Rissho Kosei-Kai Sutra Readings
Rissho Kosei-Kai Sutra Readings
Sutra Readings
Extracts from
the Threefold Lotus Sutra
The original English text in this book is extracted and adapted from The Threefold Lotus Sutra, translated by Bunno Kato, Yoshiro Tamura, and Kojiro Miyasaka
(Tokyo: Kosei Publishing Company, 1975), with revisions based on the work of W. E. Soothill, Wilhelm Schiffer, and Pier P. Del Campana. This revised version
was created by Rissho Kosei-kai International in 2008, under the direction of Dr. Tomonobu Shinozaki, with the cooperation of Mr. Joseph M. Logan and Dr. David
Earhart. In addition, American members of Rissho Kosei-kai also contributed to the process. And finally this translation and its revisions, as well as its
philosophical stance, were approved by Rissho Kosei-kai International for the purpose of English sutra recitation by members of Rissho Kosei-kai.
We hope this newly revised English Kyoten will be widely used and help readers to enhance their spirituality as Bodhisattvas.
There are four points which should be noted especially about this version:
Published by Rissho Kosei-kai International of North America, 4255 Campus Drive, Suite A245, Irvine, CA92612, U.S.A.
Translation CopyrightⒸ2008 by Rissho Kosei-kai International, 2-11-1 Wada, Suginami-ku, Tokyo 166-8537 Japan. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
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KYOTEN
Sutra Readings
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Homage
(Leader)
Let it be known that this is a place of the Way!
Here, the buddhas attain supreme enlightenment,
Here, the buddhas turn the Dharma-wheel,
Here, the buddhas enter parinirvana.
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Taking Refuge in the Three Treasures
(Leader)
Buddham saranam gacchami
(We take refuge in the Buddha.)
(All)
May we, with all living beings,
Deeply experience the Great Way and
Give rise to the supreme aspiration.
(Leader)
Dhammam saranam gacchami
(We take refuge in the Dharma.)
(All)
May we, with all living beings,
Embrace the riches of the sutra and
Make our wisdom as wide and deep as the sea.
(Leader)
Sangham saranam gacchami
(We take refuge in the Sangha.)
(All)
May we, with all living beings,
Guide the great community and
Be freed from all hindrances.
(Strike the gong once.)
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Invocation
(Leader)
We put our faith in
May you all be present among us and know our deep devotion.
Opening Verse
(All)
The unsurpassed, profound, wonderful Dharma
Is rarely met in myriads of kalpas.
Now we see and hear it; receive and embrace it.
May we understand the Tathagata’s foremost teaching.
(Strike the gong once.)
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The Sutra of Innumerable Meanings
From Chapter 3
Ten Merits
(All)
The Buddha said:
“My good children! First, this sutra can:
Make an unawakened bodhisattva aspire to the mind of awakening,
Make one without kindness give rise to the mind of compassion,
Make one who likes slaughter give rise to the mind of great mercy,
Make a jealous one give rise to the mind of joy for others,
Make one with attachments give rise to the mind of non-attachment,
Make a miserly one give rise to the mind of generosity,
Make an arrogant one give rise to the mind of keeping the precepts,
Make an angry one give rise to the mind of forbearance,
Make a lazy one give rise to the mind of diligence,
Make a distracted one give rise to the mind of meditation,
Make an ignorant one give rise to the mind of wisdom,
Make one who does not think of liberating others give rise to the mind of liberating them,
Make one who commits the ten evils give rise to the mind of the ten virtues,
Make one drawn to conditioned phenomena aspire to overcome them,
Make one who regresses build the mind of progressing,
Make one who commits defiled acts give rise to the mind of undefilement, and
Make one with many delusive passions give rise to the mind of extinguishing them.
My good children! This is called the first wondrous merit-power of this sutra.”
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The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma
From Chapter 2
Skillful Means
(All)
At that time the World-honored One, rising calmly from samadhi, addressed Shariputra:
“The wisdom of buddhas is infinite and very profound. The gateway to their wisdom is difficult to enter and
difficult to understand―beyond the comprehension of even shravakas and pratyekabuddhas.
