This document contains chants and teachings used in Buddhist practice, including:
- The Anekajati Gatha, a poem about the endless cycle of rebirth.
- The description of dependent origination, explaining how ignorance leads to suffering through a chain of causation.
- A list of the different types of conditional relations between phenomena.
- Ten reflections for monks to contemplate, such as how one's life now depends on others' gifts and how all that is pleasing will decay.
5. 5
Dependent Origination
Conditioned by ignorance, intentional activities arise; conditioned by
intentional activities, re-linking consciousness arises; conditioned by re-
linking consciousness, mind and matter arise; conditioned by mind and
matter, the six-fold base arises; conditioned by the sixfold base, contact
arises; conditioned by contact, feeling arises; conditioned by feeling,
craving arises; conditioned by craving, grasping arises; conditioned
by grasping, becoming arises; conditioned by becoming, birth arises;
conditioned by birth, ageing, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief,
and despair arise. Thus does this entire mass of suffering arise.
Truly, when things grow plain
To the ardent meditating recluse,
His doubts all vanish
In that he comprehends things with cause.
With the entire cessation of this ignorance, intentional activities cease;
with the cessation of intentional activities, re-linking consciousness
ceases;´ re-linking consciousness, mind and matter cease;´ mind
and matter, the sixfold base ceases;´ the sixfold base, contact
ceases;´ contact, feeling ceases;´ feeling, craving ceases;´ craving,
grasping ceases;´ grasping, becoming ceases;´ becoming, birth
ceases; with the cessation of birth; ageing, death, sorrow, lamentation,
pain, grief and despair cease. Thus does this entire mass of suffering
cease.
Truly, when things grow plain
To the ardent meditating recluse,
His doubts all vanish
In that he discerns the destruction of cause.
Conditioned by ignorance, intentional activities arise; conditioned by
intentional activities, re-linking consciousness arises; conditioned by re-
linking consciousness, mind and matter arise; conditioned by mind and
matter, the six-fold base arises; conditioned by the sixfold base, contact
arises; conditioned by contact, feeling arises; conditioned by feeling,
craving arises; conditioned by craving, grasping arises; conditioned
by grasping, becoming arises; conditioned by becoming, birth arises;
conditioned by birth, ageing, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief,
and despair arise. Thus does this entire mass of suffering arise.
7. 7
With the entire cessation of this ignorance, intentional activities
cease;withthecessationofintentionalactivities,re-linkingconsciousness
ceases;´ re-linking consciousness, mind and matter cease;´ mind
and matter, the sixfold base ceases;´ the sixfold base, contact ceases;´
contact, feeling ceases;´ feeling, craving ceases;´ craving, grasping
ceases;´ grasping, becoming ceases;´ becoming, birth ceases; with
the cessation of birth; ageing, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief
and despair cease. Thus does this entire mass of suffering cease.
Truly, when things grow plain
to the ardent meditating recluse
Routing the host of M─ra does he stand
Like the sun when lighting up the sky.
Conditional Relations
Root condition, object condition,
predominance condition, proximity condition,
contiguity condition, conascence condition,
mutuality condition, dependence condition,
strong-dependence condition, prenascent condition,
postnascence condition, repetition condition,
kamma condition, resultant condition,
nutriment condition, faculty condition,
absorption condition, path condition,
association condition, dissociation condition,
presence condition, absence condition,
disappearance condition, non-disappearance condition.
Reflections for One Gone Forth
These ten things, monks, should be constantly reflected upon by one
gone forth. ^My status has changed ̄ should be reflected on constantly by
one gone forth. ^My very life depends on the gifts of others ̄ should be re-
flected upon constantly by one gone forth. ^I should behave differently to
others ̄ should be reflected on constantly by one gone forth. ^Do I blame
myself for any moral lapses? ̄ should be reflected on constantly by one
gone forth. ^Do my wise fellow monks blame me for moral lapses? ̄ should
be reflected on constantly by one gone forth. ^All that is pleasing to me
will decay and disappear ̄ should be reflected on constantly by one gone
9. 9
forth. ^I am the owner of my kamma, heir to my kamma, born from my
kamma, related to my kamma, and have kamma as my refuge, whatever
skilful or evil kamma I do, of that I will be the heir ̄ should be reflected on
constantly by one gone forth. ^The days and nights are relentlessly pass-
ing, how well am I spending my time ̄ should be reflected on constantly
by one gone forth. ^Do I delight in solitude or not? ̄ should be reflected on
constantly by one gone forth. ^Have I attained any state of superior men
so that I will not be embarrassed if questioned on my deathbed by my fel-
low monks? should be reflected on constantly by one gone forth. This ten
things, monks, should be reflected on constantly by one gone forth.
