Buddha's Birthday Ceremony April 8, 463 B.C.E.

During this ceremony, sweet tea is poured upon a statue of the baby Siddhartha in remembrance of the legend that sweet tea rained down from the skies when the Buddha was born.

1. Dojoge (Verse, Place of Enlightenment)
[Leader] This place of enlightenment is as luminous as the gems of the net of King Sakra,
[Together] All the Three Treasures of the worlds of the ten directions manifest themselves here. Now we are before them. We bow to the Buddhas and worship their feet with our heads.

2. Samborai (Bow to the Three Treasures)
[Leader] With our whole hearts,
[Together] we bow to the Eternal Buddha emanating the Buddhas of the worlds of the ten directions.
[Leader] With our whole hearts,
[Together] we bow to the Eternal Dharma establishing the teachings of the Buddhas of the worlds of the ten directions.
[Leader] With our whole hearts,
[Together] we bow to the Eternal Samgha comprising the devotees of the Buddhas of the worlds of the ten directions.

3. Kambutsuge (Verse of Pouring Amrita Tea on the Newborn Sakyamuni)
[Leader] Now we pour amrita tea on Sakyamuni, the king of the Dharma.
[Together] May the pure wisdom of the Buddha be adorned with merits, and cause the living beings of the five defilements to cease their suffering and obtain the pure Dharmakaya of the Tathagata.

4. Shokoge (Incense Buring Verse)
[Leader] Now we burn incense in regard to the precepts, meditation and emancipation.
[Together] May the light and fragrant cloud of this incense pervade the Dharma-world. We offer this incense to the countless Buddhas of the worlds of the ten directions. May we be able to see and partake of the fragrance of the World of Tranquil Extinction.

5. Sange (Flower Strewing Verse)

[Leader] Wishing to expound the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, [Together] we offer incense and flowers to the Buddha. [Leader] The Great Saintly Master attained great enlightenment. How great he is! [Together] We offer incense and flowers to the Buddha. [Leader] Wishing to attain the enlightenment of the Buddha with this merit, [Together] we offer incense and flowers to the Buddha.

6. Bujorai (Bow to Sakyamuni Buddha)
[Leader] With our whole hearts, we bow
[Together] to Sakyamuni Buddha, who manifested himself in this Saha-world in order to save us.

7. Santokuge (Verse of the Three Virtues of the Buddha: lordship, fatherhood and saviorhood of the Buddha quoted from Chapter 3)
This triple world is my property. All living beings therein are my children. There are many sufferings in this world. Only I can save these living beings.

8. Dokyo (Sutra Chanting) 9. Sokun (Nichiren's Instructions) 10. Shodai (Daimoku Chanting)

11. Eko (Dedication)
With reverence we decorate the shrine of the Buddha with flowers to represent the beauty of Lumbini Garden, make offerings of incense, flowers, lights, amrita tea and water, and celebrate the not-real-but-manifest birth of our Original Lord Teacher Sakyamuni Buddha, our Great Benefactor, who attained Buddhahood in the remotest past.

May the Buddha teach all living beings in the present and future unceasingly just as he did in the past, and have compassion also towards those who are against the Dharma.

May all living beings in the Jambudvipa wash away their illusions by his teaching. May all the people of the Dharma-world live long by the food of his bliss.

The Buddha proclaimed at his birth, "Only I am venerable in heaven and on the earth." He also says, "All living beings in the triple world are suffering. I will save them."

We hereby tender our sincere gratitude to the Buddha for his great compassion.

10. Shido (The Four If-not-yet Vows, quoted from Chapter 5)
I will cause all living beings to cross the ocean of birth and death if they have not yet done so. I will cause them to emancipate themselves from suffering if they have not yet done so. I will cause them to have peace of mind if they have not yet done so. I will cause them to attain Nirvana if they have not yet done so.

11. Sanki (The Three Refuges)
[Leader] With most reverence, we take refuge in the Buddha.
[Together] May all living beings understand the Great Way and aspire to supreme enlightenment.
[Leader] We take refuge in the Dharma.
[Together] May all living beings enter deep into the storehouse of sutras and their wisdom be as vast as the sea.
[Leader] We take refuge in the Samgha.
[Together] May all living beings forge one great congregation without hindrance.

12. Buso (Farewell)
[Leader] Venerable Ones!
[Together] Remember us, be where you like, and come again out of your great compassion toward us!

Manual of Nichiren Buddhism by Rev. Senchu Murano. Nichiren Shu HQ: Tokyo. 1995. pp. 21-22 translating portions of the Nichiren Shu Hoyo Shiki.

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Webpage created 23 January 2001