Katagiri Roshi Memorial Day Eko

Katagiri Roshi passed away 25 years ago on March 1. Today, this inspiring eko was chanted at a special service held at Hokyoji, the rural practice center in rural Eitzen, Minnesota, that he founded:

The body of the pure dharma world
Neither appears nor disappears.
The strength of the vow of great compassion
Manifests in life and death

Revering the Buddhas,
We aspire to have their illuminating wisdom shine upon us.

Prostrating ourselves before the Buddhas,
We aspire to have their true compassion embrace us.
Today we gather to offer incense, flowers, candlelight, sweet water and tea.
We respectfully chant the Song of Jewel Mirror Samadhi and the Dai Hi Shin Darani.

The merit of this recitation is dedicated to the great teacher in America and this temple’s founder.
Jikai Danin Daiosho.
Humbly we offer our deepest graditude.

We yearn for the teaching of his dharma.

As the sun and moon break the darkness, so the eye of the
dharma will illuminate our path.

May his magnanimous teaching embrace the earth
And continue as a stone of iron.

Living in vow he transmitted the ancient way.
The path glitters in the moonlight, sometimes it takes lightning and thunder to awaken us.

With his whole body he penetrated the ancestors’ marrow,
Cultivating the clouds and planting the pines.

Thereupon, all creation rejoices and reflects its beauty in this sangha.
Luxuriant leaves and blossoms are flourishing in this temple
and great trees are attended to and are growing strong.
The gates are open inside and out.
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Respectfully, we offer our true heart.
May it limitlessly fill the Tathagata’s bowl.