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Verse Before Eating (Shokuzen No Ge
Verse Before Eating (Shokuzen No Ge
Verse of Purity While Abiding in the World (Sho sekai bon no ge 處世界梵之偈).
A verse chanted at meals times, in conjunction with ordination as a monk, and various
other observances. There are two pronunciations:
Abiding in this world which resembles empty space,
like a lotus flower that touches not the water,
the mind is pure and transcends it.
Maintaining this principle, we bow our heads to the Most Honored One.
shishi kai jiki kun 處世界如虚空 shosei kai nyoko ku
jiren ka fu jashī 如蓮花不著水 nyoren gefu jaku sui
shin shin jo cho ihi 心清淨超於彼 shin sho jo cho ohi
kishu rinbu jo son 稽首禮無上尊 keishu rai bujō son
Lotus plants are rooted in the muck at the bottom of shallow, murky ponds, but
their beautiful blossoms rise above the water and are not sullied by it. The lotus
flower (renge 蓮花) is thus an apt symbol of the Mahayana bodhisattva, who for the
sake of helping living beings remains in the muck of the world (sekai 世界) of birth
and death rather than entering nirvana, but whose mind remains pure because he
or she realizes the emptiness (kū 空) of all dharmas (phenomena) and thus remains
unattached (fujaku 不著) to them. The verse as it now stands derives from the Rules
of Purity for Zen Monasteries (Zen’en shingi 禪苑清規), compiled in 1103, but there
are sources for it in older Buddhist literature.
Verse of Robe and Bowls (Ehatsu no ge 衣鉢の偈). Verse chanted when giving
bowls to ordinand in ceremony of taking precepts when going forth from household
life (shukke tokudo shiki 出家得度式):
Splendid, these alms bowls,
which always hold an accumulation of merit.
I now accept them with reverence
and spread them out to convert living beings.
zen zai hat-tara 善哉鉢多羅
jōji kudokuju 常持功德聚
gakon cho daiju 我今頂戴受
ten den kegun jo 展轉化群生
Verse of Sitting Cloth (Zagu no ge 坐具の偈). Chanted when giving sitting cloth
to ordinand in ceremony of taking precepts when going forth from household life
(shukke tokudo shiki 出家得度式):
Splendid, the sitting cloth,
which all buddhas have received and used.
We vow to include all beings
and always sit within its borders.
zen zai nishi dan 善哉尼師壇
shobutsu shoju yu 諸佛所受用
gangu is-saishu 願共一切衆
jōza ogo chu 常坐於其中
☞ “sitting cloth.”
Verse of Three Refuges (San kirai mon 三歸禮文). An expanded version of the
threefold refuge (san kie 三歸依), that is, taking refuge in (relying on) the three treasures:
buddha, dharma, and sangha.
I take refuge in buddha,
with the prayer that living beings
may embody the great way
and give rise to the highest aspiration.
I take refuge in dharma,
with the prayer that living beings
may enter deeply into the canon,
that ocean of wisdom.
I take refuge in sangha,
with the prayer that living beings
may ensure that the great assembly
is entirely free from hindrances.
jikie butsu 自歸依佛
to gan shujō 當願衆生
taige tai do 體解大道
hotsu mujōi 發無上意
jikie ho 自歸依法
to gan shujō 當願衆生
jin nyu kyo zo 深入經藏
chie nyokai 智慧如海
jikie so 自歸依僧
to gan shujō 當願衆生
tōri daishu 統理大衆
is-sai muge 一切無礙
To “embody” (taige 體解) the “great way” (taidō 大道) means to personally engage
in the practice of Buddhism. To “give rise to the highest aspiration” (hotsu mujō I
發無上意) is to arouse the thought of awakening (bodaishin 菩提心, S. bodhicitta),
meaning the intention to attain buddhahood for the sake of all living beings, which
is the first step on the bodhisattva path. The canon (kyōzō 經藏, S. sūtra-pitaka) is
the collection of sutras that embody the wisdom (chie 智慧, S. prajnā) and teachings
(hō 法, S. dharma) of the Buddha, which are said to be vast and deep, “like an ocean”
(nyokai 如海). The “great assembly” (daishu 大衆) refers to the order of Buddhist
monks and nuns, in general, and those who are resident in a given monastery, in particular.
This verse extends the meaning of “sangha” (sō 僧) to include all living beings
(shujō 衆生), however, for it invites them to participate in the Buddhist community
by entering the bodhisattva path, studying the sutras, and giving material support to
the monastics so they will be “ free from hindrances” (muge 無礙).
Verse of Threefold Refuge (San kie mon 三歸依文). Also called precepts of three
refuges (sankikai 三歸戒). Verse for taking refuge in three treasures in connection
with ceremony of taking precepts when going forth from household life (shukke
tokudo shiki 出家得度式).
Hail refuge in buddha.
Hail refuge in dharma.
