The Importance of Chanting
A. Chanting in Buddhism
A1. Historical Origins
Chanting is found in nearly all spiritual traditions of the world. In historical India, the birthplace of Buddhism, the use of the voice was considered sacred and true words spoken aloud were considered eternal:
Saccaṃ ve amatā vācā
True words are eternal
Esa Dhammo sanantano
This teaching is an old one
Sacce atthe ca Dhammo ca
Noble ones establish themselves
Ahu santo patiṭṭhitā
In true and justified words.1
1.Vaṅgīsa Thera, Khuddaka Nikāya, Theragatha 26/434
The origin of chanting in Buddhism is as old as Buddhism itself. Even when the Buddha was still alive, disciples would commit teachings to memory. They would learn them by repeating them after their teachers and revise their knowledge to gain a greater understanding by chanting Buddhist teachings aloud ensemble – both monks and laypeople alike. Disciples in frequent contact with the Lord Buddha or teaching monks would no doubt have had more access to teachings than those living in the far-flung provinces. Thus, if the Buddha or teaching monks were to visit disciples in the provinces, those disciples would be quick to commit verses taught to memory. In the absence of teaching monks to bring them new teachings, the disciples would come together on occasions such as the quarter-moon days to revise their knowledge of teachings heard on previous occasions. Some would remember more than others. There would certainly be gaps in the knowledge of teachings heard, owing to the uncertitudes of memory with passing time.
However, if a group were to chant together, the gaps in the memory of one man would not usually coincide with the gaps in the memory of the others. Alone they might not be able to remember seamlessly to the end of a teaching, but in a group the teaching could be revised in its entirety. Thus, rather than coming from a wish to worship the Buddha as some people misunderstand, Buddhist chanting is a time honoured method of preserving teachings in living memory so that they can be readily at hand to be applied in times of need. In the present day, daily chanting (as opposed to chanting in general) tends to comprise frequently recurring chanting such as that describing the qualities of the Triple Gem, the nature of suffering or realities of life for habitual reflection. The other subject matter for chanting is still chanted, but usually on special occasions or as time allows.
A2. Chanting in Thai Buddhist Tradition
This book is based on the Thai tradition of chanting which is a systematized version of the original daily chanting. In old Siam, chanting varied from temple to temple and was subject to non-Buddhist (syncretic) admixtures. Chanting such as the ‘Traditional Homage to the Triple Gem’ (see page 36) is one of the few pieces of purely Buddhist chanting that survives from such times. The tradition at Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen, Bangkok even up to 1959 was for evening chanting to consist of 108 recitations of the Tiratanānusaraṇapaṭha (Itipi so…).
The whole of Buddhist tradition in Thailand including the ceremonies and chanting, underwent a series of royal reforms starting in the 18th century with revision by King Rama I of the Siam Pali Canon (1788). King Rama III ordered the 500 year old parittas of Sri Lanka (seven tamnaan), to be translated into Thai and trained palace staff together with civil servants to chant daily in the same way as monks, as exemplars to the rest of his subjects.
King Mongut (Rama IV) resigning from 27-year ordination to take the throne in 1851, systematized, compiled and composed what we now know as the daily morning and evening chanting, a tradition that has gradually spread throughout the Buddhist and lay populations to become an inextricable part of Thai Buddhist identity in the present day. In the Buddhist tradition, chanting is used for many different functions.
B. The Language of the Chanting
The language of the chanting is called ‘Pali’. It is an ancient Indian language, akin to Sanskrit, in which the Scripture of the Theravāda Buddhist Canon is recorded. The form of the Pali words may look familiar and sound familiar to many westerners because Pali shares the same roots as the Indo-European family of languages, which through the intermediaries of Latin and Ancient Greek, form the modern languages of Europe and the western world (e.g. the Pāli ‘māta’ → Latin ‘mater’ → English ‘mother’). We chant in Pali instead of chanting the translation for authenticity, but the translation is given in almost all cases because although peace of mind is gained from chanting whether it is understood or not, familiarity with the meaning of the chanting will also lead wisdom to be developed.
C. Reasons for Chanting
To the casual observer the Buddhist practice of chanting might look like acts of worship in other religions. People come together and chant in unison with their hands together in a gesture of prayer. However, unlike other religions, Buddhism does not place its importance on worship and obeisance to an ‘unknown factor’ outside ourselves. Buddhists have always put faith and confidence in the ability of each of us to solve the problems that occur in our lives.
What then is the purpose of coming together to perform chanting? Apart from preserving teachings in the way mentioned above, the key to the answer lies in the meaning of the verses that are chanted. If you look carefully at the translations of the chanting (or at the Pāli itself if you are familiar with this language) you will find that the subject matter of the chanting is not prayer or praise. It is not the expression of worship or of obeisance but often nothing more than the revision of teachings given by the Buddha or explanations of the qualities of certain virtues or of the Triple Gem that is the true refuge within ourselves. Thus, in brief chanting is a way of cultivating the virtues of ‘respect,’ ‘familiarity with the teachings’ and ‘peace of mind’.
C1. Cultivation of Respect
Chanting is one of the rare ways in which you can cultivate respect. Lamentably, the virtue of ‘respect’ has become divorced from the search for knowledge in the modern world. However, for the ancients it used to be part and parcel of the search for any sort of knowledge. Instead of passively absorbing whatever good qualities could be observed in anything under study (as is the tradition of scholars in the present day) the people of old used to actively search for the good characteristics in the things they were studying.
If they wanted to learn more about the teachings of the Buddha, they would actively direct their quest to look for the good in everything concerning the knowledge they were studying. To this end, they would have respect for everything concerning their access to the teachings, whether it be the founder of the religion, what he taught, or exemplars of those who had successfully completed the teachings given. Respect was a way of training oneself to look for all that was good and positive in every aspect of the learning experience (instead of finding fault with it).
By seeking what was good in the highest refuge of Buddhism, (i.e. the Triple Gem) at the same time they would calibrate their minds and intuition to look for the same highest refuge within themselves. As newcomers, like children, we might not immediately see the point of doing chanting. We might ask ourselves what qualities in human cultivation could possibly be so lofty as to warrant bowing or the chanting of praise. However, our interest to look for answers to our question is soon stimulated. We actively seek for the qualities of the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Saṅgha. Before long we progress beyond an intellectual understanding of the qualities to a more intuitive appreciation. In fact all the qualities of the Triple Gem are already latent within us, but before we search for them, it helps to know at least the qualities of that which we are seeking.
C2. Keeping Teachings Alive in Mind
In the same way that chanting has been used to perpetuate Buddhist teachings since time immemorial, by memorizing chanting we can help to keep details of teachings alive in our minds. As students of Buddhism it is all very well knowing in which book and at what page to find certain information about Buddhism but it cannot beat learning such information by rote:
Assajjhāyamalā mantā
Not memorizing is the bane of chanting,
Anuṭṭhānamalā gharā
Neglect is the bane of a home,
Malaṃ vaṇṇassa kosajjhaṃ
Slovenliness is the bane of personal appearance
Pamādo rakkhato malaṃ
And heedlessness is the bane of a guard1
1. Dhammapada 241
One day you may find that the book you need has been borrowed or eaten by termites and then you will appreciate the value of rote-learning for yourself. Furthermore, part of understanding Buddhist teachings is to have them readily available in mind the whole time in order to consider them and reflect on them as specified in the qualities of a good student in the Dhammaññū Sutta.
C3. Honing the Mind for Meditation
The practice of chanting shares many benefits with the practice of sitting meditation. It can calm and focus the mind when performed in a skilled way, leading to confidence and happiness. Chanting properly will lead to purification of the mind and can thus qualify as one of the ten ways of generating merit [puññakiriyāvatthu] i.e. bhāvanāmaya
Yo ca gāthāsataṃ bhāse
Better than reciting,
anatthapadasaṃhitā
a hundred meaningless verses
Ekaṃ dhammapadaṃ seyyo
Is reciting of one verse of Dhamma,
yaṃ sutvā upasammati
hearing which one attains peace2
2. Dhammapada 102
It is for this reason that many meditators practise chanting before sitting for meditation. The combination can be likened to spending some time sharpening a chisel, before setting to work on a carving. In order to use chanting as a preparation for meditation it is best that you know the verses you are chanting off by heart. This will facilitate your ability to rest your mind in peace and stillness at the centre of the body rather than concerning yourself with the chanting book. If you find that your mind wanders during chanting, you can use visualization at the centre of the body to keep your mind centred. For example, you can imagine a Buddha image at the centre of the body while chanting praise to the Lord Buddha, or a bright and shining sphere at the centre of the body when chanting praise to the Dhamma, or disciples of the Lord Buddha when chanting praise to the Saṅgha.
D. How to Perform Chanting
D1. Expressing Respect with Body, Speech and Mind
To facilitate the genuine cultivation of respect through chanting, it should be noted that respect while chanting is expressed not only with the voice, but also through the humility of our physical posture and our presence of mind.
D2. Humility of Physical Posture when Chanting
Everyone paying homage to the Triple Gem, should chant while kneeling up (for praise of the Triple Gem or asking forgiveness) or sitting down with the feet to one side (for other sorts of chanting). Comparing will illustrate the difference between the kneeling posture for gentlemen and that for ladies. While gentlemen sit back on their raised heels in a kneeling position while chanting, ladies sit flat on the ‘uppers’ of their feet.
The palms of the hands should be brought together in front of the chest. The arms should be quite relaxed and the elbows not too close to the chest. Apart from kneeling for chanting, bowing also punctuates certain sorts of chanting. The sort of bow used is the ‘five-point’ bow (touching the ground simultaneously with five parts of the body: forehead + two elbows + two knees/legs) and is a definitive physical expression of humility.
While bowing, the trunk should be bent forward crisply (but gently!) to touch the forehead to the floor, with the hands placed flat, palms down on either side of the temples. One should finish the phrase of chanting before bowing and time one’s bow to be in unison with the rest of the group. It is respectful to remove one’s hat when chanting and to keep any loose wrap such as a blanket or shawl no higher than the level of the chest; something to be remembered when chanting in a cold environment.
D3. Use of the Voice when Chanting
When you are chanting you should chant out loud. The sound of your voice should be solid as if it originates from the point at the centre of your abdomen (rather than your throat). Beginners should note the correct pronunciation of Pali Chanting. Many newcomers to chanting find it useful to listen to a cassette recording of chanting when learning the pronunciation. Chanting should sound lively and crisp rather than drawn-out and excessively sanctimonious. You should chant on the same note as the person leading the chanting (not start your own harmonic) so that the sound of the whole group chanting is as one. If a monk is available to a group of lay people, he shoud be the one to lead the chanting. If no monk is available, it is traditional that a layman (if present) rather than a laywoman should lead the chanting. It is the responsibility of the chanting leader to set the key and the pace of the chanting.
Others in the group should respect the leader in his duty and should co-operate. It is bad manners to interfere with the chanting leader. The ‘key’ of the chanting if properly led will be suitable for both male and female voices alike. Only for children does it take special perseverance to achieve harmony in a group of adults. The proper speed of chanting in a group is in inverse proportion to the size of a group. Smaller groups are more capable of chanting quickly than large ones. For a practised group the sound at the beginning and end of each phrase will start and stop in unison with clearly heard spaces of silence between verses. In chanting where there are no spaces for taking breath (for example monastic blessings) those chanting should attempt to stagger their breathtaking so that the sound of the group’s chanting is continuous.
E. The Fruits of Chanting
In conclusion, chanting is a direct way to cultivate respect that we may better absorb from the Triple Gem the virtues it exemplifies. It is also a way of gaining understanding and first-hand knowledge of Buddhist teachings. In the long term chanting with an understanding of the meaning is an in-road into wisdom. As long as we keep in sight the objective of cultivating respect, we will never fall into the trap of becoming attached to ceremony as an end in itself [sīlabbataparāmāsa] or of simply ‘bowing down before golden idols’.
