A SIMPLE DAILY PRACTICE

A SIMPLE DAILY PRACTICE

By H.E Acho Rinpoche

 

1.             Prostration

Prostrate to the Buddha Family, Bodhisattva Family and Vajra Family. Next, pay equal respect to the three Families and all heavenly beings.

 

2.             Offering

Place some rice grains in both palms. Visualize Mtn. Sumeru in the centre, surrounded by Four Heavens in the east, west, north and south, and flanked by a sun and a moon in the east and west respectively. Visualize the rice grains within our palms transforming into precious gems, filling Mtn. Sumeru and Four Heavens fully. Present the precious gems to all the holy beings.

 

Recite the Offering Verse once:

Mtn. Sumeru, Four Heavens and a sun and moon. May I offer all the precious gems filling Mtn. Sumeru, Four Heavens and a sun and moon fully, to the Buddhas. May the merits generated from these wonderful offerings, eradicate the negative karma and bring about a swift enlightenment.

 

Chant the Offering Mantra 3 times:

“Om. Sarva. Tatagatha. I-ta-mu. Guru-lana. Men-cha-la. Khan. Ni-li-ye. Ta-ye-mi.”  (嗡。沙爾娃。打他架打。衣打木。古魯拉那。面渣拉。襟。尼裏耶。打耶咪。)

 

3.             Four Refuge

Chant the Four Refuge Mantra 3 times:

 “Namo Gurubeh. Namo Buddhaya. Namo Dharmaya. Namo Sanghaya.” (南摩古魯貝。南摩不打耶。南摩达摩耶。南摩僧伽耶。)

 

4.             Heart Sutra

Recite the Heart Sutra:

Thus have I heard. Once the Buddha was dwelling in Rajagriha at Vulture Peak, together with a great gathering of the sangha of monks and a great gathering of the sangha of bodhisattvas. At that time the Buddha entered the samadhi that expresses the dharma called “profound illumination,” and at the same time noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, while dwelling in the profound state of prajnaparamita, realize the emptiness of the five skandhas and break free from all sufferings.

 

Then, through the power of the Buddha, venerable Shariputra said to noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, “How should a son or daughter of noble family train, who wishes to practice the profound prajnaparamita?”

 

Noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, said to venerable Shariputra, “O Shariputra, a son or daughter of noble family who wishes to practice the profound prajnaparamita should see in this way: the five skandhas are emptiness. Form is emptiness; emptiness is form. Emptiness is no other than form; form is no other than emptiness. In the same way, feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness are emptiness. Thus, Shariputra, all phenomena are emptiness, where there is no birth and no cessation, there is no purity nor impurity, there is no increase nor decrease. Therefore, Shariputra, in emptiness, there is no form, no feeling, no perception, no formation, no consciousness; no eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind; no appearance, no sound, no smell, no taste, no touch, no mental fabrication; no eye realm up to no mind realm, no ignorance, no end of ignorance; no old age and death, no end of old age and death; no suffering, no origin of suffering, no cessation of suffering, no path of practice; no wisdom and no attainment of wisdom; as there is  no attainment,  bodhisattvas who dwell in the profound state of prajnaparamita will be free of mental obscuration. As there is no mental obscuration, there is no fear. Thus, they break free from delusions and attain the ultimate nirvana. All the Buddhas of the past, present and future, by means of prajnaparamita, fully awaken to unsurpassable, true and complete enlightenment. Therefore, the great mantra of prajnaparamita, the mantra of great insight, the unsurpassed mantra, the unequalled mantra, the mantra that eradicates all suffering, is the Truth. The prajnaparamita mantra is said in this way:

 

OM GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SVAHA

 

Thus, Shariputra, the bodhisattva mahasattva should train in the profound prajnaparamita.” Then the Buddha arose from the samadhi and praised noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, saying, “Good, good, O son of noble family; thus it is, O son of noble family, thus it is. One should practice the profound prajnaparamita just as you have taught and all the Tathagatas will rejoice.”

 

When the Buddha had said this, venerable Shariputra and noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, that whole assembly and the world with its gods, humans, asuras and gandharvas rejoiced and praised the words of the Buddha.

 

心经

观自在菩萨，行深般若波罗蜜多时，照见五蕴皆空，度一切苦厄。舍利子，色不异空，空不异色，色即是空，空即是色，受想行识亦复如是。舍利子，是诸法空相，不生不灭、不垢不净、不增不减。是故，空中无色、无受想行识、无眼耳鼻舌身意、无色声香味触法、无眼界、乃至无意识界、无无明、亦无无明尽、乃至无老死、亦无老死尽、无苦集灭道、无智亦无得。以无所得故，菩提萨垛，依般若波罗蜜多故，心无挂碍，无挂碍故，无有恐怖，远离颠倒梦想，究竟涅盘。三世诸佛，依般若波罗蜜多故，得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。故知般若波罗蜜多，是大神咒、是大明咒、是无上咒、是无等等咒，能除一切苦，真实不虚。故说般若波罗蜜多咒，即说咒曰：揭谛。揭谛。波罗揭谛。波罗僧揭谛。菩提萨婆诃。(念咒语7遍)

 

5.             Mantra

Chant Avalokitesvara’s Heart Mantra 108 times: “Om Mani Padme Hom”. (嗡。嘛尼。唄咪。吽。)

 

6.             Name of Buddha

Recite the name of Amitabha Buddha 3 times:

Namo 36 Trillion And 119,500 Amitabha Buddhas of the same name (南摩三十六万亿一十一万九千五百同名同號阿弥陀佛。)

 

7.             Dedication of Merit

Recite the Dedication Verse:
May I be reborn in the Western Blissful Pure Land together with all who recite the name of the Buddha. May I repay the Four-fold Kindness (parents, nation, teachers, sentient beings) and help the Three Lower Realms (animal, hell, hungry ghost). May I meet the Buddha and end the cyclic existence of birth and death. May I help all sentient beings like a Buddha would. (愿同唸佛者，同生极乐國，上报四重恩，下济三途苦，見佛了生死，如佛度一切。)

 

Note. This is a simple daily practice taught by Acho Rinpoche for the English-speaking ones who are keen to start a simple  daily Buddhist practice early without going through the formal process of taking refuge etc. One could learn the full version of the practice from a qualified master when he is ready to do so. (The Chinese text is also included only for reference purpose.)