Liturgy

I have been exploring the roots of Korean Son (Zen) Liturgy and am having a blast in this exploration. Having practiced with the Kwan Um School of Zen for most of my Zen History, I had gotten used to chanting in transliterated Chinese, Korean and Sanskrit. In fact, the only chant we did in English was the Heart Sutra.

It has been quite interesting to actually read the English versions of chants that I could do in my sleep in their transliterated forms and have no idea of what any of them mean in English.

It is also interesting to go into many Western Zen Center's and view the beautiful Calligraphy Scrolls that adorn the walls which were painted by Master's in the expressive Chinese Grass Style font. Yet, what struck me many years ago was that if a Chinese National (which would occasionally happen) would come to the Zen Center they would instantaneously understand the messages on the wall. Simple statements like; "Wake Up," or "Blue Mountain, White Cloud." I always thought, how inspiring that must be to those who can read the Chinese Logographs.

So, for many years I chanted sounds completely disconnected from meaning; and I would quote Zen Master Seung Sahn who would say that many of the Korean Monks didn't know what they were saying either. Some how that made it OK; yet I don't know how many times I witnessed new students get up and walk out in the middle of the first or second chant we would be performing to never return. Now, I don't mean to want to change things just for changes sake, but after reading these Liturgical forms in English I am struck by their depth of meaning and the potential significance they can have for the practitioner.

There are still sections of chants that contain dharanis or mantras that cannot be translated and these of course are left as is, and still contain the power of their unknowing execution. Yet this still leaves me with the feeling that we English speaking people should be chanting in our native language so that we can understand the depth of the teaching that it is we are practicing.

It is wonderful to be in a group that can chant well, and the exotic nature of the sounds that are formless can be uplifting and cause us to transcend the self; yet this usually only occurs when there is a large group who is well versed in the chanting. Our lay sangha's that don't sit ninety day retreats have difficulty learning these chants and the potential seems to never hit the mark.

I remember one such retreat in the foothills above Denver perhaps in 2000 or 2001. Zen Master Seong Hyang (Bobbie Rhodes) was leading the retreat and in attendance was Thom Pastor; Abbot of Great Bright Zen Center, Algernon D'Ammassa; Abbot of Dharma Zen Center, Richard Baer; Abbot of the Denver Zen Community and myself, Abbot of the Ocean Eyes Zen Center. I was sitting next to Bobbie and the chanting was so intense that I remember one night of the seven day retreat where I was with Zen Master Soeng Hyang note for note on the Great Dharani, and when we were all done we looked into each others eyes and realized that we had connected on the wordless plane.

Consequently, by adopting a liturgy which is true to my Korean Son lineage, and also allows students to partake in the depth of the teaching by understanding the Liturgy, seems like the natural progression of the transmission from Korea to America.

When Chan was first transmitted to Korea and Japan interviews and koan work were initially done in Chinese, so the monks needed to study a foreign language in order to practice. Eventually some sage teachers decided that it was more important for the students to understand what was going on than it was to study some arcane language. In the 1960's the Catholic Church quit doing Mass in Latin, so I think we are safe in doing a little chanting in English.