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Chanting

Sasaki Roshi put emphasis on chanting. The common practice at the Zen Centers was chanting after tea in early morning, which took approximately 35 minutes, and would happen even if Zazen was not scheduled. Chanting accompanied the meals, in the afternoon during Dai Sesshin, and with closing in the evening.

Posted here is chant book used in morning. The content is syllables which are English phoneticized mostly archaic Sino- Japanese and Sanskrit.

The chanting is led by Densu, an officer of the Zen Center, who starts the chants, leads the chants, rings two different size gongs, and does solo chanting called Ekos. The Sho Den, or assistant, keeps time with a makugyo, a type of drum.

There are audio recordings of Sasaki Roshi demonstrating selections of chants. He did not commonly chant with the group.

ROSHI CHANTING audio recordings

Heart Sutra

00:00 / 05:37

MAKA HANNYA HARAMITA SHIN O GYO
O O O O O O O o … O U
KAN JI ZAI BO SA GYO JIN HAN NYA HA RA MI TA JI
SHO KEN GO UN KAI KU DO IS SAI KU YAKU SHA RI
SHI SHIKI FU I KU KU FU I SHIKI SHIKI SOKU ZE KU
KU SOKU ZE SHIKI JU SO GYO SHIKI YAKU BU NYO ZE
SHA RI SHI ZE SHO HO KU SO FU SHO FU METSU FU KU
FU JO FU ZO FU GEN ZE KO KU CHU MU SHIKI MU JU
SO GYO SHIKI MU GEN NI BI ZETS SHIN NI MU SHIKI
SHO KO MI SOKU HO MU GEN KAI NAI SHI MU I SHIKI
KAI MU MU MYO YAKU MU MU MYO JIN NAI SHI MU RO
SHI YAKU MU RO SHI JIN MU KU SHU METSU DO MU
CHI YAKU MU TOKU I MU SHO TOK KO BO DAI SAT TA E
HAN NYA HA RA MI TA
U KO SHIN MU KE GE MU KE GE
KO MU U KU FU ON RI IS SAI TEN DO MU SO KU GYO
NE HAN SAN ZE SHO BUTSU E HAN NYA HA RA MI TA
KO TOKU A NOKU TA RA SAN MYAKU SAN BO DAI KO
CHI HAN NYA HA RA MI TA ZE DAI SHIN SHU ZE DAI
MYO
U SHU ZE MU JO SHU ZE MU TO DO SHU NO JO IS
SAI KU SHIN JITSU FU KO KO SETSU HAN NYA HA RA
MI TA SHU SOKU SETSU SHU WATSU
O GYA TE GYA TE
HA RA GYA TE HARA
O SO GYA TE BO DHI SOWA KA
HAN NYA
O SHIN GYO

Dharani of Removing Disasters

NA MU SA MAN O DA O O O O O O O o … O U
MO TO NAN O HA RA CHI KO TO SHA SO NO NAN TO JI
TO EN GYA GYA GYA KI GYA KI UN NUN SHI FU RA SHI
FU RA HA RA SHI FU RA HA RA SHI FU RA CHI SHU SA
CHI SHU SA SHU SHI RI SHU SHI RI SO HA JA SO HA JA
SE CHI GYA SHI RI EI SO MO KO

O NA MU SA MAN DA MO TO NAN O HA RA CHI KO TO
SHA SO NO NAN TO JI TO EN GYA GYA GYA KI GYA KI UN
NUN SHI FU RA SHI FU RA HA RA SHI FU RA HA RA SHI
FU RA CHI SHU SA CHI SHU SA SHU SHI RI SHU SHI RI
SO HA JA SO HA JA SE CHI GYA SHI RI EI SO MO KO

O NA MU SA MAN O DA MO TO NAN O HA RA CHI KO TO
SHA SO NO NAN TO JI TO EN GYA GYA GYA KI GYA KI UN
NUN SHI FU RA SHI FU RA HA RA SHI FU RA HA RA SHI
FU RA CHI SHU
O SA CHI SHU SA SHU SHI RI SHU SHI
RI SO HA
O JA SO HA JA SE CHI GYA SHI RI EI SO O
MO KO

