When people think of Zen, they think of meditation, and sand gardens. And with good reason. Zen uses the Buddhist teachings as a guide, but seeks to experience first-hand what Shakyamuni Buddha experienced.
However, that’s not to say that there isn’t a devotional side to Zen either. As a peerless teacher, Shakyamuni Buddha pointed the way, “turned the wheel of the Dharma” as they say, and so he is an inspiration to Buddhists everywhere. This is true for other Buddhist deities as well. Whether such deities actually exist or not is less important than you might think.1 Further, when you look at lay-oriented texts such as the Shushogi, it’s clear that Soto Zen evolved over time to accommodate people of all backgrounds, including those that don’t realistically have the time to devote themselves to meditation retreats, etc.
For this post, I reviewed a few Japanese-language sources on how to do home liturgy, or otsutomé (お勤め), for the Soto Zen tradition. I found that the Soto-sect of Japanese Zen has particularly good resources, both in English, and especially in Japanese, for home practice, and provides flexible approach to home devotional practices. We’ll talk about that more shortly.
Edit: This post has been rewritten and cleaned up in June 2025 now that I have access to more information, and a better understanding of how Soto Zen liturgy works.
According to Soto-Zen sources above, the home liturgy goes like so:
- Ring the bell (if you have one) three times gently if you have one at your home altar.
- Put your hands together in gassho
- Recite the liturgy at an even pace
- Ring the bell three more times
- Put your hands together again in gassho
A Quick Note on Shortening the Liturgy
What follows below is an example taken from Japanese sources. However, the same sources also state that you can add or remove as many of these you want.
Recently I found a great video by a Soto Zen priest (Japanese-language only, sorry), where he stated that if a practitioner simply recited the Heart Sutra each day, that would be great. But if even that was difficult, one can also simply recite na mu sha ka mu ni butsu three times (南無釈迦牟尼仏, “Praise to Shakyamuni Buddha”) before an altar image. The most important thing, the priest stated, is daily and sustainable practice. You can always adjust, add, or trim later.
Another option if you are short on time, is to just recite the Three Treasures, which is a nearly universal practice in Buddhism:
| Japanese | Pronunciation | Meaningb |
|---|---|---|
| 南無帰依仏 | Namu ki-e butsu | I go to the Buddha [teacher] for refuge |
| 南無帰依法 | Namu ki-e ho | I go to the Dharma [the teaching] for refuge |
| 南無帰依僧 | Namu ki-e so | I go to the Sangha [the community] for refuge |
Also, there seems to be an alternate, more stylized form of the Three Treasures found in Soto Zen liturgy called the ryakusanbō (略三宝), for which this a rough translation:
| Japanese | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 十方三世一切仏 | Ji Ho San Shi I Shi Fu | [Praise to] the Buddhas of the Ten Directions,1 and the Three Realms!2 |
| 諸尊菩薩摩訶薩 | Shi Son Bu Sa Mo Ko Sa | [Praise to] past teachers, bodhisattvas, and all who follow the Buddhist path! |
| 摩訶般若波羅蜜 | Mo Ko Ha Ja Ho Ro Mi | [Praise to] the Dharma, whose wisdom leads to awakening! |
2 Three Realms – the realms of desire, form and formlessness. This is another fancy way of saying Samsara (existence) as a whole.
Now onto the example liturgy…
Example Soto Zen Liturgy
What follows is the example provided by the sutra book I got from Sojiji temple years ago, and the online version which only differs very slightly. This difference mainly is how some liturgies are written in Sino-Japanese (Chinese with Japanese pronunciation) or with more native, liturgical Japanese. To help readers choose, I will try to post both where pertinent. Also, where possible, I tried to provide Youtube links where I could find them.
