Zen Services · 2020. 12. 29. · All evil karma ever committed by me since of old, Because of my beginningless greed, anger, and ignorance, Born of my body, mouth, and consciousness,

Z e n Services

Book

of

Zen Services

§

regularly chanted at the

Treetop Zen Center

Contents

1 The Three Treasures 1 Gatha of Atonement 1 Four Great Vows 2 Gatha on Opening the Sutra 2 Verse of the Kesa 3 Atta Dipa 4 The Earliest Pratimoksha 5 Bodhisattva’s Vow 7 Shari Rai Mon—Homage to Buddha's Relics 8 Maka Hanya Haramita 9 The Great Prajña Paramita Heart Sutra11 Heart Sutra Dedication12 The Identity of Relative and Absolute by Shitou Xiqian (Szto Seechin)14 White Plum Lineage18 Enmei Jukku Kannon Gyo19 Sho Sai Myo Kichijo Dharani20 The Discourse on Loving-Kindness by Shakyamuni Buddha22 The Fire Sermon by Shakyamuni Buddha25 Dhammapada—Twin Verses by Shakyamuni Buddha28 Dhammapada—The Wise by Shakyamuni Buddha30 Dhammapada—Joy by Shakyamuni Buddha32 On Trust in the Heart by Jianzhi Sengcan (Jiandz Sengchan)38 Song of the Jewel Mirror Awareness by Dongshan Liangjie (Dungsan Lienjie)

41 True Buddha Emancipation by Dajian Huineng (Dajian Huinen)44 A Formless Stanza by Dajian Huineng (Dajian Huinen)48 For a Fair Mind by Dajian Huineng (Dajian Huinen)50 Song of Zazen by Hakuin Zenji52 The Snow Man by Wallace Stevens53 Inversnaid by Gerard Manley Hopkins54 Four Quartets: Burnt Norton—I by T. S. Eliot56 The Canticle of Brother Sun by Saint Francis of Assisi58 Verse by Saint John of the Cross60 Dai Hi Shu—The Great Compassionate Dharani63 Dai Hi Shu Dedication64 Avalokiteshvara: The One Who Hears the Cries of the World68 Dedication for Birth, Enlightenment, or Parinirvana of Shakyamuni Buddha69 Final Dedication

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ø ∆ øThe Three Treasures

ø Buddham sharanam gacchami.ø Dhammam sharanam gacchami. ø Sangham sharanam gacchami.

ø I take refuge in the Buddha. ø I take refuge in the Dharma. ø I take refuge in the Sangha. ø ø

ø ∆ øGatha of Atonement

All evil karma ever committed by me since of old,Because of my beginningless greed, anger, and ignorance,Born of my body, mouth, and consciousness,Now I atone for it all. ø øø ∆ øFour Great Vows(Bells only on third recitation)

ø Creations are numberless—I vow to free them. Delusions are inexhaustible— I vow to put an end to them.ø Reality is boundless—I vow to perceive it.ø The Enlightened Way is unsurpassable—ø I vow to embody it. ø ø

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ø ∆ øGatha on Opening the Sutra ∆

The Dharma, incomparably profoundAnd infi nitely subtleIs rarely encounteredEven in millions of ages.Now we see it,Hear it,Receive and maintain it.May we completely realizeThe Tathagata’s true meaning. ø ø

ø ∆ ø Verse of the Kesa

Vast is the Robe of LiberationA formless fi eld of benefactionI wear the Tathagata-TeachingSaving all Sentient Beings ø ø

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ø ø ø ∆Atta Dipa ∆

(Recite three times. Bells third recitation.)

ø Atta DipaViharathaAtta SharanaAnanna Sharana.

Dhamma DipaDhamma SharanaAnanna Sharana ø ø

Look within!You are the Light itself.Rely on yourself.Do not rely on others.

The Dharma is the Light.Rely on the Dharma.Do not rely on anything,Other than the Dharma. ø ø

All Buddhas throughout Space and Time øAll Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas øMaha ø Prajña ø Paramita ∆

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ø ø ø ∆The Earliest Pratimoksha ∆

Enduring patience is the highest austerity,Nirvana is the highest say the Buddhas,For he who injures others is not a monk,He who violates others is not a shramana.

Not to do any evil, to attain good,To purify one’s own mind;This is the teaching of the Buddhas.

Not speaking against others, not harming others,And restraint according to the Pratimoksha.Moderation in eating, secluded dwelling,And the practice of mindfulness;This is the teaching of the Buddhas. ∆


ø ø ø ∆ Bodhisattva’s Vow ∆

When I, a student of Dharma, Look at the real form of the universe,All is the never-failing manifestation of the Mysterious truth of Tathagata.In any event, in any moment, and in any place,None can be other than the marvelous revelation of its glorious light.

ø This realization made our patriarchs and virtuous Zen mastersExtend tender care, with a worshipping heart,Even to such beings as beasts and birds.This realization teaches us that our daily food and drink,Clothes and protections of life are the warm fl esh and blood.The merciful incarnation of Buddha.

Who can be ungrateful or not respectful,Even to senseless things, not to speak of Persons?Even though they may be fools,Be warm and compassionate toward them.If by chance they should turn against us, we shouldBow down with humble words, in the reverent beliefThat they are the merciful avatar of Buddha,

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Who use devices to emancipate us from sinful KarmaThat has been produced and accumulated upon ourselvesBy our own egoistic delusion and attachmentThrough the countless cycles of Kalpa.

ø Then in each moment’s fl ash of our thoughtThere will grow a lotus fl ower,And each lotus fl ower will reveal a Buddha.

These Buddhas will glorify Sukhavati,The Pure Land, every moment, everywhere.

• May we extend This mind Over the whole universeSo that we and all beings together

• May attain maturity in Buddha’s wisdom. ∆


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ø ø ø ∆Shari Rai Mon—Homage to Buddha’s Relics ∆

Wholeheartedly pay homageTo the ten thousand virtues of the absolute.

ø Shakyamuni Tathagata,Buddha’s relics are Body and Mind.

Body-Mind is the Dharma Body of Original Nature,Is the stupa of the Dharma realm.

We reverently bow.

• Buddha appears for my sake.Buddha enters me and I enter Buddha.Owing to Buddha we are maintaining it.I attain enlightenmentAnd with Buddha’s miraculous powersAll creations are benefi tedAnd raise the enlightened mind.

• Practice the Bodhisattva’s practiceAnd equally enter perfect Nirvana,The great wisdom of equality.

