Pāṭimokkha Chants

Contents

Ovāda-pāṭimokkha-gāthā

Verses on the Training Code

[Handa mayaṃ ovāda-pāṭimokkha-gāthāyo bhaṇāmase]

Sabba-pāpassa akaraṇaṃ

Not doing any evil;

Kusalassūpasampadā

To be committed to the good;

Sacitta-pariyodapanaṃ

To purify one’s mind:

Etaṃ buddhāna sāsanaṃ

These are the teachings of all Buddhas.

Khantī paramaṃ tapo tītikkhā

Patient endurance is the highest practice,
burning out defilements;

Nibbānaṃ paramaṃ vadanti buddhā

The Buddhas say Nibbāna is supreme.

Na hi pabbajito parūpaghātī

Not a renunciant is one who injures others;

Samaṇo hoti paraṃ viheṭhayanto

Whoever troubles others can’t be called a monk.

Anūpavādo anūpaghāto

Not to insult and not to injure;

Pāṭimokkhe ca saṃvaro

To live restrained by training rules;

Mattaññutā ca bhattasmiṃ

Knowing one’s measure at the meal;

Pantañca sayan’āsanaṃ

Retreating to a lonely place;

Adhicitte ca āyogo

Devotion to the higher mind:

Etaṃ buddhāna sāsanaṃ

These are the teachings of all Buddhas.

Dhp 183-185

Sacca-kiriyā-gāthā

[Handa mayaṃ sacca-kiriyā-gāthāyo bhaṇāmase]

Natthi me saraṇaṃ aññaṃ buddho me saraṇaṃ varaṃ
Etena sacca-vajjena sotthi me hotu sabbadā

Natthi me saraṇaṃ aññaṃ dhammo me saraṇaṃ varaṃ
Etena sacca-vajjena sotthi me hotu sabbadā

Natthi me saraṇaṃ aññaṃ saṅgho me saraṇaṃ varaṃ
Etena sacca-vajjena sotthi me hotu sabbadā

For me there is no other Refuge, the Buddha … Dhamma … Sangha is my excellent refuge. By the utterance of this Truth, may there be blessings for me.

Sīl’uddesa-pāṭha

[Handa mayaṃ sīl’uddesa-pāṭhaṃ bhaṇāmase]

Bhāsitam idaṃ tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā
arahatā sammā-sambuddhena
Sampanna-sīlā bhikkhave viharatha
sampanna-pāṭimokkhā
Pāṭimokkha-saṃvara-saṃvutā viharatha
ācāra-gocara-sampannā
Aṇu-mattesu vajjesu bhaya-dassāvī
samādāya sikkhatha sikkhāpadesū’ti

Tasmā-tih’amhehi sikkhitabbaṃ
Sampanna-sīlā viharissāma sampanna-pāṭimokkhā
Pāṭimokkha-saṃvara-saṃvutā viharissāma
ācāra-gocara-sampannā
Aṇu-mattesu vajjesu bhaya-dassāvī
samādāya sikkhissāma sikkhāpadesū’ti
Evañ hi no sikkhitabbaṃ

This has been said by the Lord, One-who-knows, One-who-sees, the Arahant, the Perfect Buddha enlightened by himself: ‘Bhikkhus, be perfect in moral conduct. Be perfect in the Pāṭimokkha. Dwell restrained in accordance with the the Pāṭimokkha. Be perfect in conduct and resort, seeing danger even in the slightest faults. Train yourselves by undertaking rightly the rules of training.’

Therefore we should train ourselves thus: ‘We will be perfect in the Pāṭimokkha. We will dwell restrained in accordance with the Pāṭimokkha. We will be perfect in conduct and resort, seeing danger even in the slightest faults.’ Thus indeed we should train ourselves.

D.I.63; D.III.266f

Tāyana-gāthā

The Verses of Tāyana

[Handa mayaṃ tāyana-gāthāyo bhaṇāmase]

Chinda sotaṃ parakkamma
Kāme panūda brāhmaṇa
Nappahāya muni kāme
N’ekattam-upapajjati

Exert yourself and cut the stream.
Discard sense pleasures, brahmin;
Not letting sensual pleasures go,
A sage will not reach unity.

Kayirā ce kayirāthenaṃ
Daḷham-enaṃ parakkame
Sithilo hi paribbājo
Bhiyyo ākirate rajaṃ

Vigorously, with all one’s strength,
It should be done, what should be done;
A lax monastic life stirs up
The dust of passions all the more.

