This coming Sunday (August 22) is Baekjung, or Ulambana, in Korea, a day for helping the dead. In some sense, it’s repaying our debt to those who have come before, but it’s more than that. In part, we are helping them to move forward when we brighten our own spirits, but we are also in a sense helping fulfill the wishes and desires of our ancestors who all wanted to see their children be better off.
Because all beings are connected as one, when I work on trusting and returning everything to this foundation, then as my spiritual level deepens, it positively influences everyone around me, and in particular those I have the closest connection with, whether they have material form or not. Or even a new form. Here’s a video where Daehaeng Kun Sunim talks about Baekjung for a bit, although the question was aimed in the direction of “Why do we have to hold this more than once?”
Author: Chong Go Sunim
Temple Morning Prayer Day 10 – May the great light of one mind always shine within this place of practice
There are a couple of things going on with this verse that don’t translate easily. Mainly, the word translated here as “place of practice”, do-lyang 도량, allows for some word place and nuance that gets clunky if you try to express everything in English. In Korean, do-lyang kind of means “place for spiritual learning,” or literally “the site of enlightenment,” so in it’s usual context, it’s understood to be temple but this is also the same word for “dojo” or a martial arts center.
But when Seon masters are talking about “do-lyang”, it’s better to start by assuming they aren’t talking about a physical place! Often they mean literally, “The place where you awaken.” The buildings and land are where your body is, but they’re talking about where your mind is.
May the infinite light of one mind always shine within this place.
한마음의 광명으로 도량안을 밝게 하소서.
Temple Morning Prayer Day 9 – protecting our place of practice
Although I’m using a picture of the Anyang Hanmaum Seon Center here, you all know where the ultimate place for practicing is to be found, right?
May this great place of practice be forever untouched by disasters.
May the infinite ability of one mind protect this place of the Buddha, Dharma,
and Sangha.
도량안의 모든 재앙 영원히 소멸되며
한마음의 능력으로 삼보를 보호시고
Temple Morning Prayer Day 8 – May all worry and sadness come to an end here
May our temple be serene and at peace,
may all worry and sadness come to an end here.
산문은 고요하여 슬픔 근심 꾾어지고
Temple Morning Prayer Day 7 – May I help all beings see the path
May I help all beings see the path,
may I free them even though it takes a thousand eons,
so that they can grow and move forward,
and all attain the state of great liberation,
where there are no unenlightened beings,
nor Buddhas to save them.
이와 같이 교화하여 무량토록 제도하여
필경 부처 중생 없는 세계 이뤄지이다
Temple Morning Prayer Day 6 – Everyone with a connection to me
The phrasing of this first line is a little unusual, but it ultimately spoken from the perspective of being one with everything and able to manifest to and aid those who connect with you. It’s the perspective where the sense of a separate “I” that most of us carry around is gone. This doesn’t mean that there is no difference between you and others, or that you are unaware of those, but rather it’s just a very different state from what most of us think of as “me” and “you.” But not something far away, either!
Upon hearing my name, may all those still trapped
in the three evil paths
obtain relief from their suffering,
and may those who see my appearance
attain true freedom.
나의 이름 듣는 이는 삼악도의 괴로움 여의고
나의 형상 보는 이는 다 해탈을 얻게 하소서
Temple Morning Prayer Day 5 – leading beings out of suffering
May I attain all of these abilities
so that one with everything,
I can manifest across the world
and help lead unenlightened beings out of suffering.
시방세계 어디든지 마음대로 나투어서
널리 중생들을 무위도에 이끌게 하소서
Temple Morning Prayer Day 4 – the great ability of the bodhisattvas
[In this and all future lives,
wherever they may take place,
let me always reside with the great wisdom, the Prajna wisdom
and never step back from this,]
so that I may attain the great ability of Samantabhadra to manifest and act,
so that I may attain the great ability of Ksitigarbha to reach out across the world,
so that I may attain the 32 manifestations of Avalokitesvara.
[원컨대 저희로 하여금 세세생생 나는 곳마다 언제나
반야의 큰 지혜로부터 물러나지 않게 하사 ]
보현보살의 광대한 원행
지장보살님의 끝없는 몸
관세음보살님의 삼십이응신을
Temple Morning Prayer Day 3 – The key that unlocks great wisdom and enlightenment
(This is all part of one long verse, so I’m including the opening lines in brackets, and the new part in bold text.)
[In this and all future lives,
wherever they may take place,
let me always reside with the great wisdom, the Prajna wisdom
and never step back from this,]
so that I may attain the brave wisdom of Sakyamuni Buddha,
so that I may attain the great enlightenment of Vairocana Buddha,
so that I may attain the great wisdom of Manjusri,
[원컨대 저희로 하여금 세세생생 나는 곳마다 언제나
반야의 큰 지혜로부터 물러나지 않게 하사 ]
석가모니 부처님의 용맹한 지혜를 얻게 하오며
노사나 부처님의 큰 깨달음을 얻게 하여지이다
문수보살과 같은 큰 지혜
Temple Morning Prayer Day 2 – never stepping back from wisdom
This is just the opening for this verse, and leads to a very nice connected section, but, just as it is, it’s quite nice, so I’m posting it here by itself.
In this and all future lives,
wherever they may take place,
let me always reside with the great wisdom, the Prajna wisdom
and never step back from this,
원컨대 저희로 하여금 세세생생 나는 곳마다 언제나
반야의 큰 지혜로부터 물러나지 않게 하사
Wake Up and Laugh! 