Kaikyogé: Opening of the Sutra Verses
| Sino-Japanese | Native Japanese |
|---|---|
| Mu jo jin jin mi myo ho | Mu jo jin jin mi myo ho wa |
| Hyaku sen man go nan so gu | Hyaku sen man go ni mo ai ou koto katashi |
| Ga kon ken mon toku ju ji | Ware ima ken mon shi ju ji suru ko wo etari |
| Gan ge nyo rai shin jitsu gi | Negawaku wa nyo rai shin jitsu no gi wo gesen |
Translation: The supreme and profound teachings (Dharma) of the Buddha is truly rare to encounter, but now we are able to hear and receive it. It is our hope that the teachings become clear to us.
Sangémon: Renunciation of One’s Past Transgressions
See this post for more details and translation…
| Sino-Japanese | Native Japanese |
|---|---|
| Ga shaku sho zo sho aku go | n/a |
| Kai yu mu shi ton jin chi | |
| Ju shin go i shi sho sho | |
| Issai ga kon kai san ge |
Sankiraimon: Verses Praising the Three Refuges
Youtube link, Sino-Japanese version.
| Sino-Japanese | Native Japanese |
|---|---|
| Ji ki é butsu to gan shu jo | Mizukara hotoké ni kié shi tatematsuru, masa ni negawaku wa shu jo to tomo ni |
| Tai ge dai do hotsu mu jo i | Dai do wo taige shite, mu jo i wo okosan |
| Ji ki é ho to gan shu jo | Mizukara ho ni kié shi tatematsuru, masa ni negawaku wa shu jo to tomo ni |
| Jin nyu kyo zo chi é nyo kai | Fukaku kyo zo ni irete, chié umi no gotoku naran. |
| Ji ki é so to gan shu jo | Mizukara so ni kié shi tatematsuru, masa ni negawaku wa shu jo to tomo ni |
| To ri dai shu is-sai mu gé | Dai shu wo to ri shite, issai mu gé naran. |
Shiguseigan: The Four Bodhisattva Vows
See this post for more details and translation. Youtube link here.
| Sino-Japanese | Native Japanese |
|---|---|
| Shu jo mu hen sei gan do | n/a |
| Bon no mu hen sei gan dan | |
| Ho mon mu ryo sei gan chi | |
| Mu jo bo dai sei gan sho |
Sutra Chanting
Note: both my book and the website state that any sutra in the Buddhist canon (or excerpt of a sutra) is OK to recite. However, the most common choices are:
- The Heart Sutra – Youtube link here
- The Kannon Sutra, verse section – Youtube link here
- There is an even shorter version called the “Ten Verse Kannon Sutra”.
- The Shushogi, one chapter per day in rotation (day one chapter one, day two chapter two, etc). I have provided links and translation to each one below:
For Japanese Buddhism, simply reciting the sutra without any other liturgy is a perfectly acceptable home practice, by the way. So, your home service could just be this part.
Fueko: The Dedication of Good Merit Towards Others
See this post for more details. This liturgy is somewhat unusual in that every sutra book I see consistently prints it as a mix of both native Japanese followed by Sino-Japanese (highlighted in bold). So I am posting as-is. Youtube link here.
| Dedication of Merit, full version |
|---|
| Negawaku wa kono kudoku wo motte, amaneku issai ni oyoboshi, |
| Warera to shu jo to, mina tomo ni butsu do wo jozen koto wo |
| Ji ho san shi i shi fu |
| Shi son bu sa mo ko sa |
| Mo ko ho ja ho ro mi |
Cadence
The sources state that doing the same liturgy in the morning when you wake up, and also before you go to bed is the ideal cadence. It is also customary to wash one’s face a bit before the liturgy as a respectful gesture, but this is optional too.
However, for people who are busy, it is perfectly fine to do morning or evening, not both. The sources also state that if one is truly busy, simply doing gassho in front of the altar is fine too.
Good luck and happy chanting!
1 As a Star Trek nerd, I like to imagine even Mr Spock as a Bodhisattva. 😉
2 Українською:
Я шукаю Притулку у Будді.
Я шукаю Притулку в Дхармі.
Я шукаю Притулок у Сангхе.
На русском:
Я ищу Прибежища в Будде.
Я ищу Прибежища в Дхарме.
Я ищу Прибежища в Сангхе.
Gleanings in Buddha-Fields 
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