E.3 (the branch of confession to remedy ignorance) in four parts: 1. Confess with the antidotal power of action; 2. Confess with the antidotal power of remorse; 3. Confess with the antidotal power of resolve to abandon misdeeds; 4. Confess with the antidotal power of the meditational deity.

The root of negative deeds is ignorance. Not knowing one should confess and remorse is also a kind of ignorance. Therefore, the antidote to ignorance - confession is extremely important. One should visualize: in front of the field of merit Amitabha and his retinue, oneself and all other sentient beings confess. The Sutra Teaching the Four Factors says: "If one has all the four factors, the accumulated obstacles will be completely eliminated..." Therefore, when confessing, one must have all four antidotal powers, explaining in order below:

F.1 (Confess with the antidotal power of action) in four parts: 1. Confess to self-nature misdeeds; 2. Confess to proscribed misdeeds; 3. Confess to self-nature misdeeds that are not recognized; 4. Confess to proscribed misdeeds committed not knowing the prohibition.

G.1 in two parts: 1. Confess to the general misdeeds of body, speech, and mind; 2. Confess to the serious misdeeds of body, speech, and mind.

H.1 in three parts: 1. Confes to the three misdeeds of body; 2. Confess to the four misdeeds of speech; 3. Confess to the three misdeeds of mind.

I.1. Confess to the three misdeeds of the body:

All the non-virtuous deeds which have

been committed by myself and other beings,

by all sentient beings headed by my father and mother, 

from beginningless time until now –

killing, stealing, and impure conduct,

the three non-virtues of the body,

I now confess;

All sentient beings in the three realms, headed by our parents of the current life, have been wandering in samsara not only in the current life, but since the beginning of non-existence "exist from this point on, does not exist before that" (that is, from the beginningless time), and have committed various misdeeds. First we talk about the ten non-virtues:

Killing: intentionally killing sentient beings by means of weapons, poison,  spells, etc., and having no regrets afterwards. Among killing, killing parents, one's own gurus, Arhats, etc. is a very serious killing misdeed; killing monks who have broken vows and other people is a middling killing misdeed; killing animals is a low killing misdeed.

For example, killing for meat, skin, musk, etc. is killing out of greed; killing enemies is killing out of ill will; killing for meat offerings, making Buddha statues, building stupas, or offerings to gurus, and claiming that "killing wild animals is not a non-vitue", etc., is killing out of wrong views.

Intentionally killing with one's own hands is a karmically accumulated misdeed. After discussing with two or more people, if one of them kills (although the others did not kill personally), all of them will be guilty of killing. As the Abhidharma-kosha-bhasya states: "The soldiers in an army with the common purpose, all of them are the same as the doer." Instigating others to kill and rejoicing in others' killing are karmically accumulated but not personally committed misdeed, that is, committing the same misdeed.

If one has no intention to kill but accidentally steps on a living being, this is a karmically unaccumulated committed misdeed. Killing in a dream is a karmically unaccumulated unaccomplished misdeed. Killing is not a major misdeed in these cases. In addition, (through the whole process of killing,) in the beginning the planner, in the middle the main negotiator, and at the end the instigator, whether it is through spoken words or hinting with eyes, hand gestures, etc., they are all guilty of killing.

As a samanera or bhikkhu, apart from pure meat such as that from animals of natural death, one must not eat meat obtained from killing that you have seen with your own eyes, heard with your own ears, or suspected of being done for your sake or entirely for you. For the meat obtained from slaughter and offered by patrons or people who do it as routine work, if you see or hear about it in advance, you must stop it. If you do not stop it and eat it, everyone will commit a very serious misdeed. And for monks they also commit proscribed misdeeds. This is a misdeed committed for the Three Jewels, so it is incomparably more than 100,000 times greater than other misdeeds.

In addition, the sutras and Buddhist treatises say: If you make fiery crossbows, sharp blades at a blacksmith's shop, or raise ferocious domestic animals such as roosters, dogs, and cats, or carry poisons, hunting tools, evil spells, etc, then before these items are completely destroyed, even for a moment, negative karma will increase immeasurably through them. The disadvantages of fiery crossbows are widely described in other sutras and treatises. Now is the degenerate age, and various types of fiery crossbows (weapons)# are highly developed and common. If one observes, one will understand the numerous sufferings caused by them.

