The “Diligent Daily Practice of Ittōen”—A draft translation
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| Tenkō-san’s handwritten characters on the tengai (headscarf) that is worn both in worship and at work at Ittōen. A circle is drawn in the upper centre (see main text below), and the characters read: 古のこゝ路 この身 こ能くらし 八十八翁 天香 which means, “This heart, this body, this life — 88 year-old man, Tenko (with his monogram/signature).” 古のこゝ路 この身 こ能くらし is written in variant kana characters, and in standard kana characters it reads: このこころ この身 このくらし. My profound thanks to Miki Nakura for writing to Kimura Yayoi-san at Ittōen asking for this explanation of Tenkō-san’s hard to read calligraphy. |
Recently my friend and, indeed, Dharma-friend, Miki Nakura-san, was teaching Seiza (Quiet Sitting) at the Ittōen community in Kyoto that was founded by Tenkō Nishida-san. As regular readers of this blog will know Miki and I recently translated the Kōmyō Kigan, the Prayer for Light (Provisonal) that is a important text within their community. Indeed, I’m pleased, and highly honoured, recently to have learned that our translation is, at some point, going to be used by the Ittōen community on its website and in other materials.
But, although I knew about their use of the Kōmyō Kigan, I didn’t know anything more about their morning and evening offices other than what one could glean from the 1969 English translation of Tenkō-san’s book, “Life of Ittōen: A New Road to Ancient Truth” and the following passage from their Japanese website:
At Ittōen there is no specific principal image; since the essences of the various religions are worshipped, the worship hall is arranged so as to worship Great Nature through the round window at the front. That is both God and Buddha—what Ittōen calls “the Light.” The morning office centres on worship and on a gāthā from the Vimalakīrti Sūtra and “One Fact”; the evening office centres on the Heart Sūtra and the Vimalakīrti gāthā. The “Vimalakīrti Sūtra” is the scripture of the lay awakened one Vimalakīrti, a forerunner of Ittōen; the “Heart Sūtra” is a short scripture that summarises the essence of Buddhism; and “One Fact” is a passage from the “Record of the Fragrant Cave of Heavenly Flowers”, a record of Tenkō-san’s inner realisation in his new life. This succinctly expresses the Ittōen way of life.
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| Ittōen’s main worship-hall, the “Water-Moon Dōjō” (on right-hand pillar), mentioned in Tenkō-san’s Rokuman Gyōganka. Photos: Miki Nakura. |
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| Detail of the window |
So, for many years, I’ve wondered what happens in the morning and evening offices held at at Ittōen? Well, during Miki’s last visit he kindly sent me a copy of their book of offices, and very interesting and inspiring it is, and so I publish a draft translation of it here for your interest, and I hope, pleasure. Just to note that I’ll be continually correcting this page as I work through the many mistakes it assuredly contains. But, I’m reasonably confident that the translations which follow are good enough for us to get a good, initial idea of Ittōen’s daily offices/prayers.
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| Diligent Daily Practice of Ittōen |
Just a couple of notes:
All the hymns contained here are by Tenkō-san, as are the opening and closing verses, the Kōmyō Kigan, and One Fact. The Words of Thanksgiving also seem to be Tenkō-san’s. If they are, then this can be thought of as a Shintō-style thanksgiving norito addressed to Amaterasu-Ōmikami, composed/curated by Nishida Tenkō specifically for Ittōen’s use. It borrows the traditional frame (honorific openings/closings, “august heart,” reverent diction) and fills it with Ittōen’s ethics.
The Buddhist texts seem, for the most part, to be standard versions used by Buddhist communities. The verse (gāthā) from the Vimalakīrti Sūtra comes from end of Chapter 8, “The Buddha Way”.
The 〇 before many of the texts appears in the original. It is a symbol of oneness and perfection that Tenkō-san used in many of his hand written texts, such as the one at the top of this post.
