Morning Chanting

Dedication

(Leader)

Yam-amha kho mayaṁ bhagavantaṁ saraṇaṁ gatā,

We have gone for refuge to the Blessed One,

(uddissa pabbajitā) yo no bhagavā satthā

(have gone forth on account of) the Blessed One who is our Teacher

yassa ca mayaṁ bhagavato dhammaṁ rocema.

and in whose Dhamma we delight.

Imehi sakkārehi taṁ bhagavantaṁ sasaddhammaṁ sasāvaka-saṅghaṁ abhipūjayāma.

With these offerings we worship most highly that Blessed One together with the True Dhamma & the Saṅgha of his disciples.

Handa mayaṁ buddhassa bhagavato pubba-bhāga-namakāraṁ karomase:

Now let us chant the preliminary passage in homage to the Awakened One, the Blessed One:

(All)

Praise for the Buddha

(Leader)

Handa mayaṁ buddhābhithutiṁ karomase:

Now let us give high praise to the Awakened One:

(All)

[Yo so tathāgato] arahaṁ sammā-sambuddho,

He who has attained the Truth, the Worthy One, Rightly Self-awakened,

Vijjā-caraṇa-sampanno sugato lokavidū,

consummate in knowledge & conduct, one who has gone the good way, knower of the cosmos,

Anuttaro purisa-damma-sārathi satthā deva-manussānaṁ buddho bhagavā;

unexcelled trainer of those who can be tamed, teacher of devas & human beings; awakened; blessed;

Yo imaṁ lokaṁ sadevakaṁ samārakaṁ sabrahmakaṁ,

Sassamaṇa-brāhmaṇiṁ pajaṁ sadeva-manussaṁ sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedesi.

who made known—having realized it through direct knowledge—this world with its devas, māras, & brahmās, this generation with its contemplatives & brāhmans, its rulers & common people;

Yo dhammaṁ desesi ādi-kalyāṇaṁ majjhe-kalyāṇaṁ pariyosāna-kalyāṇaṁ;

who explained the Dhamma fine in the beginning, fine in the middle, fine in the end;

Sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ kevala-paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahma-cariyaṁ pakāsesi:

who expounded the holy life both in its particulars & in its essence, entirely complete, surpassingly pure:

Tam-ahaṁ bhagavantaṁ abhipūjayāmi,

Tam-ahaṁ bhagavantaṁ sirasā namāmi.

I worship most highly that Blessed One,

to that Blessed One I bow my head down.

(Bow down)

Praise for the Dhamma

(Leader)

Handa mayaṁ dhammābhithutiṁ karomase:

Now let us give high praise to the Dhamma:

(All)

[Yo so svākkhāto] bhagavatā dhammo,

The Dhamma well-expounded by the Blessed One,

Sandiṭṭhiko akāliko ehipassiko,

to be seen here & now, timeless, inviting all to come & see,

Opanayiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhi:

pertinent, to be seen by the observant for themselves:

Tam-ahaṁ dhammaṁ abhipūjayāmi,

Tam-ahaṁ dhammaṁ sirasā namāmi.

I worship most highly that Dhamma,

to that Dhamma I bow my head down.

(Bow down)

Praise for the Saṅgha

(Leader)

Handa mayaṁ saṅghābhithutiṁ karomase:

Now let us give high praise to the Saṅgha:

(All)

[Yo so supaṭipanno] bhagavato sāvaka-saṅgho,

The Saṅgha of the Blessed One’s disciples who have practiced well,

Uju-paṭipanno bhagavato sāvaka-saṅgho,

the Saṅgha of the Blessed One’s disciples who have practiced straightforwardly,

Ñāya-paṭipanno bhagavato sāvaka-saṅgho,

the Saṅgha of the Blessed One’s disciples who have practiced methodically,

Sāmīci-paṭipanno bhagavato sāvaka-saṅgho,

the Saṅgha of the Blessed One’s disciples who have practiced masterfully,

Yadidaṁ cattāri purisa-yugāni aṭṭha purisa-puggalā:

i.e., the four pairs—the eight types—of noble ones:

Esa bhagavato sāvaka-saṅgho—

That is the Saṅgha of the Blessed One’s disciples—

Āhuneyyo pāhuneyyo dakkhiṇeyyo añjali-karaṇīyo,

worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of respect,

Anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassa:

the incomparable field of merit for the world:

Tam-ahaṁ saṅghaṁ abhipūjayāmi,

Tam-ahaṁ saṅghaṁ sirasā namāmi.

