Dharma Flower Sangha service and practice book

DHARMA FLOWER SANGHA

Service & Practices

Phap Hoa Buddhist Temple Vernon, CT

Service

WELCOME!

All our rituals and practices, except sitting and walking meditation, are optional.

Please enjoy your practice!

This booklet is an offering of the Dharma and may be freely reprinted.

2nd edition: January 2012 Sabbe sa Ä bhavantu sukhita Ä Service

Service

2

Our practice is grounded in the Ten Vows of the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, the Bodhisattva of Great Action.

1.

2.

3.

4.

To pay reverence to the Buddha To praise the virtues of the Buddha To make offerings to the Buddha To confess our mistakes frankly before Buddha and vow not to repeat them 5. To rejoice in the virtues of the Buddha 6. To request the Buddha to revolve the Dharma wheel 7. To request the Buddha to live on in this world, working for the liberation of all sentient beings 8. To learn from the Buddha and practice the Dharma 9. To follow the Buddha’s example, helping, comforting, and teaching sentient beings according to their needs and abilities 10.Transferring merits to all sentient beings with the wish that they may attain Buddhahood

Service

3

Service

4

TABLE OF CONTENTS Service Bell of mindfulness ............................................ 3 Incense Offering ................................................ 3 Three Refuges .................................................. 4 Refuge prayer................................................... 4 Three Refuges (long version) ................................. 6 Thee Refuges (Pali) ............................................ 7 Recollecting the Buddha, Dhamma & Sangha .............. 8 Five Precepts ................................................... 9 The Perfections ................................................ 10 Thirty Prostrations ............................................. 10 Five Recollections .............................................. 11 Sutra Recitation ................................................ 11 Om Mani Padme Hum .......................................... 11 Gāthā for walking meditation ................................ 12 Tea ceremony gāthā ........................................... 12 Salutation to the Triple Gem ................................. 13 Texts Suffusion of the Divine Abidings ............................. 3 Discourse on Happiness ....................................... 4 Heart Sutra ...................................................... 6 Metta Sutta ..................................................... 8 Great Compassion Dharani .................................... 10 Concluding Practice Metta Prayer .................................................... 3 Prayer of the Four Immeasurable Minds .................... 3 Shantideva’s Prayer............................................ 4 Sharing the Merit ............................................... 5 Verses of Sharing and Aspiration............................. 6 Zen Dedication of Merit ....................................... 7 Personal Dedication of Merit ................................. 7 Torei Zenji’s Bodhisattva’s vow ............................. 8 Evening gāthā ................................................... 9 Service

5

Precepts Precepts ........................................................ 3 Gatha for Beginning Anew.................................... 6 Hui-Neng’s Formless Repentance ........................... 6 Sangha Practices Honoring our Ancestral Teachers............................ 3 Deep Listening Meditation ................................... 7 Insight Dialogue ................................................ 8 Dharma Contemplation ....................................... 9 Miscellaneous Ten-verse Kannon Sutra ...................................... 3 Hakuin’s Chant in Praise of Zazen .......................... 3

Service

6

Service

7

Service

8

SERVICE

Service

Service

2

THE BELL OF MINDFULNESS Before inviting the bell, the bellmaster silently recites:

Body, speech and mind in perfect harmony I send my heart along with the sound of the bell.

May the hearers awaken from forgetfulness and transcend all anxiety and sorrow.

Those who hear the bell silently recite:

I listen, I listen.

This wonderful sound brings me back to my true home.

INCENSE OFFERING Offering incense symbolizes our efforts to purify our karma—our thoughts, speech, and actions.

1.

Service

In gratitude, we offer this incense to all Buddhas and bodhisattvas, throughout space and time.

May it be fragrant as Earth herself, reflecting careful efforts, our wholehearted mindfulness, and the fruit of understanding, slowly ripening.

May we and all beings be companions of Buddhas and bodhisattvas.

May we awaken from forgetfulness and realize our true home.

3

2. The fragrance of this incense invites the awakened mind to be truly present with us now.

The fragrance of this incense fills the practice center, protects and guards our mind from all wrong thinking.

The fragrance of this incense collects us and unites us.

Precepts, concentration, insight, we offer for all that is.

THE THREE REFUGES The Three Refuges express our faith in the Buddha, in the Dharma, which is the truth of his teaching, and in the Sangha, which is the community that practices together.

I take refuge in the Buddha, the one who shows me the way in this life.

I take refuge in the Dharma, the way of understanding and of love.

I take refuge in the Sangha, the community that lives in harmony and awareness.

REFUGE PRAYER At the foot of the Bodhi tree, beautifully seated, peaceful and smiling, the living source of understanding and compassion, to the Buddha I go for refuge.