I have attempted to translate the texts from the Bible and the Qur’an at the end of this service book straight from the Japanese rather than doing this by referring back to well-known English translations [for an exploration of this, see HERE). I have done this simply to give an English reader a sense of the text as it appears in Japanese. It is not a perfect solution (nor, indeed, are they perfect translations) but I hope they help the reader sense the subtle differences that are present . . .
—o0o—
Diligent Daily Practice of Ittōen
Ittōen Nichinichi Gyōjishū
To worship is to let go of oneself. When one lets go of oneself, the whole is oneself.
—Nishida Tenkō
(Note: This is Saying III in Nishida Tenkō’s book of fifty sayings called “Selflessness”)
* * *
* * *
Kami of Heaven and Earth,
pray bear witness
to this, my petition,
suited to one such as me,
who is lacking in virtue.
II
Having sought out the root
of all the world's afflictions,
I returned,
recognising it
as my own fault — this is my work.
III
I humbly pray:
grant that this labour
may serve to firm
the very soil
of my land of Hinomoto [Japan].
Entrusting myself to the Kami
who guard the bedrock
deep beneath the Great Eight Isles,
I would offer up
my very life in prayer!
II
“All who live
within the Four Seas
are kin.”
O, that I could live
in accord with that Great August Heart.
a practice suited to one as lacking in virtue as me.
It is a vow born of seeking out the very root of all the world’s hindrances,
only to return, recognising it as my own fault.
I beg you: grant me the Water-Moon Dōjō [Ittōen's worship-hall];
may these myriad deeds, transient and insubstantial as flowers in the sky,
serve to steady the land of Hinomoto [Japan, lit. ‘the origin of the sun’].
Entrusting myself to the Kami who guard the bedrock of the Great Eight Islands [Japan],
I would offer my very life in prayer!
“All who dwell within the Four Seas are kin” —
O, that I might find a way to live in accord with that Great August Heart.
[Note: “All who dwell within the Four Seas are kin” is from one of the poems by the Emperor Meiji which appears towards the end of this service book.]
(in the trans. by Burton Watson)
expedient means his father;
of those who guide and teach all beings,
there are none not born of these.
Dharma joy is his wife,
pity and compassion of mind are his daughters,
the good mind and sincerity his sons,
final emptiness and tranquility his dwelling.
For disciples he has the many dusts and passions;
they follow the dictates of his will.
The thirty-seven elements of the Way are his good friends;
through them he gains correct enlightenment.
The paramitas are his Dharma companions,
the four methods of winning others, his singing girls.
For songs they carol the words of the Dharma;
such is the music made for him.
In the garden of full retention of the teachings
grow the trees of the Law free of outflows.
Their wonderful blossoms are the seven factors of enlightenment,
their fruit, emancipation and wisdom.
On the bathing-pool of the eight emancipations,
brimming with clear waters of meditation,
spread the lotuses of the seven purities;
those who bathe there are spotless.
His elephants and horses race the five roads of transcendental power,
for chariot he has the Great Vehicle.
Controlling, directing with the single mind,
he travels the eightfold path.
His form displays all the auspicious marks,
every good feature adorns him.
He is clothed in the garments of shame and remorse,
a deeply searching mind his garland.
For wealth he has the treasure of the seven assets
which he teaches to others, enriching them.
He practices as the teachings direct,
his great profits he shares with others.
His couch is the four meditations,
where the pure way of life is born.
He hears much, augmenting his wisdom,
sounding the call of self-awakening.
The sweet dew of the Law is his food,
sauced with the flavor of emancipation.
He bathes in purification of the mind,
anointing himself with the perfume of the precepts.
He wipes out the thieves of earthly desire;
his valor cannot be outshone.
He conquers and subdues the four kinds of devils,
his victory banners fly over the place of practice.
Though he knows there is no arising or extinction,
he undergoes birth so he may instruct others.
In every land he manifests himself;
like the sun, nowhere is he not seen.
To the countless millions of Thus Come Ones of the ten directions he gives alms,
yet he never thinks of these Buddhas as in any way separate from himself.
