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Chants

Verse of Purification I Kanzeon Sutra English or Japanese I Heart Sutra I Sublime Attitudes I Boundless Compassion I Four Vows of the Bodhisattva I Hakuin's Song of Zazen I Identity of Relative and Absolute I Three Marks of Dharma I Universal Dedication I Ti Sarana I Heart Sutra (Japanese)

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Verse of Purification

All harmful karma ever committed by me since of old,
On account of my beginningless, greed, anger and ignorance,
Born of my body, mouth and consciousness, Now I atone it all.

Kanzeon Sutra (3X)

Kanzeon, One with Buddha
Directly Buddha
Indirectly Buddha
One with Buddha, Dharma, Sangha
Pure, Joyful, True Self , Eternal
Morning Mind Kanzeon
Evening Mind Kanzeon
This Very Moment Mind Kanzeon
Never let it go.

Kanzeon Sutra --- Enmei Juku Kannon-gyo

Kanzeon Namu Butsu
Yobutsu U-in, Yobutsu U-en
Buppo So-en Jo-raku-ga-jo
Chonen Kanzeon, Bonen Kanzeon
Nen nen jushinki Nen nen furi shin.

Heart Sutra --- ( The Heart of the Perfection of Great Wisdom Sutra)

AvalokitesvaraBodhisattva doing deep Prajna Paramita
Perceived the emptiness of all five conditions,
And was freed of pain.
O Sariputra, formis no other than emptiness,
Emptiness no other than form,
Form is precisely emptiness,
Emptiness precisely form.
Sensation, perception, reaction and consciousness are also like this.
O Sariputra , all things are expressions of emptiness,
Not born, not destroyed, not stained, not pure,
Neither waxing nor waning.
Thus emptiness is not form;
Not sensation nor perception,
Reaction nor consciousness;
No eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind;
No color, sound, smell, taste, touch, thing;
No realm of sight, no realm of consciousness;
No ignorance, no end to ignorance;
No old age and death; no cessation of old age and death
No suffering, no cause or end to suffering,
No path, no wisdom and no gain.
No gain – thus Bodhisattvas live this Prajna Paramita
With no hindrance of mind –
No hindrance therefore no fear.
Far beyond all such delusion, Nirvana is already here.
All past, present and future Buddhas live this Prajna Paramita
And attain supreme, perfect enlightenment.
Therefore know that Prajna Paramita Is the holy mantra, the luminous mantra,
The supreme mantra, the incomparable mantra
By which all suffering is cleared.
This is no other than truth.
Therefore set forth this Prajna Paramita mantra,
Set forth this mantra and proclaim:
Gate, Gate, Paragate Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha
Prajnaparamita Sutra.

 

Sublime Attitudes

Metta --- Loving Kindness
Upekkha--- Equanimity
Karuna --- Compassion
Muditha --- Sympathetic Joy

May we be happy.
May we be free from suffering and pain.
May we be free from ill-will.
May we be free from oppression.
May we be free from trouble.
May we look after ourselves with ease.

May all living beings be happy.
May all living beings be free from ill-will.
May all living beings be free from oppression. May all living beings be free from trouble.
May all living beings look after themselves with ease.

May all living beings be freed from all suffering and pain.
May all living beings enjoy good fortune.
All living beings are the owners of their actions,
Heir to their actions, born of their actions,
Related through their actions,
And live dependent on their actions.
Whatever they do, for good or for evil
To that will they fall heir.

May all beings live happily,
Always free from ill-will.
May all share in the blessings
Springing from the good all have done.

 

Boundless Compassion (3x)

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!

Four Vows of the Bodhisattva (3x)

Sentient beings are numberless, I vow to free them
Delusions are inexhaustible, I vow to end them
The Dharma gates are boundless, I vow to open them
The Enlightened Way is unsurpassable, I vow to embody it.

Hakuin’s Song of Zazen

From the beginning all beings are Buddhas 
Like water and ice, without water no ice * outside us no Buddhas 
How near the truth, yet how far we seek 
Like one in water crying, "I thirst!" 
Like the son of a rich man wandering poor on this Earth,
We endlessly circle the six worlds. 
The cause of our sorrow is ego delusion 
From dark path to dark path we've wandered in darkness 
How can we be free from the wheel of samsara? 
The gateway to freedom is zazen Samadhi 
Beyond exaltation, beyond all our praises the pure Mahayana 
Observing the Precepts, Repentance and Giving,
the countless good deeds and the Way of Right Living,
all come from zazen 
Thus one true Samadhi extinguishes evils.
It purifies karma, dissolving obstructions 
Then where are the dark paths to lead us astray?
The Pure Lotus Land is not far away 
Hearing this truth, heart humble and grateful,
To praise and embrace it * To practice its Wisdom,
Brings unending blessings * brings mountains of merit 
And if we turn inward and prove our True Nature,
that True Self is no-self * our own self is no-self,
we go beyond ego and past clever words.
Then the gate to the oneness of cause-and-effect is thrown open 
Not two and not three, straight ahead runs the Way
Our form now being no-form,
In going and returning we never leave home 
Our thought now being no-thought,
Our dancing and songs are the Voice of the Dharma 
How vast is the heaven of boundless Samadhi! 
How bright and transparent the moonlight of Wisdom! 
What is there outside us? * What is there we lack? 
Nirvana is openly shown to our eyes 
This Earth where we stand is the pure lotus land!
And this very body * the body of Buddha!

