Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Samma SamBuddhassa
Respectfully pay homage to the Buddha: the World-Honored One, the Worthy One, the Exalted One, the Fully Awakened or Enlightened One. (Bell)
Incense Offering
As wonderful as the lotus flower,
as bright as the northern star,
let us come back and take refuge in
the Teacher of gods and human beings.
As the incense is lit,
sandalwood perfumes the air,
making an auspicious rainbow cloud.
I, your disciple, with all my respect
offer it to the Buddhas of the Ten Directions.
May we practice the precepts seriously at all times
May we practice concentration diligently,
may we offer the precious fruit of insight
as our offering of incense of the heart.
We would like to respectfully offer incense of the precepts, concentration, insight, deliverance, and that of deliverance with right view to the Buddha, Bodhisattvas, virtuous and noble Sangha, dharma guardians, good gods, knowing and understanding our wholehearted minds. (Bell)
Touching the Earth in Deep Gratitude to the Triple Gem
We, your disciples, wholeheartedly pay homage to the Buddha forever present in the three lives and ten directions. (Bell, one prostration)
We, your disciples, wholeheartedly pay homage to the Dharma forever present in the three lives and ten directions. (Bell, one prostration)
We, your disciples, wholeheartedly pay homage to the Sangha forever present in the three lives and ten directions. (Bell, one prostration)
(Meditation Practice around 15 minutes)
OPEN VERSE
The Dharma is deep and lovely,
we now have a chance to see, study, and to practice,
we vow to realize its true meaning. (Bell)
Recollection of Gratitude to the Buddha
The World-Honored Buddha; the Teacher is our peaceful, noble, and spiritual Leader; the Teacher is the worthiest to be made offerings; the Teacher understands and loves; the Teacher has fully virtuous conduct and insight; the Teacher has obtained perfectly peaceful joy and deliverance; the Teacher understands the world clearly; the Teacher has the ability to subjugate people; the Teacher of both gods and human beings; the Teacher attained enlightenment and awakening completely; the Teacher deserves to be best honored and respected by the world. (Bell)
Recollection of Gratitude to the Dharma
The Dharma of the World-Honored One that has been well proclaimed by Himself is very practical in the present, has value beyond time, has the ability to transform one’s body and mind, has the ability to extinguish defilements of greed, anger, delusion, arrogance, doubt, wrong view, etc. Taking refuge in the Dharma, an intellectual one who can also cultivate oneself masters the Dharma, comes and sees, comes and hears, comes and understands, comes and practices, comes and enjoys the flowers and fruits of peaceful joy and deliverance right here and right now in the present life.” (Bell)
Recollection of Gratitude to the Sangha
The Sanghabody of the World-Honored One means the Community is on the really good, true, honest, beautiful, and appropriate path; the Community directs to the Buddhadharma, practices the Buddhadharma, and lives correctly with the Buddhadharma. In the noble Community, there are those who have attained and are attaining the holy fruition of the stream-enterer, the once-returner, the non-returner, and that of Arahant, comprises four pairs and eight fruitions of holy people,[1] accomplishes all aspects of ethics, meditation, wisdom, deliverance, and deliverance with right understanding. This Community deserves to be taken refuge in, served, respected, honored, admired, and made offerings, is the incomparable field of merit good for the world to sow and to plant.[2] (Bell)
Recollection of Gratitude to the Dharma Precepts
The Dharma Precepts of the World-Honored One – the Disciplince (Vinaya) and right mindfulness the Sanghabody has been receiving, practicing, spreading, and observing, are the perfect precepts body, are the never broken precepts body, are the never polluted precepts body, are the never spotted precepts body, are the never mingled precepts body, are the precepts body praised and admired by intellectuals, are the precepts body with the potential to protect freedom, are the precepts body leading to fearlessness, are the precepts body leading to right concentration, are the precepts body leading to insight, are the precepts body leading to deliverance and happiness forever.[3] (Bell)
HAPPINESS SUTTA[4]
The Buddha has taught ten methods of living happily as follows:
1/Keeping far away from bad and evil people
Always close to good and virtuous people
Honoring those who are worth honoring
This is the greatest happiness.
2/ Knowing to choose a good environment
To do good things
Walking on the path of true goodness
This is the greatest happiness.
3/ Diligently learning good jobs
Knowing to live a life of virtue
Knowing to speak loving speech
This is the greatest happiness.
4/ Knowing to support and serve parents
Loving to take care of family
Knowing to do a proper occupation
This is the greatest happiness.