Though he knows that the Buddha lands,
along with living beings, are empty,
yet constantly he works to purify the lands,
teaching and converting the many beings.
The form and voice and behavior of every manner of living being -
the bodhisattva with his fearless powers can take on any of these in an instant.
He understands all devilish affairs and can imitate the actions of devils.
Wise in the skillful use of expedient means, he can manifest all such forms at will.
At times he shows himself old, sick, dying, in order to wake living beings,
so they will realize they are like conjured phantoms and gain understanding free of all obstacles.
Sometimes he shows the kalpa ending in flames,
heaven and earth consumed with all else,
so that people who think of things as permanent
will clearly perceive their impermanence.
Countless billions of living beings
come in company to visit the bodhisattva,
all arriving at his house at the same moment;
he converts them, directs them to the Buddha way.
Secular writings, secret spells and incantations,
crafts, skills, the many arts—
all these he shows himself adept in,
so he may aid and benefit living beings.
He becomes a monk in all the different creeds of the world
so that thereby he may free others from delusion
and save them from falling into erroneous beliefs.
At times he becomes the sun, the moon, a heavenly being,
an Indra, a Brahma, lord of the world;
at others he may become earth or water, or again become wind or fire.
If during the kalpa there is pestilence,
he manifests himself as medicinal herbs;
those who drink potions made from them will be healed of sickness, cleansed of all poison.
If during the kalpa there is famine,
he manifests his body as food and drink,
first relieving hunger and thirst,
then telling people of the Law.
If during the kalpa there is a clash of arms,
he accordingly rouses a mind of compassion,
converting those living beings,
causing them to dwell in a land without contention.
When great armies confront each other in the field,
he causes them to be of equal might,
manifesting his bodhisattva power and authority,
subduing them and restoring peace.
In whatever country hells exist,
at once he sets out, journeys there,
striving to relieve their sufferings.
In whatever country beasts are devouring one another,
in all his births he manifests himself there so he can bring aid to those lands.
He shows himself subject to the five desires yet is also seen to practice meditation,
causing the devils’ minds to be dazed and confounded
so they cannot take advantage of others.
To live as a lotus among flames-this may be deemed a rare thing.
To exist amid desire yet practice meditation-this too is rare!
Sometimes he shows himself as a woman of
pleasure, enticing those prone to lechery.
First he catches them with the hook of desire,
then leads them into the Buddha way
Sometimes he appears as a village headman,
other times as leader of the merchants,
as a teacher of the nation, a high-placed official, abetting and profiting all beings.
Where there are those in poverty and want he shows himself with limitless stores,
using them to encourage and lead others, causing them to set their minds on attaining bodhi.
Among those arrogant and full of ego
he becomes a man of great strength,
overpowering and curbing their haughtiness,
causing them to dwell in the unsurpassed way.
Where there are those timid and quailing
he stands at their head to lend assurance.
First he fills them with fearlessness,
then causes them to set their minds on the way.
Sometimes he is seen renouncing lust and desire
to become a holy man of the five transcendental powers,
opening the way, guiding living beings,
causing them to dwell in the precepts, forbearance and compassion.
If there are those looking for servants,
he shows himself as a groom or menial,
and after delighting his employers,
he rouses in them a mind for the way.
Whatever others are looking for,
he supplies it to win them to the Buddha way
With his skill in the power of expedient means he can satisfy all their waits.
Thus his ways are beyond measure,
his practices know no bounds; infinite in wisdom,
he saves and emancipates countless beings.
Though all the Buddhas for numberless billions of kalpas should praise the merits he achieves,
they could never finish doing so.
Who can hear of this Law and not set his mind on the attainment of bodhi?
Who but the utterly worthless, the blindly ignorant, the witless?
Herein lies one fact.
There is a man who stands at the crossroads.