Morning Chanting
[1] Ratanattaya-vandanā
Yo so bhagavā arahaṃ sammāsambuddho
Svākkhāto yena bhagavatā dhammo
Supaṭipanno yassa bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho
Tammayaṃ bhagavantaṃ sadhammaṃ sasaṅghaṃ
Imehi sakkārehi yathārahaṃ āropitehi abhipūjayāma
Sādhu no bhante bhagavā suciraparinibbutopi
Pacchimājanatānukampamānasā
Ime sakkāre duggatapaṇṇākārabhūte paṭiggaṇhātu
Amhākaṃ dīgharattaṃ hitāya sukhāya
[2] Ratanattayanamakārapāṭha
Arahaṃ sammāsambuddho bhagavā
Buddhaṃ bhagavantaṃ abhivādemi
—bow—
Svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo dhammaṃ namassāmi
—bow—
Supaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho saṅghaṃ namāmi
—bow—
[3] Pubbabhāganamakārapāṭha
{Handa mayaṃ buddhassa bhagavato
pubbabhāganamakāraṃ karoma se}
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa
(three times)
[4] Buddhābhithuti
{Handa mayaṃ buddhābhithutiṃ karoma se}
Yo so tathāgato arahaṃ sammāsambuddho
Vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū
Anuttaro purisadammasārathi
Satthā devamanussānaṃ buddho bhagavā
Yo imaṃ lokaṃ sadevakaṃ samārakaṃ sabrahmakaṃ
Sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiṃ pajaṃ sadevamanussaṃ
Sayaṃ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedesi
Yo dhammaṃ desesi ādikalyāṇaṃ
Majjhekalyāṇaṃ pariyosānakalyāṇaṃ
Sātthaṃ sabyañjaṇaṃ kevalaparipuṇṇaṃ parisuddhaṃ
Brahmacariyaṃ pakāsesi
Tamahaṃ bhagavantaṃ abhipūjayāmi
Tamahaṃ bhagavantaṃ sirasā namāmi
—bow—
[5] Dhammābhithuti
{Handa mayaṃ dhammābhithutiṃ karoma se}
Yo so svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo
Sandiṭṭhiko akāliko ehipassiko
Opanayiko paccattaṃ veditabbo viññūhi
Tamahaṃ dhammaṃ abhipūjayāmi
Tamahaṃ dhammaṃ sirasā namāmi
—bow—
[6] Saṅghābhithuti
{Handa mayaṃ saṅghābhithutiṃ karoma se}
Yo so supaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho
Ujupaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho
Ñāyapaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho
Sāmīcipaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho
Yadidaṃ cattāri purisayugāni aṭṭha purisapuggalā
Esa bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho
Āhuneyyo pāhuneyyo dakkhiṇeyyo añjalīkaraṇīyo
Anuttaraṃ puññakkhetthaṃ lokassa
Tamahaṃ saṅghaṃ abhipūjayāmi
Tamahaṃ saṅghaṃ sirasā namāmi
—bow—
[7] Ratanattayappaṇāmagāthā
{Handa mayaṃ ratanattayappaṇāmagāthāyo ceva
saṃvegaparikittanapāṭhañca bhaṇāma se}
Buddho susuddho karuṇāmahaṇṇavo
Yoccantasuddhabbarañāṇalocano
Lokassa pāpūpakilesaghātako
Vandāmi buddhaṃ ahamādarena taṃ
Dhammo padīpo viya tassa satthuno
Yo maggapākāmatabhedabhinnako
Lokuttaro yo ca tadatthadīpano
Vandāmi dhammaṃ ahamādarena taṃ
Saṅgho sukhettābhayatikhettasaññito
Yo diṭṭhasanto sugatānubodhako
Lolappahīno ariyo sumedhaso
Vandāmi saṅghaṃ ahamādarena taṃ
Iccevamekantabhipūjaneyyakaṃ
Vatthuttayaṃ vandayatābhisaṅkhataṃ
Puññaṃ mayā yaṃ mama sabbupaddavā
Mā hontu ve tassa pabhāvasiddhiyā
[8] Saṃvegaparikittanapāṭha
Idha tathāgato loke uppanno arahaṃ sammāsambuddho,
Dhammo ca desito niyyāniko upasamiko parinibbāniko
sambodhagāmī sugatappavedito. Mayantaṃ dhammaṃ sutvā
evaṃ jānāma. Jātipi dukkhā, jarāpi dukkhā, maraṇampi
dukkhaṃ, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsāpi dukkhā,
Appiyehi sampayogo dukkho, piyehi vippayogo dukkho,
Yampicchaṃ na labhati, tampi dukkhaṃ.
Saṅkhittena pañcupādānakkhandhā dukkhā. Seyyathīdaṃ,
rūpūpādānakkhandho vedanūpādānakkhandho saññūpādānakkhandho
saṅkhārūpādānakkhandho viññāṇūpādānakkhandho,
yesaṃ pariññāya dharamāno so bhagavā evaṃ
bahulaṃ sāvake vineti. Evaṃbhāgā ca panassa bhagavato
sāvakesu anusāsanī bahulā pavattati. Rūpaṃ aniccaṃ, vedanā
aniccā, saññā aniccā, saṅkhārā aniccā, viññāṇaṃ aniccaṃ,
rūpaṃ anattā, vedanā anattā, saññā anattā, saṅkhārā anattā,
viññāṇaṃ anattā, sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā, sabbe dhammā anattāti.
Te1 mayaṃ, otiṇṇāmaha jātiyā jarāmaraṇena sokehi paridevehi
dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi. Dukkhotiṇṇā
dukkhaparetā, appevanāmimassa kevalassa dukkhakkhan
dhassa antakiriyā paññāyethāti. Ciraparinibbutampi taṃ
bhagavantaṃ saraṇaṃ gatā, dhammañca saṅghañca, tassa
bhagavato sāsanaṃ yathāsati yathābalaṃ manasikaroma
anupaṭipajjāma. Sā sā no paṭipatti imassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandassa
antakiriyāya saṃvattatu.
1. for ladies: change Te to Tā
[9] Pattidānagāthā
{Handa mayaṃ pattidānagāthāyo bhaṇāma se}
Yā devatā santi vihāravāsinī
Thūpe ghare bodhighare tahiṃ tahiṃ
Tā dhammadānena bhavantu pūjitā
Sotthiṃ karontedha vihāramaṇḍale
Therā ca majjhā navakā ca bhikkhavo
Sārāmikā dānapatī upāsakā
Gāmā ca desā nigamā ca issarā
Sappāṇabhūtā sukhitā bhavantu te
Jalābujā yepi ca aṇḍasambhavā
Saṃsedajātā athavopapātikā
Niyyānikaṃ dhammavaraṃ paṭicca te
Sabbepi dukkhassa karontu saṅkhayaṃ
Thātu ciraṃ sataṃ dhammo
Dhammaddharā ca puggalā
Saṅgho hotu samaggo va
Atthāya ca hitāya ca
Amhe rakkhatu saddhammo
Sabbepi dhammacārino
Vuḍḍhiṃ sampāpuṇeyyāma
Dhamme ariyappavedite
[10] Ratanattayanamakārapāṭha
Arahaṃ sammāsaṃbuddho bhagavā
Buddhaṃ bhagavantaṃ abhivādemi
—bow and chant softly—
Buddho me nātho
Pra putta jao ben ti pueng khong rao
Svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo dhammaṃ namasāmi
—bow and chant softly—
Dhammo me nātho
Pra taam ben ti pueng khong rao
Supaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho saṅghaṃ namāmi
—bow and chant softly—
Saṅgho me nātho
Pra sohng ben ti pueng khong rao
End of morning chanting
Evening Chanting
[1] Ratanattaya-vandanā
Yo so bhagavā arahaṃ sammāsambuddho
Svākkhāto yena bhagavatā dhammo
Supaṭipanno yassa bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho
Tammayaṃ bhagavantaṃ sadhammaṃ sasaṅghaṃ
Imehi sakkārehi yathārahaṃ āropitehi abhipūjayāma
Sādhu no bhante bhagavā suciraparinibbutopi
Pacchimājanatānukampamānasā
Ime sakkāre duggatapaṇṇākārabhūte paṭiggaṇhātu
Amhākaṃ dīgharattaṃ hitāya sukhāya
[2] Ratanattayanamakārapāṭha
Arahaṃ sammāsambuddho bhagavā
Buddhaṃ bhagavantaṃ abhivādemi
—bow —
Svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo
Dhammaṃ namassāmi
—bow —
Supaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho
Saṅghaṃ namāmi
—bow —
[3] & [4] Pubbabhāganamakārapāṭha
{Handadāni mayantaṃ bhagavantaṃ vācāya abhigāyituṃ
pubbabhāganamakārañceva buddhānussatinayañca
karoma se}
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa
(three times)
Taṃ kho pana bhagavantaṃ evaṃ kalyāṇo kittisaddo abbhuggato
itipi so bhagavā arahaṃ sammāsambuddho
vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro
purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṃ buddho
bhagavāti
[5] Buddhābhigīti
{Handa mayaṃ buddhābhigītiṃ karoma se}
Buddhavārahantavaratādiguṇābhiyutto
Suddhābhiñāṇakaruṇāhi samāgatatto
Bodhesi yo sujanataṃ kamalaṃ va sūro
Vandāmahaṃ tamaraṇaṃ sirasā jinendaṃ
Buddho yo sabbapāṇīnaṃ Saraṇaṃ khemamuttamaṃ
Paṭhamānussatiṭṭhānaṃ Vandāmi taṃ sirenahaṃ
Buddhassāhasmi dāso1 va Buddho me sāmikissaro
Buddho dukkhassa ghātā ca Vidhātā ca hitassa me
Buddhassāhaṃ niyyādemi Sarīrañjīvitañcidaṃ
Vantantohaṃ2 carissāmi Buddhasseva subodhitaṃ
1. for ladies: change dāso to dāsī
2. for ladies: change Vantantohaṃ to Vantantīhaṃ
Natthi me saraṇaṃ aññaṃ Buddho me saraṇaṃ varaṃ
Etena saccavajjena Vaḍḍheyyaṃ satthu sāsane
Buddhaṃ me
vandamānena1 Yaṃ puññaṃ pasutaṃ idha
Sabbepi antarāyā me Māhesuṃ tassa tejasā
—bow, chanting softly—
Kāyena vācāya va cetasā vā
Buddhe kukammaṃ pakataṃ mayā yaṃ
Buddho paṭiggaṇhatu accayantaṃ
Kālantare saṃvarituṃ va buddhe
1. for ladies: change vandamānena to vandamānāya
[6] Dhammānussati
{Handa mayaṃ dhammānussatinayaṃ karoma se}
Svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo, sandiṭṭhiko akāliko ehipassiko,
opanayiko paccattaṃ veditabbo viññūhīti
[7] Dhammābhigīti
{Handa mayaṃ dhammābhigītiṃ karoma se}
Svākkhātatādiguṇayogavasena seyyo
Yo maggapākapariyattivimokkhabhedo
Dhammo kulokapatanā tadadhāridhārī
Vandāmahaṃ tamaharaṃ varadhammametaṃ
Dhammo yo sabbapāṇīnaṃ Saraṇaṃ khemamuttamaṃ
Dutiyānussatiṭṭhānaṃ Vandāmi taṃ sirenahaṃ
Dhammassāhasmi dāso1 va Dhammo me sāmikissaro
Dhammo dukkhassa ghātā ca Vidhātā ca hitassa me
Dhammassāhaṃ niyyādemi Sarīrañjīvitañcidaṃ
Vandantohaṃ2 carissāmi Dhammasseva sudhammataṃ
Natthi me saraṇaṃ aññaṃ Dhammo me saraṇaṃ varaṃ
Etena saccavajjena Vaḍḍheyyaṃ satthu sāsane
Dhammaṃ me vandamānena3 Yaṃ puññaṃ pasutaṃ idha
Sabbepi antarāyā me Māhesuṃ tassa tejasā
—bow, chanting softly—
Kāyena vācāya va cetasā vā
Dhamme kukammaṃ pakataṃ mayā yaṃ
Dhammo paṭiggaṇhatu accayantaṃ
Kālantare saṃvarituṃ va dhamme
1. for ladies: change dāso to dāsī
2. for ladies: change Vantantohaṃ to Vantantīhaṃ
3. for ladies: change vandamānena to vandamānāya
[8] Saṅghānussati
{Handa mayaṃ saṅghānussatinayaṃ karoma se}
Supaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho
Ujupaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho
Ñāyapaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho
Sāmicipaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho
Yadidaṃ cattāri purisayugāni aṭṭha purisapuggalā
