Recently, I’ve been beginning my meditation sessions by chanting the Bodhisattva Vows in my mind.
I’ve chanted the vows in Japanese tens of thousands of times.
Whenever I chant them, I try to keep the meaning in mind.
I know the vows by heart, but I am trying to internalize them even more deeply.
I use them as a mantra to center my mind and prepare for meditation.
They help me assess whether I am fully present, in word and mind and body and heart, or whether I am distracted.
If I’m distracted, I chant them again—until I can chant them three times with full presence.