过能改　归于无
If We Correct Our Errors, They Disappear

聪明人，有过必改；愚痴人，有过不改。
Intelligent people correct their errors; deluded people don't.

往昔所造诸恶业，
皆由无始贪瞋痴；
从身语意之所生，
一切我今皆忏悔。
  
All evil karma I did in the past,
Came from beginningless greed, anger,
and delusion,
And was made by my body, mouth and mind.
I now repent of it all and reform.

我为什么在往昔的时候造了很多的恶业？仔细地分析，都是因为无始劫以来由贪瞋痴三毒所生出来的。从身生出杀、盗、淫的业；从口生出妄言、绮语、恶口、两舌的业；从意生出贪、瞋、痴的业。这所有的业，我现在都要忏悔。所谓：

弥天大罪，一忏便消。
　 
Why have we created so much bad karma in the past? Looking into it carefully, we can see that throughout beginning--less eons, the three poisons of greed, anger, and delusion have been the reason. Our bodies kill, steal, and engage in sexual misconduct; our mouths engage in lying, frivolous speech, harsh speech, and divisive speech; and our minds indulge in greed, anger, and delusion. But now we want to repent of all our evil karma and reform. It is said:

Great offenses which fill the heavens
Are eradicated by a single thought of
repentance.

有首偈颂说：

罪从心起将心忏，
心若灭时罪亦亡；
心亡罪灭两俱空，
是则名为真忏悔。
　 
Another verse says:

Offenses arise from the mind, and must be
repented in the mind.
When thoughts are gone,
offenses also disappear.
With thoughts forgotten and offenses gone,
 both become empty.
That is called true repentance and reform.

　  　
罪从心生，罪从心灭，所以将心忏；用真心来忏悔所造的业，心里把所造的过错忘掉，罪业也没有了。所谓：「过能改，归于无」如果有过不改，把它藏起来，不教人知道，那才是罪上加罪。古时大英雄、大豪杰，都是勇于改过。古人云：

君子之过也，
如日月之蚀焉。
过也，人皆见之；
更也，人皆仰之。

　 
Offenses come from the mind and disappear because of the mind, and so the mind must repent of them. Using your true mind to repent and reform of the karma you have created, the mistakes made can be dispelled from the mind. With that, the offenses also vanish.

It is said that if you correct your faults and errors, they vanish. But if you conceal your offenses, they double. The great heroes and outstanding people of ancient times were all courageous in correcting their errors. Thus the ancients said,

A superior person's error
is like a solar or lunar eclipse
which is seen by all.
If he immediately corrects it,
everyone looks up to him.

　  　
君子有了过错，就好像日蚀和月蚀一样，人人都能看见；若是能及时改过，则人人都会敬仰而羡慕。
　 
A superior person's error is like solar or lunar eclipse in that everyone notices it. If he corrects himself right away, people then respect and admire him.

聪明人，有过必改；愚痴人，有过不改。所以古人又说：

人非圣贤，孰能无过；
过而能改，善莫大焉。
　 
Intelligent people correct their errors, deluded people don't. The ancients also said,

People aren't sages or worthies─
Who can be without faults?
To courageously correct one's faults
Is the greatest good of all.
　  　
有智慧的人，勇于改过，欢喜改过，所以人人都仰慕他，赞叹他，知道他是君子。古时子路闻过则喜，大禹闻善则拜，这些我们都应该引以为宝鉴。
　 
Wise people vigorously change their faults and take delight in reforming themselves. That's why others look up to such people, praise them, and recognize them as great. In ancient times, Zi Lu [one of Confucius' disciples] rejoiced when people criticized him, and the Great Yu [Emperor of China, c. 2205 b.c.] bowed in respect when he heard of the goodness of others. Those two are good models for us.
　  　
    
一九七七年三月一日开示于金山禅寺
　 
A talk given on March 1, 1977,
at Gold Mountain Dhyana Monastery, San Francisco