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ISSN 1076-9005
Volume 15, 2008
Did King Ajātasattu Confess to the Buddha, and did the Buddha Forgive Him?
Is it possible to counteract the consequences of a moral transgression by
publicly acknowledging it? When he reveals to the Buddha that he has
killed his father, King Ajātasattu is said to “yathādhammaṃ paṭikaroti.”
This has been interpreted as “making amends,” or as seeking (and receiving)
“forgiveness” for his crime. Successfully translating this phrase
into English requires that we reexamine etymology and dictionary definitions,
question assumptions made by previous translators, and study
the way that yathādhammaṃ paṭikaroti is used in context. We can better
understand confession as a practice by locating it within the general Indian
concern for ritual purity—ethicized by the Buddha—and showing
that the early Buddhist doctrine of kamma allows for mitigation, though
not eradication, of the consequences of actions under some circumstances.
