The preliminary chant to the first sermon, naming the two extremes, the middle way and the four truths.
- When chanted
- Chanted immediately before the Dhammacakkappavattana 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 to the discourse the tradition counts as the first teaching. It summarises the contents rather than the occasion, which is unusual for these verses.
Its last line is a stage direction: let us now recite it, as it was rehearsed, in the manner of a prose exposition.
Meaning and purpose
The summary is accurate and complete in five lines: the Wheel of Dhamma set rolling and unstoppable in the world, wherein both extremes are declared, and the middle way of practice, and the purified knowledge and vision of the four noble truths.
Calling the wheel unstoppable is a claim about what happened at Isipatana rather than about the text. Once set rolling it does not stop, and the verse states that before the discourse begins.
The closing instruction about manner is worth noticing. This discourse can be chanted in more than one way, and the verse specifies which — as prose exposition, as it was rehearsed. The introduction is doing an editor's job as well as a devotional one.
The chant
As the book prints it: page 159 →
page 159อะนุตตะรัง อะภิสัมโพธิง สัมพุชฌิต๎วา ตะถาคะโต,
Anuttaraṃ abhisambodhiṃ sambujjhitvā tathāgato,
The Tathāgata, having fully awakened to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment,
ปะฐะมัง ยัง อะเทเสสิ ธัมมะจักกัง อะนุตตะรัง
Paṭhamaṃ yaṃ adesesi dhammacakkaṃ anuttaraṃ
first taught that unsurpassed Wheel of Dhamma,
สัมมะเทวะ ปะวัตเตนโต โลเก อัปปะฏิวัตติยัง,
Sammadeva pavattento loke appaṭivattiyaṃ,
setting it rolling rightly, unstoppable in the world,
ยัตถากขาตา อุโภ อันตา ปะฏิปัตติ จะ มัชฌิมา,
Yatthākkhātā ubho antā paṭipatti ca majjhimā,
wherein both extremes are declared, and the middle way of practice,
จะตูส๎วาริยะสัจเจสุ วิสุทธัง ญาณะทัสสะนัง,
Catūsvāriyasaccesu visuddhaṃ ñāṇadassanaṃ,
and the purified knowledge and vision of the four noble truths,
เทสิตัง ธัมมะราเชนะ สัมมาสัมโพธิกิตตะนัง,
Desitaṃ dhammarājena sammāsambodhikittanaṃ,
taught by the King of Dhamma, proclaiming his perfect enlightenment,
นาเมนะ วิสสุตัง สุตตัง ธัมมะจักกัปปะวัตตะนัง,
Nāmena vissutaṃ suttaṃ dhammacakkappavattanaṃ,
the discourse renowned by the name Dhammacakkappavattana —
เวยยากะระณะปาเฐนะ สังคีตันตัมภะณามะ เส.
Veyyākaraṇapāṭhena saṅgītantambhaṇāma se.
let us now recite it, as it was rehearsed, in the manner of a prose exposition.