Morning Chanting

Contents

Dedication of Offerings

[Yo so] bhagavā arahaṃ sammāsambuddho
Svākkhāto yena bhagavatā dhammo
Supaṭipanno yassa bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho
Tam-mayaṃ bhagavantaṃ sadhammaṃ sasaṅghaṃ
Imehi sakkārehi yathārahaṃ āropitehi abhipūjayāma
Sādhu no bhante bhagavā sucira-parinibbutopi
Pacchimā-janatānukampa-mānasā
Ime sakkāre duggata-paṇṇākāra-bhūte paṭiggaṇhātu
Amhākaṃ dīgharattaṃ hitāya sukhāya
Arahaṃ sammāsambuddho bhagavā
Buddhaṃ bhagavantaṃ abhivādemi
[Svākkhāto] bhagavatā dhammo
Dhammaṃ namassāmi
[Supaṭipanno] bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho
Saṅghaṃ namāmi

Dedication of Offerings (English)

To the Blessed One, the Lord, who fully attained perfect enlightenment,
To the Teaching which he expounded so well,
And to the Blessed One’s disciples who have practised well,
To these – the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha –
We render with offerings our rightful homage.
It is well for us that the Blessed One, having attained liberation,
Still had compassion for later generations.
May these simple offerings be accepted
For our long-lasting benefit and for the happiness it gives us.

The Lord, the Perfectly Enlightened and Blessed One –
I render homage to the Buddha, the Blessed One.

The Teaching so completely explained by him –
I bow to the Dhamma.

The Blessed One’s disciples who have practised well –
I bow to the Saṅgha.

Preliminary Homage

[Handa mayaṃ buddhassa bhagavato pubbabhāga-namakāraṃ karomase]

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa (×3)

Preliminary Homage (English)

[Now let us pay preliminary homage to the Buddha.]

Homage to the Blessed, Noble, and Perfectly Enlightened One. (×3)

Homage to the Buddha

[Handa mayaṃ buddhābhitthutiṃ karomase]

Yo so tathāgato arahaṃ sammāsambuddho
Vijjācaraṇa-sampanno, sugato, lokavidū
Anuttaro purisadamma-sārathi
Satthā deva-manussānaṃ, buddho bhagavā.

Yo imaṃ lokaṃ sadevakaṃ samārakaṃ sabrahmakaṃ
Sassamaṇa-brāhmaṇiṃ pajaṃ sadeva-manussaṃ sayaṃ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedesi
Yo dhammaṃ desesi ādi-kalyāṇaṃ majjhe-kalyāṇaṃ pariyosāna-kalyāṇaṃ
Sātthaṃ sabyañjanaṃ kevala-paripuṇṇaṃ parisuddhaṃ brahma-cariyaṃ pakāsesi
Tam-ahaṃ bhagavantaṃ abhipūjayāmi tam-ahaṃ bhagavantaṃ sirasā namāmi

Homage to the Buddha (English)

[Now let us chant in praise of the Buddha.]

The Tathāgata is the Pure One, the Perfectly Enlightened One.
He is impeccable in conduct and understanding,
The Accomplished One,
The Knower of the Worlds.
He trains perfectly those who wish to be trained.
He is Teacher of gods and humans.
He is awake and holy.
In this world with its gods, demons, and kind spirits,
Its seekers and sages, celestial and human beings, he has by deep insight revealed the Truth.
He has pointed out the Dhamma: beautiful in the beginning, beautiful in the middle, beautiful in the end.
He has explained the Spiritual Life of complete purity in its essence and conventions.
I chant my praise to the Blessed One, I bow my head to the Blessed One.

Homage to the Dhamma

[Handa mayaṃ dhammābhitthutiṃ karomase]

Yo so svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo
Sandiṭṭhiko, akāliko, ehipassiko, opanayiko
Paccattaṃ veditabbo viññūhi
Tam-ahaṃ dhammaṃ abhipūjayāmi tam-ahaṃ dhammaṃ sirasā namāmi

Homage to the Dhamma (English)

[Now let us chant in praise of the Dhamma.]

The Dhamma is well expounded by the Blessed One,
Apparent here and now,
Timeless,
Encouraging investigation,
Leading inwards,
To be experienced individually by the wise.
I chant my praise to this Teaching, I bow my head to this Truth.

Homage to the Saṅgha

[Handa mayaṃ saṅghābhitthutiṃ karomase]

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, añjali-karaṇīyo
Anuttaraṃ puññakkhettaṃ lokassa
Tam-ahaṃ saṅghaṃ abhipūjayāmi tam-ahaṃ saṅghaṃ sirasā namāmi

Homage to the Saṅgha (English)

[Now let us chant in praise of the Saṅgha.]

They are the Blessed One’s disciples, who have practised well,
Who have practised directly,
Who have practised insightfully,
Those who practise with integrity –
That is the four pairs, the eight kinds of noble beings –
These are the Blessed One’s disciples.
Such ones are worthy of gifts,
Worthy of hospitality,
Worthy of offerings,
Worthy of respect;
They give occasion for incomparable goodness to arise in the world.
I chant my praise to this Saṅgha, I bow my head to this Saṅgha.

