Embody practice in 2021

By Rev. Gene Bush

衆生無辺誓願度 
SHUJŌ MUHEN SEIGAN DO 
“Beings are innumerable/we vow to liberate all” 

煩悩無尽誓願断 
BONNŌ MUJIN SEIGAN DAN 
“Delusions are inexhaustible/we vow to eliminate them all” 

法門無量誓願学 
HŌMON MURYŌ SEIGAN GAKU 
“Dharma gates are boundless/we vow to study them all.” 

仏道無上誓願成 
BUTSUDŌ MUJŌ SEIGAN JŌ 
“Buddha’s path is unsurpassable/we vow to actualize it.” 

Studying these vows is the work of a lifetime. By this I don’t mean that AFTER a lifetime of study, refining and becoming skilled, the vows will be fulfilled. I mean that each and every moment of our lifetime is the opportunity to fulfill these vows.

Every activity, no matter how simple, is a moment of vow and a moment of refuge. For example, during the morning meal of sesshin we hear:

“This morning meal comes through the efforts of all beings, past and present, and gives us the ten strengths for complete practice”

“The efforts of all beings” – truly recognizing that the food we are about to eat itself expresses interconnection throughout space and time – the cultivation of plants for thousands of years, the contributions of tools of cultivation, harvest, transportation and marketing, the energy required to prepare and cook – we can humbly receive this meal and nourish the body.  Gratitude itself supports and encourages the perfections of generosity, patience, vigor. We can bring this energy and encouragement to the activities of daily life.

“And gives us the strength for complete practice” – here we recognize the quality of effort it takes to stay with Practice (not only zazen, though this requires physical strength and some endurance); we are naming the strength it takes to embody practice in our daily lives – this is ‘complete practice’.

This simple pause before eating is bringing vow, as an ordinary part of life, to the present moment as it is. Every moment is like this. Attentively bringing mind, heart and body together into one wholehearted activity is the strength of complete practice.

On the cusp of 2020 becoming 2021, we can renew our intention to live with the guidance of the Buddha’s teaching. By turning attention toward the collective, vowing to reveal the truth through our own behavior… Vowing to move from partial understanding to more inclusive view… Vowing to see everyday challenges as a chance to harmonize speech, bring diligence to our efforts… Recognizing that this 8-fold Path touches all life, choosing to embody this truth.

The relationship between nourishing the standards of conduct and living in unconditioned peace becomes extraordinarily clear.

 Other version in English are expressed as:

 Shohaku Okumura in Living by Vow writes, “Originally these four vows were connected to the four noble truths. The older version of the verse of four vows is as follows.

I vow to enable people to be released from the truth of suffering.

I vow to enable people to understand the truth of the origin of suffering.

I vow to enable people to peacefully settle down in the truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering.

I vow to enable people to enter the cessation of suffering, that is, nirvana.”

Creations are numberless, I vow to free them.

Delusions are inexhaustible, I vow to transform them.

Reality is boundless, I vow to perceive it.

The Awakened Way is unsurpassable, I vow to embody it.

Sentient beings are numberless; I vow to save them.

Desires are inexhaustible; I vow to put an end to them.

The dharmas are boundless; I vow to master them.

The Buddha’s Way is unsurpassable; I vow to attain it.

Beings are numberless, I vow to awaken with them

Delusions are inexhaustible, I vow to end them

Dharma gates are boundless, I vow to enter them

Buddha’s Way is unsurpassable, I vow to become it.