The introductory verse to the Fire Sermon, on a discourse taught to men who had tended the fire.
- When chanted
- Chanted immediately before the Ādittapariyāya Sutta, introducing it.
Historical background
The book gives this printing no English title of its own, so the name used in the app is supplied.
The verse names the audience, and the detail is the whole point: those strivers ripe for awakening who had tended the fire. The thousand monks at Gayā had been fire-worshipping ascetics, and what they were taught was about burning.
Meaning and purpose
The Buddha is described by method rather than by attainment: gone wholly to perfection in the means of taming those who can be led, whose word is never in vain, who instructs from direct knowledge.
Then the principle that explains the sermon's imagery — in accordance with what they had practised, training the people by Dhamma. Men who had spent their lives at a fire altar were taught in the language of fire.
The verse calls it a captivating discourse on burning, and then names what it is for: the means to the mark of suffering. A sermon chosen for one audience is offered to the reciters as a way into a general truth.
The chant
As the book prints it: page 124 →
page 124เวเนยยะทะมะโนปาเย สัพพะโส ปาระมิง คะโต
Veneyyadamanopāye sabbaso pāramiṃ gato
Gone wholly to perfection in the means of taming those who can be led,
อะโมฆะวะจะโน พุทโธ อะภิญญายานุสาสะโก.
Amoghavacano buddho abhiññāyānusāsako.
the Buddha, whose word is never in vain, who instructs from direct knowledge.
จิณฺณานุรูปะโต จาปิ ธัมเมนะ วินะยัง ปะชัง
Ciṇṇānurūpato cāpi dhammena vinayaṃ pajaṃ
And in accordance with what they had practised, training the people by Dhamma,
จิณณาคคิปาริจะริยานัง สัมโพชฌาระหะโยคินัง.
Ciṇṇāggipāricariyānaṃ sambojjhārahayoginaṃ.
for those strivers ripe for awakening who had tended the fire.
ยะมาทิตตะปะริยายัง เทสะยันโต มะโนหะรัง
Yamādittapariyāyaṃ desayanto manoharaṃ
Teaching that captivating discourse on burning,
เต โสตาโร วิโมเจสิ อะเสกขายะ วิมุตติยา.
Te sotāro vimocesi asekkhāya vimuttiyā.
he freed those hearers with the release of the adept.
ตะเถโวปะปะริกขายะ วิญญูนัง โสตุมิจฉะตัง
Tathevopaparikkhāya viññūnaṃ sotumicchataṃ
So too, for the wise who wish to hear and examine it,
ทุกขะตาลักขะโณปายัง ตัง สุตตันตัง ภะณามะ เส.
Dukkhatālakkhaṇopāyaṃ taṃ suttantaṃ bhaṇāma se.
that discourse, the means to the mark of suffering — let us recite it.