Jikisanbun-no-Ge (Verse of Dividing the Meal): Original Text, Reading, and Meaning
食三分の偈 (Jikisanbun-no-Ge): How did the Buddha answer the secular world’s criticism of Beyond the World?
What is 食三分の偈 (Jikisanbun-no-Ge)?: A verse that Zen monks recite before meals
KeyPoint: The true repayment of gratitude lies in these activities: self-initiating the aspiration for ultimate enlightenment, engaging in the practice of ‘non-attainment’ that transcends the dualistic attachment of gain and loss, and teaching the True Dharma to inspire the same aspiration in others, thereby guiding them toward enlightenment.”
食三分の偈 (Jikisanbun-no-Ge) is a verse that we recite before we eat our meals. We recite it after we recite the verse of Saban-no-Ge.
In my training Dojo, we did not have a specific name for this verse. When writing this article, I checked various websites and found that the names differ depending on the monastery. I then consulted several books from the Showa period and found that three of them referred to it as “食三分の偈 (Jikisanbun-no-Ge)”. Therefore, I have decided to use this name for this article(Reference1: Sawaki Kodo (1941). Zazen no Shikata to Kokoroe: Fu, Gyohatsu no Shikata (How to Practice Zazen and its Principles: With a Guide to Gyohatsu). Yoyogi Shoin, Reference2: Nakane, Kando (1942). Zen no Seikatsu (Zen Life). Miyakoshi Taiyodo,Reference3: Nihon Kyogaku Kenkyujo (Ed.) (1943). Nihon Kyogaku Kenkyujo Chosa Hokoku, Dai-isshu (Japan Educational Research Institute Survey Report, Vol. 1). Nihon Kyogaku Kenkyujo Shuppanbu).
Glossary
- 上分三宝: “上分” means the highest level, the ideal, or the path of the Buddha itself. “三宝” (The Three Treasures) refers to the three foundations of Buddhism: the Buddha (the Awakened One), the Dharma (the Truth or the Teachings), and the Sangha (the community that practices the teachings).
Therefore, first of all, we offer our meal to the Three Treasures—the symbols of the truth that we aspire to realize.
- 中分四恩: “中分” represents the intermediate level—our daily life and the connections we maintain within it. “四恩” refers to the “Four Graces” (or the four debts of gratitude), which are:
四恩
- 父母の恩 (The Grace of Parents): For giving us life and raising us.
- 衆生の恩 (The Grace of All Sentient Beings): For the mutual support of everyone in society.
- 国主の恩 (The Grace of the Sovereign/the Nation): For the social systems that maintain peace and order.
- 三宝の恩 (The Grace of the Three Treasures): For the Buddhist teachings that correct our daily delusions.
We are able to exist here and now only because of the many “connections” that sustain us. We offer our deepest gratitude to these specific foundations that support our life.
- 下及六道: “下及” means extending our compassion to all beings below us. “六道” (The Six Realms) refers to the various modes of existence—Hell, Hungry Ghosts, Animals, Asuras (demigods), Humans, and Heaven—where beings suffer within the cycle of delusion.We do not only offer gratitude to those who support us; we also share this meal with all beings trapped in suffering (the Six Realms), wishing for their relief and salvation.
- 皆同供養: “皆同” means all beings, including myself, together. “供養” means to make an offering or to share the merit of the offering equally.
この四恩が何を指すかは、大乘本生心地觀經報恩品の中で書かれている。
The content of these “四恩 (Four Graces)” is described in 大乘本生心地觀經報恩品 (Sutra on the Contemplation of the Mind-Ground of the Mahayana Birth), specifically in the chapter on “The Requital of Gratitude.”
善男子。汝等所言未可正理。何以故。世出世恩有其四種。一父母恩。二衆生恩。三國王恩。四三寶恩。如是四恩。一切衆生平等荷負。大乘本生心地觀經報恩品 Original
“O virtuous man, what you say—that one abandons all gratitude upon entering monastic life—is not yet the correct understanding of the Truth. Why is this? Because both in the secular world and in the Buddha-way, there exist the ‘Four Graces.’
First is the grace of parents; second is the grace of all sentient beings; third is the grace of the sovereign (society and the state); and fourth is the grace of the Three Treasures (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha). These four graces are equally borne by all sentient beings.”
