Chanting & Zazen Circle (Mo thru Sa)

[HERRIEH]

So here is my translation/poem of the 4 Bodhisattva vows in Dutch:

EED VAN DE BODHISATTVA

Zijnden zijn ontelbaar
Oneindig in getal
Wie zal ze bevrijden?

Ik zal

Onware wanen dwalen
Ontspringen overal
Wie zal ze weerleggen?

Ik zal

Ware Wijsheid leidt
Van poort naar poort door heel 't Heelal
Wie zal ze betreden?

Ik zal

De voortreffelijke weg van de Ontwaakte
Onnavolgbaar bovenal

Wie zal gaan, blijven gaan?
Doorgaan, tot het Einde gaan?
En gaan, voorbij het eigen gaan?

Ik zal


Gassho

HerrieH

[HERRIEH]

So if i translate my translation in Google i get this:

Oath OF THE BODHISATTVA

Beings are countless
Infinite in number
Who will free them?

I will

False delusions wander
Sprung everywhere
Who will refute them?

I will

True Wisdom leads
From gate to gate throughout the Universe
Who will enter them?

I will

The Exquisite Way of the Awakened One
Inimitable above all

Who will go, keep going?
Continue, go to the End?
And go, go beyond one's own?

I will

[Yuki]

This is wonderful, Herrieh ! Merci beaucoup ! Hartelijk bedankt !

I add this text to my personal Chantbook and hope to be able to use it again and again in the future.
I will translate it in French too.

Gassho

Yuki (雪)
(Sat our Saturday Chanting and Zazen Circle )

[Anchi]

This is lovely, Herrieh !

Thank you

Gassho

[aprapti]

dank je wel, Herrie. prachtige tekst.



aprapti

sat

[Ryokudo]

Hi all,

As some of us will soon be entering a period of contemplation for Ango, I figured that for this week we could read Song of the Grass-Roof Hermitage as detailed below (thx Yuki):

Song of the Grass-Roof Hermitage


I've built a grass hut where there's nothing of value.
After eating, I relax and enjoy a nap.
When it was completed, fresh weeds appeared.
Now it's been lived in - covered by weeds.

The person in the hut lives here calmly,
Not stuck to inside, outside, or in between.
Places worldly people live, he doesn't live.
Realms worldly people love, he doesn't love.

Though the hut is small, it includes the entire world.
In ten square feet, an old man illumines forms and their nature.
A Great Vehicle bodhisattva trusts without doubt.
The middling or lowly can't help wondering;
Will this hut perish or not?

Perishable or not, the original master is present,
not dwelling south or north, east or west.
Firmly based on steadiness, it can't be surpassed.
A shining window below the green pines --
Jade palaces or vermilion towers can't compare with it.

Just sitting with head covered, all things are at rest.
Thus, this mountain monk doesn't understand at all.
Living here he no longer works to get free.
Who would proudly arrange seats, trying to entice guests?

Turn around the light to shine within, then just return.
The vast inconceivable source can't be faced or turned away from.
Meet the ancestral teachers, be familiar with their instruction,
Bind grasses to build a hut, and don't give up.

Let go of hundreds of years and relax completely.
Open your hands and walk, innocent.
Thousands of words, myriad interpretations,
Are only to free you from obstructions.
If you want to know the undying person in the hut,
Don't separate from this skin bag here and now.

Shih-t'ou (700-790)

I also thought we could all use some Maka Hannya over the week in addition to Enmei Jukku Kannon Gyo.

What does everyone think?

Gassho

Ryokudo

[Anchi]

[aprapti]

Hi all,

As some of us will soon be entering a period of contemplation for Ango, I figured that for this week we could read Song of the Grass-Roof Hermitage as detailed below (thx Yuki):

Song of the Grass-Roof Hermitage


(...)

I also thought we could all use some Maka Hannya over the week in addition to Enmei Jukku Kannon Gyo.

What does everyone think?

Gassho

Ryokudo

i like your suggestions.



aprapti

sat

[Yuki]

Go for it !

Yuki (雪)
(Sat Tonglen Practice Circle )

[bakera3312]

Tony,

SAT

[Yuki]

Hi !

Grassroots hermitage.. in French.

Le chant de l’ermitage d’herbes
(Traduction de Éric Rommeluère)

