For the Benefit of All Beings: A Commentary on the Way of the Bodhisattva (Shambhala Classics)

by Dalai Lama XIV

To make a proper confession, it is necessary to do so with the four powers. The first of these is the power of the support, which is to take refuge in the Three Jewels and to generate bodhichitta. The second power entails deep and sincere regret for all the negative actions we have done until now and the negative emotions we have indulged in. This requires reflection on the harmful effects of negative actions. The third power is the resolve never again to commit these negative actions, even if it were to cost us our lives. The fourth is the power of the antidotes, such as prostrations, recitation of mantras, and specific purificatory practices.