I worship most highly that Saṅgha,

to that Saṅgha I bow my head down.

(Bow down)

Salutation to the Triple Gem &
The Topics for Chastened Dispassion

(Leader)

Handa mayaṁ ratanattayappaṇāma-gāthāyo c’eva saṁvega-vatthu-paridīpaka-pāṭhañ-ca bhaṇāmase:

Now let us recite the stanzas in salutation to the Triple Gem together with the passage on the topics inspiring a sense of chastened dispassion:

* * *

Idha tathāgato loke uppanno arahaṁ sammā-sambuddho,

Here, One attained to the Truth, Worthy & Rightly Self-awakened, has appeared in the world,

Dhammo ca desito niyyāniko upasamiko parinibbāniko sambodhagāmī sugatappavedito.

and Dhamma is explained, leading out (of saṁsāra), calming, tending toward total unbinding, going to self-awakening, declared by one who has gone the good way.

Mayan-taṁ dhammaṁ sutvā evaṁ jānāma,

Having heard the Dhamma, we know this:

Jāti-pi dukkhā jarā-pi dukkhā maraṇam-pi dukkhaṁ,

Birth is stressful, aging is stressful, death is stressful,

Soka-parideva-dukkha-domanass’upāyāsāpi dukkhā,

sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair are stressful,

Appiyehi sampayogo dukkho piyehi vippayogo dukkho yam-p’icchaṁ na labhati tam-pi dukkhaṁ.

association with things disliked is stressful, separation from things liked is stressful, not getting what one wants is stressful.

Saṅkhittena pañc’upādānakkhandhā dukkhā,

In short, the five clinging-aggregates are stressful,

Seyyathīdaṁ:

namely:

Rūpūpādānakkhandho,

the form clinging-aggregate,

Vedanūpādānakkhandho,

the feeling clinging-aggregate,

Saññūpādānakkhandho,

the perception clinging-aggregate,

Saṅkhārūpādānakkhandho,

the fabrication clinging-aggregate,

Viññāṇūpādānakkhandho.

the consciousness clinging-aggregate.

Yesaṁ pariññāya, Dharamāno so bhagavā,

Evaṁ bahulaṁ sāvake vineti,

So that they might fully understand this, the Blessed One, while still alive, often instructed his listeners in this way;

Evaṁ bhāgā ca panassa bhagavato sāvakesu anusāsanī,

Bahulaṁ pavattati:

many times did he emphasize this part of his admonition:

“Rūpaṁ aniccaṁ,

“Form is inconstant,

Vedanā aniccā,

feeling is inconstant,

Saññā aniccā,

perception is inconstant,

Saṅkhārā aniccā,

fabrications are inconstant,

Viññāṇaṁ aniccaṁ,

consciousness is inconstant,

Rūpaṁ anattā,

form is not-self,

Vedanā anattā,

feeling is not-self,

Saññā anattā,

perception is not-self,

Saṅkhārā anattā,

fabrications are not-self,

Viññāṇaṁ anattā,

consciousness is not-self.

Sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā,

All fabrications are inconstant.

Sabbe dhammā anattāti.”

All phenomena are not-self.”

Te (Women: Tā ) mayaṁ,

Otiṇṇāmha jātiyā jarā-maraṇena,

Sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi,

Dukkh’otiṇṇā dukkha-paretā,

All of us, beset by birth, aging, & death, by sorrows, lamentations, pains, distresses, & despairs, beset by stress, overcome with stress, (consider),

“Appeva nām’imassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa antakiriyā paññāyethāti!”

“O, that the end of this entire mass of suffering & stress might be known!”

