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GENERAL OBSERVATIONS
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longing to wash away the stain is itself, in reality, the greatest penance Confession itself is half the amends 2 What is really meant is a heartfelt regret for the deed, which implies a determination not to do it again in the future. Unless the regiet and the determination to refrain from the sinful act are present in the mind, confession will not be of much help It should be noted that the saint endowed with the Right Faith will not be content till be succeeds in eradicating the very source of evil action from his heart, since he knows and fears the consequences of the evil path and the loss of dharma."
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Thus confession itself is the vyavahāra penance, and the symbol of the presence of the michaya regret. If it is omitted deliberately, that means that the saint is still averse to lowering' himself that way, which is consistent only with the presence and activity of the element of pride, itself a bad and undesirable trait in the saintly character. As a matter of fact, only those men are considered great who cheerfully long to perform expiation for their shortcomings They excel as leaders and attain to heavens and ultimately also to nirvāna.
Thus, the niśchaya and the vyavahāra forms of penances go together, hand in hand. The type of 1 Ch 160. * Ch. 159. Ch 157. Ch. 164.
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