Lorsque j’ai bâti mon ermitage d’herbes, je ne possédais rien de précieux.
Après manger, j’aime y faire tranquillement la sieste.
Une fois achevé, de nouvelles herbes sont aussitôt apparues.
Quand s’il s’abîmera, je le recouvrirai à nouveau d’herbes.
J’habite cet ermitage où je vis pour toujours,
Sans dépendre d’un dedans, d’un dehors ou d’un entre-deux.
Les lieux où demeurent les hommes du profane, je ne demeure.
Les lieux qu’ils chérissent, je ne les chéris.
Quoi que petit, cet ermitage contient l’univers tout entier.
Il a pour corps ce vieil homme dans sa cellule de dix pieds carrés.
Sans doute aucun, un bodhisattva du véhicule supérieur en conviendra.
Mais s’ils prêtent l’oreille, le moyen et l’inférieur trouveront cela certainement étrange.
Cet ermitage s’effondrera-t-il ou non ?
Si on me le demande,
Je dirais que, destructible ou indestructible, le maître s’y trouve depuis toujours.
Il ne se tient ni au sud ni au nord ni à l’est ni à l’ouest.
Son fondement est des plus fermes, il ne peut être surpassé.
Sous la verdure des pins, dans la clarté de la fenêtre,
Même les tours vermillonnes d’un palais de jade ne pourront l’égaler.
La tête recouverte d’une cape, toute la multitude des préoccupations a disparu.
À ce moment-là, moi, le moine de montagne, je n’en connais plus une seule.
À vivre dans cet ermitage, je ne recherche plus la libération.
Qui fera le boniment de sa boutique pour lui trouver preneur ?
Si vous retournez la lumière et que vous la faites revenir,
La racine spirituelle vaste et spacieuse ne se tourne ni ne se détourne.
Rencontrez les maîtres-patriarches, soyez familier de leurs enseignements,
Nouez des herbes et construisez un ermitage, sans jamais renoncer.
Si on s’abandonne la vie entière, on s’adonne à la liberté.
Que l’on avance les mains ouvertes, et n’y aura plus de faute.
Par milliers, tous ces mots et ces explications
Ne servent qu’à vous libérer à jamais de l’obscurcissement.
Si vous voulez connaître l’immortel en son ermitage,
Pourquoi quitteriez-vous ce sac de peau d’à présent ?*


Yuki 雪
sat Chanting and Zazen Circle

[Yuki]

And…
Grassroots Hermitage in Japanese.

Kusayane no an no uta

Kachinonai kusa no koya o tatemashita.
Tabetaato wa, rirakkusu shite o hirune o shimasu.
Kansei suru to, shinsen'na zassō ga arawaremashita.
Ima dewa zassō ni ōwa rete sunde imasu.

Koya no hito wa shizuka ni koko ni sunde imasu,
Uchigawa, sotogawa, matawa sonoaida ni hari tsuite imasen.
Sezoku-tekina hitobito ga sunde iru basho, kare wa sunde imasen.
Sezoku-tekina hitobito ga aisuru ryōiki, kare wa itoshite imasen.

Koya wa chīsaidesuga, zen sekai ga fukuma rete imasu.
Ju Heihō fīto de, rōjin wa katachi to sono seishitsu o terashimasu.
Idaina norimono bosatsu wa machigainaku shinrai shite imasu.
Chūtohanpana, matawa hikui no wa fushigi ni omowazu ni haira remasen.
Kono koya wa horobiru ka dō ka?

Kusari yasui ka dō ka ni kakawarazu,-moto no masutā ga sonzai shimasu,
Minami matawa kita, azuma matawa nishi ni sunde imasen.
Shikkari to antei-sei nimotozuite, sore o koeru koto wa dekimasen.
Midori no matsu no moto no kagayaku mado —
Hisui no kyūden ya shuiro no tō wa sore to hikaku suru koto wa dekimasen.

Atama o ōtte suwatte iru dake de, subete ga yasunde imasu.
Shitagatte, kono yama no sōryo wa mattaku rikai shite imasen.
Koko ni sunde iru to, kare wa mohaya jiyū ni naru tame ni hataraite imasen.
Dare ga hokorashige ni seki o tehai shi, gesuto o yūwaku shiyou to shimasu ka?

Hikari o mawashite naka o terashi, modotte kudasai.
Sōzō o zessuru kōdaina jōhō-gen ni chokumen shi tari, se o muke tari suru koto wa dekimasen.
Senzo no kyōshi ni ai, karera no shidō ni seitsū shi,
Kusa o tabanete koya o tate, akiramenaide kudasai.

Nanbyakunen mo tebanashite, kanzen ni rirakkusu shite kudasai.
Te o aite, mujitsu de aruki nasai.
Nan sen mo no kotoba, musū no kaishaku,
Shōgai-mono kara anata o kaihō suru dakedesu.
Koya de fujimi no hito o shiritainara,
Ima koko de kono sukin baggu kara hanarenaide kudasai

Yuki 雪
Sat…

[Anchi]

Merveilleuse

Merci Beaucoup Yuki !

Gassho

[Yuki]

Hi !

Here is the French translation of Hannya Shingyo I read today.


Le Soutra de la Sagesse Qui Nous Mène à l’Autre Rive


Avalokiteshvara en pratiquant profondement la sagesse
qui nous mène à l’autre rive, découvrit soudainement
que les cinq skandhas sont tous pareillement vides.

Grâce à cette réalisation il dépassa toute souffrance.

Écoute Shariputra, ce corps même est le vide,
et le vide même est ce corps.

Ce corps n’est autre que le vide,
et le vide n’est autre que ce corps.

Il en va de même pour les sensations, les perceptions,
les formations mentales, et la conscience.

Écoute Shariputra, tous les phénomènes portent l’empreinte du vide:
leur nature véritable n’est ni l’être ni le non-être,
ni la naissance ni la mort, ni la pureté ni l’impureté,
ni la croissance, ni la décroissance.
C’est pourquoi dans le vide le corps, les sensations,
les perceptions, les formations mentales et la conscience
ne sont pas des entités dotées d’un soi séparé.

