The Most Common Dhammapāda Chants
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The most popular Buddhist book is the Dhammapada which contains 423 poetic verses in the Pāḷi language. What are the most popular verses? While there are some classic chants and everyone has favorites, nothing compares to what the monks chant and what is found in most chanting books. Here are the chants that are integrated into many different traditions and usually chanted after the pātimokkha.
Dhammapadagāthā
Verse 183
Sabbapāpassa akaraṇaṁ, kusalassa upasampadā,
Not doing any bad deeds, undertaking wholesome deeds,sacittapariyodapanaṁ - etaṁ Buddhāna’ sāsanaṁ.
and purifying one’s mind - this is the teaching of the Buddhas.Dhp 183
Verse 184
Khantī paramaṁ tapo titikkhā, Nibbānaṁ paramaṁ vadanti Buddhā.
Forbearing patience is the supreme austerity, Nibbāna is supreme, say the Buddhas.Na hi pabbajito parūpaghāti, samaṇo hoti paraṁ viheṭhayanto.
One gone forth does not hurt another, (nor does) an ascetic harass another.Dhp 184
Verse 185
Anūpavādo, anūpaghāto, pātimokkhe ca saṁvaro,
Not finding fault, not hurting, restraint in regard to the precepts,mattaññutā ca bhattasmiṁ, pantañ-ca sayanāsanaṁ,
knowing the correct measure in food, (living in) a remote dwelling place,adhicitte ca āyogo - etaṁ Buddhāna’ sāsanaṁ.
being devoted to meditation - this is the teaching of the Buddhas.Dhp 185
Verse 277
Sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā ti, yadā paññāya passati,
All conditioned things are impermanent, when one sees this with wisdom,atha nibbindati dukkhe, esa maggo visuddhiyā. [277]
then one grows tired of suffering, this is the path to purity.Dhp 277
Verse 278
Sabbe saṅkhārā dukkhā ti, yadā paññāya passati,
All conditioned things are suffering, when one sees this with wisdom,atha nibbindati dukkhe, esa maggo visuddhiyā. [278]
then one grows tired of suffering, this is the path to purity.Dhp 278
Verse 279
Sabbe dhammā anattā ti, yadā paññāya passati,
All things are without a self, when one sees this with wisdom,atha nibbindati dukkhe, esa maggo visuddhiyā. [279]
then one grows tired of suffering, this is the path to purity.
The most popular are listed above, but also we cannot forget the very very first verse of the Dhammapada. Listed below:
“Manō pubbaṅgamā dhammā, manō setthā manō mayā.
Manasā ce paduṭṭhena, bhāsati vā karoti vā,
tato naṁ dukkhamanveti, cakkaṁ’va vahato padaṁ.”Dhp verse 1
The verse can be translated as:
Mind is the forerunner of all actions,
Mind is chief, and they are mind-made.
If one speaks or acts with a corrupted mind,
Suffering follows, as the wagon wheel follows the hoof of the ox.Ven Nārada
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Notes on Verse 1
This verse has so much information in it. However, it is often attributed to the Abhidhamma and mental states preceding all speech or action. Furthermore, it also refers to the law of kamma, past lives and how they affect current lives. The story of Cakkhupāla Thera references this verse because he was a doctor in a past life who caused a lady to become blind because she pretended the doctor didn’t cure her illness to avoid paying a lifelong debt to him. In his future life during the time of the Buddha, he was born as Venerable Cakkhupāla. Although he was an Arahant, he became blind during the process. The story goes on further to explain that the mind is required to do harmful things. There were dead insects along Venerable Cakkhupāla’s walking path, but since he could not see them when he stepped on them, there was no kamma that would follow him.
Summary Poem
In pursuit of truth, Cakkhupāla tread,
A path of dedication, where enlightenment spread.
Blindness embraced him, from his unwavering will,
His quest for liberation, that he sought to fulfill.
A doctor in a past life, with a karmic twist,
Caused blindness to a woman for a payment missed.
But in this life, he bore that weight,
An impure mind transformed to a purified state.
Refusing to lie down, he stood so tall,
Determined to awaken, and never to fall.
His mind, the forerunner, he understood,
The power it held, shaping all that’s good.
As the wheel follows the draft-ox’s tread,
Suffering follows actions, words misled.
With a mind untainted, the path did clear,
Cakkhupāla triumphed, enlightenment near.
In Arahantship, he found freedom’s embrace,
Transcending suffering, with radiant grace.
His story intertwined with the first verse’s plea,
To keep the mind tame, and follow the wheel to be free.
The Dhammapada’s teachings are so profound,
Let us heed the wisdom and apply it now.
In mind’s precedence, liberation we’ll find,
As we journey to peace, leaving suffering behind.
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