Akataṃ dukkaṭaṃ seyyo
Pacchā tappati dukkaṭaṃ
Katañca sukataṃ seyyo
Yaṃ katvā nānutappati

Better is not to do bad deeds
That afterwards would bring remorse;
It’s rather good deeds one should do
Which having done one won’t regret.

Kuso yathā duggahito
Hattham-evānukantati
Sāmaññaṃ dupparāmaṭṭhaṃ
Nirayāyūpakaḍḍhati

As Kusa-grass, when wrongly grasped,
Will only cut into one’s hand
So does the monk’s life wrongly led
Indeed drag one to hellish states.

Yaṃ kiñci sithilaṃ kammaṃ
Saṅkiliṭṭhañca yaṃ vataṃ
Saṅkassaraṃ brahma-cariyaṃ
Na taṃ hoti mahapphalan’ti

Whatever deed that’s slackly done,
Whatever vow corruptly kept,
The Holy Life led in doubtful ways –
All these will never bear great fruit.

S.I.49f

Sāmaṇera-sikkhā

Anuññāsi kho bhagavā
Sāmaṇerānaṃ dasa sikkhā-padāni

Ten novice training rules
were established by the Blessed One.

Tesu ca sāmaṇerehi sikkhituṃ

They are the things in which a novice should train:

Pāṇātipātā veramaṇī

Abstaining from killing living beings

Adinn’ādānā veramaṇī

Abstaining from taking what is not given

Abrahma-cariyā veramaṇī

Abstaining from unchastity

Musā-vādā veramaṇī

Abstaining from false speech

Surā-meraya-majja-pamādaṭṭhānā veramaṇī

Abstaining from intoxicants that dull the mind

Vikāla-bhojanā veramaṇī

Abstaining from eating at the wrong time

Nacca-gīta-vādita-visūka-dassanā veramaṇī

Abstaining from dancing, singing, music and watching shows

Mālā-gandha-vilepana-dhāraṇa-
maṇḍana-vibhūsanaṭṭhānā veramaṇī

Abstaining from perfumes, beautification and adornment

Uccā-sayana-mahā-sayanā veramaṇī

Abstaining from lying on high or luxurious beds

Jāta-rūpa-rajata-paṭiggahaṇā veramaṇī’ti.

Abstaining from using gold, silver or money.

Vin.I.83f

Anuññāsi kho Bhagavā
Dasahi aṅgehi samannāgataṃ sāmaṇeraṃ nāsetuṃ

Ten grounds for a novice to be dismissed
were established by the Blessed One.

Katamehi dasahi

What are these ten?

Pāṇātipātī hoti

He is a killer of living beings

Adinn’ādāyī hoti

He is a taker of what is not given

Abrahma-cārī hoti

He is a practicioner of unchastity

Musā-vādī hoti

He is a speaker of falsity

Majja-pāyī hoti

He is a consumer of intoxicants

Buddhassa avaṇṇaṃ bhāsati

He speaks in dispraise of the Buddha

Dhammassa avaṇṇaṃ bhāsati

He speaks in dispraise of the Dhamma

Saṅghassa avaṇṇaṃ bhāsati

He speaks in dispraise of the Saṅgha

Micchā-diṭṭhiko hoti

He is a holder of wrong views

Bhikkhunī-dūsako hoti

He has corrupted a nun

Anuññāsi kho Bhagavā
Imehi dasahi aṅgehi samannāgataṃ sāmaṇeraṃ nāsetun’ti.

These are the ten grounds for a novice to be dismissed
which were established by the Blessed One.

Vin.I.85

Anuññāsi kho Bhagavā
Pañcahi aṅgehi samannāgatassa sāmaṇerassa daṇḍa-kammaṃ kātuṃ

Five grounds for a novice to be punished
were established by the Blessed One.

Katamehi pañcahi

What are these five?

Bhikkhūnaṃ alābhāya parisakkati

He strives for the loss of the Bhikkhus

Bhikkhūnaṃ anatthāya parisakkati

He strives for the non-benefit of the Bhikkhus

Bhikkhūnaṃ anāvāsāya parisakkati

He strives for the non-residence of the Bhikkhus

Bhikkhū akkosati paribhāsati

He insults or abuses the Bhikkhus

Bhikkhū bhikkhūhi bhedeti

He causes a split between the Bhikkhus

Anuññāsi kho Bhagavā
Imehi pañcahi aṅgehi samannāgatassa
sāmaṇerassa daṇḍa-kammaṃ kātun’ti

These are the five grounds for a novice to be punished
that were established by the Blessed One.

Vin.I.84