Paritta (protective chants)
Jayamaṅgala Gāthā — the eight victories of the Buddha
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Paritta (protective chants)
Bojjhaṅga Paritta — the factors of awakening, chanted for the sick
Bojjhaṅgaparittaṃ
A chant that recites the seven factors of awakening. It is chanted at the bedside of the sick, following the Gilāna Suttas in which disciples heard the factors and rose from their illness.
When it is chanted
Commonly chanted at the bedside of someone who is ill, at home or in hospital, and also chanted for oneself when unwell or when the mind is too low to find its footing.
When chanting for a sick person, go slowly, keep your voice soft, and keep it short. Many patients tire quickly; if they want to rest, stop.
It helps to explain the meaning briefly afterwards rather than only chanting, because the content is seven qualities of mind that can still be trained while ill.
Background
In the Bojjhaṅga Saṃyutta, volume 19, three Gilāna Suttas stand together. Venerable Mahākassapa was gravely ill; the Buddha visited him and spoke of the seven factors of awakening. He was gladdened, and he rose from that illness. The next sutta tells the same of Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, and a third tells of the Buddha himself being ill and asking Venerable Mahācunda to recite the factors for him.
The seven are mindfulness, investigation of states, energy, joy, tranquillity, concentration and equanimity. They are qualities of mind that can be developed. The suttas do not say that chanting cures disease; they describe what became possible once the listener's mind regained its strength. Illness is not anyone's fault and not something anyone deserves. Chanting this at a bedside is a way of keeping someone company and giving their mind somewhere to rest — it does not replace their doctor.
In ordinary chanting books, the Bojjhaṅga Paritta is a set of later Pali verses beginning bojjhaṅgo satisaṅkhāto, which are not in the Tipiṭaka. This page uses the words of the Gilāna Sutta itself instead, taken from the Pali Tipiṭaka in this site's database, volume 19, with the names of the seven factors written out where the printed text abbreviates them.
Pali
- Sattime kassapa bojjhaṅgā mayā sammadakkhātā Kassapa, these seven factors of awakening have been rightly taught by me;
- Bhāvitā bahulīkatā abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṃvattanti when developed and made much of, they lead to direct knowledge, to awakening, to Nibbāna.
- Katame satta What are the seven?
- Satisambojjhaṅgo kho kassapa mayā sammadakkhāto The awakening factor of mindfulness, Kassapa, has been rightly taught by me.
- Dhammavicayasambojjhaṅgo kho kassapa mayā sammadakkhāto The awakening factor of investigation of states has been rightly taught by me.
- Viriyasambojjhaṅgo kho kassapa mayā sammadakkhāto The awakening factor of energy has been rightly taught by me.
- Pītisambojjhaṅgo kho kassapa mayā sammadakkhāto The awakening factor of joy has been rightly taught by me.
- Passaddhisambojjhaṅgo kho kassapa mayā sammadakkhāto The awakening factor of tranquillity has been rightly taught by me.
- Samādhisambojjhaṅgo kho kassapa mayā sammadakkhāto The awakening factor of concentration has been rightly taught by me.
- Upekkhāsambojjhaṅgo kho kassapa mayā sammadakkhāto The awakening factor of equanimity has been rightly taught by me.
- Bhāvito bahulīkato abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṃvattati When developed and made much of, it leads to direct knowledge, to awakening, to Nibbāna.
- Ime kho kassapa satta bojjhaṅgā mayā sammadakkhātā These, Kassapa, are the seven factors of awakening rightly taught by me;
- Bhāvitā bahulīkatā abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṃvattantīti when developed and made much of, they lead to direct knowledge, to awakening, to Nibbāna.
- Taggha bhagavā bojjhaṅgā taggha sugata bojjhaṅgāti Venerable Mahākassapa said: Surely they are the factors of awakening, Blessed One; surely they are, Well-Gone One.
Where it comes from in the Tipiṭaka
Click to read the actual page it refers to
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