Return to Articles Page
Gyohatsunenju - The Meal Sutra
GYOHATSUNENJU
(hands in gassho)
Bus-sho Kapila, Jo do Makada
Sep-po Harana, Nyumetsu Kuchira
Nyorai o ryoki, Gakon toku futen
Gangu is-sai shu, To san rin ku jaku
(open bowls)
Shin jin pashin biru sha no fu
En mon ho shin rusha no fu
Sen pai kashin Shakya mu ni fu
To rai asan miru son fu
Ji ho san shi ishi fu
Dai jin myo harin ga kin
Dai shin bun jusu ri bu sa
Dai jin fuen bu sa
Daihi kan shi in bu sa
Shi son bu sa mo ko sa
Mo ko hoja ho ro mi
(gassho, shashu, zazen at hakari)
Hitotsu ni wa ko no tasho wo hakari kano raisho wo hakaru
Futatsu ni wa onorega toku gyo no zen ketto wo hakatte ku ni wo zu
Mitsu ni wa shin wo fusegi toga wo hana ru ru koto wa tonto wo shu to su
Yotsu ni wa masa ni ryoyaku wo koto to suru wa gyoko wo ryo zen ga tamenari.
Itsutsu ni wa jodo no tame no yue ni ima kono jiki wo uku.
(Godo/ino alone at lunch only)
Jiten kijinshu, Gokin suji kyu
Suji hen jiho, Ishi ki jin kyu
(place cutlery/spoon/chopsticks in bowl)
Jo bun san bo, Chu bun shion
Gekyu roku do, Kai do kuyo
(lift the Buddha bowl)
Ik-ku idan is-sai aku
Niku ishu is-sai zen
San ku i do sho shu jo
Kai gu jo butsu do.
(Offer water)
Gashi sen pas-sui, Nyo ten kan ro mi
Se yo kijin shu, Shitsuryo toku bo man
On makurasai so wa ka.
(Godo/ino alone)
Shishi kai jiki kun, Jiren ka fu jashi
Shin shin jin cho i hi, Ki shu rin bu jo son.
The Meal Sutra
Buddha was born in Kapila. He had satori in Makada.
He taught in Harana. He entered nirvana in Kuchira.
The bowls of the Tathagata, We uncover them now.
May we as well as all other beings, Attain nirvana and
shake off the three defilements.
The universal purity of Buddha Vairocana
The universal form of Buddha Vairocana,
all phenomena are Buddha.
All the Buddhas, past, present and future in the ten directions,
The great and perfect Buddha Samantabhadra,
Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of universal love
All the Bodhisattvas and Patriarchs
the sutra of the wisdom that goes beyond.
Where does this food come from? My thanks go to the one who prepared it I receive this gift of food while considering my imperfections.
Stopping anger and desires is the true religion, this food must be taken as a medicine for the health of the body.
I take this food in order to improve myself in the Way.
To all the dead and to all animal existences (pretas) I now offer this food.
May it fill the whole universe. I hope to eat with you.
For the Buddha, for the Dharma, for the Sangha,For society and all humanity,
For the innocents and those who cannot help themselves,
For all living beings in the universe, let this food be offered and eaten.
The first spoonful is to cut all evil,
The second to practice the good,
The third to help all living beings,
all together we will follow the way of Buddha.
I offer this water to all the dead beings,
Let it serve as food for them let it quench their thirst like the morning dew.
This world of emptiness, May we exist in muddy water with purity like a lotus,
Nothing surpasses the boundless mind, thus we bow to Buddha.