The sutras we chant

I am my body,
a living breathing body, with all its physical sensations of comfort and discomfort, relaxation and tension, changing each moment with each inhalation and exhalation, dependent each moment on the air I breathe and the environment which sustains my life.

I am my desires,
my appetites, my needs for love and attachment, my ambitions and my ideals. In each moment, I may experience satisfaction or lack, fullness or emptiness, learning gradually to distinguish my needs from my wants, the conditions for my flourishing from the fleeting effects of gratification.

I am my emotions,
my love and my anger, my sadness and my joy, my calmness and anxiety, moment after moment reflecting my inescapable dependence on others, and my vulnerability to the vicissitudes of their attention.

I am my thoughts,
which pass through my awareness moment after moment, like clouds through the sky, sometimes peacefully, sometimes not. Whatever their content, I can recognize them as part of the ongoing flow of my consciousness, a necessary part of what feels like me, to be neither banished or suppressed, but acknowledged in their passing.

I am my intention to practice
the values and ideals of the Buddha Way, which are not of my own creation, but are passed down to me through generations of students and teachers, on whom I depend for the forms and discipline and understanding that make practice possible. I am simultaneously the product of that long tradition, its manifestation in the present, and its shaper for the future.

I am a whole person,
whose body, desires, emotions, thoughts, intentions and awareness are all inseparable from my Buddha nature, all continually manifesting their inherent interdependence, impermanence and perfection, just as they are, right here and right now.

Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, doing deep prajna paramita,

Clearly saw emptiness of all the five conditions,

Thus completely relieving misfortune and pain.

O 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.

O 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 anutara-samyak-sambodhi.

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!

