Before beginning, wash your hands and rinse out your mouth. Wear clean comfortable clothing that appropriately covers the body. Light candles and incense and recite the offering gatha:
- May the smoke of this incense I now offer spread throughout the Ten Directions, and reach the various Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and all the sentient beings in the universe, so they may benefit from this Puja.
Place prayer beads on the left hand, pick up the liturgy book, and bring it to your head as a mark of respect to the Dharma.
Open the liturgy book and begin chanting. The voice should be gentle, but firm, and slightly louder than everyday conversation. Recite clearly and in a gentle rhythm. Don’t rush. If you have the liturgy memorised, join your palms in front of the heart.
If you have a bell or gong, ring it twice before starting, once between each chant, and thrice to finish.
When finished chanting, gently close the liturgy book, bring it to the head as a mark of respect, and place it back on the table.
After chanting, it is advised to sit in meditation for 20, 30, or 40 minutes, depending on time constraints.
Example Liturgy
- SANRAI – Three Forms of Reverence [x3]
ISSHIN CHŌRAI JIPPŌ HŌKAI JŌJŪ SANBŌ. - SANGEMON – Admitting our Misdeeds [x1]
GA SHAKU SHO ZŌ SHO AKU GŌ
KAI YU MU SHI TON JIN CHI
JŪ SHIN GU I SHI SHO SHŌ
I SSAI GA KON KAI SAN GE. - KAIKYOGE – Opening Sutra Gatha [ x1]
MU JŌ JIN JIN MI MYŌ HŌ
HYAKU SEN MAN GŌ NAN SŌ GU
GA KON KEN MON TOKU JU JI
GAN GE NYO RAI SHIN JITSU GI. - CHAPTER XXV OF THE LOTUS SŪTRA –
The Universal Gateway of Avalokiteśvara in Verse [x1]
MYŌHŌ RENGE KYŌ KANZEON BOSATSU FUMON BON GE
SE SON MYŌ SŌ GU GA KON JŪ MON
HI BU SSHI GA IN EN MYŌ I KAN ZE ON
GU SOKU MYŌ SŌ SON GE TŌ MU JIN NI
NYO CHŌ KAN NŌ GYŌ ZEN NŌ SHO HŌ
JO GU ZEI JIN NYO KAI RYA KKŌ FU SHI GI
JI TA SEN NOKU BUTSU HOTSU DAI SHŌ JŌ GAN
GA I NYO RYAKU SETSU MON MYŌ GYŪ KEN
SHIN SHIN NEN FU KŪ KA NŌ METSU
SHO U KU KE SHI KŌ GAI I SUI RAKU DAI
KA KYŌ NEN BI KAN NON RIKI KA KYŌ HEN
JŌ JI WAKU HYŌ RU GO KAI RYŪ GO SHO KI
NAN NEN BI KAN NON RIKI HA RŌ FU NŌ
MOTSU WAKU ZAI SHU MI BU I NIN SHO
SUI DA NEN BI KAN NON RIKI NYO NICHI KO KŪ JŪ
WAKU BI AKU NIN JIKU DA RAKU KON
GŌ SEN NEN BI KAN NON RIKI FU NŌ SON ICHI MŌ
WAKU JI ON ZOKU NYŌ KAKU
SHŪ TŌ KA GAI NEN BI KAN NON RIKI
GEN SOKU KI JI SHIN WAKU SŌ Ō
NAN KU RIN GYŌ YOKU JU SHU
NEN BI KAN NON RIKI TŌ JIN DAN DAN NE
WAKU JU KIN KA SA SHU SOKU BI
CHŪ GAI NEN BI KAN NON RIKI SHAKU
NEN TOKU GE DATSU
SHU SO SHO DOKU YAKU SHO
YOKU GAI SHIN JA NEN BI KAN NON RIKI
GEN JAKU O HON NIN
WAKU GŪ AKU RA SETSU DOKU RYŪ
SHO KI TŌ NEN BI KAN NON RIKI JI SHITSU
PU KAN GAI NYAKU AKU SHU I NYŌ
RI GE SŌ KA FU NEN BI KAN NON RIKI
JI SSŌ MU HEN BŌ
GAN JA GYŪ FUKU KATSU KE DOKU EN
KA NEN NEN BI KAN NON RIKI JIN SHŌ JI E KO
UN RAI KU SEI DEN GŌ BAKU JU DAI U
NEN BI KAN NON RIKI Ō JI TOKU SHŌ
SAN SHU JŌ BI KON YAKU MU RYŌ KU
HI SSHIN KAN NON MYŌ CHI RIKI NOKU KU SE KEN KU
GU SOKU JIN ZŪ RIKI KŌ SHU CHI HŌ
BEN JI PPO SHO KOKU DO MU SETSU FU GEN SHIN
SHU JU SHO AKU SHU JI GOKU KI CHIKU
SHŌ SHŌ RŌ BYŌ SHI KU I ZEN SHITSU RYŌ METSU
SHIN KAN SHŌ JŌ KAN KŌ DAI CHI E
KAN HI KAN GYŪ JI KAN JŌ GAN JŌ SEN GŌ
MU KU SHŌ JŌ KŌ E NICHI HA SHO AN
NŌ BUKU SAI FŪ KA FU MYŌ SHŌ SE KEN
HI TAI KAI RAI SHIN JI I MYŌ DAI UN
JU KAN RO HŌ U METSU JO BON NŌ EN
JŌ JU KYŌ KAN JO FU I GUN JIN CHŪ NEN
BI KAN NON RIKI SHU ON SHI TTAI SAN
MYŌ ON KAN ZE ON BON NON KAI JŌ ON
SHŌ HI SE KEN NON ZE KO SHU JŌ NEN NEN
NEN MOTSU SHŌ GI
KAN ZE ON JŌ SHŌ O KU NŌ SHI YAKU
NŌ I SA E GO GU I SSAI KU DOKU JI GEN
JI SHU JŌ FUKU JU KAI MU RYŌ
ZE KO Ō CHŌ RAI
NI JI JI JI BO SATSU SOKU JŪ ZA KI ZEN
BYAKU BUTSU GON SE SON NYAKU U SHU
JŌ MON ZE KAN ZE ON BO SATSU PON JI
ZAI SHI GŌ FU MON JI GEN JIN ZŪ RIKI SHA
TŌ CHI ZE NIN KU DOKU FU SHŌ BUTSU
SETSU ZE FU MON BON JI SHU JŪ HACHI
MAN SHI SEN SHU JŌ KAI HOTSU MU TŌ
DŌ A NOKU TA RA SAN MYAKU SAN BO DAI SHIN. - HOKKE JŌBUTSU GE –
Attaining Buddhahood through the Lotus [x1]
GAN NI SHI KU DOKU
FU GYŪ O I SSAI
GA TŌ YO SHU JŌ
KAI GU JŌ BUTSU DŌ
