"In Zen practice, we reenergize life each month by renewing our vows on the day of the full moon in the bodhisattva ceremony. Every day our liturgy begins with the three refuges. There are also verses one can use for daily activity. For example, the verse for waking up in the morning:
"This morning as I wake,
I vow with all beings
To see each thing as it is
And not to forsake the world.
"There is a verse for bathing:
"As I bathe this body,
I vow with all beings
To wash this body free from dust
Healthy and clean within and without.
"For home leavers there is a verse for shaving the head:
"Now I am being shaved,
May I with all beings
Cut off all selfish desires forever.
"There is a verse for offering incense, for brushing the teeth and washing the face, and, of course, a whole extended ritual for receiving food. In short, there are vows for all of the activities of our daily life to constantly remind us that all of our activities of body, speech, and mind are to benefit all beings. At the end of the day, we say:
"This evening as I sleep
I vow with all beings
To still all things
And to put an end to confusion."
