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CSangha Sutra book, a work in progress...
THE THREE REFUGES ALL: I take refuge in Buddha, LEADER: And resolve that with all beings I will realize the Great Way whereby the Buddha seed may forever thrive. ALL: I take refuge in Dharma, LEADER: And resolve that with all beings I will enter deeply into the Sutra treasure whereby my wisdom may grow as vast as the ocean. ALL: I take refuge in Sangha, LEADER: And in its wisdom, example, and never failing help, and resolve that nothing will impede my progress towards full Enlightenment. VANDANA Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Samma Sambuddhassa! (Homage to Him, the Blessed One, the Exalted One, the Fully Enlightened One!) 1. Prajna Paramita Hridaya Sutra Avalokita Bodhisattva, from the depths of Prajna wisdom, saw that all five skandhas (aggregates) are empty, and sundered the bonds that create suffering. Know then: Form is no other than emptiness, emptiness no other than form. Form is exactly emptiness, emptiness exactly form. The same is true of feelings, perceptions, mental formations, consciousness. All dharmas are marked by emptiness. Therefore they are not born or die, nor are they stained or pure, nor do they increase or decrease. So in emptiness no feelings, perceptions, mental formations, consciousness. No eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind, no color, sound, smell, taste, touch, or what the mind takes hold of, nor even act of sensing. No ignorance and no extinction of it, no withering, no death, no end of them. No suffering, nor its origination or ending, no path from suffering or cognition, with nothing outside to attain, attainment too is emptiness. So know that the Bodhisattva, grasping at nothing whatever, but dwelling in Prajna Wisdom, is freed from delusive hindrance, rid of the fear bred by it, and re-al-iz-es Nirvana. All Buddhas of past and present, Buddhas of future time, through faith in Prajna Wisdom, come to perfect Enlightenment. Therefore know the Prajna Paramita is the great transcendent mantra, is the great bright mantra, is the utmost mantra, is the supreme mantra, which is able to relieve all suffering and is true, not false! So proclaim the Pranja Paramita Mantra, proclaim the mantra that says: Gate Gate Paragate Parasamagate Bodhi Svaha! (Emptiness here refers to being empty of a fixed, limited, independent self, or any other idea that we might project onto words.) 2. GREAT LIGHT DHARANI No mo sa man da Moto-nan oha-ra chi Koto-sha sono-nan to ji to en Gya gya gya ki gya ki Un nun shifu-ra shifu-ra Hara shifu-ra hara shifu-ra Chishu-sa chishu-sa Chishu-ri chishu-ri Soha-ja soha-ja Sen chi gya shi ri ei somo-ko! JIZO (KSITIGARBHA) MANTRA On ka-ka-ka bisan-maei sowaka! (Sino Sanskrit) Om ha-ha-ha vismaye svaha! (Sanskrit) AVALOKITA MANTRA Om mani padme hum! 3. MEDICINE BUDDHA DHARANI On koro koro sen da ri ma to gi sowaka! NAMU DAI BOSA MANTRA Namu Dai Bosa! DIAMOND SUTRA’S MIND Past mind cannot be caught, present mind cannot be caught, future mind cannot be caught! STUDYING THE BUDDHA WAY (ZEN MASTER DOGEN) To study the Buddha Way is to study oneself. To study oneself is to forget oneself. To forget oneself is to be enlightened by the myriad things. To be enlightened by the myriad things is dropping off the body and mind of self and others. All traces of Enlightenment come to an end, and this traceless Enlightenment continues endlessly. 4. AROUSING THE MIND OF ENLIGHTENMENT (ZEN MASTER DOGEN) I resolve with all beings, from this life on through countless lives, to hear the True Dharma, and upon hearing it no doubt will arise nor will I lack faith. That upon meeting it I will renounce all worldly views and maintain the Buddha Dharma. That in doing so the great earth and all beings together attain the Buddha Way. Although my past evil karma has greatly accumulated, indeed being the cause and condition of obstacles in practicing the Way, may the Buddhas and Ancestors who have attained the Buddha Way be compassionate and free me from karmic effects, allowing me to practice the Way without hindrance. May they share their compassion which fills the boundless universe with the virtue of their Enlightenment and Teachings. Buddhas and Ancestors of old were as we, and we, in the future, shall be Buddhas and Ancestors. Revering Buddhas and Ancestors we are one Buddha and one Ancestor. Awakening Bodhi Mind we are one Bodhi Mind. Extending their compassion freely and unlimitedly, we are able to attain Buddhahood and let go of the attainment. Therefore, the Ch'an