|quote-text=For even if he has failed to overcome them, his enemies will die in any case and cease to exist. Even if he is successful in guarding and caring for his friends and loved ones, nothing is achieved; they too will vanish in death. And he himself will die and cease to be. The entire universe, with its continents and mountains, with all the beings that it contains, friendly, hostile, or indifferent—be they as high-ranking as the heavens, as strong as thunder, as rich as the nagas, as beautiful as the gods, as fascinating as rainbows—all is destined to destruction. Whatever strongholds have been built, whatever wealth has been accumulated, whatever families have come together—everything will go. How absurd to do evil for their sake!<ref> Blankleder and Fletcher, ''Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech'', 102.</ref>
-}}
-Throughout the text, Śāntideva provides us with constant reminders 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. As these imprints remain in our mindstream, they can easily mature and produce results when causes and conditions coalesce.
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.36}}
-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, we will have no choice but to go on to the next life alone:
-{{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. It is therefore important to develop a strong sense of regret that we had opportunities to act in more positive ways and yet we never took them. The feeling of regret for missing such an opportunity to engage in virtue and instead acting in negative ways can also be taken as a kind of confession.
-For all these reasons, Śāntideva advises us to look for a source of guidance and protection, a true place of refuge.
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.45}}
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.46}}
-As we near death, the possibility of falling into the lower realms suddenly becomes real. But if we have not made any effort to seek out and correctly rely on a valid source of refuge, and if we have failed to recognize our past negative actions and confess them, we will be helpless at the time of dying. Gyaltsap Je's conclusion here is that we must put all of these practices into place now while we have the leisure and time, since leaving them to our last moments will be disastrous.
-<h5>2. The Force of Support</h5>
-Verses 47 to 53 discuss the force of support. Gyaltsap Je describes this third force as being the meditation on such practices as bodhicitta.<ref>Stracke, ''Entrance for the Children'', 15, https://happymonkspublication.org/product/bodhisattvacharyavatara-chapter-1-10-commentary/.</ref>
-The main body of this chapter is about the confession of negativity and how the Three Jewels can act as a support for that confession. But the Three Jewels are also able to act as a support for the process of purification.
-These supports may be used either as the object to which confession is addressed or that which we rely on for purification. In the present case, we are concerned with the latter.
-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, Śāntideva implores us to look around right now for a source of support. When we carefully examine who can be such a reliable support, Śāntideva argues that we will find that it is only the buddhas, the supreme guardians of beings, who can truly protect us from all sorrow. Coming to this conclusion, Śāntideva takes refuge.
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.47}}
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.48}}
-We may wonder why Śāntideva is bringing up refuge again in the same chapter? What is the difference between the refuge mentioned here and that mentioned in the earlier part of this chapter? Here, the great Drukpa Kagyu master Pema Karpo sheds further light on this issue.
-{{QuoteCite
-		|quote-text=The previously (mentioned) refuge is an essential support for the arousing of bodhicitta. With the latter, if we take refuge in it, we will be liberated from all negative actions. For that reason, it says in scripture:
-Whoever has gone for refuge to the buddhas
-Will be liberated from all negativity.<ref>Pema Karpo, ''A Lamp for the Middle Way: A Commentary on the Bodhisattvacharyavatara'', ''Spyod 'jug gi 'bru 'grel dbu ma'i lam gyi sgron ma'' (Kathmandu: Shree Gautam Buddha Vihara, 2017), 19 (e-book). https://dharmacloud.tsadra.org/library/?post_types=book,book_author&search-terms=A+Lamp+for+the+Middle+Way:+A+Commentary+on+the+Bodhisattvacharyavatara&subjects=any&view=list/</ref>
-}}
-The previously mentioned refuge was presented in a much more general way, identifying what the objects of refuge are. But here Śāntideva wants to show us how the Three Jewels are a support for confession and purification of our negative actions.
-In his word commentary the great Sakya master Sonam Tsemo gives an interesting explanation of the reasons why the Three Jewels are the ultimate source of refuge.
-{{QuoteCite
-		|quote-text=The Buddhas are 'conquerors' of the benefit of self in respect of abandoning the defilements and possessing good qualities. They are 'protectors' of beings in that they fulfill the benefit of others:
-:Everything that is harmful,<br> Non-methods [of mistaken paths], the lower realms, <br> The transitory collections and lesser vehicles— <br> Because of protecting from these, he is supreme among refuges.
