The prefatory verse to the discourse on the six states that make a community cohere.
- When chanted
- Chanted immediately before the Chāsarāṇīyadhamma Sutta, introducing it.
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 introduction names the Buddha by an epithet used nowhere else in this book: maker of concord, who yokes people to harmony. What follows is a text about living together.
The list of benefits it gives is unusually social — affection, respect, cohesion, freedom from dispute, unity — and none of them is about an individual's progress.
Meaning and purpose
The verse states the purpose before the content, as these introductions do: for affection one for another, and for respect that brings success, for cohesion, for freedom from dispute, and for concord and unity.
Then a qualification worth noticing: they lead onward for monks who practise by the Dhamma. The six work for people already trying, which is a limit the verse states rather than implies.
And the reason for reciting is given as action rather than merit: having heard it, so as to act as the Buddha taught. The introduction is asking the assembly to change how they behave towards each other, which is a large thing for eight lines to attempt.
The chant
As the book prints it: page 114 →
page 114สะมัคคะกะระโณ พุทโธ สามัคคิยัง นิโยชะโก
Samaggakaraṇo buddho sāmaggiyaṃ niyojako
The Buddha, maker of concord, who yokes people to harmony,
สะมัคคะกะระเณ ธัมเม สาราณีเย อะเทสะยิ.
Samaggakaraṇe dhamme sārāṇīye adesayi.
taught the states to be remembered, which make for concord —
อัญญะมัญญัง ปิยะตายะ สาธิโน คาระวัสสะ จะ
Aññamaññaṃ piyatāya sādhino gāravassa ca
for affection one for another, and for respect that brings success,
สังคะหายาวิวาทายะ สามัคคิเยกะตายะ จะ
Saṅgahāyāvivādāya sāmaggiyekatāya ca
for cohesion, for freedom from dispute, and for concord and unity.
สังวัตตันเตวะ ภิกขูนัง ธัมเมนะ ปะฏิปัชชะตัง
Saṃvattanteva bhikkhūnaṃ dhammena paṭipajjataṃ
They lead onward for monks who practise by the Dhamma.
เตสัมปะกาสะกัง สุตตัง ยัง สัมพุทเธนะ ภาสิตัง.
Tesampakāsakaṃ suttaṃ yaṃ sambuddhena bhāsitaṃ.
That sutta which sets them out, spoken by the Fully Awakened One —
สุต๎วานานุกะระเณนะ ยะถา พุทเธนะ เทสิตัง
Sutvānānukaraṇena yathā buddhena desitaṃ
having heard it, so as to act as the Buddha taught,
สาธูนัง อัตตะสิทธัตถัง ตัง สุตตันตัง ภะณามะ เส.
Sādhūnaṃ attasiddhatthaṃ taṃ suttantaṃ bhaṇāma se.
for good people's own accomplishment — let us recite that discourse.