KAN JI ZAI BO SA GYO JIN HAN NYA HA RA MI

TA JI SHO KEN GO ON KAI KU DO IS SAI KU

YAKU SHA RI SHI SHIKI FU I KU KU FU I SHIKI

SHIKI SOKU ZE KU KU SOKU ZE SHIKI JU SO

GYO SHIKI YAKU BU NYO ZE SHA RI SHI ZE

SHO HO KU SO FU SHO FU METSU FU KU FU

JO FU ZO FU GEN ZE KO KU CHU MU SHIKI

MU JU SO GYO SHIKI MU GEN NI BI ZES SHIN

NI MU SHIKI SHO KO MI SOKU HO MU GEN

KAI NAI SHI MU I SHIKI KAI MU MU MYO

YAKU MU MU MYO JIN NAI SHI MU RO SHI

YAKU MU RO SHI JIN MU KU SHU METSU DO

MU CHI YAKU MU TOKU I MU SHO TOK KO

BO DAI SAT TA E HAN NYA HA RA MI TA KO

SHIN MU KE GE MU KE GE KO MU U KU FU

ON RI IS SAI TEN DO MU SO KU GYO NE HAN

SAN ZE SHO BUTSU E HAN NYA HA RA MI TA

KO TOKU A NOKU TA RA SAM MYAKU SAM

BO DAI KO CHI HAN NYA HA RA MI TA ZE DAI

JIN SHU ZE DAI MYO SHU ZE MU JO SHU ZE

MU TO TO SHU NO JO IS SAI KU SHIN JITSU

FU KO KO SETSU HAN NYA HA RA MI TA SHU

SOKU SETSU SHU WATSU GYA TEI GYA TEI HA

RA GYA TEI HARA SO GYA TEI BO JI SOWA KA

HAN NYA SHIN GYO

Caught in a Self-Centered Dream, only Suffering

Waking to a dream within a dream

Each Moment, Life As It Is, the Only Teacher

Being Just This Moment, Compassion’s Way

CHI KU DO DAI SEN NO SHIN TO ZAI MITSU NI AI FU SU

NIN KON NI RI DON ARI DO NI NAM BO KU NO SO NASHI

REI GEN MYO NI KO KET TARI SHI HA AN NI RU CHU SU

JI WO SHU SU RU MO MOTO KO RE MA YOI

RI NI KA NO MO MATA SA TO RI NI ARA ZU

MON MON IS SAI NO KYO EGO TO FU EGO TO

E SHI TE SA RA NI AI WATA RU

SHI KARA ZA RE BA KU RAI NI YO TE JU SU

SHIKI MOTO SHITSU ZO WO KO TO NI SHI

SHO MOTO RAK KU WO KO TO NI SU

AN WA JO CHU NO KOTO NI KA NAI

MEI WA SEI DAKU NO KU WO WA KA TSU

SHI DAI NO SHO ONO ZU KARA FU KU SU

KO NO SONO HA HA WO URU GA GO TO SHI

HI WA NES SHI KA ZE WA DO YO

MI ZU WA URU OI CHI WA KEN GO

MA NA KO WA IRO MIMI WA ON JO

HANA WA KA SHI TA WA KAN SO

SHI KA MO ICHI ICHI NO HO NI OI TE

NE NI YO TE HA BUM PU SU

HO MATSU SU BE KARA KU SHU NI KISU BESHI

SOM PI SONO GO WO MO CHI U MEI CHU NI ATA TE AN ARI

AN SO WO MO TE O KOTO NA KA RE AN CHU NI ATA TE

MEI ARI MEI SO WO MO TE MI RU KO TO NA KA RE

MEI AN ONO ONO AI TAI SHI TE

HI SU RU NI ZEN GO NO AYU MI NO GO TO SHI

BAM MO TSU ONO ZU KARA KO ARI

MA SA NI YO TO SHO TO WO I U BESHI

JI SON SU RE BA KAN GAI GAS SHI

RI O ZU RE BA SEMPO SA SO

KO TO WO UKE TE WA SU BE KARA KU SHU WO ESU BESHI

MI ZU KARA KI KU WO RI SU RU KO TO NA KA RE

SO KU MO KU DO WO ESE ZUM BA

ASHI WO HA KO BU MO IZU KUN ZO MI CHI WO SHI RAN

AYU MI WO SU SU MU RE BA GON NON NI ARA ZU

MA YO TE SEN GA NO KO WO HE DA TSU

TSU TSU SHIN DE SAN GEN NO HI TO NI MO SU

KO IN MU NA SHI KU WA TA RU KO TO NA KA RE

The mind of the Great Sage of India was intimately conveyed from west to east.

Among human beings are wise ones and fools.

But in the way there is no northern or southern ancestor.

The subtle source is clear and bright;

The tributary streams flow through the darkness.

To be attached to things is illusion;

To encounter the absolute is not yet enlightenment.

Each and all, the subjective and objective spheres are related,

And at the same time independent.

Related, yet working differently, though each keeps its own place.

Form makes the character and appearance different;

Sounds distinguish comfort and discomfort.

The dark makes all words one;

The brightness distinguishes good and bad phrases.

The four elements return to their nature as a child to its mother.

Fire is hot, wind moves, water is wet, earth hard.

Eyes see, ears hear, nose smells, tongue tastes the salt and sour

Each is independent of the other;

Cause and effect must return to the great reality.

The words high and low are used relatively.

Within light there is darkness,

But do not try to understand that darkness;

Within darkness there is light,

But do not look for that light.

Light and darkness are a pair,

Like the foot before and the foot behind, in walking.

Each thing has its own intrinsic value and is

Related to everything else in function and position.

Ordinary life fits the absolute as a box and its lid.

The absolute works together with the relative

Like two arrows meeting in mid-air.

Reading words you should grasp the great reality.

Do not judge by any standards.

If you do not see the way, you do not see it

even as you walk on it.

When you walk the way, it is not near, it is not far.

If you are deluded, you are mountains and rivers away from it.

I respectfully say to those who wish to be awakened:

Do not waste your time by night or day.