“Why is this? Because the buddhas have been in close fellowship with countless myriads of kotis of other
buddhas, fully practicing countless ways to enlightenment, boldly and diligently advancing, making their
fame universally known. Having accomplished the profound and unprecedented Dharma, they have taught it
according to what was appropriate; yet their intention is difficult to grasp.
“Shariputra! Since I became Buddha, I have widely discoursed and taught with various parables and
examples from the past, and by countless skillful means I have led living beings, freeing them from their
attachments. Why is this? Because the Tathagata is replete with skillful means and the paramita of
knowledge and insight.
“Shariputra! The knowledge and insight of the Tathagata is broad, great, profound, and far-reaching. With
infinite and unhindered powers, fearlessness, meditation, emancipation, and samadhi, he has entered into the
boundless realms and attained the unprecedented Dharma.
“Shariputra! The Tathagata is able to distinguish all things, explain the teachings skillfully, use gentle words,
and bring joy to the hearts of all.
“Shariputra! In essence, the Buddha is fully accomplished in the infinite, boundless, and unprecedented
Dharma.
“Shariputra! There is no need for me to say more. Why is this? Because the Dharma the Buddha has attained
is understood only rarely and with great difficulty. Only a buddha together with a buddha can fathom the
ultimate reality of all things.
“That is to say: all things have such an appearance, such a nature, such a substance, such a potency, such a
function, such a cause, such a condition, such an effect, such a recompense, and yet in every case such an
ultimate integration of them all.”
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The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma
From Chapter 3
A Parable
(All)
“Now this threefold world
Is all my domain;
The living beings in it
Are all my children.
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The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma
From Chapter 10
Teachers of the Dharma
(All)
“After the passing of the Tathagata, if there are good sons and good daughters who desire to teach this
Dharma Flower Sutra to the four groups, how should they teach it?
“These good sons and good daughters should enter the abode of the Tathagata, put on the robe of the
Tathagata, and sit on the seat of the Tathagata. Then, for the sake of the four groups, they should widely
teach this sutra.
“The abode of the Tathagata is a great compassionate heart for all living beings;
The robe of the Tathagata is a flexible and forbearing mind;
The seat of the Tathagata is the emptiness of all things.
“Abiding comfortably in these, they should, with diligence, widely teach this Dharma Flower Sutra to
bodhisattvas and the four groups.”
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The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma
From Chapter 12
Devadatta
(All)
The Buddha said to the monks:
“If, in a future world, there are good sons and good daughters who hear this Devadatta chapter of the
Wonderful Dharma Flower Sutra, and, without doubt, believe and revere it with pure hearts, they will not fall
into the realms of hell, hungry spirits, or beasts but will be born into the presence of the buddhas of the ten
directions. Wherever they are born, they will always hear this sutra.
“If they are born among human and heavenly beings, they will enjoy marvelous delight. If they are born into
the presence of buddhas, they will be born from lotus flowers.”
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The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma
From Chapter 16
The Eternal Life of the Tathagata
(All)
“Since I became Buddha,
The number of kalpas which have passed
Are infinite myriads
Of kotis of years beyond measure
“I have ceaselessly
expounded the Dharma,
Teaching and transforming countless kotis of beings
Enabling them to enter the Buddha Way.
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I thus manifest both my presence and my passing.
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The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma
From Chapter 20
The Bodhisattva Never Despise
(All)
“In the past, there was a buddha
Named King Majestic Voice.
Boundless in transcendent wisdom,
He was leader of all.
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He widely taught this sutra.
“Therefore, practitioners,
When hearing such a sutra as this
After the Buddha’s passing,
Give rise to no doubt.
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The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma
From Chapter 21
The Divine Power of the Tathagata
(All)
“After the Tathagata has passed,
Those who know the causes, conditions, and proper sequences
Of the sutras taught by the Buddha,
Will teach them according to the true meaning.
“After my passing,
Anyone who has wisdom,
Hearing that these virtues are beneficial
Will receive and embrace this sutra.
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The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma
From Chapter 25
The Universal Gateway of the Bodhisattva Kannon
(All)
When living beings are beset by woes
And burdened by countless pains,
Kannon’s wondrous wisdom-power
Can free them from the sufferings of the world.
