Connecting Through Virtual Sitting

As we navigate through this uncertain and challenging time, our ongoing Virtual Sitting has given us a place of refuge where we are able to inspire and uplift each other through our sitting, connecting us all in loving support for one another. One thing is clear, not a single one of us is going through these tough times alone.

Ever since we started Virtual Sitting through various Viber groups created for this purpose, we have been practicing everyday, at various times of the day, with different people of like-minded persuasion. Everyone has been meditating and praying, not only with members of Zen Center Philippines sangha, but with other groups such as the Sangha in Barcelona, Spain and the Single Stone Sangha and the Zendo West Sangha of Canada. We are indeed one Universal Sangha.

Our Zazen is sheltered in the Universal Zendo. And this Zendo is none other than in front of a wall, a nook in your bedroom, a space in your garden, under the clear blue sky, or just about anywhere you are. How long do we sit? For as long as we want and are able to, whether 10 minutes, 25 minutes, or more. The Universal Sangha has no walls, no limits, no boundaries, no form to follow. It is free flowing.

Virtual sitting is THIS, right HERE and NOW.

If you wish to do zazen meditation and join our Virtual Sitting, please send an email to virtual.sitting@gmail.com and accomplish the following information:

First Name:
Family Name:
Nickname
Mobile #

Virtual Sitting Schedule

The schedule of Virtual Zazenkai is outlined below. You may participate in the sits on a part-time basis. Even if you can sit with us virtually for only one or two sits, the time you spend sitting with us will be priceless and we would be deeply grateful for each of those minutes that you sit with us. As with other Zen Center of the Philippines activities, participation is free of charge.

VIRTUAL DAILY SITTING SCHEDULE

DAY

TIME

Zazen / Meditation / Sitting

Online Platform

Monday
to
Saturday

5:30 - 7:00AM

7:00AM - 12:30PM

12:30 - 2:00PM
(1:30 - 3:00PM)*

2:00 - 7:30PM

7:30 - 8:30PM

Zazen with Sangha

Free Sitting

Sit with Sigriswal,
Switzerland

Free Sitting

Zazen with Sangha

Google Meet

Google Meet / Viber

Zoom

Google Meet / Viber

Google Meet

Sunday
(2nd & 4th)
Bahay Dalangin
Zazenkai

5:30 - 7:00AM

7:00AM - 9:30AM

9:00AM - 12:00PM

7:30 - 8:30PM

Zazen

Free Sitting

Zazen & Teisho / Sharing with Bahay Dalangin

Zazen

Google Meet

Google Meet / Viber

Zoom

Google Meet

Sunday
(1st & 3rd)
Zazenkai

5:30 - 7:00AM

7:00AM - 9:00AM

9:00 - 10:00AM

10:00 - 11:00AM

11:00 - 12:00PM

Zazen

Break

Zazen

TEISHO

Zazen

Google Meet

 

Google Meet

Google Meet

Google Meet

Sunday
(2nd & 4th)
Zazenkai

8:00 - 10:00AM

10:00AM - 11:00AM

11:00AM - 12:00PM

12:00 - 1:00PM

Zazen

TEISHO

Break

Zazen

Google Meet

Google Meet

 

Google Meet


Notes

    1. Zazen with sangha - there is a Jikido who does the bells and clappers
    2. Free sitting - no Jikido. You may use Google Meet or sign in and out Viber - Virtual Zazenkai
    3. Link for Dawn Sitting and Night Sitting: meet.google.com/gpz-sbky-tnb
    4. Link for Sunday Zazenkai (Zazen and Teisho): meet.google.com/bkn-qcnq-iek
    5. Link to the sit with Switzerland- Location: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/743523962
Time Zones

Japan +1 hour

Singapore - same as the Philippines

Central Europe Summer (Germany & Spain) -6 hours

Great Britain Summer -7 hours

Eastern Time (New York & Toronto) -12 hours

Central Standard Time (Guatemala) -14 hours

Pacific Time (California & Vancouver) -15 hours

Prayers / Invocations

Sangha:

PRAYER BEFORE SITTING
PRAYER AFTER SITTING
EKOMON
PRAYER BEFORE TEISHO
HANNYA-SHINGYÔ SUTRA
PRAYER BEFORE AND AFTER MEALS
PRAYER BEFORE SITTING

WORDS FOR AROUSING THE VOW (paraphrased)

Inô:

Words for Arousing the Vow
Dogen Zenji’s Eihei Koso Hotsugan Mon

Sangha:

We vow together with all beings, from this life throughout countless lifetimes, to strive to hear the true Dharma;
That upon hearing it, no doubt or lack of faith will arise in us;
That upon meeting it, we will abandon the way of the world and uphold the true Dharma; And in so doing, together with the great earth and all sentient beings, we will accomplish the Way of Enlightenment.

