Then, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Mahasattva said to Stable Faith Bodhisattva Mahasattva:
"Virtuous son, listen attentively and I will explain it to you. After the Buddha's parinirvana, in these dark times, many monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen lack conviction and faith in the workings of cause-and-effect whether it is for samsara or beyond samsara.
They do not contemplate impermanence, suffering, non-self, and the unclean nature of things, thus realization does not arise. Due to not diligently contemplating these teachings, they are ultimately not able to avoid the ten root non-virtues. They are unable to generate faith in the qualities and attainments of the Triple Gems. They lack direction on how to proceed within the three vehicles.
When such individuals face various hindrances, their worries, doubts and regrets intensify. Their minds are unclear no matter where they go; their many desires generate further sufferings. Many (worldly) affairs entangle them, they act in a chaotic manner, their thoughts are jumbled and mixed up, and they waste their cultivation.
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Virtuous son, future beings who seek liberation from birth, old age, sickness, and death, and who aspire to cultivate meditation and wisdom without attributes, should first observe the amount and severity of negative karmas accumulated in past lives. If the negative karmas are numerous and heavy, they should not immediately engage in the practices of meditation and wisdom; instead, they should first engage in the practice of confession and purification.
Why is this necessary? It is because such individuals have strong negative habitual tendencies from past lives. Therefore, it follows that they will commit many negative karmas and transgressions of the parajikas (root vows, or “defeats”) in the present life. Due to transgressing these parajikas, should they not purify themselves completely through confession before practicing meditation and wisdom, they will encounter many obstacles that they cannot overcome. Perhaps they may lose their minds or become confused, or be afflicted by external negative forces, or be led astray by wrong teachings, or increase their wrong views.
Therefore, they should first practice confession and purification. Once their precepts have been restored to purity, and their negative karmas from past lives have been weakened considerably, they will be freed from all obstacles.