Hail refuge in sangha.
I take refuge in buddha, honored as highest.
I take refuge in dharma, honored as stainless.
I take refuge in sangha, honored as harmonious.
I have taken refuge in buddha.
I have taken refuge in dharma.
I have taken refuge in sangha.
namu kie butsu 南無歸依佛
namu kie ho 南無歸依法
namu kie so 南無歸依僧
kie butsu mujō son 歸依佛無上尊
kie ho rijin son 歸依法離塵尊
kie so wagō son 歸依僧和合尊
kie buk-kyō 歸依佛竟
kie ho kyo 歸依法竟
kie so kyo 歸依僧竟
Verse paraphrase of Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra (Dai hannya kyō 大般若
經). May be chanted during revolving reading of Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra
(tendoku daihannya 轉讀大般若).
Dharmas all arise from causes and conditions.
Because they arise from causes and conditions, they have no own-being.
Because they have no own-being, they have no going or coming.
Because they have no going or coming, there is nothing obtained.
Because there is nothing obtained, in the final analysis they are empty.
Because in the final analysis they are empty,
this is called the perfection of wisdom.
Homage to all the three treasures,
incalculable and vast,
which give rise to unsurpassed supreme and perfect awakening.
shohō kaize in-nen sho 諸法皆是因縁生
in-nen sho komuji sho 因縁生故無自性
muji sho komuko rai 無自性故無去來
muko rai komu shotoku 無去來故無所得
musho tokuko hik-kyo ku 無所得故畢竟空
hik-kyo kūko 畢竟空故
zemyō han-nya hara mitsu 是名般若波羅蜜
namu is-sai san bo 南無一切三寶
muryō ko dai 無量廣大
hotsu anoku tara san myaku san bodai 發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提
nōbo bagya batei 納慕跋伽筏帝
haraja hara mita ei 鉢喇壤波羅蜜多曳
ta'nyata 咀姪他
shitsu rei ei 室囇曳
shitsu rei ei 室囇曳
shitsu rei ei 室囇曳
shitsu rei ei 室囇曳
sai sowaka 細薩婆訶
The sources of this verse and the accompanying dharani are obscure, but the verse
appears to be based on phrases found in the Great Perfection of Wisdom Treatise
(Daichidoron 大智度論), a commentary on the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra
(Dai hannya kyō 大般若經).
Verse Upon Hearing Mallet (Montsui no ge 聞槌の偈). The signal for setting out
bowls (tenpatsu 展鉢) at the start of a formal meal is a blow on an octangular wooden
block made by a “mallet” (tsui 槌). The great assembly of monks then gassho and
chant:
Buddha was born in Kapilavastu,
attained the way in Magadha,
preached the dharma in Vārānasī,
and entered nirvana in Kuśinagara.
bus-sho kabira 佛生迦毘羅
jo do makada 成道摩掲陀
sep-po harana 説法波羅奈
nyu metsu kuchira 入滅拘絺羅
For a discussion of these four episodes in the traditional life of Shakamuni Buddha
and the significance given them in Soto Zen, see ☞ “Shakamuni.”
Verses of Food Offering (Sejiki ge 施食偈). Verses chanted at meal times. The “offering
of food” (sejiki 施食) refers primarily to donations made to a monastery by
lay supporters, although the monks ritually extend those offering to all sentient beings.
• gruel time (shukuji 粥時) (breakfast) verse:
This morning gruel has ten benefits
that richly profit the practitioner.
Its fruit is boundless:
a supreme and lasting ease.
shu yu jiri 粥有十利
nyoi an jin 饒益行人
kohō buhen 果報無邊
kyu kin jo ra 究寛常樂
The “ten benefits” (jūri 十利) are: (1) good physical appearance (shoku 色), (2)
strength (riki 力), (3) long life (ju 壽), (4) bodily ease (raku 樂), (5) a clear voice
(chōseiben 調清辯), (6) prevention of indigestion (shukushokujo 宿食除), (7) prevention
of colds (fūjo 風除), (8) elimination of hunger (kishō 飢消), (9) elimination of
thirst (kasshō 渇消), and (10) healthy defecation and urination (daishōben chōteki 大
小便調適). “Lasting ease” (jōraku 常樂) refers both to the physical well-being that
results from the meal and to the ultimate well-being that is nirvana.
Verse of Disfigurement (Kigyō ge 毀形偈). Verse chanted upon shaving off the final
tuft of hair (topknot) of an ordinand in ceremony of taking precepts when going
forth from household life (shukke tokudo shiki 出家得度式):
The appearance is ruined but chasteness is preserved.
Cutting attachments and leaving those near and dear,
we go forth from home, seek the holy path,
and vow to save all beings.
kigyō shushi setsu 毀形守志節
katsu ai jisho shin 割愛辭所親
shuk-ke gushō do 出家求聖道
seido is-sai shu 誓度一切衆