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Brahma-voice, voice of the rolling tide;
Hers is a voice unsurpassed in the world,
Constantly to be kept in mind
With never a doubting thought.
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The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma
From Chapter 28
Encouragement of the Bodhisattva Universal Wisdom
(All)
The Buddha said to the Bodhisattva Universal Wisdom:
“If, after the passing of the Tathagata, good sons and good daughters accomplish these four criteria, they will
acquire this Dharma Flower Sutra.
“After the passing of the Tathagata, good sons and good daughters who accomplish these four will surely
attain this sutra.”
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From
The Sutra of Meditation on the Dharma Practice of
Bodhisattva Universal Wisdom
(All)
“When there is evil in the organ of sight,
Karmic hindrances contaminating the eyes,
You must recite the Great Vehicle sutras,
And reflect on their foremost meaning.
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“The organ of thinking is like a monkey
That never rests, even for a moment.
If you want to tame it,
You must diligently recite the Great Vehicle sutras.
Reflect on the Buddha’s completion of
His body of great awakening, power, and fearlessness.
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Universal Transfer of Merit
(Leader)
May these merits
Extend universally to all,
So that we, with all living beings,
Together accomplish the Buddha Way.
(Recite the above three times.)
(All)
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo
(Chant the O-daimoku ten times while striking the gong three times.)
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Transfer of Merit
(Leader)
Having respectfully recited the Great Vehicle Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, may we
transfer its merits to and thus reciprocate the boundless compassion of
so that they may delight in the taste of the Dharma and quickly accomplish the wonderful fruit of supreme
enlightenment.
We earnestly pray that with the help of divine guidance and protection, all living beings may awaken to their
buddha-nature and world peace be achieved.
Homage
(All)
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo
(Chant the O-daimoku three times while striking the gong three times.)
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The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma
From Chapter 26
Dharanis
(All)
Ani mani mane ma-mane shire shari-te shamya shabi-tai sente mokute moku-tabi shabi ai-shabi sobi shabi
shae ashae agini sente shabi darani arokyaba-sai-ha-shabi-shani neibite abentara-nebite atanda-hare-shudai
ukure mukure arare harare shugyashi asamma-sambi bodda-bikiri-jitte daruma-hari-shite sogyane-kushane
basha-basha-shudai mantara mantara-shayata urota urota-kyo-sharya ashara ashaya-taya abaro
amanya-nataya zare maka-zare ukki mokki are ara-hate nerete nereta-hate ichini ichini shichini nere-chini
nerichi-hachi ari nari tonari anaro nabi kunabi akyane kyane kuri kendari sendari matogi joguri buro-shani
acchi idebi idebin idebi adebi idebi debi debi debi debi debi roke roke roke roke take take take toke toke.
(Recite five times. Strike the gong during the final repetition only.)
“Even if troubles fall on our heads, may they not fall on the teachers of the Dharma:
Whether yakshas, or rakshasas, or hungry spirits, or putanas, or krityas, or vetadas, or kashayas, or umarakas,
or apasmarakas, or yaksha-krityas, or human-krityas;
Or fever―whether for a single day, or two days, or three days, or four days, or a week, or unremitting fever;
Whether in male form, or female form, or form of a boy, or form of a girl;
May none of these ever trouble them, not even in dreams!”
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The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma
Dharanis from Chapter 28
Encouragement of the Bodhisattva Universal Wisdom
(All)
Atan-dai tandaha-dai tanda-hate tanda-kushare tanda-shudare shudare shudara-hachi boddhaha-senne
saruba-darani-abatani saruba-basha-abatani shuu-abatani so-gyaha-bishani so-gyane-kyadani aso-gi
so-gyaha-gyadai tere-ada-sogya-torya-arate-harate saruba-so-gya-sammaji-kyarandai
saruba-daruma-shu-hari-sette saruba-satta-ruda-kyo-sharya-ato-gya-dai shin-nabikiri-daite.
(Recite five times. Strike the gong during the final repetition only.)
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The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma
From Chapter 11
The Appearance of the Treasure Tower
(All)
“This sutra is difficult to keep.
If there are those who keep it a short time,
I will be pleased,
And so will all the buddhas.
People such as these
Will be praised by all the buddhas.
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Members’ vow
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