O Buddhas and Patriarchs enlightened by the Way, have compassion on us.
Release and liberate us from all evil karma created in our past; remove all obstacles from our practice of the Buddha-dharma.

The virtue of the Buddha Way pervades the entire universe. Please remember that all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Patriarchs have shared our condition before their awakening. Now, we follow the True Way of Enlightenment so that we too can be Buddhas, fully Awakened Ones.

Venerating Buddhas and Patriarchs, we are one Buddha and one ancestor; contemplating Bodhi-mind, we are Bodhi-mind. Because of their limitless compassion, we are able to realize Buddhahood and throw away this attainment.

Our ancestor Longya said:

Those who in past lives were not awakened will now be awakened. Free this body that is the fruit of accumulated lives.
Before enlightenment, ancient Buddhas were exactly the same as we. Upon enlightenment, we will be exactly as the ancient ones.

Quietly explore the depths of this web of cause and effect, as these words are the teaching of a verified Buddha. Confessing and repenting in this way, we cannot fail to receive the boundless help of Buddhas and ancestors.
Confessing to the Buddha with mindful heart and dignified body, the power of our disclosure and repentance will melt all roots and branches of our transgressions. This is the one pure color of true practice, of the true mind of faith, of the true body of faith.

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PRAYER AFTER SITTING

THE FOUR GREAT ASPIRATIONS

Inô:

Let us recite the Four Great Aspirations.

Sangha:

Creations are innumerable,
I resolve to free them all. Delusions are inexhaustible,
I resolve to extinguish them all. The aspects of truth are countless,
I resolve to learn and master them all. The way of enlightenment is peerless, I resolve to accomplish it.

or the Japanese chant of the same:

THE FOUR GREAT ASPIRATIONS IN JAPANESE

Inô:

SHIGU SEIGAN MON

Sangha:

SHUJÔ MUHEN SEIGAN DO,
BONNÔ MUJIN SEIGAN DAN,
HÔMON MURYÔ SEIGAN GAKU,
BUTSUDÔ MUJÔ SEIGAN JÔ.

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EKOMON

Ekomon Modified for Virtual Zazankai

May whatever merit that comes from this practice Go toward the Enlightenment of all beings.
May it become a drop in the ocean Of the activity of all Buddhas
In their tireless work for the liberation of all beings.

May the power of this sitting help us realize
That this health crisis is nothing but a dark shadow
On the empty stage of the never-ending play of cause and effect, Which is neither apart from nor outside of our True Self.

And may the earnestness of our efforts
Usher this shadow back to the point of its Ultimate Origin.

All Buddhas throughout space and time All Honored Ones,
Boddhisattvas, Mahasattvas, Wisdom beyond wisdom!
Maha Prajna Paramita!

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PRAYER BEFORE TEISHO

Inô:

THE HEART SUTRA, paraphrased:

Sangha:

Practicing deep insight meditation We can see clearly
That what we call ourselves is just an idea With no real substance to it;
And when we have no substantial self, Suffering and distress are no longer a burden. All things and all forms of life
Are also empty of any real substance, Like clouds drifting through the sky.
And this emptiness is no other than rocks and flowers, Dogs and cats and human beings.

Form is exactly emptiness, emptiness exactly form. All sensations, perceptions, mental reactions
And consciousness are like this.
All things are essentially empty, not born, not destroyed, Not tainted, not pure, without loss, without gain.
So to make the point emphatically clear:
In emptiness there is no form, no sensation,
No perception, no mental reaction, no consciousness; No eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue;
No color, no sound, no smell, no taste, no object of thought, No seeing or feeling, no remembering or forgetting, no thinking; No ignorance and also no ending of ignorance,
And so onto no old age and no death; No suffering, no cause of suffering,
No end of suffering, no practice of the Way, No Wisdom and no attainment of Wisdom.

When we realize there is nothing to attain, We have no self-pre-occupations
And so live our lives of uninhibited love and compassion for others. With no hindrance in our minds and no fear
We see through deluded thinking and understand
That right here and now is where the peace and joy of life is to be found. All enlightened people of past, present and future
Live by this great insight,
Attaining full and complete maturity of being. Therefore know that these few simple words Are really a great mantra
Which completely connects to all happiness. Look clearly into this moment of your life
And you will see that these words are true, not just dogma. Vow to understand this Great Way of Empty Wisdom
To the depths of your being, and sing it with great joy:

Sangha:

GONE, GONE, GONE BEYOND GONE BEYOND THE BEYOND AWAKEN FULLY, ALL.

