The introductory verses to the discourse on the eight worldly conditions, on the states that turn about the world.
- When chanted
- Chanted immediately before the Lokadhamma 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
Longer than most of these introductions at eleven units, and more abstract. It spends its length defining the term rather than telling a story.
โลกะธัมมะ are the worldly conditions — the eight things that happen to everybody and that the discourse is about.
Meaning and purpose
The definition is given as a circle, deliberately: for as long as the world goes on, so long do those states that travel with it turn about it; and the states that the world, in taking them up, turns about are called the worldly conditions.
Then the pairing that makes them difficult: welcome to the world and unwelcome, making for liking and aversion. They come in opposites, and each opposite pulls.
The purpose is stated as knowledge rather than escape — so that knowledge might range abroad and know things as they are. The discourse that follows does not promise the eight will stop coming.
The chant
As the book prints it: page 187 →
page 187ยาวะตา วัตตะเต โลโก อะเนกาการะจิตตะโก
Yāvatā vattate loko anekākāracittako
For as long as the world goes on, in its many-shaped variety,
ตาวะ ตัง อะนุปะริวัตตันติ เย ธัมมา สะหะจาริโน.
Tāva taṃ anuparivattanti ye dhammā sahacārino.
so long do those states that travel with it turn about it.
เย ธัมเม สะมุปายันโต โลโก อะนุปะริวัตตะเต
Ye dhamme samupāyanto loko anuparivattate
The states that the world, in taking them up, turns about —
เต ธัมมา โลกันตะคุณา โลกะธัมมาติ กิตติตา.
Te dhammā lokantaguṇā lokadhammāti kittitā.
those states, bound to the world's end, are called the worldly conditions.
โลกัสสิฏฐา อะนิฏฐา จะ อะนุโรธะวิโรธิกา
Lokassiṭṭhā aniṭṭhā ca anurodhavirodhikā
Welcome to the world and unwelcome, making for liking and aversion —
เยส๎วานุโรธะวิโรเธ วิปปะหันต๎วานะ ปัณฑิตา.
Yesvānurodhavirodhe vippahantvāna paṇḍitā.
and the wise, having cast out liking and aversion among them,
ปะริมุจจันติ ทุกขัส๎มา สัมมา ภะวัสสะ ปาระคู
Parimuccanti dukkhasmā sammā bhavassa pāragū
are freed from suffering, rightly gone beyond becoming.
เตสุ มิจฉาปะฏิปัตติ โยนิโส ปะฏิปัตติ จะ.
Tesu micchāpaṭipatti yoniso paṭipatti ca.
Wrong practice towards them, and wise practice too,
ยัส๎มิง เตนะ มุนินเทนะ สุตตันตัส๎มิง ปะกาสิตา
Yasmiṃ tena munindena suttantasmiṃ pakāsitā
were made known by that lord of sages in a discourse,
ญาณัง สัญจาระยิต๎วานะ ยะถาภูตัง ปะชานิตุง.
Ñāṇaṃ sañcārayitvāna yathābhūtaṃ pajānituṃ.
so that knowledge might range abroad and know things as they are.
สาธูนัง อัตถะสิทธัตถัง ตัง สุตตันตัง ภะณามะ เส.
Sādhūnaṃ atthasiddhatthaṃ taṃ suttantaṃ bhaṇāma se.
For the good folk's welfare and accomplishment, let us recite that discourse.