-Thus the protectors of beings strive in these ways, using manifold powers and dispelling fears of samsara. The 'dharma' means the dharma of realization which, when it is taken to heart, is cessation —freedom of the dhatu from adventitious impurities—and the dharma of the path, which dispels fears of samsara. The 'sangha' means the community of  bodhisattvas.<ref>Adrian O’Sullivan, trans., ''Bodhicaryāvatāra with Commentary'' (Los Angeles: Dechen Foundation, 2019), 63.</ref>
-}}
-Sonam Tsemo describes two qualities that the buddhas have that make them the most supreme of refuges—the quality of being a conqueror (''jina'') [LINK to glossary] and the quality of being a protector (''natha'') [LINK to glossary]. Here, they are called the conqueror because they have overcome all that is to be abandoned, such as the afflictions and their seeds, and they have attained all the positive qualities, such as the ten powers and the four fearlessnesses [LINK to glossary]. They are called the protectors of beings because they fulfill the aims and welfare of all beings by protecting them from everything that is harmful and that endangers us, especially the fears and sufferings of samsara.
-In his commentary to verse 48, Khenpo Kunpal elaborates on the Dharma and Sangha Jewels.
-{{QuoteCite
-		|quote-text=Accordingly, the Dharma that resides within the Buddha's heart, in other words, the Dharma that he realized, includes all the teachings profound and vast. If practiced, it scatters and pacifies all the terrors of samsara. Therefore from now on, we must take refuge in the Dharma of transmission and realization and take it as our path. Henceforth too, we must take refuge—perfectly, straightforwardly, and without hesitation—in the Sangha of the noble Bodhisattvas residing on the grounds of realization from which there is no regression. For they are our companions on the path.<ref>Blankleder and Fletcher, ''Nectar of Manjushri's Speech'', 109.</ref>
-}}
-Here, Khenpo Kunpal says that the Sangha Jewel is specifically the bodhisattvas who have realized emptiness directly and who have reached the bodhisattva's grounds, or ''bhūmis'' [LINK to glossary].
-<h4>Prayers to the Eight Great Bodhisattvas</h4>
-Verses 50 to 52 connect to the practice of refuge in the exalted bodhisattvas who are the Sangha Jewel. Realizing the miserable situation he has found himself in, Śāntideva is gripped with dread and cries out to the children of the conquerors, the great bodhisattvas, for help, particularly to help eradicate the future results ensuing from our negative karma.
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.50}}
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.51}}
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.52}}
-These verses specifically reference the eight bodhisattvas (Maitreya, Avalokiteśvara, Samantabhadra, Vajrapāṇi, Mañjuśrīghoṣa, Sarvanivāraṇaviṣkambhin, Kṣitigarbha, and Ākāśagarbha). They are the main retinue of  Buddha Śākyamuni and are also called his eight heart sons. Although they possess the same qualities, powers, and great compassion, they personify different aspects of the bodhisattva’s activities and exemplify different roles in helping beings. For instance, Gyale Thokme Zangmo highlights the way in which these verses relate to each bodhisattva.
-{{QuoteCite
-		|quote-text=Through fear of the sufferings such as those of the hell realms, I feel terror. I offer myself to the great bodhisattva Samantabhadra, I offer my very own body to Mañjuśhrīghoṣha. To the protector  Avalokiteśhvara, who is infallible in both compassionate thought and deed, stricken with suffering I cry out for help, t “I beseech you to be a refuge for such a sinner as me.” Calling out in despair from my heart I cry, “In the exalted Ākāśhagarbha and Kṣhitigarbha, Maitreya and  Samantabhadra, and in all the compassionate protectors I seek for and go for refuge.”I also take refuge in Vajrapāṇi, the one who possesses the vajra, and who on being beheld scatters to the four directions those who strike fear in beings, such as  the Messenger of the Lord of Death (Yamārāja).<ref>Ngul Chu Thokme Zangpo, ''An Ocean of Excellent Explanation'' (Varanasi: Sakya Students Union, 2003), 155–56.</ref>
-}}
-Śāntideva sums up this section on the force of support as follows:
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.53}}
-Gyaltsap Je expands on this.
-{{QuoteCite
-		|quote-text=Previously I transgressed your words, committed negativities and did not practice virtue. Now, having seen the infinity of cyclic existence and the great horror of the lower realms, I take refuge in you.
