The Four Opponent Powers: Regret, Remedy and Resolve

You remember an unkind remark while sitting down to pray. Repeating the scene may keep your attention on how ashamed you feel; hurrying past it may leave the behavior unexamined. The four opponent powers give this reflection more structure: acknowledge the action, regret it, reconnect with the direction of practice, undertake a remedy and resolve to change.

Identify the four powers in the teaching you are reading

Study Buddhism's glossary describes four practices used with openly acknowledging mistaken behavior: regret, a decision to avoid repeating the action, reaffirming refuge and bodhicitta, and constructive counteracting action. It places these within Buddhist purification of negative karmic potential. [1]

In Lobzang Chökyi Gyaltsen's A Method of Confessing and Pledging through the Four Powers, translated by Adam Pearcey, the opening centers on refuge, bodhicitta and the field of merit. The text identifies that opening mainly with the power of support. It explicitly asks for engagement of the mind rather than merely saying words. [2]

These sources use different orders and English labels. When comparing them, follow the meaning of each power rather than assuming that the first item must have the same name in every explanation.

Regret has an action to examine

Alexander Berzin distinguishes regretting a mistaken act from identifying yourself as permanently bad. In his explanation, admitting the mistake precedes applying the opponent forces; regret concerns wishing you had not acted that way. He also distinguishes this provisional purification from the deeper work of removing the ignorance that can give rise to further destructive behavior. [3]

For an everyday example written by this site, suppose you repeated a private story about someone in your practice group. Begin with a precise account: what you said, to whom and what was private about it. “I shared something I had been asked to keep confidential” gives you a behavior to address.

Keep your account limited to what you know. You may know that you shared the story without knowing every consequence. If you discover another consequence later, include it then. The purpose of precision is to make a response possible, not to produce the harshest description of yourself.

Make the resolve something you will carry out

In a December 16, 1993 Kopan teaching, Lama Zopa Rinpoche names dependence, regret, remedy and resolve. He describes the remedy as creating virtue, including meditation and other constructive activity. For actions that are difficult to refrain from, he advises an honest commitment for a specified period rather than a declaration one cannot sincerely keep. This passage occurs in the motivation for a Vajrasattva initiation. [4]

That context matters. Reading an initiation transcript does not give you the initiation. Ask your teacher which practice and instructions fit your circumstances. This article explains the framework without prescribing a mantra, visualization or recitation count.

Returning to the invented privacy example, a practical commitment might identify the next situation: when someone asks about that person's absence, you will not repeat their private explanation. You can prepare a brief answer that leaves the detail with its owner. This is a site-authored example of planning behavior, rather than a traditional vow formula.

Let practical repair have its own task

Prayer does not answer every practical question created by the incident. In the example above, consider what can be corrected: a false detail may need correction, further forwarding may need to stop, or the person concerned may need to know what you shared. Think about their privacy and wishes before sending another explanation to a large group.

An apology should describe what you did without asking the other person to reassure you that you are good. It also should not demand immediate forgiveness. These are practical suggestions from this site, not a claim that a particular apology completes a Buddhist purification practice.

Keep the two kinds of question available for discussion: “Which practice should I undertake?” and “What action can I take about the harm?” A teacher can help with the first and may help you think through the second. A recitation total cannot tell you whether a private message has stopped circulating.

Bring a specific question to your teacher

You could ask: “I understand the regret, but my resolution is vague. How should I make it sincere, and which remedy do you recommend?” Bring the passage you read, including its title and translator, so your teacher can see the context.

The prompts and examples here are reading aids. They do not confer vows, certify purification or promise relief from a difficult feeling. For a related part of practice, read about rejoicing in constructive actions. For the conclusion of a session, see dedication of merit.

Sources and further reading

1. Study Buddhism, Four opponent forces. Glossary definition of the four practices accompanying admission of mistaken behavior.
2. Lobzang Chokyi Gyaltsen, A Method of Confessing and Pledging through the Four Powers. Translated by Adam Pearcey,2019. See opening on the power of support.
3. Alexander Berzin, Mental Labeling and Purification. Copenhagen seminar,September2013. See Provisional Purification of Karmic Tendencies.
4. Lama Zopa Rinpoche, The Four Opponent Powers. Kopan course,December16,1993. Initiation motivation,remedy and resolve.

Sources checked October 27, 2026. Written with AI assistance and checked against the linked texts. The examples and brief review are supplied by this site; they do not replace instruction from a qualified teacher.