Her eye of compassion views all sentient beings. Her ocean of blessings is beyond measure. Therefore you should pay homage to her.
At this ceremony, we pay homage to Kannon, the Bodhisattva of Compassion and thank her for her unceasing help. This bodhisattva, so beloved in Mahayana countries, is the embodiment of tender compassion.
Ceremony Details
The ceremony day begins at 9:00 am. After a short period of zazen, there will be three periods of bowing, chanting, and circumambulating. We will chant the Kannon sutra in English and Japanese a total of 108 times, recite the mantra of Kanzeon (“Praise to Kannon bodhisattva”) 108 times, and chant the Lotus Sutra Scripture of Kanzeon Bodhisattva and the Dharani of Avalokitesvara three times each. By the end of the ceremony, we will have made 108 prostrations. In addition, there will be special readings and a vigorous Rinzai-style chanting of the Kanzeon in Japanese.
Even if you are unable to do prostrations, you can still participate by making standing, seated, or partial bows. Members and their families, as well as friends of the Center and non-members are all invited to participate via Zoom. Anyone who wishes to pay homage to Kannon Bodhisattva is most welcome to attend.
Registration
Members and trial members are welcome to attend in person. Please register below on the pop-up form that will appear when you click the button.
Everyone else is cordially invited to participate via Zoom. You must register to receive the ceremony link.
Dedication
You are invited to dedicate the merit of this ceremony to anyone or anywhere you wish. There is a table at the Center for names of those to whom the ceremony is being dedicated. When you come for the ceremony, you can fill out a dedication card (the cards are provided) and place it on the table.
If you are attending via Zoom, please enter your dedication on the form that will pop-up on your screen when you click the button below. (You may have to double click.) This is only for Zoomers. Those who are attending the ceremony in person will have a chance to write their dedication when they arrive for the ceremony.
Home Altar Figures
If you have a Kannon figure you would like to honor during the ceremony, please bring it to the Center on Saturday during the workday. Please do not bring it on Sunday unless you live too far away to make the trip to the Center the day before the ceremony. The reason we ask you to bring the figures the day before is so that we know how large an altar table is needed to accommodate all the figures.
Monetary Donation
As a concrete expression of compassion, please make a monetary donation for the Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS) which provides temporary housing for those in need. If you are coming to the ceremony in person, you can make the donations at that time. Otherwise, checks should be made out to the Zen Center, so that we can present one donation from the Sangha. Or make a PayPal donation here. Be sure to indicate it is for the Kannon Ceremony or COTS:
Attendance
Members and trial members are welcome to attend in person. Registration is required. Everyone else is cordially invited to participate via Zoom. You must register to receive the ceremony link.
The celebration of Kannon Day affords us a way to express our boundless gratitude to the Bodhisattva of Compassion for her ceaseless, wondrous help.
All are welcome. We hope you will join us on this special day.
