Touching the Earth ❂

Opening Gāthā

The one who bows and the one who is bowed to
are both, by nature, empty.
Therefore the communication between them
is inexpressibly perfect.
Our practice center is the Net of Indra
reflecting all Buddhas everywhere.
And with my person in front of each Buddha,
I go with my whole life for refuge.

Prostrations

touch the earth at each sound of the bell

Offering light in the Ten Directions,
the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha,
to whom we bow in gratitude.

Teaching and living the way of awareness
in the very midst of suffering and confusion,
Śākyamuni Buddha, the Fully Enlightened One,
to whom we bow in gratitude.

Cutting through ignorance, awakening our hearts and minds,
Mañjuśrī, the Bodhisattva of Great Understanding,
to whom we bow in gratitude.

Working mindfully, working joyfully for the sake of all beings,
Samantabhadra, the Bodhisattva of Great Action,
to whom we bow in gratitude.

Listening deeply, serving beings in countless ways,
Avalokiteśvara, the Bodhisattva of Great Compassion,
to whom we bow in gratitude.

Fearless and persevering through realms of suffering and darkness,
Kṣitigarbha, the Bodhisattva of Great Aspiration,
to whom we bow in gratitude.

Mother of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and all beings,
nourishing, holding and healing all, Bodhisattva Gaia,
Great Mother Earth, precious jewel of the cosmos,
to whom we bow in gratitude.

Radiating light in all directions, source of life on Earth,
Mahāvairocana Tathāgata, Great Father Sun,
Buddha of infinite light and life,
to whom we bow in gratitude.

Seed of awakening and loving kindness in children and all beings,
Maitreya, the Buddha to-be-born,
to whom we bow in gratitude.

Showing the way fearlessly and compassionately,
the stream of all our Ancestral Teachers,
to whom we bow in gratitude.

^{« »} Between the quotation marks, the community joins in the chant as a chorus.