Now! I respectfully bow. ∆


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ø ø ø ∆ Maka Hanya Haramita Shingyo ∆

KAN JI ZAI BO SA GYO JIN HAN NYA HA RA MI TA JI SHO KEN GO ø ON KAI KU DO IS SAI KU YAKU SHA RI SHI SHIKI FU I KU KU FU I SHIKI SHIKI SOKU ZE KU KU SOKU ZE SHIKI JU SO GYO SHIKI YAKU BU NYO ZE SHA RI SHI ZE SHO HO KU SO FU SHO FU METSU FU KU FU JO FU ZO FU GEN ZE KO KU CHU MU SHIKI MU JU SO GYO SHIKI MU GEN NI BI ZES SHIN NI MU SHIKI SHO KO MI SOKU HO MU GEN KAI NAI SHI MU I SHIKI KAI MU MU MYO YAKU MU MU MYO JIN NAI SHI MU RO SHI YAKU MU RO SHI JIN MU KU SHU METSU DO MU CHI YAKU MU TOKU I MU SHO TOK KO BO DAI SAT TA E HAN NYA HA RA MI TA KO ø SHIN MU KE GE MU KE GE KO MU U KU FU ON RI IS SAI TEN DO MU SO KU GYO NE HAN SAN ZE SHO BUTSU E HAN NYA HA RA MI TA KO ø TOKU A NOKU TA RA SAM MYAKU SAM BO DAI KO CHI HAN NYA HA RA MI TA ZE DAI JIN SHU ZE DAI MYO SHU ZE MU JO SHU ZE MU TO TO SHU NO JO IS SAI KU SHIN JITSU FU KO KO SETSU HAN NYA HA RA MI TA SHU SOKU SETSU SHU WATSU GYA TEI! GYA TEI! • HA RA GYA TEI HARA SO GYA TEI • BO JI SOWA KA HAN NYA SHIN GYO. ∆

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ø ø ø ∆ The Great Prajña Paramita Heart Sutra ∆

Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva Doing deep Prajña Paramita,Perceived the emptiness of all ø Five conditions,And was freed of pain.O Shariputra, form is 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 Shariputra, 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 Prajña Paramitaø With no hindrance of mind.No hindrance, therefore no fear.Far beyond all delusion, Nirvana is already here.

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All past, present, and future BuddhasLive this Prajña Paramitaø And attain supreme, perfect enlightenment.Therefore, know that Prajña 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 the Prajña Paramita mantra,Set forth this mantra and proclaim:Gate, Gate • Paragate, Parasamgate, • Bodhi Svaha! ∆

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Heart Sutra Dedication

Enlightened nature pervades the whole universeExisting right here now.In reciting the Heart of the Perfection of Great Wisdom Sutra (Maka Hannya Haramita Shingyo)We dedicate its merits to:

•Shakyamuni Buddha Daiosho,The All pervading and everlasting Three Treasures,

•All Arhats and Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas,And their relations throughout the Dharma worlds.

May our sincere vows to accomplish the Enlightened Way be realized together. ∆


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ø ø ø ∆ The Identity of Relative and AbsoluteBy Shitou Xiqian (Szto Seechin) ∆

The mind of the Great Sage of India Is intimately conveyed west and east.Among human beings are wise ones and fools.In the Way, there is no ancestor of north and south.The subtle source is clear and bright, The branching streams fl ow in the dark.To be attached to things is primordial illusionTo encounter the absolute is not yet enlightenment.ø All spheres, every sense and fi eld, intermingle Even as they shine alone,Interacting even as they merge,Yet keeping their places in expressions of their own.Forms differ primarily in shape and character,And sounds in harsh or soothing tones.The dark makes all words one;The brightness distinguishes good and bad phrases.The four elements return to their true nature As a child to its mother.Fire is hot, water is wet, wind moves And the earth is dense.Eye and form, ear and sound, nose and smell, Tongue and taste—The sweet and sour, each independent of the other,Like leaves that come from the same root;And though leaves and root must go back to the Source,Both root and leaves have their own uses.Light is also darkness, But do not move with it as darkness.Darkness is light; do not see it as light.

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Light and darkness are not one, not two,Like the foot before and the foot behind in walking.ø Each thing has its own being,Which is not different from its place and function.The relative fi ts the absolute as a box and its lid.The absolute meets the relativeLike two arrow points that touch high in the air.ø Hearing this, simply perceive the Source! Make no criterion.If you do not see the Way, You do not see It even as you walk on It.When you walk the Way, You draw no nearer, progress no farther.Who fails to see This is mountains and rivers away.

• Listen, those who would pierce this Subtle Matter,• Do not waste your time by night or day! ∆

Dedication

The Buddha turns the Dharma Wheel and so reality is shown in its many forms. May all suffering beings be liberated and brought to great joy. We sincerely seek the benefi cent guidance of the Three Treasures.

In reciting the Identity of Relative and Absolute, (or, The Jewel Mirror Awareness),And in offering fl owers, candlelight, and incense,We dedicate its merits to our lineage of the White Plum Sangha:

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1. Honored ∆ Vipashyin Buddha 2. Honored ∆ Shikhin Buddha 3. Honored ∆ Vishvabhu Buddha 4. Honored ∆ Krakucchanda Buddha 5. Honored ∆ Kanakamuni Buddha 6. Honored ∆ Kashyapa Buddha 7. Honored ∆ Shakyamuni ∆ Buddha 8. Honored Mahakashyapa 9. Honored Ananda10. Honored Shanavasa11. Honored Upagupta12. Honored Dhritaka13. Honored Mishaka14. Honored Vasumitra15. Honored Buddhanandi16. Honored Buddhamitra17. Honored Parshva18. Honored Punyayashas19. Honored Ashvaghosha20. Honored Kapimala21. Honored Nagarjuna22. Honored Kanadeva23. Honored Rahulabhadra24. Honored Samghanandi25. Honored Samghayathata26. Honored Kumaralata27. Honored Shayata28. Honored Vasubandhu29. Honored Manorata30. Honored Haklenayashas31. Honored Simbhabodhi32. Honored Bashashita33. Honored Punyamitra

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34. Honored Prajñadhara35. Honored Bodhidharma36. Honored Dazu Huike (Dadzu Huikeh)37. Honored Jianzhi Sengcan (Jiandz Sengchan)38. Honored Dayi Daoxin (Dayi Daoseén)39. Honored Daman Hongren (Dáman Húngnen)40. Honored Dajian Huineng (Dajian Huinen)41. Honored Qingyuan Xingsi (Chíngyuén Síngsz)42. Honored Shitou Xiqian (Szto Seechin)43. Honored Yaoshan Weiyan (Yaosan Weeyen)44. Honored Yunyan Tansheng (Yünyin Tansín)45. Honored Dongshan Liangjie (Dungsan Lienjié)46. Honored Yunju Daoying (Yünchü Daoing)47. Honored Tongan Daopi (Tungan Daopi)48. Honored Tongan Guanzhi (Tungan Guandz)49. Honored Liangshan Yuanguan (Liénsan Yuanguan)50. Honored Dayang Jingxuan (Dayin Jingshún)

