Ondokusan

"Spectacle Lake", photograph by Charles Reneau

"In gratitude to Amida, the Buddha-as-words,

I dedicate my whole being to realizing Buddha's intent.

In gratitude to the masters of teachings and the countless good Dharma friends

among our ancestors,

I dedicate my total efforts to spreading the Nenbutsu."

(Buddhist Church of Parlier Newsletter, November 2014)

"Ondokusan" is one of the most popular gathas that we sing at the temple, and a lot of times, we sing the original Japanese words. There are various versions of English translation to this Wasan poem written by Shinran Shonin. The quote above is the new interpretation of "Ondokusan"; the basic idea came from Bishop Kenryu Tsuji, and Reverend Kakei Nakagawa edited them into these words.