IST 605: Zen Buddhism: For Beginners' Minds

Liturgy is a difficult to describe concept. Most often in a Buddhist context, liturgy refers to daily rituals that a Zen practitioner performs. This can include daily chants, offering incense, bowing, and daily tasks/services. Loori (2008) describes liturgy as "making the invisible visible" (p. 8). Bringing the Sacred to Life is a unique text in Zen literature, since describing liturgy is so difficult. The best way to think about liturgy is synonmous to ritual.

In his book, Bringing the Sacred to Life, Loori (2008) describes what liturgy is, gives examples of liturgy, and provides a list of the chants performed at Zen Mountain Monastery. Loori (2008) writes

Zen liturgy is upaya, skillful means. Like zazen and all the other areas of training, it functions as a way of uncovering the truth which is the life of each one of us (p. 8).

Some key aspects throughout this text include the following:

• Expressions of Gratitude (bowing, hand gestures, offerings)
• Chants & Gathas
• Vows (ie. The Four Bodhisattva Vows)
• Garments (such as a rakusu, kesa, etc.)
• Honorary Titles (Roshi, Daisho, Osho, etc.)

The extent of this libguide will cover the most relevant aspects or a beginner of Zen Buddhism: Chants, Rituals, Bowing, and Hand Gestures. For more information on Zen Liturgy, please review John Daido Loori's (1999) Bringing the Sacred to Life. 

Maha Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra

Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, doing deep Prajna Paramita,
clearly saw emptiness of all the five conditions,
thus completely relieving misfortune and pain.
Oh Shariputra, form is no other than emptiness,
emptiness no other than form.
Form is exactly emptiness, emptiness exactly form.
Sensation, conception, discrimination, awareness are likewise like this.
Oh Shariputra, all dharmas are forms of emptiness;
not born, not destroyed, not stained, not pure, without loss, without gain.
So in emptiness there is no form;
no sensation, conception, discrimination, awareness;
no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind;
no color, sound, smell, taste, touch, phenomena;
no realm of sight, no realm of consciousness;
no ignorance and no end to ignorance,
no old age and death and no end to old age and death,
no suffering, no cause of suffering,
no extinguishing, no path, no wisdom, and no gain.
No gain and thus the bodhisattva lives Prajna Paramita,
with no hindrance in the mind; no hindrance, therefore no fear.
Far beyond deluded thoughts; this is Nirvana.
All past, present, and future buddhas live Prajna Paramita
and therefore attain anuttara samyaksambodhi.
Therefore know Prajna Paramita is the great mantra,
the vivid mantra, the best mantra, the unsurpassable mantra.
It completely clears all pain. This is the truth not a lie.
So set forth the Prajna Paramita mantra,
set forth this mantra and say,
Gate! Gate! Paragate! Parasamgate! Bodhi Svaha!
Prajna Heart Sutra.