Les dix-huit domaines des phénomènes que sont les six organes des sens,
les six objets des sens et les six consciences,
ne sont pas non plus des entités dotées d’un soi séparé.

Le mal être, les causes du mal être, la fin du mal être,
la voie, la compréhension et la réalisation,
ne sont pas non plus des entités dotées d’un soi séparé.

Quiconque peut voir ceci ne voit plus aucun objet à atteindre.
Et les Bodhisattva qui pratiquent la sagesse qui nous mène à l’autre rive
ne voient plus d’obstacle dans leur esprit,
et sans obstacle dans leur esprit ils dépassent toutes peurs.

Ils détruisent toute perception erronée et réalisent le parfait Nirvana.

Tous les Bouddhas du passé, du présent et du futur
en pratiquant la sagesse qui nous mène à l’autre rive
sont tous capables d’atteindre l’illumination authentique et parfaite.

Ainsi Shariputra, nous devons savoir que la sagesse qui nous mène à l’autre rive est un grand mantra,
le plus lumineux des mantras, le plus élevé des mantras,
un mantra au delà de toute comparaison,
la sagesse véritable qui a le pouvoir de mettre fin à toutes sortes de souffrances.

Ainsi proclamons un mantra en éloge à la sagesse qui nous mène à l’autre rive.

Gate, gate, paragate, parasamgate bodhisvaha!


Yuki 雪

Sat Chanting and Zazen Circle

[aprapti]

Hi !

Here is the French translation of Hannya Shingyo I read today.


Le Soutra de la Sagesse Qui Nous Mène à l’Autre Rive.

(...)

Ainsi proclamons un mantra en éloge à la sagesse qui nous mène à l’autre rive.

Gate, gate, paragate, parasamgate bodhisvaha!


Yuki 雪

Sat Chanting and Zazen Circle

merci beaucoup Yuki.

Qui a fait cette traduction? Et est-il possible que vous avez placé ce traduction au internet dans le mois Mai?



aprapti

sat

[Yuki]

Bonjour Aprapti,

Oui, I remember having put this translation on the thread before. This French translation have been executed by Thích Nhất Hạnh.
Here is the English translation :

The Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore

Avalokiteshvara
while practicing deeply with
the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore,
suddenly discovered that
all of the five Skandhas are equally empty,
and with this realisation
he overcame all Ill-being.

“Listen Sariputra,
this Body itself is Emptiness
and Emptiness itself is this Body.
This Body is not other than Emptiness
and Emptiness is not other than this Body.
The same is true of Feelings,
Perceptions, Mental Formations,
and Consciousness.

“Listen Sariputra,
all phenomena bear the mark of Emptiness;
their true nature is the nature of
no Birth no Death,
no Being no Non-being,
no Defilement no Purity,
no Increasing no Decreasing.

“That is why in Emptiness,
Body, Feelings, Perceptions,
Mental Formations and Consciousness
are not separate self entities.

The Eighteen Realms of Phenomena
which are the six Sense Organs,
the six Sense Objects,
and the six Consciousnesses
are also not separate self entities.

The Twelve Links of Interdependent Arising
and their Extinction
are also not separate self entities.
Ill-being, the Causes of Ill-being,
the End of Ill-being, the Path,
insight and attainment,
are also not separate self entities.

Whoever can see this
no longer needs anything to attain.

Bodhisattvas who practice
the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore
see no more obstacles in their mind,
and because there
are no more obstacles in their mind,
they can overcome all fear,
destroy all wrong perceptions
and realize Perfect Nirvana.

“All Buddhas in the past, present and future
by practicing
the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore
are all capable of attaining
Authentic and Perfect Enlightenment.

“Therefore Sariputra,
it should be known that
the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore
is a Great Mantra,
the most illuminating mantra,
the highest mantra,
a mantra beyond compare,
the True Wisdom that has the power
to put an end to all kinds of suffering.
Therefore let us proclaim
a mantra to praise
the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore.

Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha!
Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha!
Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha!”


You can get explanations about this translation on this site :

https://plumvillage.org/about/thich-...a-translation/

See you soon my friend,

Yuki 雪.

Sat Chanting and Zazen Circle yesterday.

[Anchi]

[aprapti]

Bonjour Aprapti,

Oui, I remember having put this translation on the thread before. This French translation have been executed by Thích Nhất Hạnh.
Here is the English translation :

The Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore.

(...)


You can get explanations about this translation on this site :

https://plumvillage.org/about/thich-...a-translation/

See you soon my friend,

Yuki 雪.

Sat Chanting and Zazen Circle yesterday.

Hi Yuki,

yes, i know Thay's translation, he wrote a nice book about it: the other shore.
in fact its a new interpretation, the ancient one is in a booklet too: the heart of understanding. Reading this latter booklet, many, many years ago, made me understand a little the meaning of the heart sutra, in particular the meaning of emptiness, for the first time.. :0
In my humble opinion he is a great teacher, by living and by his books..

see you in two hours,

aprapti

[Ryokudo]

Hi All,

Unfortunately I will be stuck in work this evening for our chanting circle.

Many apologies guys,

Gassho,

Ryokudo

[Anchi]

Hello to Ryokudo,

Oh, Noooo

Don't Worry, Be Happy

Have a Lovely Weekend!