 

Identity of Relative and Absolute

The mind of the great sage of India * was intimately conveyed from West to East.
Among human beings are wise men and fools,
But in the Way there is no northern or southern patriarch 
The subtle source is clear and bright.
The tributary streams flow through the darkness.
To be attached to things is illusion.
To encounter the absolute is not yet enlightenment.
Each and all, the subjective and objective spheres are related,
And at the same time independent.
Related, yet working differently
though each keeps its own place.
Form makes the character and appearance different,
Sounds distinguish comfort and discomfort.
The dark makes all words one.
The brightness distinguishes good and bad phrases.
The four elements return to their nature as a child to its mother.
Fire is hot * wind moves * water is wet * earth hard * eyes see,
Ears hear * nose smells * tongue tastes the salt and sour.
Each is independent of the other,
Cause and effect must return to the great reality.
The words high and low are used relatively.
Within light there is darkness * but do not try to understand that darkness;
Within darkness there is light * but do not look for that light.
Light and darkness are a pair,
like the foot before and the foot behind in walking. 
Each thing has its own intrinsic value
and is related to everything else in function and position.
Ordinary life fits the absolute * as a box and its lid.
The absolute works together with the relative
like two arrows meeting in mid-air. 
Reading words you should grasp the great reality.
Do not judge by any standards. If you do not see the Way * you do not see it even as you walk on it.
When you walk the Way * it is not near * it is not far.
If you are deluded * you are mountains and rivers away from it.
I respectfully say to those who wish to be enlightened:
Do not waste your time by night or day !

The Three Marks of Dharma

All compounded things are impermanent:
When one sees this with discernment,
One is freed from dissatisfaction.
This is the path to purity.

All compounded things are stressful:
When one sees this with discernment,
One is freed from dissatisfaction
This is the path to purity.

All phenomena are self-less:
When one sees this with discernment,
One is freed from dissatisfaction.
This is the path to purity.

Few are the human beings who go to the Further Shore,
These others simply scurry around on this shore.
But those who practice the Dhamma
In line with the well-taught Dhamma,
They will cross over Death's realm, so hard to transcend.
Abandoning dark practices,
The wise person develops the bright,
Having gone from home to no-home
In Seclusion, so hard to relish.
There one aspires for delight,
Discarding sensuality---one who has nothing
Cleanses oneself, the wise one, of mental defilement.
Those whose minds are well-developed
In the factors of Awakening,
Who delight in non-clinging,
Relinquishing grasping, Glorious, free of defilement:
They are unbound in the world.
Impermanent are compounded things. (Anicca vata sankhara)
Their nature is to arise and pass away. (Uppada-vaya-dhammino) They disband as they are arising. (Uppajjitva nirujjhanti)
Their total stilling is bliss. (Tesam vupasamo sukho)

Universal Dedication

All Buddhas throughout space and time
All Honored Ones, Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas, Wisdom beyond Wisdom.
Maha Prajna Paramita.

Ti-Sarana   (Three Refuges)

Buddham saranam gacchami
I go to the Buddha for refuge
Dhammam saranam gacchami
I go to the Dhamma for refuge
Sangham saranam gacchami
I go to the Sangha for refuge.

Dutiyam 'pi Buddham saranam gacchami
A second time, I go to the Buddha for refuge
Dutiyam 'pi Dhammam saranam gacchami
A second time, I go to the Dhamma for refuge
Dutiyam 'pi Sangham saranam gacchami
A second time, I go to the Dhamma for refuge

Tatiyam 'pi Buddham saranam gacchami
A third time, I go to the Buddha for refuge
Tatiyam 'pi Dhammam saranam gacchami
A third time, I go to the Dhamma for refuge
Tatiyam 'pi Sangham saranam gacchami
A third time, I go to the Sangha for refuge.

 

Heart Sutra --- Maka Hannya Haramita Shingyo (Prajnaparamita Sutra)

 

Kanjizai Bosagyo Jin Hannya Haramita-ji

Shoken Goun Kai Ku

Do Issai Ku-yaku Sharishi

Shiki Fu-I Ku, Ku Fu-I Shiki

Shiki soku ze Ku, Ku soku ze shiki

Ju-so-gyo-shiki Yakubu-nyoze

Sharishi, Ze shoho kuso

Fusho Fumetsu Fuku Fujo

Fuzo Fugen, Zeko Kuchu

Mushiki Muju-so-gyo-shiki

Mugen-ni-bi-zesshin-i

Mushiki-sho-ko-mi-soku-ho

Mugenkai Naishi Mu ishiki kai

Mu Mumyo yaku Mu Mumyo jin

Naishi Mu-ro-shi Yaku Mu ro-shi-jin

Mu-ku-shu-metsu-do

Mu-chi Yaku Mu-toku

I-mushotoku-ko Bodaisatta

E-Hannya Haramita ko

Shin Mukei-ge Mukei-ge ko

Mu-u-kufu Onri issai tendo muso

Kugyo-nehan sanze shobutsu

E-Hannya Haramita ko

Toku Anokutara Samyak-sambodai

Ko chi Hannya Haramita

Ze Daijinshu, Ze daimyo shu

Ze mujo shu, Ze mu-to-to shu

Nojo issaiku Shinjitsu Fu-ko

Kosetsu Hannya Haramita-shu

Soku setsu shu watsu

Gyatei Gyatei Hara Gyatei Haraso Gyatei

Hoji sowaka Hannya shingyo.