Service

4

The path of mindful living, leading to healing, joy, and enlightenment, the way of peace, to the Dhamma I go for refuge.

The loving and supportive community of practice, realizing harmony, awareness, and liberation, to the Sangha I go for refuge.

I am aware that the Three Gems are within my heart, I vow to realize them.

I vow to practice mindful breathing and smiling, looking deeply into things.

I vow to understand living beings and their suffering, to cultivate compassion and loving kindness, and to practice joy and equanimity.

I vow to offer joy to one person in the morning and to help relieve the grief of one person in the afternoon.

I vow to live simply and sanely, content with just a few possessions, and to keep my body healthy.

I vow to let go of all worry and anxiety in order to be light and free.

I am aware that I owe so much to my parents, teachers, friends and all beings. I vow to be worthy of their trust, to practice wholeheartedly, so that understanding and compassion will flower, and I can help living beings be free from their suffering.

May the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha support my efforts.

Service

5

THE THREE REFUGES I take refuge in the Buddha, the one who shows me the way in this life.

I take refuge in the Dharma, the way of understanding and of love.

I take refuge in the Sangha, the community that lives in harmony and awareness.

Taking refuge in the Buddha in myself, I aspire to help all people recognize their own awakened nature, realizing the mind of love.

Taking refuge in the Dharma in myself, I aspire to help all people fully master the ways of practice.

Taking refuge in the Sangha in myself, I aspire to help all people build fourfold communities, to embrace all beings, and support their transformation.

Dwelling in the refuge of Buddha, I clearly see the path of light and beauty in the world.

Dwelling in the refuge of Dharma, I learn to open many doors on the path of transformation.

Dwelling in the refuge of Sangha, shining light that supports me, keeping my practice free of obstruction.

Service

6

THE THREE REFUGES (Pali) Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa Buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi.

Dhammaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi.

Saṅghaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi.

Dutiyampi buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi.

Dutiyampi dhammaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi.

Dutiyampi saṅghaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi.

Tatiyampi buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi.

Tatiyampi dhammaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi.

Tatiyampi saṅghaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi.

Service

7

RECOLLECTING BUDDHA, DHAMMA, & SANGHA The Buddha is like the fresh, full moon that soars across the immense sky.

When the river of mind is truly calm, the moon is reflected perfectly upon the surface of the deep waters.

The countenance of the World-Honored One, like the full moon or like the orb of the sun, shines with the light of clarity, a halo of wisdom spreading in every direction, enveloping all with love, compassion, joy, and equanimity.

The inexhaustible virtues of the WorldHonored One cannot be adequately praised.

We in the Dharma Flower Sangha come together to meditate and chant, to praise the virtuous actions of the Buddha, and to offer this prayer: May the path of the Buddha grow brighter.

May the Dharma become clearer.

May wind and rain be favorable.

May this country be at peace in the cities and rural areas.

May all follow the way of right practice.

May nature be safe. May people in society be free and equal.

May the refreshing breeze of compassion enter into this world of heat, allowing the sun of wisdom to shine clearly in the cloudy sky so that that path of liberation is appreciatService

8

ed everywhere and the Dharma rain falls, benefiting all species.

May the Sangha that is present here practice diligently, showing concern and love for each other as they would for their own family, transforming their consciousness.

We aspire to follow the example of the Bodhisattvas Samantabhadra and Avaokiteshvara and all other Bodhisatva Mahasattvas, and the Great Perfection of Wisdom.

FIVE PRECEPTS I undertake the training precept to refrain from killing living creatures.

I undertake the training precept to refrain from taking what is not given.

I undertake the training precept to refrain from wrong conduct in sexual pleasures.

I undertake the training precept to refrain from false speech.

I undertake the training precept to refrain from intoxicants, which are the occasion for carelessness.

Service

9

THE PERFECTIONS May I be generous and helpful.

May I be pure and virtuous.

May I be patient. May I be able to bear and forbear the wrongs of others.

May I be strenuous, energetic, and persevering.

May I practice meditation and concentration and oneness to serve all beings.

May I gain wisdom and be able to give the benefit of my wisdom to others.

THIRTY PROSTRATIONS Prostrations help to awaken the body and prepare it for seated meditation.

1.

With an undivided heart, to the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha, which are in the Ten Directions and also in myself, transcending past, present, and future, prostrating and surrendering, I wholeheartedly go for refuge.

2.

The one who bows and the one who is bowed to are both by nature empty.

Therefore, the communication Between them is inexpressibly perfect.

Our practice center is the net of Indra, reflecting all Buddhas everywhere.

And my own person reflects in all Buddhas, to whom, with my whole life, I go for refuge.

