Daily Chanting with Zazen?

[Jonny Barefoot]

Hello Treeleafs,

I have a question about chanting. I was wondering if it is proper for a lay practitioner (uninitiated though I may be) to do any Heart Sutra chants or Boddhisattva vow chants either before or after zazen? Is there anything other than those two that would be appropriate? Or nothing at all? Is that only to be performed by a priest of monk? Does it matter at all? Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.


Jonny Barefoot

[Kokuu]

Hi Jonny

Jundo can answer you more definitively but I don't think there is any problem with lay folk chanting the Heart Sutra, Verse of Atonement and Four Bodhisattva Vows before or after sitting. I did this before I was ordained and even before Jukai.

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-

[Bion]

Hello Treeleafs,

I have a question about chanting. I was wondering if it is proper for a lay practitioner (uninitiated though I may be) to do any Heart Sutra chants or Boddhisattva vow chants either before or after zazen? Is there anything other than those two that would be appropriate? Or nothing at all? Is that only to be performed by a priest of monk? Does it matter at all? Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.


Jonny Barefoot

I do it every single day, with reverence and dedication. I do the four vows, verse of atonement, the refuges, Heart Sutra, dedication of merit, on special occasions I do other chants, like the Identity of Relative and Absolute, the Lifespan of the Buddha chapter, I chant the meal verses every single day and even recite gathas for incense offering, candle lighting, before sitting etc …


I will edit for extra clarification: none of the chanting I do is tied to my sitting, at all, so I can do one but not the other, or in a zazenkai format.. Whatever the time and situation allows.

Sorry for the length of this ..

SatToday

[Kiri]

I try to chant the Heart Sutra before sitting zazen. I am not sure if it's for good reasons, but I feel that it helps me concentrate or get in the "mood" for zazen, out of my daily problems and worries.

Gassho, Nikolas
Sat/Lah

[Tairin]

The Four Vows, the Verse of Atonement, the Heart Sutra, the Meal Gatha and, the Metta Chant are all regular parts of my day.


Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Jundo]

Yes, any of those mentioned above by everyone would be appropriate. If doing so resonates and speaks to you, than please do.

Also, fine to Just Sit and not chant, a kind of "chant" of silence.

Gassho, J

STLah

[Shoki]

How about the robe verse before putting the rakusu on? Is that OK for a daily thing?

Gassho
ST-lah
Shoki

[Jundo]

How about the robe verse before putting the rakusu on? Is that OK for a daily thing?

Gassho
ST-lah
Shoki

Not only is it okay, it is right and expected to always recite the Robe Verse before the first time placing the Rakusu on each day.

The Verse of the Kesa, of course, is a daily practice for those who have undertaken Jukai and received a Rakusu (Kesa). Do not place one on oneself without reciting the first time placing it on each day!

Gassho, J

STLah

[Tosei]

Almost everyday, the Heart Sutra is part of my practice. So too the atonements and the vows. if you feel yourself drawn to any or all or none, follow that. The chanting is no more or less than a breeze in a bright blue sky.

Gassho.

((satlah))

[Jonny Barefoot]

Thank you all for your helpful replies! I feel that reciting these will deepen my practice. Peace!

Gassho,
Jonny

[Meian]

Also, fine to Just Sit and not chant, a kind of "chant" of silence.

Love this, thank you.

Gassho2, meian st lh


Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[Shoki]

Not only is it okay, it is right and expected to always recite the Robe Verse before the first time placing the Rakusu on each day.

The Verse of the Kesa, of course, is a daily practice for those who have undertaken Jukai and received a Rakusu (Kesa). Do not place one on oneself without reciting the first time placing it on each day!

Gassho, J

STLah

Thank you, Jundo for confirming this. Even if I "just sit and not chant", I always recite the Robe Verse before putting on the Rakusu.

Gassho
ST-lah
Shoki

[bakera3312]

Thank you all for your helpful replies! I feel that reciting these will deepen my practice. Peace!

Gassho,
Jonny

I agree. I mostly chant the Boddhisattva vows before siting or lighting incense.



Tony,

[Risho]

I love chanting; I do it mostly to myself; it’s a reminder how practice is our normal life. Ha normal; it’s a reminder that everything is sacred. One of my favorites is the coffee sutra!

I know I’m going over 3 sentences but I started doing this last Ango. I grind the coffee, stir it in and then pour it after it brews in my french press.

1. the grind
Grinding morning coffee,
I vow with all sentient beings,
To inhale each moment,
dropping likes and dislikes

2. stirring the coffee in the water
Making moring coffee
i vow with all sentient beings,
to remember the purpose of all actions
is to awaken AWAKEN!

3. pressing the plunger
Buddha
Dharma
Sangha

Jundo shared these gathas with me and i turned it into a daily ritual to be grateful; i like the 2nd one; very tongue in cheek lol

gassho

risho
-stlah

[Jundo]

[Doshin]

Risho and Jundo…I don’t chant a lot (mainly the Robe Verse) but you have given me a whole new idea for awakening in the morning with my favorite beverage!

Doshin
St

[Risho]

hahaha coffee how I love thee

gassho

risho
-stlah

[Washin]

1. the grind
Grinding morning coffee,
I vow with all sentient beings,
To inhale each moment,
dropping likes and dislikes

2. stirring the coffee in the water
Making moring coffee
i vow with all sentient beings,
to remember the purpose of all actions
is to awaken AWAKEN!

3. pressing the plunger
Buddha
Dharma
Sangha

I am stealin' this for my daily chant-book

Gassho,
Washin
stlah

[Meredith]

1. the grind
Grinding morning coffee,
I vow with all sentient beings,
To inhale each moment,
dropping likes and dislikes

2. stirring the coffee in the water
Making moring coffee
i vow with all sentient beings,
to remember the purpose of all actions
is to awaken AWAKEN!

3. pressing the plunger
Buddha
Dharma
Sangha

I think this might make an appearance in my daily practice

Gassho,
ST

[Bokugan]

I try to chant the Heart Sutra before sitting zazen. I am not sure if it's for good reasons, but I feel that it helps me concentrate or get in the "mood" for zazen, out of my daily problems and worries.

Gassho, Nikolas
Sat/Lah

I am very much the same! Chanting is deeply beneficial to my practice. I usually do Heart Sutra, sit, then verse of atonement and four vows. Sometimes I will do Enmei Jukku Kannon Gyo instead, but not too often.

Gassho,

Ryan S
SatToday

[Tai Shi]

At 8:00 a.m. I chanted only the robe verse and rang the bell my daughter sent me which sounds high and crisp. She told me at the time that this bell was purchased at something like the Dollar General, a store dotting Japan's towns. At the time she lived in Chiba. In Japan you can buy these bells at many places. As Thich Nhat Hanh advises I do not strike this bell. Two of us, we started with the my bowing and placement of rakusu. I then rang our bell 3X.
Gassho
sat/ lah