Scriptural quotations are used with permission of © Shasta Abbey and © Shasta Abbey Press © 1976, 1 979.
Contents
The Kesa Verse
Morning Service:
The Scripture of Avalokiteshwara Bodhisattva
The Scripture of Great Wisdom
Ancestral Line
Midday Service:
Rules For Meditation
Evening Office (Vespers) :
The Litany of The Great Compassionate One
Invocation of Achalanatha
Invocation of Mahakala
Invocation of The Cosmic Buddha
The Golden Bell that Rings but Once
The Five Thoughts
THE KESA VERSE (return to top) >>>
How great and wondrous are the clothes
of enlightenment, Formless and embracing every treasure;
I wish to unfold the Buddha's teaching,
That I may help all living things.
THE SCRIPTURE OF AVALOKITESHWARA BODHISATTVA (return to top) >>>
P recentor: Intone the following:
All :
In verse, Mujinni Bodhisattva asked,
"World Honoured One, possessor of all grace,
What reason is there for the Buddha's Son,
Great Kanzeon, to thus be so addressed?"
The Honoured One made answer too in verse,
"Just listen to the life of Kanzeon.
To calls from every quarter He responds;
Of oceanic depth His holy vows.
A myriad Buddhas has He truly served
For ages past beyond the thought of man
And made for aye great vows of purity
When people hear His name, and see His form,
And think of Him not vainly in their hearts,
All forms of ill, in all the worlds, shall cease.
If, wishing harm, an enemy should try to push
another in a fiery pit,
The victim should, on Kanzeon's great power, think, -
and straightway that fiery pit shall be transformed
into a cool and silver lake.
If, drifting in the vast great ocean's foam, - a man
should be in danger of his life from monstrous
fish or evil beings,
Let him only think on Kanzeon's great power, -
at once the sea will all compassion be.
If, from the top of Sumeru, - a man be hurled
down by an enemy's cruel hand,
Just let him think on Kanzeon's great power and, -
like the sun, he will remain aloft.
If, chased by wicked men, - a man should
fall upon a mountain,
Let him think again of Kanzeon's power -
and no injury will e'en a single hair of him sustain.
If, ringed by enemies, - a man should be threatened by
them, - all with their swords in hand,
Just let him think on Kanzeon's great power, -
compassion then within their hearts will dwell.
When tyrants persecute a man - and he stands at the place of execution
Let him only think on Kanzeon's great power,- the
executioner's sword will broken be.
If, bound in chains, in prison, - let a man just
think on Kanzeon's great holy power,
At once the shackles will then set him free.
When poisonous herbs, - or magic, threaten harm,
The power of Kanzeon, - if thought upon, - will
quickly send the curse back whence it came.
If poisonous creatures, - evil ones, should come,
Upon great Kanzeon's power gently dwell, -
straightway those evil ones dispersed will be.
When snakes and scorpions attack a man, -
exhaling evil poisons, scorching him,
By dwelling on great Kanzeon's holy power -
they will be turned away with shrieks of fear.
When lightning flashes and the thunder rolls, -
when hailstones beat and rain in torrents pours,
The power of Kanzeon, - if thought upon, -
will quickly clear the heavens of the storm.
If, struck by cruel disaster's evil hand - or
tortured by interminable pain, - a being
flees to Kanzeon's gentle arms
He, being wise and full of mystic power, -
will save him from all worldly grief and care.
With all miraculous powers well endowed
And widely skilled in knowledge of all things,
In all the world, in all the quarters,
There is not a place where Kannon does not go.
Hells, evil spirits, - beastly creatures, - all the evil
ways of living, - all the pain that comes
from birth, old age, disease and death
Will, for eternity, all pass away.
Great Kanzeon views all the world in Truth,
Free from defilement, loving, knowing all,
Full of compassion;
He must always be prayed to, - adored for all
eternity.
He is a Light pure, - spotless, like the sun,
With wisdom does He darkness all dispel,
subverting all effects of wind and fire;
His all-illuming light fills all the world.
