Genuine Repentance and Counterfeit Repentance

Repentance, when performed with utmost sincerity and a genuine willingness to amend one's ways at the level of the seventh consciousness, can alter karmic seeds, cause them to vanish, make them less likely to manifest, or mitigate the resulting karmic retribution. Because the seventh consciousness is capable of genuine remorse, a change in mental volition can implant new karmic seeds that offset the old ones. The degree of offset varies accordingly with the depth of repentance. If repentance is insincere, merely a superficial formality performed by the sixth consciousness without any change in the mental state of the seventh consciousness, the old karmic seeds remain unaltered, and the karmic retribution will not change.

This principle mirrors interpersonal interactions when we confess our faults directly to others. If the other party perceives our repentance as sincere, their heart often softens, leading them to forgive us and let go of past grievances. However, if they sense our repentance is insincere, they recognize that our heart remains unchanged and will not forgive us, potentially seeking retribution instead. This is especially true if they realize we are pretending to repent with the intent to deceive them; their anger may intensify, leading to harsher retaliation. True repentance occurs at the level of the seventh consciousness, while false repentance is merely a superficial pretense of the sixth consciousness. Naturally, only true repentance is effective in eliminating karmic obstacles; false repentance cannot achieve this and may even aggravate the karma.