Zen Liturgy
I am currently working on the Liturgy for the Five Mountain Sangha and am exploring the connections of the Caodong and Linji Lineages. I have entered into collaboration with the Boundless Way Zen Project and have discovered that their Liturgy is much more significant to English Speaking Westerners. Based upon this I have begun to explore the English translations of the liturgy that was inherited from Zen Master Seung Sahn through Korea.
I have turned to my friend, Robert Buswell, PhD, for his work on the liturgy in his book "The Zen Monastic Experience." I have taken some liberties, but am using his core of translation for some of the content to the new Liturgy for the Five Mountain Sangha. I am including the four great vows as their representation moved my after reviewing their representation in his Appendix.
The Four Expansive Vows
[Hapchang; bow at end]
Sentient beings are numberless;
We vow to save them all.
Delusions are endless;
We vow to cut through them all.
The teachings are infinite;
We vow to learn them all.
The Buddha way is inconceivable;
We vow to attain it.
Sentient beings of my own self nature;
I vow to save them all.
Delusions of my own self nature;
I vow to cut through them all.
The teachings in my own self nature;
I vow to learn them all.
The Buddha way of my own self nature;
I vow to attain it.
Homage to the Buddhas who abide
eternally in the ten directions.
Homage to the Dharmas that abide
eternally in the ten directions.
Homage to the Sanghas that abide
eternally in the ten directions.
[Hapchang; bow at end]
Sentient beings are numberless;
We vow to save them all.
Delusions are endless;
We vow to cut through them all.
The teachings are infinite;
We vow to learn them all.
The Buddha way is inconceivable;
We vow to attain it.
Sentient beings of my own self nature;
I vow to save them all.
Delusions of my own self nature;
I vow to cut through them all.
The teachings in my own self nature;
I vow to learn them all.
The Buddha way of my own self nature;
I vow to attain it.
Homage to the Buddhas who abide
eternally in the ten directions.
Homage to the Dharmas that abide
eternally in the ten directions.
Homage to the Sanghas that abide
eternally in the ten directions.
posted by Wonji Dharma at
August 12, 2009
2 Comments:
Being a layperson, I had to look up "liturgy" at Wikipedia. It says: "A liturgy is the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to their particular traditions. The word may refer to an elaborate formal ritual ... or a daily activity ..."
When I first began to visit my local Zen center, the practice in the evening was to pass Seung Sahn's "Temple Rules" from hand to hand, and each person present read one rule. I learned a lot from that. We also said the Four Great Vows at the end of the practice time.
Later the practice at the Zen center changed, and now we listen to the Evening Bell Chant and then all chant together: the Heart Sutra in Korean, the Heart Sutra in English, the Great Darhani, and Kwan Seum Bosal.
We still say the Four Great Vows at the end, but only the first verse you have printed here (not the other two).
I must say I have become fond of all of these, but the Heart Sutra in English is particularly meaningful to me, and I love to recite it.
Recently I was watching a Japanese film, "The Twilight Samurai," and at one point the subtitles quote part of the Heart Sutra, which someone is chanting in the background. I felt a sense of delight to see the familiar words, even though I had never heard them in Japanese before.
Relying on Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, I bow to you, my friend.
Thank you for your wonderful efforts and commitment. Truly inspirational.
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