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51. Honored Touzi Yiqing (Toedz Iching)52. Honored Furong Daokai (Furúng Daokai)53. Honored Danxia Zichun (Danshia Dzchun)54. Honored Changlu Qingliao (Chanloo Chingliao)55. Honored Tiantong Zongjue (Tientung Tsungjia)56. Honored Xuedoe Zhijian (Shaydo Dzijian)57. Honored Tiantong Rujing (Tientung Lujing)58. Honored Eihei Dogen59. Honored Koun Ejo60. Honored Tettsu Gikai61. Honored Keisan Jokin62. Honored Gasan Joseki63. Honored Taigen Soshin64. Honored Baizan Monpon65. Honored Nyochu Tengin66. Honored Kisan Shosan67. Honored Morin Shihan68. Honored Taishi Sotai69. Honored Kenchu Hantetsu70. Honored Daiju Soko71. Honored Kinpo Jusen72. Honored Kajin Sochin73. Honored Tetsuei Seiton74. Honored Shukoku Choton75. Honored Ketsuzan Tetsuei76. Honored Hoshi Soon

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77. Honored Goho Kainon78. Honored Tenkei Denson79. Honored Zozan Monko80. Honored Niken Sekiryo81. Honored Reitan Roryu82. Honored Kakujo Tosai83. Honored Kakuan Ryogu84. Honored Ryoka Daibai85. Honored Ungan Guhaku86. Honored Baisan Hakujun87. Honored Busshin Taizan88. Honored Baisen Tetsugen

Chanter:

And to Yasutani Hakuun, and Koryu Osaka. And to all women throughout historyWhose names have been forgotten or left unsaid.

We dedicate these merits to all the temples of the White Plum Lineage.

May penetrating light dispel the darkness of ignorance. Let all karma be resolved, And the mind-fl ower bloom in eternal Spring. May we ascend to the throne of enlightenment,And realize the Buddha Way together. ∆


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ø ø ø ∆ Enmei Jukku Kannon Gyo ∆(Bells only on third or last recitation)

ø KAN ZE ONNA MU BUTSUYO BUTSU U INYO BUTSU U ENBUP PO SO ENJO RAKU GA JOCHO NENø KAN ZE ON BO NENø KAN ZE ONNEN NEN JU SHIN KINEN NEN FU RI SHIN ∆

ø Kanzeon!At One with Buddha,Directly Buddha,Also indirectly Buddha,And indirectly Buddha, Dharma, Sangha.Joyful, pure, eternal, being!Morning Mind is ø Kanzeon.Evening Mind is ø Kanzeon.Nen, Nen arises from Mind.Nen, Nen is not separate from Mind. ∆


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ø ø ø ∆ Sho Sai Myo Kichijo Dharani ∆

(Bells on third recitation if chanted fast, or on fi rst if chanted slow.)

NO MO SAN MAN DA MOTO NON OHA RA CHI KOTO SHA SONO NAN ø TO JI TO EN GYA GYA GYAKI GYA KI UN NUNSHIU RA SHIU RAHARA SHIU RA HARA SHIU RACHISHU SA CHISHU SA SHISHU RI • SHISHU RI SOWA JA SOWA JA• SEN CHI GYA SHIRI EISO MO KO ∆


ø ø ø ∆The Discourse on Loving-KindnessBy Shakyamuni Buddha ∆

What should be done by one who’s skilled in wholesomenessTo gain the state of peacefulness is this:One must be able, upright, straight and not proud,Easy to speak to, mild and well content,Easily satisfi ed and not caught upIn too much bustle, and frugal in one’s ways,With senses calmed, intelligent, not bold,Not being covetous when with other folk,Abstaining from the ways that wise ones blame.And this the thought that one should always hold:

May beings all live happily and safeAnd may their hearts rejoice within themselves.Whatever there may be with breath of life,Whether they be frail or very strong,Without exception, be they long or short,Or middle-sized, or be they big or small,Or thick, or visible, or invisible,Or whether they dwell far or they dwell near,Those that are here, those seeking to exist—

May beings all rejoice within themselves.Let no one bring about another’s ruin,And not despise in any way or place.Let them not wish each other any illFrom provocation or from enmity.

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Just as a mother at the risk of lifeLoves and protects her child, her only child,So one should cultivate this boundless loveTo all who live in the whole universe,Extending from a consciousness sublimeUpwards and downwards and across the worldUntroubled, free from hate and enmity.And while one stands and while one walks and sitsOr one lies down still free from drowsiness,One should be intent on this mindfulness—This is divine abiding here they say.

But when one lives quite free from any view,Is virtuous, with perfect insight won,And greed for sensual desires expelled,One surely comes no more to any womb. ∆


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ø ø ø ∆ The Fire SermonBy Shakyamuni Buddha ∆

I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying in Gaya, at Gaya Head, with a thousand monks. There he addressed the monks:

Monks, the All is afl ame.What All is afl ame?The eye is afl ame.Forms are afl ame.Consciousness at the eye is afl ame.Contact at the eye is afl ame.And whatever there is that arises in dependence on contact at the eye—experienced as pleasure, pain or neither-pleasure-nor-pain—that too is afl ame.

Afl ame with what?

Afl ame with the fi re of passion, The fi re of aversion, The fi re of delusion.

Afl ame, I tell you, with birth, aging and death, with sorrows, lamentations, pains, distresses, and despairs.

The ear is afl ame. Sounds are afl ame.The nose is afl ame. Aromas are afl ame.The tongue is afl ame. Flavors are afl ame.The body is afl ame. Tactile sensations are afl ame.The intellect is afl ame. Ideas are afl ame.Consciousness at the intellect is afl ame.

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Contact at the intellect is afl ame.And whatever there is that arises in dependence on contact at the intellect—experienced as pleasure, pain or neither-pleasure-nor-pain—that too is afl ame.

Afl ame with what?

Afl ame with the fi re of passion, The fi re of aversion, The fi re of delusion.

Afl ame, I say, with birth, aging and death, with sorrows, lamentations, pains, distresses, and despairs.

Seeing thus, the instructed noble disciple grows Disenchanted with the eye, Disenchanted with forms,Disenchanted with consciousness at the eye,Disenchanted with contact at the eye.

And whatever there is that arises in dependence on contact at the eye, experienced as pleasure, pain or neither-pleasure-nor-pain:With that, too, he grows disenchanted.

Disenchanted with the ear.Disenchanted with the nose.Disenchanted with the tongue.Disenchanted with the body.Disenchanted with the intellect,Disenchanted with ideas,Disenchanted with consciousness at the intellect,Disenchanted with contact at the intellect.

