To Purify White Karma

 

Yutang Lin

 

 

During Tantric fire sacrifice rituals
Equal amount of black and white sesame seeds are offered
To signify purification of both sinful and benevolent karmas
       (Also known as black and white karmas)

Sinful karma should be purified
       This is of course sensible
Why should benevolent karma be purified
It is because ordinarily people who perform charitable deeds
Could hardly avoid regarding themselves as virtuous
       And rejoicing internally in such self-esteem
Consequently yielding arrogant attitudes and even
       Animosity toward wrongdoers as if they were enemies
To the extent that they are intolerant to different approaches
       Not to mention to be able to persuade others with patience
Thus as events evolved
Even though they may enjoy blissful rewards in human or heavenly realms
They still could hardly avoid being bound by karma
       And thus could not escape from transmigration in Samsara

The goal of Dharma practices is
Not only to gain liberation from the suffering of transmigration in Samsara
But also to attain perfect union of wisdom and compassion so that
One may regain original purity and then help all beings to become enlightened
And hence benevolent karmas that are polluted by views of person and others
All need to be purified by Sunyata that is free from notions of self and others
Thus offering black and white sesame seeds into the fire altar
Signifies consuming all karmic hindrances through
       The fire of wisdom and compassion in Sunyata

 

Written in Chinese and translated on May 1, 2011
El Cerrito, California