Esa bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho
Āhuneyyo pāhuneyyo dakkhiṇeyyo añjalīkaraṇīyo
Anuttaraṃ puññakkhettaṃ lokassāti
[9] Saṅghābhigīti
{Handa mayaṃ saṅghābhigītiṃ karoma se}
Saddhammajo supaṭipattiguṇādiyutto
Yoṭṭhabbidho ariyapuggalasaṅghaseṭṭho
Sīlādidhammapavarāsayakāyacitto
Vandāmahaṃ tamariyānagaṇaṃ susuddhaṃ
Saṅgho yo sabbapāṇīnaṃ Saraṇaṃ khemamuttamaṃ
Tatiyānussatiṭṭhānaṃ Vandāmi taṃ sirenahaṃ
Saṅghassāhasmi dāso1 va Saṅgho me sāmikissaro
Saṅgho dukkhassa ghātā ca Vidhātā ca hitassa me
Saṅghassāhaṃ niyyādemi Sarīrañjīvitañcidaṃ
Vandantohaṃ2carissāmi Saṅghassopaṭipannataṃ
Natthi me saraṇaṃ aññaṃ Saṅgho me saraṇaṃ varaṃ
Etena saccavajjena Vaḍḍheyyaṃ satthu sāsane
Saṅghaṃ me vandamānena3 Yaṃ puññaṃ pasutaṃ idha
Sabbepi antarāyā me Māhesuṃ tassa tejasā
— bow, chanting softly —
Kāyena vācāya va cetasā vā
Saṅghe kukammaṃ pakataṃ mayā yaṃ
Saṅgho paṭiggaṇhatu accayantaṃ
Kālantare saṃvarituṃ va saṅghe
1. for ladies: change dāso to dāsī
2. for ladies: change Vantantohaṃ to Vantantīhaṃ
3. for ladies: change vandamānena to vandamānāya
[10] Uddissanagāthā
{Handa mayaṃ uddissanagāthāyo bhaṇāma se}
Iminā puññakammena Upajjhāyā guṇuttarā
Ācariyūpakārā ca Mātā pitā ca ñātakā piyā mamaṃ
Suriyo candimā rājā Guṇavantā narāpi ca
Brahmamārā ca indā ca Lokapālā ca devatā
Yamo mittā manussā ca Majjhattā verikāpi ca
Sabbe sattā sukhī hontu Puññāni pakatāni me
Sukhaṃ ca tividhaṃ dentu Khippaṃ pāpetha vomataṃ
Iminā puññakammena Iminā uddisena ca
Khippāhaṃ sulabhe ceva Taṇhupādānachedanaṃ
Ye santāne hinā dhammā Yāva nibbānato mamaṃ
Nassantu sabbadā yeva Yattha jāto bhave bhave
Ujucittaṃ satipaññā Sallekho vīriyamhinā
Mārā labhantu nokāsaṃ Kātuñca vīriyesu me
Buddho dīpavaro nātho Dhammo nātho varuttamo
Nātho paccekabuddho ca Saṅgho nāthottaro mamaṃ
Tesottamānubhāvena Mārokāsaṃ labhantu mā
[11] Abhiṇhapaccavekkhaṇapāṭha
{Handa mayaṃ abhiṇhapaccavekkhaṇapāṭhaṃ bhaṇāma se}
Jarādhammomhi jaraṃ anatīto
Rao mii khwam gae ben tammada
yang mai luang pon khwam gae bai dai
Byādhidhammomhi byādhiṃ anatīto
Rao mi khwam jep ben tammada
yang mai luang pon khwam jep bai dai
Maraṇadhammomhi maraṇaṃ anatīto
Rao mi khwam die ben tammada
yang mai luang pon khwam die bai dai
Sabbehi me piyehi manāpehi nānābhāvo vinābhāvo
Rao ja dong plat prak jak khong rak
khong chop jai duai gan mot tangsin
Kammassakomhi kammadāyādo
Rao mi gaam ben khong ton ben taa yat haeng kaam
Kammayoni Kammabandhu
Mii kaam ben gamnote mii gaam ben pao paan
Kammapaṭisaraṇo
Mii gaam ben ti pueng asai
Yaṃ kammaṃ karissāmi
Rao taam gaam dai wai
Kalyāṇaṃ vā pāpakaṃ vā
Dee rue chua gor dam
Tassa dāyādo bhavissāmi
Rao ja dong ben pu rap pohn khong gaam nan
[12] Ratanattayanamakārapāṭha
Arahaṃ sammāsaṃbuddho bhagavā
Buddhaṃ bhagavantaṃ abhivādemi
—bow and chant softly—
Buddho me nātho
Pra putta jao ben ti pueng khong rao
Svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo dhammaṃ namasāmi
—bow and chant softly—
Dhammo me nātho
Pra taam ben ti pueng khong rao
Supaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho saṅghaṃ namāmi
—bow and chant softly—
Saṅgho me nātho
Pra sohng ben ti pueng khong rao
End of evening chanting
Verses of Homage & Supplementary Chanting
Traditional Homage to the Triple Gem
(Pali & Thai Phonetics)
Yamahaṃ sammāsambuddhaṃ, bhagavantaṃ saraṇaṃ gato1
Iminā sakkārena, taṃ bhagavantaṃ abhipūjayāmi
Kapachao bucha batnee, seung pra poo mee pra pak chao, poo trat saroo laew eng duai chorp, seung kapachao teung, wa ben tee peung, kamjad took dai ching, duai sakara nee.
Yamahaṃ svākkhātaṃ bhagavatā dhammaṃ saraṇaṃ gato2
Iminā sakkārena, taṃ dhammaṃ abhipūjayāmi
Kapachao bucha batnee, seung pra thamm, an pra poo mee pra pakchao, trat dee laew, seung kapachao teung, wa ben tee peung, kamjad pai dai ching, duai sakara nee.
Yamahaṃ supaṭipannaṃ, saṅghaṃ saraṇaṃ gato3
Iminā sakkārena, taṃ saṅghaṃ abhipūjayāmi
Kapachao bucha batnee, seung pra song poo batibat dee, seung kapachao teung, wa ben tee peung, kamjad roke dai ching, duai sakara nee.
Arahaṃ sammāsambuddho bhagavā
Buddhaṃ bhagavantaṃ abhivādemi
— bow —
Svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo dhammaṃ namassāmi
— bow —
Supaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho saṅghaṃ namāmi
— bow —
1.,2.,3., for ladies: change gato to gatā
{Handa mayaṃ buddhassa bhagavato pubbabhāganamakāraṃ karoma se}
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa
(three times)
Ukāsa, accayo no bhante, accaggamā, yathābāle, yathāmulahe, yathāakusale, ye mayaṃ karamhā, evaṃ bhante mayaṃ, accayo no, paṭiggaṇhatha āyatiṃ saṃvareyyāma.
Ka pra putta jao kor warokart, ti dai plang plad duai gai vaja jai nai pra put pra tam pra song peang rai, tae ka pra putta jao, ben khon parn khon long, akusol kao sing jit, hai gratam kwarm pit, tor pra put pra tam pra song, kor pra put pra tam pra song jong ngot kwarm pit tang lai lao nan, gae ka pra putta jao, jam derm tae wan nee ben ton bai, ka pra putta jao, ja kor samruam rawang, seung gai vaja jai seub tor bai nai beurng na.
Invitation
Ukāsa, Ka pra putta jao kor aratana somdej pra putta jao, tee dai tratsaru luang bai laew, nai adittakarn, mark kwa malet sai nai tong pra mahasamut tang see, lae somdej pra putta jao, an jak dai tratsaru, nai anakotakarn pai pak beurng na, lae somdej pra putta jao, tee dai tratsaru, nai pajjuban nee, kor jong ma bangkert, nai jakkutawarn sotatawarn, ghanatawarn cheuhatawarn, gayatawarn manotawarn, haeng ka pra putta jao, nai karn bad deo nee terd.
Ukāsa, Ka pra putta jao kor aratana, pra nopa lokuttara tamma jao, kao prakarn, nai adittakarn tee luang lap bai laew, ja nap ja pramarn mii dai, pra nopa lokuttara tam ma jao, kao prakarn nai anakotakarn pai pak beurng na, lae pra nopa lokuttara tam ma jao, kao prakarn, nai pajjuban nee, kor jong ma bangkert, nai jakkutawarn sotatawarn, kanatawarn cheuhatawarn, gaiyatawarn manotawarn, haeng ka pra putta jao, nai karn bad deo nee terd.
Ukāsa, Ka pra putta jao kor aratana, pra ariya song kap sommuti song, nai adittakarn tee luang lap bai laew, ja nap ja pramarn mii dai, pra ariya song kap som mutti song, nai anakotakarn pai pak beurng na, lae pra ariya song kap sommuti song, nai pajjuban nee, kor jong ma bangkert, nai jakkutawarn sotatawarn, ghanatawarn cheuhatawarn, gaiyatawarn manotawarn, haeng ka pra putta jao, nai karn bad deo nee terd.
Resolution
Kor dej khun pra putta jao, khun pra tam ma jao, khun pra songajao, khun marnda bida, khun kru upajja-acharn1, khun tarn baaramee seen baaramee, nekkhama baaramee panya baaramee, viriya baaramee khanti baaramee, sajja baaramee adittharn baaramee, metta baaramee upekkhā baaramee, tee kapachao dai bampen ma, nap tang tae roi chart pan chart, muen chart saen chart gordee, tee kapajao dai bampen ma, nai pajjuban nee, tang tae lek tae noi, ja raleuk dai gordee mi raleuk dai gordee, kor boon baaramee tang lai lao nan, jong ma chuay pra kap prakong kapajao, kor hai ka pra putta jao, dai samret mark lae pon, nai karn pajjuban nee tern.
Nibbāna paccayo hotu.
1. for ladies: change khun kru upajja-archan to khun kru ba archan
Homage to the Triple Gem
In Praise of the Virtues of the Lord Buddha
(lead) Ong dai pra sam put, (together) suvisut ta sandaan
Dat moon gi laet maan bor mi mon mi mong mua
Neung nai pra tai taan gor berk baan krr dok bua
Raakee bor pan pua suwakon ta gam jorn
Ong dai pra gorp duay pra karuna dang sakorn
Broht moo bra cha gorn ma la oat ka gan darn
Chee tang ban tao tuk lae chee suk kasem saan
Chee tang pra na rue paan an pon soak wi yok pai
Prom ben ja pit ta jak su ja rat wi mon sai
Hen haet tee glai glai gor jane jop bra jak jing
Gam jat nam jai yaap sandarn baap tang chai ying
Sat lok dai peung ping ma la baap bam pen boon
Kaa kor bra noat nawm si ra glao bang kom khun
Sam put ta gaa run ya paap nan ni ran dorn
—bow —
In Praise of the Virtues of the Dhamma
(lead) Tam ma ker ku na gorn, (together)suan chorp saa torn
Dut ja duang bra tiip chat cha waan
Haeng ong pra saat sa da jarn song sat san daan
Sa wang gra jang jai mon
Tam dai nap doi mak pon ben baet peung yon
Lae gao gap tang na ru paan
Som yaa loak u dorn pit sa darn an leuk oh laan
Pi sut pi set suk sai
Eek tam ton taang kan lai naam ka narn kaan kai
Pa ti bat pa ri yat ben song
Ker tang dam nern dut ja klong hai luang lu bong
Yang loak u dorn doi drong
Kaa kor oan awn utta mong nop tam jaam nong
Duay jit lae gai waja
—bow —
In Praise of the Virtues of the Sangha
(lead) Song dai sa wok sat sa da, (together)rap patibat ma
dae ong somdej bhagawan hen jaeng jatusat set ban
Lu taang tee an ra ngap lae dap tuk pai
Doy sadet pra poo drat drai panya pong sai
Sa at lae prat mua mong hern haang taang kaa seuk bong
Bor mi lam pong duay kai lae waja jai
Ben nuea na boon an pai sarn dae lo gai
Lae gert piboon poon pon som ya aow rot tos sa pon
Mee Khun anon anek ja nap leua dra
Kaa kor nop moo pra saraa pok song kuna
Nu Khun pradut jaram pan duay det boon kaa abi wan
Pra trai rat an u dom direk nirat tisai
Jong chuay kajat poi pai antarai dai dai
Jong dap lae glap seum soon
—bow —
.