Service

10

THE FIVE RECOLLECTIONS The Buddha recommended these as a daily practice to undermine our tendency to avoid the suffering of aging, sickness, and death and to cling to what we hold dear.

I am of the nature to age; I have not gone beyond aging.

I am of the nature to sicken; I have not gone beyond sickness.

I am of the nature to die; I have not gone beyond dying.

All that is mine, beloved and pleasing, will become otherwise, will become separated from me.

I am the heir of my karma; born of my karma; related to my karma; abide supported by my karma. Whatever karma I shall do, whether for good or for ill, of that I will be the heir.

SUTRA RECITATION The Dharma, incomparably profound and infinitely subtle, is rarely encountered even in hundreds of thousands of millions of ages.

Now we see it, hear it, receive and maintain it. May we completely realize the Tathagata’s true meaning.

OM MANI PADME HUM Om mani padme hum invokes the spirit of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. We recite it slowly, one syllable at a time, to calm our minds.

Service

11

SITTING MEDITATION In sitting meditation, we try to keep the back straight and maintain the focus on the object of meditation (breath, lovingkindness, etc.).

WALKING MEDITATION In walking meditation, breathing in, take a step. Breathing out, take another step.

GATHA FOR WALKING MEDITATION I have arrived; I am home.

In the here; in the now.

I am solid; I am free.

In the ultimate, I dwell.

TEA CEREMONY After all have been served, we hold a cup of tea and recite together:

This cup of tea, in my two hands, mindfulness is held uprightly.

My mind and body dwell in the very here and now.

DHARMA DISCUSSION/TALK & ANNOUNCEMENTS In Dharma discussion, we practice loving speech and deep listening. Listening to a Dharma talk, we listen with our hearts, not with our heads.

Service

12

SALUTATION TO THE TRIPLE GEM The Lord, the Perfectly Enlightened and Blessed One, I render homage to the Buddha, the Blessed One. The Teaching so completely explained by him, I bow to the Dhamma.

The Blessed One’s disciples who have practiced well, I bow to the Sangha.

Service

13

Service

14

Service

15

Service

16

TEXTS FOR RECITATION

Texts

Texts

2

SUFFUSION OF THE DIVINE ABIDINGS I will abide pervading one quarter with a mind imbued with lovingkindness; likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth; so above and below, around and everywhere; and to all as to myself. I will abide pervading the all-encompassing world with a mind imbued with lovingkindness; abundant, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility, and without ill will.

I will abide pervading one quarter with a mind imbued with compassion; likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth; so above and below, around and everywhere; and to all as to myself. I will abide pervading the all-encompassing world with a mind imbued with compassion; abundant, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility, and without ill will.

I will abide pervading...gladness‌with a mind imbued with gladness‌ I will abide pervading...equanimity...with a mind imbued with equanimity...

Texts

3

DISCOURSE ON HAPPINESS (Mahamangala Sutta) I heard these words of the Buddha one time when the Lord was living in the vicinity of Savatthi at the Anathapindika Monastery in the Jeta Grove. Late at night, a deva appeared whose light and beauty made the whole Jeta Grove shine radiantly. After paying respects to the Buddha, the deva asked him a question in the form of a verse: “Many gods and men are eager to know what are the greatest blessings which bring about a peaceful and happy life. Please, Tathagata, will you teach us?”

“Not to be associated with the foolish ones, to live in the company of wise people, honoring those who are worth honoring — this is the greatest happiness.

“To live in a good environment, to have planted good seeds, to realize that you are on the right path — this is the greatest happiness.

“To have a chance to learn and grow, to be skillful in your profession or craft, practicing the precepts and loving speech — this is the greatest happiness.

“To be able to serve and support parents, to cherish your own family, to have a vocation that brings you joy — this is the greatest happiness.

Texts

4

“To live honestly, generous in giving, to offer support to relatives and friends, living a life of blameless conduct — this is the greatest happiness.

“To avoid unwholesome actions, not caught by alcoholism or drugs, and to be diligent in doing good things — this is the greatest happiness.

“To be humble and polite in manner, to be grateful and content with a simple life, not missing occasions to learn the Dharma — this is the greatest happiness.

“To persevere and be open to change, to have regular contact with monks and nuns, and to participate in Dharma discussions — this is the greatest happiness.

“To live diligently and attentively, to perceive the Noble Truths, and to realize nirvana — this is the greatest happiness.

“To live in the world with your heart undisturbed by the world, with all sorrows ended, dwelling in peace — this is the greatest happiness.

“For he or she who accomplishes this, unvanquished wherever she goes, always he is safe and happy — happiness lives within oneself.”

Texts

5

THE HEART OF PERFECT UNDERSTANDING (HEART SUTRA) The Heart Sutra expresses our belief in the interdependent nature of all reality and in its impermanence.

