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  1. #1

    Gathas

    I really like working with gathas. I wrote about them on my blog, and I love the ones written by Thich Nhat Hanh and Robert Aitken.

    I write a few of my own from time to time and I thought I would start a thread to share them. Hopefully you guys will share some also.

    Here's a few of my favorite's from Aitken to get started (same ones I posted on my blog):

    When someone offers a drink
    I vow with all beings
    to acknowledge the sorrow it causes
    as it warms and gladdens our hearts.

    When the outcome proves disappointing
    I vow with all beings
    to look again at my purpose-
    was it Dharma or something else?

    When I panic at losing my bearings
    I vow with all beings
    to acknowledge the error is panic,
    not losing familiar ground.

    When my efforts are clearly outclassed
    I vow with all beings
    to face my own limitations
    and bring forth my original self.

    Looking up at the sky
    I vow with all beings
    to remember this infinite ceiling
    in every room of my life.

    When a car goes by late at night
    I vow with all beings
    to remember the lonely bakers
    who secretly nourish us all.

    When a train rattles by at the crossing
    I vow with all beings
    to remember my mother and father
    and imagine their thoughts in the night.

  2. #2
    Being sick for a week
    I vow with all beings
    To sit with what is
    and fan the air around myself

    Daido

  3. #3
    Had not seen this thread before - brilliant, thankyou

    Gassho

    Willow

  4. #4
    Mp
    Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by willow View Post
    Had not seen this thread before - brilliant, thankyou

    Gassho

    Willow

    Diddo ... this is a great thread! Thanks for starting it Shinkai and to all who have shared.

    Gassho,
    Michael

  5. #5
    What is there to say. These are all great.

    Gassho.

  6. #6
    In the face of loss
    I vow with all beings
    to hold the hands of those around me
    and listen

    For my wife's grandmother and best friend who passed away. Final funeral services today. A wave in the ocean.

    Gassho,

    Daido

  7. #7
    Metta to you and your family Daido.

  8. #8
    Daido,

    Much metta to you and your family...and to all those feeling the waves of the ocean. May they all feel safe and still.

    Gassho,
    Dosho

  9. #9
    Mp
    Guest
    Daido,

    Much metta to you and your family.

    Gassho,
    Michael

  10. #10
    Daido,

    Maha-karuna! May they fare on well!
    Gassho,
    __/\__
    Mike
    To avoid all evil, to cultivate good, and to cleanse one's mind — this is the teaching of the Buddhas.
    -Dhp. 183
    My Practice Blog

  11. #11
    Yugen
    Guest
    Daido
    Deep bows and the silence of listening, openness and compassion. Words would be clutter.

    Deep bows
    Yugen

  12. #12
    Daido,

    Much Metta to you and your wife during this difficult time. I'm so sorry for your families loss

    Gassho,
    Hoyu
    Ho (Dharma)
    Yu (Hot Water)

  13. #13
    Thanks guys

    Daido

  14. #14
    I don't know if this is the right place to post, but, as I'm having some problems with my back and overall health, I created some gathas to remind me to act healthily towards my body and mind. I really hope those who like the idea can use them or be inspired by the idea to make some better ones.

    This is one for posture:

    When I realize that my posture is unhealthy
    I vow with all beings
    To maintain the correct posture
    Reminding me of the Tathagata’s body

    This one is for remembering not to eat unhealthy food:

    When I’m about to eat unhealthy food
    I vow with all beings
    To eat pure and healthily
    Reminding me of the Tathagata’s body

    And this is a generic one, for any unhealthy acts we tend to do:

    When I’m about to act unhealthily
    I vow with all beings
    To act pure and healthily
    Reminding me of the Tathagata’s body

    Gassho,
    Mateus

    Sat today/LAH

  15. #15
    Lovely, Mateus.

    May you be healthy, and at ease in all your ills. (From our Metta Verses)

    Gassho J

    stlah
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  16. #16
    Mp
    Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by mateus.baldin View Post
    I'm having some problems with my back and overall health
    Hope you feel better Mateus, much metta.

    Gassho
    Shingen

    Sat/LAH

  17. #17
    Much Metta, Mateus.


    Washin
    about to sit now
    Kaidō (皆道) Every Way
    Washin (和信) Harmony Trust
    ----
    I am a novice priest-in-training. Anything that I say must not be considered as teaching
    and should be taken with a 'grain of salt'.

  18. #18
    Thank you Mateus!
    Both the posture and the food gatha will find a lot of application in my daily life.


    Metta to you, your back and your diet!

    Gassho
    Gero (sat/lah)

  19. #19
    Thank you. Much metta to all.
    Gassho,
    Mateus

    Sat today/LAH

  20. #20
    Jundo linked to this in another thread, just tagging it to get it closer to the top for easier reference. Let's share some Gathas for all our Ango activities!

    Gassho,
    Jakuden
    SatToday/LAH

  21. #21
    Thank you Jakuden

    Gassho
    Washin
    sat/lah
    Kaidō (皆道) Every Way
    Washin (和信) Harmony Trust
    ----
    I am a novice priest-in-training. Anything that I say must not be considered as teaching
    and should be taken with a 'grain of salt'.

  22. #22
    Member Onka's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2019
    Location
    Rural Queensland, so-called Australia
    Thank you Jakuden
    Gassho
    Anna

    Sat
    穏 On (Calm)
    火 Ka (Fires)
    They/She.

  23. #23
    Breathing in, I am present
    Breathing out, I am ready
    With a calm and focused mind
    I will listen patiently
    Speak kindly
    And steadily complete the tasks of the day
    Lovely!

  24. #24
    Member Do Mi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2023
    Location
    Pacific Northwest, United States
    Jon, thank you so much for sharing and for opening up this thread again!