Homage to the Dhammakaya
Sap pang chi tang mae pala dae cha jom trai
Norb tam ma gai sai sa tit nai na rue paan
Ar song kai lai laan koht rang si chote ta na gan
Cheum gai putta yan glan gae loke pon soke drome
Gai tam ngod ngahm nak wara lak sa no dom
San ra pang sa nga som maha bu rute tung gaayaa
Gate bua tuum sai daen gai daang chaen pet so pha
Rue jaeng tang lo gaa satit yuu tuk puu khon
Glang gai na taan jaed taang sam ret ariya pohn
Yut jai nai bat doan glang ka mol la mai la mun
Gai tam puut ben saai pae ka yai pra putta khun
U haeng talay boon yaak ja haa dai briab baan
Gai tam ben tam ma khan mi prae pan ni run gaan
Ben atta laeng sa raan ti ra luek lae pueng paa
Ruam baed muean sii pan tamma khan apinyaa
Jarana prom witchaa pati sam pi taa yaan
Som bat pra jak kra pat mai tuan rat mahaa saan
Manee tip tuam pi marn daen saran pong teh waa
Muea tiap tamma rot suk tang mot sam lo gaa
Dang tu li nai nakaa bor paan tiap pra tammagai
Duai dae cha san sern su chareon mi serm klai
Kor pohn pra tammagai pae kayai glang jai chon
Rue jaeng witcha lert hai pra sert dui mak pohn
Tip tam tua daen dohn daam pong boke dang gaew da
Lo gii ya ariya sap kha na nap tuk chee wa
Tid glang duang tammaa pra sope suk tuk gan gaan
Biam duay boonya rit glan pi chit paya maan
Ben samut chet bra harn ban lu tueng ti sut tam
Homage to the Great Master Phramongkolthepmuni
Gom grahb ma nat nohm wa ra jom wi chaa jarn
Nop ong pra song yaan chi na boot chi noh dome
Aek song pra naam jan- ta-sa-roh wi sut som
Tuay tep ma nut prom a pi wan ta naa gaan
Taan wang wi mut ponh chana gohn pa yaa marn
Mung sut na ruh paan a ti yaan pra nam chai
Plea sheep ta wai saat mu ni naat na pen sai
Yoot ning sa nit nai ha ruh tai na glang gai
Duang tam sa waang lam pah hu tammagai prai
Hen sut da lort saai wa ra gai wi set saan
witcha pra chaan chiaow ma na diaow pa jone marn
Braab sin gi laet raan a pi barn ma ha chon
Ruu jaeng gra jang jin pra ta win ja ruam pohn
Yoot ningh lu makh pohn a nu sohn pra toan tan
Yom dai mi yom pae ma na nae mi prae pan
Gram suek tuk kern wan sa la plun u tit plea
Jai taan mi wan wai ja ka yai pra saat sri
Saang pra lae kon dee ku na mee ta lort chon
Duay dae cha sanh sern su ja rern pi pat pohn
Koh pohn pra mong kohn taep mu nee pi chit marn
Uai chai ma lai sohk ni ra roak lu pai parn
Soab suk ga sem sarn ta na jak kra paht mee
Ruu jaeng pra taam maa lu wi cha pra chin na see
Biam boon ya baa ra mee suk ka san ni ran gaan
Homage to the Master Nun Chand Khonnokyoong
Nom jit grab bucha maha ubasika jarn
Gong gaew na rue paan yod tahan pra totsapon
Serb tod tamma taat mung pragaat taang mak pon
Sit aek pra mong kon tep mu ni mi prae paan
Ben nueng mai mee song naam greuk gong khun yai Jaan
Khon nok yuung tum chee wan tam witcha pichit chai
Oad ton lae khaem khaeng mana graeng pi sut sai
Gote pet nai pob dry piang set huang khong duang maan
Ben yod ga dun you nom nob kruu took wan waan
Cheum witcha pra nipparn pu saang saan tawan tam
Ruam sit plik puen naa sataa pana hai lert lam
Wat pra tammagai nam tam kayai hatai chon
Tarn dai nai loke lah ruam mahaa nathee done
Tiap tarn ga rune mon khae set siaow nam jai yai
Yod patimagorn eak ba worn som jai maai
Ha tiab song mue yai pu pan gai haeng tammaa
Yai ben chen po pruek hai ralerk lae pueng pa
Sit dang sakunaa dai a sai dai baramee
Glang yai sai pisut briab bra dut pra jedi
Gai tam tab tawee asongkai anek nun
Duai boon guson lam wara tam khun Yai Jaan
Kum sith tuk khuen wan suk gasem pi prem pree
Tam dai khun Yai seung kor sith tueng tuk chee wee
Dam dit boam kwam dee tuk pob chaat pi kaad marn
Biam duay tammarit boon sak sit maha saan
Sueb tawt u dom garn pa ni taan taat tamma
Pae ka yai witcha lert hai ban jerd tua lo ga
Sit man kham sanya taen maa laa buchaa khun
Chanting for Spreading Loving Kindness
Sabbe sattā Sat tang lai, tee ben puen tuk,
gert gae jep die, duay gan mot tang sin.
Averā Jong ben suk ben suk terd.
Ya dai mee wehn gae gan lae gan leuy.
Sabbe sattā Sat tang lai, tee ben puen tuk,
gert gae jep die, duay gan mot tang sin.
Abyā pajjhā Jong ben suk ben suk terd.
Ya dai biat bian seung gan lae gan leuy.
Sabbe sattā Sat tang lai, tee ben puen tuk,
gert gae jep die, duay gan mot tang sin.
Anīghā Jong ben suk ben suk terd.
Ya dai mee kwam tuk gai tuk jai leuy.
Sabbe sattā Sat tang lai, tee ben puen tuk,
gert gae jep die, duay gan mot tang sin.
Sukhī attānaṃ pariharantu Jong mee kwam suk gai suk jai,
raksa ton hai pon jak tuk pai tang sin terd.
Tan tang lai, tee tan dai tuk,
kor hai tan mee kwam suk. Tan tang lai, tee tan dai suk,
kor hai suk ying ying keurn bai.
Sabbe sattā Sat tang lai,
tee gert ben jalābuja, tee gert ben aṇḍaja,
tee kert ben saṃsedaja, tee gert ben opapātika,
jong ma rap guson pohn boon, hai tuan tua tuk tua tuern.
Lay People's Pāli Formulae
Introduction to Requesting the Five Precepts
According to the wise, the keeping of precepts is the precursor, the foundation, and the origin of all goodness. It is the chief amongst the virtues. Keeping one’s precepts pure protects one from succumbing to all evil behaviours, brings joyfulness of mind, and is the safe harbor upon which one can rest from the ocean of Nirvana. Thus without further ado, all are now invited to proclaim the verses for requesting the Five Precepts together.
Requesting the Five Precepts
{Mayaṃ1 bhante visuṃ visuṃ rakkhaṇatthāya
tisaraṇena saha, pañca sīlāni yācāma1.
Dutiyampi mayaṃ1 bhante visuṃ visuṃ rakkhaṇatthāya
tisaraṇena saha, pañca sīlāni yācāma1.
Tatiyampi mayaṃ1 bhante visuṃ visuṃ rakkhaṇatthāya
tisaraṇena saha, pañca sīlāni yācāma1.}
1. In case you request to observe precepts alone, change Mayaṃ to Ahaṃ and change yācāma to yācāmi
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa (three times)
Buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi (I seek refuge in the Lord Buddha.)
Dhammaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi (I seek refuge in the Dhamma.)
Saṅghaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi (I seek refuge in the Sangha.)
Dutiyampi buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi
(For the second time, I seek refuge in the Lord Buddha.)
Dutiyampi dhammaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi
(For the second time, I seek refuge in the Dhamma.)
Dutiyampi saṅghaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi
(For the second time, I seek refuge in the Sangha.)
Tatiyampi buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi
(For the third time, I seek refuge in the Lord Buddha.)
Tatiyampi dhammaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi
(For the third time, I seek refuge in the Dhamma.)
Tatiyampi saṅghaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi
(For the third time, I seek refuge in the Sangha.)
Bhikkhu: Tisaraṇagamaṇaṃ niṭṭhitaṃ
(This is the end of the Threefold Refuge)
Layperson: āma bhante (Yes, Sir)
Pāṇātipātā veramaṇī, sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi
(I vow to undertake the training of refraining from killing living beings.)
Adinnādānā veramaṇī, sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi
(I vow to undertake the training of refraining from taking that which is not given.)
Kāmesu micchācārā veramaṇī, sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi
(I vow to undertake the training of refraining from sexual misconduct.)
Musāvādā veramaṇī, sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi
(I vow to undertake the training of refraining from telling lies.)
Surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā veramaṇī, sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi
(I vow to undertake the training of refraining from consuming alcohol or substances that lead to recklessness.)
Bhikkhu: Imāni pañca sikkhāpadāni (These 5 Precepts)
Sīlena sugatiṃ yanti (their practice brings happiness)
Sīlena bhogasampadā (their practice brings wealth)
Sīlena nibbutiṃ yanti (their practice leads to Nirvana)
Tasmā sīlaṃ visodhaye (Therefore, it is beneficial for anyone to fully observe the Precepts)
Layperson: “Sādhu” (Well said)
Requesting the Eight Precepts
{Mayaṃ1 bhante, tisaraṇena saha, aṭṭha sīlāni yācāma1.
Dutiyampi mayaṃ1 bhante, tisaraṇena saha, aṭṭha sīlāni yācāma1.
Tatiyampi mayaṃ1 bhante, tisaraṇena saha, aṭṭha sīlāni yācāma1.}
1. In case you request to observe precepts alone, change Mayaṃ to Ahaṃ and change yācāma to yācāmi
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa (three times)
Buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi
Dhammaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi
Saṅghaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi
Dutiyampi buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi
Dutiyampi dhammaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi
Dutiyampi saṅghaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi
Tatiyampi buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi
Tatiyampi dhammaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi
Tatiyampi saṅghaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi
Bhikkhu: Tisaraṇagamaṇaṃ niṭṭhitaṃ
(This is the end of the Threefold Refuge)
Layperson: āma bhante (Yes, Sir)
Pāṇātipātā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi
(I vow to undertake the training of refraining from killing living beings.)
Adinnādānā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi
(I vow to undertake the training of refraining from taking that which is not given.)
Abrahmacariyā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi
(I vow to undertake the training of completely refraining from all sexual conduct.)
Musāvādā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi
(I vow to undertake the training of refraining from telling lies.)
Surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi
(I vow to undertake the training of refraining from consuming alcohol or substances that lead to recklessness.)
Vikālabhojanā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi
(I vow to undertake the training of refraining from eating a meal at the inappropriate time (after midday.)
Naccagītavādita-visūkadassana-mālāgandha-vilepana-dhāraṇa-maṇḍana- vibhūsanaṭṭhānā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi
(I vow to undertake the training of refraining from dancing, singing or playing romantic music, or attending entertainment, wearing perfume, cosmetics or flower-garlands.)
Uccāsayana – mahāsayanā veramaṇī, sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi
(I vow to undertake the training of refraining from sleeping on a high or large (luxurious) bed.)
Bhikkhu: Imāni aṭṭha sikkhāpadāni (These 8 Precepts)
Sīlena sugatiṃ yanti (their practice brings happiness)
Sīlena bhogasampadā (their practice brings wealth)
Sīlena nibbutiṃ yanti (their practice leads to Nirvana)
Tasmā sīlaṃ visodhaye (Therefore, it is beneficial for anyone to fully observe the Precepts)
Layperson: “Sādhu” (Well said)
Introduction to Offering Saṅghadāna
Generosity is the mark of a wise man. The discerning will choose the right time and the very best of food and drink to offer to those monks who lead a celibate life. They are fertile fields of merit who yield the highest of fruits for the giver. By offering food to monks, you are giving them five qualities of life: longivity, good complexion, good health, strength and wisdom. Thus, he who gives shall receive these qualities of life in return. Merit alone can be our refuge. Thus, without further ado, all listeners are invited to repeat, after the congregation representative, the verses for the offering of a midday meal as saṅghadāna together.
