Training for Weekly Treeleaf Zazenkai Short Ceremony

[Jundo]

Dear Ino-Doan to be,

Please study and master our short Service, typically heard during our weekly Treeleaf Zazenkai. The Ceremony and Dedication are as follows.

Below is a video of our weekly Zazenkai, and you should practice to perform your recitation in like manner.

The Chant Book version of our Ceremony and Dedication is as follows, and below I will provide you a link to a more detailed Kirigami:

WEEKLY ZAZENKAI CEREMONY:

Begins with a series of rings of the small Inkin bell ••••••• followed by 3x PROSTRATIONS by EVERYONE

Then chant of the Heart Sutra in English:


INO = CHANT LEADER ONLY
EVERYONE = ALL JOIN IN

Followed by 3 rings of large bell (handbell if needed), tamping once, then strike to Mokugyo once.

INO ONLY =

The Heart of the Perfection of Great Wisdom Sutra* (NOTE: * = ring of bell)

EVERYONE =

A/vo/lo/ki/tes/va/ra/ Bo/dhi/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/ free/ of/ suf/fer/ing/.

O/ 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/.

O/ 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!
Paragate!
Parasamgate!
Bodhi! So Wa Ka!

HANNYA SHINgyooo

Followed by 3 rings of large bell (handbell if needed), tamping once.

FOLLOWED BY A DEDICATION - READ BY INO ONLY:

Buddha Nature pervades the whole universe, Reality, existing right here now:
In reciting THE HEART OF THE PERFECTION OF GREAT WISDOM SUTRA, 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:

ø All Buddhas throughout space and time
ø All Bodhisattvas-Mahasattvas
ø Maha • Prajna • Paramita ••••••• (followed 3x PROSTRATIONS by EVERYONE) • • •

BE SEATED AS INSTRUCTED BY JUNDO

On the "rundown" of the Inkin bell, you need to develop an ear for the right number and pace of rings. It is best to study examples.

Before commencing the Heart Sutra, notice 3 rings of large bell (handbell if needed), tamping once, then strike to Mokugyo once. (The Mokygyo strike is a new addition, not heart in Sekishi's example video).

Study as an example this similar Ceremony (although chanted in Portuguese), listening for the Recitation and Instruments:

Please also study and learn about the traditional instruments of the Zen monastery:

https://terebess.hu/zen/szoto/hangszersz.html

You should further learn the Chants and Ceremony at the end of the Zazenkai, consisting of the Verse of Atonement, followed by the Four Vows:

Commenced by 3 rings of large bell (handbell if needed), tamping once.

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

2 rings of large bell (handbell if needed), tamp, 1 ring:

(Next to be recited 3x, vibrant on the second, soft on the third time; One handbell ring just before recitation for third time):

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

Followed by a short pause, then two final rings.

As well, Sekishi made a good Kirigami ("Kirigami" is the traditional Zen word for "user's manual" ) for the Short Ceremony Ino position. It can be downloaded here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...it?usp=sharing

Gassho, Jundo

STLah

[Jundo]

ATTENTION ALL INOS! ALL INO ALERT!

I mention the following because it is happens with several Inos very often: The Mokugyo hit hard near the microphone is drowning out the Ino's voice during the Heart Sutra. The human voice breaks up and almost vanishes or is often totally unintelligible.

Here is what we must do: Move the Mokugyo very far from the microphone, and strike it so softly, that it is barely heard in the background and the voice is loud and dominant. Our microphones can't seem to handle it!

~~~~~~~~~~

FOR BEST SOUND:

Ino should turn off "sound compression" in Zoom. In the Zoom window,

Go to settings----> Audio -----> Advance (lower right hand corner)

Select "Show In-meeting option to "Enable Original Sound" from microphone" see picture below:

tsuku png.png

This setting will stay for the user, so you only have to do this once.

When you are in a meeting you may also see an additional toggle in the upper left-hand corner like this:

tsuku png.png

If so, you can also use that to toggle to "original sound."

Things to note:

1. This disables the background noise suppression, so everything will get picked up even if you aren't making noise. So, mute your mike during times that you are not chanting.

2. It sends exactly what your mic is picking up, so volume is not adjusted.

3. Remember to toggle it back for standard meetings other than Zazenkai where you are Ino.

Gassho, Jundo

[Kotei]

Hello,
I am starting to prepare for Ino/Doan, too.
There are additional 'automatically adjust microphone level' settings, both on the operating system level (sound settings) and in the Zoom app.
Not sure if it is necessary, but when using bells/Mokugyo, I set them to manual, too.
Gassho,
Kotei sat/lah today.

[Doshin]

Recommendations on which and where to obtain the bell/Mokugyo? Also I can order quickly on Amazon

Kotei will an IPad work?. I have migrated away from a PC to an IPad because having moved and the new home arrangement

Thanks

Doshin
St

[Jundo]

Recommendations on which and where to obtain the bell/Mokugyo? Also I can order quickly on Amazon

Kotei will an IPad work?. I have migrated away from a PC to an IPad because having moved and the new home arrangement

Thanks

Doshin
St

Truly, anything with a nice ring, and any nice piece of wood with resonance when struck.

I am sure that a handy fellow like you can devise something.

Gassho, J

STLah

[Bion]

Recommendations on which and where to obtain the bell/Mokugyo? Also I can order quickly on Amazon

Kotei will an IPad work?. I have migrated away from a PC to an IPad because having moved and the new home arrangement

Thanks

Doshin
St

The important part is being able to adjust the view to always see Jundo or the Doshi… It is all a dance between the ino and doshi. I don’t really know the options on an iPad.. and then there’s the question of options for audio on the ipad as well, so that there’s no noise cancelling and sound “improvement” happening.


sat today lah

[Kotei]

Kotei will an IPad work?. I have migrated away from a PC to an IPad because having moved and the new home arrangement

I am using an iPad, too.

edit: don't know how this training should look like, but I'd be glad to serve as the 'other side' for feedback, when experimenting with sound/camera/zoom.

Gassho,
Kotei sat/lah today.

[Doshin]

I will look for your critique.

Doshin