Generally speaking, those who are shameless, have no compassion, are savage and aggressive, love weapons, or are compelled by taxes and punishments are prone to committing the misdeed of killing.

Although there are countless faults in killing, here a brief explanation as follows: The intention for killing, no matter whether it is with strong, medium or weak greed and hatred, even if one life is killed, it will cause intense suffering to that sentient being. So the fruit of retribution is: rebirth in one of the three lower realms, and feel pain for a medium kalpa or 20 billion years of human lifespan; experience the outflowing fruit: when one is freed from the three lower realms, no matter where one is reborn, because of killing and shortening the lives of sentient beings in the past, so you will have to pay for with 500 lives, and experience the misfortune of short life and ill-health; the behavioral similarity outflowing fruit : Reborn as a hawk, jackal, or other animal that kills others. If born as a human, he will be reborn as a butcher who likes to kill as in the past. 

The dominance fruit ripening in oneself: Because one has caused a certain sentient being to lose power and dignity in the past, one will be reborn as a person without power and dignity, extremely weak and lowly in the current life. The dominance fruit ripening in the external environment: No matter where one is born, it will be very barren and desolate, and one will often suffer from serious threats such as diseases, enemies, and robbers. So all of them are situations where one will not live to the end. The fruit of human effort: Just like the fruit of cutivation by hard work, the cause will definitely ripen perfectly into fruit.

The koans concerning suffering the fruit of retribution of killing:

Once, Venerable Maudgalyayana and Bhikkhu Huajie*(?)(华杰比丘) went to the seaside together. On the way, they saw a man with a beast head and burning fire all over the body. He cried "Ah, oh..." and howled. His cry spread throughout the valley. At the same time, he was surrounded by tens of thousands of terrifying hungry ghosts. The ghosts held bows and arrows, aimed and shot at him. Many fiery arrows pierced him. Seeing this, Bhikkhu Huajie asked Venerable Maudgalyayana: "Why is this?" Venerable Maudgalyayana said: "This person was a hunter. He killed many wild animals. After his death, he felt such pain for several years. He will fall into the crushing hell (after this)# and it is difficult for him to be liberated."

Once upon a time, a king executed a criminal according to the law. As the retribution fruit of this, the king was reborn as a big whale in the sea, with a body of length 700 yojanas. All his relatives and ministers who had killed others were reborn as small whales, living on the body of the big whale and biting it. Thus he suffered for hundreds of thousands of years. After death, he will be reborn as insects in Rajagriha. If those who executed the guilty according to the law suffer such retribution fruit, how much more suffering would those who killed innocent sentient beings feel?

Koans of experiencing the outflowing fruit in the present life:

In the past, when the great compassionate teacher Buddha Shakyamuni was alive, there was a king named Vidudabha. Misleded by the events of an evil minister who harmed his mother, he launched a large army to attack Kapilvastu and massacred 77,000 people of the Shakya clan, most of whom were realized bodhisattvas. (The violent army) buried all the orphans and widows alive in a pit. At that time, although the Buddha, who possessed the ten powers, was also in the city. He not only failed to stop the army's massacre, but also had a headache as a demonstration of karmic result. 

The bhikkhus asked the Blessed One, "What is the reason for this?" The Blessed One said, "Once upon a time, there were five hundred fishermen living by the sea. One day, they saw two big fishes swimming in the sea close by. So they used their nets to catch the two fat fishes and put them on the meadow. The fishermen discussed it and one said, 'These two fishes are very big. If we kill them all at once, it will be difficult to sell all the fish meat in a short time. In this way, (the remaining fish meat) will rot. If we tie them to a tree and cut them alive to sell them piece by piece, that would be the best strategy.' Then they did so. The two fishes could not bear the pain of being cut alive, so they groaned and tossed and twisted. 

