p. mthol/ f. mthol/ [var. 'thol ba/ ] [lit. sin + confess]
Biblical: the term confession has two Biblical meanings: 1) to confess sin, and 2) to admit or declare that something is true (see dpang po byed pa/ and khas len/ below): sdig pa mthol nas yor dan nang khrus blangs so/ confessing their sins, they were baptized in the Jordan River (Mt. 3:6), gcig gis gcig la sdig pa mthol zhig confess your sins to one another (Jas. 5:16), sdig pa mthol na/ if we confess our sins (1 Jn. 1:9).
Buddhist: In Bsm. confession is not a path to forgiveness but to correction: sdig pa mthol ba/ is the ordinary religious term for confessing wrongdoing (AMD). It is not just an admission of faults, but includes: 1) developing a feeling of regret (see repent); 2) relying on the triple refuge and generating a feeling of compassion for those one has injured; 3) performing virtuous actions such as doing prostrations, reciting mantras, or reading the scriptures in order to cancel the demerits of the wrongdoing; and 4) promising to avoid negative actions in the future (JPG 77). The Pratimoksha sutra thar gyi mdo/ contains the disciplinary rules for monks and nuns, who are required twice a month to assemble and make public confession of any transgression of their vows in a ceremony called gso sbyong / [Skt. poshadha]. sdig ltung snying nas mthol zhing bshags sems kyis/,,/stobs bzhi tshang ba'i ngang nas yig drug sgrongs/ from your heart acknowledge all wrongdoing and downfalls, and, confessing them, with the four powers complete, recite the six-syllable mantra (HTE 182).
Related Terms: sdig pa mthol ba/ see sdig pa gshog pa/ below.
p. byas/ f. bya/ imp. byos/
Biblical: to act as a witness or give testimony: to confess, testify, or admit: gal te ye shu gtso bo lags so zhes kha nas dpang po byed/ if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," (Rom. 10:9), kha nas dpang po byed pa la thar pa thob bo/ with your mouth you confess and are saved (Rom. 10:10).
Cognates: 1) dpang po/ the testimony given by a witness: dpang po bzang po/ the good confession (1 Tim. 6:13); 2) dpang yig a contract (SLR 10).
p. blangs/ f. blang / imp. longs/ [lit. mouth + take]
Biblical: to admit, acknowledge, or confess: khyod kyis khas len pa bzang po/ the good confession you made (1 Tim. 6:12), khas ma blangs so/ they did not confess their faith (Jn. 12:42), ye shu ma shi ka 'ba' zhig,,/gtso bo lags zhes khas blang / to confess that Jesus Christ alone is Lord (Phil. 2:11).
Buddhist: 1) khas len/ is to accept or believe in: nang ba'i chos la khas len yod pas/ do you accept the Buddhist religion (KTM), nang pa'i lta ba khas len pa/ one who accepts a Buddhist viewpoint (TRC 94); 2) to give intellectual assent to a proposition: dge 'dun pa rnams dbyar snga ma khas len dgos pa red/ the members of the Sangha ought generally to accept the precepts of the earlier summer retreat (TRC 50), mdo sde pa gnyis kyis khas mi len/ the Sautrantika do not admit [accept] it (TRC 95); 3) a commitment or promise: phyir log rgyu'i khas len zhus pa ltar/ in keeping with their commitment to return (TRC 154); 4) used negatively to deny that something is true: 'phrul bzo rig gnas kyis sngon chad med pa'i dngos po'i khe phan gang 'dra bsgrubs yod pa khas mi len pa sus kyang byed mi thub/ no one can deny the unprecedented material benefit of science and technology (DLP 3).
Cognates: 1) khas len zhu/ to answer; 2) ngos len byas/ to admit to having done something wrong; e.g. committed a crime (ETD 82), nag nyes ngos len byed na/,,khrims thog nas nyes pa yang ba yod red/ if someone confesses his crime, his punishment would be more lenient (TQP 125).
Biblical: to speak truthfully what is on the mind (KTM): khong gis kha bsangs te nga ni ma shi ka min zhes drang por gsungs so/ He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ" (Jn. 1:20).
p. bshags/ f. gshag imp. gshogs/
Biblical: to admit or confess; often in compounds with mthol/ , e.g. nyes pa mthol bshags/ [lit. fault + confess + explain] to confess a moral fault: gal te nged rnams kyis byas pa'i nyes pa mthol bshags 'bul na/ if we confess our sins (1 Jn. 1:9 SV).
Buddhist: bshags pa/ is the confession of non-virtuous actions or breaking of vows; sdig pa bshags pa/ is cancellation of sin by confession and acknowledgement (KTM), also by doing good, reading scriptures, going on pilgrimage, doing worship, etc. (AMD). sdig ltung snying nas mthol zhing bshags sems kyis/,,/stobs bzhi tshang ba'i ngang nas yig drug sgrongs/ from your heart acknowledge all wrongdoing and downfalls, and, confessing them, with the four powers complete, recite the six-syllable mantra (HTE 182), sdig pa bshags pa'i stobs bzhi/ the four powers necessary for forgiveness of sin by confession and repentance are: rten gyi stobs/ the power of persistence, sun 'byin pa'i stobs/ renunciation, nyes pa las slar ldog pa'i stobs/ turning away from sin gnyen po kun tu spyod pa'i stobs/ using all remedies (CNG 41).
Related Terms: drang por bshad pa/ to speak truthfully (KTM).