Though but a man, he is as one who lives having received a Radiant Light. At times he presses his palms together in prayer, worshipping something; at times he enters a person’s home, tidies the clogs, sweeps the garden, cleans the privy, and tidies the shed. If hungry, he prays and stands by the kitchen. Sometimes, if the heart of the giver is impure, he will not accept. Sometimes, upon receiving and praying for a time, the heart of the one who gave becomes naturally purified.
Unless compelled by necessity, he accepts no food beyond that of a servant, takes no seat of honour, and receives no formal bows. He lodges in the homes of the joyful, and as an act of service, performs any task asked of him. He goes to the houses of A, B, C, and D, making no distinction between insider and outsider, kin and stranger. He respects all people, gives thanks for all things, and busies himself with deeds of gratitude and repayment.
Though he has a family, they do not cling to one another; each enjoys their day in this life of theirs, serving without a trace of disquiet.
He is neither monk nor layman; he is an infinite field of merit, and yet simultaneously, a labourer. He does not work for his living; it rather appears that, being sustained by the Radiant Light, his labour is one of grateful repayment.
When the wealthy, rich yet troubled, come to confide in this man of the Way, they come to know the cause of their own anxiety in the space of his wordless response. When the poor, lamenting their want, seek salvation from him, they come to see their own riches and become people who delight in gratitude and repayment.
The authority of civilisation holds no value before this man of the Way; it is revealed as a mere folly, building only to destroy itself, grieving over nothing and suffering over possession.
The gospel of heaven and the desire for bliss in the next life become, for this man, but trivial entanglements. If questioned on life and death, he smiles and does not answer. If asked, “Who are you, man of the Way?”, he again presses his palms together, turns his face away, and sweeps the dust from the roadside. If one presses him earnestly on faith and the Way, he replies only, “I am ashamed of my lack of virtue.” If one entreats him more urgently to show the path, he answers, “Walk on, having received the Light, without attachment to form.”
He is not confined to Buddha, nor to God, nor even to Confucius; he seems rather to be contained within the gate known as the “Non-Dual Radiant Light.”
Concerning anguish, trouble, dissatisfaction, conflict — reaching even to the principles of a nation’s rise and fall, or the problems of rebuilding the world — strike upon these topics and he will resonate, clear and lucid. If one admires this and praises him, his bright, clear answer is simply, “It is the Non-Dual Radiant Light.”
He is gentle, humble, and diligent, yet without a spirit of contention. He has little desire to acquire, yet greatly rejoices in the act of production. With regard to all the world’s ideologies, he dares not affirm, nor, of course, does he deny. He simply seems to be without crooked thought, spontaneous and natural in accordance with the Law.
Is this a man? Is it the Radiant Light? Or is it, perhaps, another kind of fool? The man himself does not know, so how could an onlooker? Nevertheless, herein lies this single fact.
2) May we revere the heart of all religions, and participate in the Great Vow of Returning-to-One [kiitsu].
3) May we freely serve others in the spirit of repentance and in gratitude for the gifts we have received.
4) May we make our way in the everyday world by following the Dharma, the sacred laws of nature.
5) And, in this way, may we return to our home [the Fragrant Cave of Heavenly Flowers / Tenka Kōdō], always rambling leisurely in the formless paradise of light.
(The preceding prayer, along with Tenkō-san’s short commentaries, are available at this link.)
* * *
* * *
Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, when deeply practising the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore [prajñā pāramitā], clearly saw that all five Skandhas are empty, and thus delivered all beings from suffering.
Shariputra, form does not differ from emptiness, emptiness does not differ from form. Form itself is emptiness, emptiness itself form. Sensations, perceptions, formations, and consciousness are also like this.
Shariputra, all dharmas are marked by emptiness; they neither arise nor cease, are neither defiled nor pure, neither increase nor decrease. Therefore, given emptiness, there is no form, no sensation, no perception, no formation, no consciousness; no eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind; no sight, no sound, no smell, no taste, no touch, no object of mind; no realm of sight ... no realm of mind consciousness. There is neither ignorance nor extinction of ignorance ... neither old age and death, nor extinction of old age and death; no suffering, no cause, no cessation, no path; no wisdom and no attainment. With nothing to attain, a bodhisattva relies on the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore [prajñā pāramitā], and thus the mind is without hindrance. Without hindrance, there is no fear. Far beyond all inverted views, one realises nirvāṇa.