At this time, a fisherman's child saw the fishes and couldn't help laughing. When the two big fishes were dying, they made this evil wish: May we kill these people life after life. Then they died. The two fishes at that time are the  King Vidudabha and the minister (Dighakarayana(?)(害母大臣)) at present; the five hundred fishermen at that time are the five hundred Sakiyas now; the fisherman's child is me now. Even the fully enlightened Buddha needs to experience the residual retribution fruit of (rejoicing in) killing, let alone us sentient beings in samsara?

No one should directly say or gesture "this is to be killed". In the past, the Venerable Arhat Garga(?)(恰嘎尊者) helped many lay people realize the Noble Truths. Once, he was teaching to a Brahman woman. At that time, the leader of a gang of bandits and the woman were committing adultery. Lustful people will do anything, and the two of them cruelly cut off Arhat Garga's head and buried his body in a pile of ashes. (After the incident was exposed,) King Pasenadi (ordered his subordinates) to burn the bandit leader and the woman alive, and cut off the hands and feet of all the five hundred bandits under his command. (His followers) asked the Buddha why. The Buddha said: "In the past, there was a king Brahmadatta of Anga in Sarnath, India. Once he dreamed that his intestines were wrapped around the entire city. He told this dream to a Brahmin minister. Originally, this dream was a good omen. However, the Brahmin had five hundred little disciples, and considering their food problem, he reported: "If we don't kill a lot of cows for offering and alms, then this dream is a bad omen." Then many cows were gathered. And hearing their wailing, the king felt compassion and ordered "Don't kill them." 

The minister had no choice but to say: "Yes, sir." At this time, he saw a dzo having an impure relationship with a zhom, and said: "These two cows should be killed." His little disciples also echoed him and said: "These two should be killed." And they stretched out their hands to point (to the cows)#. Although they were animals, they knew it very well, so they made an evil wish: We are killed innocently, and the murderer is this minister and his five hundred little disciples. May we kill this minister and cut off the hands and feet of these children no matter where we are reborn in the future. Brahmadatta of Anga at that time was King Pasenadi; the minister was Arhat Garga; the five hundred children were the five hundred bandits; the pair of dzo and zhom at that time were the bandit leader and the Brahman woman. Therefore, after experiencing this retribution, Arhat Garga’s remaining karma was exhausted. For the slaughter of innocent animals, just participating in words or gestures will also bring about such retribution.

The Vinaya says: "The karma of sentient beings, will not be destroyed after a hundred kalpas. When the conditions are met, the fruits will definitely ripen." Before the five aggregates have reached the state of not having any residue left, karma will not ripen in any other external environment, but only in the body that the mind clings to. As far as experiencing the results of karma is concerned, it is useless to have attained bhumis, useless to have virtues, and useless to escape. As the Vinaya says: "Whether it is the sky, the sea, or a cave, no matter where you are, you will experience the results of karma." 

The holy Bodhisattva Nagarjuna was beheaded with durva grass by the prince of King Gautamiputra because of the residual karma of killing insects when cutting grass many lives ago. The great Siddha Vairotsana nipped many lice to death when he was reborn a monk, and ate many frogs and snakes when he was reborn as a hawk. Because of these two residual karmas, he was placed in a pit with various lice and snakes by the king of Gyarong (now in Markang County, Ngawa Prefecture) and suffered, etc. There are countless such koans. Therefore, lay people should not mistakenly think that if you do not kill people or horses, you have no transgressions. Even if you kill lice and fleas, kill insects when cutting grass or digging the ground, or cause back injuries or piercing of the abdomen of horses, mules, and dzos when carrying goods, you will accumulate countless negative karma.

Once upon a time, a lay Buddhist named Sagama(?)(萨嘎玛) had thirty sons. They murdered the son of a minister of King Pasenadi. The minister tried every means to make King Pasenadi and the thirty children hate each other. In the end, King Pasenadi cut off the heads of the thirty people and put them in boxes and sent them to Sagama. This is because: once upon a time, thirty robbers stole a cow and slaughtered it at an old woman's house. They also gave some meat to the old woman. Although the animal cannot speak, it knows clearly in it's mind. So the cow made an evil wish when she died. The cow later turned into King Pasenadi, the old woman was Sagama, and the thirty robbers were Sagama's thirty sons. They need to repay such karmic debts in many lives.