大乘本生心地觀經報恩品 Modern Meanin
In fact, this passage from 大乘本生心地觀經卷報恩品 was written in response to a challenge from five hundred wealthy elders who criticized the practice of renunciation, arguing that “leaving one’s parents and family to pursue asceticism is cruel and ungrateful.” In reply, the Buddha teaches that practicing the Paramitas (the perfection of truth) on behalf of one’s parents and family is the true form of repaying one’s debt of gratitude (Source: Prajñā (Trans.). 大乘本生心地觀經 [Sutra of the Contemplation of the Mind-Ground and the Original Birth], Vol. 2. SAT Daizokyo Database No. 0159.).
真実波羅蜜 (The Perfection of Truth)
- Arousing the Supreme Bodhicitta: To cultivate the aspiration for the ultimate enlightenment.
- Abiding in Non-Attainment: To act without attachment, transcending the dualistic concepts of “gaining” or “losing”.
- Encouraging Others to Aspire: To inspire others to cultivate this same heart of enlightenment.
- Bestowing the True Dharma: To offer the essence of the Buddha’s teachings. Even if it is just a short verse, to teach the Dharma to one person and lead them toward the supreme and equal enlightenment.
In short, the true act of repaying gratitude consists of these actions: arousing the Supreme Bodhicitta (the aspiration for ultimate enlightenment) within oneself; engaging in the practice of non-attainment, free from attachment and the dualistic trap of gain and loss; and teaching the True Dharma to inspire others to also aspire for enlightenment, guiding them toward the realization of truth.
The Core
- “In the ‘repayment of grace beyond the world’, we do not focus on specific individuals or organizations, but rather consider our gratitude toward the whole.
- The true act of repaying this gratitude consists of arousing the aspiration for ultimate enlightenment within oneself, practicing ‘non-attainment’ free from attachment, and teaching the True Dharma to inspire the same aspiration in others, thereby guiding them toward enlightenment.
- The ‘Jikisanbun-no-Ge’ is a verse recited before meals in the Zen tradition.”
My Experience: The Grace of the Secular World and the Grace Beyond the World
Key Point: There is a fundamental difference in meaning between the ‘Grace of the Secular World’ and the ‘Grace Beyond the World.’ The ‘Grace Beyond the World’ does not focus on specific individuals or organizations, but rather contemplates our gratitude toward the whole. Therefore, the ‘Verse of the Three Portions of Food’ (Jikisanbun-no-Ge) operates not on the dimension of repaying debts to specific individuals, but on the dimension of repaying gratitude to the whole of existence.
During my time at Dojo, I recited this verse simply because everyone else did; I did not truly understand its meaning. Later, however, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to reflect on it, and I have since given deep thought to the significance of this verse.
“My first thought was: if Zen emphasizes the ‘severing of all attachments,’ why does it then introduce the concept of the ‘Four Graces’? Initially, I suspected that this was a practical compromise necessary for maintaining the organization of a Zen temple. I considered it a ‘skillful means’ to coexist with society, such as the state, and to regulate the temple community. Indeed, within the temple, there was certainly an emphasis on reciprocating kindness toward specific individuals.”
However, as the years went by and I spent more time away from society, I began to feel that the ‘Grace of the Secular World’ and the ‘Grace Beyond the World’ might hold different meanings. This shift in perspective came from observing examples in Zen classics where practitioners, in order to attain enlightenment, were acknowledged for leaving the masters who had nurtured them.
“Generally, the ‘Grace of the Secular World’ implies a sense of pledging loyalty to specific individuals or organizations, or repaying debts of gratitude to them directly. However, the ‘Grace Beyond the World’ in the Buddha-way does not focus on specific people or groups, but rather invites us to consider the whole. Therefore, while this verse does indeed mention the grace of ‘parents, the state, and all sentient beings,’ these are understood as being encompassed within the whole. It does not force us to serve or repay debts to these individual entities in a partisan way. Consequently, when an emphasis on repaying kindness to specific individuals is prioritized within a temple, it is merely a sign that the temple has become secularized.”
This is the verse that follows:
流転三界中 恩愛不能断 棄恩入無為 真実報恩者
This is the verse recited when one renounces the world, severing ties of affection to enter the Buddha-way. Its meaning is that by abandoning such attachments and entering the path, one truly repays the grace of all existence. In other words, this verse does not speak to the dimension of repaying individual debts of gratitude in a social sense, but rather to the dimension of repaying gratitude to the whole.
AoiちゃんQ&A
- Q: Why is 'renouncing the world to practice' considered the ultimate repayment of gratitude?
- A: Because the practice of letting go of attachments and aspiring for the Supreme Enlightenment (Bodhicitta) is the only 'true repayment' that can save all sentient beings. It is because rising above the framework of personal debt and affection, and dedicating one's life to embodying the truth and guiding others, represents the ultimate way to return one's grace to all existence, including one's own parents.
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