Gassho

[Yuki]

Hi everybody !

Saturday, we add this short chant before Hannya Shingyo. It was interesting !

Kaikyō ge
Sutra-Opening Verse

Mu jo jin jin mi myo ho
Hyaku sen man go nan so gu
Ga kon ken mon toku ju ji
Gan ge nyo rai shin jitsu gi

The unsurpassed, profound, and wondrous dharma is rarely met with, even in a hundred, thousand, million kalpas.
Now we can see and hear it, accept and maintain it.
May we unfold the meaning of the Tathagata’s truth.

« Thich Nhat Hanh translated this verse as

The Dharma is deep and lovely.
We now have a chance to see it,
study it, and practice it.
We vow to realize its true meaning. »


You can listen it on this video on YouTube :




Yuki 雪

Sat Chanting and Zazen Circle yesterday.

[aprapti]

Hi everybody !

Saturday, we add this short chant before Hannya Shingyo. It was interesting !

Kaikyō ge
Sutra-Opening Verse

Mu jo jin jin mi myo ho
Hyaku sen man go nan so gu
Ga kon ken mon toku ju ji
Gan ge nyo rai shin jitsu gi

The unsurpassed, profound, and wondrous dharma is rarely met with, even in a hundred, thousand, million kalpas.
Now we can see and hear it, accept and maintain it.
May we unfold the meaning of the Tathagata’s truth.

« Thich Nhat Hanh translated this verse as

The Dharma is deep and lovely.
We now have a chance to see it,
study it, and practice it.
We vow to realize its true meaning. »



Yuki 雪

Sat Chanting and Zazen Circle yesterday.

domo arigato, yuki san.



aprapti

sat

[Ryokudo]

domo arigato, yuki san.



aprapti

sat

That sounds great guys lets build it in on a regular basis:

So for today we can use this in conjunction with Silent Illumination, perhaps?

Silent lllumination

Hongzhi Zhengjue ( 1091-1157)

Silently and serenely, one forgets all words,
Clearly and vividly, it appears before you.
When one realizes it, time has no limits.
When experienced, your surroundings come to life.
Singularly ruminating is this bright awareness,
Full of wonder is the pure illumination-
The moon's appearance, a river of stars,
Snow-clad pines, clouds hovering on mountain peaks.
In darkness, they glow with brightness-
In shadows, they shine with a splendid light.
Like the dreaming of a crane flying in empty space,
Like the clear still water of an autumn pool,
Endless eons dissolve into nothingness,
Each indistinguishable from the other
In this illumination all striving is forgotten.
Where does this wonder exist?
Brightness and clarity dispel confusion
On the path of Silent lllumination,
The origin of the infinitesimal.
To penetrate the extremely small,
There is the gold shuttle on a loom of jade.
Subject and object influence each other
Light and darkness are mutually dependent,
There is neither mind nor world to rely on,
Yet do the two interact, mutually.
Drink the medicine of correct views.
Beat the poison-smeared drum.
When silence and illumination are complete
Killing and bringing to life are choices I make.
At last, through the door one emerges,
The fruit has ripened on the branch.
Only this Silence is the ultimate teaching,
Only this lllumination, the universal response.
The response is without effort,
The teaching, not heard with the ears.
Throughout the universe all things,
Emit light and speak the Dharma.
They testify to each other
Answering each other's questions.
Mutually answering and testifying,
Responding in perfect harmony.
When illumination is without serenity,
Then will distinctions be seen.
Mutually testifying and answering,
Giving rise to disharmony.
If within serenity illumination is lost,
All will become wasteful and secondary.
When Silent lllumination is complete,
The lotus will blossom, the dreamer will awaken.
The hundred rivers flow to the ocean,
The thousand mountains face the lofiiest peak.
Like the goose preferring milk to water,
Like a busy bee gathering pollen,
When Silent Illumination reaches the ultimate.
I carry on the original tradition of my sect.
This practice is called Silent lllumination.
It penetrates from the deepest to the highest.



Then we can easily do an Enmei Jukku Kannon Gyo, some zazen, Sanki Raimon and the 4 vows.

How does that sound to everyone?

Gassho,

Ryokudo

[Yuki]

Sounds great !



Yuki 雪

Sat Tonglen Practice Circle yesterday

[Anchi]

Hi everyone,

It sounds lovely, as ever, it is lovely how the circle is ever changing.

It is always pleasant and joyful to sit with everybody.

See You!

Gassho

[Yuki]

Hey everybody !

As we are reading Silent Illumination this week, you can also find it in French in the post #169.

See you online soon !

Yuki 雪
(Sat )

[Yuki]

Hi everybody !

As we are in Ango period, I propose that we read Shin Jin Mei by Jianzhi Sengcan (529-613) (Japanese: Kanchi Sōsan) during the next week. There are many English versions of this poem, so we could pick up a new version everyday… ?
You can find those versions on this Terebess page : https://terebess.hu/english/hsin.html#1

As this text is very long, I put here the first lines, just to let’s you know the style.

( translation by Arthur Whaley)

« The Perfect Way is only difficult for those who pick and choose;
Do not like, do not dislike; all will then be clear.
Make 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;
While the deep meaning is misunderstood, it is useless to meditate on Rest.
It [the Buddha-nature] 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. »

What do you think about this suggestion ?

