Part II : Chanting

(Investing the six properties with the Buddhaguṇa)


[Namo tassa] bhagavato arahato sammā-

sambuddhassa. (three times)

Homage to the Blessed One, the Worthy One,

the Rightly Self-awakened One.


Buddhaṁ āyu-vaḍḍhanaṁ jīvitaṁ yāva-nibbānaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi.

I go to the Buddha as my life, vitality, & refuge until reaching Liberation.

Dhammaṁ āyu-vaḍḍhanaṁ jīvitaṁ yāva-nibbānaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi.

I go to the Dhamma as my life, vitality, & refuge until reaching Liberation.

Saṅghaṁ āyu-vaḍḍhanaṁ jīvitaṁ yāva-nibbānaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi.

I go to the Saṅgha as my life, vitality, & refuge until reaching Liberation.

Dutiyampi buddhaṁ āyu-vaḍḍhanaṁ jīvitaṁ yāva-nibbānaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi.

A second time, I go to the Buddha as my life, vitality, & refuge until reaching Liberation.

Dutiyampi dhammaṁ āyu-vaḍḍhanaṁ jīvitaṁ yāva-nibbānaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi.

A second time, I go to the Dhamma as my life, vitality, & refuge until reaching Liberation.

Dutiyampi saṅghaṁ āyu-vaḍḍhanaṁ jīvitaṁ yāva-nibbānaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi.

A second time, I go to the Saṅgha as my life, vitality, & refuge until reaching Liberation.

Tatiyampi buddhaṁ āyu-vaḍḍhanaṁ jīvitaṁ yāva-nibbānaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi.

A third time, I go to the Buddha as my life, vitality, & refuge until reaching Liberation.

Tatiyampi dhammaṁ āyu-vaḍḍhanaṁ jīvitaṁ yāva-nibbānaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi.

A third time, I go to the Dhamma as my life, vitality, & refuge until reaching Liberation.

Tatiyampi saṅghaṁ āyu-vaḍḍhanaṁ jīvitaṁ yāva-nibbānaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi.

A third time, I go to the Saṅgha as my life, vitality, & refuge until reaching Liberation.

1. Wind property:

Vāyo ca buddha-guṇaṁ arahaṁ buddho itipi so bhagavā namāmi’haṁ.

Wind has the virtue of the Buddha. The Awakened One is worthy & so he is Blessed: I pay him homage.

Arahaṁ sammā-sambuddho,

Worthy is the Rightly Self-awakened One,

Vijjā-caraṇa-sampanno sugato lokavidū,

consummate in knowledge & conduct, one who has gone the good way, knower of the cosmos,

Anuttaro purisa-damma-rathi satthā deva-manusnaṁ buddho bhagavāti.

unexcelled trainer of those who can be taught, teacher of human & divine beings; awakened; blessed.

(Think of the Buddha & his purity.)

Vāyo ca dhammetaṁ arahaṁ buddho itipi so bhagavā namāmi’haṁ.

Wind is that quality. The Awakened One is worthy & so he is Blessed: I pay him homage.

Svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo,

The Dhamma is well-expounded by the Blessed One,

Sandiṭṭhiko akāliko ehipassiko,

to be seen here & now, timeless, inviting all to come & see,

Opanayiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūti.

pertinent, to be seen by the observant for themselves.

(Think of Ven. Sāriputta & his wisdom.)

Vāyo ca saṅghānaṁ arahaṁ buddho itipi so bhagavā namāmi’haṁ.

Wind is given over to the Saṅghas. The Awakened One is worthy & so he is Blessed: I pay him homage.

Supaṭipanno bhagavato vaka-saṅgho,

The Saṅgha of the Blessed One’s disciples who have practiced well,

Uju-paṭipanno bhagavato vaka-saṅgho,

the Saṅgha of the Blessed One’s disciples who have practiced straightforwardly,

Ñāya-paṭipanno bhagavato vaka-saṅgho,

the Saṅgha of the Blessed One’s disciples who have practiced methodically,

mīci-paṭipanno bhagavato vaka-saṅgho,

the Saṅgha of the Blessed One’s disciples who have practiced masterfully,

Yadidaṁ cattāri purisa-yugāni aṭṭha purisa-puggalā:

i.e., the four pairs—the eight types—of Noble Ones:

Esa bhagavato vaka-saṅgho—

That is the Saṅgha of the Blessed One’s disciples—

Āhuneyyo pāhuneyyo dakkhiṇeyyo añjali-karaṇīyo,

worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of respect,

Anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokasti.

the incomparable field of merit for the world.

(Think of Ven. Mogallāna, his supernormal powers & his compassion.)

Dhātu-parisuddhānubhāvena, sabba-dukkhā sabba-bhayā sabba-rogā vimuccanti.

Through the power of the purity of the property, they are released from all pain, all danger, all disease.

Iti uddham-adho tiriyaṁ sabbadhi sabbattatāya sabbāvantaṁ lokaṁ, mettā-karuṇā-muditā-upekkhā-sahagatena ceta, catuddisaṁ pharitvā viharati,

When one dwells spreading an awareness imbued with good will, compassion, empathetic joy, & equanimity in this way to the four directions, above, below, around, in every way throughout the entire cosmos,

Sukhaṁ supati, Sukhaṁ paṭibujjhati, Na pāpakaṁ supinaṁ passati,

one sleeps with ease, wakes with ease, dreams no evil dreams.