Please take a look: Should we be unscrupulous in our words and deeds and go along with those hunters and people who engage in occupations that involve killing? The parents, wives, and descendants of hunters and butchers need to go to hell once. If there are too many hunters with serious negative karma in a ravine, the local area will be cursed by the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas, and all kinds of unpleasant things will happen frequently. Even if they are not harmed in the current life, everyone who drinks water from the same ravine will be harmed in the next life. Staying with people with serious sins for a long time, or even just chatting for a moment, will also infect you with negative karma. If such a person comes to your home, the depletion ghost will follow him. If he touches the blessed items, the blessing power of the blessed items will also be lost.

Please listen to an example of experiencing the outflowing fruit of killing with ignorance: In ancient times, one day, a great arhat was sitting at the entrance of a family house . Across the house, a man brought a livestock animal to be slaughtered, and the animal was wailing. The arhat not only understood the language of the animal but also knew all its karma from the past, so he said, "Oh, how could it be so sad and miserable?" The man asked him, "What did you say?" He told the man, "I cannot tell the history of this animal to those who do not believe, so I tell you quietly." Then he began to narrate, "This animal was once a wealthy merchant. In order to build Buddha statues and stupas, he killed many animals to hold offering pujas. That family inherited the evil custom of killing livestock to hold pujas for generations. After the merchant died, he was reborn as a livestock animal in his own family, and was killed repeatedly, six times so far." The arhat felt compassion for the animal and said, "You were the one who built the Buddha statues and stupas in the past, you were the one who killed for offerings, and you were the one who killed many sentient beings to sacrifice to the gods. Now you are experiencing the consequences of your actions. What is the point of crying and wailing?"

Nowadays, in various temples, as well as those rich families, officials, and gurus, in order to prolong their lives and celebrate festivals, they offer meat and blood. This phenomenon can be seen everywhere in today's degenerate age, and is very rampant. This is completely encouraging the practice of heterodox religions, and offering meat and blood is also a kind of such practices. In some areas, killing is (the practice of)# the Bon religion. For example, the tantra says that "when the Tantra is chanted for the Bon religion", which also refers to this point. Therefore, if there are people who pay a little attention to karma cause and effect, and care about Buddhism, please be careful about this. As the verse says: "There is no greater sin than killing." 

In fact, whether the sin of killing is serious or not, why do we need more proofs from teachings and reasoning? As the Buddha said: "Take yourself as an example, and never harm others." People say that "the most precious thing in the world is one's own life." How much do we cherish our own lives? Even a small thorn in the body is unbearable. In fact, all sentient beings cherish their bodies and lives in the same way. We are exactly the same in this. Therefore, is it necessary to explain whether the sin of killing is serious or not? As Shantideva said, "Both oneself and others, are the same when it comes to sufferings, what is the difference between oneself and others? Why only protect yourself?" In particular, killing sentient beings with nets and ropes is more serious than other sins. If you kill a sentient being with a fiery crossbow (firearms)#, many sentient beings, both visible and invisible, will be frightened. So you will be guilty of killing many sentient beings.

Whatever method you use to kill sentient beings now, you will have to experience the retribution of being killed the same way in the future. In the past, when Venerable Maudgalyayana went to hell, he saw a person like black charcoal being beaten to death by sentient beings with many heads with various weapons. His body was torn into pieces and eaten by many terrifying dogs. The Venerable said, "This is the retribution of killing many people and wild animals in the past."

The Satipatthana Sutra says, "For those who have committed serious sins, the retribution is also intense, and they suffer great pains, so we should stop performing misdeeds." Because the retribution of committing evil deeds is not immediately seen now, most people commit misdeeds happily. But they will surely experience the painful fruit in the future. As stated in the Chapter on Causes and Conditions, "For the sake of gaining happiness, one commits misdeeds with a smile, the retribution of misdeeds, will be experineced while one cries." Today's age is different from the past, it is difficult for cause and effect to be fully realized within one's life. However, just as the shadow of a bird high in the sky cannot be seen for the time being, when it lands, there will definitely be a shadow next to it. We must firmly believe that good and bad karmas follow us like a shadow. The Vinaya Pitaka says, "Just as a shadow follows a person, the body sits and the shadow sits, the shadow moves the body's moves, good and evil are like shadows, this is the supreme saying of the Buddha."

