Bodhi Mind

This Buddhist prayer comes from “The Gate of Sweet Nectar,” translated by Bernie Glassman Roshi. He joined with Krishna Das to talk and sing about how the prayer relates to the Hindu chant, Hanuman Chalisa.

The bodhi mind is the mind that can awaken. As I wrote previously, “The Buddha taught that everyone has “bodichitta” or “buddha nature” – that is, everyone has the innate ability to awaken, become enlightened, and experience the reality that we have only begun to understand about Buddha’s experience 2600 years ago.”

“The Gate of Sweet Nectar” is an invocation to a ceremony  that invokes the Three Jewels and offers prayers for food sharing, raising the bodhi mind, sharing the merit, and attaining the enlightened way. You can grab a copy from Zen Peacemakers, Bernie’s contribution to peace in the world.

The Hanuman Chalisa is a hymn offering to Hanuman, the monkey god who is the destroyer of all obstacles. Krishna Das says in his introduction, “The monkey god Hanuman represents your strength to overcome all obstructions, all problems, anything that’s in the way of us accomplishing our goals. And of course our ultimate goal is to open our hearts. So it a way cleaning the mirror our hearts. It is  an vocation to that power strength within us.”

As always, the voice of Krishna Das is enchanting and both teachers offer wonderful words of wisdom.

Calling out to hungry hearts,
everywhere through endless time

You who wander, you who thirst,
I offer you this Bodhi Mind

Calling out to hungry spirits,
everywhere through endless time

Calling out to hungry hearts,
all the lost and left behind

Gather round and share this meal,
your joy and your sorrow, I make it mine

—From the opening verse to “The Gate of Sweet Nectar,” trans. Bernie Glassman Roshi

The emotion I experienced the first time I played the video was heart warming and opening to the bodhi mind. If you enjoy this yourself, won’t you please share it with your family and friends?

Don’t forget to check out The Dude and the Zen Master by Roshi Bernie Glassman and Jeff Bridges.

Books by Bernie Glassman

Bearing Witness: A Zen Master’s Lessons in Making Peace by Bernie Glassman Zen practitioner and non-profit community developer Bernie Glassman offers powerful teaching stories that illustrate ways of making peace one moment at a time. Each chapter focuses on an event or person and demonstrates how a particular peacemaker vow is put into practice. Through these stories and … [Read More…]