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Praise of the Buddha
Morning chanting

Praise of the Buddha

Buddhābhithuti

The morning chant in praise of the Buddha: who he was, what he came to know, and how he taught it.

When it is chanted

Chanted in the morning service, after the preliminary homage. The leader gives a short introductory line and everyone joins in.

In a temple this chant runs straight into the praise of the Dhamma and the praise of the Saṅgha. Chanting alone at home, you can use just one of the three.

Background

This is not vague praise. It moves in order: the Buddha awakened by himself and was complete in both knowledge and conduct; what he came to know was this whole world with its gods, its māras, its brahmās, its ascetics and its people; and what he knew he then made known to others.

The line saying the teaching is good in the beginning, good in the middle and good at the end means it holds up the whole way through — it is not only attractive at the start.

All of this wording is the stock description repeated throughout the suttas whenever people of the time spoke about the Buddha. The Thai liturgy simply strings it together and closes with "I worship him, I bow my head to him."

Pali

  1. Yo so tathāgato arahaṃ sammāsambuddho That Tathāgata is worthy, awakened by himself to the truth,
  2. Vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū accomplished in knowledge and conduct, well gone, knower of the world,
  3. Anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṃ buddho bhagavā unsurpassed trainer of those who can be trained, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.
  4. Yo imaṃ lokaṃ sadevakaṃ samārakaṃ sabrahmakaṃ He came to know this world with its gods, its māras and its brahmās,
  5. Sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiṃ pajaṃ sadevamanussaṃ sayaṃ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedesi with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and its people, by his own direct knowledge, and then made it known.
  6. Yo dhammaṃ desesi ādikalyāṇaṃ majjhekalyāṇaṃ pariyosānakalyāṇaṃ He taught a Dhamma good in the beginning, good in the middle, good at the end,
  7. Sātthaṃ sabyañjanaṃ kevalaparipuṇṇaṃ parisuddhaṃ brahmacariyaṃ pakāsesi and set out the holy life complete in meaning and in wording, whole and pure.
  8. Tamahaṃ bhagavantaṃ abhipūjayāmi I worship that Blessed One.
  9. Tamahaṃ bhagavantaṃ sirasā namāmi I bow my head to that Blessed One.
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Where it comes from in the Tipiṭaka

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