RECOMMENDED 'At Home' Liturgy

[Meian]

I like that idea of crafting a collection of home liturgy for regular use! I find myself looking some things up repeatedly. This is definitely something I would like to do as I learn.

that's something i started doing a few years ago. started creating folders to bookmark threads. then started saving certain sections as PDFs or Word docs, then collected into folders on my computer. then took an old binder and printed out some files that I found myself opening repeatedly and started creating a reference for myself to use with Treeleaf ceremonies and for my own practice. that evolved to printouts of verses to stick in my bag for when i'm waiting somewhere -- then that project began.

good thing my browsers and computer are better organized than my brain is!

so i have a mini-library that is always expanding and changing of Treeleaf stuff that i just adapt and add to over time. parts of it are always with me -- often in my pocket or my bag, and the big stuff (like chant books) in my binder. i also have a slowly-expanding (and far behind) library of books, verses and writings that members here have authored (and are/will) -- I follow all of these things.

that's just me, though. best wishes on your exploring and your learning!

gassho, meian
st lh

[Tai Shi]

For me coming to Zen has been in bits and pieces until I met Jon Kobot-Zinn, and his Tibetan symbol like bells. I own a pair of such bells inspired by him and the low price on Amazon. Thereafter my daughter began sending me items for an alter, and my wife bought me items for the same purpose. Along the way I purchased a Buddhist chair cushion, which I still use, and I began using an antique coffee table of etched plywood, and oak edging, the coffee table my father hand-built for my mother when they were new in their marriage. Long before my dad and step-mom married, the table came to me, and four years ago, when I began to practice meditation on my own, before instruction in zazen. the table, only slightly damaged, to a beautiful altetr, with chair and cushion, serene statues of both Buddha, and Christ, and electric candles all over the table, beautiful bell my daughter had sent me from Japan, and many trinkets, one from Jundo, a gift with the Heart Sutra in Japanese on it, and almost all gifts from daughter and wife. My alter has for me great meaning, with many pieces from Japan. I sit most days before my alter, left shoulder propped against southeastern wall to support sagging spine and body. There I practice zazen. My question is, what is the place of music, specifically western classical music, in sitting, or is it ever possible?
Taishi
Gassho/lah
sat

[Kokuu]

My question is, what is the place of music, specifically western classical music, in sitting, or is it ever possible?

Hi Tai Shi

Listening to music is a wonderful thing, and can be done in a meditative way, contemplating each note and the entire piece as it unfolds.

However, in Shikantaza, we just sit with what is without adding anything. So, no music.

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-

[Tai Shi]

Although Jundo states sitting anywhere happens, and with medical or painful procedures I breath in a meditative way, I don't believe this is zazen. I generally sit in a quiet place in our home. Occasionally I sit zazen in a waiting room, or will attempt so. This is not always successful.
Tai Shi
sat/ lah
Gassho

[Jundo]

Although Jundo states sitting anywhere happens, and with medical or painful procedures I breath in a meditative way, I don't believe this is zazen. I generally sit in a quiet place in our home. Occasionally I sit zazen in a waiting room, or will attempt so. This is not always successful.
Tai Shi
sat/ lah
Gassho

If you do your best to sit in equanimity and non-judgement, focusing on the breath ... even though, at that same moment you might not actually be feeling much equanimity, be feeling lousy and think it is a bad deal too ... then it is pretty much Zazen.

Gassho, J

STLah

[Tai Shi]

Thank you Jundo Roshi
Tai Shi
sat/lah
Gassho


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[Tai Shi]

My home liturgy is very simple. Serenity prayer. Count breath 1 to 10 back to 1 then do this 20 or 30 min. Then say a Christian prayer. That’s it, be grateful. Rise from chair or just Gassho while sitting your done.
Tai Shi
sat/ lah
Gassho


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[Gareth]

The book by John Daido Loori Roshi is very nice, I have enjoyed it so far. I already appreciated the aspects of liturgy that help my consistency through the day, but the section on dharanis has been illuminating. I am still not sure that the universe benefits from hearing me chant...

Gassho,
Gareth

Sat today

[Gregor]

Thank you. I had wanted to ask on what I could do to deepen my practice.

The Ryaku Fusatsu ceromony this week was very touching.

I will be ordering the reccomended books with the intention of bringing sacredness to life in my everyday.

Gassho,

Greg
STLAH

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[michaelw]

Is there a recomended bpm for chanting?
I want to start chanting rather than just reading off the page.
I can use a metronome to count the beats that way I can be up to speed
when I get a chance to sit with others.

gassho
M
sat

[Jundo]

Is there a recomended bpm for chanting?
I want to start chanting rather than just reading off the page.
I can use a metronome to count the beats that way I can be up to speed
when I get a chance to sit with others.

gassho
M
sat

Hmmm. I am not the musicologist around here, but I might suggest just to listen to the Ceremony during any of our weekly and monthly Treeleaf Zazenkai, such as this one ...

https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/show...of-Non-duality

... and just to copy the beat. I feel it is okay if it is a little faster or slower, as even different Sangha or Chanters tend to vary a bit.