-By my implementing what has to be practiced and what has to be abandoned according to your advice, please quickly eliminate all dangers I pray.<ref> Stracke, ''Entrance for the Children'', 23, https://happymonkspublication.org/product/bodhisattvacharyavatara-chapter-1-10-commentary/.</ref>
-}}
-The great contemporary Kagyu master Thrangu Rinpoche ends this section of his commentary to ''The Way of the Bodhisattva'' by explaining how we should think as we make our confession.
-{{QuoteCite
-		|quote-text=In the presence of all the buddhas we now make our confession and ask for the support of the Three Jewels by thinking, "In their omniscience the buddhas know all the faults and misdeeds that I have been doing. When I confess, they see that I am confessing all the wrong that I have been doing. Before them I will now do what is wholesome and forever turn away from what is unwholesome."
-<ref>Thrangu Rinpoche, ''A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life of Shantideva: A Commentary by the Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche'', trans. Ken and Katia Holmes and Thomas Doctor (Dharamsala: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 2016), 29.</ref>
-}}
-Thrangu Rinpoche makes a very important point here—that is, the buddhas through their omniscient mind know all that we have done and continue to do. We cannot hide from them and should therefore  not hesitate to confess all our negativity to them and turn toward all that is beneficial, both for oneself and others.
-<h5>3. The Force of the Antidote</h5>
-Verses 54 to 59 deal with the force of the antidote. Gyaltsap Je describes this force in the following way:
-{{QuoteCite
-		|quote-text=There are, as explained in the Compendium of Trainings, relying on profound sutras, meditating on emptiness, relying on recitation, relying on the holy form, relying on offerings and relying on the names.<ref>Stracke, ''Entrance for the Children'', 15, https://happymonkspublication.org/product/bodhisattvacharyavatara-chapter-1-10-commentary/.</ref>
-}}
-In relation to this force, Śāntideva provides us with reasons why confession is necessary. He does this using two examples, the first of which is the example of a common illness, which is used to explain why it is necessary to make effort in applying the antidote.
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.54}}
-If we are scared of ordinary illnesses, particularly serious ones that might threaten our lives, we will immediately attempt to overcome that sickness by implementing all the advice of the trained medical practitioners and taking the appropriate course of medicine. If that is so, Gyaltsap Je advises us:
-{{QuoteCite
-		|quote-text=. . . what need is there to mention that it is appropriate to rely on the antidote according to the instructions of the conqueror, the supreme physician, in order to be cured from the great chronic disease of the three poisons of attachment, anger and ignorance, as one has been continuously beaten down since beginningless time by the sources of hundreds of thousands of shortcomings.<ref>Stracke, Entrance for the Children, 24. https://happymonkspublication.org/product/bodhisattvacharyavatara-chapter-1-10-commentary/</ref>
-}}
-The next verses indicate the great faults of the illnesses in our mindstream, of the many defilements such as attachment, hatred, and delusion, and how it would be utterly inexplicable to turn our backs on the cure for these ills, the Buddha's Dharma:
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.55}}
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.56}}
-Sonam Tsemo explains how the first two lines of verse 55 indicate the great faults of such illness. The next two lines indicate the rarity of the remedy.<ref>O’Sullivan, ''Bodhicaryāvatāra with Commentary'', 100.</ref>
-We may wonder at the meaning of this verse. How can just one of these poisons drag down all the beings in this world system and cast them into the lower realms? In his commentary, Gyaltsap Je qualifies this statement, explaining the shortcomings of the three poisons and the rarity of the medicine which counteracts them.
-{{QuoteCite
-		|quote-text=Even one moment of anger towards a bodhisattva can destroy all humans in Dzambuling and throw them into the lower realms. The medicine against this great sickness, meditating on the path and so forth, one will not find anywhere else, apart from the texts that reveal it. If one cannot find it in any other place, such as the world of Brahma and so forth, then it is unfindable elsewhere and therefore rare.<ref>Stracke, ''Entrance for the Children'', 24, https://happymonkspublication.org/product/bodhisattvacharyavatara-chapter-1-10-commentary/.</ref>
-}}
-In verse 56 Śāntideva chides us, saying "How can you be so delusional as to turn your back on the supreme doctor, the all-knowing physician, and their medicine which has the potential to liberate yourself from all the afflictions and the pain that they bring you?" But Thrangu Rinpoche provides a chastening context to the instruction to turn to the Three Jewels for help with clearing away the effects of all our negative karma.
