Ethnologist Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf explained,
In Buddhist thinking the whole universe, men as well as gods, are subject to a reign of law. Every action, good or bad, has an inevitable and automatic effect in a long chain of causes, an effect which is independent of the will of any deity. Even though this may leave no room for the concept of 'sin' in the sense of an act of defiance against the authority of a personal god, Buddhists speak of 'sin' when referring to transgressions against the universal moral code. (1974: 550)[7]
Anantarika-karma in Theravada Buddhism is a heinous crime, which through karmic process brings immediate disaster.[9][10] In Mahayana Buddhism these five crimes are referred to as pañcānantarya (Pāli), and are mentioned in The Sutra Preached by the Buddha on the Total Extinction of the Dharma,[11] They are considered so heinous that a Buddhist or a non Buddhist should avoid them. According to Buddhism committing such a crime would prevent him or her attaining the stages of Sotapanna, Sakadagami, Anagami or Arhat in that lifetime.[12] The five crimes or sins are:[13]
before You brought forth the earth and the world,
from eternity to eternity You are God.
You return man to dust;
You decreed, “Return you mortals!”
אמר רבי אבהו בר-זעירא: גדולה תשובה שקדמה לבריאת העולם,
שנאמר: “בטרם הרים נמ יולדו… תשב אנוש עד דכא”.
“Rabbi Abahu bar Zeira said, ‘Great is Teshuvah, for it preceded the Creation of the World, as it says, ‘Before the mountains were born,…You reduced Man to nothingness, and said ‘Repent …’ (Tehilim/Psalms 90:2-3)” (Bereshit Rabbah, 1)
(א) תשובה טבעית, אמונית, שכלית
(ב) את התשובה אנו מוצאים בשלש מערכות : א) תשובה טבעית, ב) תשובה אמונית, ג) תשובה שכלית.
(ג) בתשובה הטבעית יש שני חלקים: תשובה טבעית גופנית ותשובה טבעית נפשית. הגופנית סובבת את כל העבירות נגד חוקי הטבע, המוסר והתורה, המקושרים עם חוקי הטבע. שסוף כל הנהגה רעה הוא להביא מחלות ומכאובים, והרבה סובל מזה האדם הפרטי והכללי. ואחרי הבירור שמתברר אצלו הדבר, שהוא בעצמו בהנהגתו הרעה אשם הוא בכל אותו דלדול החיים שבא לו - הרי הוא שם לב לתקן את המצב, לשוב לחוקי החיים, לשמור את חוקי הטבע המוסר והתורה, למען ישוב ויחיה וישובו אליו החיים בכל רעננותם.
(ד) המדיצינה עוסקת בזה אמנם הרבה, אבל לא נשתכללה כפי הנראה עדיין לגמרי עבודה גדולה זו, ולא נמצא עדיין הפתרון הנכון לכל שאלות התשובה הגופנית, עד כמה שיש בגבולות החיים להחזיר לאדם את כל האבוד ממנו מצד החטאים מהרסי הגוף וכחותיו. וכפי הנראה מקצוע של תשובה זו תלוי הוא, בקשר חזק, ביתר חלקי התשובה הרוחנית-הטבעית, האמונית והשכלית.
(ה) יותר פנימית היא התשובה הטבעית הנפשית והרוחנית. הוא מה שקוראים "מוסר כליות". טבע הנפש האנושית הוא ללכת בדרך ישרה, וכשסר מן הדרך, כשנפל בחטא, אם נפשו עדיין לא נשחתה לגמרי - הרי החוש הזה של הישרות מדאיב את לבבו והוא מתמוגג מכאב, והוא מזדרז לשוב לתקן את המעוות, עד אשר ירגיש כי נמחה חטאו. חלק זה של התשובה הוא מסובך הרבה מאד, תלוי הוא בתנאים רבים פנימיים וחצוניים, ויש בו כמה דרכי הטעה, שחובה היא להשמר מהם, אבל מכל מקום הוא אחד היסודות, שתוכן התשובה נשען עליהם.
