Dharma Master Cheng Yen was born in 1937 in a small town in Taichung County, Taiwan. When she was twenty-three years old, she left home to become a Buddhist nun, and was instructed by her mentor, Venerable Master Yin Shun, to work “for Buddhism and for all living beings.”

 

In 1966, she founded a charity, which later turned into the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, to “help the poor and educate the rich”—to give material aid to the needy and inspire love and humanity in both givers and recipients.

 

In recent years, Master Cheng Yen’s contributions have been increasingly recognized by the global community. In 2011, she was recognized with the Roosevelt Institute’s FDR Distinguished Public Service Award and was named to the 2011 TIME 100 list of the world’s most influential people.

The Compassionate Samadhi Water Repentance, also known as Water Repentance, written by Tang Dynasty Dharma Master Wu-da, is an explanation of the power of karma and the strength of repentance. It catalogues the innumerable afflictions and obstacles that Bodhisattva-practitioners encounter on their journey of spiritual practice. And it presents a practice of repentance to eliminate these obstacles.

 

Dharma as Water consists of three volumes. It is a compilation of five years of lectures taught by Master Cheng Yen. The first volume of the book is an introduction followed by an explanation of how to cultivate the Seven States of Mind that are used in repentance practice.

 

The second volume covers the Obstruction of Afflictions. Each chapter of the main teaching begins with a selection of text from the Water Repentance over a gray background, and is followed by Master Cheng Yen’s explanation. It is our hope that this English version will serve as an inspiration for Bodhisattva-practitioners all over the world. We hope that people will come together to study and practice these repentance teachings, and in doing so, bring purity to their minds and to the world.

MAIN TEACHING

Repenting the Obstructions of Afflictions

 

Repenting Our Mental Karma

All Afflictions Arise from the Mind

The Three Poisons of the Mind: Greed, Anger, and Ignorance

The Calamity of Afflictions

 

The Afflictions in Groups of 3–108

 

The Merits and Virtues That Arise from Repenting Afflictions

The Afflictions in Groups of Three through Six

The Afflictions in Groups of 7–108

 

Practice Repentance and Give Rise to the Two Thoughts

Introduction to the Two Thoughts

Explanation of the Two Thoughts

 

Advising People to Repent Again

After Life Is Over, We Face King Yama

When Facing the Most Dreaded, It Is Too Late for Regret

 

The Mind Gives Rise to Afflictions

The Afflictions that Arise from Greed

The Afflictions that Arise from Anger

The Afflictions that Arise from Ignorance

 

Merits and Virtues Arise from Repenting Afflictions of the Mind

 

The Four Methods of Contemplation

Introduction for the Four Methods of Contemplation

First, Contemplate Causes and Conditions

Second, Contemplate Effects and Retributions

Third, Contemplate One’s Own Body

Fourth, Contemplate the Tathagaha-body

 

Repent Obstacles of Practice

Obstacles to the Heaven Realm, Human Realm,and State of Arhathood

Obstacles to the Bodhisattva-path before the Ten Grounds

Obstacles to the Bodhisattva-path of the Ten Grounds

Merits and Virtues Arise from

Repenting Obstacles to Practice

 

Excerpt

 

All Afflictions Arise from the Mind

Of the Three Obstructions, the first is affliction, the second is karma, and the third is retribution. These three are interrelated and sequential. Afflictions are the source of all negative karma. Negative karmic causes and conditions will result in the fruition of suffering. Therefore, today we sincerely repent. We must first repent the Obstruction of Affl