Thich Nhat Hanh describes gathas as “short verses we can recite during the day to help us dwell in mindfulness and look more deeply at what we are doing.”
The following writing is inspired by reading a book that was recently given to me by a dear friend. ‘The Dragon who Never Sleeps, Verses for Zen Buddhist Practice,’ is by Robert Aitken, forward by Thich Nhat Hanh. Most of the gathas below are from the book, but some are from elsewhere and some I wrote myself. I hope you may be inspired to use these or better still, write your own gathas and practice them for the welfare of all beings.
This morning as I wake
I vow with all beings
to bring all things to awakening
without throwing off the world.
While brushing my teeth
I vow with all beings
to renounce ‘getting it done’
and joyfully receive the present.
When children wake me early
I vow with all beings
to open to their cries
hearing the call to practice.
When hatred stirs my heart
I vow with all beings
to remember Kanzeon
and offer my life to her.
Whenever I’m tempted to judge
I vow with all beings
to remember we both have two nostrils
and the same implacable fate.
When the children get cranky and whiny
I vow with all beings
to stop what I am doing and cuddle
and show them I know times are tough.
When amused by thoughts in zazen
I vow with all beings
to wave them through with a smile
and not follow them out the door.
Whenever the telephone rings
I vow with all beings
to allow it to ring one more time
as I carefully breath in and out.
When traffic is bumper to bumper
I vow with all beings
to move when the world starts moving
and rest when it pauses again.
When the table is spread for a meal
I vow with all beings
to accept each dish as an offering
that honours my ancient path.
When greed stirs my heart
I vow with all beings
to realise the end of suffering
and make an offering to Buddha.
This evening when I sleep
I vow with all beings
to still all things
and clear the mind of confusion.
I believe the first and last are traditional gathas, I am unaware of the authors name. The 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 11th were written by me, all the others are from Robert Aitken’s above-mentioned book.
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