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  Pali chants[1]  
candle Refuges & Precepts chanting contents:
Three Refuges
Five Precepts
Eight Lifetime Precepts
notes  •  sources
 

NC Buddhist Vihara

Bodhi Lankarama Buddhist Temple

entire chant              
ONCE
[play]

LOOP
[not
available]
Three Refuges (Tisaraṇa)[2] compact view
Pali: SLTP;[3] English: Thanissaro, 1994)
glossary
(Rhys Davids
& Stede, 1921-25)
For a full definition,
click on a Pali word.
display controls:   Pali syllables   Pali words   English text   glossary
lines  
Buddha: the Enlightened One.
saraṇa: refuge.
gacchāmi: I go.
[play]  
1. Bud • dhaṃ   sa • ra • ṇaṃ   gac • chā • mi.  
Buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi.
I go to the Buddha for refuge.
[play]  
Dhamma: the Teaching.
2. Dham • maṃ   sa • ra • ṇaṃ   gac • chā • mi.  
Dhammaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi.
I go to the Dhamma for refuge.
[play]  
Saṅgha: the Community.
3. Saṅ • ghaṃ   sa • ra • ṇaṃ   gac • chā • mi.  
Saṅghaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi.
I go to the Sangha for refuge.
       
[play]  
dutiyaṃ: for the second time.
pi: in all.
4. Du • ti • yam • pi   bud • dhaṃ   sa • ra • ṇaṃ   gac • chā • mi.  
Dutiyampi buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi.
A second time I go to the Buddha for refuge.
[play]  
 
5. Du • ti • yam • pi   dham • maṃ   sa • ra • ṇaṃ   gac • chā • mi.  
Dutiyampi dhammaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi.
A second time I go to the Dhamma for refuge.
[play]  
 
6. Du • ti • yam • pi   saṅ • ghaṃ   sa • ra • ṇaṃ   gac • chā • mi.  
Dutiyampi saṅghaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi.
A second time I go to the Sangha for refuge.
       
[play]  
tatiyaṃ: for the third time.
7. Ta • ti • yam • pi   bud • dhaṃ   sa • ra • ṇaṃ   gac • chā • mi.  
Tatiyampi buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi.
A third time I go to the Buddha for refuge.
[play]  
 
8. Ta • ti • yam • pi   dham • maṃ   sa • ra • ṇaṃ   gac • chā • mi.  
Tatiyampi dhammaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi.
A third time I go to the Dhamma for refuge.
[play]  
 
9. Ta • ti • yam • pi   saṅ • ghaṃ   sa • ra • ṇaṃ   gac • chā • mi.  
Tatiyampi saṅghaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi.
A third time I go to the Sangha for refuge.
       
entire chant              
ONCE
[play]

LOOP
[not
available] 		[4]
Five Precepts (Pañca–sīla)[5] compact view
(Pali: Gunaratana, 2008, p. 4; English: Gunaratana, 2008, p. 5)
glossary
(Rhys Davids
& Stede, 1921-25)
For a full definition,
click on a Pali word.
display controls:   Pali syllables   Pali words   English text   glossary
lines  
pāṇa: life.
atipātā: killing.
veramaṇī: abstinence.
sikkhāpada: precept.
samādiyeti: undertake.
[play] [play]  
1. Pā • ṇā • ti • pā • tā   ve • ra • ma • ṇī – sik • khā • pa • daṃ   sa • mā • di • yā • mi.  
Pāṇātipātā veramaṇī–sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.
I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking life.
[play] [play]  
a-: not.
dinna: given.
ādānā: taking.
2. A • din • nā • dā • nā   ve • ra • ma • ṇī – sik • khā • pa • daṃ   sa • mā • di • yā • mi.  
Adinnādānā veramaṇī–sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.
I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking what is not given.
[play] [play]  
kāmesu: sensual.
micchā: wrong.
cārā: doing.
3. Kā • me • su   mic • chā • cā • rā   ve • ra • ma • ṇī – sik • khā • pa • daṃ   sa • mā • di • yā • mi.  
Kāmesu micchācārā veramaṇī–sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.
I undertake the training rule to abstain from sensual misconduct.
[play] [play]  
musā: false.
vāda: speech.
4. Mu • sā – vā • dā   ve • ra • ma • ṇī – sik • khā • pa • daṃ   sa • mā • di • yā • mi.  
Musā–vādā veramaṇī–sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.
I undertake the training rule to abstain from false speech.
[play] [4]  
surā: liquor.
meraya: spirits.
majja: intoxicant.
pamāda: carelessness.
ṭhāna: cause.
5. Su • rā – me • ra • ya – maj • ja – pa • mā • daṭ • ṭhā • nā  
 
    ve • ra • ma • ṇī – sik • khā • pa • daṃ   sa • mā • di • yā • mi.  
Surā–meraya–majja–pamādaṭṭhānā veramaṇī–sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.
I undertake the training rule to abstain from intoxicating drinks and drugs causing heedlessness.
       