All buddhas of past, present, and future rely on the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore [prajñā pāramitā] and thereby attain unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment. Therefore, know the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore [prajñā pāramitā] as the great spiritual mantra, the great bright mantra, the supreme mantra, the incomparable mantra, which removes all suffering and is true, not false. Therefore we proclaim the mantra of the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore [prajñā pāramitā mantra], the mantra that says:
Gate, gate, pāragate, pārasaṃgate, bodhi svāhā!
[Gone, gone, gone beyond, gone completely beyond — awakening!]
The Heart Sūtra of the Mahā-Prajñā-Pāramitā (The Insight That Brings Us to the Other Shore trans. by Thich Nhat Hanh)
Avalokiteshvara
while practicing deeply with
the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore,
suddenly discovered that
all of the five Skandhas are equally empty,
and with this realisation
he overcame all Ill-being.
“Listen Sariputra,
this Body itself is Emptiness
and Emptiness itself is this Body.
This Body is not other than Emptiness
and Emptiness is not other than this Body.
The same is true of Feelings,
Perceptions, Mental Formations,
and Consciousness.
“Listen Sariputra,
all phenomena bear the mark of Emptiness;
their true nature is the nature of
no Birth no Death,
no Being no Non-being,
no Defilement no Purity,
no Increasing no Decreasing.
“That is why in Emptiness,
Body, Feelings, Perceptions,
Mental Formations and Consciousness
are not separate self entities.
The Eighteen Realms of Phenomena
which are the six Sense Organs,
the six Sense Objects,
and the six Consciousnesses
are also not separate self entities.
The Twelve Links of Interdependent Arising
and their Extinction
are also not separate self entities.
Ill-being, the Causes of Ill-being,
the End of Ill-being, the Path,
insight and attainment,
are also not separate self entities.
Whoever can see this
no longer needs anything to attain.
Bodhisattvas who practice
the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore
see no more obstacles in their mind,
and because there
are no more obstacles in their mind,
they can overcome all fear,
destroy all wrong perceptions
and realize Perfect Nirvana.
“All Buddhas in the past, present and future
by practicing
the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore
are all capable of attaining
Authentic and Perfect Enlightenment.
“Therefore Sariputra,
it should be known that
the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore
is a Great Mantra,
the most illuminating mantra,
the highest mantra,
a mantra beyond compare,
the True Wisdom that has the power
to put an end to all kinds of suffering.
Therefore let us proclaim
a mantra to praise
the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore.
Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha!
Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha!
Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha!”
of the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, fully endowed with myriad virtues,
to the Dharma-body in its original ground,
and to the stūpa that is the whole Dharma-realm.
With deep respect we venerate the One
who manifested a body for our sake.
By the Buddha’s sustaining empowerment — entering us as we enter it —
we verify awakening.
By this spiritual power
we benefit living beings, arouse the mind of awakening,
and cultivate the bodhisattva way,
together entering and accomplishing the great wisdom of equality.
Now we bow in reverence.
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| Statue of K(w)annon at Ittōen |
I now ask you once again —
for what reason that Buddha’s son
is named Bodhisattva Kannon [Perceiver of the World’s Sounds]?
The honored One endowed with wonderful features
replied to Inexhaustible Intent in verse:
Listen to the actions of Kannon,
how aptly they respond in various quarters.
Their vast oath is deep as the ocean;
kalpas pass but it remains unfathomable.
They have attended many thousands and millions of Buddhas,
setting forth their great pure vow.
I will describe them in outline for you —
listen to their name, observe their body,
bear them in mind, not passing the time vainly,
for they can wipe out the pains of existence.
