The formal address asking a Great Elder to accept a transgression as a transgression, for the sake of future restraint.
- When chanted
- Spoken to a Great Elder by monks asking pardon, on formal occasions.
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 fullest of the pardon formulas, and the one used towards the most senior. Where the general form is a sentence, this takes eleven units to say the same thing.
It is printed with the reply and the elder's rejoicing on the same page, so the whole exchange can be read as one.
Meaning and purpose
The self-description is unsparing and is the reason for the length: as fools, as deluded, as unskilful. Three words, none of them softened, applied by the speakers to themselves.
The cause is then named twice over — having come under the sway of heedlessness, or of unwise attention. Not malice. The formula assumes that what goes wrong between people in a monastery goes wrong through inattention, and says so.
The request is put with unusual precision: may the Great Elder accept our transgression as a transgression, for the sake of restraint in future. Nothing is asked to be excused or forgotten. What is asked is that it be correctly classified — and the reason given is entirely about what happens next.
The chant
As the book prints it: page 253 →
page 253อัจจะโย โน ภันเต อัจจัคคะมา,
Accayo no bhante accaggamā,
Venerable sir, a transgression has overcome us,
ยะถาพาเล ยะถามุฬเห ยะถาอะกุสะเล,
yathābāle yathāmuḷhe yathāakusale,
as fools, as deluded, as unskilful,
เย มะยัง ภันเต,
ye mayaṃ bhante,
in that we, venerable sir,
กะทาจิ กะระหะจิ,
kadāci karahaci,
at some time or other,
ปะมาทัง วา อาคัมมะ,
pamādaṃ vā āgamma,
having come under the sway of heedlessness,
อะโยนิโสมะนะสิการัง วา อาคัมมะ,
ayonisomanasikāraṃ vā āgamma,
or having come under the sway of unwise attention,
มะหาเถเร อะคาระวัง อะกะริมหา,
mahāthere agāravaṃ akarimhā,
have shown disrespect towards the Great Elder,
กาเยนะ วา วาจายะ วา มะนะสา วา,
kāyena vā vācāya vā manasā vā,
by body, by speech, or by mind,
สัมมุขาปิ ปะรัมมุขาปิ,
sammukhāpi parammukhāpi,
whether to his face or behind his back —
เตสัง โน ภันเต มะหาเถโร,
tesaṃ no bhante mahāthero,
of these, venerable sir, may the Great Elder
อัจจะยัง อัจจะยะโต ปะฏิคคัณหาตุ อายะติง สังวะรายะ.
accayaṃ accayato paṭiggaṇhātu āyatiṃ saṃvarāya.
accept our transgression as a transgression, for the sake of restraint in future.