Gatha of Atonement in English | Ryaku Fusatsu Full-Moon Ceremony Zen Buddhism

Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, is coming up this week. I never understood the word “atonement” until one of my Zen teachers, Sensei Chodo Campbell, explained that to atone is to be “at one” with our words and actions, essentially all our stuff that we consciously and unconsciously put into the world. To take clear responsibility and honest accountability of what we say, do, and think. To atone doesn’t mean to dive down a shame spiral, and that actually helps no one. There is a big difference between humility/healthy embarrassment vs shame/self loathing. We all make tons of human mistakes, as we are designed to, and we are also fully responsible, another facet of human design. While in Judaism our official day to atone, admit mistakes, express remorse, and vow to do better in the coming year comes annually, in Zen the Gatha of Atonement is chanted daily. It’s a goal of mine to incorporate this daily, and I love chanting this every morning while I’m on a Zen retreat. It’s a reminder of my human fallibility, and that every day is a chance to take responsibility and do better. Every thought, word, and deed sets karma into motion. I find that only when I truthfully examine and admit my mistakes am I actually atoning. It’s just empty words otherwise, and empty words trick us into thinking we are making progress when in reality we are just wasting time. Admitting my own shit has allowed me to better understand the complicated humanity of others. It can be very confusing; when do we give someone else a chance when they have hurt us, likely many times? I can’t answer that but I do know that genuine atonement must be part of the equation, whether or not we are doing or receiving the apologizing. This gatha/prayer/chant is said several times, and in this particular video it was said as part of a Fusatsu Full Moon ceremony. I love how the fullness, luminosity, and spherical shape of the moon symbolize phases and the promise to return to wholeness. Just as the moon will hide herself, so too will she re-emerge with her pregnant brilliance to remind us of our own bright and beautiful fullness. In Zen the three poisons which drive most of our harmful actions are greed, anger, and delusion. Almost everything we do stems from one or more of these 3 unhealthy poisons. The antidote to them are generosity, compassion, and wisdom. We can steer our karmic ripple effects in a new direction by taking a few moments to atone, reflect, and decide to do better going forward. It only works if we mean it. This chant video is just several minutes of the gatha being repeated a few times. It’s an essential part of Zen ritual. I find it hopeful, powerful, and comforting, a guide even. Wishing everyone a meaningful Yom Kippur in whatever way you take time to reflect on being at one with your stuff. We are never stuck. We can always tweak, adjust, grow, and improve while loving and appreciating ourselves right now. Own it, atone for it, and rise back up.