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

It is a very small, simple collection in comparison to some. We keep some sutras in the Sino-Japanese and even in the Pali, others we recite in a translated form. Some we do both ways. We leave out certain dharanis, hymns of praise whose literal meaning has been lost, and we add several sutra dedications.

The dedications are called eko in Sino-Japanese, literally "turning." They are the turning of any merit acquired by reciting the sutras back to our ancestral teachers, and back to the process of all beings enlightening themselves. The sutras are our gifts to the world, chanted in gratitude for the way of wisdom and compassion that is affirmed more deeply with each service.

- from Encouraging Words by Aitken Roshi

Sesshin

Morning

• PURIFICATION

• VANDANA

• TI-SARANA

• THE GREAT PRAJNA PARAMITA HEART SUTRA - MAKA HANNYA HARAMITA SHIN GYO

• SHO SAI MYO KICHIJO DARANI

• FIRST SUTRA SERVICE DEDICATION

• TO-REI ZENJI: BODHISATTVA'S VOW

• EMMEI JIKKU KANNON GYO

• SECOND SUTRA SERVICE DEDICATION

• GREAT VOWS FOR ALL

Before Teisho

• ON OPENING THE DHARMA

After Teisho

• SHIGU SIEGAN MON (Great Vows For All in Sino-Japanese)

Afternoon

• SHODOKA with Nyogen Senzaki's commentary

  • Stanzas   1 - 10
  • Stanzas 11 - 20
  • Stanzas 21 - 30
  • Stanzas 31 - 40
  • Stanzas 41 - 51
  • Stanzas 52 - 60
  • Stanzas 61 - 70

Evening

• HAKUIN ZENJI: Song of Zazen

• EVENING CEREMONY DEDICATION

• GREAT VOWS FOR ALL

• EVENING MESSAGE

Mealtime Chants

• ORYOKI (formal meal)

  • VERSE ON OPENING THE BOWLS

  • THE TEN NAMES OF THE BUDDHA

  • THE SPIRIT OF ACCEPTANCE

  • HUNGRY GHOST FOOD OFFERING

  • GRATITUDE

  • CLEANING VERSE

  • MEAL'S END

• INFORMAL MEAL

Sesshin Closing

• MAKA HANNYA HARAMITA SHIN GYO

• ENDING DEDICATION or JUKAI CEREMONY

• GREAT VOWS FOR ALL

During sesshin we do zazen. Literally just sitting - open to what comes. There is nothing else in the universe  . . .  just this breath-moment.

Sutra service is really another form of zazen. There is nothing else in the universe  . . .  just all our voices chanting.

Well, that's the ideal. Most of the time Bushy's too busy trying not to sound too churchy. Oh sweet saccharin harmony!







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 by Robert Aitken Roshi

The ascii version of these texts can be acquired from the Electronic Buddhist Archives section of the Coombspapers Social Sciences Research Data Bank

THE CLOUD CLAN

Teaching names
of the Harada - Yasutani School
are always "cloud names."

Great Cloud
Daiun
Harada Sogaku

White Cloud
Hakuun
Yasutani Ryoko

Lone Cloud
Koun
Yamada Zenshin

Morning Cloud
Gyoun
Aitken Robert

Dream Cloud
Gen'un
Alcalde Augusto

Healing Cloud
Ji'un ken
Tarrant John

Spreading Cloud
Shin'un
Hawk Pat

Lazily Floating Cloud
Kan'un ken
Duffy Jack

Cloud Clearer
Stone Sei'un An Roselyn

STRAY CLOUDS

Lone Cloud
Maezumi Taizan

Crazy Cloud
Ikkyu Kyounshi Sojun