6.12.07

Prayers

Did funeral honors today. Not an OIF casualty but a Marine who had served in Viet Nam. I spoke to a friend of his from that war before the funeral service. Said his friend had started doing “the hard stuff” after coming back from that war, which is what killed him.

Please take a moment to appreciate the universe as it is.

The Dharma incomparably profound and exquisite
Is rarely met with, even in hundreds of thousands of millions of kalpas;
We are now permitted to see it, to listen to it, to accept and hold it;
May we truly understand the meaning of the Tathagata's words!


All the evil karma ever committed by me since of old,
On account of greed, anger, and folly, which have no beginning,
Born of my body, mouth, and thought--
I now make full open confession of it.

I take refuge in the Buddha;
I take refuge in the Dharma;
I take refuge in the Sangha.


However innumerable beings are, I vow to save them;
However inexhaustible the passions are, I vow to extinguish them;
However immeasurable the Dharmas are, I vow to master them;
However incomparable the Buddha-truth is, I vow to attain it.


All composite things are impermanent,
They are subject to birth and death;
Put an end to birth and death,
And there is a blissful tranquility.


May all be well and happy.
Jordan

4 comments:

Carol said...

Jordan,

What's the saying? War is hell and hell is war? What a terrible, terrible demon this fellow endured. What tragedies he saw and felt so helpless about. I think of the evil that men do to men.

We are so grateful that you've found another way.

Love,
Mom

Yamakoa said...

Beautiful Post - Jordan
May we all awaken to greater compassion. As more and more humans wish do harm unto each other, may we acquire greater depths to our compassion.

In the the sutra "That Authentically Resumes the Dharma" it states " May he that desires to reach Buddhahood not attempt many methods but one. Which? Great Compassion. He that feels great compassion will know all of the buddhas teachings, as though he held them in his hand."

In the end we can get caught up on all sorts of "Buddhist" or metaphysical trappings. The question is can we free our selfs of a little less suffering and our neighbors(the world) in turn. When it comes down to it, I feel Sidhartha started his journey to try and find a better way of dealing with suffering and in the end was moved by Great Compassion to shows his way.

What kind of footprints will each one of us leave on this earth? I pray for all us who suffer that we may find some respite.
Peace

Jeanette Yuinen Shin said...

Thank you for doing funeral honors. It's not easy in some places to get enough military personnel to give our veterans these honors. I've done a number of memorial services for veterans, mostly WWII Nisei vets. They also came back to a country that didn't respect what they went through. I hope all of us make an effort to care for our veterans so this doesn't have to happen again.

in gassho,
Chaplain Shiin

SlowZen said...

Mom, I think I am still a bit of a demon, but at least I am a demon who is striving to be a saint.

Yamakoa,
Thank you for your wonderful comments.

Chaplin Shin,
I mostly just do what I am told. That makes life very easy for me. Thank you for your comments.
Gassho,
SSgt F.

All, May you be well and Happy!
Jordan

Thanks for looking!