5/ Living happily in almsgiving
Helping relatives and friends
Treating them flawlessly
This is the greatest happiness.
6/ To avoid not doing evil
Not drunk and addicted
Diligently doing good
This is the greatest happiness.
7/ Knowing humbly and politely in manner
To learn about good things
To be grateful and know enough
This is the greatest happiness.
8/Knowing perseverance and improvement
Contact with talented and virtuous people
Diligently studying together
This is the greatest happiness.
9/ Living in diligence and awakening
Perceiving the Noble Truths,
Enjoying the Dharma joy
This is the greatest happiness.
10/ Living in the world
The mind never wavered
Ending defilements at ease
This is the greatest happiness.
Those who accomplish so
Wherever they go is safe,
Wherever they come is strong
Happiness for themselves and other people. (Bell)
COMPASSION SUTTA[5]
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, 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 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;
Outwards and unbounded,
Freed from hatred and ill-will.
Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down
Free from drowsiness,
One should sustain this recollection.
This is said to be the sublime abiding.
By not holding to fixed views, practitioners do not fall into wrong view, wrong thought, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, wrong concentration,
The pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision,
Being freed from all sense desires,
Is not born again into this world. (Bell)
MAITREYA SPRING
On Lunar New Year’s first Day, Maitreya was born,
Maitreya Buddha is so peacefully,
He is happy to embody a Bodhisattva,
We pray peace for all with our sincere hearts.
On the new day, early year, he was born,
with our good virtue and peaceful hearts,
We who would like to respectfully offer them to him,
Pray for peacefulness to all over living beings. (Bell)
New Spring gives life more fresh colors,
The old and young open their happy smiles,
Everyone and every family that cultivate together,
welcome the New Spring with their peaceful and joyful minds.
Dwelling confidently in the Dharma,
Practitioner lightheartedly smiles
Stably and freely in cultivation.
Celebrating the Present Spring, so is happy. (Bell)
Spring Light shines all over the living beings
for young people to live in peacefulness
for our native country to be always happy
The City and countryside get peaceful and prosperous.
Today, Spring comes, flower buds open
Tomorrow, next Spring arrives, flower buds will fade.
Dreams of human lifetime are in a short while
Letting go of disputing to live at ease. (Bell)
Spring comes to recommend us words of foretelling,
as it silently wishes for aspiration to see winter pass,
All things are impermanent and changing,
Yet there is only the Mind Spring beautiful forever.
Spring comes all over the native land
for families of happiness, for people of peacefulness.
Spring Mind appearing everywhere,
shines the light of the Dharma for people to add Spring. (Bell)
Spring of Peaceful Joy brings eternal meanings,
Practicing the Buddhadharma with cultivated minds,
We would like to pay homage to the Triple Gem and have strong confidence in it
To spread love of compassion Father.
Tathagata Spring is present in us,
by conduct of cultivation, aspiration of selflessness,
The Dharma propagation all over places does not have an obstacle,
Bringing feelings of joy and happiness to all families.
New Year has come and relaxed
This year everything was over
Dharma learning and practice are always diligent
Spreading love out to life.
THE Noble Eightfold Path is profound
Diligently practicing with the one-pointed mind
The Buddha’s teachings are always remembered
We apply them with our sincerity.
Namo Lord Maitreya Buddha with Joy, Peace, and Happiness. (Bell)
MAY THE DAY BE WELL
May the day be well and the night be well.
The day and night whose six times are auspicious.
All the periods are peaceful.
May the Buddha and Bodhisattva bless and protect us.
The countenance of the World-Honored One,
like the full moon or like the orb of the sun, shines with the light of clarity.
A halo of wisdom spreads in every direction,
enveloping all with love and compassion, joy and equanimity.
Namo the Original Master Sakyamuni Buddhaya. (3 times, Bell)
Practicing Wholesome Things Daily
In the morning, say something wholesome, in the afternoon, say something wholesome, and in the evening, say something wholesome, we have a joyful day and night.
In the morning, think about something wholesome, in the afternoon, think about something wholesome, and in the evening, think about something wholesome, we have a joyful day and night.
In the morning, do something wholesome, in the afternoon, do something wholesome, and in the evening, do something wholesome, we have a joyful day and night. (Bell)
FOUR PRACTITIONER’S VOWS
Sentient beings are numberless,
I vow to save them all.
Defilements are endless,
I vow to end them all.