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And whatever there is that arises in dependence on contact at the intellect, experienced as pleasure, pain or neither-pleasure-nor-pain:

He grows disenchanted with that too.Disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate.Through dispassion, he is fully released.With full release, there is the knowledge,Fully released. He discerns that Birth is depleted,The holy life fulfi lled,The task done.There is nothing further for this world. ∆


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ø ø ø ∆ Dhammapada —Twin Verses by Shakyamuni Buddha ∆

All things have the nature of mind. Mind is the chief and takes the lead. If the mind is clear, whatever you do or say will bring happiness that will follow you like your shadow.

All things have the nature of mind. Mind is the chief and takes the lead. If the mind is polluted, whatever you do or say leads to suffering which will follow you, as a cart trails a horse.

“They would harm me. They would embarrass me. They would rob me. They would defeat me.” Those who think in such a way will never be released from their hatred.

“They would harm me. They would embarrass me. They would rob me. They would defeat me.” Those who do not think in such a way will be released from their hatred.

Your enemies will never make peace in the face of hatred—it is the absence of hatred that leads to peace. This is an eternal truth.

We are but guests visiting this world, though most do not know this. Those who see the real situation, no longer feel inclined to quarrel.

Living for the pursuit of pleasure, senses endlessly stimulated, all appetites fed, undisciplined and lazy,

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you will be blown away by Mara. powerless, like a twig in a storm.

Aware of the unpleasant side of life, senses controlled and appetites contained, full of faith and effort, you are like a mountain of rock in a storm, and Mara cannot touch you.

One who wraps oneself in the robes of a monk without fi rst clearing away his or her worst defi lements—one who lacks both self-restraint and truth, is unworthy of the saffron robes.

One who holds tightly to self-discipline and clears away all inner pollution, one endowed with both discipline and truth, is worthy of the saffron robes.

Seeing the meaningful as meaningless, and the meaningless as meaningful, one is capable only of falsehood and fi ction, and will never arrive at true meaning.

Seeing the meaningful as meaningful, and the meaningless as meaningless, one is capable of genuine understanding, and will gain the heart of meaning.

Just as rain leaks into a house with a poorly-made roof, desire and attachment will seep into a house unprotected by meditative awareness.

Just as rain does not enter a house with a well-made roof, desire and attachment do not enter a house protected by meditative awareness.

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Suffering in this life becomes suffering in the next; the one who does evil suffers in both. When you see how impure your actions have been, you will suffer, you will be tormented.

Rejoicing in this life becomes rejoicing in the next; the one who does good rejoices in both. When you see how pure your actions have been, you will be happy, you will rejoice.

Tormented in this life, tormented in the next; the one who does evil is tormented in both. The misery of your evil acts will plague you, and fallen into lower realms, you will suffer even more.

Happy in this life, happy in the next; the one who does good is happy in both. The happiness from the good you have done will delight you, and when you pass to the heaven realms, your delight will continue to grow.

Though you can recite many words of the teachings, if your words do not accord with your actions, you are like one who counts the wealth of another, and you are not to be numbered among the monks.

You are to be numbered among the monks though you know little of philosophy—if your actions accord with the dharma, and you have renounced desire, hatred, and delusion, if your mind is imbued with genuine wisdom, and you cling to nothing in this world or the next. ∆


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ø ø ø ∆Dhammapada—The Wise by Shakyamuni Buddha ∆

If you meet someone with wisdom who can tell you what to avoid and what to practice, attend upon this person as upon a revealer of treasure. For good and never evil comes from such associations.

Let them teach you and direct you and turn you from what is unwholesome. The pure in heart will rejoice in them, although the worldly will not like them.

Do not take up with low-minded friends, or associate with worthless people. Depend instead on virtuous friends, and attend on noble beings.

One who drinks deeply of the Dharma with a clear and open mind, rests well. The wise always will delight in the Dharma spoken by the saints.

Farmers direct the fl ow of water; arrow-smiths straighten the arrow shaft; carpenters fashion wood; and the wise work on themselves.

Solid rock is not moved by wind; the wise are never unsettled by praise or blame.

Just as the depths of a lake are pure and untroubled, so the wise, hearing the holy Dharma, become crystal clear.

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Holy beings do not communicate personal desires in any situation, for happiness and misery are all the same to them. Elation and depression are not found in the wise.

If you have no desire for children, for wealth, or for estates, either for yourself or for the sake of others, and desire no good fortune through wrong means, you are possessed of ethics, knowledge, and the Dharma.

Although many beings run up and down the water’s edge, only a few will reach the other shore.

It is diffi cult to fi nd one’s way across the realm of death; but those who follow the teachings of the one who teaches the truth will reach the other side.

The wise forsake the paths of darkness, and cultivate the way of light, going where life is hard—escaping from the householder’s life to fi nd joy in the homeless state of solitude.

The wise, desiring happiness, give up all that they desire, and thus subdue all the emotional turmoil of the mind.

Cultivating the factors of Enlightenment with the pure mind of meditation, you will stop all grasping. Taking no delight in attachment, and destroying all defi lements, full of light, you will completely pass beyond the suffering of this world. ∆


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ø ø ø ∆Dhammapada—Joy by Shakyamuni Buddha ∆

Never feeling enmity towards those who bear us malice, how wonderful our lives become—free from enemies even in the midst of the most inimical.

Never harming those who would hurt us, how wonderful our lives become—never harmed even in the midst of harmful people.

Never feeling selfi sh even in the midst of selfi sh people, how wonderful our lives become—free from possessiveness even in the midst of those who would take everything.

Never possessing anything, how wonderful our lives become—nourished by the same food of joy as the gods of light.

The victorious attract enemies; the conquered lie down in sorrow. But when you give up both victory and defeat, you will rest in happiness and peace.

There is no fi re like desire, no provocation that can equal hate, no suffering like this heap of fl esh, no happiness higher than peace.

Hunger is the greatest affl iction; samsara the greatest foe. With knowledge and true understanding of this, one can pass from sorrow to the highest joy.

Health is the greatest possession; contentment the greatest wealth. A loving friend is the best of kin, and the greatest joy is passing from sorrow.

Tasting the sweetness of solitude and savoring tranquility, you drink the nectar of the dharma, which frees you from fear and iniquity.

How wonderful to see the saints—one always fi nds joy in their company. But with fools it is a different story. Not to see them makes us happy.

Keeping company with fools will cause you nothing but grief. Fools are the worst of enemies—they will keep you suffering forever. Keep company with the trustworthy—they will make you happy like close family.

Rely on the noble, the spiritual, the steady; the learned, the prudent, the wise. One wise enough to follow such beings is like the moon on the path of the stars. ∆


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ø ø ø ∆ On Trust in the HeartBy Jianzhi Sengcan (Jiandz Sengchan) ∆

The Perfect Way is only diffi cult For those who pick and choose.Do not like, do not dislike; all will then be clear.

