Chants for "Chanting from the Heart: A Communuity Sit with Jamie Roberts", February 10, 2024

Jamie Roberts uses three three chants in her “Chanting from the Heart” on February 10, 2024.

Chant 1: Karaniya Metta Sutta: The Buddha’s Words on Loving-kindness

This is what should be done

By one who is skilled in goodness,

And who knows the path of peace:

Let them be able and upright,

Straightforward and gentle in speech,

Humble and not conceited,

Contented and easily satisfied,

Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.

Peaceful and calm and wise and skillful,

Not proud or demanding in nature.

Let them not do the slightest thing

That the wise would later reprove.

Wishing: In gladness and in safety,

May all beings be at ease.

Whatever living beings there may be;

Whether they are weak or strong, omitting none,

The great or the mighty, medium, short or small,

The seen and the unseen,

Those living near and far away,

Those born and to-be-born —

May all beings be at ease!

Let none deceive another,

Or despise any being in any state.

Let none through anger or ill-will

Wish harm upon another.

Even as a mother protects with her life

Her child, her only child,

So with a boundless heart

Should one cherish all living beings;

Radiating kindness over the entire world:

Spreading upwards to the skies,

And downwards to the depths;

Outwards and unbounded,

Freed from hatred and ill-will.

Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down

Free from drowsiness,

One should sustain this recollection.

This is said to be the sublime abiding.

By not holding to fixed views,

The pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision,

Being freed from all sense desires,

Is not born again into this world.

Chant Two: The Metta Chant

Imāya dhammānu

Dhamma patipattiyā

Buddham pujemi

By this practice

In accord with the true dhamma

I honor the Buddha.

Imāya dhammānu

Dhamma patipattiyā

Dhammam pujemi

By this practice

In accord with the true dhamma

I honor the Dhamma.

Imāya dhammānu

Dhamma patipattiyā

Sangham pujemi

By this practice

In accord with the true dhamma

I honor the Sangha.

Aham avero homi

May I be free from enmity/danger;

Abyāpajjo homi

May I be free from mental suffering;

Anigho homi

May I be free from physical suffering;

Sukhī attanam, parihantu

May I take care of myself happily.

Mama mātā pitu

May my mother and father

Ācariyāca ñatimittaca

and teachers, relatives and friends

Sabrahma cārinoca

and fellow brahma farers

Averā hontu

be free from enmity

Abyāpajjā hontu

be free from mental suffering

Anighā hontu

be free from physical suffering

Sukhī attanam, pariharantu

take care of themselves happily

Imasmin ārāme, sabbe yogino

May all yogis in this grove,

Averā hontu

be free from enmity,

Abyāpajjā hontu

be free from mental suffering,

Anighā hontu

be free from physical suffering,

Sukhī attanam, pariharantu

take care of themselves happily.

Amhākam ārakkha, devatā

May our guardian deities,

Imasmin vihāre

In this temple,

Imasmin avāse

In this dwelling,

Imasmin ārāme

In this grove

Arakkha devatā

May the guardian deities

Averā hontu

be free from enmity,

Abyāpajjā hontu

be free from mental suffering,

Anighā hontu

be free from physical suffering,

Sukki attānam, pariharantu

take care of themselves happily.

Sabbe sattā

May all beings,

Sabbe pānā

all living things,

Sabbe bhutā

all creatures,

Sabbe puggalā

all individuals,

Sabbe attabhāve, pariyāpannā

all personalities,

Sabbā itthiyo

all females,

Sabbe purisā

all males,

Sabbe itthī/purisā

all both female & male

Sabbe anittha/purisā

All neither female nor male

Sabbe ariyā

all noble ones,

Sabbe anariyā

all who are not nobles,

Sabbe devā

all deities,

Sabbe manussā

all humans,

Sabbe vinipātikā

all those in unhappy states,

Averā hontu

be free from enmity;

Abyāpajjā hontu

be free from mental suffering;

Anighā hontu

be free from physical suffering;

Sukhī attanam, pariharantu

take care of themselves happily;

Dukkhā muccantu

may they be free from all suffering;

Yathā laddha sampattito

May all enjoy safety and abundance;

Māvigacchantu kammassakā

have kamma as their true property.

Idam no puñña bhāgam

May this merit of ours

Sabba sattanam bhajema

be apportioned to all beings.

Sadhu, sadhu, sadhu.

Well spoken…

Chant Three: Resting

Resting, resting deeply,

I return my life

To the one who listens deeply

To the sounds of the world

Joseph Goldstein & Jozen Tamori Gibson - Weekend of Meditation in Philadelphia

On the first weekend in September yogis from as far away as Washington, D.C. gathered in downtown Philadelphia to attend twin programs featuring esteemed Buddhist meditation teacher Joseph Goldstein and IMS teacher training program participant Jozen Tamori Gibson. Delaware Valley Insight cosponsored the events with Insight Meditation Society and Myrna Brind Center for Mindfulness at Thomas Jefferson University. 

Some 250 people attended the Friday evening event, which featured a conversation with Joseph and Jozen at the Dorrance H. Hamilton building's Connelly Auditorium. Joseph had originally planned to give a talk and then answer a few questions audience members had been invited to write on index cards, but he was so impressed with the depth of the questions that he and Jozen devoted the entire evening to a question and answer session. For the most part, Jozen read the questions aloud and Joseph responded through the wisdom he has acquired over decades of practice, sharing experiences and stories with the audience. Attendees warmed quickly to Jozen, who opened the evening with a grounding guided meditation and responded movingly to several questions as well.

On Saturday, both teachers returned to the Jefferson campus for a daylong mindfulness retreat for 110 yogis, alternating guided sitting practice, walking meditation in the late summer sunshine, and short talks, all of which were primarily structured along the continuum of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta. There were also several short question and answer sessions interspersed throughout the teachings. Joseph joked that the participants were experiencing about 10 days worth of material in the course of one as he and Jozen moved through the four foundations of mindfulness, offering practices on mindfulness of the body, vedana and, finally, thoughts and emotions. Many people who attended the daylong described it as inspiring, joyous, memorable. The sense of gratitude in the air was palpable.

Participants had the opportunity during both events to sign up for local sitting groups, buy some of Joseph's books and offer dana, which will benefit IMS' diversity, equity and inclusion work. 

We were particularly touched that on both days so many members of our greater sangha and the Jefferson staff jumped in to volunteer their time and effort with ease and enthusiasm. Their contributions made a big difference and they were deeply appreciated.