The Bodhisattva Avalokita, while moving in the deep course of Perfect Understanding, shed light on the Five Skandhas and found them equally empty. After this penetration, he overcame ill-being.

Listen, Shariputra, form is emptiness, emptiness is form. Form is not other than emptiness, emptiness is not other than form. The same is true with feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness.

Listen, Shariputra, all dharmas are marked with emptiness. They are neither produced nor destroyed, neither defiled nor immaculate, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Therefore in emptiness there is neither form, nor feelings, nor perceptions, nor mental formations, nor consciousness. No eye, or ear, or nose, or tongue, or body, or mind. No form, no sound, no smell, no taste, no touch, no object of mind. No realms of elements (from eyes to mind consciousness), no interdependent origins and no extinction of them (from ignorance to death and decay). No illbeing, no cause of ill-being, no end of illbeing, and no path. No understanding and no attainment.

Texts

6

Because there is no attainment, the bodhisattvas, grounded in Perfect Understanding, find no obstacles for their minds. Having no obstacles, they overcome fear, liberating themselves forever from illusion, realizing perfect nirvana. All Buddhas in the past, present, and future, thanks to this Perfect Understanding, arrive at full, right, and universal enlightenment.

Therefore one should know that Perfect Understanding is the highest mantra, the unequaled mantra, the destroyer of ill-being, the incorruptible truth. A mantra of Prajnaparamita should therefore be proclaimed: Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha

Texts

7

THE METTA SUTTA Metta is the Pali word for lovingkindness (or loving friendliness).

[This is what should be done] By one who is skilled in goodness and who knows the path of peace: Let them be able and upright, straightforward and gentle in speech, humble and not conceited, contented and easily satisfied, unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways, peaceful and calm and wise and skillful, not proud and demanding in nature.

Let them not do the slightest thing that the wise would later reprove.

Wishing: In gladness and in safety, may all beings be at ease!

Whatever living beings there may be, whether they are weak or strong, omitting 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!

Let none deceive another, or despise any being in any state.

Let none through anger or ill-will wish harm upon another.

Even as a mother protects with her life Texts

8

her child, her only child, so with a boundless heart should one 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, one should sustain this recollection.

This is said to be the sublime abiding. by not holding to wrong views, the pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision, being freed from all sense desires, is not born again into this world.

Texts

9

NILAKANTHA DHARANI (GREAT COMPASSION DHARANI) (CHINESE VERSION) nā mò, hē lá dá nà duō lá yè yē nā mò, ā lī yē pó lú jié dì shuò bō lá yē pú tí sà duǒ pó yē mó hē sà duǒ pó yē mó hē jiā lú ní jiā yē an sà pó luó fá yè shǔ dá nà dá xiě nā mò, xī jí lī duǒ yī měng ā lì yē pó lú jí dì shì fó lá lèng tuó pó nā mò, nà lá jǐn chí xī lī mó hē, pó duō shā miē sà pó ā tā, dòu shū péng ā shì yùn sà pó sà duō, nā mò pó sà duō nà mó pó jiā mó fá tè dòu dá shí tā an, ā pó lú xī lú jiā dì jiā luó dì yí xī lī mó hē pú tí sà duǒ sà pó sà pó mó lá mó lá mó xī mó sī, lī tuó yùn jù lú jù lú jié měng dù lú dù lú, fá shé yē dì mó hē, fá shé yē dì tuó lá tuó lá dì lī ní shì fó lá yē zhē lá zhē lá mó mó fá mó lá Texts

10

mù dì lì yī xī yī xī shì nà shì nà ā lá shēn, fó lá shè lì fá shā fá shēn fó lá shè yē hū lú hū lú mó lá hū lú hū lú xī lì suō lá suō lá xī lī xī lī sū lú sū lú pú tí yè, pú tí yè pú tuó yè, pú tuó yè mí dì lì yè nà lá jǐn chí dì lì sè ní nà pó yè mó nà sā pó hē xī tuó yè sā pó hē mó hē xī tuó yè sā pó hē xī tuó yù yì shì pó lá yè sā pó hē nà lá jǐn chí sā pó hē mó lá nà lá sā pó hē xī lá sēng, ā mù qū yē sā pó hē sā pó mó hē ā sī tuó yè sā pó hē shě jí lá ā xī tuó yè sā pó hē bō tuó mó, jié xī duō yè sā pó hē nà lá jǐn chí pó jiā lá yē sā pó hē mó pó lì, shèng jié lá yè sā pó hē nā mò hē lá dá nà, duō lá yè yē nā mò ā lì yē pó luó jí dì shuò pó lá yè sā pó hē an, sī diàn dōu màn duō lá bá tuó yē sā pó hē

Texts

11

Texts

12

CONCLUDING PRACTICE

Concluding

Concluding

2

PRAYERS FOR THE WORLD Metta (Lovingkindness) Prayer Metta is the selfless wish for the happiness of others.