    I started working with gathas about a month ago and am getting them posted for rohatsu. This practice is being so helpful for me in many situations, especially ones where I slide into opposites thinking, complaining, or habit-mind.

    Here are a few I have composed--I would love any input about them--anything that would make them more helpful or dharmically on-point??

    Sitting zazen
    I allow my small self to be cradled
    by the unfathomable field of the Buddha-Mind.
    May my practice benefit all beings.

    Attending service at my zen center
    I vow to be connected, curious, and in service to my sangha.
    May my small presence lend to the collective power of our practice for the benefit of all beings.

    May this mistake be a gate
    To the boundless Buddha-mind
    That holds all good and bad, right and wrong
    I vow to repair any harm
    And dedicate my learning to the benefit of all beings.

    Driving my car
    I vow to let my mindful awareness permeate
    beyond the body, beyond the vehicle,
    beyond the road, beyond the view,
    throughout the limitless sacred interbeing through which I move.

    Lending a hand
    Forgetting all notions of ego and self-benefit
    I open my heart to respond with compassion and generosity.
    May my actions benefit all beings.

    Experiencing pain
    I perceive its impermanence, and the impermanence of this body and all perceptions
    I am in unity with all suffering beings
    My small suffering self and all suffering beings are held by the magnificent Buddha-mind

    Performing onstage
    I vow to let the music flow through me,
    using all of my skills to hold emotions, connections, and space
    for my beloved audience and for all beings.

    Dissolving into the world of dreams
    I perceive that sleeping and waking are not two.
    I dedicate this healing sleep to all weary beings
    And vow to rest deeply and awaken with joy.

    In gassho,

    Do Mi
    sat and lah

  25. #25
    Quote Originally Posted by Do Mi View Post
    Jon, thank you so much for sharing and for opening up this thread again!

    I started working with gathas about a month ago and am getting them posted for rohatsu. This practice is being so helpful for me in many situations, especially ones where I slide into opposites thinking, complaining, or habit-mind.

    Here are a few I have composed--I would love any input about them--anything that would make them more helpful or dharmically on-point??

    Sitting zazen
    I allow my small self to be cradled
    by the unfathomable field of the Buddha-Mind.
    May my practice benefit all beings.

    Attending service at my zen center
    I vow to be connected, curious, and in service to my sangha.
    May my small presence lend to the collective power of our practice for the benefit of all beings.

    May this mistake be a gate
    To the boundless Buddha-mind
    That holds all good and bad, right and wrong
    I vow to repair any harm
    And dedicate my learning to the benefit of all beings.

    Driving my car
    I vow to let my mindful awareness permeate
    beyond the body, beyond the vehicle,
    beyond the road, beyond the view,
    throughout the limitless sacred interbeing through which I move.

    Lending a hand
    Forgetting all notions of ego and self-benefit
    I open my heart to respond with compassion and generosity.
    May my actions benefit all beings.

    Experiencing pain
    I perceive its impermanence, and the impermanence of this body and all perceptions
    I am in unity with all suffering beings
    My small suffering self and all suffering beings are held by the magnificent Buddha-mind

    Performing onstage
    I vow to let the music flow through me,
    using all of my skills to hold emotions, connections, and space
    for my beloved audience and for all beings.

    Dissolving into the world of dreams
    I perceive that sleeping and waking are not two.
    I dedicate this healing sleep to all weary beings
    And vow to rest deeply and awaken with joy.

    In gassho,

    Do Mi
    sat and lah
    Beautifully written Do Mi. I think gathas are similar to haikus in that their power is in their simplicity. Thank you for sharing your work!

    SAT/LAH

    Jon

  26. #26
    Today I hurt so this is the Gatha. It is sitting one shelf above my desk on a bookshelf with items from people I know, a small container with the Heart Sutra, given me by Jundo, upon his visit, I think six years ago, a small pewter sail boat from my daughter because at the time, when she was six-years-old, and wanted to replace a tiny ship in a bottle which I accidentally broke, a gift she gave me when she was five. She is my way of thanking the world, and the little girl I took out to eat and she ate the bun and cheese, thru away the meat, a beautiful chrome votive candle holder also on the shelf from my wife, a beautiful set of Jusu beads from my good friend Kyousui, these made by nuns in captivity in Tibet, many things all gifts, small things from people I care about, away from us now doing great things.



    Evening Gatha

    Let me Respectfully remind you--
    Life and death are of supreme importance
    Time swiftly passes by and opportunity is lost
    Each of us should strive to awaken...................
    ......awaken
    Take heed. Do not squander your life.



    I have seen parts of this in our Zazenkai materials.
    Sometimes I do not strive.
    The framed parchment was written by a monk,
    Sold on the internet for five dollars, so appropriate because if I make it to September 11th, I will be 73-years old, and two and 1/3 years ago at the time of an important surgery, I was taught two finger typing by a kind woman knowing I would have this surgery and thinking I already had trouble with arthritis in my hands. On a day I forget to host an 8 a.m. Soto Zen, Shikantaza sit, and forgot that then I was supposed to ring the bell four times. I AM LIMITED TO THREE LINES A DAY PER THREE ENTRIES, AND SO THIS IS THE ONLY ENTRY I SHALL MAKE TODAY, AND I HOPE IT MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD. My awakening is to write poetry. As always, my teacher, when I spout off, says nothing. I bought The Teachings of Homeless Kodo which I begin to read today.

    Gassho
    sat/lah
    Last edited by Tai Shi; 01-26-2024 at 08:37 PM. Reason: spelling, addiung words to spell checker.
    Peaceful Poet, Tai Shi. Ubasoku; calm, supportive, limited to positive 優婆塞 台 婆

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