Chanting & Zazen Circle (Mo thru Sa)

[Guest]

Monday April 19 Chanting & Zazen Circle.

Thanks to Clare and Olivia for their patience with my poor performance at my first try with Enmei Juju Kannon Gyo. Will do better with practice ! Thanks John P. for his excellent choice of haiku. Hope to see you soon again !

Tuesday 20 :

Good session with John P. Great chants and haikus, small talk about weather, Italian cooking and books from Helena Ferrante.

Wednesday 21 :

Session with John P., Ryokudo made an apparition to say hello. Nice sitting and interesting talk.

Thursday 22 :

Arigato gozaimasu to Ryokudo and John P. for their excellent chants.
By the way, Risho, are you father now ? If yes, congratulations !!!

Friday 23 :

John P. and me. Chanting, zazen and great chat.

Saturday 24 :

John P. joined me for this last session of the week.

Yuki 雪

[Ryokudo]

Monday April 19 Chanting & Zazen Circle.

Thanks to Clare and Olivia for their patience with my poor performance at my first try with Enmei Jikku Kannon Gyo. Will do better with practice ! Thanks John P. for his excellent choice of haiku. Hope to see you soon again !

Tuesday 20 :

Good session with John P. Great chants and haikus, small talk about weather, Italian cooking and books from Helena Ferrante.

Wednesday 21 :

Session with John P., Ryokudo made an apparition to say hello. Nice sitting and interesting talk.

Thursday 22 :

Arigato gozaimasu to Ryokudo and John P. for their excellent chants.

Yuki 雪

Hi Yuki,

It looks like I may have to duck out of tonight again for which I apologise. If so I will see you on Monday

Arigato,

Gassho,

Ryokudo

[Ryokudo]

Hey Yuki et al,

I'm afraid you won't be seeing me tonight as I have been signed off work with a migraine and ordered toile in a darkened room.

Life's a bit trying at the moment.

I'm really sorry. So do whatever you feel tonight, while I feel sorry for myself

[Jundo]

Hey Yuki et al,

I'm afraid you won't be seeing me tonight as I have been signed off work with a migraine and ordered toile in a darkened room.

Life's a bit trying at the moment.

I'm really sorry. So do whatever you feel tonight, while I feel sorry for myself

This is your Migraine Chant. Great lesson, sacred recline in darkened room. What are you missing?

Gassho, J

STLah

[Guest]

Hey Ryo,

It was good to see you today !
I wish your migraine will vanish soon.

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See you tomorrow !

Yuki 雪

[Jundo]

Hey Ryo,

It was good to see you today !
I wish your migraine will vanish soon.

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See you tomorrow !

Yuki 雪

Hi Yuki,

May I ask about the Mudra you posted. Is there a meaning for you?

Gassho, Jundo

[Ryokudo]

This is your Migraine Chant. Great lesson, sacred recline in darkened room. What are you missing?

Gassho, J

STLah

Thank you Jundo,

I was getting a little sorry for myself.

Gassho,

Ryokudo

SAT/LAH

[Guest]

Hi Jundo,

This Mudra is an old drawing I’ve realized, maybe 13-14 years ago, following a travel in Myanmar. I liked the gracious position of these hands but I don’t remember who or what was the model I took at this time, sorry. I must admit that I didn’t knew the exact meaning of the Mudra but after some searches on the web, here what I found : dharmacakra-mudrā represents a teaching gesture, starting the wheel of the law. It symbolizes the first sermon of the Buddha Śākyamuni near Bénarès.
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4F1D2D87-4F28-49E7-8FBD-C856CA6B857D.jpeg

Gassho, Yuki 雪

[Guest]

Hi everybody !

Many thanks to Anisa, John P., Eishin and Ryokudo for the participation to Chanting & Zazen Circle this week.

For Eishin, the New Heart Sutra translation by Thich Nhat Hanh :

The Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore

Avalokiteshvara
while practicing deeply with
the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore,
suddenly discovered that
all of the five Skandhas are equally empty,
and with this realisation
he overcame all Ill-being.