Dharma cultivation is countless,
I vow to practice it.
The Buddha’s way is supreme,
I vow to attain it. (Bell)
Triple-Gem Refuge
I take refuge in the Buddha, the One who shows me the way of loving-kindness, compassion, and wisdom in lifetime.
Having taken refuge in the Buddha, I clearly see the path of light and beauty in life.
Turning back and taking refuge in the Buddha in myself, I aspire to help all people soon recognize and develop their own enlightened nature.
Namo Buddhaya
Buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi
Dutiyampi buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi.
Tatiyampi buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi. (Bell)
I take refuge in the Dharma, the way of practicing peace, joy, happiness, understanding, and love for the many right in the present life.
Having taken refuge in the Dharma, I am learning and practicing the Noble Eightfold Path including morality, meditation, and wisdom interconnected very closely with right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.
Turning back and taking refuge in the Dharma in myself, I aspire to help all people fully master the ways of practice and walk together on the path of liberation.
Namo Dharmaya
Dhammaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi.
Dutiyampi dhammaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi.
Tatiyampi dhammaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi. (Bell)
I take refuge in the Sangha, the Community of cultivated people who vow to lead their lives of ethics, harmony, and awareness to themselves and to others right here and right now in the present life.
Having taken refuge in the Sangha, I am enlightened, instructed, and supported by the Sanghabody on the way of practice.
Turning back and taking refuge in the Sangha in myself, I aspire to help all people build fourfold Communities, to embrace all beings and support their transformation.
Namo Sanghaya.
Saṅghaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi.
Dutiyampi saṅghaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi.
Tatiyampi saṅghaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi. (Bell)
Make the Vow of Effort, and Pay Respects to the Triple Gem
We, disciples of Gotama Buddha, are always aware of ourselves by day and by night, constantly practice and recollect the light of the Buddha.
Namo Buddhaya (Bell, one prostration)
We, disciples of Gotama Buddha, are always aware of ourselves by day and by night, constantly practice and recollect the light of the Dharma.
Namo Dharmaya (Bell, one prostration)
We, disciples of Gotama Buddha, are always aware of ourselves by day and by night, constantly practice and recollect the light of the Sangha.
Namo Sanghaya (Bell, one prostration)
Sharing the Merit
May the merit of cultivation today
be directed toward all living things and living beings.
We and human beings
can realize the Buddha’s way together.
Sadhu, sadhu, sadhu.
Lành thay, lành thay, lành thay
Well-done, well-done, well-done
(Bell, bell, bell)
Pháp Nhãn Temple compiled
[1] Sotāpanna means the noble person who enters the first holy stream is called the stream-entry (Sotāpatti phala), the stream-winner, or the stream-enterer (Sotāpanna). This person has attained the Path (Magga) (i) and the fruition (Phala) (ii) of Sotāpanna. Sakadāgāmī means the noble person who enters the second holy stream is called the once-returner (Sakadāgāmī). This person has attained the Path (Magga) (iii) and the fruition (Phala) (iv) of Sakadāgāmī. Anāgāmī means the noble person who enters the third holy stream is called the non-returner (Anāgāmī). This person has attained the Path (Magga) (v) and the fruition (Phala) (vi) of Anāgāmī. S. Arahanta = or P. Arahant means the noble person who enters the fourth holy stream is called the one who has deserved to be offered (1), who has killed the enemies of afflictions (2), who has broken the evil things completely (3), who has made maras of defilements terrified (4), who has ended the samsara of birth and death (5). This person has attained the Path (Magga) (vii) and the fruition (Phala) (viii) of Arahanta.
(i) and (ii) as one pair, (iii) and (iv) as one pair, (v) and (vi) as one pair, (vii) and (viii) as one pair, all consist of four pairs. Calculating from the Path (Magga) and the fruition (Phala) of (i) to the Path (Magga) and the fruition (Phala) of (viii), we totally have the four pairs and the eight fruitions of holy persons (Cattāri purisayugāni aṭṭha purisapuggalā).
[2] See http://www.aimwell.org/assets/PathofPurification2011.pdf Part II, Chapter VII, pp. 215 – 218.
[3] http://www.aimwell.org/assets/PathofPurification2011.pdf Part II, Chapter VII, pp. 218-9.
[4] Mahamangala Sutta (Sutta Nipata II) Kinh Tập, Tiểu Bộ Kinh trong tạng Pali.
[5] Sutta Nipata, 143 – 152.
