English translations provided by Rev Jikai Dehn, Rev Prof Shoshin Ichishima, and BDK
SANRAI – THREE FORMS OF REVERENCE [x3]
Reverently I venerate the Three Treasures of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.
SANGEMON – ADMITTING OUR MISDEEDS [x1]
All negative Karma ever accumulated by me in the past I realize is derived from greed, anger, and ignorance.
Whatsoever born of my body, words, and thoughts, I now make full confession.
SANKI SANKYO – THREE REFUGES THREE JEWELS [x1]
[Dōshi] Hard it is to be born into human life, now we are living it. Difficult it is to hear the Teachings of the Blessed One, now we hear it. If we do not deliver ourselves in the present life, no hope is there that we shall be freed from suffering and sorrow in the ocean of birth and death. Let us reverently take refuge in the Three Treasures of the Truth.
[Dōshi] Respecting all,
[group] I take refuge in the Buddha.
Now I wish, together with all sentient beings, to master the great path, and arouse the unsurpassed will.
I take refuge in the Dharma.
[Dōshi] Now I wish,
[group] together with all sentient beings, entering into the deep cannon, wisdom as deep as the ocean.
I take refuge in the Sangha.
[Dōshi] Now I wish,
[group] together withall sentient beings, to guide the multitude, to attain the non-attachment of all.
KAIKYOGE – OPENING SUTRA GATHA [ x1]
How rare it is to met with the ultimate and profound teaching of the truth even though I seek for an incredibly long period of time.
I now fortunately hear and receive it.
May I understand this profound Teaching of the Tathagata through my devoted effort.
JŪ NYŌZE – TEN FACTORS OF LIFE [x1]
That which The Buddha has achieved is none other than the Most Supreme Dharma, which is difficult to understand. Only a Buddha together with Buddha, can fathom the entirety of the Characteristics of Reality. This Dharma is namely that all is possessed of Such-Like Form (Appearance). Such-Like Nature. Such-Like Essence. Such-Like Power. Such-Like Activity. Such-Like Cause. Such-Like Condition. Such-Like Result. Such-Like Retribution. And Such-Like Beginning and End being the Same.
MYŌHŌ RENGE KYŌ KANZEON BOSATSU FUMON BON GE –
LOTUS SUTRA AVALOKITESVARA “UNIVERSAL GATEWAY” CHAPTER VERSE
Listen to the practices of Avalokiteśvara,
Which have their application to all!
His vow is deep like the ocean
And his kalpa is of inconceivable length.
After having attended
Many thousands of koṭis of buddhas,
He made a great, pure vow.
I will now explain it to you in brief:
If you hear his name and see his body,
And contemplate him in thought,
Your life will not be in vain;
And you will extinguish all suffering.
If anyone wants to hurt you
And pushes you into a great firepit,
If you contemplate the power of Avalokiteśvara,
The firepit will change into a pond.
If you drift upon the great ocean and meet danger
From dragons, fish, and demons,
If you contemplate the power of Avalokiteśvara,
You will not be swallowed by the waves.
If you are on the peak of Sumeru
And are pushed by somebody,
If you contemplate the power of Avalokiteśvara,
You will stay suspended in the air like the sun.
If any evil one chases you
And pushes you from Mount Diamond,
If you contemplate the power of Avalokiteśvara,
Not even a single hair will be hurt.
If evil robbers surround you
Each with a sword and the intent to harm,
If you contemplate the power of Avalokiteśvara,
The thought of mercy will awaken in them.
If you suffer under the punishment of a king
And your life is to be ended by execution,
If you contemplate the power of Avalokiteśvara,
The sword will be immediately broken into pieces.
If you are imprisoned with a neck chain,
Your hands and feet fettered,
If you contemplate the power of Avalokiteśvara,
They will disappear and you will be released.
If anyone wants to hurt your body
With a curse or poison,
If you contemplate the power of Avalokiteśvara,
These ills will return and afflict their authors.
If you meet evil rākṣasas,
Poisonous dragons, or demons,
If you contemplate the power of Avalokiteśvara,
They will not dare to hurt you.
If you are surrounded by evil animals
Whose teeth and claws are fearfully sharp,
If you contemplate the power of Avalokiteśvara,
They will run away swiftly
And to an immeasurable distance.
If there are lizards, snakes, vipers, or scorpions,
Whose breath is poisonous like a flaming smoke,
If you contemplate the power of Avalokiteśvara,
They will turn away swiftly at the sound of your voice.
If thunder resounds, lightning flashes,
Hail falls, and a great rain pours out of the clouds,
If you contemplate the power of Avalokiteśvara,
They will disappear immediately.
If sentient beings are in great adversity,
And immeasurable pain afflicts them,
The wonderful power of the wisdom of Avalokiteśvara
Can relieve the suffering of the world.