May all beings dwell in an open heart.

May all beings be healed in their suffering.

May all beings be awake in this moment, just as it is.

May all beings awaken their hearts to each other.

Prayer of the Four Immeasurable Minds The Four Immeasurables are lovingkindness, compassion, altruistic joy, and equanimity.

May all sentient beings be parted from aversion and clinging, not feeling close to some and distant from others.

May they win the bliss that is especially sublime.

May they find release from the ocean of unbearable sorrow, and may they never be parted from freedom's true joy.

May all beings everywhere, plagued by sufferings of body and mind, obtain an ocean of happiness and joy by virtue of my merits.

Concluding

3

Shantideva's Prayer This is one of the Dalai Lama's favorite prayers, taken from a much-loved text by Shantideva.

May no living creature suffer, Commit evil, or ever fall ill.

May no one be afraid or belittled, With a mind weighed down by depression.

May the blind see forms And the deaf hear sounds, May those whose bodies are worn with toil Be restored on finding repose.

May the naked find clothing, The hungry find food; May the thirsty find water And delicious drinks.

May the poor find wealth, Those weak with sorrow find joy; May the forlorn find hope, Constant happiness, and prosperity.

May there be timely rains And bountiful harvests; May all medicines be effective And wholesome prayers bear fruit.

May all who are sick and ill Quickly be freed from their ailments.

Whatever diseases there are in the world, May they never occur again.

May the frightened cease to be afraid And those bound be freed; May the powerless find power, And may people think of benefiting each other.

Concluding

4

For as long as space remains, For as long as sentient beings remain, Until then may I too remain To dispel the miseries of the world.

SHARING THE MERIT We share the merit of our practice with all beings as an act of humility and compassion.

1.

Reciting the sutras, practicing the way of awareness, gives rise to benefits without limit.

We vow to share the fruits with all beings.

We vow to offer tribute to parents, teachers, friends, and numerous beings who give guidance and support along the path.

2.

May the merit made by me, now or at some other time, be shared among all beings here — infinite, immeasurable, By rejoicing in this cause, this gift of merit given by me, may beings all forever live a happy life and free from hate, and may they find the Path secure and their good wishes all succeed!

Concluding

5

VERSES OF SHARING AND ASPIRATION [Now let us chant the verses of sharing and aspiration] Through the goodness that arises from my practice, May my spiritual teachers and guides of great virtue, My mother, my father and my relatives, The Sun and the Moon, and all virtuous leaders of the world— May the highest gods and evil forces; Celestial beings, guardian spirits of the Earth and the Lord of Death; May those who are friendly, indifferent or hostile; May all beings receive the blessings of my life.

May they soon attain the threefold bliss and realize the Deathless.

Through the goodness that arises from my practice, And through this act of sharing, May all desires and attachments quickly cease And all harmful states of mind.

Until I realize Nibbana, In every kind of birth, may I have an upright mind With mindfulness and wisdom, austerity and vigor.

May the forces of delusion not take hold nor weaken my resolve.

The Buddha is my excellent refuge, Unsurpassed is the protection of the Dhamma, Concluding

6

The Solitary Buddha is my noble Lord, The Sangha is my supreme support.

Through the supreme power of all these, May darkness and delusion be dispelled.

ZEN DEDICATION OF MERIT Buddha nature pervades the whole universe, existing right here, now. The wind blows, waves fall on the shore, and Guanyin finds us in the dark and broken roads. We give thanks to all the ancestors of meditation in the still halls, the unknown women and men, centuries of enlightened women and men, ants and sticks and grizzly bears.

Let wisdom go to every corner of the house.

Let people have joy in each other’s joy.

All buddhas throughout space and time All honored ones, bodhisattva-mahasattvas Wisdom beyond wisdom Maha Prajna Paramita.

PERSONAL DEDICATION OF MERIT All living things are one seamless body and pass quickly from dark to dark. We remember you who cared for us and are gone. You who are ill, you who are at war, who are hungry and who are in pain—may you heal and have peace. We especially dedicate our service to: (Speak names of individuals) Concluding

7

TOREI ZENJI'S BODHISATTVA'S VOW When we regard the natures of all living creatures and all things, we find them to be the sacred forms of the Tathagatha's neverfailing essence.

Each particle of matter, each moment, is no other than the Tathagatha's inexpressible radiance.

With this realization, our noble ancestors, possessed of compassionate minds and hearts, gave tender care to bird and beast.