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HANNYA-SHINGYÔ SUTRA

Inô:

HANNYA-SHINGYÔ SUTRA

Sangha:

KAN-JI-ZAI BO-SATSU GYÔ JIN-HAN-NYA HA-RA-MI-TA JI, 

SHÔ-KEN GO-ON KAI-KÛ. 

DO IS-SAI KU-YAKU. SHA-RI-SHI, SHIKI FU I KÛ, KÛ FU I SHIKI, SHIKI SOKU ZE KÛ, KÛ SOKU ZE SHIKI.

JU SÔ GYÔ SHIKI, YAKU BU NYO ZE.

SHA-RI-SHI, ZE SHO-HÔ KÛ-SÔ, FU-SHÔ FU-METSU,

FU-KU FU-JÔ, FU-ZÔ FU-GEN.

ZE KO KÛ-CHÛ MU-SHIKI, MU JU SÔ GYÔ SHIKI, MU GEN NI BI ZETSU SHIN I, 

MU SHIKI SHÔ KÔ MI SOKU HÔ, MU GEN-KAI NAI-SHI MU I-SHIKI-KAI.

MU MU-MYÔ YAKU MU MU-MYÔ JIN, NAI-SHI MU RÔ-SHI YAKU MU RÔ-SHI JIN. 

 MU KU SHÛ METSU DÔ,

MU CHI YAKU MU TOKU, 

I MU SHO TOKU KO.

BO-DAI-SAT-TA, E HAN-NYA HA-RA-MI-TA KO

SHIN MU KEI-GE, MU KEI-GE KO, MU U KÛ FU,

ON-RI IS-SAI TEN-DÔ MU-SÔ, KU-GYÔ 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 JIN-SHU, ZE DAI MYÔ-SHU, ZE MU-JÔ-SHU, 

ZE MU TÔ-DÔ-SHU, NÔ-JO IS-SAI KU, SHIN-JITSU FU-KO.

KO SETSU HAN-NYA HA-RA-MI-TA SHU, SOKU-SETSU SHU-WATSU, GYA-TEI GYA-TEI HA-RA GYA-TEI, HARA SÔ GYA-TEI, BO-JI SOWA-KA: HAN-NYA SHIN-GYÔ.

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PRAYER BEFORE AND AFTER MEALS

PRAYER BEFORE MEALS

Inô:

Prayer before meals

Sangha:

First, we consider in detail the merits of this food, and remember how it came to us;

Second, we evaluate our own virtue and practice, lacking or complete, as we receive this offering;

Third, we are careful about our greed, anger, and ignorance, to guard our minds and to free ourselves from error;

Fourth, we take this good medicine to save our bodies from emaciation;

Fifth, we accept this food to achieve the Way of Enlightenment.

Inô:

Food is effective in ten ways to aid us in our practice.

Sangha:

There are no limits to its good results and ends in eternal happiness.

Inô:

Let us take our bowls in hand and say:

Sangha:

Source of all Being, We are thankful for this meal,  The work of many people and the sharing of other forms of life. Accept this gratitude as a prayer for those who are hungry.   May your creatures everywhere be blest.

PRAYER BEFORE MEALS

Inô:

Prayer after meals

Sangha:

We thank You, Source of all Being, For the food we have just received. May it continue to nourish us For there are no limits to its good results.

Inô:

Let us remember again how it came to us.

Sangha:

Source of all Being, We are thankful for this meal,  The work of many people and the sharing of other forms of life. Accept this gratitude as a prayer for those who are hungry.   May your creatures everywhere be blest.

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 Teisho
click here to see Teisho Archive

