The Shorter Kannon Sutra

"The Shorter Kannon Sutra" number 32 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

This short sutra is chanted a couple of times a day at sesshin. Our tradition chants it in Sino-Japanese. Below are both this Sino-Japanese version and an English translation. At my last sesshin I noticed myself chanting the Sino-Japanese like everyone else, not want to be a rebel or standout, while I was reading to myself the English translation. I use the sutra book and don't yet chant from memory. This is a fun one to chant as the Ino (chant leader) sets the pace and it accelerates through the chanting. This one is chanted a bunch of times in a row.

EN-MEI JIK-KU KAN-NON GYO

KAN ZE ON
NA MU BUTSU
YO BUTSU U IN
YO BUTSU U EN
BUP-PO SO EN
JO RAKU GA JO
CHO NEN KAN ZE ON
BO NEN KAN ZE ON
NEN NEN JU SHIN KI
NEN NEN FU RI SHIN

Ten Verse Kannon Sutra for Prolonging Life

Kanzeon:
Veneration to the Buddha.
With Buddha I have origin;
With Buddha I have affinity;
Affinity with Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha;
Eternity, joy, self, and purity.
Mornings my thoughts are Kanzeon;
Evenings my thoughts are Kanzeon;
Thought after thought arise in the mind;
Thought after thought are not separate from mind.

These last two lines are worth further exploration. Thought after thought arise in the mind; Thought after thought are not separate from mind. Only chanting the Sino-Japanese version we miss this exploration.

Watch out! Don't be deceived!