Offering General Saṅghadāna
Imāni mayaṃ bhante, bhattāni, saparivārāni, bhikkhusaṅghassa, oṇojayāma, sādhu no bhante, bhikkhusaṅgho, imāni, bhattāni, saparivārāni, paṭiggaṇhātu, amhākaṃ, dīgharattaṃ, hitāya, sukhāya, nibbānāya ca.
(On this occasion,venerable monks, we seek your permission, to offer this meal to the monastic community, together with its associated gifts. May the monastic community, receive this meal and these gifts from us, for our everlasting benefit, happiness and attainment of Nirvana.
Undertaking Dhutaṅga Training
{Handa mayaṃ buddhassa bhagavato pubbabhāganamakāraṃ karoma se}
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa (three times)
Senāsanaloluppaṃ paṭikkhippāmi
Yathāsanthatikaṅgaṃ samādiyāmi
Dutiyampi senāsanaloluppaṃ paṭikkhippāmi
Yathāsanthatikaṅgaṃ samādiyāmi
Tatiyampi senāsanaloluppaṃ paṭikkhippāmi
Yathāsanthatikaṅgaṃ samādiyāmi
(We are willing to follow the rules of dhutaṅga disciplinary training and to be content with whatever accommodation our hosts provide.
Let us repeat for the second time that we are willing to follow the rules of dhutaṅga disciplinary training and to be content with whatever accommodation our hosts provide.
Let us repeat for the third time that we are willing to follow the rules of dhutaṅga disciplinary training and to be content with whatever accommodation our hosts provide.)
Resigning from Dhutaṅga Training
{Handa mayaṃ buddhassa bhagavato pubbabhāganamakāraṃ karoma se}
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa (three times)
Senāsanaloluppaṃ paṭikkhippāmi
Yathāsanthatikaṅgaṃ paccuddarāmi
Dutiyampi senāsanaloluppaṃ paṭikkhippāmi
Yathāsanthatikaṅgaṃ paccuddarāmi
Tatiyampi senāsanaloluppaṃ paṭikkhippāmi
Yathāsanthatikaṅgaṃ paccuddarāmi
(Permit us to resign from dhutaṅga training as our way of life, where before we were happy to make our bed, wherever our hosts provided.
For a second time, permit us to resign from dhutaṅga training as our way of life, where before we were happy to make our bed, wherever our hosts provided.
For a third time, permit us to resign from dhutaṅga training as our way of life, where before we were happy to make our bed, wherever our hosts provided.)
Grace: Offering Sustenance to the Lord Buddha
Imaṃ, sūpabyañjana sampannaṃ, sālīnaṃ, bhojanaṃ, udakaṃ varaṃ, buddhassa, pūjema.
(We pay homage to the Lord Buddha with these offerings of superb wheat, soup, and water.)
Reclaiming the Remainder of Offerings
Sesaṃ maṅgalaṃ yācāma.
(May I humbly receive the remains of the offering.)
Requesting Paritta Chanting
Vipattipaṭibāhāya Sabbasampattisiddhiyā
Sabbadukkhavināsāya Parittaṃ brūtha maṅgalaṃ
Vipattipaṭibāhāya Sabbasampattisiddhiyā
Sabbabhayavināsāya Parittaṃ brūtha maṅgalaṃ
Vipattipaṭibāhāya Sabbasampattisiddhiyā
Sabbarogavināsāya Parittaṃ brūtha maṅgalaṃ
(May we invite the Buddhist Monks to chant the auspicious verses for prevention against calamity; for bringing success and wealth; for dispelling all sufferings; for getting rid of all dangers; and as security against all forms of illnesses.)
Requesting a Discourse
Brahmā ca lokādhipatī sahampati
Katañjalī anadhivaraṃ ayācatha
Santīdha sattāpparajakkhajātikā
Desetu dhammaṃ anukampimaṃ pajaṃ
(Sahampati the Brahmā, Great director of the world, came with palms joined together, in highest respects to the Lord Buddha. He asked the Supreme One to give the Supreme Dhamma to those beings with little dust left in their eyes (little defilement); to assist those beings and wipe away what little dust remained within their eyes.)
Offering of Bathing Robes for the Annual Rain Retreat
Imāni mayaṃ bhante, vassikasāṭikāni, saparivārāni,
bhikkhusaṅghassa, oṇojayāma, sādhu no bhante,
bhikkhusaṅgho, imāni, vassikasāṭikāni, saparivārāni,
paṭiggaṇhātu, amhākaṃ, dīgharattaṃ, hitāya, sukhāya, nibbānāya ca.
(All of us gathered here, would like to humbly offer, ‘Bathing Robes for the Rain Retreat’, as well as other offerings, to the monastic community. May the monastery and monks, accept these ‘Bathing Robes for the Rain Retreat’, together with these other offerings in kindness, for the benefit, happiness, and attainment of Nirvana of us all, forevermore.)
Offering of ‘Picked-up’ Robes
Imāni mayaṃ bhante, paṃsukūlacīvarāni, saparivārāni,
bhikkhusaṅghassa, oṇojayāma, sādhu no bhante,
bhikkhusaṅgho, imāni paṃsukūlacīvarāni, saparivārāni,
paṭiggaṇhātu, amhākaṃ, dīgharattaṃ, hitāya, sukhāya, nibbānāya ca.
(All of us gathered here, would like to humbly offer ‘Pickedup’ robes, as well as other offerings, to the monastic community. May the monastery and monks, accept these offerings with kindness, for the benefit, happiness, and attainment of Nirvana of us all, forevermore.)
Offering of Kathina Robes
Imaṃ mayaṃ bhante, saparivāraṃ, kaṭhinacīvaradussaṃ,
saṅghassa, oṇojayāma, sādhu no bhante, saṅgho, imaṃ
saparivāraṃ, kaṭhinacīvaradussaṃ, paṭiggaṇhātu,
paṭiggahetvā ca, iminā dussena, kaṭhinaṃ, attharatu,
amhākaṃ, dīgharattaṃ, hitāya, sukhāya, nibbānāya ca.
(All of us gathered here, would like to humbly offer ‘Kathina’ robes, as well as other offerings, to the monastic community. May the monastery and monks, accept these offerings with kindness, to be used during the Rain Retreat, for the benefit, happiness, and attainment of Nirvana of us all, forevermore.)
Resolution before Offering Requisites to Monks
Sudinnaṃ vata me dānaṃ āsavakkhayāvahaṃ hotu
(May the alms that I have offered on this day be for an end of all defilements)
Dedication of Merit to Deceased Relatives
Idaṃ me ñātinaṃ hotu sukhitā hontu ñātayo
(May this accrued merit be sent to all my (deceased) relatives. May all my (deceased) relatives be happy.)
Daily Resolution
By the power of recalling the goodness of the Triple Gem, the innumerable Dhammakaya, and the Great Meditation Master Phramongkolthepmuni, re-discoverer of Dhammakaya meditation; along with showing humble respect, and presenting offerings of lanterns, fragrance, and flowers, by taking refuge in the Triple Gem; and by chanting praise to the Dhammakaya and the Great Meditation Masters:
May I attain brilliant Dhammakayas with ease, and become one with the most subtle Dhammakaya body within, knowing thoroughly the mundane and spiritual worlds. May I be free from all trouble with others, perform only meritorious deeds, truly possess the Dhamma, and be free from all greed, anger, and delusion. May I easily conquer the five meditative hindrances, thus attaining the Dhamma without delay. May I be complete in precept discipline, meditation, wisdom, liberation, and liberation-wisdom; free from carelessness and able to teach myself thoroughly. May bullies never bother me.
May I not harm anybody, and may nobody harm me. May I properly understand the Law of Karma, leading me to the complete eradication of defilement. May all the calamity, negative energy, karmic retribution, Mara obstruction, and all other obstacles in life be destroyed and nullified. May my past unwholesome deeds and mistakes, since even my first lifetime, the first eon, be unable to give any result and consequence. May they be totally forgiven. May the evil karmic retribution, Mara obstruction, and disastrous lifeblueprints be eliminated. May I commit no new bad karma physically, verbally, or mentally. May all the goodness that I have done well in the past yield their results first. May I receive wealth beyond expectation; being superb in human wealth, celestial wealth, and the fruits of Nirvana.
May I have longevity in life, fine complexion, happiness, strength, intelligence, wealth, and good assistance. May I be free from the 18 inferior characteristics and afflictions. May I never again be reborn in any of the four unwholesome realms for karmic punishment. May I be reborn only in the wholesome realms; particularly in the special merit zone, in every lifetime. May I follow the true Dhammakaya Masters, closely both physically and meditatively. May I be able to pursue perfections, defeat the Great Mara and eradicate all defilements until reaching the Utmost state of Dhamma at ease and at once, from this day onward, forevermore.
Appendices
Appendix 1
Pronouncing the Pali Alphabet
Written Pronounced as in the Word
a a hat
ā a cart
i i mint
ī ee see
u u put
ū oo pool
e a cage
o o no
k k kind
kh kh blackheath
g g game
gh gh ghost
ṅ ng sing
c ch check
ch chsh dachshund
j j jet
jh dge-h sledge-hammer
ñ nn annual
ṭ t tap
ṭh t-h ant-hill
ḍ d dog
ḍh d-h red-hot
ṇ n now
t th thumb
th t-h pot-herb
d th then
dh dh adherent
n n nest
p p pit
ph ph uphill
b b ball
bh bh abhor
y y yes
s s sit
ṃ ng sing
Note: The remaining letters m,r,l,v and h are pronounced the same as in the English language.
Appendix 2
Translation
Morning Chanting
[1] Supreme praise to the Triple Gem
Whosoever is an Exalted One and Worthy One, who has attained to Self-Enlightenment… the Dhamma which has been properly expounded, by Him, the Exalted One…whichever Order of excellent practising ones, enlightened disciples of the Exalted One… We ask Thy bidding, to venerate the Exalted One, the Dhamma and the Holy Order of disciples, with the best of offerings we have to give. O! Noble One, who long since has passed into supreme enlightenment…we beg Thee to receive, with compassion for all of us; lowly beings, born now and hereafter, these offerings of all suffering men, for the sake, of our everlasting spiritual benefit and happiness.
[2] Homage to the Triple Gem
I pay homage to the Lord Buddha, the Worthy One,
The Fully Self-Enlightened One, the Exalted One —bow—
I bow in reverence to the Dhamma,
The Doctrine properly expounded by the Exalted One. —bow—
I bow in reverence to the Holy Order of the Exalted One,
The excellently-practicing ones. —bow—
[3] Introductory Homage to the Lord Buddha
{Lo! Let us all offer an introductory homage to the Exalted One, the Lord Buddha}
Homage to Him, the Exalted One, the Worthy Lord, the Fully Self-Enlightened One. (three times)
[4] The Supreme Praise to the Lord Buddha
{Lo! Let us all offer supreme praise to the Lord Buddha}
Whoever has travelled the eternal path, the Worthy One, the Fully Self-Enlightened One, who has attained the Supramundane Knowledge and so perfectly conducted His life, who has already travelled the path of righteousness, who has clearly understand the whole world, who is the most Capable Charioteer, who trains His followers in the highest spiritual life, who is the Teacher of all human and celestial beings, who is enlightened and exalted, whosoever, with His supramundane wisdom, having pervaded the ultimate truth, has with this truth illuminated this world, the celestial world, the world of devils, the world of brahmas, human beings, together with monks, brahmins and gods…. Whosoever has expounded so beautifully, in the beginning, in the middle and in the ending, the fundamentals of His Teaching, together with its detail, in its entirety, of the principles of the pure way of perfect conduct… I pay reverence to Him, the Exalted One. To that Exalted One, I bow down my head. —bow—
[5] Supreme Praise to the Dhamma
{Lo! Let us all offer supreme praise to the Dhamma.}
Whichever Dhamma was properly expounded by the Exalted One, which is clearly perceived within ourselves, timeless, which inspires those who see it to call others to come and see it, which should be internalized, which can be realized subjectively by the wise… I pay reverence to the Dhamma. To that Dhamma I bow down my head. —bow —
[6] Supreme Praise to the Saṅgha
{Lo! Let us all offer supreme praise to the Saṅgha.}
Whichever, excellently-practising disciples of the Exalted One, who have taken the direct path of righteousness, who have behaved according to their inner wisdom, who have mastered themselves on the way to salvation, these eight types of disciples, divided into four pairs, supramundane ones honoured as ariya-puggala, who are worthy for temple offerings, residential offerings and offerings for the sake of those who have passed away, who are worthy of reverence and homage, who are the supreme field of merit on earth… I pay reverence to that Saṅgha. To that Saṅgha I bow down my head. —bow —
[7] Veneration of the Triple Gem
{Lo! Let us all offer veneration of the Triple Gem and then offer our reflections on detachment from worldly miseries.}
The Lord Buddha who is absolutely pure, whose compassion is as vast as the ocean, whose eye of wisdom is that of absolute insight, who is the terminator of all worldly evils and defilements. With a respectful heart I venerate that Buddha.
