Inori no Mori祈りの杜working title

Read, reflect, pray

Saichō’s statement of aspiration: excerpt

願文（抄）がんもん

An excerpt from the statement attributed to Saichō on entering Mount Hiei. It is an excerpt, not the complete work.

English meaning and source text

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English meaning

About this English rendering

This site’s English rendering of the Japanese meaning guide, aligned with this edition. It is separate from the source words for recitation and is not an official liturgy. Sacred sounds are explained where possible, not given speculative literal translations. Historical beliefs, royal authority, illness and protection claims belong to the text; they are not present-day judgments, medical advice or guarantees of results.

Dengyō Daishi’s prayer says: the boundless three realms of delusion are nothing but suffering, without rest; the restless beings of the four modes of birth know only sorrow, without ease.

If one does no good while alive, on the day of death one will become fuel for hell, the prayer warns.

Difficult to obtain and quick to change is this human body.

Difficult to arouse and easy to forget is the good heart.

An effect cannot be obtained without a cause, nor can suffering be escaped without goodness.

May the four great bodhisattva vows guide me throughout the Dharma realm and into all six paths of deluded existence, purifying Buddha lands and bringing living beings to fulfillment, always performing the work of a Buddha until the end of the future.

Source text and reading aid

Roman letters are provided for every line of this source text.

How to use the Roman letters

Roman letters follow the kana displayed in this site’s Japanese reader; some readings are editorial additions documented on the Japanese page. These are a reading aid, not restored Sanskrit or a recording of a temple’s chanting. Historical spellings (such as wo, wi, we and ha used as a particle) are kept. Double vowels and repeated vowels mark the written kana; rhythm and pronunciation can differ by tradition.

You can simply read the meaning or sit quietly. No recitation is required. For a temple or shrine’s own recitation, follow that tradition’s published guidance.

伝教大師（でんぎょうだいし）願文（がんもん）にのたまわく、悠悠（ゆうゆう）たる三界（さんがい）は、純（もっぱ）ら苦（く）にして安（やす）きことなく、擾々（にょうじょう）たる四生（ししょう）は、唯（た）だ患（うれ）いにして楽（たの）しからず。

dengyoudaishi ganmonninotamawaku, yuuyuutaru sangaiha, moppara kunishite yasukikotonaku, nyoujoutaru shishouha, tada ureinishite tanoshikarazu.

生（い）ける時（とき）善（ぜん）を作（な）さずんば、死（し）する日（ひ）獄（ごく）の薪（たきぎ）と成（な）らん。

ikeru toki zenwo nasazunba, shisuru hi gokuno takigito naran.

得（え）難（がた）くして移（うつ）り易（やす）きは、其（そ）れ人身（にんしん）なり。

e gatakushite utsuri yasukiha, sore ninshinnari.

発（おこ）し難（がた）くして忘（わす）れ易（やす）きは、斯（こ）れ善心（ぜんしん）なり。

okoshi gatakushite wasure yasukiha, kore zenshinnari.

因（いん）無（な）くして果（か）を得（う）るは、是（こ）の処（ことわり）有（あ）ること無（な）く、善（ぜん）無（な）くして苦（く）を免（まぬが）るるは、是（こ）の処（ことわり）有（あ）ること無（な）し。

in nakushite kawo uruha, kono kotowari arukoto naku, zen nakushite kuwo manugaruruha, kono kotowari arukoto nashi.

願（ねが）わくは、四弘誓願（しぐせいがん）に引導（いんどう）せられて、周（あまね）く法（ほう）界（かい）に旋（めぐ）らし、遍（あまね）く六道（ろくどう）に入（い）り、仏国土（ぶっこくど）を浄（きよ）め衆生（しゅじょう）を成就（じょうじゅ）し、未来際（みらいざい）を尽（つ）くすまで恒（つね）に仏事（ぶつじ）を作（な）さんことを。

negawakuha, shiguseiganni indouserarete, amaneku hou kaini megurashi, amaneku rokudouni iri, bukkokudowo kiyome shujouwo joujushi, miraizaiwo tsukusumade tsuneni butsujiwo nasankotowo.

Connected kami and buddhas

These connections include figures addressed, mentioned, or associated by tradition. They do not assign a universal recitation practice.

Sources and edition (1)

English explanations on this page were prepared by Inori no Mori from the cited text and its Japanese explanations. They are not an official translation or a prescribed liturgy.

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