As thunder shakes the universe does He control His loving body
And His thought of great compassion, - like a cloud from which a rain
of Dharma comes, as nectar,
down, - destroys the flames
of evil passions all.
When, threatened by court judgements or, in camp, -
the military should a man oppress,
Let him but think on Kanzeon's great power -
and all his enemies will be dispersed.
He is a most exquisite Voice, a Voice that all the
world encompasses;
The Voice of Brahma, - Voice of oceans - One that
all the voices of the world does much excel,
Because of this our thought must always dwell upon Him.
Let us never cherish thoughts of doubt about great Kanzeon
Who is all pure and holy and a refuge true, - * protecting
in all grief, - in trouble, death, disaster.
He possesses merit all, - regards all things with a
compassionate eye and, - like the ocean, -
holds within Himself a mass of virtues inestimable,
For this He must for ever be adored."
Then rose up from his seat Jiji Bosatsu
To stand before the Buddha, saying thus,
"World Honoured One, - they, who this scripture
hear of Kanzeon Bosatsu,
Must indeed no small amount of merit gain
For here His life of perfect action is described.
This is the life of One Who, - all endowed with
powers all miraculous,
Appears in all directions."
When the Buddha thus finished the recitation in
the hall Of this great Scripture which makes clearly plain -
the life and work of the All-Sided One,
All people present then, - a great concourse, -
in number four and eighty thousand strong,
With all their hearts cherished a longing deep
For the Supreme Enlightenment with which
Nothing in all the universe compares.
Precentor: Intone the following offertory:
Wholeheartedly do we recite this Scripture. We offer the merits thereof, candles, flowers and fruit to Kanzeon, the Great Compassionate Bodhisattva, Who is our example. Whenever this Scripture is recited Great Compassion is with us and we are searching for It within ourselves. We pray for peace in all the world; we pray that evil may be overcome by good; we pray for the peace of this Sangha and for the cessation of all disaster.
All:
Homage to all the Buddhas in all worlds,
Homage to all the Bodhisattvas in all worlds,
Homage to the Scripture of Great Wisdom.
Precentor: Intone the following:
Sandokai *
All :
From west to east, unseen, flowed out the Mind of India's greatest Sage
And to the source kept true as an unsullied stream
is clear.
Although by wit and dullness the True Way is varied,
Yet it has no Patriarch of south or north.
Here born, we clutch at things
And then compound delusion, later on, by
following ideals;
Each sense gate and * its object all together enter
thus in mutual relations
And yet stand apart in a uniqueness of their own, -
depending and yet non-depending both.
In form and feel component things are seen to
differ deeply;
Thus are voices, in inherent isolation, soft or harsh.
Such words as high and middle darkness match;
Light separates the murky from the pure.
The properties of the four elements together draw
Just as a child returns unto its mother.
Lo! - The heat of fire, - the moving wind, -
the water wet, - the earth all solid;
Eyes to see, - sounds heard and smells; -
upon the tongue the sour, salty taste.
And yet, in each related thing, - as leaves grow
from the roots,
End and beginning here return unto the source -
and "high" and "low" are used respectively.
Within all light is darkness
But explained it cannot be by darkness that
one-sided is alone.
In darkness there is light
But, here again, by light one-sided it is not explained.
Light goes with darkness
As the sequence does of steps in walking;
All things herein have inherent, great potentiality,
Both function, rest, reside within.
Lo! - With the ideal comes the actual,
Like a box all with its lid;
Lo! - With the ideal comes the actual,
Like two arrows in mid-air that meet.
Completely understand herein
The basic Truth within these words;
Lo! - Hear! - Set up not your own standards.
If, from your experience of the senses, - basic
Truth you do not know,
How can you ever find the path that certain is, -
no matter how far distant you may walk?
As you walk on distinctions between near and far are lost
And, - should you lost become, - there will
arise + obstucting mountains and great rivers.
This + I offer to the seeker of great Truth,
Do not waste time.
