The Verse of Repentance: its source and meaning

In plain English, in our own words: all the harmful things I have done in the past, arising from greed, anger and ignorance without beginning, through body, speech and mind, I now repent them all.

These four lines come from the Avatamsaka (Flower Ornament) Sutra, in the chapter on the vows of Samantabhadra. They are often recited in Chinese Buddhist chanting and repentance ceremonies.

Line by line

• The first line: the many harmful things one has done, from long ago until now.
• The second line: they all arise from greed, anger and ignorance, which Buddhism calls the three poisons; "without beginning" means they go back further than anyone can trace.
• The third line: harmful deeds come from what the body does, what the mouth says and what the mind thinks, which Buddhism calls the three kinds of action.
• The fourth line: for all of this, I now sincerely repent.

What repentance means

A traditional explanation splits the Chinese word for repentance, chanhui (懺悔), in two: chan is openly admitting past faults, and hui is resolving not to repeat them (see the chapter on repentance in the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch). Repentance is not endless self-blame. It means seeing the past clearly, setting the burden down and starting again.

In the Repentance Hall at At Ease Temple

The Repentance Hall stands on the west side of the temple. Walk inside and press "Repent": the four lines appear one by one, and you can recite them silently as they do. Nothing you do there is recorded or uploaded.

Enter the Repentance Hall