The seven factors of awakening recited as a paritta, with the three occasions on which reciting them is said to have ended an illness.
- When chanted
- Chanted for the sick, and in the paritta service in its place as the tenth.
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 last of the ten parittas, and it gathers up material printed much earlier in the book. The three Bojjhaṅga discourses — to Mahākassapa, to Mahāmoggallāna and to Mahācunda — are compressed here into a handful of verses.
Where those were narratives with an outcome reported at the end, this is a verse form built to be chanted over somebody who is ill.
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, leading to direct knowledge, to Nibbāna and to awakening.
Then the refrain that makes it a paritta rather than a summary: เอเตนะ สัจจะวัชเชนะ — by this utterance of truth, may you be well at all times. 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 then given together, which the original discourses never do: those afflictions of all three great Seekers were abandoned, just as the defilements struck down by the path reach the state of not returning. The simile is the interesting part. The illnesses are said to have gone the way defilements go — not suppressed, but made incapable of coming back.
The chant
As the book prints it: page 97 →
page 97โพชฌังโค 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, and the other factors likewise;
สะมาธุเปกขะโพชฌังคา สัตเตเต สัพพะทัสสินา
Samādhupekkhabojjhaṅgā sattete sabbadassinā
concentration and equanimity — these seven, by the All-Seeing One,
มุนินา สัมมะทักขาตา ภาวิตา พะหุลีกะตา.
Muninā sammadakkhātā bhāvitā bahulīkatā.
the Sage, are rightly proclaimed, developed and made much of.
สังวัตตันติ อะภิญญายะ นิพพานายะ จะ โพธิยา
Saṃvattanti abhiññāya nibbānāya ca bodhiyā
They 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 be well at all times.
เอกัส๎มิง สะมะเย นาโถ โมคคัลลานัญจะ กัสสะปัง
Ekasmiṃ samaye nātho moggallānañca kassapaṃ
On one occasion the Protector, seeing Moggallāna and Kassapa
คิลาเน ทุกขิเต ทิส๎วา โพชฌังเค สัตตะ เทสะยิ.
Gilāne dukkhite disvā bojjhaṅge satta desayi.
sick and in pain, taught 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 disease in that very moment.
เอเตนะ สัจจะวัชเชนะ โสตถิ เต โหตุ สัพพะทา.
Etena saccavajjena sotthi te hotu sabbadā.
By this utterance of truth, may you be well at all times.
เอกะทา ธัมมะราชาปิ เคลัญเญนาภิปีฬิโต
Ekadā dhammarājāpi gelaññenābhipīḷito
Once the King of the Dhamma himself, afflicted by illness,
จุนทัตเถเรนะ ตัญเญวะ ภะณาเปต๎วานะ สาทะรัง.
Cundattherena taññeva bhaṇāpetvāna sādaraṃ.
had that very teaching recited by the elder Cunda, respectfully.
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 be well at all times.
ปะหีนา เต จะ อาพาธา ติณณันนัมปิ มะเหสินัง
Pahīnā te ca ābādhā tiṇṇannampi mahesinaṃ
And those afflictions of all three great Seekers were abandoned,
มัคคาหะตะกิเลสา วะ ปัตตานุปัตติธัมมะตัง.
Maggāhatakilesā va pattānupattidhammataṃ.
just as the defilements struck down by the path reach the state of not returning.
เอเตนะ สัจจะวัชเชนะ โสตถิ เต โหตุ สัพพะทา.
Etena saccavajjena sotthi te hotu sabbadā.
By this utterance of truth, may you be well at all times.
โพชฌังคะปะริตตัง นิฏฐิตัง.
Bojjhaṅgaparittaṃ niṭṭhitaṃ.
Here ends the Bojjhaṅga Paritta.