English
English version: 'Those who do good will receive blessings, and those who do evil will suffer the consequences of their actions.' Śāriputra (one of the ten great disciples of the Buddha, known for his wisdom) said to the Buddha: 'If there are good men and good women who wish to seek the path of Buddhahood, how should they make vows in order to attain it?' The Buddha said: 'If there are good men and good women, they should prostrate themselves three times each morning and evening, and report to the Buddhas of the ten directions: 'May the Buddhas of the ten directions listen. The merits that we have accumulated from countless kalpas (aeons) in our past lives, whether it be through giving, reciting scriptures, or holding good intentions, doing good deeds for the Buddha, doing good deeds for the scriptures, doing good deeds for the bhikṣu-saṃgha (Buddhist monastic community), doing good deeds for ordinary people, or doing good deeds for birds and beasts, those who do evil will suffer the consequences of their actions, those who do good will receive blessings, and repent for evil deeds.' Uphold the precepts of the scriptures without violating them, if one has taken vows, do not have relations with women, if one encourages people to gladly do good deeds for all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and all people, if one urges the Buddhas not to enter parinirvāṇa (the passing away of a Buddha or Arhat). We gather all the merits we have gained from learning the path of Buddhahood, and with a good heart, bestow them upon all people in the ten directions, our parents, and all creatures that crawl and fly, so that they may all receive blessings. Let me receive the remaining small amount of blessings, so that I may practice the path of Buddhahood and propagate the Buddhist scriptures, and for those who have not yet been liberated, I shall liberate them, for those who have not yet been freed, I shall help them to be freed, for those who have not yet attained nirvāṇa (the state of liberation from the cycle of birth and death), I shall help them to attain nirvāṇa.' The Buddha said to Śāriputra: 'Even if all the men and women in the world attain the state of arhat (a perfected being who has attained liberation) and pratyekabuddha (a solitary Buddha who attains enlightenment on their own), if someone were to make offerings to all the arhats and pratyekabuddhas in the world for a thousand years, would their merit be great?' Śāriputra said: 'Even offering to one arhat or pratyekabuddha for one day brings immeasurable merit, how much more so to offer to all the arhats and pratyekabuddhas in the world for a thousand years?' The Buddha said: 'Offering to all the arhats and pratyekabuddhas in the world for a thousand years is not as good as reciting the Repentance Sutra three times each morning and evening for just one day. The merit gained from this surpasses the merit of offering to all the arhats and pratyekabuddhas in the world by a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, or a hundred million times.' The Buddha speaks the Śāriputra Repentance Sutra --------------------------------------------------------------------------------