… although pre-recorded today as I am at a Zen Retreat for the next few days, at a Zen temple deep in the mountains here in Japan (Let me also mention that our MONTHLY 4-HOUR ‘LIVE’ ZAZENKAI WILL BE HELD ON Saturday MAY 9th ) …
We start with 3 floor prostrations (or deep Gassho), then chant the Heart Sutra in ENGLISH (see below), then sit about 40 minutes of Zazen, then 10 minutes of Kinhin, closing with the chants of the “Verse of Atonement” and “Four Vows“.Please join in, one and all.
(video below)
NOTE: IF YOU ARE HAVING TROUBLE TO SEE THE SCREEN OR START BUTTON,
PLEASE UPDATE FLASH
Here’s what we will be chanting …
AFTER 3x STANDING BOWS by EVERYONE:
The Heart of the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra*
(Maka Hannya Haramita Shin Gyo in English)
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! (Already Gone, Gone)
Paragate! (Already Gone Beyond)
Parasamgate! (Already Fully Beyond)
Bodhi! Svaha! * (Awakening, Rejoice)
BE SEATED (AFTER DEDICATION AND FURTHER 3x BOWS) AS INSTRUCTED BY JUNDO
VERSE OF ATONEMENT:
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
posted May 3, 2009 at 6:07 am
After reading this, the word “atone” stuck out to me for some reason. I knew roughly what it meant, but wasn’t sure, so I looked it up. Atone is literally a Middle English contraction of the words “at” and “one”, so to atone means to be “at one”.
posted May 3, 2009 at 1:22 pm
I love that word atone-that is exactly what we are,one like twins?
I have 2 twins in my family-two born on sept month and two of feb.
see that example,”one”i like to have a twin at heart!hmm…like Alice and Jake or Alice and Jonathan?
posted May 3, 2009 at 8:07 pm
Oh what a relief I am miles from temples. Thank you so much for sharing this. I am grateful. Is there some way to download this…or is there a copyright that disallows it? I am playing this video beside my little cat that died today…as I believe the soul remains with the body…I never let the body go until I help to deliver it. This video has come when I am too week to do so. I am humbled. Tatar, my little friend and I, thank you.
posted May 4, 2009 at 1:05 am
I’d like that Alice and Jake at heart but the Alice and Jonathan have been the first at heart,i never deny that fact,for the sake of the truth!but since Alice and Jake is questionable ever since the fish have been caught by a fishing rod,i guess and i think,Alice and the
children is all there is,that is the last and best thing Alice is
here for,to take care children.