Asked for Forgiveness

Yutang Lin


Refusing requests for forgiveness renders compassion to wane;
Karmic nets cast, it can hardly be removed for lack of wisdom.
Long since I had attained the absence of any intention to reject;
In view of my poor ability to rescue, I pray to Buddha for help.

Comments:

Someone mailed me a letter, saying that now she realized that she could not serve as a Guru, and asking for my forgiveness. According to the Silas of Bodhisattvas, one should accept requests for forgiveness. Nevertheless, this person has pretentiously carried on as a Guru for many years; all the while she just acted as she willed with complete indifference to my repeated advice. Furthermore, she fell into one group with those pirates who made false claims to good names to cheat others and sold Dharma works for self-interests, and consequently had made fool of and hurt numerous people that did not know the real situations. Therefore, the sins committed in such devious ways are beyond any person's ability to redeem. As a Dharma practitioner I have long since been used to engaging in practices that would diminish karmic hindrances or increase merits and wisdom for all sentient beings, and hence I have no intention of rejecting her request; therefore, I would not violate the Silas of Bodhisattvas on this account. As to rescuing others based on one's strength, I fully realize that I am incapable of redeeming such a karmic net; in addition, I am afraid that my reply could be misused again by them for their selfish propaganda purposes, hence I dare not respond. I could only pray to Buddhas for them during dedication of merits of my Dharma activities, with the hope that, through Buddha's blessing, she would eventually reveal and repent her sinful activities to the world so that she could be spared the suffering of falling into Vajra Hells.


Written in Chinese on December 30, 2003
Taipei, Taiwan
Translated on January 15, 2004
El Cerrito, California


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