Sangemon 懺悔文

I now entirely repent
all the evil actions I have perpetrated in the past,
arising from beginningless greed, anger, and delusion,
and manifested through body, speech, and mind.

gashaku shozō shoaku go 我昔所造諸惡業
kai yu mushi ton jinchi 皆由無始貪瞋癡
ju shin kui shisho sho 從身口意之所生
is-sai gakon kai sange 一切我今皆懺悔

reflecting on the Sangemon, or verse of repentance it is important to understand one of the reasons for chanting this verse. It is not only chanted to atone for one’s past mistakes, hurtful actions, and anger, but to stop the karmic action, or habit from continuing to roll on through one’s life. This verse, when recited with absolute faith and honesty in one’s heart enables rebirth in the present moment, to wipe the slate clean and move forward. This is not something that is only done once, but something that needs to be done every moment in one’s life.

The three poisons of greed, anger, and delusion are beginningless, even before our birth. The results of the three poisons can be felt in our present lives. In this present life, we are creating karma through our body, speech, and mind. When we regret our ignorance, the hurt we have caused others from our greed and anger, and the hurt we have caused ourselves from not understanding the interdependence of all sentient beings, as there is no permanent self in Buddhism, we are a collection of the four elements, 5 skandhas, temporary causes and conditions that are based off of past actions. we can recite the sangemon and offer merit to those that we have wronged in hopes that suffering may end for all sentient beings, including ourselves. Often we leave ourselves out of the wish for all beings to be happy, but it is important that we do not. We all have the potential to become Buddhas. Sitting in front of the Butsudan, or home altar, offer incense, recite the Sangemon three times, and sit zazen.

Namu kie butsu, namu kie ho, namu kie so.

one with Buddha, one with dharma, one with Sangha.