Since the harm of killing is so, the merit of abstaining from killing is equally vast. Contrary to the five karmic fruits of killing mentioned above, abstaining from killing will prevent one from falling into the lower realms, and will be reborn in the human and heavenly realms with a long life and no illness, etc. The sutra says: "If one stops killing, happily upholds pure precepts, ghosts and devas will not harm him, and he will be reborn in the upper realms." People who abstain from killing will develop compassion naturally, receive help from the devas, spirits and devas cannot harm him, all sentient beings regard him as a relative and friend. And he will be liked by everyone, and everything will go smoothly. As many as the sentient beings one kills, his merits will be reduced. Similarly, as many as the sentient beings one protects, his merits will increase. Some people who are healthy and have long lives nwo are also due to their abstention from killing in the past. The Buddha said in the sutra: "Whatever wish a pudgala who abstains from killing makes will be fulfilled."

Therefore, if we can confess the sins of killing committed in the past, vow to abstain from killing from now on, and make the aspiration to be reborn in Sukhavati, there is no doubt that we will get what we want. Therefore, if we want to go to a peaceful and pleasant place in the future, we must stop killing.

Once upon a time, a deva in the thirty-there heavens showed the five signs of death. He observed the place of rebirth after death and found that he would be reborn as a pig in Rajagriha. He couldn't help but wail there. Indra asked, "Why are you sad?" He explained the reason. Indra said, "There is a way." He went to ask the Buddha. The Buddha said, "Let him abstain from killing and he will be freed from the lower realms." Indra asked the deva to receive and observe the precept of not killing. After his death, he was reborn in Tushita Heaven.

Another case: Once, when the Venerable Shronakotikarna went to hell, after a day, he came to a beautiful palace at dusk. He saw four goddesses and a man playing and having pleasure together. They also offered the Venerable some food. The whole night was spent in full enjoyment and happiness. When the sun rose, they said, "Now it is time for us to experience great pain. It is better you not stay here. Kindly leave here!" The Venerable was puzzled and thought: Why is this? So he walked to the side and looked secretly: (In a flash) the beautiful palace was no longer there, and the four goddesses were gone. Four large dogs with iron teeth appeared. They pushed the man to the ground and tore his flesh into pieces and ate it. He felt unbearable pain until sunset. At dusk, he enjoyed happiness as before. 

The Venerable asked the man, "What (negative)# karma has brought you to this end?" He said, "When I was reborn as a human, I was a butcher in the city of Vasava who killed many lives. Because I vowed before Venerable Katyayana not to kill at night, I now enjoy this happiness at night; because I killed many sentient beings during the day, I now suffer this pain during the day. When you return to the human world, please take a message to my son who kills lives for a living, and say, 'Your father is reborn in hell because of his misdeeds of killing. He is experiencing severe pain. I have seen it with my own eyes. You must also stop the misdeed of killing, otherwise you will suffer the same pain as your father.' If he doesn't believe it, tell him, 'This is what your father said. There is a gold bottle buried under the slaughterhouse. Take it out and you can live on it. Always offer it to the great Venerable Katyayana and mention my name for dedication. This will be very helpful in cleaning off my negative karma." Venerable Shronakotikarna (after returning to the human world) conveyed the message truthfully.

There was once a hunter who killed many wild animals. He killed animals during the day and performed good deeds such as prostration and offering at night. Later, when he fell into hell, he was pecked and eaten by many birds and beasts during the day, experiencing pain. And was served and offered by many devis at night, enjoying happiness.

Therefore, if you can abstain from killing day and night, you will enjoy happiness in every life. If you cannot do this, then only abstaining from killing at night or on auspicious days such as the eighth, fifteenth, and thirtieth of the lunar month is also called mixed karma of good and evil deeds. And you will experience the consequences of suffering and happiness in turn. If you cannot generate the intention to stop killing even once in your life, during the day or night, and kill sentient beings without restraint all the time, then you will only fall into the lower realms life after life. And you will not even hear the sound of happiness. Therefore, it is very important to vigilantly abstain from killing.

