Daily Dharma

Wholeheartedly, day and night, a disciple of the Buddha should recite and meditate on the Eight Realizations discovered by the Mahasattvas, the Great Beings.

The First Realization is the awareness that the world is impermanent. All political regimes are subject to fall; all things composed of the four elements are empty and contain the seeds of suffering. Human beings are composed of the five skandhas, aggregates, and are without a separate self. They are always in the process of change - constantly being born and constantly dying. They are empty of self, without sovereignty. The mind is the source of all confusion, and the body is the forest of all impure actions. If we meditate on these facts, we can gradually be released from samsara, the round of birth and death.

The Second Realization is the awareness that more desire brings more suffering. All hardships in daily life arise from greed and desire. Those wiht little desire and ambition are able to relax their bodies and minds, free from entanglement.

The Third Realization is that the human mind is always searching for possessions and never feels fulfilled. This causes impure actions to ever increase. Bodhisattvas however, always remember the principle of having few desires. They live a simple life in peace in order to practice the Way, and consider the realization of perfect understanding as their only career.

The Fourth Realization is the awareness of the extent to which laziness is an obstacle to practice. For this reason, we must practice diligently to destroy the unwholesome mental factors, which mind us, and to conquer the four kinds of Mara, in order to free ourselves from the prisons of the five aggregates and the three worlds.

The Fifth Realization is the awareness that ignorance is the cause of the endless round of birth and death. Therefore, Bodhisattvas always remember to listen and learn in order to develop their understanding and eloquence. This enables them to educate living beings and bring them to the realm of great joy.

The Sixth Realization is the awareness that poverty creates hatred and anger, which creates a vicious cycle of negative thoughts and activity. When practicing generosity, Bodhisattvas consider everyone, friends and enemies alike, as equal. They do not condemn anyone's past wrongdoing, nor do they hate those who are presently causing harm.

The Seventh Realization is that the five categories of desire lead to difficulties. Although we are in this world, we should try not to be caught up in worldly matters. A monk, for example, has in his possession three robes and one bowl. He lives simply in order to practice the Way. His precepts keep him free from attachment to worldly things, and he treats everyone equally and with compassion.

The Eighth Realization is the awareness that the fire of birth and death is raging, causing endless suffering everywhere. We should take the Great Vow to help everyone, to suffer with everyone, and to guide all living beings to the realm of great joy.

[...from The Sutra on the Eight Great Realization of Great Beings, translation and commentary by Thich Nhat Hanh]

The Metta Sutra (Sutra on Loving-Kindness)

This is what should be done
By one who is skilled in goodness,
And who knows the path of peace;
Let them be able and upright,
Straightforward and gentle in speech.
Humble and not conceited,
Contented and easily satisfied.
Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.
Peaceful and calm, and wise and skillful,
Not proud and demanding in nature.
Let them not do the slightest thing
That the wise would later reprove.
Wishing: in gladness and in safety,
May all living beings be at ease.
Whatever living beings there may be;
Whether they are weak or strong, omitting none,
The great or the mighty, medium, short or small,
The seen and the unseen,
Those living near and far away,
Those born and to-be-born—
May all beings be at ease!
Let none deceive another,
Or despise any being in any state,
Let none through anger or ill will
Wish harm upon another.
Even as a mother protects with her life,
Her child, her only child
So with a boundless heart
Should one cherish all living beings;
Radiating kindness over the entire world:
Spreading upwards to the skies,
And downwards to the depths;
Outward and Unbounded,
Freed from hatred and ill will,
Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down
Free from drowsiness,
One should sustain this recollection.

Daily Dharma

The Maha Prajnaparamita Hridaya Sutra

The Bodhisattva of Great Compassion from the
deep practice of Prajnaparamita perceived the
emptiness of all five skandas an delivered all
beings from their suffering.

O Sariputra, form is no other than emptiness,
emptiness no other than form.
Form is emptiness, emptiness form.
The same is true of feeling, thought, impulse and
consciousness.

O Sariputra, all dharmas are empty.
They are not born or annihilated.
They are not defiled nor immaculate.
They do not increase nor decrease.
So in emptiness no form, no feeling, no thought, no
impulse, no consciousness.

No eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind; no form,
sound, smell, taste, touch, or objects of mind, no
realm of sight, no realm of consciousness.

No ignorance, nor extinction of ignorance, no old
age and death, nor extinction of them.

No suffering, no cause of suffering, no cease from
suffering, no path to lead out of suffering,
no knowledge, no attainment, no realization, for
there is nothing to attain.

The Bodhisattva holds on to nothing but
Prajnaparamita therefore the mind is clear of any
delusive hindrance.
Without hindrance there is no fear,
away from all perceived views one reaches final nirvana.

All Buddhas of past, present and future through
faith in Prajnaparamita attain to the highest perfect
enlightenment.

Know then the Prajnaparamita is the great
dharani, the radiant peerless mantrum, the utmost
supreme mantrum, which is capable of allaying all
pain.
This is true beyond all doubt.

Proclaim now the highest wisdom, the
Prajnaparamita.

Gate, Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi, Svaha!
Gate, Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi, Svaha!
Gate, Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi, Svaha!

Daily Dharma

The mantra of Junje bodhisattva:

Namu Sadanam Samyak Samotda Guchinam Danyata Om Ja Rye Ju Rye Junje Sabaha Burim (three times)

Now that I vow to recite the great Junje Mantra faithfully and to retain great Bodhi-mind, I am confident that I shall be directed to practice through samadhi and wisdom and see the brightness, to do charitable and pious acts, to attain victorious fortunes, and to attain Buddhahood with the people of this world.

The ten great vows:

• I will always stay far from the three evil ways.
• I will quickly cut off desire, anger, and ignorance.
• I will always listen to Buddha, dharma, and sangha.
• I will diligently cultivate precepts, meditation, and cognition.
• I will constantly cultivate Buddha’s teaching.
• I will never abandon the enlightenment-mind.
• I will always be reborn under favorable conditions.
• I will quickly see Buddha-nature.
• I will project myself throughout the universe.
• I will freely save all beings.

...quoted from the Translation of the Thousand Eyes and Hands Sutra in the Kwan Um School of Zen Chant Book

Daily Dharma

Reflection at the Moment of Using

Properly considering
    alms food I use it:
Not playfully, not for
    intoxication,
Nor for fattening, nor
    for beautification,
Only for the continuation
    and nourishment
Of this body, for
    keeping it unharmed,
For helping with the
    brahmacariya
    (virtue),
(Thinking) I shall
    destroy old feeling
    (of hunger)
And not produce new
    feeling (of overeating, etc.)
Thus there will be for me
    freedom from
    (bodily) troubles
    and living at ease.

...from Chapter 4, The Anthropology of Place in Meeting Faith: The Forest Journals of a Black Buddhist Nun, page 82