And in our own daily lives we, too, should be reverently grateful for the protections of life: our food, drink and clothing!

Though these are inanimate things, they are nonetheless the warm flesh and blood, the merciful incarnations of Buddha.

All the more, we can be especially understanding and affectionate with foolish people, particularly with those who become sworn enemies and persecute us with abusive language.

That very abuse conveys the Buddha's boundless loving-kindness. It is a compassionate device to liberate us from the meanspirited delusions we have built up with our wrongful conduct from the beginningless past.

With our open response to such abuse, we completely relinquish ourselves, and then the most profound and pure faith arises.

At the peak of each thought a lotus flower Concluding

8

opens, and on each flower there is revealed a Buddha. Everywhere is the Pure Land in its beauty.

We see fully the Tathagata's radiant light right where we are.

May we retain this mind and extend it throughout the world so that we and all beings become mature in Buddha's wisdom.

EVENING GATHA The day is now ended. Our lives are shorter.

Now we look carefully. What have we done?

Noble Sangha, with all of our heart, Let us be diligent, engaging in practice.

Let us live deeply, free from afflictions, aware of impermanence so that life does not drift away without meaning.

Concluding

9

Concluding

10

Concluding

11

Concluding

12

PRECEPTS

Precepts

Precepts

2

FIRST TRAINING Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I vow to cultivate compassion and learn ways to protect the lives of people, animals, plants and minerals. I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to condone any act of killing in the world, in my thinking, and in my way of life.

SECOND TRAINING Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing and oppression, I vow to cultivate loving kindness and learn ways to work for the well being of people, animals, plants and minerals. I vow to practice generosity by sharing my time, energy and material resources with those who are in real need. I am determined not to steal and not to possess anything that should belong to others. I will respect the property of others, but I will prevent others from profiting from human suffering or the suffering of other species on Earth.

Precepts

3

THIRD TRAINING Aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct, I vow to cultivate responsibility and learn ways to protect the safety and integrity of individuals, couples, families and society. I am determined not to engage in sexual relations without love and a longterm commitment. To preserve the happiness of myself and others, I am determined to respect my commitments and the commitments of others. I will do everything in my power to protect children from sexual abuse and to prevent couples and families from being broken by sexual misconduct.

FOURTH TRAINING Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech and the inability to listen to others, I vow to cultivate loving speech and deep listening in order to bring joy and happiness to others and relieve others of their suffering.

Knowing that words can create happiness or suffering, I vow to learn to speak truthfully, with words that inspire self-confidence, joy and hope. I am determined not to spread news that I do not know to be certain and not to criticize or condemn things of which I am not sure. I will refrain from uttering Precepts

4

words that can cause division or discord, or that can cause the family or community to break. I will make all efforts to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small.

FIFTH TRAINING Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I vow to cultivate good health, both physical and mental, for myself, my family, and my society by practicing mindful eating, drinking, and consuming. I vow to ingest only items that preserve peace, well-being, and joy in my body, in my consciousness, and in the collective body and consciousness of my family and society. I am determined not to use alcohol or any other intoxicant or to ingest foods or other items that contain toxins, such as certain TV programs, magazines, books, films, and conversations. I am aware that to damage my body or my consciousness with these poisons is to betray my ancestors, my parents, my society, and future generations. I will work to transform violence, fear, anger, and confusion in myself and in society by practicing a diet for myself and for society.

I understand that a proper diet is crucial for self-transformation and for the transformation of society.

Precepts

5

GATHA FOR BEGINNING ANEW With this practice, we acknowledge our regrets for the things we have done or said that might have caused pain to ourselves or to others. This requires humility and the willingness to let go of our own pain and pride and determination to try not to repeat our missteps.

Due to attachment, anger, and foolishness I have committed numberless mistakes in speech, deed, and thought.

I bow my head and beg to repent.

Wholeheartedly, I ask Buddha to witness my vow from today to begin anew, to live day and night in mindfulness, and not to repeat my previous mistakes.

Homage to the bodhisattva of repentance.

All wrongdoing arises from the mind.

When the mind is purified, what trace of wrong is left?

After repentance, my heart is light like the white clouds that have always floated over the ancient forest in freedom.

HUI-NENG’S FORMLESS REPENTANCE May we be always free from the taints of ignorance and delusion. We repent of all our wrong and evil deeds committed under delusion or in ignorance. May they be expiated at once and may they never arise again.

Precepts

6

May we be always free from the taints of arrogance and dishonesty. We repent of all our arrogant behavior and dishonest dealings in the past. May they be expiated at once and may they never arise again.

May we be always free from the taints of envy and jealousy. We repent of all our wrong and evil deeds committed in an envious or jealous spirit.

May they be expiated at once and may they never arise again.

