Gatha on Opening the Sutra
The Dharma, incomparably profound and infinitely subtle,
is rarely encountered even in hundreds of thousands of
millions of ages.
Now we see it, hear it, receive and maintain it.
May we completely realize the Tathagata’s true meaning.
Verse of the Kesa
Vast is the robe of liberation,
A formless field of benefaction.
I wear the Tathagata’s teaching,
Saving all sentient beings. (3x)
The Four Vows of the Bodhisattva
Beings are numberless; I vow to free them.
Delusions are inexhaustible; I vow to end them.
Dharma gates are boundless; I vow to enter them.
The Buddha Way is unsurpassable; I vow to embody it.(3x)
Verse of Atonement
All negative karma ever created by me since of old
On account of my beginningless greed, anger,
and ignorance
Born of my body, mouth, and thought
Now I atone for it all.
The Three Refuges (Pali followed by English translation)
Buddham saranam gacchami
Dhammam saranam gacchami
Sangham saranam gacchami
I take refuge in Buddha
I take refuge in Dharma
I take refuge in Sangha
The Five Remembrances
I am of the nature to grow old;
There is no way to escape growing old.
I am of the nature to have ill health;
There is no way to escape having ill health.
I am of the nature to die;
There is no way to escape death.
All that is dear to me and everyone I love are of the nature of change;
There is no way to escape being separated from them.
My deeds are my closest companions.
I am the beneficiary of my deeds;
My deeds are the ground on which I stand. (repeat 3 times)
Enmei Jukku Kannon Gyo
(Invocation of Kanzeon/Kannon/Guanyin/Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of
Compassion—whose name means “the one who perceives the cries of the world.”)
Kanzeon! Namu Butsu yo Butsu u in yo Butsu u en
buppo so en jo raku ga jo
cho nen Kanzeon bo nen Kanzeon
nen nen ju shin ki nen nen fu ri shin (3 times)
Absorbing world sounds awakens a Buddha right here!
This Buddha, the source of compassion.
This Buddha receives only compassion.
Buddha, Dharma, Sangha — just compassion.
Thus, the pure heart always rejoices.
In the light, recall this. In the dark, recall this.
Moment after moment the true heart arises.
Time after time there is nothing but this. (1 time)
SHO SAI MYO KICHIJO DHARANI
(The Dharani of Good Fortune that Averts Calamities in the Mind—
with no categories, this mysterious power saves all beings. In a dharani, the
intention and sound of the chant is more important than any literal meaning.)
No mo san man da moto nan
oha ra chi koto sha sono nan
to ji to en gya gya gya ki gya ki un nun
shifu ra shifu ra hara shifu ra hara shifu ra
chishu sa chishu sa chishu ri chishu ri
soha ja soha ja sen chi gya
shiri ei somo ko (3 times)
Dedication
Ino only: Buddha nature pervades the whole universe, existing right
here, now. The wind blows, waves fall on the shore, and Guanyin finds us
in the dark and broken roads. We give thanks to all the Ancestors of
meditation in the still halls, the unknown women and men, centuries of
enlightened women and men, ants and sticks and grizzly bears.
Let wisdom go to every corner of the house.
Let people have joy in each other’s joy.
All together:
All buddhas throughout space and time, All honored ones,
bodhisattva-mahasattvas, Wisdom beyond wisdom,
Maha Prajna Paramita.
GREAT PRAJNA PARAMITA HEART SUTRA
Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, practicing deep prajna paramita
clearly saw that all five skandhas are empty, transforming all
suffering and distress. Shariputra, form is no other than
emptiness, emptiness no other than form; form is exactly
emptiness, emptiness exactly form; sensation, perception,
mental reaction, consciousness are also like this. Shariputra, all
things are essentially empty— not born, not destroyed; not
stained, not pure; without loss, without gain. Therefore in
emptiness there is no form; no sensation, perception, mental
reaction, consciousness; no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind;
no color, sound, smell, taste, touch, object of thought; no seeing
and so on to no thinking; no ignorance and also no ending of
ignorance; and so on to no old age and death, and also no
ending of old age and death; no suffering, cause of suffering,
cessation, path; no wisdom and no attainment. Since there is
nothing to attain, the bodhisattva lives by prajna paramita, with
no hindrance in the mind; no hindrance, and therefore no fear;
far beyond delusive thinking, right here is nirvana. All Buddhas
of past, present and future live by prajna paramita, attaining
anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Therefore know that prajna
paramita is the great sacred mantra, the great vivid mantra, the
unsurpassed mantra, the supreme mantra, which completely
removes all suffering. This is truth, not mere formality. Therefore
set forth the prajna paramita mantra. Set forth this mantra and
proclaim:
Gaté Gaté Paragaté Parasamgaté Bodhi Svaha!
Gaté Gaté Paragaté Parasamgaté Bodhi Svaha!
Gaté Gaté Paragaté Parasamgaté Bodhi Svaha!
(translated by Robert Aitken)