Zen Center Philippines · Hekiganroku # 35 - The Hermit of Lotus Peak - Rollie - May 1, 2022
Zen Center Philippines · Shoyuroku # 54 - Ungan's Great Mercy - Rollie - April 10, 2022
Zen Center Philippines · Shoyuroku #8 - Hyakujo and the Fox - Rollie - April 9, 2022
Zen Center Philippines · Mumonkan # 1 - Joshu's Dog - Rollie - April 8, 2022
Zen Center Philippines · Four Great Vows - Sr. Kathleen - March 20, 2022
Zen Center Philippines · Shoyoroku # 85 - The National Teacher's Gravestone - Nenates - February 27, 2022
Zen Center Philippines · Miscellaneous # 16 - Oryu's Three Turning Words - Carmen - February 20, 2022
Zen Center Philippines · Shinjinmei - Rollie - February 6, 2022
Zen Center Philippines · Miscellaneous # 15 - Shogen's Three Turning Words - Carmen - January 30, 2022
Zen Center Philippines · Shoyoroku # 84 - Gutei's One Finger - Nenates - January 23, 2022
Zen Center Philippines · Shoyoroku # 46 - Tokusan's Study Accomplished -
Zen Center Philippines · Shoyoroku # 4 - The World Honored One Points to the Ground - Nenates - January 14, 2022
Zen Center Philippines · Mumonkan #1 - Joshu's Dog - Rollie - January 13, 2022
Zen Center Philippines · Hogen's Hairsbreath Rollie January 2, 2022
Zen Center Philippines · “Sr. Rosario’s kindness and generosity” by Carmen - December 19, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Shoyoroku # 16 - Mayoku Shook the Ring Staff - Rollie - November 20, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Mumonkan # 1 - Joshu's Dog - Carmen - November 18, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Miscellaneous # 11 - On a Narrow Mountain Road - Nenates - November 28, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Shoyoroku # 15 - Kyozan Thrusts His Hoe into the Ground - Rollie - November 7, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Shoyoroku # 85 - The National Teacher's Gravestone - Rollie - October 31, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Miscellaneous # 4 - Save A Ghost - October 24, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Miscellaneous # 14 - A Thousand Mountains ... - Carmen - October 17, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Shoyoroku # 14 - Attendant Kaku Offers Tea - Rollie - October 3, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Miscellaneous Koans 1, 2 and 3 - Nenates - Sept. 26, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Miscellaneous # 13 a & b - On Mt. Godai.... - Carmen - September 19, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Shoyoroku # 13 - Rinzai's Blind Donkey - Rollie - September 5, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Hekiganroku # 43 - Tozan's Cold and Heat - Sandy Chubb - August 29, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Miscellaneous # 12 - The Leaves of the Lotus .... - Carmen - August 15, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Hekiganroku # 3 - Master Ba is Unwell - Sr. Rosario - August 8, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Shoyoroku # 12 - Jizo Plants the Rice Field - Rollie - August 1, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Miscellaneous # 11 - In Order to be a Worthy Zen Student - Carmen - July 18, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Hekiganroku # 99 - Shukuso and the Buddha with the Ten Bodies - Rollie - July 11, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Shoyoroku # 11 - Unmon's Two Diseases - Rollie - July 4, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Mumonkan # 10 B&C - While Walking - Carmen - June 27, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · I Am The Day - Migaku - June 19, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Shoyoroku # 10 - An Old Woman Near Mt. Godai - Rollie - June 18, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Miscellaneous # 1 - Joshu's Dog - Carmen - June 17, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Hekiganroku # 3 - Master Ba is Unwell - Sr. Rosario - June 13, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Shoyoroku # 9 - Nansen Kills the Cat - Rollie - June 6, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Shoyoroku # 8 - Hyakujo and the Fox - Rollie - May 23, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Mumonkan # 1 - Joshu's Dog - Migaku - April 3, 2021
3, 2021" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Mumonkan # 1 - Joshu's Dog - Migaku - April 3, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Miscellaneous # 10 - With Empty Hands... - Carmen - May 16, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Hekiganroku # 1 - Bodhidharma's _Vast and Void - Sr. Rosario - May 9, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Shoyoroku Case# 7 - Yakusan Ascends the Rostrum - Rollie, May 2, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Miscellaneous Koan # 9 - In The Island Of Ise - Carmen - April 25, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Hekiganroku Case # 18 - The National Teacher's Tombstone - Rollie - April 18, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Hekiganroku Case #2 and #59 - Joshu's _Supreme Way_ - Sr. Rosario April 11, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Hekiganroku Case # 17- Kôrin's "Sitting for a Long Time" - Rollie - March 29, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Washing the Buddha - Paul - March 28, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Mumonkan Case # 47 - Tosotsu's Three Barriers - Nenates - March 27, 2021
Zen Center Philippines · Mumonkan Case # 1 - Joshu's Dog - Carmen - March 26, 2021

Articles and Write ups

President's Report 2020-2021

Report on 1st Virtual Sesshin

Closing preaching

Remembering Tony Perlas Sensei

2019 Corona Virus by Sr. Angeles

Quarantine Zen: How to relieve your cabin fever

Zazen—sitting meditation practice—could offer ‘prisoners’ a way to experience freedom of the mind despite physical confinement - By Eric S. Caruncho

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The role of Zen in the time of COVID-19, or how to find calm so worry won’t eat you up

This time of social distancing is an opportune time to reconnect with our selves—but without completely shutting out the reality in our midst. Two Zen practitioners show us how it’s done. By DAHL BENNETT

Read More

Now, Time to Sit - Business World

THE various details that were once mere facts of life become major decisions when you’ve been forcibly locked inside the house by a virus. New developments everyday force us ever more to retreat inwards, but inside a space filled with dread. Maybe a touch of true silence will make that place a little better. - By Joseph L. Garcia, Reporter

Read More

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