The Great Elder's dedication of his own merit to those who asked pardon, closing the exchange.
- When chanted
- Spoken by a Great Elder after accepting the asking of pardon.
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 third part of the exchange, and the one that turns it from a procedure into something else. Having been apologised to and having granted pardon, the elder gives something away.
It is the same act of dedication printed elsewhere in this book for donors and for the dead, here directed at the people who have just admitted wronging him.
Meaning and purpose
Whatever merit I have made and gathered, by body, by speech, or by mind — the same three doors through which the offence was done are the three through which the merit was made.
All of it is dedicated to the venerable ones, so that they may become sharers in it and rejoice. And then the line that names what rejoicing is worth: by that merit, which is itself made of rejoicing, may they be happy, free of illness and free of harm.
The exchange therefore ends with the wronged party handing over everything he has accumulated to the people who wronged him. Read as procedure it is one more formula; read in sequence, immediately after an accusation has been agreed to, it is the point of the whole arrangement.
The chant
As the book prints it: page 253 →
page 253ยัง ยัง ปุญญัง มะยา กะตัง อุปะจิตัง,
Yaṃ yaṃ puññaṃ mayā kataṃ upacitaṃ,
Whatever merit I have made and gathered,
กาเยนะ วา วาจายะ วา มะนะสา วา,
kāyena vā vācāya vā manasā vā,
by body, by speech, or by mind,
ตัง ตัง อายัส๎มันตานัง อาทิสสามิ,
taṃ taṃ āyasmantānaṃ ādissāmi,
all of it I dedicate to the venerable ones,
สาธายัส๎มันโต อัส๎มิง อัส๎มิง ปุญเญ ปัตติกา หุต๎วา อะนุโมทันตุ,
sādhāyasmanto asmiṃ asmiṃ puññe pattikā hutvā anumodantu,
so that the venerable ones, becoming sharers in this merit and that, may rejoice in it well,
เตนะ อะนุโมทะนามะเยนะปิ ปุญเญนะ สุขิตา โหนตุ อะโรคา นิรุปัททะวา.
tena anumodanāmayenapi puññena sukhitā hontu arogā nirupaddavā.
and by that merit, which is itself made of rejoicing, may they be happy, free of illness and free of harm.
จิรัง ทีฆะมัทธานัง อิมัส๎มิง ตะถาคะตัปปะเวทิเต ธัมมะวินะเย,
ciraṃ dīghamaddhānaṃ imasmiṃ tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye,
For a long time, for a long span, in this Dhamma and discipline made known by the Tathāgata,
วุฑฒิง วิรุฬหิง เวปุลลัง อาปัชชันตุ.
vuḍḍhiṃ viruḷhiṃ vepullaṃ āpajjantu.
may they come to growth, increase and abundance.