The Scripture of Great Wisdom (return to top) >>>
W hen One with deepest wisdom of the Heart
that is beyond discriminative thought,
The Holy Lord, great Kanzeon Bosatsu,
knew that the skhandas five were - as they are -
in their self-nature, void, unstained and pure.
O Shariputra, form is only pure,
pure is all form; there is, then, nothing more than this.
For what is form is pure, and what is pure is form;
the same is also true of all sensation, thought, activity
and consciousness.
O Shariputra, here all things are pure,
for they are neither born nor do they wholly die;
they are not stained nor yet immaculate;
increasing not, decreasing not.
O Shariputra - in this pure there is no form -
sensation - thought - activity or consciousness;
no eye - ear - nose - tongue - body - mind; - no form -
no tastes - sound - colour touch or objects;
vision none - no consciousness - no knowledge
and no sign of ignorance;
until we come to where old age and death have
ceased - and so has all extinction of old age and death.
For here there is no suffering, nor yet again
is there accumulation, nor again annihilation
nor an Eightfold Path, no knowledge, no attainment.
In the mind of the Bosatsu who is truly one
with Wisdom Great the obstacles dissolve,
* and, going on beyond this human mind, he IS Nirvana.
All the Buddhas True of present, past and
future they ARE all, because upon Great Wisdom they rely,
the perfect and most high enlightenment.
The Prajnaparamita one should know to be
the Greatest Mantra of them all,
the highest and most peerless Mantra too;
* allayer of all pain Great Wisdom is,
it is the very Truth, no falsehood here.
This is the Mantra of Great Wisdom, hear!
+ O Buddha, going, going, going on + beyond
And always going on beyond - always
BECOMING Buddha. Hail! Hail! Hail!
ANCESTRAL LINE (return to top) >>>
All:
Bibashibutsu Daiosho
Shikibutsu Daiosho
Bishafubutsu Daiosho
Kurusonbutsu Daiosho
Kunagonmunibutsu Daiosho
Kashobutsu Daiosho
Shakyamunibutsu Daiosho
Makakashyo Daiosho
Ananda Daiosho
Shonawashyu Daiosho
Ubakikuta Daiosho
Daitaka Daiosho
Mishaka Daiosho
Bashumitsu Daiosho
Butsudanandai Daiosho
Fudamitta Daiosho
Barishiba Daiosho
Funayashya Daiosho
Anabotei Daiosho
Kabimora Daiosho
Nagyaarajyuna Daiosho
Kanadaiba Daiosho
Ragorata Daiosho
Sogyanandai Daiosho
Kayashyata Daiosho
Kumorata Daiosho
Shyyata Daiosho
Bashyubanzu Daiosho
Manura Daiosho
Kakurokuna Daiosho
Shishibodai Daiosho
Bashyashita Daiosho
Funyomitta Daiosho
Hannyatara Daiosho
Bodaidaruma Daiosho
Taiso Eka Daiosho
Kanchi Sosan Daiosho
Daii Doshin Daiosho
Daiman Konin Daiosho
Daikan Eno Daiosho
Seigen Gyoshi Daiosho
Sekito Kisenn Daiosho
Yakusan Igen Daiosho
Ungan Donjyo Daiosho
Tozan Ryokai Daiosho
Ungo Doyo Daiosho
Doan Dohi Daiosho
Doan Kanshi Daiosho
Ryozan Enkan Daiosho
Daiyo Kyogen Daiosho
Tosu Gisei Daiosho
Fuyo Dokai Daiosho
Tanka Shijyun Daiosho
Choro Seiryo Daiosho
Tendo Sokaku Daiosho
Setcho Chikan Daiosho
Tendo Nyojyo Daiosho
Eihei Koso Daiosho
Koun Ejyo Daiosho
Tettsu Gikai Daiosho
Keizan Jokin Daiosho
Meiho Sotetsu Daiosho
Shugan Dochin Daiosho
Tetsuzan Shikaku Daiosho
Keigan Eisho Daiosho
Chuzan Ryohun Daiosho
Gisan Tonin Daiosho
Shogaku Kenryu Daiosho
Kinen Horyu Daiosho
Teishitsu Chisenn Daiosho
Kokei Shojun Daiosho
Sesso Yuho Daiosho
Kaiten Genju Daiosho
Shuzan Shunsho Daiosho
Chozan Senyetsu Daiosho
Fukushu Kochi Daiosho
Meido Yuton Daiosho
Hakuho Gentekki Daiosho
Gesshu Soko Daiosho
Manzan Dohaku Daiosho
Gekkan Giko Daiosho
Daiyu Essho Daiosho
Kegon Sokai Daiosho
Shoun Taizui Daiosho
Nichirin Togo Daiosho
Sonno Kyodo Daiosho
Sogaku Reido Daiosho
Daishun Bengyu Daiosho
Koho Hakugun Daiosho
Keido Chisan Daiosho
Houn Jiyu Daiosho
Precentor: Intone the following offertory:
We pray that we may be able to show our gratitude to the Four Benefactors, rescue all beings in the Three Worlds and make the Four Wisdoms perfect together with all living things. We pray that this Sangha may prosper and all misfortune cease.
