The following is our
Ceremony for the WEEKLY (90-minute) and MONTHLY (4 hour) ZAZENKAI:
You can also download our Chant Book for Weekly and Monthly Zazenkai as a PDF ...
LINK FOR CHANT BOOK DOWNLOAD (PDF)
Please download, print and treat respectfully, placing in a nice cover and avoiding to place directly on the floor.
For the monthly ceremony, we add "The Identity of Relative and Absolute"(Sandokai)
and chant the Heart Sutra in Japanese in honor of tradition:
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The Heart Sutra in English
(for WEEKLY ZAZENKAI ONLY)
INO (CHANT LEADER) ONLY =
The Heart of the Perfection of Great Wisdom Sutra*
EVERYONE TOGETHER =
A/va/lo/ki/tes/va/ra/ Bod/hi/satt/va/, A/wa/kened/ One/ of/ Com/pas/sion/,
In/ Praj/na/ Pa/ra/mi/ta/, the/Deep/ Prac/tice/ of/ Per/fect/ Wis/dom/*
Per/ceived/ the/ emp/ti/ness/ of /all /five /con/di/tions/,
And/ was/ freed/ of/ suf/fer/ing/.
Oh/ Sha/ri/pu/tra/, form/ is/ no/ o/ther/ than/ emp/ti/ness/,
Emp/ti/ness/ no/ o/ther/ than/ form/;
Form/ is/ pre/cise/ly/ emp/ti/ness/, emp/ti/ness/ pre/cise/ly/ form/.
Sen/sa/tions/ per/cep/tions/ for/ma/tions/ and/ con/scious/ness/ are/ al/so/ like/ this/.
Oh/ Sha/ri/pu/tra/, all/ things/ are/ ex/pres/sions/ of/ emp/ti/ness/,
Not/ born/, not/ des/troyed/, not/ stained/, not/ pure/;
Nei/ther/ wax/ing/ nor/ wan/ing/.
Thus/ emp/ti/ness/ is/ not/ form/; not/ sen/sa/tion/ nor/ per/cep/tion/,
not/ for/ma/tion/ nor/ con/scious/ness/.
No/ eye/, ear/, nose/, tongue/, bo/dy/, mind/;
No/ sight/, sound/, smell/, taste/, touch/, nor/ ob/ject/ of/ mind/;
No/ realm/ of/ sight/, no/ realm/ of/ con/scious/ness/;
No/ ig/no/rance/, no/ end/ to/ ig/no/rance/;
No/ old/ age/ and/ death/,
No/ ces/sa/tion/ of/ old/ age/ and/ death/;
No/ suf/fer/ing/, nor/ cause/ or/ end/ to/ suf/fer/ing/;
No/ path/, no/ wis/dom/ and/ no/ gain/.
No/ gain/ – thus/ Bod/dhi/satt/vas/ live/ this/ Praj/na/ Pa/ra/mi/ta/*
With/ no/ hin/drance/ of/ mind/ –
No/ hin/drance/ there/fore/ no/ fear/.
Far/ be/yond/ all/ de/lu/sion/, Nir/va/na/ is/ al/rea/dy/ here/.
All/ past/, pre/sent/ and/ fu/ture/ Budd/has/
Live/ this/ Praj/na/ Pa/ra/mi/ta/*
And/ re/al/ize/ su/preme/ and/ com/plete/ en/light/en/ment/.
There/fore/ know/ that/ Praj/na/ Pa/ra/mi/ta/
Is/ the/ sac/red/ man/tra/, the/ lu/min/ous/ man/tra/,
the/ sup/reme/ man/tra/, the/ in/com/pa/ra/ble/ man/tra/
by/ which/ all/ suf/fe/ring/ is/ clear/.
This/ is/ no/ o/ther/ than/ Truth/.
There/fore/ set/ forth/ the/ Praj/na/ Pa/ra/mi/ta/ man/tra/.
Set/ forth/ this/ man/tra/ and/ pro/claim/:
(1x) Gate! Gate! (Already Gone, Gone)
* Paragate! (Already Gone Beyond)
Parasamgate! (Already Fully Beyond)
* Bodhi! Svaha! (Awakening, Rejoice)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
HANNYA SHINGYO (Heart Sutra) in JAPANESE
(for MONTHLY ZAZENKAI ONLY)
INO (CHANT LEADER) ONLY =
Maka Hannya Haramita Shin Gyo*
EVERYONE TOGETHER =
Kan Ji Zai Bo Satsu Gyo Jin Han Nya Ha Ra Mi Ta Ji Sho Ken *
Go On Kai Ku Do I 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 Ze 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 Shin Mu Kei Ge Mu Kei 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 Toku A Noku Ta
Ra San Myaku San 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
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The Identity of Relative & Absolute (Sandokai) in English
(for MONTHLY ZAZENKAI ONLY)
INO (CHANT LEADER) ONLY =
The Identity of Relative and Absolute
EVERYONE TOGETHER:
The mind of the Great Sage of India
Is intimately conveyed west and east.
While human faculties are both wise or dull
In the Way there are no northern or southern ancestors.
