The Core
懺悔文 (sange-mon) is a sutra verse chanted during the Tanbutsu ceremony in Zen Buddhism. It is a verse for confessing past sins or mistakes and asking for forgiveness. While commonly regarded as "a prayer for confessing past sins to Buddha and asking for forgiveness," this dictionary defines it as "an active practice to realize our delusions, free the self from the survival instinct and memories, and harmonize with the 'Dharma realm' where all things are connected to each other."
Q&A
- Q: Why is it necessary to perform repentance as well as Zazen?
- A: Because while Zazen is effective for suppressing distracting thoughts that arise from the survival instinct, the practice of keeping the precepts and performing repentance is essential to resolve the friction that occurs in our relationships with others in daily life.