-{{QuoteCite
-		|quote-text=At this point, we may wonder whether the Three Rare and Supreme ones and all the great bodhisattvas are able to immediately clear away the result of negative actions. The answer is “no”. They can’t do this because we accumulated these negative actions; they did not. Therefore they do not have the power to immediately clear away the results of our negative actions. They do, however, have great compassion for all sentient beings, so if we are able to eliminate these  unpleasant future results, they would do so. But since we have committed these negative actions, they cannot undo them. It does, however, help to pray to them and request their help because if we develop faith and devotion for these great beings , then they will show us the path and method for eliminating our negative karma. So it is our personal effort that allows us to clear away the future effects of negative karma.<ref>Thrangu Rinpoche, ''Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life'', 31.</ref>
-}}
-The second example that Śāntideva uses to spur us on in applying the antidotes is that of a precipice.
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.57}}
-If we need to take so much care and attention when close to just a small precipice, what need is there to speak of the care and conscientiousness we require when we are in danger of falling into the deepest chasm of suffering, from which we will need to remain for a vast stretch of time before we can be free of that place. The danger to us here is our habitual negative patterns. Therefore, we must take great care to avoid engaging in faulty karmic actions, and we must rely on the antidote to the afflictions.
-The next verse encourages us not to waste time.
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.58}}
-We must not lull ourselves into a false sense of security, thinking that we are alive today and that all is well. We must never fall prey to procrastination and delay our practice of virtue, which is the main remedy.
-In his ''Letter to a Friend'' (''Suhṛllekha''), Nāgārjuna makes this point very strongly.
-{{QuoteCite
-		|quote-text=With all its many risks, this life endures
-No more than windblown bubbles in a stream.
-How marvellous to breathe in and out again,
-To fall asleep and then awake refreshed. (verse 55)<ref>Stephen Gethin, Wulstan Fletcher, and Helena Blankleder (Padmakara Translation Group), trans., ''Nagarjuna's Letter to a Friend: With Commentary by Kangyur Rinpoche'' (Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publications, 2005), 49.</ref>
-}}
-Continuing with this theme Śāntideva warns us against letting our guard down and feeling too much at ease.
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.59}}
-Khenpo Kunpal gives some very emotive commentary to this verse, imploring us not to forget that death can come at any moment.
-{{QuoteCite
-		|quote-text=What guarantee can anyone give that we will not die today and that death is nothing to be afraid of? There is no one who can give us such assurance, not even a Buddha. What escape is there for us from the horrors of death? It is said in the ''Bhadrakaratri-sutra'':
-:What man is sure he will not die tomorrow?<br>This very day you should prepare yourself.<br>The great hordes of the Lord of Death—<br>Are they not your faithful friends?
-Death, our own death, is coming. How can we relax in careless ease? It is highly inappropriate to rest at our leisure, eating, drinking, and amusing ourselves. As Ashvaghosha once said in his ''Shokavinodana'':
-:Of all those born upon this earth<br>Or in the upper realms,<br>Did you see, or hear, or even doubt,<br>That some were born that have not died?<ref>Fletcher and Blankleder, ''Nectar of Manjushri's Speech'', 114–15.</ref>
-}}
-Pema Karpo makes a very interesting point in his commentary about how the force of the antidote ties in with the three higher trainings, and he relates that to a very famous verse from ''The Sūtra of Individual Liberation'' (''Pratimokṣasūtra'').
-{{QuoteCite
-		|quote-text=In terms of the manifest realizations of the three higher trainings, ethical discipline is the dam which acts as an antidote to hold back the manifest causes of negative actions, that is to say non-virtue. The mind acting as an antidote (concentration), which is empowered with that (ethical discipline), suppresses nonvirtue such that it cannot intrude. Wisdom destroys the seeds of the nonvirtue, which are completely uprooted such that they can never arise again. These three trainings are explained in the three pitakas. The meaning of this is summed up in ''The Sūtra of Individual Liberation'':
-:Commit not a single unwholesome action,<br>Cultivate a wealth of virtue,<br>Tame completely your own mind—<br>This is the teaching of the Buddha.<ref>Pema Karpo, ''Lamp for the Middle Way'', 19 (e-book). https://dharmacloud.tsadra.org/library/?post_types=book,book_author&search-terms=A+Lamp+for+the+Middle+Way:+A+Commentary+on+the+Bodhisattvacharyavatara&subjects=any&view=list/</ref>
-}}
-<h5>4. The Force of Turning Away from Repeating the Fault, or The Force of Restraint</h5>
-In verses 60 to 64, Śāntideva mentions the last key feature of confession through the four antidotal forces—the promise never to engage again in the actions which we have confessed. This section of the text explains how to restrain ourselves from committing the same kind of actions again, as we have done in the past. Understanding who the valid objects of refuge are, we reflect on all the negative actions we have done and confess them to those objects of refuge, as we set a course for ourselves moving forward.