entire chant              
ONCE
[play]

LOOP
[not
available]
Eight Lifetime Precepts (Ājīva–aṭṭhamaka–sīla)[6] compact view
(Pali: Ānandajoti, 2008, p. 4; Gunaratana, 2008, p. 8; English: Gunaratana, 2008, p. 9)
glossary
(Rhys Davids
& Stede, 1921-25)
For a full definition,
click on a Pali word.
display controls:   Pali syllables   Pali words   English text   glossary
lines  
pāṇa: life.
atipātā: killing.
veramaṇī: abstinence.
sikkhāpada: precept.
samādiyeti: undertake.
[play]  
1. Pā • ṇā • ti • pā • tā   ve • ra • ma • ṇī – sik • khā • pa • daṃ   sa • mā • di • yā • mi.  
Pāṇātipātā veramaṇī–sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.
I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking life.
[play]  
a-: not.
dinna: given.
ādānā: taking.
2. A • din • nā • dā • nā   ve • ra • ma • ṇī – sik • khā • pa • daṃ   sa • mā • di • yā • mi.  
Adinnādānā veramaṇī–sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.
I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking what is not given.
[play]  
kāmesu: sensual.
micchā: wrong.
cārā: doing.
3. Kā • me • su   mic • chā • cā • rā   ve • ra • ma • ṇī – sik • khā • pa • daṃ   sa • mā • di • yā • mi.  
Kāmesu micchācārā veramaṇī–sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.
I undertake the training rule to abstain from sensual misconduct.
[play]  
musā: false.
vāda: speech.
4. Mu • sā – vā • dā   ve • ra • ma • ṇī – sik • khā • pa • daṃ   sa • mā • di • yā • mi.  
Musā–vādā veramaṇī–sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.
I undertake the training rule to abstain from false speech.
[play]  
pisuṇa: malicious.
vācā: speech.
5. Pi • su • ṇā – vā • cā   ve • ra • ma • ṇī – sik • khā • pa • daṃ   sa • mā • di • yā • mi.  
Pisuṇā–vācā veramaṇī–sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.
I undertake the training rule to abstain from malicious speech.
[play]  
pharusa: harsh.
6. Pha • ru • sā – vā • cā   ve • ra • ma • ṇī – sik • khā • pa • daṃ   sa • mā • di • yā • mi.  
Pharusā–vācā veramaṇī–sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.
I undertake the training rule to abstain from harsh speech.
[play]  
sampha: frivolous.
palāpa: prattle.
7. Sam • phap • pa • lā • pā   ve • ra • ma • ṇī – sik • khā • pa • daṃ   sa • mā • di • yā • mi.  
Samphappalāpā veramaṇī–sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.
I undertake the training rule to abstain from useless speech.
[play]  
micchā: wrong.
ājīva: livelihood.
8. Mic • chā – ā • jī • vā   ve • ra • ma • ṇī – sik • khā • pa • daṃ   sa • mā • di • yā • mi. [7] 
Micchā–ājīvā veramaṇī–sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.
I undertake the training rule to abstain from wrong livelihood.
       

Notes:

[1] Sri Lankaramaya's chanting (chanted by Ven. K. Rathanasara) is from http://www.basicbuddhism.org/Obj/ACP0411001/MMS/03. Panca Sila (Five Precepts).mp3. Bodhi Lankarama's chanting (led by Ānandajoti Bhikkhu) is excerpted from http://www.bodhilankarama.net/Chanting/03-Bodhi-Puja-09-01-10.mp3. For more information, see the "Acknowledgments."

For web browsers that do not embed mp3 players, a clickable blue "play" icon ([play]) is displayed; click on this icon to popup an mp3 player that will play the selected chant. Note that this page's "LOOP" feature does not work with these browsers.

[2] The Three Refuges can be found in the Pali canon in the Vinaya Piṭaka's Mahavagga (MV i.22, 69, 82) and in the Sutta Piṭaka's Khuddakapāṭha (Khp 1). While the SLTP redaction's Pali title for these verses (Khp 1) appears to be Saraṇagamanaṃ ("Going for Refuge"); Gunaratana (2008, p. 6) and others refer to these verses in Pali as Tisaraṇa ("The Three Refuges").

[3] The SLTP redaction used for these verses can be found on-line, for instance, on "Bodhgaya News" at http://www.bodhgayanews.net/tipitaka.php?title=&record=8010.

[4] At this time, there is no Bodhi Lankarama recording of the Five Precepts. Instead, the first four precepts from the Bodhi Lankarama recording of the Eight Lifetime Precepts were used for the first four of the Five Precepts (since they are exactly the same). Due to this, there is no Bodhi Lankarama recording of the fifth of the Five Precepts, nor on this page is there a Bodhi Lankarama recording of the Five Precepts that could be played through once or looped infinitely.