Homage to all the Buddhas in all worlds,
Homage to all the Bodhisattvas in all worlds,
Homage to the Scripture of Great Wisdom.
MID-DAY SERVICE (return to top) >>>
Precentor: Intone the following:
Rules for Meditation
All:
Why are training and enlightenment differentiated since the Truth is universal? Why study the means of attaining it since the supreme teaching is free? Since Truth is seen to be clearly apart from that which is unclean, why cling to a means of cleansing it? Since Truth is not separate from training, training is unnecessary - the separation will be as that between heaven and earth if even the slightest gap exists * FOR, WHEN THE OPPOSITES ARISE, THE BUDDHA MIND IS LOST. However much you may be proud of your understanding, however much you may be enlightened, whatever your attainment of wisdom and supernatural power, your finding of the way to mind illumination, your power to touch heaven and to enter into enlightenment, when the opposites arise you have almost lost the way to salvation. Although the Buddha had great wisdom at birth, He sat in training for six years; although Bodhidharma Transmitted the Buddha Mind, we still hear the echoes of his nine years facing a wall. The Ancestors were very diligent and there is no reason why we people of the present day cannot understand. All you have to do is cease from erudition, withdraw within and reflect upon yourself. Should you be able to cast off body and mind naturally, the Buddha Mind will immediately manifest itself; if you want to find it quickly, you must start at once.
You should meditate in a quiet room, eat and drink moderately, cut all ties, give up everything, think of neither good nor evil, consider neither right nor wrong. Control mind function, will, consciousness, memory, perception and understanding; you must not strive thus to become Buddha. Cling to neither sitting nor lying down. When meditating do not wear tight clothing. Rest the left hand in the palm of the right hand with the thumbs touching lightly; sit upright, leaning neither to left nor right; backwards nor forwards. The ears must be in line with the shoulders and the nose in line with the navel; the tongue must be held lightly against the back of the top teeth with the lips and teeth closed. Keep the eyes open, breathe in quickly, settle the body comfortably and breathe out sharply. Sway the body left and right then sit steadily neither trying to think nor trying not to think; just sitting, with no deliberate thought is the important aspect of serene reflection meditation.
This type of meditation is not something that is done in stages; it is simply the lawful gateway to carefree peace. To train and enlighten ourselves is to become thoroughly wise; the koan appears naturally in daily life. If you become thus utterly free you will be as the water wherein the dragon dwells or as the mountain whereon the tiger roams. Understand clearly that the Truth appears naturally and then your mind will be free from doubts and vacillation. When you wish to arise from meditation, sway the body gently from side to side and arise quietly; the body must make no violent movement; I myself have seen that the ability to die whilst sitting and standing, which transcends both peasant and sage, is obtained through the power of serene reflection meditation. It is no more possible to understand natural activity with the judgemental mind than it is possible to understand the signs of enlightenment; nor is it possible to understand training and enlightenment by supernatural means; such understanding is outside the realm of speech and vision, such Truth is beyond personal opinions. Do not discuss the wise and the ignorant, there is only one thing - to train hard for this is true enlightenment; training and enlightenment are naturally undefiled; to live in this way is the same as to live an ordinary daily life. The Buddha Seal has been preserved by both the Buddhas in the present world and by those in the world of the Indian and Chinese Ancestors, they are thus always spreading the Truth - all activity is permeated with pure meditation - the means of training are thousandfold but pure meditation must be done.
