Mahāyāna Roots, Zen Expression
Zen Buddhism arises from the great river of Mahāyāna – the "Great Vehicle" – a vast body of teachings that emphasize compassion, emptiness, and the awakening of all beings. Within the Mahāyāna tradition, the heart of practice is the direct realization of prajñā (wisdom) and karuṇā (compassion): insight and action flowing together as one.
Zen, known in Chinese as Chán and in Japanese as Zen, refines this stream into a single drop of direct experience. Where Mahāyāna philosophy speaks of emptiness, Zen points to it in silence. Where the sutras describe awakening, Zen invites it through the practice of zazen – or the study of the self.
Chanting, within this lineage, is both devotion and meditation – a way to embody the teachings beyond thought. The syllables themselves become living expressions of the Dharma, bridging the seen and unseen. Whether reciting the Heart Sutra, the Dharani, or simple verses of refuge, these chants are not performed to reach something outside oneself, but to awaken what is already present within.
In this space, the voice becomes practice. Breath becomes realization. And sound becomes the vehicle through which wisdom and compassion meet.
Zen Chants
Maha Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra
A • va • lo • ki • tesh • va • ra Bo • dhi • satt • va,
do • ing deep Praj • na Pa • ra • mi • ta,
clear • ly saw emp • ti • ness
of all the five con • di • tions,
thus com • plete • ly re • liev • ing
mis • for • tune and pain.
Oh Sha • ri • pu • tra, form is no o • ther
than emp • ti • ness,
emp • ti • ness no o • ther than form.
Form is ex • act • ly emp • ti • ness,
emp • ti • ness ex • act • ly form.
Sen • sa • tion, con • cep • tion,
dis • crim • i • na • tion, a • ware • ness
are like • wise like this.
Oh Sha • ri • pu • tra, all dhar • mas
are forms of emp • ti • ness;
not born, not de • stroyed,
not stain • ed, not pure,
with • out loss, with • out gain.
So in emp • ti • ness there is no form;
no sen • sa • tion, con • cep • tion,
dis • crim • i • na • tion, a • ware • ness;
no eye, ear, nose, tongue,
bo • dy, mind;
no co • lor, sound, smell, taste,
touch, phe • nom • e • na;
no realm of sight;
no realm of con • scious • ness,
no ig • no • rance
and no end to ig • no • rance,
no old age and death
and no end to old age and death,
no suf • fer • ing, no cause of suf • fer • ing,
no ex • tin • guish • ing, no path,
no wis • dom, and no gain.
No gain and thus the bo • dhi • satt • va
lives Praj • na Pa • ra • mi • ta,
with no hind • rance in the mind;
no hind • rance, there • fore no fear.
Far be • yond de • lu • ded thoughts;
this is Nir • va • na.
All past, pre • sent, and fu • ture
Bud • dhas live Praj • na Pa • ra • mi • ta
and there • fore at • tain
a • nut • ta • ra • sam • yak • sam • bod • hi.
There • fore know Praj • na Pa • ra • mi • ta
is the great man • tra,
the vi • vid man • tra, the best man • tra,
the un • sur • pass • a • ble man • tra.
It com • plete • ly clears all pain.
This is the truth, not a lie.
So set forth
the Praj • na Pa • ra • mi • ta man • tra,
set for this man • tra and say:
Ga • te! Ga • te! Pa • ra • ga • te! Pa • ra • sam • ga • te!
Bo • dhi Sva • ha!
Praj • na Heart Su • tra
Adapted from the Zen Mountain Monastery Liturgy Manual (Dharma Communications, 1998).
Presented here in syllable form by Kusala Healing Arts.
Awakening Together
All a • wak • ened ones
through • out space and time,
hon • ored ones, great be • ings,
who help all to a • wak • en,
to • geth • er may we re • al • ize
wis • dom be • yond wis • dom!
Adapted from Zen Chants: Thirty-Five Essential Texts with Commentary by Kazuaki Tanahashi
(Shambala Publications, 2015)
Identity of the Relative and Absolute
The mind
of the great sage of In • di • a
was in • ti • mate • ly con • veyed
from West to East.
A • mong hu • man be • ings
are wise ones and fools,
but in the Way there is
no north • ern or south • ern an • ces • tor.
The sub • tle source
is clear and bright,
the trib • u • tar • y streams flow
through the dark • ness.
To be at • tached to things is il • lu • sion,
to en • coun • ter the ab • so • lute
is not yet en • light • en • ment.
Each and all the sub • jec • tive
and ob • jec • tive spheres are re • lat • ed,
and at the same time in • de • pend • ent.
Re • lat • ed, yet work • ing dif • fer • ent • ly,
though each keeps its own place.
Form makes the char • ac • ter
and ap • pear • ance dif • fer • ent;
sounds dis • tin • guish com • fort
and dis • com • fort.
The dark makes all words one,
the bright • ness dis • tin • guish • es
good and bad phras • es.
The four el • e • ments re • turn to their
na • ture as a child to its moth • er.
Fi • re is hot, wind moves,
wa • ter is wet, earth hard;
eyes see, ears hear, nose smells,
tongue tastes the salt and sour.
In ac • cord • ance with each dhar • ma,
the root gives rise to sep • a • rate leaves.
Root and branch must re • turn
to the great re • al • i • ty.
The words high and low
are used rel • a • tive • ly.
With • in light there is dark • ness,
but do not try to un • der • stand
that dark • ness.
With • in dark • ness there is light,
but do not look for that light.
Light and dark • ness are a pair,
like the foot be • fore
and the foot be • hind in walk • ing.
Each thing has its own in • trin • sic
val • ue and is re • lat • ed to ev • ery • thing
else in func • tion and po • si • tion.
Or • di • nar • y life fits the ab • so • lute
as a box and its lid.
The ab • so • lute works to • geth • er
with the rel • a • tive like two ar • rows
meet • ing in mid-air.
Read • ing words,
you should grasp the great re • al • i • ty.
Do not judge by a • ny stand • ards.
If you do not see the Way,
you do not see it
e • ven as you walk on it.
When you walk the Way,
it is not near, it is not far.
If you are de • lu • ded,
you are moun • tains and riv • ers
a • way from it.
I re • spect • ful • ly say
to those who wish
to be en • light • ened,
do not waste your time
by night or day.
Adapted from the Zen Mountain Monastery Liturgy Manual (Dharma Communications, 1998).
Atonement
For all my un • whole • some ac • tions since ol • den times,
from my be • gin • ning • less greed ha • tred and ig • no • rance,
born of my bo • dy speech and thought,
I now ful • ly a • tone.
Adapted from Zen Chants: Thirty-Five Essential Texts with Commentary by Kazuaki Tanahashi
(Shambala Publications, 2015)