00:00 / 03:13

Dharani of the Great Compassionate One

00:00 / 05:01

NA MU KA RA TAN O NO O O O O O O O o … O U
TO RA YA YA NA MU O RI YA BO RYO KI CHI SHI FU RA
YA FU JI SA TO BO YA MO KO SA TO BO YA MO KO KYA
RU NI KYA YA EN SA HA RA HA EI SHU TA NO TON SHA
NA MU SHI KI RI TO I MO O RI YA BO RYO KI CHI SHI
FU RA RI TO BO NA MU NO RA KI JI KI RI MO KO HO DO
SHA MI SA BO O TO JO SHU BEN O SHU IN SA BO SA
TO NO MO BO GYA MO HA DE CHO TO JI TO EN O BO
RYO KI RYO GYA CHI KYA RYA CHI I KI RI MO KO FU JI
SA TO SA BO SA BO MO RA MO RA MO KI MO KI RI TO
IN KU RYO KU RYO KE MO TO RYO TO RYO HO JA YA
CHI MO KO HO JA YA CHI TO RA TO RA CHI RI NI SHI
FU RA YA SHA RO SHA RO MO MO HA MO RA HO CHI RI
I KI I KI SHI NO SHI NO O RA SAN FU RA SHA RI HA ZA
HA ZA FU RA SHA YA KU RYO KU RYO MO RA KU RYO
KU RYO KI RI SHA RO SHA RO SHI RI SHI RI SU RYO
SU RYO FU JI YA FU JI YA FU DO YA FU DO YA MI CHI
RI YA NO RA KI JI CHI RI SHU NI
U NO HO YA MO NO
SO MO KO SHI DO YA SO MO KO MO KO SHI DO YA SO
MO KO SHI DO YU KI SHI FU RA YA SO MO KO NO RA KI
JI SO MO KO MO RA NO RA SO MO KO SHI RA SUN O
MO GYA YA SO MO KO SO BO MO KO SHI DO YA SO MO
KO SHA KI RA O SHI DO YA SO MO KO HO DO MO GYA
SHI DO YA SO MO
U KO NO RA KI JI HA RYA RA YA SO
MO KO MO HO RI SHIN GYA RA YA SO MO KO
O NA MU
KA RA TAN NO TO RA YA YA NA MU O RI YA BO RYO KI
CHI SHI FU RA YA SO MO
O KO SHI TE DO MO DO RA
HO DO YA SO
O MO KO

Honzon Eko

00:00 / 02:33

NYAN^NI SAN PO AN SU SHIN^SHI
JO^RAI FUNZU KANNIN FUMON PINKIN HOJA
SHINKIN SHOSAI MYO KIJO JIN SHU SUSHI
KUNTE UI^KYO
NA^MU HON SU SHIKYA JIRAI DAI OSHO DAI
SHIN BUNJI SURI BUSA DAI AN FUEN
BU^SA
SHIN^JI JISHI SO NEN BUJO BUKO BUJI
JOHO SUIN ASU SANNYU HAKAI GINSAN
ZUNNEN SHU^SHI
JI^
U HO SAN SHI ISHI SHIBU SHISON BUSA
MOKO^
U SA

Soshi Eko

00:00 / 02:46

NYAN^KI SHIN ZU FUJI SEU^KAN
JO^RAI FUNZU DAI HI EN MON BUKAI JIN
SHU SUSHI JI HIN BUN^NI
SHI^SU BUJI TAMO ENKA DAISU DAI OSHO
RUSU DAIKAN ENO ZENZU DAI OSHO
HAJO DAISHI EKAI ZENZU DAI OSHO
RINSHI ESHO GIGEN ZENZU DAI OSHO
KINZAN KIDO CHIGU ZENZU DAI OSHO
NANPO SHOMYO ZENZU DAI OSHO
DAITE SHUHO MYOCHO ZENZU DAI OSHO
MYOSHIN KANZAN EGEN ZENZU DAI OSHO
SHOJU DOKYO ETAN ZENZU DAI OSHO
RUNTA HAKUIN EKAKU ZENZU DAI OSHO
SHOKU ZOUN JOSHU ZENZU DAI OSHO
RIJU MYOSHIN TOEI JIKAN ZENSZU DAI OSHO
JAI JU MYOSHIN ZUIGAN BANRYO ZENSO ZENZU DAI OSHO
MYOSHIN JOTEN SOKO ZENZU DAI O^SHO
SAN^KU DEN TEN RITAI SHISU KAKA JO JU ZU^IN
JI^
U HO SAN SHI ISHI SHIBU SHISON BUSA MOKO^U SA
MOKO HOJA HORO^
U MI

Segaki Eko

00:00 / 01:53

NYAN^KI UNZU FUJI SEU^KAN
JO^RAI FUNZU KAIKAN ROMON SUSHI KUNTE BUN^NI
JI^HO DAN NO KAKA RIN^NI
U^EN MU EN SAN GAI BAN RINJI HOSHI SHIN ZUN TEN
KA^RU
JI^
U HO SAN SHI ISHI SHIBU SHISON BUSA MOKO^U
SA
MOKO HOJA HORO^
U MI

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