Morning Service (Monday and Saturday)

Robe Chant

Purification

Refuges

I take refuge in Buddha
before all beings
immersing body and mind
deeply in the way
awakening true mind

I take refuge in Dharma
before all beings
entering deeply
the merciful ocean
of Buddha’s way

I take refuge in Sangha
before all beings
bringing harmony
to everyone
free from hindrance

Heart of Great Perfect Wisdom Sutra

Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, when deeply practicing prajna paramita, clearly saw that all five aggregates are empty and thus relieved all suffering. Shariputra, form does not differ from emptiness, emptiness does not differ from form. Form itself is emptiness, emptiness itself form. Sensations, perceptions, formations and consciousness are also like this. Shariputra, all dharmas are marked by emptiness; they neither arise nor cease, are neither defiled nor pure, neither increase nor decrease. Therefore, given emptiness, there is no form, no sensation, no perception, no formation, no consciousness; no eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind; no sight, no sound, no smell, no taste, no touch, no object of mind; no realm of sight...no realm of mind consciousness. There is neither ignorance nor extinction of ignorance...neither old age and death, nor extinction of old age and death; no suffering, no cause, no cessation, no path; no knowledge and no attainment. With nothing to attain, a bodhisattva relies on prajna paramita, and thus the mind is without hindrance. Without hindrance, there is no fear. Far beyond all inverted views, one realizes nirvana. All buddhas of past, present and future rely on prajna paramita and thereby attain unsurpassed complete perfect enlightenment. Therefore know the prajna paramita as the great miraculous mantra, the great bright mantra, the supreme mantra, the incomparable mantra, which removes all suffering and is true, not false. Therefore we proclaim the prajna paramita mantra, the mantra that says: gate, gate, paragate, parasamgate, bodhi svaha.

All Buddhas throughout space and time
all honored ones, bodhisattva-mahasattvas
wisdom beyond wisdom
maha prajna paramita