Gassho, Jundo

[Shōnin Risa Bear]

Current "morning service" at the hut. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O5Y...ew?usp=sharing

Rotates Genjokoan, Sandokai, Jewel Mirror, Fukanzazengi as the long chant.

a109343d11c3ae6530d9f345ae798514.jpg

gassho
ds sat, some lah

[Bion]

Current "morning service" at the hut. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O5Y...ew?usp=sharing

Rotates Genjokoan, Sandokai, Jewel Mirror, Fukanzazengi as the long chant.

a109343d11c3ae6530d9f345ae798514.jpg

gassho
ds sat, some lah

I sooooo love the hut! And I’m especially fond of its dweller!

Sat Today

[Bion]

Is there a recomended bpm for chanting?
I want to start chanting rather than just reading off the page.
I can use a metronome to count the beats that way I can be up to speed
when I get a chance to sit with others.

gassho
M
sat

I am a chanter and I have to say, I like to start it off quite slow and steady, just to harmonize breath and sound and be mindful about each syllable and I like my chanting to be powerful and uniform. Certain chants, like the Heart Sutra, actually gain speed as we do them so we start with one tempo and end up faster! I say, follow your breath and body and completely pour yourself into every sound, syllable and knock. Like Jundo said, It does help to observe ceremonies and learn from there first.

Sat Today

[michaelw]

I am a chanter and I have to say, I like to start it off quite slow and steady, just to harmonize breath and sound and be mindful about each syllable and I like my chanting to be powerful and uniform. Certain chants, like the Heart Sutra, actually gain speed as we do them so we start with one tempo and end up faster! I say, follow your breath and body and completely pour yourself into every sound, syllable and knock. Like Jundo said, It does help to observe ceremonies and learn from there first.

Sat Today

Bion

Thanks for your reply.
I overlooked the change in tempo.
I have never found a metronome that could keep time anyway - (humour).

Thinking back to my choir days we were encouraged to 'breath the Psalms not sing them at the top of your voice'.
I will try that as I work with the chants book.

gassho
M

[Rowan]

On Kinhin - Bernie Glassman Roshi, when he first started, asked about the practice of kinhin. The roshi referred the question to his attendant student (who was Taizan Maezumi) who said "when we walk, we just walk". As for the gear and sounds and gestures and words - for some people these can be a comfort and a support, a peaceful place in an often chaotic and even frightening world, and comfort and support matter, because feelings matter. PS - I had a VERY stresssful task and found myself firmly chanting the four vows al the way through it - it definitely got me through this.

rowan/jinho
ST / LAH

[Seiko]

'Liturgy' means the many acts and rituals by which we manifest (and are manifested by) the beliefs and teachings at the heart of Buddhist Practice.

On the ZPO course, lately the teachers have been encouraging us to adopt "The Gate of Sweet Nectar" liturgy. I know this is not traditional and not something we do at Treeleaf, but perhaps I will include it in my home practice. Maybe a simple version rather than the whole ceremony. Is that ok?

Gasshō
Seiko
stlah

[Jundo]

On the ZPO course, lately the teachers have been encouraging us to adopt "The Gate of Sweet Nectar" liturgy. I know this is not traditional and not something we do at Treeleaf, but perhaps I will include it in my home practice. Maybe a simple version rather than the whole ceremony. Is that ok?

Gasshō
Seiko
stlah

If it resonates with you, in your own home, please do. I know that Bernie Glassman was into that.

Gassho, Jundo

stlah

[Shinshi]

If it resonates with you, in your own home, please do. I know that Bernie Glassman was into that.

Gassho, Jundo

stlah

If I recall correctly they also recite it at Upaya during their version of the New Moon ceremony.

Gassho, Shinshi

SaT-LaH

[Bion]

If I recall correctly they also recite it at Upaya during their version of the New Moon ceremony.

Gassho, Shinshi

SaT-LaH

It’s definitely also part of the short version of the Soto Scriptures for Daily Practice and Upaya have a chant book for it as well.

Sat today

[aprapti]

It’s definitely also part of the short version of the Soto Scriptures for Daily Practice and Upaya have a chant book for it as well.

Sat today

and this is on Youtube: (Upaya and Bernie Glassman)


aprapti

sat

[Jundo]

Here is why we will not chant "The Gate of Sweet Nectar" within Treeleaf, however ...