Take a hairbreadth difference,And Heaven and Earth are set apart;If you want the truth to stand clear before you,Never be for or against.

The struggle between ‘for’ and ‘against’Is the mind’s worst disease.ø While the deep meaning is misunderstood, It is useless to meditate on Rest.

It is blank and featureless as space; It has no ‘too little’ or ‘too much’;Only because we take and reject Does it seem to us not to be so.

Do not chase after entanglementsAs though they were real things.

Do not try to drive pain awayBy pretending that it is not real.Pain, if you seek serenity in Oneness,Will vanish of its own accord.

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Stop all movement in order to get rest,And rest will itself be restless.Linger over either extreme,And Oneness is forever lost.Those who cannot attain to OnenessIn either case will fail.

To banish Reality is to sink deeper into the Real.Allegiance to the Void implies denial of its voidness.

The more you talk about It,The more you think about It,The further from It you go.

Stop talking, stop thinking,And there is nothing you will not understand.

Return to the Root and you will fi nd the Meaning.Pursue the Light, and you will lose its source,Look inward, and in a fl ashYou will conquer the Apparent and the Void.

For the whirligigs of Apparent and VoidAll come from mistaken views;There is no need to seek Truth,Only stop having views.

Do not accept either position,Examine it or pursue it,At the least thought of ‘Is’ and ‘Isn’t’There is chaos and the Mind is lost.

Though the two exist because of the One,Do not cling to the One.

Only when no thought arisesAre the Dharmas without blame.No blame, no Dharmas; no arising, no thought.

The doer vanishes along with the deed,The deed disappears when the doer is annihilated.The deed has no function apart from the doer,The doer has no function apart from the deed.

The ultimate Truth about both ExtremesIs that they are One Void.In that One Void the two are not distinguished,Each contains complete within itself the Ten Thousand Forms.

Only if we boggle over fi ne and coarseAre we tempted to take sides.In its essence the Great Way is all embracing;It is as wrong to call it easy as to call it hard.

Partial views are irresolute and insecure,Now at a gallop, no lagging in the rear.Clinging to this or to that beyond measureThe heart trusts to by-paths that lead it astray.

Let things take their own course;Know that the Essence will neither go nor stay;Let your nature blend with the WayAnd wander in it free from care.

Thoughts that are fettered turn from Truth,Sink into the unwise habit of ‘not liking.’‘Not liking’ brings weariness of spirit.Estrangements serve no purpose.

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If you want to follow the doctrine of the One,Do not rage against the world of the Senses.Only by accepting the World of the SensesCan you share in the True Perception.

Those who know most do-least;Folly ties its own bonds.

In the Dharma there are no separate dharmas,Only the foolish cleaveTo their own preferences and attachments.

To use Thought to devise thoughts,What more misguided than this?

Ignorance creates Rest and Unrest.Wisdom neither loves nor hates.All that belongs to the Two ExtremesIs inference falsely drawn.

ø A dream-phantom, a fl ower in the air.Why strive to grasp it in the hand?‘Is’ and ‘Isn’t,’ gain and loss banish once for all.

If the eyes do not close in sleep There can be no evil dreams.If the mind makes no distinctions All Dharmas become one.

ø Let the One with its mystery Blot out all memory of complications.Let the thought of the Dharmas as All-One Bring you to the So-in-itself.Thus their origin is forgotten and

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Nothing is left to make us pit one against the other.

Regard motion as though it were stationary,And what becomes of motion?Treat the stationary as though it moved,And that disposes of the stationary.

Both these having thus been disposed of,What becomes of the One?

At the ultimate point,Beyond which you can go no further,You get to where there are no rules, no standards,To where thought can accept Impartiality,To where effect of action ceases,Doubt is washed away, belief has no obstacle.

Nothing is left over, nothing remembered.

Space is bright, but self-illumined;No power of mind is exerted.

Nor indeed could mere thought bring us to such a place.Nor could sense or feeling comprehend it.It is the Truly so, the Transcendent Sphere,Where there is neither He nor I.

For swift converse with this sphereUse the concept ‘Not Two;’In the ‘Not Two’ are no separate things,Yet all things are included.

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The wise throughout the Ten QuartersHave had access to this Primal Truth.For it is not a thing with extension in Time or Space.A moment and an eon for it are one.Whether we see it or fail to see it,It is manifest always and everywhere.

The very small is as the very largeWhen boundaries are forgotten.The very large is as the very smallWhen its outlines are not seen.

Being is an aspect of Non-being. Non-being is an aspect of Being.In climes of thought where it is not so,The mind does ill to dwell.

The One is none other than the All,The All none other than the One.Take your stand on this,And the rest will follow of its own accord.

To trust in the Heart is the Not Two, The Not Two is to trust in the Heart.

I have spoken, but in vain; for what can words tellOf things that have no yesterday, tomorrow, or today. ∆


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ø ø ø ∆ Song of the Jewel Mirror AwarenessBy Dongshan Liangjie (Dungsan Lienjie) ∆

The teaching of thusnessIs intimately communicated By Buddhas and Ancestors;Now you have it, So keep it well.Filling a silver bowl with snow,Hiding a heron in the moonlight.They are similar, though not the same.Side by side you can see the differences.The meaning is not in the words,Yet one pivotal instant can reveal it.Move and you are trapped.Miss and you fall into confusion and doubt.Turning away and touching are both wrong,For it is like a mass of fi re.Just to depict it in literary formIs to defi le it.It is bright just at midnightIt does not appear at dawnIt acts as a guide for beings.Its use removes all suffering.Although it is not created,It is not beyond words.It is like facing a jewel mirror.Form and image behold each other.You are not it.It surely is you.Like a newborn child,In fi ve aspects complete;It does not go or come, nor rise nor stand.

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A baby babbles.Is there anything said or not?Ultimately this has no meaning,For the words are not yet clear.It is like the six lines of the double split hexagram.The relative and absolute integrate.Piled up they make three,The complete transformation makes fi ve.It is like the taste of the fi ve-fl avored herb,Like the diamond thunderbolt.Subtly included within the true,Inquiry and response come up together.Communing with the source and communing with the processIt includes integration and includes the road.Merging is auspicious,Do not violate it.Naturally real, yet inconceivable,It is neither delusion nor enlightenment.At this moment causes and conditionsShine completely in the silence.So fi ne, it enters nowhere,So vast it exceeds all bounds.A hairsbreadth deviationAnd you are out of harmony.Through the teachings of sudden and gradual,Different methods have arisen.Whether teachings or approaches are mastered or notTrue eternity still fl ows.Outwardly still while inwardly moving,Like a tethered colt, a trapped rat.The Ancestors pitied them,And bestowed upon them the teaching;According to their delusions,

They called black as white.When delusions disappear,The natural mind reveals itself.If you want to follow the ancient way,Please observe the Ancients of former times.Some try to attain the Buddha WayBy gazing at a tree for ten eons.They are like a tiger with tattered ears,Or a horse with shanks gone gray.Because there is the ordinaryThere are jewel pedestals and fi ne clothing.Because there is the startlingly different,There are housecat and cow.Yi, with his archer’s skill,Could hit a target at a hundred paces.But when arrowpoints meet head on,How could it be a matter of skill?

