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Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Goma in English

This sample page is from the new goma manual.  The instructions, verses, and meditations are all translated into English.  The majority of the recitation, however, consists of mantras, unchanged from the form passed down through the lineage, that is, in Sanskrit as pronounced by the Tendai school for 1200 years.
But the manual also includes the romanized Sanskrit of the mantras as well as English translations in order that the officiating priest is cognizant of the literal meaning of the mantras.
The book itself is hand-made in the Japanese 'accordion' folding style, a style which is essential to allow the officiant to concentrate on the inner and outer offerings and not be distracted by clumsily turning pages.