Diamond Sangha
Sesshin Sutra Book
December 1991 version
Translations/revisions by Robert Aitken Roshi
of the Diamond Sangha Zen Buddhist Society,
Koko An, 2119 Kaloa Way, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA 96822
Dharani (Japanese: Darani) is a hymn of praise, transliterated from the Sanskrit through the Chinese and then the Japanese, Korean or Vietnamese.
SHO SAI MYO KICHIJO DARANI
Dharani of Good Fortune That Averts Calamaties
NO MO SAN
MAN DA MOTO NAN
Veneration to all Buddhas!
OHA RA CHI KOTO SHA SONO NAN
The incomparable Buddha-power that banishes suffering.
TO JI TO EN GYA GYA GYA KI GYA KI UN NUN
Om! The Buddha of reality, wisdom, Nirvana!
SHIFU RA SHIFU RA HARA SHIFU RA HARA SHIFU RA
Light! Light! Great light! Great light!
CHISHU SA CHISHU SA SHUSHI RI SHUSHI RI
With no categories, this mysterious power
SOHA JA SOHA JA SEN CHI GYA SHIRI E SOMO KO
saves all beings; suffering goes, happiness comes, Svaha!
EMMEI JIKKU KANNON GYO
TEN VERSE KANNON SUTRA OF TIMELESS LIFE
Recited at evening ceremonies on regular days, and during morning serives at sesshin. A Rinzai sutra, it is also recited at some Soto centers in the West.
KANZEON
Kanzeon!
NAMU BUTSU
I venerate the Buddha;
YO BUTSU U IN
with the Buddha I have my source,
YO BUTSU U EN
with the Buddha I have affinity
BUP PO SO EN
affinity with Buddha, Dharma, Sangha,
JO RAKU GA JO
constancy, ease, the self, and purity.
CHO NEN KANZEON
Mornings my thought is Kanzeon,
BO NEN KANZEON
evenings my thought is Kanzeon,
NEN NEN JU SHIN KI
thought after thought arises in mind,
NEN NEN FU RI SHIN.
thought after thought is not separate from mind.
Notes and comments are lifted from the endnotes of the Empty Sky compilation of these Zen Buddhist texts and The Syllabus section of Encouraging Words - zen buddhist teachings for western students by Robert Aitken Roshi
Dharma Heroes
The ascii version of these texts can be acquired from the Electronic Buddhist Archives section of the Coombspapers Social Sciences Research Data Bank