Suppose someone should conceive a wish to harm you,
should push you into a great pit of fire.
Think on the power of that Kannon
and the pit of fire will change into a pond!
If you should be cast adrift on the vast ocean,
menaced by dragons, fish and various demons,
think on the power of that Kannon
and the billows and waves cannot drown you!
Suppose you are on the peak of Mount Sumeru
and someone pushes you off.
Think on the power of that Kannon
and you will hang in midair like the sun!
Suppose you are pursued by evil men
who wish to throw you down from a diamond mountain.
Think on the power of that Kannon
and they cannot harm a hair of you!
Suppose you are surrounded by evil-hearted bandits,
each brandishing a knife to wound you.
Think on the power of that Kannon
and at once all will be swayed by compassion!
Suppose you encounter trouble with the king’s law,
face punishment, about to forfeit your life.
Think on the power of that Kannon
and the executioner's sword will be broken to bits!
Suppose you are imprisoned in cangue and lock,
hands and feet bound by fetters and chains.
Think on the power of that Kannon
and they will fall off, leaving you free!
Suppose with curses and various poisonous herbs
someone should try to injure you.
Think on the power of that Kannon
and the injury will rebound upon the originator.
Suppose you encounter evil rakshasas,
poison dragons and various demons.
Think on the power of that Kannon
and then none of them will dare to harm you.
If evil beasts should encircle you,
their sharp fangs and claws inspiring terror,
think on the power of that Kannon
and they will scamper away in boundless retreat.
If lizards, snakes, vipers, scorpions
threaten you with poison breath that sears like flame,
think on the power of that Kannon
and, hearing your voice, they will flee of themselves.
If clouds should bring thunder, and lightning strike,
if hail pelts or drenching rain comes down,
think on the power of that Kannon
and at that moment they will vanish away.
If living beings encounter weariness or peril,
immeasurable suffering pressing them down,
the power of Kannon’s wonderful wisdom
can save them from the sufferings of the world.
They are endowed with transcendental powers
and widely practices the expedient means of wisdom.
Throughout the lands in the ten directions
there is no region where they do not manifest themselves.
In many different kinds of evil circumstances,
in the realms of hell, hungry spirits or beasts,
the sufferings of birth, old age, sickness and death —
all these they bit by bit wipe out.
They of the true gaze, the pure gaze,
the gaze of great and encompassing wisdom,
the gaze of pity, the gaze of compassion —
constantly we implore them, constantly look up in reverence.
Their pure light, free of blemish,
is a sun of wisdom dispelling all darknesses.
They can quell the wind and fire of misfortune
and everywhere bring light to the world.
The precepts from their compassionate body shake us like thunder,
the wonder of their pitying mind is like a great cloud.
They send down the sweet dew, the Dharma rain,
to quench the flames of earthly desires.
When law suits bring you before the officials,
when terrified in the midst of an army,
think on the power of that Kannon
and hatred in all its forms will be dispelled.
Wonderful sound, Kannon,
Brahma’s sound, the sea tide sound —
they surpass those sounds of the world;
therefore you should constantly think on them,
from thought to thought never entertaining doubt!
Kannon, pure sage —
to those in suffering, in danger of death,
they can offer aid and support.
Endowed with all benefits,
they view living beings with compassionate eyes.
The sea of their accumulated blessings is immeasurable;
therefore you should bow your head to them!
At that time the Bodhisattva Earth Holder immediately rose from their seat, advanced, and said to the Buddha, “World-Honored One, if there are living beings who hear this chapter on Bodhisattva Kannon, on the freedom of their actions, their manifestation of a universal gateway, and their transcendental powers, it should be known that the benefits these persons gain are not few!”
Homage to Noble Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, great being of great compassion.
By this divine mantra of boundless compassion,
may all hindrances be removed, afflictions calmed, and fears dispelled.
May poisons and calamities be quelled; may bonds be broken;
may beings everywhere be sheltered and made whole.