Yuki 雪
(Sat Zazenkai )

[Anchi]

Sounds lovely Yuki !





See You!

Gassho

[aprapti]

sounds very good, Yuki. I hope to be there again, monday.



aprapti

sat

[Yokai]

Aim to join you. I'll just follow along...

Gassho, Yokai sat/lah

Sent from my SM-N980F using Tapatalk

[Yuki]

Here is the version of Shin Jin Mei I intend to read today ( or if someone else want to read it, great !)

Shinjinmei
On Trust in the Heart
Jianzhi Sengcan (Japanese: Kanchi Sōsan)
Translated by Arthur Waley

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

Make 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;
While the deep meaning is misunderstood, it is useless to meditate on Rest.

It [the Buddha-nature] 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 Entanglements as though they were real things,
Do not try to drive pain away by pretending that it is not real;
Pain, if you seek serenity in Oneness, will vanish of its own accord.

Stop all movement in order to get rest, and rest will itself be restless;
Linger over either extreme, and Oneness is for ever lost.

Those who cannot attain to Oneness in 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 find the Meaning;
Pursue the Light, and you wi11 lose its source,
Look inward, and in a flash you will conquer the Apparent and the Void.

For the whirligigs of Apparent and Void all come from mistaken views;
There is no need to seek Truth; only stop having views.

Do not accept either position [Assertion and Negation], 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 arises are the Dharmas without blame.

No blame, no Dharmas; no arising, not 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 Extremes is that they are On Void.

In that One Void the two are not distinguished;
Each contains complete within itself the Ten Thousand Forms.

Only if we boggle over fine and coarse are 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, now lagging in the rear.

Clinging to this or to that beyond measure
The heart trusts to bypaths 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 Way and 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.

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 Senses can 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 cleave
To 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 Extremes is inference falsely drawn-
A dream-phantom, a flower 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.

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 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 sphere use the concept "Not Two;"
In the "Not Two" are no separate things, yet all things are included.

The wise throughout the Ten Quarters have had access to this Primal Truth;
For it is not a thing with extension in Time or Space;
A moment and an aeon for it are one.

Whether we see it for fail to see it, it is manifest always and everywhere.

The very small is as the very large when boundaries are forgotten;
The very large is as the very small when 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 tell
Of things that have no yesterday, tomorrow or today?

Yuki 雪 Sat today

[Nengyoku]

I just wanted to thank everyone for how welcoming you were today and Saturday.
I very much enjoyed your beautiful chants, and am excited to join again. I am very sad that I will not be able to join until Saturday, but I look forward to reading your chants on my lunch breaks.

I have picked a small poem by Master Ryokan that I think summarizes my stumbling into your circle:

Because the Dharma Path
Carries truth in all directions
You can simply drift at ease
Coming or going, west or east

Gassho,
William
SatToday

[Yuki]

Thank you for your integration to Chanting and Zazen Circle, Shinshin ! Consider yourself as part of our wonderful Dharma family !

See you soon,

Yuki 雪
Sat chanting and Zazen Circle today

[Yuki]

Tuesday practice :

i suggest again Shin Jin Mei, but with another translation.

Inscribed on the Believing Mind
R. H. Blyth Translation

There is nothing difficult about the Great Way,
But, avoid choosing!
Only when you neither love nor hate,
Does it appear in all clarity.

A hair's breadth of deviation from it,
And deep gulf is set between heaven and earth.
If you want to get hold of what it looks like,
Do not be anti- or pro- anything.

The conflict of longing and loathing, --
This is the disease of the mind.
Not knowing the profound meaning of things,
We disturb our peace of mind to no purpose.

Perfect like a Great Space,
The Way has nothing lacking, nothing in excess.
Truly, because of our accepting and rejecting,
We have not the suchness of things.

Neither follow after,
Nor dwell with the Doctrine of the Void.
If the mind is at peace,
Those wrong views disappear of themselves.

When activity is stopped and passivity obtains,
This passivity is again the state of activity.
Remaining in movement or quiescence, --
How shall we know the One?

Not thoroughly understanding the unity of the Way,
Both (activity and quiescence) are failures.
If you get rid of phenomena, all things are lost.
If you follow after the Void,
you turn your back on the selflessness of things.

The more talking and thinking,
The farther from truth.
Cutting off all speech, all thought,
There is nowhere that you cannot go.

Returning to the root, we get the essence;
Following after appearances, we loose the spirit.
If for only a moment we see within,
We have surpassed the emptiness of things.

Changes that go on in this emptiness
All arise because of our ignorance.
Do not seek for the Truth;

Religiously avoid following it.
If there is the slightest trace of this and that,
The Mind is lost in a maze of complexity.

Duality arises from Unity, --
But do not be attached to this Unity.
When the mind is one, and nothing happens,
Everything in the world is unblameable.

If things are unblamed, they cease to exist;
If nothing happens there is no mind.
When things cease to exist, the mind follows them;
When the mind vanishes, things also follow it.

Things are things because of the Mind;
The Mind is the Mind because of things.
If you wish to know what these two are,
They are originally one Emptiness.

In this Void both (Mind and things) are one,
All the myriad phenomena contained in both.
If you do not distinguish refined and coarse,
How can you be for this or against that?

