Praising Buddha Amitabha

Bowing down before the Buddha of boundless light

shining magnanimously over ten thousand worlds,

today we have a chance

to hear the wonderful voice of the loving father calling us.

Bowing down before the Buddha of the nectar of immortality,

whose present manifestation is the shining orb of the great sun,

we, who are the kinsmen of the Sun, are lucky enough to have the Buddha to show us the way.

Our homeland is the great Earth —

the kind mother who is none other than the beautiful green planet,

whose orbit is the orbit of love,

as she does walking meditation with the solar system.

The light of the Tathagata spreading out has brought to life so many species. Wherever there is life,

there is the Great Tathagata Sun.

The light of the Tathagata spreading out is the nourishing source of all species. The path we tread, our way home,

is lit up always by the orb of the sun.

The Tathagata’s energy is limitless light.

It is the foundation of the white clouds, the golden moon,

the high mountains and the wide rivers that flow into and make the four blue oceans.

The energy of the Buddha’s nectar of immortality

has brought to life the green willow, the red plum blossom,

manifested the golden flower, the violet bamboo

and displayed the wonderful Dharma body.

The Earth is held in the embrace of Tathagata Sun

who has established the good and peaceful Pure Land

in order to bring together and protect the good and holy ones

and set up the mindful Sangha body.

The Buddha nature does not discriminate between north and south.

The Pure Land is not bounded by east or west.

The Great Muni has taught out of compassion

that the Pure Land is here and now.

We aspire to walk on the ground of reality, to bring back our body to our mind,

to be aware of touching the earth with every step,

to be able to see wonderful things at every moment,

to see the nature of no birth and no death, to see the ground of no coming and going, to undo the many-layered net of doubts,

to light all paths with the torch of insight at every moment,

to see that the Saha world is the Pure Land, to recognize that afflictions are enlightenment,

to realize nirvana by means of samsara,

to reach the shore of awakening and conquer the source of ignorance.

Every step we take on Mother Earth

helps us to be in touch with Father Sky. Every step of peaceful harmony and pure joy makes the lap of the earth bloom with thousands of flowers.

The wonderful nectar of sunlight has arisen. This wonderful nectar has manifested.

The glorious vault of the sky has opened. The nectar of sunlight progresses gloriously from place to place.

The Pure Land of the present is so wonderful

seen clearly in the white clouds and the blue sky.

All the Buddhas of the ten directions

each with his own voice praise Amitabha in chorus.

We vow to use our pure thoughts, words and deeds

to contribute to the building of a good

and peaceful world,

to train bodhisattvas who will be Buddhas in their next lifetime,

to prevent and put an end to the calamity of war.

We vow to dwell in mindfulness,

with all our might protecting the green planet,

building sangha and making it strong, and, with the Tathagata, practice to rescue beings from their suffering.

We vow to look deeply

to see the interdependent nature of all that is, to realize signlessness,

and go beyond mere designations,

in order to be in touch with reality, to witness no birth and no death, in order to overcome fear

and live truly at peace.

Tathagata, please embrace us.

Great Muni, be our witness.

Grant that your disciples

speedily accomplish the path of practice.

Namo Buddha Amitabha

Namo Buddha Vairocana

Namo Buddha Shakyamuni