[5] While the precise phrasing used in these traditional verses for the Five Precepts are not found in the Pali Canon, the content of these precepts can be found in a number of texts including:

These verses' phrasing (in particular, the concluding veramaṇī–sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi) with an expanded content can be found in the canonical Khuddakapāṭha's "Ten Precepts" (Khp 2, Dasasikkhāpadāni), recited by monastic novices. The earliest Pali reference to the Five Precepts' content using this precise phrasing appears to be in the post-canonical Upāsakajanā-laṅkāra ("Ornament of Laypeople") (Upās SL pp. 33, 43).

[6] Gunaratana (2008), p. 9, translates this title as "The Eight Lifetime Precepts"; while Ānandajoti (2008), p. 4, translates this title as "The Virtuous Practices with (Right) Livelihood as Eighth." Similar to Ānandajoti, Sayādaw (1971/2007), p. 11, n. 20, translates this chant's Pali title as "morality ending with the practice of right livelihood."

[7] Bhante Gunaratana has noted that the Eight Lifetime Precept's precept for undertaking right livelihood (this verse's eighth precept) implicitly includes the Five Precepts' precept for abstaining from intoxicants (that verse's fifth precept). Gunaratana (2008), p. 8, makes this explicit by changing the Eight Lifetime Precepts' last precept to:

8. Micchā-ājīvā ca surā-meraya-majja-pamādaṭṭhānā ca veramaṇī-sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.

Gunaratana (2008), p. 9, translates this as:

8. I undertake the training rule to abstain from wrong livelihood and from intoxicating drinks and drugs.

Relatedly, Sayādaw (1971/2007), p. 11, n. 20, in an English-only presentation of these eight precepts, explicitly includes the intoxicants-related precept as part of the third precept:

(3) I will abstain from indulging in improper sexual intercourse and taking intoxicating drugs.

Sources:

• Ānandajoti Bhikkhu (ed. & trans.) (2004). Safeguard Recitals. Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society. ISBN: 955-24-0255-7. Available in part from "Google books" at http://books.google.com/books?id=w6kxx2cDAhIC.

• Ānandajoti Bhikkhu (ed. & trans.) (2008). Bodhi Pūjā: Worshipping the Bodhi Tree. Retrieved Sept. 25, 2009 from "Bodhi Lankarama Buddhist Temple" at http://www.bodhilankarama.net/Books/Bodhi-Puja-and-Protection-Chanting.pdf.

• Bodhgaya News (Last updated: 31 March 2009). "Pali Canon Online Database." Provides search mechanism for the Sri Lanka Tripitaka Project's (SLTP) redaction of the Pali Canon and auxilary works at http://www.bodhgayanews.net/pali.htm.

• Bodhi Lankarama Buddhist Temple (10 January 2009). "Bodhi Puja," led by Ānandajoti Bhikkhu. Retrieved 16 May 2009 from Bodhi Lankarama's "Chanting in Pali with English translation" page at http://www.bodhilankarama.net/Chanting/001-Bodhi-Puja.htm.

• Gunaratana, Henepola (compiler) (2008, rev. ed.; "small format" ed.). Bhāvanā Vandanā: Devotions for Meditation. High View, WV: Bhāvanā Society. Available at http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/bhavana-vandana-small-format/4637518.

• N.C. Buddhist Vihara (n.d.). "PIRITH (42min 48sec)." Retrieved 24 May 2009 from "North Carolina Buddhist Viharaya - Pirith & Sutra" at http://www.ncvihara.org/public/pirith.html.

• Sayādaw, Ledi (1971; 2nd ed. 2007). The Requisites of Enlightenment: Bodhipakkhiya Dīpanī. Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society. This book was originally written by Ven. Sayādaw in Burmese. It was translated into English and had notes added by Sein Nyo Tun. (References to this book's use of English and notes should thus not necessarily imply that such references have the authority of Ven. Sayādaw himself.)

• Sri Lankaramaya Buddhist Temple (n.d.) "Five Precepts," chanted by Ven. K. Rathanasara. Retrieved 21 Oct. 2009 from "Basic Buddhism: Pali Sutta Chanting" at http://www.basicbuddhism.org/Obj/ACP0411001/MMS/03. Panca Sila (Five Precepts).mp3.

• Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1994). "Saranagamana — Going for Refuge" (Khp 1). Retrieved Sept. 24, 2009 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/khp/khp.1-9.than.html#khp-1. Used with permission.

• Vipassana Research Institute (VRI) (Original redaction: 1954). "The Pali Tipitika." Provides a Roman-script flat file datebase of the Chattha Sangayana CD (CSCD) redaction of the Pali Canon, commentaries and auxilary works at http://www.tipitaka.org/romn/.

• Rhys Davids, T.W. & William Stede (eds.) (1921-5). The Pali Text Society's Pali–English Dictionary. Chipstead: Pali Text Society. A general on-line search engine for this dictionary is available from "U. Chicago" at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/pali/.