The activity of the Great Way is vast;
It is neither easy nor difficult.
Small views are full of foxy fears;
The faster, the slower.

When we attach ourselves (to the idea of enlightenment) we lose our balance;
We infallibly enter the Crooked Way.
When we are not attached to anything, all things are as they are;
With Activity there is no going or staying.

Obeying our nature, we are in accord with the Way,
Wandering freely, without annoyance.
When our thinking is tied, it turns out from the truth;
It is dark, submerged, wrong.

It is foolish to irritate your mind;
Why shun this and be friend of that?
If you wish to travel in the True Vehicle,
Do not dislike the Six Dusts.

Indeed, not hating the Six Dusts
Is identical with Real Enlightenment.
The wise man does nothing;
The fool shackles himself.

The Truth has no distinctions;
These come from our foolish clinging to this and that
Seeking the Mind with the mind, --
Is not this the greatest of all mistakes?

Illusion produces rest and motion;
Illumination destroys liking and disliking.
All these pairs of opposites
Are created by our own folly.

Dreams, delusions, flowers of air, --
Why are we so anxious to have them in our grasp?
Profit and loss, right and wrong, --
Away with them once for all!

If the eye does not sleep,
All dreaming ceases naturally.
If the mind makes no discriminations,
All things are as they are.

In the deep mystery of this "Things as they are",
We are released from our relations to them.
When all things are seen "with equal mind",
They return to their nature.

No description by analogy is possible
Of this state where all relations have ceased.
When we stop movement, there is no-movement
When we stop resting, there is no-rest.
When both cease to be,
How can the Unity subsist?

Things are ultimately, in their finality,
Subject to no law.
For the accordant mind in its unity,
(Individual) activity ceases.
All doubts are cleared up,
True faith is confirmed.

Nothing remains behind;
There is not anything we must remember.
Empty, lucid, self-illuminated,
With no over-exertion of the power of the mind.
This is where thought is useless,
This is what knowledge cannot fathom.

In the World of Reality,
There is no self, no other-than-self.
Should you desire immediate correspondence (with this Reality)
All that can be said is "No Duality!"

When there is no duality, all things are one,
There is nothing that is not included.
The Enlightened of all times and places
Have entered into this Truth.

Truth cannot be increased or decreased;
An (instantaneous) thought lasts a myriad years.
There is no here, no there;
Infinity is before our eyes.

The infinitely small is as large as infinitely great;
For limits are non-existent things.
The infinitely large is as small as the infinitely minute;
No eye can see their boundaries.

What is, is not,
What is not, is.
Until you have grasped this fact,
Your position is simply untenable.

One thing is all things;
All things are one thing.
If this is so for you,
There is no need to worry about perfect knowledge.

The believing mind is not dual;
What is dual is not the believing mind.
Beyond all language,
For it there is no past, no present, no future.

Anyone want to read it ?

Yuki 雪
Sat chanting and Zazen Circle today

[Anchi]

Oh, lovely lovely!

Merci Beaucoup Yuki !

See You!

Gassho

[aprapti]

hello everybody,

in a book by Barbara O’Brien, rethinking religion, i found a little jewel by her teacher, the late Jion Susan Postal.


The Verse of Gratitude
For all beneficent karma ever manifested through me,
I am grateful.
May this gratitude be expressed through my
body, speech and mind.
With infinite kindness to the past,
Infinite service to the present,
Infinite responsibility to the future.




aprapti

sat

[Anchi]

The rain has stopped, the clouds have drifted away,

and the weather is clear again.

If your heart is pure, then all things in your world are pure.

Abandon this fleeting world, abandon yourself,

Then the moon and flowers will guide you along the way.

– Ryokan

[Yuki]

Hi everybody !

For Wednesday, Shinjinmei interpretation by Eric Putkonen..

Verses on the Perfect Mind

The Great Way is not difficult,
for those who have no preferences.
Let go of longing and aversion,
and it reveals itself.

Make the smallest distinction, however,
and you are as far from it as heaven is from earth.
If you want to realize the truth,
then hold no opinions for or against anything.

Like and dislike
is the disease of the mind.
When the deep meaning (of the Way) is not understood
the intrinsic peace of mind is disturbed.

As vast as infinite space,
it is perfect and lacks nothing.
Indeed, it is due to your grasping and repelling
That you do not see things as they are.

Do not get entangled in things;
Do not get lost in emptiness.
Be still in the oneness of things
and dualism vanishes by itself.

When you try to stop motion to achieve quietude,
the very effort fills you with activity.
As long as you hold on to opposites
you will never know the One Way.

Those who do not understand the Way
will assert or deny the reality of things.
Deny the reality of things, you miss its deeper reality;
Assert the reality of things, you miss the emptiness of all things.

The more you think about it,
the further you are from the truth.
Cease all thinking,
and there is nothing that will not be revealed to you.

To return to the root is to find the essence,
but to pursue appearances is to miss the Source.
The moment you are enlightened,
you go beyond appearances and emptiness.

Changes that seem to occur in the (empty) world,
appear real only because of ignorance.
Do not search for the truth;
only cease to cherish opinions.