“Listen Sariputra,
this Body itself is Emptiness
and Emptiness itself is this Body.
This Body is not other than Emptiness
and Emptiness is not other than this Body.
The same is true of Feelings,
Perceptions, Mental Formations,
and Consciousness.

“Listen Sariputra,
all phenomena bear the mark of Emptiness;
their true nature is the nature of
no Birth no Death,
no Being no Non-being,
no Defilement no Purity,
no Increasing no Decreasing.

“That is why in Emptiness,
Body, Feelings, Perceptions,
Mental Formations and Consciousness
are not separate self entities.

The Eighteen Realms of Phenomena
which are the six Sense Organs,
the six Sense Objects,
and the six Consciousnesses
are also not separate self entities.

The Twelve Links of Interdependent Arising
and their Extinction
are also not separate self entities.
Ill-being, the Causes of Ill-being,
the End of Ill-being, the Path,
insight and attainment,
are also not separate self entities.

Whoever can see this
no longer needs anything to attain.

Bodhisattvas who practice
the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore
see no more obstacles in their mind,
and because there
are no more obstacles in their mind,
they can overcome all fear,
destroy all wrong perceptions
and realize Perfect Nirvana.

“All Buddhas in the past, present and future
by practicing
the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore
are all capable of attaining
Authentic and Perfect Enlightenment.

“Therefore Sariputra,
it should be known that
the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore
is a Great Mantra,
the most illuminating mantra,
the highest mantra,
a mantra beyond compare,
the True Wisdom that has the power
to put an end to all kinds of suffering.
Therefore let us proclaim
a mantra to praise
the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore.

Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha!
Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha!
Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha!”

Have a great weekend !

Yuki 雪
Sat today

[Guest]

Hi !

I propose to recite the Song of the grassroots hermitage from Sekitō (Shih-t'ou) this week.
As there are many versions, here is the text I took on the site Daily Zen : https://www.dailyzen.com/journal/son...roof-hermitage


Song of the Grass-Roof Hermitage


I've built a grass hut where there's nothing of value.
After eating, I relax and enjoy a nap.
When it was completed, fresh weeds appeared.
Now it's been lived in - covered by weeds.

The person in the hut lives here calmly,
Not stuck to inside, outside, or in between.
Places worldly people live, he doesn't live.
Realms worldly people love, he doesn't love.

Though the hut is small, it includes the entire world.
In ten square feet, an old man illumines forms and their nature.
A Great Vehicle bodhisattva trusts without doubt.
The middling or lowly can't help wondering;
Will this hut perish or not?

Perishable or not, the original master is present,
not dwelling south or north, east or west.
Firmly based on steadiness, it can't be surpassed.
A shining window below the green pines --
Jade palaces or vermilion towers can't compare with it.

Just sitting with head covered, all things are at rest.
Thus, this mountain monk doesn't understand at all.
Living here he no longer works to get free.
Who would proudly arrange seats, trying to entice guests?

Turn around the light to shine within, then just return.
The vast inconceivable source can't be faced or turned away from.
Meet the ancestral teachers, be familiar with their instruction,
Bind grasses to build a hut, and don't give up.

Let go of hundreds of years and relax completely.
Open your hands and walk, innocent.
Thousands of words, myriad interpretations,
Are only to free you from obstructions.
If you want to know the undying person in the hut,
Don't separate from this skin bag here and now.

Shih-t'ou (700-790)

___________

See you this week !

Gassho, Yuki 雪

[Ryokudo]

I'm sorry guys I won't be there again tonight due to work commitments.

[Ryokudo]

HI All,

I am afraid that for the next couple of weeks my hours have been changed at work and so I will not be able to join the sessions.

I hope you all continue to have good sits though.

Many thanks,

Ryokudo

[Guest]

HI All,

I am afraid that for the next couple of weeks my hours have been changed at work and so I will not be able to join the sessions.