(ו) אחרי התשובה הטבעית באה האמונית, היא החיה בעולם ממקור המסורת והדת, שהיא עוסקת הרבה בתשובה. התורה מבטיחה לשבי פשע סליחה, חטאות היחיד והצבור נמחים על ידי תשובה. הנביאים מלאים הם דברים נשגבים על דבר התשובה, ככלל כל ערך התוכחה התורית בנוי הוא על התשובה האמונית. במעמקיה ישנם פרטים לאין חקר, אשר אך כלליהם היסודיים דורשים הרחבת דבורים ובאורים רבים.
(ז) התשובה השכלית היא אותה שכבר רכשה לה את הטבעית והאמונית, שכבר באה למדרגה העליונה, אשר לא רק צער גופני או נפשי ורוחני, ולא רק השפעת המסורת והקבלה, אם מפחד עונש או רשם כל דבר חק ומשפט הבא מהן אל פנים הנפש גורמים הם את התשובה, כי-אם הכרה ברורה, הבאה מהשקפת העולם והחיים השלמה, אשר עלתה למעלתה אחרי אשר התפקיד הטבעי והאמוני כבר רשמו בה יפה את רשומיה. תשובה זו, הכלולה מהקודמות, היא מלאה כבר אור אין קץ, היא באה להפך את החטאים כולם לזכיות, מכל השגיאות היא מוציאה למודים נשגבים, ומכל ההשפלות עליות נהדרות. זאת היא התשובה שעיני כל אליה נשואות. שהיא מוכרחת לבא ושסופה לבא.
THREE TYPES OF TESHUVAH
Teshuvah exists on three levels: 1) natural teshuvah, 2) faith-based teshuvah, 3) intellectual teshuvah. Natural teshuvah possesses two components: natural, physical teshuvah and natural, spiritual teshuvah. Physical teshuvah is germane to all sins against the laws of nature, ethics and the Torah—those laws of the Torah connected to the laws of nature. And so ultimately every evil practice leads to sicknesses and sufferings. And the human being—whether as an individual or in the aggregate—suffers terribly from this. And after it grows clear to a person that he himself, with his wrong behavior, is blameworthy for all of the deterioration of life that he is experiencing, then he focuses on correcting the situation, to return to the laws of life, to guard the laws of nature, ethics and Torah, so that he may once again live, and so that life will return to him with all of its vigor. Medical science is very much involved in this. However, it does not seem that this great work has by any means been perfected, and the proper solution has not yet been found to all questions regarding physical teshuvah, regarding the degree to which it is possible, within the boundaries of life, to restore to a person all that he had lost as a result of sins, which destroy the body and its faculties. And it appears that the state of this realm of teshuvah is strongly dependent upon the other parts of spiritual teshuvah: natural, faith-based and intellectual. More profound is the natural teshuvah that is personal and spiritual. This is what is referred to as “the wisdom of the inner organs.” It is the nature of the human spirit to go on a straight path. And when a person has turned aside from the path, when he has fallen into sin, if his spirit has not yet become completely corrupted, this natural sense of straightness saddens his heart and he wastes away from pain, and he moves with alacrity to return and repair that which is crooked, until he feels that his sin has been erased. This part of teshuvah is exceedingly complex. It depends upon many conditions, internal and external, and there are a number of mistaken ideas about it that one must guard oneself against. Nevertheless, this is one of the fundamental principles upon which the contents of teshuvah rest.
Following natural teshuvah comes the teshuvah of faith. It lives in the world from the source of tradition and religion, which deals extensively with teshuvah. The Torah promises forgiveness to those who return from sin. The sins of the individual and the community are erased through teshuvah. The Prophets are filled with exalted discussions of what teshuvah means. In general, the entire framework of the Torah’s rebuke is built upon faith-based teshuvah. In its depths, there are no end of details, whose basic principles alone require broad discussion and many explanations. Teshuvah of the intellect is that which has already acquired natural and faith-based teshuvah and has already reached a supernal level in which not only physical or emotional and spiritual suffering, and not only the influence of the tradition and legacy—whether in the form of the fear of punishment or as the impact made by decrees and laws upon the soul to cause teshuvah—but rather a clear awareness that comes from a total perception of the world and life, which has risen to its level after the natural and faith-based functions have successfully placed their impression on it. This teshuvah, which is comprised of the previous levels of teshuvah, is already filled with an infinite light. It transforms all sins to merits. From all errors, it draws forth elevated teachings and from all degradations, glorious ascents. This is the teshuvah to which the eyes of all people are lifted, which must arrive and which in the end will arrive.