One aspect that I can appreciate about Bernie Glassman's version is this: He changed the focus from feeding the 'Hungry Ghosts' who are other-worldly beings, literal "ghosts," often family Ancestors, who are suffering in a kind of other-worldly purgatory after death due to their insatiable desires ...

... to feeding the hungry, poor and homeless in this world, building a Pure Land on earth, although he subtly rephrased the ceremony to speak of all the hungry everywhere. That is something which resonates more in my heart, frankly.

The official translation in English by Soto-shu reads:

Giving rise to the thought of awakening, we present a vessel of pure food, offering it to all the hungry ghosts in every country of the innumerable lands in the dharma realm throughout all space in the ten directions. Please come and gather here, you departed long ago, and all spirits, from earth gods of mountains and rivers to demons and wraiths of barren wastes. Taking pity on you all, with this food we feed you now. ... We also pray that your bodies, conveyed by this dharani-food, may leave suffering behind and gain liberation; that you may attain the joy of birth in heavens; that you may, in accordance with your wishes, be delivered to one of the pure lands in the ten directions ... with the prayer that together with all sentient beings we may quickly attain buddhahood and not seek any other rewards.

Bernie changed the words quite a bit, avoiding the overt references to rebirth in other realms, wraiths and spirits:

Raising the Bodhi Mind, the supreme meal is offered to all the hungry spirits throughout space and time, filling the smallest particle to the largest space. All you hungry spirits in the ten directions, please gather here. Sharing your distress, I offer you this food, hoping it will resolve your thirsts and hungers. I pray that all who receive this offering will return its merits to all Buddhas and to all creations throughout space and time, in this way they will be thoroughly satisfied. I further pray that in receiving this meal all your sufferings will be eliminated, and that you will be liberated, so that being joyously reborn you will play freely in the fields of the Pure Land. Raising the Bodhi Mind and practicing the Enlightened Way, you become the future Buddhas without any further regress.

HOWEVER ... from that point, the ceremony is then filled with about a dozen magical Dharani to help accomplish the task, naked sounds said to have power akin to "abra-cadabra," which I will avoid around this Sangha. No hocus-pocus "open sesame" on my watch!

Here is just one, accompanied by clashing symbols and blowing conch shell horns:

Dharani for Inviting the Cloudlike Hosts of Spirits (Unshū kijin chōshō darani 雲集鬼神招請陀羅尼）
[Chinese, chant 3 times]
◎ No bo bohori gyari tari ▲3 tatā gyataya.

It is literally "hocus-pocus" nonsense, a potion and incantation.

This is why we will not do this Ceremony here.

I am all for a Ceremony of care for the hungry, poor and homeless.

However, we will not chant "ugga chaka ugga chaka" and "Salagadoola mechicka boola bibbidi-bobbidi-boo" in order to realize that goal.

Do as you wish in the privacy of of your own home, chant "ding a lingo ling" or "molar manifestus" to summon the tooth fairy if you want in your own bedroom, but we do not do so at Treeleaf.

Not in these Halls! Not on my watch!



Gassho, J

PS - I have added the above to the "About the Dharani we DON'T chant at Treeleaf" thread (LINK) that is part of our "About our Treeleaf Chants" series (LINK).

[Shinshi]

Thank you Jundo, that makes perfect sense.

Gassho, Shinshi

SaT-LaH

[Ankai]

My own at home liturgy, which I really just think of more as my morning affirmations, remains rather basic..

In the morning, before Zazen,

- until enlightenment I take refuge in the Buddha and the Dharma and the Sangha. (3x)

- a modified form of the "four immeasurables;"
"May all be healthy, may all be prosperous, may all be well.
May all be present without past regret or future worry.
May all dwell in constant appreciation, which is the source of great joy and contentment.
May all know their true nature, and the true nature of reality, which is Awakening."

-From Shantideva's, "Way of the Bodhisattva,"

"For as long as space endures and as long as living beings remain, until then, May I too abide, to dispel the misery of the world."


In the evening, following my nightly meditation, I recite the verse of atonement and the four vows.

Sat today.
-Karl

[DGF]

Thank you Jundo,

For the clear reminder

Gassho
Diana
Satlah

[Seiga]

Gasshō,
dear Friends,

as for the house altar: this is part of my setup that I put together during the corona pandemic.

Gasshō,
Seiga
stlah

[Jundo]

as for the house altar: this is part of my setup that I put together during the corona pandemic.

Gasshō,
Seiga
stlah

Lovely.

The calligraphy on the left says "Namu (Hail) Shakyamuni Butsu (Buddha)."

The picture on the right features Shakyamuni Buddha, with Master Keizan on the left and Master Dogen on the right, the two traditional founders of Soto Zen in Japan.

Gassho, J

stlah