• When the wooden man begins to sing,• The stone woman gets up to dance.This does not come by knowing,Nor does it involve ideas.A minister serves the lord.A son obeys the father.Not obeying is not fi lial, and not serving is not help.Practice secretly, working within,As though a fool, like an idiot—If you can achieve continuity,This is called the host within the host. ∆


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ø ø ø ∆True Buddha EmancipationBy Dajian Huineng (Dajian Huinen) ∆

True reality and a pure nature— this is the true Buddha;Evil views and the three poisons— this is the true demon.

For the person with evil views, the demon is in his home,For the person with correct views, the Buddha will call at his home.

If from the evil views within the nature the three poisons are produced,This means that a demon king has come to reside in the home.

If correct views of themselves cast aside the mind of the three poisons,The demon changes and becomes a Buddha,One that is true, not false.

The Nirmanakaya, the Sambhogakaya, the Dharmakaya,These three bodies are from the outset one bodyIf within your own nature you seek to see for yourself,This then is the cause of becoming Buddha,And gaining enlightenment.

Since from the outset the Nirmanakaya produces the pure nature,

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This pure nature is always contained within the Nirmanakaya.If your nature activates the Nirmanakaya to practice the correct way,In the future, perfection is achieved,A perfection true and without limit.

The licentious nature is itself the cause of purity,Outside of licentiousness there is no pure nature.

If only without your self-nature you yourself separate from the fi ve desires,The instant you see into your own nature — this is the True Buddha.

If in this life you awaken to the teaching of the Sudden Doctrine,Awakening, you will see the World-Honored One before your eyes.

If you wish to practice and say you seek the Buddha,Who knows where you will fi nd the True One.

If within your own body you yourself have the True,Where the True is, there is the means of becoming Buddha.

If you do not seek the True yourself and seek the Buddha outside,All your seeking will be that of a highly ignorant person.

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The teaching of the Sudden Doctrine has come from the West,To save people of the world you must practice yourself.

Now I say to all Ch’an students in this world,If you do not rely on this Way you are leading vacant lives. ∆


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ø ø ø ∆ A Formless StanzaBy Dajian Huineng (Dajian Huinen) ∆

A master of the Buddhist CanonAs well as of the teaching of the Dhyana SchoolMay be likened unto the blazing sunSitting high in its meridian tower.

Such a person would teach nothing but the Dharma for realizing the Essence of Mind,And his or her object in coming to this worldWould be to vanquish the heretical sects.

We can hardly classify the Dharmas into ‘Sudden’ and ‘Gradual,’But some will attain enlightenment much quicker than others.

For example, this system for realizing the Essence of mindIs above the comprehension of the ignorant.

We may explain it in ten thousand ways,But all explanations may be traced back to one principle.

To illumine our gloomy tabernacle, which is stained by defi lement,We should constantly set up the Light of Wisdom.

Erroneous views keep us in defi lementWhile right views remove us from it,

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But when we are in a position to discard both of them,We are then absolutely pure.

Bodhi is immanent in our Essence of Mind,An attempt to look for it elsewhere is erroneous.

Within our impure mind the pure one is to be found,And once our mind is set right,We are free from the three kinds of becloudingHatred, lust, and illusion.

If we are treading the Path of Enlightenment,We need not be worried by stumbling blocks,Provided we keep a constant eye on our own faults,We cannot go astray from the right path.

Since every species of life has its own way of salvation,They will not interfere with or be antagonistic to one another.

But if we leave our own path and seek some other way of salvation,We shall not fi nd it,And though we plod on till death overtakes us,We shall fi nd only penitence in the end.

If you wish to fi nd the true way,Right action will lead you to it directly.But if you do not strive for it,You will grope in the dark and never fi nd it.

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One who treads the Path in earnest,Sees not the mistakes of the world.

If we fi nd fault with others,We ourselves are also in the wrong.

When other people are in the wrong, we should ignore it,For it is wrong for us to fi nd fault.

By getting rid of the habit of fault-fi nding,We cut off a source of defi lement.

When neither hatred nor love disturbs our mind,Serenely we sleep.

Those who intend to be the teachers of others,Should themselves be skilled in the various expedientsWhich lead others to enlightenment.

When the disciple is free from all doubts,It indicates that his or her Essence of Mind has been found.

The Kingdom of Buddha is in this world,Within which enlightenment is to be sought.

To seek enlightenment by separating from this world,Is as absurd as to search for a rabbit’s horn.Right views are called ‘transcendental’.Erroneous views are called ‘worldly.’

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When all views, right or erroneous, are discarded,Then the essence of Bodhi appears.

This stanza is for the ‘Sudden’ School.It is also called the ‘Great Ship of Dharma,’For sailing across the ocean of existence.

Kalpa after kalpa a person may be under delusion,But once enlightened it takes only a moment To attain Buddhahood. ∆


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ø ø ø ∆ For a Fair MindBy Dajian Huineng (Dajian Huinen) ∆

For a fair mind,Observation of precepts is unnecessary.

For straightforward behavior,Practice in Dhyana may be dispensed with.

On the principle of gratefulness,We support our parents and serve them fi lially.

On the principle of righteousness,The superior and the inferior stand for each other in time of need.

On the principle of mutual desire to please,The senior and the junior are on affectionate terms.

On the principle of forbearance,We do not quarrel even in the midst of a hostile crowd.

If we can persevere till fi re can be obtained through rubbing a piece of wood,Then the red lotus, the Buddha-nature,Will shoot out from the black mire, the unenlightened state.

That which is of bitter taste is bound to be good medicine.

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That which sounds unpleasant to the ear is certainly frank advice.

By amending our mistakes, we get wisdom.By defending our faults, we betray an unsound mind.

In our daily life, we should always practice altruism, but Buddhahood is not to be attained by giving away money as charity.Bodhi is to be found within our own mind,And there is no necessity to look for mysticism from without.

Hearers of this stanza who put its teaching into actual practice,Will fi nd paradise in their very presence. ∆


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ø ø ø ∆ Song of ZazenBy Hakuin Zenji ∆

All beings by nature are Buddha,As ice by nature is water.Apart from water there is no ice,Apart from beings, no Buddha.

How sad that people ignore the nearAnd search for truth afar:Like someone in the midst of waterCrying out in thirst,Like a child of a wealthy homeWandering among the poor.

