LITURGY

In its simplest form, Buddhist liturgy is a state of mind. Rather than an act of worship—since Buddhism doesn’t concern itself with the existence of God or a higher power—it’s an expression of our interconnectedness, as well as an acknowledgment of our buddha nature. When we offer a chant or make a bow, we’re not directing our attention to a being “out there,” but are instead acknowledging our own perfection and inherent wakefulness. We’re turning our attention to what is already present in us, and giving it voice.

The chants we use in the Ocean Mind Sangha are drawn from the traditional Zen liturgy. Most of them are in English, with the exception of the dharanis, short verses that have been transliterated from Sanskrit or Pali into Japanese and are believed to have strong protective powers. The practice of liturgy, like any other aspect of Zen, requires time to master, but the most important qualities we can bring to it are openness and a genuine desire to understand how our words, our bodies, and our actions can invoke reality. In the words of Zuisei’s first teacher, John Daido Loori Roshi, liturgy “makes visible the invisible,” illuminating the most fundamental truths of our lives.

OMS CHANTS

Four Bodhisattva Vows (Repeated Three Times) 

Sentient beings are numberless; I vow to save them.
Desires are inexhaustible; I vow to put an end to them.
The dharmas are boundless; I vow to master them.
The Buddha way is unattainable; I vow to attain it.

Verse of the Kesa (Repeated Three Times) 

Vast is the robe of liberation,
A formless field of benefaction.
I wear the Tathagata’s teachings,
Saving all sentient beings.

Four Immeasurables (Long; Repeated Three Times) 

May all beings be free of suffering and the root of suffering.
May all beings know happiness and the root of happiness.
May all beings live in sympathetic joy, rejoicing in the happiness of others.
May all beings live in equanimity, free of passion, aggression and delusion.

Four Immeasurables (Short; Repeated Three Times) 

May we be safe.
May we be kind.
May we be joyful.
May we be awake.

Maha Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra 

Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, doing deep Prajna Paramita,
clearly saw emptiness of all the five conditions,
thus completely relieving misfortune and pain.
Oh Shariputra, form is no other than emptiness,
emptiness no other than form.
Form is exactly emptiness, emptiness exactly form.
Sensation, conception, discrimination, awareness are likewise like this.
Oh Shariputra, all dharmas are forms of emptiness;
not born, not destroyed, not stained, not pure, without loss, without gain.
So in emptiness there is no form;
no sensation, conception, discrimination, awareness;
no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind;
no color, sound, smell, taste, touch, phenomena;
no realm of sight, no realm of consciousness;
no ignorance and no end to ignorance,
no old age and death and no end to old age and death,
no suffering, no cause of suffering,
no extinguishing, no path, no wisdom, and no gain.
No gain and thus the bodhisattva lives Prajna Paramita,
with no hindrance in the mind; no hindrance, therefore no fear.
Far beyond deluded thoughts; this is Nirvana.
All past, present, and future buddhas live Prajna Paramita
and therefore attain anuttara samyaksambodhi.
Therefore know Prajna Paramita is the great mantra,
the vivid mantra, the best mantra, the unsurpassable mantra.
It completely clears all pain. This is the truth not a lie.
So set forth the Prajna Paramita mantra,
set forth this mantra and say,
Gate! Gate! Paragate! Parasamgate! Bodhi Svaha!
Prajna Heart Sutra.

Sho Sai Myo Kichijo Dharani

(A chant to avert disasters x3 )
No mo san man da moto nan oha ra chi koto sha sono nan
To ji to en gya gya gya ki gya ki un nun shiu ra
Shiu ra hara shiu ra hara shiu ra chisu sa
Chisu sa chisu ri chisu ri sowa ja sowa ja
Sen chi gya shiri ei somo ko.

Karaniya Metta Sutta

This is what should be done
By one who is skilled in goodness,
And who knows the path of peace:
Let me be able and upright,
Straightforward and gentle in speech,
Humble and not conceited,
Contented and easily satisfied,
Unburdened with duties and frugal in my ways.
Peaceful and calm and wise and skillful,
Not proud or demanding in nature.
Let me not do the slightest thing
That I would later regret.

Wishing: In gladness and in safety,
May all beings be at ease. (x3)

Whatever living beings there may be;
Whether they are weak or strong, forsaking none,
The great or the mighty, medium, short or small,
The seen and the unseen,
Those living near and far away,
Those born and to-be-born —
May all beings be at ease!
I won’t deceive another,
Or dislike any being in any state.
I won’t through anger or ill-will
Wish harm upon another.
Even as a mother protects with her life
Her child, her only child,
So with a boundless heart
I will cherish all living beings;
Radiating kindness over the entire world:
Spreading upwards to the skies,
And downwards to the depths;
Outwards and unbounded,
Freed from hatred and ill-will.
Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down
Free from drowsiness,
I will sustain this recollection.
This is said to be the sublime abiding.
By not holding to fixed views,
And having clarity of vision,
Understanding sense desires,
I choose to be born again into this world.

Emmei Jukku Kannon Gyo

(A chant for Kannon, the Bodhisattva of Compassion x3 )
Kan ze on na mu butsu yo butsu u en yo butsu u
En bup po so en jo raku ga jo cho nen
Kan ze on bo nen kan ze on nen
Nen ju shin ki nen nen fu ri shin

English translation by Taizan Maezumi Roshi

Kanzeon! At one with the Buddha, related to all Buddhas in cause and effect,
And to Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, joyful pure eternal being.
Morning mind is Kanzeon, evening mind is Kanzeon.
This very moment arises from mind, this very moment is not separate from mind.

All Buddhas

All buddhas throughout space and time,
All bodhisattvas mahasattvas,
Maha Prajna Paramita.

Meal Gatha

First, seventy-two labors brought us this food; we should know how it comes to us.
Second, as we receive this offering, we should consider whether our virtue and practice deserve it.
Third, as we desire the natural order of mind to be free from clinging we must be free from greed.
Fourth, to support our life we take this food.
Fifth, to attain our way we take this food.

First, this food is for the Three Treasures.
Second, it is for our teachers, parents, nations, and all sentient beings.
Third, it is for all beings in the six worlds.
Thus, we eat this food with everyone.
We eat to stop all evil, to practice good,
to save all sentient beings, and to accomplish our Buddha Way.

*Banner photo by Dasit; audio recordings by Jess Tsipe Angelson, Nicholas Fournie, and Zuisei