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.62}}
-We swear to ourselves that our one course of action must be to break free of all of our negative habitual patterns and actions. Khenpo Kunpal [LINK to text] expands on this point in the following way:
-{{QuoteCite
-		|quote-text=So we should ask ourselves, 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>Blankleder and Fletcher, ''Nectar of Manjushri's Speech'', 116.</ref>
-}}
-In his commentary, Khenpo Kunpal also makes a very important point regarding our negative actions: it is not just that they lead to future suffering in the lower realms, but they also prevent our virtuous actions right now, such as trying to study, contemplate, and meditate on the teachings, from being effective and coming to fruition.<ref> Blankleder and Fletcher, ''Nectar of Manjushri's Speech'', 116.</ref>
-To conclude this chapter, Śāntideva implores the buddhas and bodhisattvas to accept him as he is, along with all the negativity he has engaged in.
-{{PullBcaVerses|2.65}}
-He promises never to do those negative actions again, which 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 recognizing the bad things we have done, admitting honestly to them, and confessing them to the buddhas and our teachers. Through this confession, we mark a line in the sand and commit to not transgressing these boundaries again.
-Kunga Wangchuk describes this force of turning away from repeating the fault as the force of amendment.
-{{QuoteCite
-		|quote-text=We recognize that our previously committed wrong deeds of body, speech, and mind are unwholesome, and that they are the cause and conditions which produce all of the suffering of the lower realms of samsara. We think "From this day on, I will never commit any of these nonvirtuous negative actions, even at the cost of my life." The force of amendment is the promise from now on never to commit unwholesome actions.<ref>Khenpo Kunga Wangchuk, ''A Commentary on the Bodhicaryāvatāra'', ''Theg pa chen poi do'i dgongs don gyi bstan bcos byang chub sems dpa'i spyod pa la 'jug pa zhes bya ba'i 'grel pa'' (Chos kyi blo gros rtsom sgrig khang, 2016), 143.</ref>
-}}
-In a very beautiful passage of his commentary, Khenpo Kunpal explains the importance of amending our behavior so that we turn away forever from all forms of unwholesome conduct.
-{{QuoteCite
-		|quote-text=To engage in evil action is like passing from light into darkness. It produces effects that are difficult to bear. For holy beings, such unwholesome conduct is an object of derision. Therefore, from now on, we must promise never to repeat such actions even at the cost of our lives. And when pronouncing such a resolution, we should consider that rays of many-colored light stream from the bodies of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and cleanse and purify our every fault and downfall—every negativity and obscuration of ourselves and other beings—like the sun rising in the midst of darkness.<ref>Blankleder and Fletcher, ''Nectar of Manjushri's Speech'', 118.</ref>
-}}
-Nāgārjuna provides us with a final word of hope in regard to this whole process of confession. He reminds us of the only redeeming feature of the negative actions, which is that they can be purified by confession. As he says in his ''Letter to a Friend'':
-{{QuoteCite
-		|quote-text=Those who formerly were careless
-But then took heed are beautiful and fair,
-As is the moon emerging from the clouds,
-Like Nanda, Angulimala, Darshaka, Udayana.<ref>Gethin, Fletcher, and Blankleder, ''Letter to a Friend'', 33.</ref>
-}}
-Gyalse Tokme Zangpo concludes this chapter by instructing us to confess our negative actions day and night.
-{{QuoteCite
-		|quote-text=In the direct presence of the protectors we place our palms together, and with a mind of fear of suffering we prostrate again and again, confessing all of our negative actions.<ref>Thokme Zangpo, ''Ocean of Excellent Explanation'', 159.</ref>
-}}
 }}