ø Lost on dark paths of ignorance,We wander through the Six WorldsFrom dark path to dark path—When shall we be freed from birth and death?

Oh, the zazen of the Mahayana!To this the highest praise!Devotion, repentance, training,The many paramitas—All have their source in zazen.

Those who try zazen even onceWipe away beginningless crimes.Where are all the dark paths then?The Pure Land itself is near.

Those who hear this truth even onceAnd listen with a grateful heart,

Treasuring it, revering it,Gain blessings without end

• Much more, those who turn aboutAnd bear witness to self-nature,Self-nature that is no-nature,Go far beyond mere doctrine.Here effect and cause are the same.The Way is neither two nor three.

• With form that is no-form,Going and coming, we are never astray.With thought that is no-thought,Even singing and dancing are the voice of the Law.

How boundless and free is the sky of Samadhi!How bright the full moon of wisdom!Truly, is anything missing now?Nirvana is right here, before our eyes.This very place is the Lotus Land,This very body, the Buddha. ∆


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ø ø ø ∆ The Snow ManBy Wallace Stevens ∆

One must have a mind of winterTo regard the frost and the boughsOf the pine-trees crusted with snow;

And have been cold a long timeTo behold the junipers shagged with ice,The spruces rough in the distant glitter

Of the January sun; and not to thinkOf any misery in the sound of the wind,In the sound of a few leaves,

Which is the sound of the landFull of the same windThat is blowing in the same bare place

For the listener, who listens in the snow,And, nothing himself, beholdsNothing that is not there and the nothing that is. ∆


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ø ø ø ∆ InversnaidBy Gerard Manley Hopkins ∆

This darksome burn, horseback brown,His rollrock highroad roaring down,In coop1 and in comb2 the fl eece of his foamFlutes and low to the lake falls home.

A windpuff-bonnet of fáwn-fróthTurns and twindles3 over the brothOf a pool so pitchblack, féll-frówning,It rounds and rounds Despair to drowning.

Degged4 with dew, dappled with dewAre the groins of the braes that the brook threads through,Wiry heathpacks, fl itches5 of fern,And the beadbonny ash that sits over the burn.

What would the world be, once bereftOf wet and of wildness? Let them be left,O let them be left, wildness and wet;Long live the weeds and the wilderness yet. ∆

All Buddhas throughout Space and Time øAll Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas øMaha ø Prajña ø Paramita ∆1 hollow or enclosed place2 crest, or water pouring over and through obstacles3 a combination of “twists” and “dwindles”4 sprinkled5 tufts or clumps

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ø ø ø ∆ Four Quartets: Burnt Norton-IBy T. S. Eliot ∆

Time present and time pastAre both perhaps present in time future,And time future contained in time past.If all time is eternally presentAll time is unredeemable.What might have been is an abstractionRemaining a perpetual possibilityOnce in a world of speculation.What might have been and what has beenPoint to one end, which is always present.Footfalls echo in the memoryDown the passage which we did not takeTowards the door we never openedInto the rose-garden. My words echoThus, in your mind.But to what purposeDisturbing the dust on a bowl of rose-leavesI do not know.Other echoesInhabit the garden. Shall we follow?Quick, said the bird, fi nd them, fi nd them,Round the corner. Through the fi rst gate,Into our fi rst world, shall we followThe deception of the thrush? Into our fi rst world.There they were, dignifi ed, invisible,Moving without pressure, over the dead leaves.In the autumn heat, through the vibrant air,And the bird called, in response toThe unheard music hidden in the shrubbery,

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And the unseen eyebeam crossed, for the rosesHad the look of fl owers that are looked at.There they were as our guests, accepted and accepting.So we moved, and they, in a formal pattern,Along the empty alley, into the box circle,To look down into the drained pool.Dry the pool, dry concrete, brown edged,And the pool was fi lled with water out of sunlight,And the lotos rose, quietly, quietly,The surface glittered out of heart of light,And they were behind us, refl ected in the pool.Then a cloud passed, and the pool was empty.Go, said the bird, for the leaves were full of children,Hidden excitedly, containing laughter.Go, go, go, said the bird: human kindCannot bear very much reality.Time past and time futureWhat might have been and what has beenPoint to one end, which is always present. ∆


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ø ø ø ∆ The Canticle of Brother SunBy Saint Francis of Assisi ∆

Most High, all-powerful, good Lord,Yours are the praises, the glory, the honor, and all blessing.To You alone, Most High, do they belong,And no one is worthy to mention Your name.

ø Praised be You, my Lord, with all your creatures.Especially Sir Brother Sun,Who is the day and through whom You give us light.And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor,And bears a likeness of You, most High One.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,In heaven You formed them clear and precious and beautiful.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind,And through the air, cloudy and serene, and every kind of weatherThrough which You give sustenance to Your creatures.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water,Which is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.

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Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire,Through whom You light the nightAnd he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.

Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Mother Earth,Who sustains and governs us,And who produces varied fruits with colored fl owers and herbs.

Praised be You, my Lord, through those who give pardon for Your loveAnd bear infi rmity and tribulation.

Blessed are those who endure in peaceFor by You, Most High, they shall be crowned.

Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death,From whom no living person can escape.Woe to those who die in mortal sin.Blessed are those, whom death will fi nd in Your most holy will,For the second death shall do them, no harm.

• Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks• And serve Him with great humility. ∆


ø ø ø ∆ VerseBy St. John of the Cross ∆

In order to arrive at having pleasure in everything,Desire to have pleasure in nothing.

In order to arrive at possessing everything,Desire to possess nothing.

In order to arrive at being everything,Desire to be nothing

In order to arrive at knowing everything,Desire to know nothing.

In order to arrive at that wherein you have no pleasure,You must go by a way wherein you have no pleasure.

In order to arrive at that which you do not possess,You must go by a way that you do not possess.

In order to arrive at that which you are not,You must go through that which you are not.

When your mind dwells upon anything,You are ceasing to cast yourself upon the All.

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For, in order to pass from the all to the All,You have to deny yourself wholly in all.And, when you come to possess it wholly,You must possess it without desiring anything. For, if you will have anything in having All,You do have not your treasure purely in God. ∆


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ø ø ø ∆ Dai Hi Shu The Great Compassionate Dharani ∆

Praise to the Three Treasures—Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha!

Praise to Avalokiteshvara,The Bodhisattva Mahasattva,The Bodhisattva of Compassion!

ø Praise to the one who removes all fear and suffering!

Having praised Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva,May we now recite this glorious dharani, Which purifi es all beings, Which fulfi lls the wishes of all beings.

Welcome to Bodhisattva Mahasattva Who embodies the Trikaya,Who has the transcendental wisdom.

Welcome to Bodhisattva Mahasattva Who continues to save all beingsWithout defi lement in his mind.

