Waka on the Bodhisattva life
1.
Awake or asleep,
What I pray for
In my grass-hut
Is to bring others across
Before myself.
2.
Although this ignorant person
May never become a Buddha,
I vow to take others across
Because I am a monk.
3.
Each moment, awake or asleep,
In my grass-thatched hut,
I offer this prayer:
May Shakyamuni Buddha’s compassion
Envelop the world.
4.
What can I accomplish?
Although not yet a Buddha,
Let my priest’s body
Be a raft to carry
Sentient beings to the yonder shore.
