The Factors of Awakening Protection in the Seven Tamnan printing, with the three recoveries it reports.
- When chanted
- Chanted in the Seven Tamnan, and for the sick.
A note on this chant. The book prints this chant in Pali only, with no Thai translation. The English here is a working translation prepared for this edition — it is not the book's own, and has not yet been checked by a teacher.
Historical background
The Seven Tamnan is the shorter of the two great paritta collections. Its texts are the same as those of the Twelve Tamnan; what differs is which are included and how far each is cut, and the book's three running orders shorten them further again.
The seven factors have already appeared in this book as three discourses chanted at sickbeds. Here they are compressed into verse and made a paritta.
Meaning and purpose
It begins by naming the seven in a single sentence: mindfulness, investigation of states, energy, rapture, tranquillity, concentration and equanimity — rightly proclaimed by the Sage, developed and made much of.
Then the refrain that makes it a paritta rather than a summary: by this utterance of truth, may you always be well. It returns after each movement, and the protection is grounded on the seven being genuinely what the verse says they are.
The three recoveries are given together, which the original discourses never do — Mahākassapa, Mahāmoggallāna and the Buddha himself, all reported in a few lines as having risen from illness on hearing these seven named.
The chant
As the book prints it: page 171 →
page 171โพชฌังโค สะติสังขาโต ธัมมานัง วิจะโย ตะถา
Bojjhaṅgo satisaṅkhāto dhammānaṃ vicayo tathā
The factor of awakening called mindfulness, and likewise investigation of states,
วิริยัมปีติปัสสัทธิ โพชฌังคา จะ ตะถาปะเร.
Viriyampītipassaddhi bojjhaṅgā ca tathāpare.
energy, rapture and tranquillity — these too are factors of awakening,
สะมาธุเปกขะโพชฌังคา สัตเตเต สัพพะทัสสินา
Samādhupekkhabojjhaṅgā sattete sabbadassinā
with concentration and equanimity: these seven, by the All-Seeing
มุนินา สัมมะทักขาตา ภาวิตา พะหุลีกะตา.
Muninā sammadakkhātā bhāvitā bahulīkatā.
Sage rightly taught, developed and made much of,
สังวัตตันติ อะภิญญายะ นิพพานายะ จะ โพธิยา
Saṃvattanti abhiññāya nibbānāya ca bodhiyā
lead to direct knowledge, to Nibbāna and to awakening.
เอเตนะ สัจจะวัชเชนะ โสตถิ เต โหตุ สัพพะทา.
Etena saccavajjena sotthi te hotu sabbadā.
By this utterance of truth, may you always be well.
เอกัส๎มิง สะมะเย นาโถ โมคคัลลานัญจะ กัสสะปัง
Ekasmiṃ samaye nātho moggallānañca kassapaṃ
At one time the Protector, seeing Moggallāna and Kassapa
คิลาเน ทุกขิเต ทิส๎วา โพชฌังเค สัตตะ เทสะยิ.
Gilāne dukkhite disvā bojjhaṅge satta desayi.
sick and in pain, taught them the seven factors of awakening.
เต จะ ตัง อะภินันทิต๎วา โรคา มุจจิงสุ ตังขะเณ
Te ca taṃ abhinanditvā rogā mucciṃsu taṅkhaṇe
And they, delighting in it, were freed from illness that very moment.
เอเตนะ สัจจะวัชเชนะ โสตถิ เต โหตุ สัพพะทา.
Etena saccavajjena sotthi te hotu sabbadā.
By this utterance of truth, may you always be well.
เอกะทา ธัมมะราชาปิ เคลัญเญนาภิปีฬิโต
Ekadā dhammarājāpi gelaññenābhipīḷito
Once the King of Dhamma himself, oppressed by sickness,
จุนทัตเถเรนะ ตัญเญวะ ภะณาเปต๎วานะ สาทะรัง.
Cundattherena taññeva bhaṇāpetvāna sādaraṃ.
had the venerable Cunda recite that very teaching with care.
สัมโมทิต๎วา จะ อาพาธา ตัมหา วุฏฐาสิ ฐานะโส
Sammoditvā ca ābādhā tamhā vuṭṭhāsi ṭhānaso
and being gladdened, he rose up from that affliction there and then.
เอเตนะ สัจจะวัชเชนะ โสตถิ เต โหตุ สัพพะทา.
Etena saccavajjena sotthi te hotu sabbadā.
By this utterance of truth, may you always be well.
ปะหีนา เต จะ อาพาธา ติณณันนัมปิ มะเหสินัง
Pahīnā te ca ābādhā tiṇṇannampi mahesinaṃ
Those afflictions of the three great seers were abandoned,
มัคคาหะตะกิเลสา วะ ปัตตานุปัตติธัมมะตัง.
Maggāhatakilesā va pattānupattidhammataṃ.
as defilements struck down by the path reach their natural end.
เอเตนะ สัจจะวัชเชนะ โสตถิ เต โหตุ สัพพะทา.
Etena saccavajjena sotthi te hotu sabbadā.
By this utterance of truth, may you always be well.