The Dhamma, the radiant light of the Lord, whichever comprises the path and the fruit, which is supramundane and illuminates the path to eternity…with a respectful heart I venerate that Dhamma.
The Saṅgha which is the field of excellence, known to be safe from danger, who are at peace with the truth they have seen, following the One who has already travelled the path of righteousness, who are unshakeable, noble and wise…with a respectful heart I venerate that Saṅgha.
May the merit attained by me, through reverence solely to these objects, vanquish all dangers I might suffer.
[8] Reflections on Detachment from Worldly Miseries
The Lord Buddha has appeared in this world, the Worthy One, the Fully Self-Enlightened One. The Dhamma revealed by Him, through His knowledge, which leads to spiritual wealth, serenity and complete Nibbana and perfect enlightenment…Having heard the Teaching of the Lord Buddha, we realized that; Birth is suffering, Ageing is suffering, Death is suffering, Sorrow, lamentation, pain and despair are suffering, Attachment to the Unpleasant is suffering, Separation from those we love is suffering, Failure is suffering; briefly, The attachment to the five skandhas is suffering.
Namely; Physical-form, Sensation, Memory, Conditioned volition, Cognition During the Buddha’s life, these five skandhas, Were one of the fundamental doctrine, Which He taught His disciples Properly to understand.The Lord’s doctrine teaches: Physical-form is impermanent, sensation is impermanent, memory is impermanent, conditioned volition is impermanent, cognition is impermanent, physical-form is non-Self, sensation is non-Self, memory is non-Self, conditioned volition is non-Self, cognition is non-Self. cognition is non-Self.
All Conditioned things are impermanent. All things are non-Self. How are we, caught in this endless cycle, of rebirth, old-age and death, who are beset by sorrow and lamentation, pain and despair, and by all other kinds of suffering that assail us, best to conduct ourselves. To find final deliverance from them all, now and in future lives? We who have taken refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Saṅgha, recollect the teaching of the Buddha, and conduct ourselves, according to the best of our ability. May our righteous conduct, lead us to the final deliverance from all suffering. So be it!
[9] Transference of Merit
{Lo! Let us all offer the transference of merit.}
May all the celestial beings, who reside in this temple,
With its stūpas and other dwelling places,
Be blessed by this meritorious chanting,
To dwell in peace throughout this temple.
May all the monks in the Holy Order,
Novices, alms-givers and lay-men of the temple,
And all villagers, those outside;
City-dwellers, those of the high rank,
And all living creatures…
May they all be inspired by the benevolent Dhamma,
Which leads toward salvation…
May all beings be delivered of their suffering.
May the Doctrine of all the Buddhas,
And of those who follow the Dhamma,
Remain forevermore.
May the unity of the Order of monks,
Bring benefit and happiness to all.
May the Saddhamma protect us, and all those who practise Dhamma.
May we all attain prosperity, by following the Teaching expounded by the Lord Buddha. So be it!
[10] Homage to the Triple Gem
I pay homage to the Lord Buddha, the Worthy One,
The Fully Self-Enlightened One, the Exalted One —bow—
The Buddha is my refuge
I bow in reverence to the Dhamma,
The Doctrine properly expounded by the Exalted One. —bow —
The Dhamma is my refuge
I bow in reverence to the Holy Order of the Exalted One,
The Excellently-Practising Ones. —bow—
The Saṅgha is my refuge
Evening Chanting
[1] Supreme Praise to the Triple Gem
Whosoever is an Exalted one and Worthy one, who has attained to self-enlightenment… the Dhamma which has been properly expounded, by Him, the Exalted One…whichever Order of Excellent Practising Ones, enlightened disciples of the Exalted One… We crave Thy bidding, to venerate the Exalted One, the Dhamma and the Holy Order of disciples, with the best of offerings we have to give. O! Noble One, who long since has passed into supreme enlightenment…we beg Thee to receive, with compassion for all us; lowly beings, born now and hereafter, these offerings of all suffering men, for the sake, of our everlasting spiritual benefit and happiness.
[2] Homage to the Triple Gem
I pay homage to the Lord Buddha, the Worthy One,
The Fully Self-Enlightened One, the Exalted One —bow —
I bow in reverence to the Dhamma,
The Doctrine properly expounded by the Exalted One. —bow —
I bow in reverence to the Holy Order of the Exalted One,
The Excellently-Practising Ones. —bow —
[3]&[4] Introductory Homage & a Recollection of the Lord Buddha
{Lo! Let us all offer an introductory homage and a recollection of the Lord Buddha}
Homage to Him, the Exalted One the Worthy Lord, the Fully Self-Enlightened One.
(three times)
Thus has arisen the good fame of the Exalted One…He is the Exalted One, the Worthy One, the Fully Self-Enlightened One, who has attained the Supramundane Knowledge, and so perfectly conducted His life, who has already travelled the path of righteousness, who has clearly understood the whole world, who is the most Capable Charioteer, who trains His followers, in the highest form of spiritual life, who is the Teacher of all human and celestial beings, who is enlightened and exalted.
[5] Supreme Chanting to the Lord Buddha
{Lo! Let us all perform the supreme chanting to the Lord Buddha.}
Whosoever is endowed with the excellent virtues, which include enlightenment and worthiness, whosoever possesses the qualities of purity, compassion and supramundane, wisdom, which makes all sentient beings joyful, just as the lotus blooms under the sun. Whatsoever Buddha is for all beings, the absolute refuge, the first for respectful recollection, bowing my head to the ground, I pay reverence to that Buddha.
I am the willing and faithful servant of the Lord Buddha. The Buddha is my Lord and master. The Lord Buddha can rid me of suffering and bestow on me all other benefits. I therefore, dedicate my whole life to the Lord Buddha. Offering my homage to the Lord Buddha I shall follow the way, which has been so excellently realized by the Lord Buddha. I have no other refuge. The Lord Buddha is my highest refuge. With the merit accumulated through uttering these truthful words, may I forever make progress in the Teachings of the Master.
—bow, chanting softly —
If I have ever committed any offences of body, speech or mind, against the Lord Buddha, may the Lord Buddha forgive me, that I may, in future, become more careful.
[6] A Recollection of the Dhamma
{Lo! let us all offer a recollection of the Dhamma.}
The Dhamma was properly expounded by the Ealted One, which is clearly perceived within ourselves, timeless, which inspires those who see it to call others to come and see it, which should be internalized, which can be realized subjectively by the wise…
[7] Supreme Chanting to the Dhamma
{Lo! Let us all perform the supreme chanting to the Dhamma.}
Whichever Dhamma has the quality of being properly expounded as its primary virtue, which is divided into path and fruit, pariyatti and vimokkha which protects the Righteous Ones from falling into evil ways; I pay homage to this excellent Dhamma which carries away all darkness. Whatsoever Dhamma is for all beings, the absolute refuge, the second for respectful recollection.
Bowing my head to the Dhamma, I pay respect to that Dhamma. I am the willing and faithful servant of the Dhamma. The Dhamma is my master. The Dhamma can rid me of suffering. I therefore dedicate my whole life to the Dhamma. Offering my homage to the Dhamma, I shall follow the way of the Dhamma to the purest form. I have no other refuge. The Dhamma is my highest refuge. With the merit accumulated, through uttering these truthful words, may I for
zever make progress, in the Teachings of the Master. —bow, chanting softly —
If I have ever committed any offences, Of body, speech or mind, against the Dhamma, May the Dhamma forgive me, That I may, in future, become more careful.
[8] A Recollection of the Sangha
{Lo! Let us all offer a Recollection of the Saṇgha.}
The excellently-practising disciples of of the Exalted One, Who have taken the direct path of righteousness, Who have behaved according to their inner wisdom, Who have mastered themselves on the way to salvation,
These eight types of disciples, divided into four pairs, supramundane ones, honoured as ariya puggala, who are worthy for temple offerings, residential offerings and offerings for the sake of those who have passed away who are worthy of reverence and homage who are the supreme field of merit on Earth…
[9] Supreme Chanting to the Sangha
{Lo! let us all perform the supreme chanting to the Saṇgha.}
Whosoever is born of the excellent practice of Dhamma, the Most Exalted Order of the eight-fold ariya-puggala, endowed with excellent bodies and minds, I pay homage to the perfect purity, of that noble community. Whichever Saṅgha is, for all beings, the absolute refuge, the third for respectful recollection, bowing my head to the ground, I pay reverence to that Saṅgha. I am the willing and faithful servant of the Saṅgha, the Saṅgha is my master. The Saṅgha can rid me of suffering, and can bestow on me all other benefits, I therefore dedicate my whole life to the Saṅgha, to walk the way of the Saṅgha in its righteousness. I have no other refuge, the Saṅgha is my highest refuge. With the merit accumulated, through uttering these truthful words, may I forever make progress, in the Teaching of the Master.—bow, chanting softly —
If I have ever committed any offences, Of body, speech or mind, against the Saṅgha, May the Saṅgha forgive me, That I may, in future, become more careful.
[10] The Transference of Merit
{Lo! Let us all offer a transference of merit.}
With the merits accumulated through this chanting, may all my preceptors and masters who have taught me well and all my parents and relatives who are dear to me, the sun and the moon, the king, and all charitable beings around me, and the brahmas, the Māras, Indra the king of gods, and celestial guardians of the world, and all sentient beings, the god of death and all sentient beings, be they friends, indifferent acquaintances, or foes, be safe and attain the supreme bliss. May the ripened fruits of all my past meritorious deeds, derived from deeds of body, speech and mind, conduct me immediately toward the endless bliss of Nirvana. In addition to my transference of these merits, may I, without delay, vanquish evil desire and attachment. May the roots of all my evils be totally eradicated, henceforth, until the moment I enter upon Nirvana. Should I be obliged to wander through many future existences, may I be endowed with integrity, wisdom and intelligence, daring and perseverance to vanquish all defilements. Let there be no loophole where the Māras can penetrate to divert me from my purpose. O! Lord Buddha, Dhamma, Pacceka-Buddha, and the Saṅgha, may all your exalted powers protect me forever from Māras.
[11] Habitual Reflections
{Lo! Let us all perform the habitual reflections.}
We are of a nature to age. We have not yet gone beyond aging.
We are of a nature to sicken. We have not yet gone beyond sickening.
We are of a nature to die. We have not yet gone beyond dying.
We must sooner or later be separated from all loved ones and treasured things.
We are owners of our actions, we are heirs to our karma
We have karma as our origin and karma as our creed
We have karma as our refuge.
Whatever actions we perform, be they good or evil,
we will receive the consequences.
[12] Homage to the Triple Gem
I pay homage to the Lord Buddha, the Worthy One,
The Fully Self-Enlightened One, the Exalted One —bow — The Buddha is my refuge
I bow in reverence to the Dhamma,
The Doctrine properly expounded by the Exalted One.—bow —
The Dhamma is my refuge
I bow in reverence to the Holy Order of the Exalted One,
The Excellently-Practising Ones.—bow —
The Saṅgha is my refuge
Traditional Homage to the Triple Gem
We venerate the Lord Buddha, the Fully Self-enlightened One. May he be our Refuge, through this praise, and lead us to suffering’s end. We venerate the Dhamma, well expounded by the Worthy Lord. May Dhamma be our refuge, through this praise, and lead us to danger’s end. We venerate the well-practising Saṅgha. May they be our Refuge, through this praise, and lead us to illness’s end.