* (Monks & Novices)

Cira-parinibbutam-pi taṁ bhagavantaṁ uddissa arahantaṁ sammā-sambuddhaṁ,

Saddhā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajitā,

Having gone forth in faith from home to homelessness in dedication to the Blessed One, the Worthy One, the Rightly Self-awakened One, even though he was long ago totally unbound,

Tasmiṁ bhagavati brahma-cariyaṁ carāma,

we practice that Blessed One’s holy life,

(Bhikkhūnaṁ sikkhā-sājīva-samāpannā.)*

(fully endowed with the bhikkhus’ training & livelihood.)

* novices omit this phrase.

Taṁ no brahma-cariyaṁ,

Imassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa antakiriyāya

saṁvattatu.

May this holy life of ours bring about the end of this entire mass of suffering & stress.

* (Others)

Cira-parinibbutam-pi taṁ bhagavantaṁ saraṇaṁ gatā,

Dhammañ-ca bhikkhu-saṅghañ-ca,

Having gone for refuge in the Blessed One, the Worthy One, the Rightly Self-awakened One—even though he was long ago totally unbound—as well as in the Dhamma & in the Bhikkhu Saṅgha,

Tassa bhagavato sāsanaṁ yathā-sati yathā-balaṁ manasikaroma,

Anupaṭipajjāma.

we attend to the instruction of the Blessed One, as far as our mindfulness & strength will allow, and we practice accordingly.

Sā sā no paṭipatti,

Imassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa antakiriyāya

saṁvattatu.

May this practice of ours bring about the end of this entire mass of suffering & stress.

Reflection at the Moment of Using the Requisites

(Leader)

Handa mayaṁ taṅkhaṇika-paccavekkhaṇa-pāṭhaṁ bhaṇāmase:

Now let us recite the passage for reflection at the moment (of using the requisites):

(All)

[Paṭisaṅkhā yoniso] cīvaraṁ paṭisevāmi,

Considering it thoughtfully, I use the robe,

Yāvadeva sītassa paṭighātāya,

simply to counteract the cold,

Uṇhassa paṭighātāya,

to counteract the heat,

Ḍaṁsa-makasa-vātātapa-siriṁsapa-samphassānaṁ paṭighātāya,

to counteract the touch of flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, & reptiles;

Yāvadeva hirikopina-paṭicchādan’atthaṁ.

simply for the purpose of covering the parts of the body that cause shame.

Paṭisaṅkhā yoniso piṇḍapātaṁ paṭisevāmi,

Considering it thoughtfully, I use alms food,

N’eva davāya na madāya na maṇḍanāya na vibhūsanāya,

not playfully, nor for intoxication, nor for putting on bulk, nor for beautification,

Yāvadeva imassa kāyassa ṭhitiyā yāpanāya vihiṁsuparatiyā brahma-cariyānuggahāya,

but simply for the survival & continuance of this body, for ending its afflictions, for the support of the holy life,

Iti purāṇañ-ca vedanaṁ paṭihaṅkhāmi navañ-ca vedanaṁ na uppādessāmi,

(thinking,) “Thus will I destroy old feelings (of hunger) and not create new feelings (from overeating).”

Yātrā ca me bhavissati anavajjatā ca phāsu-vihāro cāti.

I will maintain myself, be blameless, & live in comfort.

Paṭisaṅkhā yoniso senāsanaṁ paṭisevāmi,

Considering it thoughtfully, I use the lodging,

Yāvadeva sītassa paṭighātāya,

simply to counteract the cold,

Uṇhassa paṭighātāya,

to counteract the heat,

Ḍaṁsa-makasa-vātātapa-siriṁsapa-samphassānaṁ paṭighātāya,

to counteract the touch of flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, & reptiles;

Yāvadeva utuparissaya-vinodanaṁ paṭisallānārām’atthaṁ.

simply as protection from the inclemencies of weather and for the enjoyment of seclusion.

Paṭisaṅkhā yoniso gilāna-paccaya-bhesajja-parikkhāraṁ paṭisevāmi,

Considering them thoughtfully, I use medicinal requisites for curing the sick,

Yāvadeva uppannānaṁ veyyābādhikānaṁ vedanānaṁ paṭighātāya,

simply to counteract any pains of illness that have arisen,

Abyāpajjha-paramatāyāti.

and for maximum freedom from disease.