Zen Mantras

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Budai
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Zen Mantras

Post by Budai »

I know a large part of Zen is focused on Zazen, the study and meditation of mindfulness. Then there is the study of Buddhist doctrine in Zen, and deeply how to practice Zen.

What I am wondering about however is whether there are any Mantras designed specifically to enhance one's Zen walking or sitting meditation, Zazen or such, or just Mantras one can repeat to enter a Zen state of meditation. Any kind of Mantras such as this, in any language. Mantras I find especially meaningful contain praises of the Buddha or other Bodhisattvas, Enlightenment, and compassion, as well as the principles of Maitri toward others, and I understand this is the purpose of Buddhism. However, what are some Mantras specifically designed for Zen Realization or meditation? Zen incorporates the most important parts of Buddhism into it, of course, and there is also a certain type of Peaceful depth to it that is an endless exploration of Buddha-Nature, and that is what I am after. Any help would be appreciated. Much thanks.

Also, for example I know that Thich Nhat Hanh writes and recites much Zen Poetry, and this is very meditative. I consider this similar to Mantra, for many Mantras are also poetry and song. If anyone would like to share such things that would be helpful. And also any such thing a Zen Priest or practitioner would use for meditation. Thank you.

Metta!
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FiveSkandhas
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Re: Zen Mantras

Post by FiveSkandhas »

Sutra chanting is quite common in Zen. Sutras are not mantras of course, but they way in which they are chanted may be similar to what you are looking for. My Rinzai teacher ends Zazen sessions with the chanting of the Heart Sutra (the last line of which is a mantra).

You might look into the Obaku School of Zen as well. They combine Nenbutsu* chanting with more orthodox Zen practice.


*Whether or not the Nenbutsu is a mantra is another question....
"One should cultivate contemplation in one’s foibles. The foibles are like fish, and contemplation is like fishing hooks. If there are no fish, then the fishing hooks have no use. The bigger the fish is, the better the result we will get. As long as the fishing hooks keep at it, all foibles will eventually be contained and controlled at will." -Zhiyi

"Just be kind." -Atisha
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Astus
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Re: Zen Mantras

Post by Astus »

You can find several mantras and dharanis in liturgical texts, like the Soto School Scriptures For Daily Services And Practice. A popular set in Chinese Buddhism is the ten small mantras (十小咒):

The Dasa Cula Mantra
TEN SMALL MANTRAS (十小咒 / SE SIAU COU) or DASA CULA MANTRA

Another useful collection of Buddhist Mantras.
1 Myriad dharmas are only mind.
Mind is unobtainable.
What is there to seek?

2 If the Buddha-Nature is seen,
there will be no seeing of a nature in any thing.

3 Neither cultivation nor seated meditation —
this is the pure Chan of Tathagata.

4 With sudden enlightenment to Tathagata Chan,
the six paramitas and myriad means
are complete within that essence.


1 Huangbo, T2012Ap381c1 2 Nirvana Sutra, T374p521b3; tr. Yamamoto 3 Mazu, X1321p3b23; tr. J. Jia 4 Yongjia, T2014p395c14; tr. from "The Sword of Wisdom"
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Budai
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Re: Zen Mantras

Post by Budai »

Astus wrote: Fri Dec 04, 2020 8:51 am Another useful collection of Buddhist Mantras.
Thank you for all of your links, they are useful and I shall take a look. On this page, I have found that to keep on the Mantra page on a Tablet like the one I use with Chrome or Firefox one has to download the pages of specific Mantras by holding the link and selecting Download link, otherwise the selected Mantra's sound will play after a few seconds in Chrome or Firefox after clicking it and leave the page with the text. The sound is very useful however too. Just wanted to point that out to anyone who wanted to use this page and was on a Tablet. Thank you!

Brahma.

:anjali:
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kirtu
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Re: Zen Mantras

Post by kirtu »

Kwan Um explicitly recites mantra as a practice.

Kirt
“Where do atomic bombs come from?”
Zen Master Seung Sahn said, “That’s simple. Atomic bombs come from the mind that likes this and doesn’t like that.”

"Even if you practice only for an hour a day with faith and inspiration, good qualities will steadily increase. Regular practice makes it easy to transform your mind. From seeing only relative truth, you will eventually reach a profound certainty in the meaning of absolute truth."
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Matylda
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Re: Zen Mantras

Post by Matylda »

Brahma wrote: Fri Dec 04, 2020 2:54 am I know a large part of Zen is focused on Zazen, the study and meditation of mindfulness. Then there is the study of Buddhist doctrine in Zen, and deeply how to practice Zen.

What I am wondering about however is whether there are any Mantras designed specifically to enhance one's Zen walking or sitting meditation, Zazen or such, or just Mantras one can repeat to enter a Zen state of meditation. Any kind of Mantras such as this, in any language. Mantras I find especially meaningful contain praises of the Buddha or other Bodhisattvas, Enlightenment, and compassion, as well as the principles of Maitri toward others, and I understand this is the purpose of Buddhism. However, what are some Mantras specifically designed for Zen Realization or meditation? Zen incorporates the most important parts of Buddhism into it, of course, and there is also a certain type of Peaceful depth to it that is an endless exploration of Buddha-Nature, and that is what I am after. Any help would be appreciated. Much thanks.

