About "Shikin Haramitsu Daikomyo"

by Richard Ray

Edited by John C. Price

[First seen on Kutaki no Mura. Reprinted by permission.]

After Mokuso, I turn to face the kami dana (I will talk more about Kami Dana in a latter post) I raise my hands to Gassho. Gassho is symbolic of unity, yin and yang (or in/yo in Japanese) duality coming together. We strive to unite heaven and earth, body and spirit, life and death. We pledge to find that aspect of us that is beyond birth and death and is pure, and to live each moment of our life from that part of ourselves.

I then say chihaya furu, kami no oshie wa, tokoshie ni, tadashiki, kokoro mio mamoruran.

Chihaya furu means "1000 quick shakes" and refers to the "Harai Gushi" or paper streamer wands, that a Shinto priest shakes to purify an area, such as in this case where we are about to invoke the kami.

The rest of the prayer is hard to translate into English but I will try...

Kami = "God", no ="'s" or "of" so it means, "the God's" or "belonging to God" or "from God" (and god here is not the guy with the white beard, but something indescribable)

Oshie = teachings; precept; lesson; doctrine. wa indicates what it is we are referring to in this case it points to "oshie"

tokoshieni = everlastingly

tadashiki = right; just; correct; righteous; honest; truthful; proper; straightforward; perfect

kokoro = mind; heart; spirit

Mio mamoruran = to defend one's self

So, what do we have? One way of putting it together is as follows:

The teachings of heaven will protect your entire being for eternity, if you have a correct; righteous; honest; truthful; proper mind/heart/spirit.

This is the most literal way of translating this prayer.

Next I say, Shikin haramitsu daikomyo

Shikin = a heart (or, actually, kokoro as I listed above) that has four aspects which are:
 Kiyoki Kokoro - a heart of jewel like clarity and brilliance
 Makoto Kokoro - a heart of sincerity
 Naoki Kokoro - a childlike heart without the desire to deceive
 Tadashiki Kokoro - a heart which seeks justice

Haramitsu = It is the Japanese phonetic rendering of the Sanskrit word "paramita" which is perfection of which there are ten. This comes from Buddhism and they are as follows:

1) The Perfection of Generosity or Liberality:
This paramita should not be misunderstood to mean merely material giving, or being kind to someone lower than you. Perfecting generosity is not when you are looking down upon someone. The practitioner here opens up and communicates with the needs of others, without selfish judgment or evaluation. It is the openness to give without fear and at any moment, without desire to receive something in return.

Generosity includes the fearless dedication to aid others and protect them. It also includes the supreme gift of giving the dharma to others.

2) The Perfection of Morality or Ethics:
The practitioner should cease committing wrong actions. One continuously strives to mentally, physically and verbally produce merit and virtue, and of course to act for the benefit of others. The Bodhisattva's morals, though, are not a set pattern of right and wrong or laws. It is an openness and willingness to not discriminate between this and that. Instead, pure morality falls into appropriate patterns and precise actions at every single moment. It is beyond rigidity.

3) The Perfection of Patience:
The ability to deal with difficult circumstances and possess completely certainly with the dharma is true patience. Patience does not mean dropping dead from exhaustion; it means dropping all one's expectations! One should never be shocked or expect something as a dharma person.

4) The Perfection of Strenuousness:
To delight in engaging in virtuous actions and the refusal to turn back is apart of this paramita. One is constantly joyous and does not feel life is boring, but instead, opens to every situation with life and interest.

5) The Perfection of Meditative Concentration:
In the state of tranquility one has control over the mind, always remaining joyful and acquiring positive realizations.

Perfecting meditation does not mean that one is just practicing formal meditation or living in an everlasting trance. Instead one is always aware of practice and never ceases, awake to life and its situations.

6) The Perfection of Insight:
Here, one realizes the relative and ultimate reality of existence. It is the transcendence of one's conceptions and habitual thoughts, the end of dualism and the king of all the other paramitas. The Bodhisattva is no longer irritated by emotions, attachment and aversion. One cuts through discrimination and sees existence just as it is.

7) The Perfection of Beneficial Expediency:
This is the ability to show those who are suffering how to rise up and transcend their suffering. The Bodhisattva uses skillful means as a way to accomplish the benefit of others.

8) The Perfection of Devoted Resolution:
This is the ability to teach the Bodhisattva vehicle to those who are narrow minded or follow a distorted path.

9) The Perfection of Power:
This is the usage of skillful means to aid others and bring them unto the path.

10) The Perfection of Transcending Awareness:
This is the wisdom which transcends duality and abides in complete equanimity.

Daikomyo = a great, large radiating light. Like a nuclear reaction, a pure light the light of god that goes on forever and extends to the limits of the universe.

So what this means is that if your "heart" has these four aspects, it will naturally develop in you these 10 perfections, once realized, you will radiate the light of God. This is another way to say you will become enlightened.