“But Sunim,” some of you might be saying, “why all this stuff on repentance?” In part, because this is just the section in the sutra, lol. This text was gradually compiled around The Great Compassion Dharani, with people occasionally adding sections fore and aft. These extra sections were things that great teachers of the day thought people needed to know. Given that they weren’t cut out or dropped, I’d guess that centuries of people found them helpful.
The other reason is that we as growing, developing beings can’t move forward until we acknowledge that the harmful things we did were mistakes. Otherwise, we aren’t looking for new ways forward, and may even be hanging back, defending the way we did things.
The interesting, and truly odd thing about this section (which concludes tomorrow), is that nowhere aside from the title does it actually mention “repentance.” The contents are 100% about trying to find a new way forward. And that is also apparently a form of repentance.
If I am always aware of and rely upon
the great virtue and merit of one mind,
no disasters of this world can touch me,
and I will receive the blessings of all Buddhas.
Whether a heavenly being or a human being,
anyone who meets this treasure,
this one mind,
obtains the supreme Dharma.
Wake Up and Laugh! 