Zazenwasan (坐禅和讃)

Zazenwasan is the commentary on the nature and purpose of Zazen in Japanese which used to be written in classical Chinese and the easy explanation to understand for people. It was written by Ekaku HAKUIN. Its other name is Hakuin Zenji Zazenwasan.

It always appeared in "Scriptures" for believers of the Rinzai sect, especially Myoshin-ji Temple school. It is often read in a Buddhist service (a Buddhist service for the dead) and attendants sometimes chant with Buddhist monks.

Whole sentences of Hakuin Zenji Zazenwasan

Original sentences
We are born with the nature of Buddha like water and ice.

As ice can not be made without water, Buddha does not exist without us.

It is in vain to seek without knowing that we are Buddha.

It is, for example, the same as shouting for water in the water.

It is the same as lamenting our unhappiness without recognizing our happiness.

The reason why we can not get out from suffering is because we latent our circumstance.

It is important to get away from the idea of living or death by getting though the long darkness.

Zenjo (Meditation, Mental Concentration) supports us for it.

Various good deeds such as charity to others, warning to ourselves, enshrining the ancestors and reflecting on ourselves are all included in Zenjo.

A person who sits to calm oneself notices that he/she has no distress.

Where on earth is bad events? The Buddhist paradise is here now.

Once we hear this thankful precept, a person who praises so much, believes and accepts is sure to gain his/her happiness.

If you continue to pray and chant personally and feel yourself, you can separate from the ideas of affection and evil thought at that moment without discrimination of living or death and gender.

We now get together with Buddha and let us go for the only one trueness.

Let us feel that truth originally has no form and find out the comfort anywhere you go.

If you live peacefully every day without persisting, your deeds lead straight to Buddhism and save others.

Your mind freely opens up forever like the sky and clean moon free from evil thought is shining.

What on earth you seek at this moment? Your mind become peaceful and gain ultimate comfort now.

This world is the Buddhist paradise and this body itself is the Buddha.

[Original Japanese]