Kook, Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak. Lights of Teshuvah (Kindle Locations 50-93). Dot Letter Word Press. Kindle Edition.
דְּאָמַר רַבִּי אֲבָהוּ: מָקוֹם שֶׁבַּעֲלֵי תְשׁוּבָה עוֹמְדִין — צַדִּיקִים גְּמוּרִים אֵינָם עוֹמְדִין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״שָׁלוֹם שָׁלוֹם לָרָחוֹק וְלַקָּרוֹב״. ״לָרָחוֹק״ בְּרֵישָׁא, וַהֲדַר ״לַקָּרוֹב״.
As Rabbi Abbahu said: In the place where penitents stand, even the full-fledged righteous do not stand, as it is stated: “Peace, peace upon him who is far and him who is near.” Peace and greeting is extended first to him who is far, the penitent, and only thereafter is peace extended to him who is near, the full-fledged righteous.
Intention-Based Forgiveness from With or Without Repentance: A Buddhist Take on Forgiveness by Chien-Te Lin
As previously noted, the Buddhist perspective on forgiveness emphasizes volition precisely because the accumulation of karma is closely linked to the quality of our mental state. All mental activities such as intentions, thoughts, perceptions, imagination and so forth directly impact the process of karmic accumulation. To quote the Buddha: “It is volition (cetanā), bhikkhus, that I call kamma. For having willed, one acts by body, speech, or mind” (AN III, 415; Bodhi 2012, 963).
Since the subject’s mentality is like a field on which the seeds of karma are continuously sown, any intent of kindness towards another can be likened to the planting of a seed that could potentially ripen into a positive result for the subject. What is indeed paramount to determining the karmic potential generated through the act of forgiving, is the mental volition of the forgiver. For this reason, provided that the subject is able to maintain a sincere thought of forgiveness and forsake harmful thought, the mental quality generated in his or her mind will not be influenced in any way by the presence or absence of the offender’s repentance. Due to the importance of intention, forgiveness comes into existence, not from an objective recognition, but from subjective validation. When we are intentionally, and also thoughtfully, willing to forgive, the so-called forgiveness is generally established. To illustrate this point, the Dalai Lama (1999, 78) cites Shantideva’s view on intention: it is through the intention of harm that we classify a person as an enemy, and it is also through the intention of forgiveness that we will be released from the vicious cycle of suffering. Since our intentions determine our relationship with others and the outside world, it does not make sense to define the enemy as an external agent – our inner negative thoughts and emotions remain the major enemy (Dalai Lama 2002, 84-85).
תַּנְיָא, הָיָה רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר: גְּדוֹלָה תְּשׁוּבָה, שֶׁבִּשְׁבִיל יָחִיד שֶׁעָשָׂה תְּשׁוּבָה — מוֹחֲלִין לְכׇל הָעוֹלָם כּוּלּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״אֶרְפָּא מְשׁוּבָתָם אוֹהֲבֵם נְדָבָה כִּי שָׁב אַפִּי מִמֶּנּוּ״. ״מֵהֶם״ לֹא נֶאֱמַר, אֶלָּא ״מִמֶּנּוּ״. הֵיכִי דָּמֵי בַּעַל תְּשׁוּבָה? אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה: כְּגוֹן שֶׁבָּאת לְיָדוֹ דְּבַר עֲבֵירָה פַּעַם רִאשׁוֹנָה וּשְׁנִיָּה וְנִיצַּל הֵימֶנָּה.
It was taught in a baraita that Rabbi Meir would say: Great is repentance because the entire world is forgiven on account of one individual who repents, as it is stated: “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely; for My anger has turned away from him” (Hosea 14:5). It does not say: From them, i.e., from the sinners, but “from him,” i.e., from that individual. Because he repented, everyone will be healed. § With regard to repentance, the Gemara asks: What are the circumstances that demonstrate that one has completely repented? Rav Yehuda said: For example, the prohibited matter came to his hand a first time and a second time, and he was saved from it, thereby proving that he has completely repented.