The subtle Source shines clear in the light;
The branching streams flow in the dark.
To be attached to things is primordial illusion;
To encounter the absolute is not yet enlightenment. *
All spheres, every sense and field
intermingle even as they shine alone,
Interacting even as they merge,
Yet keeping their places in expressions of their own.
Sights differ primally 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 turns 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 think of it as darkness.
Darkness is light;
Do not see it as light.
Light and darkness are not one, not two
Like the foot before and the foot behind in walking. *
Each thing has its own being
Which is not different from its place and function.
The relative fits the absolute
As a box and its lid.
The absolute meets the relative
Like two arrow points that touch in mid air. *
Hearing this, simply perceive what is,
Make no criterion.
If you do not see the Way,
You do not see it even as you walk upon it.
Walking forward in the way
You draw no nearer, progress no farther.
One who fails to see this truth
Is mountains and rivers away. *
Listen, those who would perceive this subtle matter: *
Live well your time by night and day!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
DEDICATION (EKO)
READ BY INO (CHANT LEADER) ONLY:
Buddha Nature pervades the whole universe, Reality, existing right here now:
In reciting THE HEART OF THE PERFECTION OF GREAT WISDOM SUTRA
(and THE IDENTITY OF RELATIVE AND ABSOLUTE)
we dedicate our sincere efforts to:
• Shakyamuni Buddha Honored One; the Historical Buddha and Teacher,
and to those ancestral teachers:
Eihei Dogen Honored One
Soji Keizan Honored One,
All successive Honored Ones up until
Zuigaku Rempo Honored One and
Gudo Wafu Honored One
and to all other Honored Ones throughout history, same yet diverse Honored Ones,
whose names have been forgotten or left unsaid.
We also dedicate these efforts to the Three Treasures,
Buddha, Dharma, Sangha,
To all Awakened Ones and Teachers in all places and times.
We especially seek tranquility & well being for all creatures now suffering or ill in health.
May they be serene through all their ills.
May their lives be at peace and Wisdom pervade the darkness of ignorance.
We dedicate our hopes and aspirations:
To all victims of war and violence and natural events
To the injured and to all families touched by these tragedies
To the healing of hatred in all countries and among all peoples
To the wisdom and compassion of our world leaders
To the peace of the world and harmony of all beings.
Thus, let the harmful effects of words, thoughts and actions be dispelled
and Compassion bloom in perpetual spring.
May we all realize and live the Enlightened Way together:
EVERYONE CHANTS TOGETHER:
• All Buddhas throughout space and time
• All Bodhisattvas-Mahasattvas
• Maha • Prajna • Paramita •••••••
(followed by 3x BOWS by EVERYONE)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
SPECIAL VERSES for DHARMA TALK
(for MONTHLY ZAZENKAI ONLY)
Sutra Opening Verse
(Kaikyôge)
INO (CHANT LEADER) ONLY
(3X before Dharma Talk by Teacher, bell at end of second verse):
The Dharma, incomparably profound and infinitely subtle,
Is always encountered, but rarely perceived.
Now we see, hear, receive and maintain this,
May we all realize the Tathagatha's true meaning.
~ ~ ~
Verse On Closing the Sutra
INO (CHANT LEADER) ONLY
(1X after Dharma Talk by Teacher)
May the effect of these Teachings penetrate into each thing in all places
so that we and every sentient being together may realize the Buddha’s Way.
EVERYONE TOGETHER:
• All Buddhas throughout space and time
• All Bodhisattvas-Mahasattvas
• Maha • Prajna • Paramita
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
METTA VERSES
Do your best to actually feel sincerely the hopes conveyed, and do not merely mouth the words.
You will begin by offering Metta to yourself:
1. May I be free of suffering; may I feel safe and still.
2. May I be free of enmity; may I be loving, grateful and kind.
3. May I be healthy and at ease in all my ills.
4. May I be at peace, embracing all conditions of life.
Next, repeat the chant with a specific close loved one in mind, then a friend, then a passing stranger, then a difficult person in your life or this world (with the hope that, were they truly mentally and physically healthy and content, and at peace, they would not be so), then for all Sentient Beings everywhere ...
1. May he(she/they/we) be free of suffering; may he(she/they/we) feel safe and still.
2. May he(she/they/we) be free of enmity; may he(she/they/we) be loving, grateful and kind.
3. May he(she/they/we) be healthy and at ease in all his(her/their/our) ills.
4. May he(she/they/we) be at peace, embracing all conditions of life.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
VERSE OF ATONEMENT
EVERYONE TOGETHER:
All harmful acts, words and thoughts, ever committed by me since of old,
On account of beginningless greed, anger and ignorance,
Born of my body, mouth and mind,
Now I atone for them all
~ ~ ~
THE FOUR VOWS
EVERYONE TOGETHER:
(To be chanted 3x - moderate, louder and whisper)
To save all sentient beings, though beings numberless
To transform all delusions, though delusions inexhaustible
To perceive Reality, though Reality is boundless
To attain the Enlightened Way, a Way non-attainable
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Gassho, Jundo
STLah