BIBASHI BUTSU DAIOSHO

SHIKI BUTSU DAIOSHO

BISHAFU BUTSU DAIOSHO

KURUSON BUTSU DAIOSHO

KUNAGOMMUNI BUTSU DAIOSHO

KASHO BUTSU DAIOSHO

SHAKYAMUNI BUTSU DAIOSHO

MAKAKASHO DAIOSHO

ANANDA DAIOSHO

SHONAWASHU DAIOSHO

UBAKIKUTA DAIOSHO

DAITAKA DAIOSHO

MISHAKA DAIOSHO

BASHUMITSU DAIOSHO

BUTSUDANANDAI DAIOSHO

FUDAMITTA DAIOSHO

BARISHIBA DAIOSHO

FUNAYASHA DAIOSHO

ANABOTEI DAIOSHO

KABIMORA DAIOSHO

NAGYAHARAJUNA DAIOSHO

KANADAIBA DAIOSHO

RAGARATA DAIOSHO

SOGYANANDAI DAIOSHO

KAYASHATA DAIOSHO

KUMORATA DAIOSHO

SHAYATA DAIOSHO

BASHUBANZU DAIOSHO

MAN’URA DAIOSHO

KAKUROKUNA DAIOSHO

SHISHIBODAI DAIOSHO

BASHASHITA 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 KISEN DAIOSHO

YAKUSAN IGEN DAIOSHO

UNGAN DONJO DAIOSHO

TOZAN RYOKAI DAIOSHO

UNGO DOYO DAIOSHO

DOAN DOHI DAIOSHO

DOAN KANSHI DAIOSHO

RYOZAN ENKAN DAIOSHO

TAIYO KYOGEN DAIOSHO

TOSHI GISEI DAIOSHO

FUYO DOKAI DAIOSHO

TANKA SHIJUN DAIOSHO

CHORO SEIRYO DAIOSHO

TENDO SOKAKU DAIOSHO

SETCHO CHIKAN DAIOSHO

TENDO NYOJO DAIOSHO

EIHEI DOGEN DAIOSHO

KOUN EJO DAIOSHO

TETTSU GIKAI DAIOSHO

KEIZAN JOKIN DAIOSHO

GASAN JOSEKI DAIOSHO

TAIGEN SOSHIN DAIOSHO

BAIZAN MONPON DAIOSHO

NYOCHO TENGIN DAIOSHO

KISAN SHOSAN DAIOSHO

MORIN SHIHAN DAIOSHO

TAISHI SOTAI DAIOSHO

KENCHO HANTETSU DAIOSHO

DAIJU SOKO DAIOSHO

KINPO JUSEN DAIOSHO

TETSUEI SEITON DAIOSHO

SHOKOKU CHOTON DAIOSHO

KETSUZAN TETSUEI DAIOSHO

HOSHI SOON DAIOSHO

GOHO KAINON DAIOSHO

TENKEI DENSON DAIOSHO

ZOZAN MONKO DAIOSHO

NIKEN SEKIRYO DAIOSHO

REITAN RORYO DAIOSHO

KAKUJO TOSAI DAIOSHO

KAKUAN RYOGU DAIOSHO

RYOKA DAIBAI DAIOSHO

UNGAN GUHAKU DAIOSHO

BAIAN HAKUJUN DAIOSHO

HAKUYU TAIZAN DAIOSHO

JOKO BECK DAIOSHO

When I, a student of the way,
look at the real form of the universe,
all is the never-failing manifestation,
of the mysterious truth of the awakened life.

In any event, in any moment, and in any place,
none can be other than the marvelous revelation,
of its glorious light.

This realization made our ancestors and teachers,
extend tender care, with respectful hearts,
even to such beings as birds and beasts.

This realization teaches us,
that our daily food, drink, clothes, and protections of life,
are the warm flesh and blood,
the merciful incarnation of the awakened one.

Who can be ungrateful or not respectful,
even to senseless things, not to speak of human beings?
Even though they may be fools,
be warm and compassionate towards them.

If by any chance they should turn against us,
become a sworn enemy and abuse and persecute us,
we should sincerely bow down with humble language,
in the reverent understanding that
they are the merciful messengers of the awakened one,
who use devices to emancipate us from blind tendencies,
produced and accumulated upon ourselves,
by our own egoistic delusion and attachment,
through countless cycles of space and time.

Then on each moment’s flash of our thought,
there will grow a lotus flower;
And on each lotus flower will be revealed perfection,
unceasingly manifest as our life,
just as it is, right here and right now.

May we extend this mind to all beings,
so that we and the world together
may attain maturity in the wisdom of the awakened life.

KAN ZE ON NA MU BUTSU YO

BUTSU U IN YO BUTSU U EN

BU 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

Sentient beings are numberless, I vow to save them.

Delusions are inexhaustible, I vow to put an end to them.

The Dharma is boundless, I vow to master it.

The Bhudda way is unsurpassable, I vow to embody it.

Japanese

SHUJO MU HEN SEI GAN DO

BONNO MU JIN SEI GAN DAN

HO MON MU RYO SEI GAN GAKU

BUTSU DO MU JO SEI GAN JO

All Buddhas Throughout Space and Time

All Honored Ones, Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas

Wisdom Beyond Wisdom

Maha Prajna Paramita

Vast Is the Robe of Liberation

a Formless Field of Benefaction

Wearing the Universal Teaching

I Realize the One True Nature

Thus Harmonizing All Being.

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 CHISHU SA CHISHU SA CHISHU RI CHISHU RI SOWA

JA SOWA JA SEN CHI GYA SHIRI E SOMO KO