Do not hold to dualistic views,
avoid such habits carefully.
If there is even a trace of right and wrong,
the mind is lost in confusion.

Although all dualities arise from the One,
do not cling even to this One.
When the mind exists undisturbed in the Way,
everything is without fault.

When things can no longer be faulty, it is as if there are no things.
When the mind can no longer be disturbed, it is as if there is no mind.
When thought-objects vanish, the thinking-subject vanishes.
When the mind vanishes, objects vanish.

The arising of other gives rise to self;
giving rise to self generates other.
Know these seeming two facets
as one Emptiness.

In this Emptiness, the two are indistinguishable
and each contains in itself the whole.
When no discrimination is made between this and that,
how can you prefer one to another?

The Great Way is all-embracing,
not easy, not difficult.
Those who rely on limited views are fearful and irresolute;
the faster they hurry, the slower they go.

Clinging, they go too far,
even an attachment to enlightenment is to go astray.
Just let things be in their own way as they are,
and there is neither coming nor going.

Be in harmony with the Way
and you will be free of disturbances.
Tied by your thoughts, you lose the truth,
become heavy, dull, and unwell.

Not well, the mind is troubled.
Then why cling to or reject anything?
If you wish to move in the One Way,
do not dislike even the world of senses and ideas.

Indeed, to accept them fully
is identical with true Enlightenment.
The wise attaches to no goals,
but the foolish fetter themselves.

There is but one Dharma, not many.
Distinctions arise from the clinging needs of the ignorant.
Using mind to stir up the mind
is the original mistake.

Peaceful and troubled derive from thinking;
Enlightenment has no likes or dislikes.
All dualities come from
ignorant inference.

They are like unto dreams or flowers in the air,
the foolish try to grasp them.
Gain and loss, right and wrong,
abandon all such thoughts at once.

If the eye never sleeps,
all dreams will naturally cease.
If the mind makes no discriminations,
all things are as they are, of One-essence.

To understand the mystery of this One-essence
is to be released from all entanglements.
When all things are seen without differentiation,
you return to the origin and remain what you are.

Consider the movement in stillness and the stationary in motion,
both movement and rest disappear.
When such dualities cease to exist
even Oneness itself cannot exist.

This ultimate state
is not bound by rules and descriptions.
For the Realized mind, at one with the Way,
all doing ceases.

Doubts and irresolutions vanish
and the Truth is confirmed in you.
With a single stroke you are freed from bondage;
nothing clings to you and you hold onto nothing.

All is void, clear, and self-illuminating,
with no need to exert the mind.
Here thinking, feeling, knowledge, and imagination
are of no value.

In this world of “as it really is”
there is neither self nor other.
To swiftly accord with that,
only express nonduality.

In this nonduality nothing is separate,
nothing is excluded.
The enlightened of all times and places
have personally realized this truth.

The Truth is beyond time and space,
one instant is eternity.
Not here, not there-
but everywhere always right before your eyes.

Infinitely large and infinitely small,
no difference, for definitions have vanished
and no boundaries can be discerned.
So too with “existence” and “non-existence.”

Don’t waste time in arguments and discussion,
attempting to grasp the ungraspable.
One thing and everything
move among and intermingle without distinction.

To live in this Realization
is to not worry about perfection or non-perfection.
To put your trust in the Way is to live without separation,
and in this nonduality you are one with the Way

Words! Words!
The Way is beyond language,
Words never could, can not now, and never will describe the Way.

_______________

See you my friends !

Yuki 雪
Sat chanting and Zazen Circle today

[aprapti]

Hi everybody !

For Wednesday, Shinjinmei interpretation by Eric Putkonen..

Verses on the Perfect Mind
(...)
_______________

See you my friends !

Yuki 雪
Sat chanting and Zazen Circle today

i will not be there until monday. I hope Omom will nevertheless sleep well..



aprapti

sat

[Anchi]

Sounds lovely ''Verses on the Perfect Mind''

Merci Beaucoup Yuki !

”One minute of sitting, one inch of Buddha.
Like lightning, all thoughts come and pass.
Just once look into your mind-depths:
Nothing else has ever been.”

~ Manzan Dohaku


See You

Gassho

[Anchi]

i will not be there until monday. I hope Imom will nevertheless sleep well..



aprapti

sat

Hello to Aprāpti.

Oh, Noooo

We will miss you until Monday.

You need to record me '' Four Vows'' in Dutch'' please
......then i can sleep well anytime

See you Monday

With deep bows,

[Yuki]

Hi everybody !

Here is an excellent suggestion from Omom for the next week reading.

_______________

TO ZEN MAN BOKUSHIN ('SIMPLE MIND')

Silver mountain, iron wall, just sitting only; simplicity is
the mind, nonadornment is basic. One flavor, pure and
real, aloof of all appearances, not flowing into second
thoughts, nostrils right, present in the community like a
mountain -- this is what is called a real patchrobed monk,
or one exalted beyond things.

Bokushin is also called Mumon ('no ornament') -- he
wanted me to write some words of instruction based on
his name, so I wrote this and gave it to him. If you want
to be such a man, you must cultivate such a thing. Work
on this.


