Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte , continues on our Parinirvana/Vajrasattva/Confession as Practice theme. Titled and#8220;Verses of Confession,and#8221; Padmavajra is exploring the transformative magic that is Bodhichitta practice. In this excerpt he reflects on the Verses of Confession of Faults and#8211; powerful expressions of the human situation, small-mindedness in the context of life and death, concluding with a reading of the confessional verses from the Sevenfold Puja.
From the talk and#8220;Death and Desire,and#8221; the second in a great three-part series on and#8216;The Alchemy of Loveand#8216; given at Padmaloka, 2004.
[music] Dharma Bites is brought to you by Free Buddhist Audio, the Dharma for your life. Our work is funded entirely by donations from our generous listeners. If you would like to help us keep this free, make a contribution at freebuddhistaudio.com/donate. Thank you and happy listening. [music] In the second section of the Bodhi Charivatara, entitled "Confession of False", we find some of the most simple, poignant, and indeed powerful expressions of our actual situation. In the first section, I've read verses from that, the first chapter, Shanti Deva, gives praise to the Bodhi Chitta, the enlightened mind. And that praise in the second section, "Confession of False", turns into beautiful, elaborate, devotional verses. We have some of those in our own Pooja. But then, after that, Shanti Deva confesses his faults. You get the impression that Shanti Deva himself has had some kind of experience, some kind of vision of the Bodhi Chitta, this amazing heart, this amazing mind of wisdom and compassion. He's got some kind of contact with it, he's been moved by it in some way, it's touched him. But, as well as that, causing him great joy and great uplift, it also reveals to him how much of him just isn't in tune with it. The vast heart of enlightenment of awakening reveals all the pettiness, all the small-mindedness in us. And Shanti Deva sees that small-mindedness in the context of life and death. I'll read you some verses. First of all, the confessional verse. "Whatever wrong I have done to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, to my parents, to my teachers or others worthy of respect, whether wrong by deed, word or thought, I confess it all to the leaders, I acknowledge it all to the leaders, to the Buddhas." And then he says, "The Lord of death is indifferent to what has been done or not done. Like a thunderbolt, he strikes me down in health as well as sickness. For the sake of my likes and dislikes, I have done many kinds of wrong. I did not remember that sooner or later I must depart this life, abandoning all and alone. What I hate will cease to be, what I love will cease to be. I will cease to be, and all will cease to be." Amazing reflection on death, what I hate will cease to be, what I love will cease to be, I will cease to be, and all will cease to be. We hope you enjoyed today's Dharma Bite. Please help us keep this free. Make a contribution at freebuddhistaudio.com/donnie. And thank you. [music fades out] [music fades out] [music fades out] You [BLANK_AUDIO]