Loving-kindness Meditation
May I be free from enmity, may I be free from ill-will, may I be free
from affliction, may I be happy, may I be free from suffering, may I
not be parted from the good fortune I have attained, as owner of my
kamma.
May the community in this monastery´
May the guardian deities of this monastery be free from enmity,
may they be free from ill-will, may they be free from affliction, may
they be happy, may they be free from suffering, may they not be parted
from the good fortune they have attained, as owners of their kamma.
May our supporters who provide the four requisites´
May our parents, teacher, relatives and friends be free from
enmity, may they be free from ill-will, may they be free from affliction,
may they be happy, may they be free from suffering, may they not be
parted from the good fortune they have attained, as owners of their
kamma.
May all living things, all breathing thing, all beings, all persons, all
individuals, all women, all men, all noble ones, all worldlings, all deities,
all human beings, and all those destined for hell be free from enmity,
may they be free from ill-will, may they be free from affliction, may they
be happy, may they be free from suffering, may they not be parted from
the good fortune they have attained, as owners of their kamma.
In the east, in the south, in the west, in the north, in the northeast,
in the southeast, in the southwest, in the north west, below and above;
may all living things, all breathing thing, all beings, all persons, all
individuals, all women, all men, all noble ones, all worldlings, all
11. 11
deities, all human beings, and all those destined for hell be free from
enmity may they be free from ill-will, may they be free from affliction,
may they be happy, may they be free from suffering, may they not be
parted from the good fortune they have attained, as owners of their
kamma.
Above to the highest heaven, below to the deepest hell, in all
world systems may all beings living on the earth be free from affliction
and ill-will, may they be free from suffering and harm.
Above to the highest heaven, below to the deepest hell, in all
world systems may all beings living in the water be free from affliction
and ill-will, may they be free from suffering and harm.
Above to the highest heaven, below to the deepest hell, in all
world systems may all beings living in the sky be free from affliction
and ill-will, may they be free from suffering and harm.
I have formerly done meritorious deeds, recited the protection
discourses and practised meditation on loving-kindness.
By the power of this merit may all beings, realising the Buddha¨s
teaching which leads to happiness, attain the supreme bliss of nibb─na
which gets rid of sorrow, grief and despair.
Long may the teaching of the Buddha endure. May all beings
respect and practise righteousness. May the god of rain perform his
duty in due season.
Maytherulersfollowtheexampleoftherighteouskingsandprotect
their subjects with kindness, like their own sons and daughters.
By this practice I pay homage to the Buddha.
By this practice I pay homage to the Dhamma.
By this practice I pay homage to the Sa?gha.
By this practice I shall be liberated from birth, aging, disease, and death.
May my merit destroy all defilements.
May my merit be a condition for nibb─na.
We share this heap of merit with all beings.
13. 13
Evening Chanting
Buddha? p┗jemi. (bow)
Dhamma? p┗jemi. (bow)
Sa?gha? p┗jemi. (bow)
] ] ]
Iti pi so Bhagav─, araha?, samm─sambuddho, vijj─-cara?a-sampanno,
sugato, lokavid┗, anuttaro purisa-damma-s─rath┤, satth─ deva-
manuss─na?, buddho, bhagav─ ¨ti.
Such indeed is the Blessed One, worthy, fully self-enlightened,
endowed with knowledge and conduct, fortunate, knower of the
worlds, the incomparable tamer of trainable men, teacher of gods and
men, enlightened and blessed.
] ] ]
Sv─kkh─to Bhagavat─ dhammo, sandi??hiko, ak─liko, ehipassiko,
opaneyyiko paccatta? veditabbo vi??┗h┤ ¨ti.
Well taught is the Dhamma of the Blessed One, visible here and
now, not involving time, inviting investigation, leading onwards, to be
experienced by the wise.
] ] ]
Supa?ipanno Bhagavato s─vaka-sa?gho, ujupa?ipanno Bhagavato s─vaka-
sa?gho, ?─ya-pa?ipanno Bhagavato s─vaka-sa?gho, s─m┤ci-pa?ipanno
Bhagavato s─vakasa?gho, yadida? catt─ri purisayug─ni, a??ha purisa-
puggal─, esa Bhagavato s─vaka-sa?gho; ─huneyyo, p─huneyyo
dakkhi?eyyo a?jali-kara?┤yo, anuttara? pu??akkhetta? lokass─ ¨ti.
The Blessed One¨s disciples have practised well, practised
uprightly, practised wisely, practised dutifully. The four pairs of persons,
the eight individuals are the Blessed One¨s disciples. They are worthy
of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of reverence,
an incomparable field of merit for the world.