TO ZEN MAN ENKAI ('PERFECT OCEAN')

Great perfect awareness is the ocean of ultimate peace; still
and silent, myriad forms and images reflect therein. Yet
suddenly when the wind of objects arises it turns into an
ocean of birth and death, with waves of consciousnesses
and feelings billowing day and night, where all sentient
beings appear and disappear, with no end in sight. Although
the two oceans seem different, really they come
from the same source, mind. Originally there is no sign of
distinction in the mind source; life and death and nirvana
all revert to the essential nature of the source.

Therefore, when you realize the mind-source, the whole
universe is a great round perfect ocean. But how to realize
the mind source? You must liberate body and mind on the
sitting cushion before you can do so.


”One minute of sitting, one inch of Buddha.
Like lightning, all thoughts come and pass.
Just once look into your mind-depths:
Nothing else has ever been.”

~ Manzan Dohaku

卍山道白 Manzan Dōhaku (1635-1715)
_____________________________

Merci beaucoup Omom !

See you this afternoon !

Yuki 雪
Ango sitting With « Thousand Harbours Zen » this morning.

[Ryokudo]

Hey HerrieH,

I have resized the image using these dimensions

1400 x 1050 with Maintained Aspect Ratio and Quality 80 % using the usual photo editor.IMG-20210908-WA0000 Resize 4.jpg

That seems to work and look OK but it is a fiddly process. Incidentally unless I'm mistaken it is harder to do from a phone for some reason, which may also be a problem for you.

If I were you I would probably ask for instructions on the sewing thread itself from the priests as they may have a slicker way to do it.

[Ryokudo]

I just wanted to thank everyone for how welcoming you were today and Saturday.
I very much enjoyed your beautiful chants, and am excited to join again. I am very sad that I will not be able to join until Saturday, but I look forward to reading your chants on my lunch breaks.

I have picked a small poem by Master Ryokan that I think summarizes my stumbling into your circle:

Because the Dharma Path
Carries truth in all directions
You can simply drift at ease
Coming or going, west or east

Gassho,
William
SatToday

Thanks William,

The next time you join we will use this if that's ok. In fact you can read it if you would like

[Ryokudo]

i will not be there until monday. I hope Omom will nevertheless sleep well..



aprapti

sat

Ha,ha I love it Aprapti, by the way I have PM'd you with a request for details so I can add you to the Ango discussion zoom and What's App.

[Ryokudo]

Hi everybody !

Here is an excellent suggestion from Omom for the next week reading.

_______________

TO ZEN MAN BOKUSHIN ('SIMPLE MIND')

Silver mountain, iron wall, just sitting only; simplicity is
the mind, nonadornment is basic. One flavor, pure and
real, aloof of all appearances, not flowing into second
thoughts, nostrils right, present in the community like a
mountain -- this is what is called a real patchrobed monk,
or one exalted beyond things.

Bokushin is also called Mumon ('no ornament') -- he
wanted me to write some words of instruction based on
his name, so I wrote this and gave it to him. If you want
to be such a man, you must cultivate such a thing. Work
on this.


TO ZEN MAN ENKAI ('PERFECT OCEAN')

Great perfect awareness is the ocean of ultimate peace; still
and silent, myriad forms and images reflect therein. Yet
suddenly when the wind of objects arises it turns into an
ocean of birth and death, with waves of consciousnesses
and feelings billowing day and night, where all sentient
beings appear and disappear, with no end in sight. Although
the two oceans seem different, really they come
from the same source, mind. Originally there is no sign of
distinction in the mind source; life and death and nirvana
all revert to the essential nature of the source.

Therefore, when you realize the mind-source, the whole
universe is a great round perfect ocean. But how to realize
the mind source? You must liberate body and mind on the
sitting cushion before you can do so.


”One minute of sitting, one inch of Buddha.
Like lightning, all thoughts come and pass.
Just once look into your mind-depths:
Nothing else has ever been.”

~ Manzan Dohaku

卍山道白 Manzan Dōhaku (1635-1715)
_____________________________

Merci beaucoup Omom !

See you this afternoon !

Yuki 雪
Ango sitting With « Thousand Harbours Zen » this morning.

Hey Omom,

Great readings, I can't wait. And we'll do some Maka Hannya and Sandokai's around them

Gassho,

Ryokudo

[Nengyoku]

I have been asked to come into work this Saturday, so I will be probably unable to join you sadly. I am trying to figure out a way to be here, but I may just have to skip a week, unfortunately.

Thanks William,

The next time you join we will use this if that's ok. In fact you can read it if you would like

I would be more than happy to read this the next time I am with you all.

Gassho,
William
SatToday

[Seiko]

I have been asked to come into work this Saturday, so I will be probably unable to join you sadly. I am trying to figure out a way to be here, but I may just have to skip a week, unfortunately.



I would be more than happy to read this the next time I am with you all.

Gassho,
William
SatToday

Hi William,
We are always sitting, always chanting.
No need to make a sound, or login, or even sit.

But it's great when you can.

Bows

Seiko
stlah

[aprapti]

dear friends,

i will be in a benedictine abbey for a week, without internet reach. But i will sit at the same time as you guys (and girls )..



aprapti


sat

[Yuki]

Dear Aprapti,

I wish you a nice stay in this Benedictine abbey. We will sit with you in our mind.

Yuki 雪

Sat with all of you today