Ringing Bells (Vol. I) - Eight Rituals and Dharma Talks

<p>Lighting a stick of Heart-Incense we at Sùng Nghiêm Zen Monastery vow to realize the True and Authentic Meaning of the Tathāgata's Teaching.</p><p>With deepest gratitude and reverence we offer this to the Buddhas and Patriarchs to the Bodhisattvas and to the Noble Sangha...</p><p>We offer heartfelt thanks and homage to our honored teachers:</p><p>Zen Master Philip Kapleau</p><p>Zen Master Bodhin Kjolhede</p><p>Zen Master Thích Duy Lực And to all virtuous spiritual friends monks and nuns from time immemorial until now.</p><p>We offer gratitude and reverence to our grandparents parents and the Nine Generations of Ancestral Lineage from beginningless time until now.</p><p>We offer gratitude and reverence to all beloved beings-spouses partners dear ones children and grandchildren servants and helpers and all who have supported us in every circumstance and every environment from beginningless time until now.</p><p>We offer gratitude and reverence to both paternal and maternal lineages-siblings uncles aunts cousins-from beginningless time until now.</p><p>We offer our deepest gratitude and reverence to all benefactors and adversaries to all spiritual and worldly friends from beginningless time until now.</p><p>We offer our gratitude and reverence to all beings and all things-sentient and insentient visible and invisible-throughout the entire world and vast cosmos from beginningless time until now.</p><p>We offer our gratitude and reverence to all heroes and martyrs noble women and fallen warriors-named and unnamed-to all wandering souls and forgotten departed ones regardless of religion race or lineage from beginningless time until now.</p><p>We offer our gratitude and reverence to all Dharma and worldly protectors past and present who have contributed boundless effort-from coarse to subtle material to spiritual-toward the complete and radiant flourishing of this Zen Monastery.</p><p>We also gratefully and reverently acknowledge all visible and invisible beings sentient and insentient who have come to listen to visit or to study and practice.</p><p>May all beings diligently cultivate the path transcend afflictions and the cycle of birth and death and manifest the Pure Land within our very body mind and daily life.</p>