I pay homage to the Lord Buddha, the Worthy One,
the Fully Self-Enlightened One, the Exalted One —bow —
I bow in reverence to the Dhamma, the Doctrine properly expounded by the Exalted One. —bow —
I bow in reverence to the Holy Order of the Exalted One, the excellently-practising ones. —bow —
{Lo! Let us all offer an introductory homage to the Exalted One,the Lord Buddha}
Homage to Him, the Exalted One, the Worthy Lord, the Fully Self-Enlightened One. (three times)
Ukāsa, Lord Buddha! We beg thee to forgive our trespasses of body, speech and mind towards Buddha, Dhamma and Saṅgha. Our defiled minds have deluded us to abuse of Buddha, Dhamma and Saṅgha. May the Buddha, Dhamma and Saṅgha forgive our abuse from this day forth. We will henceforth be more careful with body, speech and mind.
Ukāsa, May all the enlightened Buddhas of the past, more countless than the grains of sand in the Four Great Oceans, and all the Buddhas yet to be enlightened in the future, and all the Buddhas enlightened in the present time, manifest themselves through my eyes, ears, nose, mouth, body and mind at this moment in time.
Ukāsa, May all the ninefold supramundane Dhammas, innumerable in the past, and all the ninefold supra-mundane Dhammas in the future, and all the ninefold supra-mundane Dhammas, in the present time, manifest themselves through my eyes, ears, nose, mouth, body and mind at this moment in time.
Ukāsa, May all of the Noble Saṅgha and mundane Saṅgha innumerable in the past, and all of the Noble Saṅgha and mundane Saṅgha in the future, and all of the Noble Saṅgha and mundane Saṅgha in the present time, manifest themselves through my eyes, ears, nose, mouth, body and mind at this moment in time.
Resolution
May the power of the Buddha, the Dhamma, the Saṅgha, of my teachers and masters, of my parents, of Generosity and Precepts, of Renunciation and Wisdom, of Perseverence and Patience, of Truthfulness and Resolve, of Lovingkindness and Equanimity, throughout countless lifetimes of cultivation, and in this present lifetime from childhood,
whether remembered or forgotten, may the power of all these blessings, secure for us the Path and Fruit to Nirvana.
May this merit be a factor in my attainment of Nirvana.
Chanting for Spreading Loving Kindness
Whatsoever beings must like us share old age,
sickness and death
May they be well and happy.
May they be free of all enmity.
Whatsoever beings must like us share old age,
sickness and death.
May they be well and happy.
May they be free from harming one another.
Whatsoever beings must like us share old age, sickness and death.
May they be well and happy.
May they be free from hurt of body and mind.
Whatsoever beings must like us share old age, sickness and death.
May they be well and happy.
May they be able to escape all suffering and danger.
For those of you in suffering, may you be happy.
For those of you in happiness, may your happiness increase.
Whatsoever beings that are born from the womb,
born from the egg, born from moisture or
which are spontaneously arising
share in our merits on this occasion.
Homage to the Triple Gem
I humble myself in respect to the Lord Buddha, supreme in purity. Freeing Himself completely from the defilements which ensnare and cloud the mind. Like a blooming lotus under sunlight, His mind shines.
The Lord Buddha is full of compassion, radiating like the full moon. He taught all beings how to leave the cycle of birth and death. He showed the way leading to liberation, the state of permanent bliss Nirvana, where all suffering, sorrow, disease, and harm cease to exist.
The Lord Buddha has the five complete forms of vision. Those include the physical eye, the Divine eye, the Eye of Wisdom, the Buddha Eye, and the All–Encompassing Eye. These allow Him to observe all causes from all of the past, present, and future. Due to pure insight, mental capability, and His profound wisdom, He is able to know and understand every cause & effect, without anything obstructing Him or being concealed.
The Lord Buddha helped to eradicate all the defilement and mental blemishes from the minds of His disciples, both laymen and laywomen. Humankind and celestial beings take Him as their refuge, and they follow His path by abstaining from misdeeds, accumulating wholesome deeds, and purifying the mind. I humbly lower myself in deep respect to the Lord Buddha, whose mind is overflowing with compassion. I take the Lord as my example, thus my Master and refuge forevermore.
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Dhamma is the origin of wholesomeness. It contains all goodness, similar to a latern of the Lord Buddha, shining the way for all beings to discover their own inner brightness in their lives until they finally reach the ultimate life goal, Nirvana.
The Lord Buddha’s Dhamma, at it’s higher level, refers to the path and fruit of Sotapanna “Stream-Enterer” Dhammakaya, the path and fruit of Sagidagami “Once-Returner” Dhammakaya, the path and fruit of Anagami “Non-Returner” Dhammakaya, and the path and fruit of Arahat Dhammakaya. Together with Nirvana, they total nine. These Dhamma excel the mundane. All sincere practitioners are able to attain them, and thus leave the mundane. The Dhamma gives rise to purity, and both physical and mental happiness to every practitioner regardless of race, gender, culture, and religion.
The Dhamma can be separated into two categories: the doctrine and the practice. Every practitioner learns both, one in each hand, for they lead us to liberation from the three realms of existence: The Kama Realm, the Rupa Brahmin Realm, and the Arupa Brahmin Realm: our mind is toward the supreme, Nirvana.
I humbly lower myself in deep respect to the Dhamma of the Lord Buddha with my body, speech, and mind.
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The Sangha are the disciplined monks of the Lord Buddha, whom practice and prolong the Great Teachings. They understand the Four Noble Truths and attain the Dhamma to destroy their own defilement. The Sangha has bright wisdom. They possess and practice mental, verbal, and physical purity, thus distancing themselves from defilements. The monks prefer a tranquil location to that of a busy world. They are an uncomparable fertile field of merit. Supporting the Sangha brings forth fruitful results, including happiness and success.
Buddhist monks practice the direct path, they practice in accordance to the Dhamma. As the Lord Buddha’s disciplined monks, they deserve respect from both mankind and celestial beings alike. They are therefore valuable to humanity as a whole. I humbly show respect to those who are virtuous.
Sadhu! By the power of prayer to the Triple Gem, composed of the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha, may all of us be free from suffering, sorrow, harm, and danger. May we have only happiness in our lives, forevermore.
Homage to the Dhammakaya
By the infinite might of the Triple Gem, may we achieve everlasting victory. We humbly lower ourselves in respect to the innumerable Dhammakaya, radiating brilliantly in blissful Nirvana and blessing all sentient beings for freedom from suffering.
The Dhammakaya is complete with the physical marks of the Great Holy Man, with lotus bud on the crown of his head. His body is crystal clear, sitting in meditation posture by resting his right leg over the left, right hand over left with right index finger touching the left thumb gently resting upon the lap. It is the Body of Enlightenment possessing infinite power. It is the source of all true knowledge. Nothing can be concealed from the super-vision of the Dhammakaya which is able to penetrate through to Nirvana, the Three Realms of the Universe, and the deepest hell realm.
The Dhammakaya naturally exists within everyone, located at the center of the body, and is the path and fruit of Nirvana. It may be attained by stilling the mind softly and gently at the seventh base, or the center of the body, located two finger-widths above the level of the navel. Upon proper unification of the mind here at the center, one attains the all-powerful Dhammakaya, the ocean of merit comparable to none.
Dhammakaya is composed of the Dhamma element, permanent and free from the five forms of existence. When attained it becomes our true refuge forevermore. This inner body combines all of the 84,000 scriptures of the Dhamma in the Pali Canon, along with supernatural power, superb knowledge, sublime characteristics, and all-pervasive knowledge.
Of all the precious treasures in this world, whether they be those of the Universal Monarch, celestial beings, or the accumulated happiness and joy within the Three Realms, all are incomparable to the experience of attaining the Dhammakaya. Ordinary mundane happiness is merely a worthless grain of sand when compared to the happiness from the attainment of Dhamma.
By the power of paying homage to the Dhammakaya, may we be joyful forever. May the Dhammakaya bless us all. May the Dhammakaya remain instilled in the center of all beings allowing them to be enlightened in the supreme knowledge and attainment of Nirvana. May the Dhammakaya protect all beings across the world, allowing them to be complete with both material and spiritual wealth. May all beings be successful in every aspect, and may everyone be mighty; capable of defeating Mara and achieving the Utmost of Dhamma soon and without delay.
Homage to the Great Master Phramongkolthepmuni
Lowering ourselves in faithful homage to Phramongkolthepmuni, the great teacher and re discoverer of the Vijja Dhammakaya. Endowed with superb supernatural vision and power, he is the great disciple of the Lord Buddha, the supremely victorious one.
One of the most brilliant diamonds of Buddhism, his name is Sod Jantasaro. Immaculately pure in body, speech and mind, the Brahmas, angels, and humans all alike humble themselves in respect to him. Absolutely determined to free all from the control of the Great Mara, the concealed evil architect and commander, and thus lead us all in reaching the Uttermost of Dhamma. By applying the super-power vision of the Dhammakaya, he is able to aid us in obtaining the highest victory.
He devoutly sacrificed his life and body to the Lord Buddha’s Dhamma on full moon night of the eighth lunar month in meditation by stilling the mind at the seventh base of the body. Thus emerged the bright Dhamma sphere from the center space of his body, he traveled through the center until reaching uncountable Dhammakayas, arising one after another in procession. Each body of Dhamma possessed the 32 characteristics of the Great Man, sublime and superb, with unimaginable power.
He is the one most skilled and developed in the knowledge of Dhammakaya. Complete with courage and might for combat with the Great Mara, he can lead us to defeat all defilement and assist humankind in becoming absolutely free from suffering.
Once obtaining a thorough understanding of the truth of life, he resolved to gather a team of Dhamma warriors for practicing the Dhammakaya knowledge by stilling the mind to continuously enter the center thus combining and fusing the enlightened knowledge of the inner Dhamma bodies as one with themselves.
Never has he retreated or surrendered, only does he strive on until reaching the utmost goal. Though his body has left, his intention and fortitude has never changed nor wavered. Constantly does he practice and develop both the inner and outer work, without pause. By putting his life on the line and never succumbing to threats or obstacles, he aims to spread Buddhism for the prosperity of all. Developing monks to be true monks and people to be good people, he spends his life accumulating wholesomeness and virtue.
By heartfelt praise and devotion to the sanctity and importance of this Great Teacher, may Phramongkolthepmuni the Destroyer of Mara, kindly bless us to be liberated from all sufferings, sicknesses and dangers. May we be happy in both body and mind, possess the never-ceasing treasures of a Universal monarch, and thoroughly understand the knowledge of the Dhammakaya so that we may be complete with “boon-barami” and live prosperous lives forevermore.
Homage to the Master Nun Chand Khonnokyoong
Establish your mind in humble homage to Khun Yai. She, the great soldier of Dhamma, the Force of Goodness, the great disciple of Phramongkolthepmuni. Praised as “second to none,” she carried on the torch of victory of Phramongkolthepmuni in order to share the Vijja Dhammakaya to all within the world. Both patient and strong, never was she scared of obstacles. The spectacular diamond in the rough, nothing can compare with her mind. Not only is she mighty and determined, she is both pure and bright at all times.
Complete with gratitude and respect, she followed her teachers orders. By Passing on the Vijja Dhammakaya to Luang Por Dhammajayo, the Sun of Dhamma, the illuminating brightness of Lord Buddha’s teaching is given to the world all day and night.
She is the Founder of the Dhammakaya Temple. Though petit in body, the fortitude of her mind lead in helping her disciples to transform a rice patty field into the center of Vijja Dhammakaya within the world. The great rivers or oceans, no matter how grand, cannot compare to the depth of her virtue and good deeds.
