"At Plum Village, chants and recitations are part of everyday life and are also important for special occasions. They help to strengthen our practice of mindfulness, nourishing the wholesome seeds of love and understanding within us and renewing our determination to be aware and awake to the present moment."  -Chanting from the Heart

The chants in this page are examples in which you can use to perform each day. They may be performed with your community of fellow practitioners, your family, or on your own.  The chants and discourses can be replace with other chants and discourses that you can find available in this site.

Here in Plum Village, the format in which we usually follows are: Incense offering, Chanting, which consist of the Sutra Opening Verse, We are truly present can be replace with May the day be well, Discourse reading, and closing verse...

From the Depths of Understanding ♪

From the depths of understanding, a flower of great eloquence blooms:
the Bodhisattva stands majestically
upon the waves of birth and death, free from all afflictions.
Her great compassion eliminates all sickness,
even that once thought of as incurable.
Her wondrous light sweeps away all obstacles and dangers.
Her willow branch, once waved,
reveals countless Buddha Lands.
Her lotus flower blossoms a multitude of practice centers.
We bow to her. We see her true presence in the here and the now.
We offer her the incense of our hearts.
May the Bodhisattva of Deep Listening embrace us all
with Great Compassion.

Namo’valokiteshvaraya
[Homage to Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara]

The Refuge Chant ♪

Incense perfumes the atmosphere.
A lotus blooms and the Buddha appears.
The world of suffering and discrimination
is filled with the light of the rising sun.
As the dust of fear and anxiety settles,
with open heart, one-pointed mind,
I turn to the Three Jewels.
[BELL]

Joyfully Sharing the Merit ♪

Blessed Ones who dwell in the world, grant to us compassion.
In this and countless lives before, from beginningless time,
our mistakes have caused much suffering to ourselves and others.
We have done wrong, encouraged others to do wrong,
and given our consent to acts of killing, stealing, deceiving,
sexual misconduct, and other harmful actions
among the Ten Unwholesome Deeds.

Evening Chant ♪

With posture upright and solid, we are seated at the foot of the Bodhi tree.
Body, speech, and mind are one in stillness; there is no more thought of right and wrong.
Our mind and body dwell in perfect mindfulness.
We rediscover our original nature, leaving the shore of illusion behind.
Noble Sangha, diligently bring your mind into meditation.

Namo Shakyamunaye Buddhaya
Namo Shakyamunaye Buddhaya
Namo Shakyamunaye Buddhaya

The Three Refuges ♪

I take refuge in the Buddha,
the one who shows me the way in this life.
I take refuge in the Dharma,
the way of understanding and of love.
I take refuge in the Sangha,
the community that lives in harmony and awareness.
[BELL]

We Are Truly Present ♪

With hearts established in mindfulness, we are truly present
for sitting and walking meditation, and for reciting the sutras.
May this practice center, with its Fourfold Sangha,
be supported by the Three Jewels and Holy Beings,
well-protected from the eight misfortunes
and the three paths of suffering.

 

May the Day Be Well  ♪

May the day be well and the night be well.
May the midday hour bring happiness too.
In every minute and every second,
may the day and night be well.
By the blessing of the Triple Gem,
may all things be protected and safe.
May all beings born in each of the four ways
live in a land of purity.