* It is futile to travel to other dusty countries thus forsaking your own seat; if your first step is false, you will immediately stumble. Already you are in possession of the vital attributes of a human being - do not waste time with this and that - you can possess the authority of Buddha. Of what use is it to merely enjoy this fleeting world? * This body is as transient as dew on the grass, life passes as swiftly as a flash of lightning, quickly the body passes away, in a moment life is gone. O sincere trainees, do not doubt the true dragon, do not spend so much time in rubbing only a part of the elephant; look inwards and advance directly along the road that leads to the Mind, respect those who have reached the goal of goallessness, become one with the wisdom of the Buddhas, Transmit the wisdom of the Ancestors.+ If you do these things for some time you will become as herein described and + then the Treasure House will open naturally and you will enjoy it fully.
Precentor: Recite the following offertory:
W e offer the merits of this Scripture recitation to all,
so that they may be able to realize the Truth.
All :
Homage to all the Buddhas in all worlds
Homage to all the Bodhisattvas in all worlds,
Homage to The Scripture of Great Wisdom .
EVENING OFFICE (Vespers) (return to top) >>>
Precentor: Intone the following:
The Litany of the Great Compassionate One *
All :
Adoration to the Triple Treasure!
Adoration to Kanzeon Who is the Great
Compassionate One!
Om to the One Who leaps beyond all fear!
Having adored Him, - may I enter into the heart
of the Noble, Adored Kanzeon!
His life is the completion of meaning;
It is pure, - it is that which makes all beings
victorious - and cleanses the path of all existence.
Om, - O Thou Seer, - World-transcending One!
O hail to the Great Bodhisattva!
All, - all is defilement, defilement, earth, earth.
Do, do the work within my heart.
O great Victor, I hold on, hold on!
To Indra the Creator I cry!
Move, move, my defilement-free One!
Come, come, hear, hear, a joy springs up in me!
Speak, speak, give me direction!
Awakened, awakened, I have awakened!
O merciful One, compassionate One,
Of daring ones the most joyous, hail!
Thou art all successful, hail!
Thou art the great successful One, hail!
Thou hast attained mastery in the discipline, hail!
Thou hast a weapon within Thine hand, hail!
Thou hast the Wheel within Thine hand, hail!
Thou Who hast the lotus, hail!
Hail to Thee Who art the root of eternity!
Hail to Thee Who art all compassion! Hail!
Adoration to the Triple Treasure! Hail!
Give ear unto this my prayer, hail!"
Precentor:
Invocation of Achalanatha (return to top) >>>
All:
Hail to the Mandala! - Let us so be engulfed within
its praises evermore that, - by our own wills
and vigilance, - may we our fetters cut away.
May we within the temple of our own hearts
dwell - amidst the myriad mountains.
Hail! Hail! Hail!
Precentor:
Invocation of Mahakala (return to top) >>>
All:
Let us be engulfed within the Mandala of
the Sons of Buddha. Hail!
The Arrow of Emptiness. Hail!
Precentor:
Invocation of the Cosmic Buddha (return to top) >>>
All:
Hail, - the beneficent Mystic, - the
Treasure. Hail!
Precentor:
The Golden Bell that Rings but Once
All:
Peace upon the pillow.
Makura Om, Makura Om, Makura Om.
The
Five Thoughts
We
must think deeply of the ways and means by which
this food has come
We must consider our merit
when accepting it
We must protect ourselves from
error by excluding greed from our minds
We will
eat lest we become lean and die
We accept this
food so that we may become enlightened