Endowed with transcendent powers
And having fully mastered wisdom and skillful means,
In all the worlds of the ten directions,
There is no place where he will not manifest himself.
The suffering of those in the troubled states of being:
Hell-dwellers, hungry ghosts, and animals;
And the suffering of birth, old age, illness, and death
Will gradually be extinguished.
He who perceives the world with truth, purity,
And vast knowledge,
And with benevolence and compassion,
Should be ever longed for and looked up to.
He is a spotless pure ray of light,
A sun of wisdom that destroys the darkness,
A flame that withstands the winds of calamity.
He brilliantly illuminates the entire world.
His will, the essence of which is compassion,
Shakes like thunder;
And the mind of mercy
Is like a beautiful overspreading cloud,
Which pours the Dharma rain of immortality
And extinguishes the flame of desires.
In a dispute before judges,
Or fearful in the midst of battle,
If you contemplate the power of Avalokiteśvara
All enemies will flee away.
He has a wondrous voice,
The voice of one who perceives the world,
A voice like Brahma’s, a voice like the rolling tide,
A voice unsurpassed in this world;
For this reason you should always contemplate him.
You should have no doubt, even for a moment.
The pure seer Avalokiteśvara will be a refuge
When suffering distress or the misery of death.
He is endowed with every quality,
Sees the sentient beings with his benevolent eyes,
And his ocean of merit is immeasurable;
For this reason you should pay him homage. (https://www.bdk.or.jp/document/dgtl-dl/dBET_T0262_LotusSutra_2007.pdf)
ENMEI JYUKKU KANNON GYO – TEN PHRASE KANZEON [x1]
Avalokitesvara! Salutation and devotion to the Buddha! We are one with the Buddha in cause and effect, related to all Buddhas and to the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Our True Nature is Eternal, Joyous, True-self and Pure.
So let us chant every morning Avalokitesvara, with attention!
Awareness to Avalokitesvara each evening.
Awareness, awareness arises from the mind.
Awareness, awareness is not separate from the mind.
HANNYA SHIN GYŌ – HEART SUTRA [x1]
When Holy Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva performed the deep practice in the Perfection of
Transcendent Wisdom, he contemplated that there were five aggregates but observed that they were devoid of essential nature.
In this case, Shāriputra, form is voidness and voidness is itself form; voidness is not
different from form, and form is not different from voidness; that which is form is voidness, and that which is voidness is form.
So it is for perception, conception, volition and consciousness.
In this case, Shāriputra, all things have the characteristics of voidness; they neither arise
nor perish; they are neither defiled nor pure, neither deficient nor complete.
Therefore, Shāriputra, within the voidness, there is no form, no perception, no conception, no volition, nor consciousness.
Neither is there eye, ear, nose, tongue, body or mind.
Neither is there form, sound, smell, taste, touch nor concepts
Neither is there realm of sight, etc., until we come to the non-existence of realm of
consciousness.
Neither is there wisdom, nor ignorance, nor extinction of wisdom, nor extinction of
ignorance, etc., until we come to the non-existence of old age and death and the non-
extinction of old age and death. Neither is there suffering, cause of suffering, extinction ofsuffering, nor the path leading to extinction of suffering. Neither is there wisdom nor
acquisition because there is no grasping.
Depending on the bodhisattva’s Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom, one completely gets rid of attachment. Because of the absence of mental hindrance, one is fearless; freed from delusory thoughts, one will reach Nirvāṇa.
All Buddhas dwelling in the three periods realize the highest, perfect enlightenment
depending on the Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom.
For this reason, know that the Great Mantra of the Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom is
the Great Wisdom Mantra, the Unsurpassed Mantra, and the Unequaled Mantra. It
extinguishes all suffering, and is true and real because it is not false. It is the Mantra
proclaimed in the Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom.
Namely, Gone, gone, gone to the other shore;
Gone completely to the other shore. So be it!
Thus ends the Essence of the Transcendent Wisdom Sutra.
SHŪSO DAISHI HŌGŌ – VENERABLE NAME OF FOUNDER[x3]
Homage to the Root Founder Great Master Dengyo the Fortuitous Vajra
HOKKE JŌBUTSU GE – ATTAINING BUDDHAHOOD THROUGH THE LOTUS SUTRA [x1]
By the virtue of this merit of praising the Tathagata, may the boundless blessings be bestowed upon all beings!
May we walk the Noble Path together and equally attain Buddhahood.
SHICHI BUTSU TSU KAI GE [x1]
THE VERSE OF THE COMMANDMENT COMMONLY TAUGHT BY THE SEVEN BUDDHAS OF THE PAST
To refrain from doing any manner of evil,
To respectfully perform all varieties of good,
To carry out the purification of one’s own mind
It is this which constitutes the teachings of the Buddhas.
Tendai Buddhism UK 