Precepts

7

Precepts

8

SANGHA PRACTICES

Practices

Practices

2

HONORING OUR ANCESTRAL TEACHERS We deeply honor the formal transmission lineage of our ancestral teachers, who preserved the Dharma and transmitted it to us through their efforts. We chant their names as our ancestral lineage. The names on the list go back to Shakyamuni Buddha. The Buddha died at the age of 80, but he transmitted his teachings, the Dharma, to many disciples—male and female, monastic and lay disciples. They, in turn, transmitted their practice and understanding, as in these words of our ancestral teacher Lieu Quan: The great way of Reality is our true nature’s pure ocean.

The source of Mind penetrates everywhere.

From the roots of virtue springs the practice of compassion.

Precepts, concentration and insight—the nature and function of all three are one.

The fruit of transcendent wisdom can be realized by being wonderfully together.

Maintain and transmit the wonderful principle, in order to reveal the true teaching!

For the realization of True Emptiness to be possible, Wisdom and Action must go together.

Our ancestral teachers were a continuation of the Buddha. Because they have transmitted the Dharma through the generations down to us, we, too, are a continuation of the Buddha. By honoring our ancestral teachers, we show humility and respect Practices

3

and we vow to be worthy of their confidence.

Offering light in the Ten Directions, The Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, To whom we bow in gratitude.

Teaching and living the way of awareness In the very midst of suffering and confusion, Shakyamuni Buddha, the Awakened One, To whom we bow in gratitude.

Leader of the Sangha, the teacher Mahakashyapa, To whom we bow in gratitude.

Showing the way fearlessly and compassionately, The stream of all our Ancestral Teachers, To whom we bow in gratitude.

The first Dhyana Ancestral Teacher in Vietnam Dhyana Master Than Hoi, to whom we bow in gratitude.

The Ancestral Teacher Dharmadeva, To whom we bow in gratitude.

The Ancestral Teacher Vinitaruci, To whom we bow in gratitude.

The Ancestral Teacher Vo Ngon Thong, To whom we bow in gratitude.

The Ancestral Teacher Thao Duong, To whom we bow in gratitude.

The Ancestral Teacher Truc Lam Dai Si, To whom we bow in gratitude.

The Ancestral Teacher Lam Te, To whom we bow in gratitude.

Practices

4

The Ancestral Teacher Lieu Quan, To whom we bow in gratitude.

All the masters in India, China, Vietnam and America who turned the Dharma Wheel and transmitted the precepts to us To whom we bow in gratitude.

Through time and space, the Dharma has been transmitted from teacher to student, from the time of Shakyamuni to the present. Through teachers and students, the radiant wisdom of Shakyamuni shines. Through times of war and oppression, hunger and sickness, through times of peace and plenty, teachers have preserved the Dharma. By honoring the teachers through whom we are connected to the historical Buddha, we also honor those teachers, female and male, unknown to us, unremembered by history.

I see in myself my teachers, the ones who show me the way of love and understanding, the way to breathe, smile, forgive, and live deeply in the present moment. Through my teachers, I see all teachers over many generations and traditions, going back to the ones who began my spiritual family thousands of years ago. I see that their energy and that of many generations of teachers has entered me and is creating peace, joy, understanding, and lovingkindness in me.

My spiritual ancestors include the Buddha, the bodhisattvas, the noble Sangha of Buddha’s disciples, and my own spiritual teachers still alive or already passed away. They are present in me bePractices

5

cause they have transmitted to me seeds of peace, wisdom, love, and happiness. They have awakened in me my resource of understanding and compassion. When I look at my spiritual ancestors, I see those who are perfect in the practice of the mindfulness trainings, understanding, and compassion, and those who are still imperfect. I accept them all because I see within myself shortcomings and weaknesses.

In gratitude to our parents, who bring us into this world, our teachers who show us the way of love and understanding, our friends who guide and support us on the path, and all species who help to sustain us, we touch the earth before the Three Jewels.

Buddha nature pervades the whole universe, existing right here, now.

The wind blows, waves fall on the shore, and Guanyin finds us in the dark and broken roads.

We give thanks to all the ancestors of meditation in the still halls, the unknown women and men, centuries of enlightened women and men, Let wisdom go to every corner of the house.

Let people have joy in each other’s joy.

All buddhas throughout space and time All honored ones, bodhisattva-mahasattvas Wisdom beyond wisdom Maha Prajna Paramita.

Practices

6

DEEP LISTENING MEDITATION In this practice, we listen compassionately and with equanimity to what another shares from the heart. One way to think of this practice is this: listen like a Buddha, speak like a Buddha, with awareness and with lovingkindness.

First, we put our hands together and bow to each other. The person who is speaking bows when he or she is finished speaking.