Welcome to Bodhisattva MahasattvaWho sustains the highestThe most complete wisdomAnd who is free from all impediments.

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Welcome to Bodhisattva MahasattvaWhose deeds reveal The fundamental purity of all beings.

Welcome to Bodhisattva Mahasattva, Who wipes away the three evil delusions—Greed, anger, and ignorance.

Quick, quick!

Come, come!

Here, here!

A joy springs up in us. Help us to enter into the realm of great realization.ø Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, Bodhisattva of Compassion,Guide us to spiritual contentment.

Victory!

Victory!

ø Having testifi ed to the freedom and compassionOf the mind of Avalokiteshvara,Having purifi ed our own body and mind,Having become as brave as a lion,Having become manifest into all beings,Having attained to the Wheel of Dharma and the Lotus Flower,We can now save all beings without hindrance.

ø May the understanding of the mysterious nature ofAvalokiteshvara prevail forever, ever and ever.

• Praise to the Three Treasures—Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha!

• Praise to Avalokiteshvara,The Bodhisattva Mahasattva,The Bodhisattva of Compassion!

• May this dharani be effective.

Praise! ∆

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Dai Hi Shu Dedication

The Enlightened One turns the Dharma WheelAnd so reality is shown in all its many forms.He frees all suffering creation,And awakens them to great joy.

We sincerely seek the benefi cent guidanceOf the Three Treasures.

In reciting the Daihishin DharaniAnd in offering (fl owers, candles, and incenseSweet water, food and tea)We dedicate its merits to:

• All beings in the Dharma worlds.And especially to • (name/s)

(In case of memorial service Offi ciant may say a few words or a poem at this point—followed by the sangha offering of incense)

May penetrating light dispelThe darkness of ignorance.Let all karma be wiped out,And the mind-fl ower bloom in eternal spring.May we all ascend to the throne of enlightenment,And realize the Enlightened Way together. ∆


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ø ø ø ∆Avalokiteshvara: The OneWho Hears the Cries of the World ∆

Observe the deeds of Avalokiteshvara,Who hears the cries of the world,Responding throughout the universe.Extending throughout time and space.Serving billions of Buddhas,He has declared this pure great vow:

Whoever repeats His name,Or sees, or keeps Him in their mind,Will be able to extinguish the sorrows of existence.

ø If someone angrilyShould push you into a fi ery pit,By turning to Avalokiteshvara,The fi repit will turn into a pool.

If fl oating on a vast sea,Menaced by dragons, fi sh, or demons,By turning to Avalokiteshvara,The billowing waves will not drown you.

If from Mount Sumeru’s lofty peak,Someone were to hurl you down,By turning to Avalokiteshvara,You would dwell in the sky like the sun.

If pursued by evil ones, And pushed off the peak of Diamond mountain,By turning to Avalokiteshvara,Not a hair on your head will be harmed.

If surrounded by vicious bandits, Each holding a sword, ready to strike,By turning to Avalokiteshvara,Their hearts will change to kindness.

If dictators persecute youWith torture and execution,By turning to Avalokiteshvara,Their weapons will shatter in pieces.

If imprisoned in shackles and chains, Hands and feet bound in restraints,By turning to Avalokiteshvara,You shall be released.

If by curses or poisonous herbs, Someone wishes to destroy your body,By turning to Avalokiteshvara,The harm will revert to its source.

If you meet evil goblins, Poisonous dragons, or demons,By turning to Avalokiteshvara,None will dare harm you.

If surrounded by raging beasts, With sharp fangs and dreadful claws,By turning to Avalokiteshvara,They will scatter in all directions.

If venomous snakes or scorpions,Threaten with noxious, fl aming breath,By turning to Avalokiteshvara,Hearing your voice they will fl ee.

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If clouds thunder and lightning strikes,Hailstones fall, and it rains in torrents,By turning to Avalokiteshvara,The sky will turn clear and blue.

When living beings suffer hardships, Burdened by immeasurable woes,The power of Avalokiteshvara’s wondrous wisdomCan relieve the suffering of the world.

He is fully endowed with miraculous powers,Widely practicing wisdom and skillful means,In every land in all directions, In no realm does Avalokiteshvara not appear.

In the three evil realms of existence,Hell beings, hungry ghosts, and animals,The sufferings of birth, old age, sickness, and death,All are gradually ended by Avalokiteshvara.

Avalokiteshvara, whose true regard,Serene regard, far-reaching wise regard,Compassionate regard and loving kindness,Ever longed for, ever sought,

Pure, serene in its radiance,Benevolent sun, dispelling all gloom—Avalokiteshvara can subdue the woes of wind and fi re,Illuminating the entire world.The law of compassion roars like thunder,The kind heart is wondrous as a great cloud,Pouring Dharma-rain of nectar,Quenching the fl ames of suffering.

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When accused by judges in courts, Or frightened by soldiers in war,By turning to Avalokiteshvara,All enemies will be defeated.

ø The wondrous voice of Avalokiteshvara,Brahma voice of the fl owing tides,Surpasses all sounds within the world.Therefore ever keep it in mind.

With never a doubting thought,Avalokiteshvara, the pure and holy, Will be there to help you,In pain, agony, or death.

Avalokiteshvara, perfectly having all virtues,Sees everything with compassion,And with boundless joy!We bow before Avalokiteshvara. ∆


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Dedication for Birth, Enlightenment, Or Parinirvana of Shakyamuni Buddha

The pure Dharmakaya neither appears nor disappears.The vows of great compassion seem to come and go.On this anniversary of Shakyamuni Buddha’s birth/enlightenment/parinirvana,We respectfully call together the Sangha.

In reciting the Daihishin Dharani,And in offering (fl owers, candlelight and incense, sweet water, cakes),We dedicate their merits to:

• The (birth, enlightenment, or parinirvana) of the great masterShakyamuni Buddha Daiosho.

• May we appreciate the light ofThe supreme wisdom of the Awakened One.May it shine upon us now, and forever more.And may we become worthy to carry on the Dharma together. ∆


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Final Dedication

The Absolute Light, luminous throughout the whole universe,Unfathomable excellence, penetrating everywhere.Whenever this devoted invocation is sent forthIt is perceived and subtly answered.We dedicate these merits to:

• All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the realm of Prajña wisdom,To the sixteen guardians andTo all protectors of the dharma,And their relations throughout all space and time.

• We especially pray for the health and well being of:

(Names—strike one • after each name)

May they (s/he) be serene through all their illsAnd may we realize the Enlightened Way together. ∆


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Treetop Zen Center293 Country Club RoadOakland, Maine 04963

(207) [email protected]

www.treetopzencenter.orgJuly 8, 2010

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Zen Services · 2020. 12. 29. · All evil karma ever committed by me since of old, Because of my beginningless greed, anger, and ignorance, Born of my body, mouth, and consciousness,