Two simple hands built a temple through both thick and thin; never did she stop. Though aging, her mind continued to gain in strength. Day and night she taught her disciples to attain the Dhammakaya, the truest happiness. Like a large Bodhi tree under which birds take their refuge, her mind is like a Cetiya overflowing with uncountable Dhammakayas. She is like a field of merit for her disciples. She is the moving, real life Cetiya. Every disciple receives great virtue honoring her and for showing due respect to her by both day and night. Through the act of following her example, may we attain the Dhamma that Khun Yai attained, may we be prosperous, may our goods deeds be the sacred pure energy that follow us in every lifetime until we can defeat all defilement and the Great Mara, may we be filled with the power of Dhamma and the powerful sacred pure energy so that we may spread Buddhism and the Vijja Dhammakaya to all in the world. May all these courageous intentions combine as one, just as the jasmine flower garland, to offer as homage in honor to the great deeds of Khun Yai, always and forever until we reach the Uttermost of Dhamma.
Appendix 3
Glossary of Buddhist Terms
The Five Aggregates
The Five Aggregates or the psycho-physical constituents of our body and mind. In Pali pañca-khandha; or more commonly in Sanskrit; pañca-skandha.
Āloka-kasina
A technique of meditation which uses a brilliant point of light as the object of concentration.
Arahant
A person who has rid his mind of all impurities (i.e. rid his mind of desire, anger and ignorance), and has attained to the Supreme State. Also referred to as a Worthy One or a Perfect One.
Ariya-puggala
Those who have permanently attained to one of the states on the verge of Enlightenment, namely:
[a] Sotāpatti-Magga (the One who has Entered into the Path of Stream-Enterer) and Sotāpatti Phala (the One who has Accomplished the Fruit of Stream- Entry);
[b] Sakadāgāmi-Magga (the One who has Entered into the Path of Once-Returner) and Sakadāgāmi-Phala (the One who has Accomplished the Fruit of the Once-Returner);
[c] Anāgāmi-Magga (the One who has Entered into the Path of the Non-Returner) and Anāgāmi Phala (the One who has Accomplished the Fruit of the Non-Returner), and
[d] Arahatta-Magga (the One who has Entered into the Path of the Arahant) and Arahatta-Phala (the One who has Accomplished the Fruit of the Arahant).
Bodhisatva
(In Pali: Bodhisatta) One who is destined for Buddhahood as a result of making the Bodhisatva Vow; not only does s/he vow to bring themself to Nibbāna, but to return unfailingly back to the world until s/he has helped many other sentient beings to reach Enlightenment.
Brahmin
Normally refers to a social class of people belonging to Hindu faith, who reserve the right to worship Hindu gods and to study their Scriptures. However, the term is used in Buddhism to refer to anyone with the goal of selfpurification, who trains strictly in a religious tradition.
The Brahmas
A class of supra-celestial beings who abide purely by the pleasure derived from meditation rather than the sensual pleasure enjoyed by beings of lower realms.
Brahmacariya/Brahmafaring
A form of training recommended by the Buddha which involves strict observance of the way of life free from sensual desires.
Buddha
The quality of a person who has become unified with the Highest Objects of Knowledge, the Supreme Truth. There are countless numbers of past, present and future Buddhas who have attained Enlightenment. Other terms for Lord Buddha are; the Noble One, the Enlightened One and the Exalted One.
Celestial Guardians of the World
The cosmological sentinels of the four quarters of the World, also the kings of the First Celestial Realm; “Cātumahārājikā”.
Dhamma
A Pali word (in Sanskrit, Dharma) which means the Pure Nature/Absolute Truth within the human body which the Lord Buddha rediscovered through His Enlightenment. Colloquially, the term has come to mean “the Teaching of the Buddha,” which guide humanity towards the Attainment of the Pure Nature within.
Dhammakāya
The Body of Enlightenment.
Eighteen Afflictions
Eighteen conditions in which a true Buddha-to-be, will not be born; [1] blind; [2] deaf; [3] mad; [4] dumb; [5] with any other serious physical disabilities; [6] as a member of a primitive tribe; [7] as a slave; [8] with an unyielding belief in anything opposed to Buddhism; [9] as a homosexual or a hermaphrodite; [10] having committed any of the five most heinous crimes, namely: killing an arahant, physically injuring a Buddha with intention, creating schism in the Saṅgha, killing his father or mother; [11] as a leper; [12] as an animal smaller than a sparrow or larger than an elephant; [13] as either of two sorts of ghost, “khuppipāsika” or “Nijjhāmataṇhika,” which have indescribably long lives; [14] as one of the demons known as “asurakāya-kañjika” which also have indescribably long lives; [15] condemned to lives for aeons in Aveci, the lowest hell-realms; [16] condemned to lives in Lokantanaraka, more long-lived than Aveci and the most suffering of the hell-realms; [17] as a devil in the celestial realms, as an “asaññī” in the Brahma realms or in the realm of the “Sudavāsa” and [18] having not acquired arahantship or born in another universe. The Buddha-to-be must be reborn until achieving Self-Enlightenment.
Enlightenment
Buddhism rests historically on the fact that Siddhartha Gautama (Sanskrit) or Siddhatta Gotama (Pali) became ‘Buddha;’ a word meaning ‘Fully Enlightened’ or ‘Awakened’ One. Through Enlightenment, He has attained the permanent and absolute state of purity and wisdom within Himself.
The Exalted One
The Blessed One, a term for addressing the Lord Buddha.
The God of Death
Otherwise known as ‘Yama.’; this is a god common to many cosmological systems of the ancient world, perhaps a vestige of pre-Buddhist culture in India.
The Gods
‘Devatā’ is a generic term for all celestial beings (angels) who dwell in any of the six celestial realms.
Indra: the King of the Gods
A god common to both Buddhist and Vedic cosmology, believed to be the king of the second celestial realm; ‘Tāvatiṃsa’.
The Māras
Supra-natural beings in Buddhist cosmology which are responsible for hindering people from performing meritorious deeds.
Merits (puñña)
otherwise known as boon, helps to free us from suffering. It is created, gained, and accumilated when one performs wholesome deeds, namely generosity, precepts, and meditation. Merit is the cause of life’s happiness and success. If we are wealthy, healthy, wise, and have nice complexion and many good friends it is due to our storehouse of this pure energy within us, boon. If we see that our lives are lacking in any way, shape, or form there is only one main source to fill the gaps, that is merit; accumulated over time in its many ways. After one creates merit, they should use an individually designed resolution to direct and use the pure energy for designing a better future.
Nibbāna
In Sanskrit Nirvāṇa. The sphere of existence which can be attained by extinguishing all kinds of spiritual defilements and abiding in which the attainer will be inspired with the absolute state of Happiness, Perfect Peace and Bliss.
Pacceka Buddha
A term to describe one who is Enlightened independent of hearing the Teaching of the Lord Buddha. Although the Pacceka-Buddha comprehends the Four Noble Truths, he has neither the inclination nor the capacity to expound the teachings to others effectively. The Pacceka-Buddha arises in the World during an era when the Teaching of a Fully Enlightened Buddha is unavailable.
Paritta
Protection chanting usually consisting of seven or twelve tamnaan.
Pathama-magga
The initial entrance onto the Path to Enlightenment.
The Ten Perfections
In Pali Dasapāramī or Dasapāramitā. They are the qualities, through the development of which, in former lives, a Bodhisatva can attain Buddhahood. They include: Generosity, (dāna-pāramī), Morality (sīla-pāramī), Renunciation (nekkhamma-pāramī), Wisdom (paññā-pāramī), Fortitude (viriya-pāramī), Patience (khanti-pāramī), Truthfulness (sacca-pāramī), Resolution (addhiṭṭhāna-pāramī), Loving-Kindness (mettā-pāramī) and Equanimity (uppekkhā-pāramī).
The Precepts
The rules of training, numbering five or eight. They are not equivalent to “commandments” which tend to produce guilty feelings in the precept-holder at any minor transgression. Instead, the Precepts are targets of ideal conduct which can be worked towards at finer levels of attention for spiritual growth. Five precepts are comprised of the abstention from killing, stealing, adultery, false speech and the consumption of substances which cloud the mind. Eight precepts are comprised of the abstention from killing, stealing, all sexual behaviour, lying speech, consumption of substances which cloud the mind, eating meals after midday, singing, dancing, immodest dressing, paying attention to public entertainment, and indolent sleeping habits.
The Resolution
A blueprint or program we set up for ourselves to design a better future, similar to establishing an objective for ourselves to accomplish. The more merit we have, the more fuel we have to use in fulfilling our objective. A resolution is like a ship’s navigational system. It will direct our ship towards its destination after we have set the coordinates. A ship without navigation will never reach the destination. Merit is the fuel that gives the ship enough power to succeed.
Resolve
An act of prayer or aspiration whose purpose is the determination to continually forge the course of one’s future lives ever upward towards Buddhahood.
Right View
(In Pali sammā-diṭṭhi) The complete understanding of the Four Noble Truths: Suffering is in the nature of all conditioned things, The Origin of Suffering, the Cessation of Suffering and the Noble Eightfold-Path leading to Cessation of Suffering. The opposite is ‘False View’.
Saddhamma
The Core of the Lord Buddha’s Teaching; Way to attainment of enlightenment.
Samsāra
The cycle of birth and death.
Sangha
The general monastic order founded by the Lord Buddha; the members of which are called ‘bhikkhus’ or monks (mundane Saṅgha). However, the term ‘Saṅgha’ as part of the Triple Gem means specifically the ‘Ariya-Puggala’ or those Noble Disciples of the Lord Buddha who have already attained a top state verging on Enlightenment (Ariya-Saṅgha).
The Supreme Field of Merit
A common metaphor to describe the role of the Buddhist monk in benefitting their lay-sponsors by being a good recipient for merit-making in the same way that a fertile paddy-field, which is free from weeds and pests can generate countless rice grains from the sowing of a single grain.
The Triple Gem
‘Triple Jewel’ is a better translation from the Pali which better conveys the precious nature of the absolute refuge of Buddhism; the unification of Buddha, Dhamma and Saṅgha. Tamnaan “Long standing” or “Ancient” chanting — namely the Buddhist “protection” chanting
The Worthy One
One who has rid himself of all the defilements which pollute the mind (desire, anger and ignorance); attaining to the Supreme state; also refered to as ‘Perfect One’ or ‘Arahant’.
Appendix 4
Basic Meditation Method by The Most Ven. Phrarajbhavanavisudh
Relaxation is the heart of meditation, and it has to go hand in hand with mindfulness, no matter which meditation technique we apply. This is the main principle that we should take into account. These two mental conditions are inseparable.
The Great Master of Dhammakaya Meditation, Phramongkolthepmuni, suggested the method of visualizing a crystal-clear sphere and repeating a mantra in the mind. Applying these two mental activities, we will gain mindfulness. However, they must be done at ease because mindfulness should progress together with relaxation from the very beginning until reaching the end. We have to do both while keeping the mind cheerful, clean, clear, joyous, and calm, in order to elevate mental purity.
First, sit cross-legged by placing your right leg over the left leg; right hand over the left; right index finger touching the left thumb; and place your hands palms up on your lap comfortably. Gently close your eyes as if you were to fall asleep. Please do not press your eye lids. Please do not squeeze your eyeballs. Close your eyes tenderly. Adjust your sitting position until your blood and breath can circulate at ease. This will prevent you from feeling muscular discomfort. Balance your sitting posture until you feel light and comfortable.
Then, imagine that there are two threads. The first one stretches from the navel to the back. The second one stretches from the right side of the waist to the left side of the waist. The two threads cross each other at the center, and two fingers-width above this crossing point is the center of the body or the seventh base of mind. This is the gateway of the middle path. All the Lord Buddhas and enlightened ones have accessed and reached Nirvana through this point. So, we have to continually still our mind at this point.
Bring your mind to a standstill at the center of the body by visualizing a clean and pure image as an object of meditation. Visualize the image of a clear sphere or a midday sun floating gently on its own accord at our center and still the mind in the middle of this image. Visualize gently and relaxingly. At the same time, repeat the mantra ‘Samma Arahang’ or ‘clear and bright’ in your mind, allowing the sound to resonate outwards from the center of the image.
If we practice both mental activities continually, our mind will soon be still. With the proper mental unification, the mantra-repetition will soon fade away from the mind, and there will only be the image of the bright sphere at the center of the body together with inner awareness. Once the mind becomes still at the image, kindly continue to visualize the image. Once you reach the right state, you will attain meditation experiences along with peace and joy.