Manusnaṁ piyo hoti, amanusnaṁ piyo hoti, Devatā rakkhanti, Nāssa aggi vā visaṁ vā satthaṁ vā kamati,

One is dear to human beings, dear to non-human beings, guarded by divine beings, and untouched by fire, poison, or weapons.

Tuvaṭaṁ cittaṁ samādhiyati, Mukha-vaṇṇo vippadati,

One’s mind is quickly concentrated & one’s complexion bright.

Asammuḷho kālaṁ karoti, Uttariṁ appaṭivijjhanto brahma-lokūpago hoti.

One dies unconfused and—if penetrating no higher—is reborn in the Brahmā worlds.

Iti uddham-adho tiriyaṁ averaṁ averā sukha-jīvino.

Thus feeling no animosity above, below, & all around, free from animosity, one lives happily.

Kataṁ puñña-phalaṁ mayhaṁ sabbe bhāgī bhavantu te.

May all share in the blessings springing from the good I have done.

Bhavantu sabba-maṅgalaṁ rakkhantu sabba-devatā.

May there be every blessing; may all divine beings protect.

Sabba-buddhānubhāvena sabba-dhammānubhāvena sabba- saṅghānubhāvena sotthī hontu nirantaraṁ.

Through the power of all the Buddhas, Dhammas, & Sanghas may there be well-being without end.

Arahaṁ buddho itipi so bhagavā namāmi’haṁ.

The Awakened One is worthy & so he is Blessed: I pay him homage.


The chant for each of the remaining properties is identical with the chant for the wind property, i.e., (1) the passage on the Buddha’s virtues, (2) the passage on the Dhamma’s virtues, (3) the passage on the Saṅgha’s virtues, followed by the passage beginning, ‘Dhātu-parisuddhānubhāvena….’ Only the name of the property is changed:


2. Fire property: go-to-top icon

Tejo ca buddha-guṇaṁ…

Tejo ca dhammetaṁ…

Tejo ca saṅghānaṁ…

3. Water property: go-to-top icon

Āpo ca buddha-guṇaṁ…

Āpo ca dhammetaṁ…

Āpo ca saṅghānaṁ…

4. Earth property: go-to-top icon

Paṭhavī ca buddha-guṇaṁ…

Paṭhavī ca dhammetaṁ…

Paṭhavī ca saṅghānaṁ…

5. Space property: go-to-top icon

Ākā ca buddha-guṇaṁ…

Ākā ca dhammetaṁ…

Ākā ca saṅghānaṁ…

6. Consciousness property: go-to-top icon

Viññāṇañca buddha-guṇaṁ…

Viññāṇañca dhammetaṁ…

Viññāṇañca saṅghānaṁ…


Once you have memorized section 1, the remaining sections will be no problem, because they are virtually the same, differing only in the name of the property.

These six properties exist within each of us, so when you repeat the chant you should also think about the property you are chanting about: Wind—feelings of movement, such as the in-and-out breath; Fire—feelings of warmth; Water—liquid or cool feelings; Earth—feelings of heaviness or solidity; Space—feelings of emptiness; Consciousness—awareness of objects. If you think about these properties while you chant, the chant will be very beneficial.

The same chant can be used for the five aggregates, the twelve sense media, and the 32 parts of the body. The method of chanting is the same as with the six properties, simply substituting the names of the various aggregates, sense media, and parts of the body, as follows:


The Five Aggregates go-to-top icon

1. RūpañcaForm

2. Vedanā caFeeling

3. Saññā caPerception

4. Saṅkhārā caFabrications

5. ViññāṇañcaConsciousness of the six senses

The Twelve Sense Media go-to-top icon

1. Cakkhu caEyes

2. SotañcaEars

3. GhānañcaNose

4. Jivhā caTongue

5. Kāyo caBody

6. Mano caMind

7. RūpañcaForms

8. Saddo caSounds

9. Gandho caAromas

10. Raso caFlavors

11. Poṭṭhabbā caTactile sensations

12. DhammārammaṇañcaIdeas

The 32 Parts of the Body go-to-top icon

1. Kesā caHair of the head

2. Lomā caHair of the body

3. Nakhā caNails

4. Dantā caTeeth

5. Taco caSkin

6. MaṁsañcaFlesh

7. Nhārū caTendons

8. Aṭṭhī caBones

9. AṭṭhimiñjañcaBone marrow

10. VakkañcaSpleen

11. HadayañcaHeart

12. YakanañcaLiver

13. KilomakañcaMembranes

14. PihakañcaKidneys

15. PapphāsañcaLungs

16. AntañcaLarge intestines

17. AntaguṇañcaSmall intestines

18. UdariyañcaGorge

19. KarīsañcaFeces

20. MatthaluṅgañcaBrain

21. PittañcaGall

22. SemhañcaPhlegm

23. Pubbo caLymph

24. LohitañcaBlood

25. Sedo caSweat

26. Medo caFat

27. Assu caTears

28. Vasā caOil

29. Kheḷo caSaliva

30. Siṅghāṇikā caMucus

31. Lasikā caOil in the joints

32. MuttañcaUrine