By the power of this great compassion,
may merit and wisdom grow,
and may all soon give rise to the mind of awakening
and accomplish the Bodhisattva Path, for the good of the world.
Afflictions are inexhaustible — I vow to cut them off.
Dharma gates are beyond measure — I vow to enter and study them.
The Buddha Way is unsurpassed — I vow to realise it.
* * *
* * *
First, we reflect on the effort that brought us this food and consider how it comes to us.
Second, we reflect on our own virtue and practice, and whether we are worthy to receive this offering.
Third, we take as essential the freeing of ourselves from excesses such as greed.
Fourth, we regard this food as good medicine, taken to sustain our life and prevent the body's decline.
Fifth, for the sake of realising the Way, we now receive this food.
The second: to cultivate all good.
The third: to free all beings.
May we all realise the Buddha Way.
This way of life —
“live thus,” you taught —
you yourselves first practised,
O revered father and mother.
this, indeed, is a person's duty.
In an age that deems all within the Four Seas to be brethren,
why then should the waves and wind rise up in turmoil?
Most awesome to speak of — before the presence of Amaterasu-Ōmikami,
with reverent awe we humbly declare:
Human beings are, indeed, the numinous beings of all under heaven.
They should preside over the work of pacifying and bringing peace.
The heart is, indeed, the original master over the kami and those above —
do not injure the heart.
The heart is akin to water and to fire.
That the original heart, correct and straight,
may become one with the august heart of Amaterasu-Ōmikami —
to set the self aside and entrust everything to Heaven —
this, we declare, is the true person.
Makoto — a life lived through without separation from
the august heart of Amaterasu-Ōmikami —
so taught the Founder of the Teaching.
With gladness upon gladness, honouring and letting live,
with joy we revere and offer service.
May you hear us, serenely and peacefully,
and bestow your blessing.
With reverent awe, we humbly speak these words of praise.
[Note: Makoto means truth/reality/fact/sincerity/honesty/faithfulness/good-faith]All the harmful karma I have created in the past,
born from beginningless greed, anger, and delusion,
through body, speech, and mind —
all of this I now fully confess.
please cause your august name to be revered.
Please cause your august realm to come.
As your august will is done in heaven,
please cause it also to be done on earth.
Please give us today our daily bread.
As we release those who have wronged us,
so please cleanse us of our impurities.
Do not bring us to the trial,
but deliver us from what is harmful.
For the realm, the power, and the splendour
are yours without limit, for it is so.
Amen.
I tell you this: Don’t worry about your life — what you’ll eat or what you’ll drink. And don’t worry about your body — what you’ll wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky. They don’t plant or harvest or gather into barns. Yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than they are? Can any of you, by worrying, add even a moment to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? Think about how the wildflowers grow. They don’t work or spin thread. But I tell you that even Solomon in all his splendour was never dressed as well as one of these. If God clothes the grass of the field like that — grass that’s alive today and thrown into the stove tomorrow — won’t he do even more for you, you who have such shallow faith? So don't worry and ask, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” Your heavenly Father already knows you need all these things. Instead, make it your first priority to seek God’s realm and God’s righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So don't worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow can worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Lord of all things, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate:
lead us to the straight path —
the path of those upon whom You have bestowed grace,
not the path of those who have received Your anger,
nor of those who have gone astray.
Born as human beings, and as we grew up,
we mistook a certain one-sided knowing.
With cleverness and affected wisdom,
we worried and worried, piling care upon care.
But touched by the Light, we were saved.
Let people repent to one another and revere one another.
With knowledge and power, things increased.
We even went so far as to create terrible weapons.
We mistook true happiness,
and so came to take from one another.
But touched by the Light, we realised:
what is needed is mutual repentance and mutual encouragement.
Between West and East — front and back —
in the divide between those who have and those who have not,
love and peace are far away.
We anxiously wondered which way the world would go.
But touched by the Light, dawn broke.
Let the nation be mutual repentance and mutual help.
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