Listening: We focus on listening compassionately, whether or not we understand the words or the feelings behind the words. We practice equanimity so that we do not take on the suffering of the other. We also set aside our own reactions and ideas to create a warm and welcoming space for the other’s words.

Speaking: We speak from the heart about what is in our heart. One way to know we are speaking from the heart is actually to feel it in our belly. If we allow our belly to soften, it is easier to speak from the heart. It is also fine to be silent.

We do not comment on anything that has been said, either during the practice or afterwards.

Even if we want to say something positive and affirming, that can sometimes interfere with another person's willingness to share and with the feeling of safety. We allow what is said to come from emptiness and to return to emptiness.

Practices

7

INSIGHT DIALOGUE Meditative speaking and listening have less to do with words than the source from which the words emerge.

PAUSE: Slow down Dwell a moment with immediate experience before speaking, or while listening.

We can Pause before we speak, while speaking, or after we are done speaking.

The Pause can be long or short according to circumstances. It is not about time; it is about mindfulness.

RELAX: Establish gentleness & acceptance Bring awareness to those parts of the body where tension accumulate; allow that tension to relax.

Meet thoughts and emotional reactions with acceptance. There is no clinging to the thought or emotion, and no judgment.

OPEN: Allow the field of perception to expand Opening, we extend accepting mindfulness beyond the boundaries of our skin to encompass the external world. We open the door to mutuality, the basis for interpersonal meditation.

Becoming aware of reactivity, Pause, stabilize awareness in the body. Open again.

Awareness may now include both the body and the other’s voice. In the silence that follows, awareness may turn inward, noticing delicate reverberations of thought.

Practices

8

DHARMA CONTEMPLATION Immersing ourselves in a short excerpt from the scriptures, we allow them to transform us. By first hearing and then repeatedly reading the text, it saturates our minds. This practice has its basis in calming the mind and being fully present to experience. It is grounded in silence. Silence is the doorway to contemplative practice.

Words as Such A Dharma text is read aloud. Then we silently read it to ourselves, discovering which words and phrases speak to us. We share those aloud, if we feel moved to do so.

Meaning—The Intellect We continue to read the text, inquiring into the meaning of words and phrases. We can pose questions or share knowledge with each other.

Contemplation—Encompassing Emotion We notice how the text affects us physically and emotionally and share information with each other about these experiences.

Dialogue We relate our present experience of the text.

This is a practice of deep listening. We may begin to think of issues in our own lives in new ways as we relate directly to the Dharma.

We then end the practice in silence, letting everything settle.

Practices

9

Practices

10

Practices

11

Practices

12

MISCELLANEOUS

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous

2

TEN-VERSE KANNON SUTRA Kanzeon!

Praise to Buddha!

All are one with Buddha!

All awake to Buddha— Buddha, Dharma, Sangha— Eternal, joyous, selfless, pure.

Through the day Kanzeon, Through the night Kanzeon.

This moment springs form Mind.

This moment itself is Mind.

HAKUIN’S CHANT IN PRAISE OF ZAZEN From the very beginning all beings are Buddha.

Like water and ice, without water no ice, outside us no Buddhas.

How near the truth, yet how far we seek.

Like one in water crying, "I thirst!"

Like the child of rich birth wand'ring poor on this earth we endlessly circle the six worlds.

The cause of our sorrow is ego delusion.

From dark path to dark path we've wandered in darkness, how can we be freed from birth and death?

Miscellaneous

3

The gateway to freedom is zazen Samadhi.

Beyond exaltation, beyond all our praises the pure Mahayana.

Upholding the Precepts, Repentance and Giving, the countless good deeds and the Way of Right Living, all come from zazen.

Thus one true Samadhi extinguishes evils.

It purifies karma, dissolving obstructions.

Then where are the dark paths to lead us astray?

The Pure Lotus Land is not far away.

Hearing this truth, heart humble and grateful.

To praise and embrace it, to practice its Wisdom, brings unending blessings, brings mountains of merit.

And when we turn inward and prove our True Nature, that True Self is no-self, our own self is no-self, we go beyond ego and past clever words.

Then the gate to the oneness of cause-and-effect is thrown open.

Not two and not three, straight ahead runs the Way. Miscellaneous

4

Our form now being no-form, in going and returning we never leave home.

Our thought now being no-thought, our dancing and songs are the Voice of the Dharma.

How vast is the heaven of boundless Samadhi!

How bright and transparent the moonlight of wisdom!

What is there outside us?

What is there we lack?

Nirvana is openly shown to our eyes.

This earth where we stand is the pure lotus land!

And this very body, the body of Buddha.

Miscellaneous

5

Miscellaneous

6

Miscellaneous

7

Miscellaneous

8