Author: Chong Go Sunim

Listen to the sound of this bell,
dissolve all delusions and suffering,
deepen your wisdom,
give rise to the desire for awakening,
free yourself from all hells,
leave behind the samsara realms,
become a Buddha, and save all beings.
Now hear the mantra that shatters all hells:
om kar-la-ji-ya sa-ba-ha
om kar-la-ji-ya sa-ba-ha
om kar-la-ji-ya sa-ba-ha

This is the evening bell chant, as recited at most temples in Korea. To be honest, I’m not sure how necessary the last four lines are – the main verse itself seems like the mantra that shatters all hells. For ultimately, it’s our intentions that create hell. First we have the intentions, and then our behavior and where we want to go comes from that.

So if we raise the intention to dissolve delusions, to deepen our wisdom, to awaken, and to leave behind the realms of pointless desire, then it won’t be hell we’re pointed towards!

(Actually, I suspect the mantra might be a mnemonic where each syllable represents one of these actions and intentions. Maybe something like “Listen-dissolve-deepen-give rise to-free-leave behind.)

The photos this week are from the unveiling ceremony of the central pagoda held two weeks ago at the Tongyang Hanmaum Seon Center. The corona virus kept us from having as many people as we would have liked, but it was still wonderful!

Let us always go forward,
in this life and those to come,
following the path of the bodhisattva
and thus attain ultimate enlightenment!
Let it be so!

This is the last verse of the Noon Blessing. Not short, as you know by now!

There is a thing about teachings that are aligned with how the universe truly flows – Even though we don’t see it for ourselves, just being exposed to such teachings, just trying to let them sink down within us, causes us to move a little bit more in tune with everything.

It’s not a replacement for our own efforts, but perhaps more a nudge for all the billions of lives that make up our body. A reminder of how we can live and how we can find fulfillment and meaning. And perhaps, a reminder that will pop back out into our awareness when we need it most.

Let us never forget the kindnesses
and blessings of Buddhas and awakened teachers,
let us never forget the grace that we have received,
and thus always work to help free those beings
still lost in suffering.

One thing that we can sometimes forget, is that we are here today because of immeasurable, inconceivable kindnesses from others. Even if our life seems rough right now, we have still been the recipient of generous actions and thoughts beyond measure. There is just no other way to have evolved to this point.

So instead of looking towards where we’ve been mistreated or abused, ignored or dismissed, (an easy, easy thing to do!), remember that others have shown us unimaginable kindnesses, and focus on going forward from here. For truly, we are reborn every instant, and recreate our future every instant. There are no such thing as small thoughts. Everything contributes towards our direction, so view things positively, generously, and let it all melt down in this great furnace that is our Buddha nature. And step forward into each new moment as if you were being born into a new life.

May all of us here,
practitioners at this temple,
as well as those in other places,
understand the meaning of “one mind,”
and so get along harmoniously with each other,
and so keep brightening the light of our inherent nature,
and without delay,
attain true and upright enlightenment.

When it comes to practice, there are a lot of nuances and implications of “one mind.” Even when someone tells us about them, they usually don’t sink in too far, because we are still unconsciously viewing everything we see and experience through the lens of “separate from me.”

Where did this idea of “separate from me” start? No idea, but it’s probably an element of evolution, where when circumstances were so desperate, we had to focus on ourselves in order to survive. We almost certainly had to do terrible things, and “not me” was probably the only way to get through that. And if all the beings around us were behaving the same way, then absorbing the idea of “one mind” from others would have been off the table.

But, now we know better, and most of us are in circumstances where eating and surviving don’t require terrible decisions. Now we can live without causing too much suffering. Now we can open ourselves to the idea of “one mind.” Now we have the virtue and good fortune to re-orient our lives in tune with this.

May all of us as well be reborn in the heavenly realms.

Having thus given rise to the desire for enlightenment,
may every kind of spirit be reborn in a virtuous realm,
where they are able to practice and awaken.

While it’s true that we care with us all that we need to practice and awaken, it’s also true that until we have firmly found our footing, support and guidance are necessary.

If we are still unsure about what we have to do, then it’s a lot harder to get there if no one around us is practicing. Or if we are just too poor. There’s nothing wrong with being poor, but as the great practitioner Tevye said, it’s no great blessing either! Too much of anything, including poverty, can overwhelm us.

So to be born in a place surrounded by the virtuous and wise, with adequate food and shelter, is no bad thing.

May every kind of suffering spirit,
may every spirit with a connection to Buddhism,
or any other religion,
may every spirit around the world,
through the virtue of their affinity with those here today,
or through the virtue of their ability to be touched by our intentions,
may each and every one of these spirits,
immediately enter one of the heavenly realms,
and there meet Amita Buddha.
May they thus give rise to the desire for enlightenment.

One of the touching things about reading this, is that as soon as I do, there’s an “Ahh” moment, where something deep down in me relaxes. Something within me knows that this verse is deeply true, and is how we should be seeing the world.

Neither the living nor the dead are separate from each other,
with this in mind,
we raise the intention that all spirits
who have a connection with those of us here today,
whether from this life or past lives,
whether they were our grandparents, parents, brothers or sisters,
nieces, nephews, or even our children,
whether present here today,
or in the next town or the one beyond that,
whether awakened or lost in darkness,
whether currently having a body or not,
whether they are able to live freely,
or are caught up in ignorance,
may they all gather together here, now,
at this place of learning and practicing,
like streams flowing to the ocean.

Where the last verse was short, this one is long, lol. But it’s just as wonderful! One of the things that’s so touching about this verse is it’s unconditional, all-embracing attitude. “May those who are doing well, as well as those who are screwing up all come together, and learn and grow.”

It’s easy to hate or look down on people who are behaving badly. Given that they are usually causing us pain or inconvenience, that’s not a surprising reaction. But to look at even them with warmth and compassion is impressive, and is a great teaching for all the rest of us.

May each and every one of us be filled with grace,
and may all of these great intentions of this blessing become the reality of our lives.

This is quite a simple statement, but how wonderful!

We just finished something cool – The Thousand Hands Sutra is up on YouTube!
This is chanted in Korean by Bo Won Sunim (who’s incredible!) with the English translation behind it. This is the Korean version by Daehaeng Kun Sunim, and is frankly, an incredible guide to the spiritual life and spiritual practice. Really. It’s so detailed and so deep that I want to figure out how to make a workbook or something out of it.