I hope you all continue to have good sits though.

Many thanks,

Ryokudo

Hi Ryo,

John P. And me are keeping the circle active, of course, chanting and sitting every day.
See you when you will be free from work !

Yuki 雪

[Guest]

Hi All,

I suggest the following chants for the week to come :

- Sanki Raimon ( English and/or Japanese)
- HAKUIN ZENJI ZAZEN WASAN ( English and/or Japanese)
Zazen
- Haïkus
- Four vows (English and/or Japanese)

All English texts are available in Treeleaf chant books.

Here are Japanese texts :

SANKI RAIMON


LEADER : JI KIE BUTSU

ALL : TO GAN SHU JÔ
TAI GE DAI DÔ
OTSU MU JÔ I


LEADER : JI KIE HO

ALL : TO GAN SHU JÔ
JIN NYU KYO ZO
CHI E NYO KAI


LEADER : JI KIE SO

ALL : TO GAN SHU JÔ
TÔ RI DAI SHU
IS-SAI MU GE
__________________________

HAKUIN ZENJI ZAZEN WASAN



SHU JO HON RAI HOTO KENA RI
MIZU TO KO RINO GOTO KUNI TE
MIZU O HANA RETE KO RINA KU
SHUJO ONO HOKA NI HOTO KENA SHI
SHUJO O CHIKA KIO SHIRA ZUSHI TE
TO KU MOTO MURU HAKA NASA YO
TATO EBA MIZU NO NAKA NI ITE
KATSU O SAKE BUGA GOTO KUNA RI
CHO JANO IE NO KOTO NARI TE
HIN RINI MAYO ONI KOTO NARA ZU
ROKU SHU RIN NENO IN NEN WA
ONO REGA GUCHI NO YAMI JINA RI
YAMI JINI YAMI JIO FUMI SOE TE
ITSU KA SHO JIO HANA RUBE KI
SORE MAKA EN NO ZEN JO WA
SHO TAN SURU NI AMA RIA RI
FUSE YA JIKA INO SHOHA RAMI TSU
NEM BUTSU SAN GE SHUGYO OTO
O SONO SHINA O KI SHOZE NGYO
O MINA KONO NAKA NI KISU RUNA RI
ICHI ZANO KO O NASU HITO MO
TSUMI SHI MURYO ONO TSUMI HORO BU
AKU SHU IZU KUNI ARI NUBE KI
JO DO SUNA WACHI TO KARA ZU
KATA JIKE NAKU MO KONO NORI O
HITO TABI MIMI NI FURU RUTO KI
SAN TAN ZUI KI SURU HITO WA
FUKU O URU KOTO KAGI RINA SHI
IWA NYA MIZU KARA EKO OSHI TE
JIKI NI JISHO O SHO SURE BA
JISHO O SUNA WACHI MUSHO ONI TE
SUDE NI KERO NO HANA RETA RI
IN GA ICHI NYONO MON HIRA KE
MUNI MUSA NNO MICHI NAO SHI
MUSO ONO SO O SO TOSHI TE
YUKU MO KAE RUMO YOSO NARA ZU
MUNE NNO NEN O NEN TOSHI TE
UTA UMO MAU MO NORI NOKO E
ZAN MAI MUGE NO SORA HIRO KU
SHICHI EM MYO NO TSUKI SAE N
KONO TOKI NANI OKA MOTO MUBE KI
JAKU METSU GEN ZEN SURU YUE NI
TO SHO SUNA WACHI REN GEKO KU
KONO MI SUNA WACHI HOTO KE NA RI

______________________________

Shi Gu Sei Gan Mon
(The Four Vows)

SHU JO MU HEN SEI GAN DO

BON NO MU JIN SEI GAN DAN

HO MON MU RYO SEI GAN GAKU

BUTSUDO MU JO SEI GAN JO

________________________

See you !

Yuki 雪

[Anchi]

Thank you Yuki & John P.
I enjoyed chanting and sitting together.

Gassho