Master Lung-ya said, “Those who in past lives were not enlightened will now be enlightened. In this life, save the body, which is the fruit of many lives. Before Buddhas were enlightened they were the same as we. Enlightened people of today are exactly as those of old.” Quietly explore the farthest reaches of these causes and conditions as this is the exact transmission of a verified Buddha. Repenting in this way, one never fails to receive profound help from all Buddhas and Ancestors. Revealing and disclosing one’s lack of faith and practice before the Buddhas, the power of this revelation melts away the roots of transgressions. This is the pure and simple color of true practice, of the true mind and body of faith (in the Way). 5. Selections From the Dhammapada 5. We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we create our world. Speak or act with a self-centered mind, and trouble will follow... Speak or act with an egoless mind, and happiness will follow... Those who meditate and are mindful will overcome their harmful thoughts and approach Nirvana. Mindfulness is the path to true life, and heedlessness the path to death. The mindful are alive, but the heedless are already like the dead. Stay awake, be mindful, and reflect. Work with careful attention. In this way you will find the light within yourself. Meditate, and in your wisdom, realize Nirvana, the highest happiness. So you, the awakened, will enlighten the world, just as the moon shines as it passes from behind the clouds. A concentrated mind, untroubled and calm, beyond all judging, has no fear, for it understands. Abandon yesterday, and tomorrow, and today. Cross over to the “farther shore,” beyond notions of life and death. You are your only master. Who else could be? Let go of your ego and discover the true master. You must make the effort: the awakened only point out the way. Those who enter the path and meditate free themselves from bondage. For consider the world: a bubble, a mirage. See the world as it is, and death shall not overtake you. See the false as false, see the true as true. Look into your heart and follow your true nature. Look to your own nature, which is intrinsically pure. Look to the fundamental purity of all existence. Look within and find true peace. Better than a hundred years of ignorance is one day spent in clear meditation. Better still to live one moment, in the moment, realizing the Way of Truth! 6. TOREI ENJI’S BODHISATTVA VOW Disciples, when I humbly observe the true nature of things, all are the marvelous manifestation of the Tathagata's Truth. Atom by atom, instant by instant, all are none other than his mysterious radiance. Because of this, our virtuous ancestors extended loving care and reverence toward even such beings as birds and beasts. How, then, can we not be humbly grateful for the food, drink, and clothing that nourishes and protects us throughout the day, these being in essence the warm skin and flesh of the great masters, the incarnate compassion of the Buddha? If it is so even with inanimate objects, how much more should we be kind and merciful towards human beings, even those who are foolish. Though they become our sworn enemies, reviling and persecuting us we should regard them as Bodhisattva manifestations who, in their great compassion, are employing skillful means to help emancipate us from the evil karma we have produced over countless kalpas through our biased, self-centered views. If we awaken in ourselves this deep, pure faith, offering humble words and taking sincere refuge in the Buddha, then with every thought there will bloom a lotus flower, each with a Buddha. These Buddhas will establish Pure Lands everywhere and reveal the radiance of the Tathagata beneath our very feet. May we extend this mind throughout the universe so that we and all sentient beings may equally bring to fruition the seeds of wisdom. 7. RETURN OF MERIT LEADER: Faith in Buddha, Dharma, Sangha brings true Liberation. We now return the merit of our chanting to: Shakyamuni Buddha, Manjusri Bodhisattva, Avalokita Bodhisattva, Bhadra Bodhisattva, And all beings in all realms. We place our faith in the Great Heart Of Perfect Wisdom. May all beings realize Buddhahood! ALL: Ten directions, three worlds, all Buddhas, Bodhisattva Mahasattvas! Maha Prajna Paramita! THE FOUR BODHISATTVA VOWS Beings are numberless, I vow to liberate them all. Greed, anger, and ignorance rise endlessly, I vow to abandon them all. Dharma gates are countless, I vow to master them all. The Buddha Way is unsurpassable, I vow to realize it fully! 8. |