Salutation to the Triple Gem

[Handa mayaṃ ratanattaya-paṇāma-gāthāyo c’eva saṃvega-parikittana-pāṭhañca bhaṇāmase]

Buddho susuddho karuṇā-mahaṇṇavo
Yo’ccanta-suddhabbara-ñāṇa-locano
Lokassa pāpūpakilesa-ghātako
Vandāmi buddhaṃ aham-ādarena taṃ
Dhammo padīpo viya tassa satthuno
Yo magga-pākāmata-bheda-bhinnako
Lokuttaro yo ca tad-attha-dīpano
Vandāmi dhammaṃ aham-ādarena taṃ
Saṅgho sukhettābhyati-khetta-saññito
Yo diṭṭha-santo sugatānubodhako
Lolappahīno ariyo sumedhaso
Vandāmi saṅghaṃ aham-ādarena taṃ
Iccevam-ekantabhipūja-neyyakaṃ vatthuttayaṃ vandayatābhisaṅkhataṃ
Puññaṃ mayā yaṃ mama sabbupaddavā mā hontu ve tassa pabhāva-siddhiyā

Idha tathāgato loke uppanno arahaṃ sammāsambuddho
Dhammo ca desito niyyāniko upasamiko parinibbāniko sambodhagāmī sugatappavedito
Mayan-taṃ dhammaṃ sutvā evaṃ jānāma

Jātipi dukkhā
Jarāpi dukkhā
Maraṇampi dukkhaṃ
Soka-parideva-dukkha-domanass’upāyāsāpi dukkhā
Appiyehi sampayogo dukkho
Piyehi vippayogo dukkho
Yamp’icchaṃ na labhati tampi dukkhaṃ
Saṅkhittena pañcupādānakkhandhā dukkhā

Seyyathīdaṃ
Rūpūpādānakkhandho
Vedanūpādānakkhandho
Saññūpādānakkhandho
Saṅkhārūpādānakkhandho
Viññāṇūpādānakkhandho

Yesaṃ pariññāya
Dharamāno so bhagavā evaṃ bahulaṃ sāvake vineti
Evaṃ bhāgā 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 anattā’ti

Te mayaṃ otiṇṇāmha jātiyā jarā-maraṇena
Sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi
Dukkhotiṇṇā dukkha-paretā
Appeva nāmimassa kevalassa dukkha-kkhandhassa
antakiriyā paññāyethā’ti

Cira-parinibbutampi taṃ bhagavantaṃ uddissa arahantaṃ sammāsambuddhaṃ
Saddhā agārasmā anagāriyaṃ pabbajitā
Tasmiṃ bhagavati brahma-cariyaṃ carāma
Bhikkhūnaṃ/Sīladharānaṃ sikkhāsājīva-samāpannā
Taṃ no brahma-cariyaṃ imassa kevalassa dukkha-kkhandhassa antakiriyāya saṃvattatu

Salutation to the Triple Gem (English)

[Now let us chant our salutation to the Triple Gem and a passage to arouse urgency.]

The Buddha, absolutely pure, with ocean-like compassion,
Possessing the clear sight of wisdom,
Destroyer of worldly self-corruption –
Devotedly indeed, that Buddha I revere.
The Teaching of the Lord, like a lamp,
Illuminating the Path and its Fruit: the Deathless,
That which is beyond the conditioned world –
Devotedly indeed, that Dhamma I revere.
The Saṅgha, the most fertile ground for cultivation,
Those who have realized peace, awakened after the Accomplished One,
Noble and wise, all longing abandoned –
Devotedly indeed, that Saṅgha I revere.

This salutation should be made to that which is worthy.
Through the power of such good action, may all obstacles disappear.
One who knows things as they are has come into this world; and he is an Arahant, a perfectly Awakened being,
Purifying the way leading out of delusion, calming and directing to perfect peace, and leading to enlightenment – this Way he has made known.

Having heard the Teaching, we know this:
Birth is dukkha,
Ageing is dukkha,
And death is dukkha;
Sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair are dukkha;
Association with the disliked is dukkha;
Separation from the liked is dukkha;
Not attaining one’s wishes is dukkha.
In brief, the five focuses of identity are dukkha.

These are as follows:
Attachment to form,
Attachment to feeling,
Attachment to perception,
Attachment to mental formations,
Attachment to sense-consciousness.
For the complete understanding of this,
The Blessed One in his lifetime frequently instructed his disciples in just this way.

In addition, he further instructed:
Form is impermanent,
Feeling is impermanent,
Perception is impermanent,
Mental formations are impermanent,
Sense-consciousness is impermanent;

Form is not-self,
Feeling is not-self,
Perception is not-self,
Mental formations are not-self,
Sense-consciousness is not-self;
All conditions are transient,
There is no self in the created or the uncreated.
All of us are bound by birth, ageing, and death,
By sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair,
Bound by dukkha and obstructed by dukkha.
Let us all aspire to complete freedom from suffering.

The following is chanted only by the monks and nuns.

Remembering the Blessed One, the Noble Lord, and Perfectly Enlightened One, who long ago attained Parinibbāna,
We have gone forth with faith from home to homelessness,
And like the Blessed One, we practise the Holy Life,
Being fully equipped with the bhikkhus’/nuns’ system of training.
May this Holy Life lead us to the end of this whole mass of suffering.

An alternative version of the preceding section, which can be chanted by laypeople as well.

The Blessed One, who long ago attained Parinibbāna, is our refuge.
So too are the Dhamma and the Saṅgha.
Attentively we follow the pathway of that Blessed One, with all of our mindfulness and strength.
May then the cultivation of this practice
Lead us to the end of every kind of suffering.

Closing Homage

[Arahaṃ] sammāsambuddho bhagavā
Buddhaṃ bhagavantaṃ abhivādemi

[Svākkhāto] bhagavatā dhammo
Dhammaṃ namassāmi

[Supaṭipanno] bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho
Saṅghaṃ namāmi

Closing Homage (English)

The Lord, the Perfectly Enlightened and Blessed One –
I render homage to the Buddha, the Blessed One.

The Teaching, so completely explained by him –
I bow to the Dhamma.

The Blessed One’s disciples, who have practised well –
I bow to the Saṅgha.