Also, for example I know that Thich Nhat Hanh writes and recites much Zen Poetry, and this is very meditative. I consider this similar to Mantra, for many Mantras are also poetry and song. If anyone would like to share such things that would be helpful. And also any such thing a Zen Priest or practitioner would use for meditation. Thank you.

Metta!
Mantras are not used as a special meditative device in Japan in Zen temples/monasteries. Probably there are about 20 mantras used. First group are mantras of different dieties, like Mahakala, Vaishravana-Bishamonten, Idaten etc. and those are protection dieties with their corresponding mantras. The other group belongs to buddhas/bodhisattvas with which given monastery or temple has some connection. They might be recited everyday, once a month on the day designated for this or that buddha/bodhisattva etc.
And of course there are dharanis, which are longer than popular mantras and daily recited in the morning, noon and evening. Daihishin of Avalokiteshvara, Butchosonsho of Ushnishavijaya and other.
Collection of mantras used in Japanese Zen temples has about 800 pages and basically consists of all dieties with thier mantras, seed syllables etc. Mostly more than one mantra is connected to each diety. Of course among hundreds and hundreds if not thousands of mantras are some very rare and hardly heard anywhere. But some temples have their own unique history and one may find some special places like for Hariti etc.
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Re: Zen Mantras

Post by KeithA »

kirtu wrote: Fri Dec 04, 2020 12:46 pm Kwan Um explicitly recites mantra as a practice.

Kirt
This is correct. You can scroll down this page a bit to see how we use it. While this is on the page for sitting instruction, mantra practice can be done while walking, etc.

_/|\_

Keith
When walking, standing, sitting, lying down, speaking,
being silent, moving, being still.
At all times, in all places, without interruption - what is this?
One mind is infinite kalpas.

New Haven Zen Center
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KeithA
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Re: Zen Mantras

Post by KeithA »

Also, London Zen Center has a list of mantras and their use. :)
When walking, standing, sitting, lying down, speaking,
being silent, moving, being still.
At all times, in all places, without interruption - what is this?
One mind is infinite kalpas.

New Haven Zen Center
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Budai
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Re: Zen Mantras

Post by Budai »

KeithA wrote: Fri Dec 04, 2020 5:31 pm Also, London Zen Center has a list of mantras and their use. :)
If I say this one:
Namu–ata–shiji–nam–sammota–guchi–nam Om–ajana–baba–jiri–jiri–hum
This mantra is used to save all sentient beings stuck in Hell. If you try this, then Hell’s gates will be broken and all beings can come out.
To what place will the beings from hell go? :?:
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KeithA
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Re: Zen Mantras

Post by KeithA »

Brahma wrote: Sat Dec 05, 2020 2:52 am
KeithA wrote: Fri Dec 04, 2020 5:31 pm Also, London Zen Center has a list of mantras and their use. :)
If I say this one:
Namu–ata–shiji–nam–sammota–guchi–nam Om–ajana–baba–jiri–jiri–hum
This mantra is used to save all sentient beings stuck in Hell. If you try this, then Hell’s gates will be broken and all beings can come out.
To what place will the beings from hell go? :?:
Please try it and find out!

I am not here to defend this practice, just to let you know it's there. I don't do mantra practice personally, so I don't know about it's efficacy. :)

Many of the mantras are embedded in the various chants done in the Korean tradition. The one you mentioned is included in the Morning Bell Chant (page 2 of this book) They in turn, come from the Chinese tradition, so presumably one could research their origin that way. I have seen some of these mantra's in various sutra's and shastra's, but I am definitely no scholar when it comes to that stuff.

_/|\_

Keith
When walking, standing, sitting, lying down, speaking,
being silent, moving, being still.
At all times, in all places, without interruption - what is this?
One mind is infinite kalpas.

New Haven Zen Center
SilenceMonkey
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Re: Zen Mantras

Post by SilenceMonkey »

I love these videos from chan master sheng yen. He answers these basic questions in a way where I learn a lot about chan tradition and chinese culture.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... yen+mantra
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Re: Zen Mantras

Post by Sentient Light »

This is the morning liturgy in Vietnamese Thien traditions. It begins with the Surangama Mantra, the Great Compassion Mantra, then ten other short mantras, the Heart Sutra, a couple of devotional liturgies, and the refuge recitation.

https://vietbuddhism.com/PDFKinh/BacTon ... ngViet.pdf
:buddha1: Nam mô A di đà Phật :buddha1:
:bow: Nam mô Quan Thế Âm Bồ tát :bow:
:bow: Nam mô Đại Thế Chi Bồ Tát :bow:

:buddha1: Nam mô Bổn sư Thích ca mâu ni Phật :buddha1:
:bow: Nam mô Di lặc Bồ tát :bow:
:bow: Nam mô Địa tạng vương Bồ tát :bow:
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