Ougonge is from the The Sutra on the Buddha of Immeasurable Life (aka: the Larger Sutra or Daikyo in Japan) and are ‘Verses of Going to Pay Reverence to Amida’. Please see the English translation below the Chanting guide text and links for further reading.
On this page, Rev. Yuki Sugahara, chants Ougonge during one of his daily services. You can enjoy chanting with Rev. Sugahara by following the attached PDF. Please note that both the video and content are available thanks to Rev. Yuki Sugahara of Oregon Buddhist Temple. Please see links to Oregon Buddhist Temple and other content by Rev. Yuki Sugahara below the text on this page. (Please also listen to the introduction to the Koso wasan directly after the chanting)
Translation of Ougonge:
27 Then the World-honored One spoke the following verses:
“The Buddha-lands in the eastern quarter
Are as numerous as the sands of the Ganges.
The bodhisattvas in those Buddha-lands
Go to pay reverence to the Infinitely Enlightened One.
The Buddha-lands in the southern, western, northern, and four intermediate quarters,
As well as above and below, are also like this.
The bodhisattvas in those Buddha-lands
Go to pay reverence to the Infinitely Enlightened One.
All those bodhisattvas,
Each bringing exquisite celestial flowers,
Precious incense, and priceless cloth,
Make offerings to the Infinitely Enlightened One.
Playing celestial music in concert
And producing harmonious, elegant sounds,
They praise the most excellent one with verses
And make offerings to the Infinitely Enlightened One:
‘You have fully acquired supernatural powers and wisdom,
Freely entered the gates of the profound Dharma,
And perfected the treasury of virtues;
Peerless indeed is your excellent wisdom.
Your wisdom like the sun illuminates the world
And disperses the clouds of birth-and-death.’
Walking around him three times in reverence,
They pay homage to the Supremely Honored One.
Having seen that land of glorious purity,
Most wondrous and beyond conception,
They thereby awaken the supreme mind
And wish their land to be like this.
Then the Immeasurably Honored One
Changes his expression and smiles with delight;
From his mouth are emitted countless rays of light,
Illuminating all the lands in the ten quarters.
These rays of light circle around him
Three times and enter the crown of his head.
All devas and humans
Leap and dance with joy.
The Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara,
Rearranging his robes and bowing his head,
Asks the Buddha, ‘For what reason are you smiling?
I humbly beseech you explain your intention.’
Then his august voice resonates like thunder;
The eight kinds of exquisite tone resound, proclaiming,
‘I am now going to give predictions to the bodhisattvas.
I will now explain. Listen closely!
The mahasattvas coming from the ten quarters,
Made vows of which I am fully aware.
They seek to establish lands adorned with purity;
Receiving my predictions, they will surely become Buddhas.
While realizing that all things are
Like dreams, illusions, or echoes,
They will fulfill their excellent vows
And without fail establish lands such as mine.
While knowing that things are like lightning flashes and mirages,
They pursue the bodhisattva path to the utmost.
Possessing all roots of virtue,
Just as I predict, they will surely become Buddhas.
Although they thoroughly know the true nature of all things,
That all is empty and has no substance,
They will solely seek such pure Buddha-lands
And without fail establish lands such as mine.’
The Buddhas tell the bodhisattvas
To go to pay homage to the Buddha of Peace and Sustenance:
‘Listen to his teaching, joyfully accept it, and practice it
So that you may swiftly reach the realm of purity.
Upon reaching the land adorned with purity,
You will quickly acquire supernatural powers.
Without fail, from the Immeasurably Honored One
You will receive predictions and realize perfect enlightenment.
The Power of the Buddha’s Primal Vow is such that
Those who, hearing the name, aspire for birth,
All reach that land,
And their attainment of nonretrogression comes about of itself.
The bodhisattvas make their excellent vows,
Each wishing, “My land as well will not be different from this.”
They aspire to emancipate all beings everywhere
And have their names known throughout the ten quarters.
In order to serve the millions of Tathagatas,
They employ their miraculous powers to fly to all lands;
After paying homage to them with joy, they take their leave
And return to the Land of Peace.
People who lack roots of good
Are not able to hear this sutra,
But those who observe the precepts without fault
Are able to hear the right Dharma.
Those who encountered the World-honored One in the past
Are able to accept this teaching;
Humbly receiving it and holding fast to it,
They dance with great joy.
For those of arrogance, wrong views, and indolence,
It is hard to accept this teaching.
Those who have encountered Buddhas in their previous lives
Will rejoice in hearing this teaching.
Sravakas and even bodhisattvas
Are unable to know thoroughly the enlightened mind;
They are like persons born without sight
Desiring to guide others.
The ocean of the Tathagata’s wisdom
Is deep, vast, and without limit or bottom.
It cannot be fathomed by those of the two vehicles;
Only Buddhas alone can fully comprehend it.
Even if all human beings,
Without exception, fully attained the Way,
Realized ultimate emptiness with pure wisdom,
And pondered the Buddha’s wisdom for myriads of kalpas,
And even if they expounded it with the greatest effort
Throughout their lives, they still would not know it.
The Buddha’s wisdom thus has no bound,
And it is pure to the utmost.
Hard it is to obtain human life
And difficult it is to encounter a Buddha in this world.
Even more difficult it is for one to attain faith and wisdom.
Once you have heard the Dharma, endeavor to seek the Way.
The one who hears and never forgets the Dharma,
Sees and reveres it and greatly rejoices in attaining it ―
That person is my true friend;
Therefore, awaken aspiration for enlightenment.
Even if the whole world were filled with fire,
Resolutely pass through it in your quest to hear the Dharma.
You will unfailingly attain the enlightenment of Buddha
And bring beings everywhere across the stream of birth-and-death.’”
Read this in the second volume of the larger Sutra here
Links & Credits:
Oregon Buddhist Temple Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OregonBuddhistTemple
The PDF document was downloaded from the Oregon Buddhist Temple website here: https://www.oregonbuddhisttemple.com/sutras-and-gathas
To donate to the Oregon Buddhist Temple please visit their donation page here https://www.oregonbuddhisttemple.com/support-the-temple
For more content on this site by Rev. Yuki Sugahara view this page: https://jodoshinshu.faith/tag/rev-sugahara-yuki/
Social Media:
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Rev. Sugahara on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Yuki-Sugahara-363021764082542
thank you for reading and chanting today.
Gassho.