Taking what is not given (stealing)#: includes obtaining property driven by the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, but it is mainly caused by greed. Highly serious stealing refers to stealing the objects and resources that the Three Jewels rely on, offerings, the common property of the monks, and the property of parents. Middlingly serious stealing refers to stealing, plundering, destroying, or obtaining ordinary people's property through various improper means such as violence, profiteering, weight tampering, etc. For example, farmers stealing areas of fields, muddling boundary markings, destroying fences, etc., or even stealing a handful of straw or more are all middlingly serious stealing. Herdsmen stealing thin ropes, a section of rope, milk, etc. Or stealing things from mole holes and other properties owned by animals and non-humans will also commit serious crimes. The saying that dignitaries get a horse with only a tea brick as a gift is "exchanging fox skin for a horse". Such numerous ways of obtaining property are also the same as stealing.

Especially for those engaged in business, except for the occasional occurrence of wrong views and sexual misconduct, all other misdeeds of the ten non-virtues are complete. As a bhikkhu or samanera, if he earns even one penny through business, he has committed a parajika (doer defeated)# offence, which is a breakage of precepts at the root. For example, stealing for the benefit of others is minor stealing. Moreover, for those who have not received the precepts, have not learnt and contemplated about the Dharma, if they profit by flattery and pretense, are exactly the same as stealing.

In short, all actions that one, in any way, takes the property of others without them giving it to you directly are theft. Stealing it oneself or instigating others to steal commits exactly the same crime.

Who is likely to commit this kind of stealing? People who are very stingy, have many needs, are greedy, have no shame, are compelled by taxes, or are pressed by punishment are likely to commit it.

Karmic result: Depending on the seriousness of the motive, the retribution fruit of stealing is rebirth in the three lower realms correspondingly. Outflowing fruit: Even if one is lucky enough to have a human body, he will be reborn as a beggar or hired laborer. Although one has a little wealth, it will be robbed by the strong, stolen by the weak, lost or damaged, destroyed, etc. And it will be shared with the devas, humans, and ghosts, that one has no authority over it. Even if one has a dairy cow, it will not have the three whites. The food is not nutritious, and the crops will be destroyed by rust, frost, hail, or pests. Those who are now pressed by poverty and loss are completely the karmic result of stealing other people's property and food in the past. 

The dominance fruit ripening in the external environment: one can only be reborn in an area with barren land and frequent famine. Behavioral similarity outflowing fruit: one likes to steal in every life, defruad when doing business, and become a rat, dog, etc. who loves to steal if reborn as an animal. In particular, those who steal only a tiny amount of offerings or the resources for building Buddha statues, stupas, or for printing Buddhist texts will fall into the cold hell or the hungry ghost realm. Even if one enjoys the wealth of the Three Jewels as small as the tip of a needle, one will definitely fall into hell.

In the past, when Master Tse Pema Karpo(?)(哲•白莲) came to U-Tsang, Tibet, he dreamed that he and his followers had a blazing fire in their mouths. He gathered all the monks and said, "You must have committed evil deeds. What did you do?" The followers said, "We didn't do anything!" The master observed again and again, and found that they had replaced the old ghee they ate with a new one. He checked what the new ghee was used for, and it turned out to be the raw material for offering butter lamps. The master told them, "This ghee should be used to offer many butter lamps."

Therefore, we must be careful with offerings. From the property of the Three Jewels, the property of the guru, and the property of one's parents, if one steals even a needle, he will fall into the Avici Hell. Another point: If a bhikkhu or a Samanera takes out only one penny from the fund shared by the monks, he will commit the parajika offense as numerous as the number of monks (this is explained in detail in the Vinaya). 

It is worth mentioning that as a lay man or woman, if you just drink a bowl of tea or porridge from the monks, you will fall into hell or be reborn as a sick naga. As the Suryagarbha Sutra says: "It is better to cut your own limbs, with a sharp knife, than to give the monks' belongings, to lay people."