There are many methods one can use for purification. However, the practice of Vajrasattva and reciting The Sutra of the Bodhisattvas - Confession of Downfalls are extremely important to learn and apply in daily life. These two are unbelievable solutions. Just as one stone can chase away hundreds of birds that cover an entire field, in the same way even practicing either of these two methods just once can purify inconceivable numbers of negative karma.

Multiplying heaviness of bad karma and Purification practices

Reciting The Sutra of the Bodhisattvas - Confession of Downfalls is another extremely powerful purification practice in which one recites the names of the 35 Buddhas of Confession. By reciting the names of the different Buddhas, one purifies specific various negative karma. By reciting the name of just one Buddha, such as that of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, one purifies the negative karma of 80,000 eons. You can see that this is an extremely powerful practice, especially if you recite the names of the Buddhas while prostrating. Thus, through the practice of these purification practices, you can experience the positive results in this life.

If one is unable to do these purification practices, then the other most powerful practice that one can do is to generate compassion toward others. The more compassion one is able to generate toward others, the more one succeeds at achieving powerful purification. Generating compassion has incredible power to purify many eons of negative karma. Helping or serving even just one person with an attitude of strong compassion, giving one’s own life to others and serving even one sentient being or one animal, is the most powerful purification practice. And it is an especially quick way to collect extensive merit and achieve the peerless happiness of full enlightenment.

When we speak of purification, this also clearly includes stopping the causes to reincarnate and suffer in the hell and animal realms as well as creating the causes to receive a good rebirth in the next life.

If our daily life actions begin with a good heart, this prevents our daily life actions from becoming negative karma. When strong bodhicitta (the compassionate wish to attain enlightenment in order to benefit all sentient beings) is developed, then even the negative actions of killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, slander, and harsh speech can be transformed into virtue. These non-virtuous actions can become virtuous actions; they can become the quick cause to achieve enlightenment. Therefore, changing the mind and changing the action stops creating negative karma again and again. Otherwise we will continue to commit negativities with out end and to purify on and on with out end.