Suttas often chanted
Ādittapariyāya Sutta — The Fire Sermon
ĀdittapariyāyasuttaṃThe Buddha's third great teaching, given to a thousand former fire-worshippers at Gayāsīsa: eye, ear, nose, to…
Suttas often chanted
Verses on safe and unsafe refuge
Khemākhemasaraṇadīpikagāthā
Dhammapada verses: mountains, forests and sacred trees are not a safe refuge — the safe refuge is the Triple Gem and the four noble truths.
When it is chanted
Chanted when the pull to look for safety outside yourself is strong: in fear, or when facing something you cannot control.
Some temples chant it after the Three Refuges, since it explains what taking refuge in the Triple Gem actually means.
Background
These verses are in the Buddha chapter of the Dhammapada. They begin by describing what people actually do: when fear presses in, they go to mountains, forests, parks and trees held to be sacred.
The Buddha does not scold them for it. He points out that such refuges do not end suffering, because they change nothing in the mind of the person who runs to them. The one who goes to the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Saṅgha for refuge, and then sees the four noble truths with right understanding — that is the safe refuge.
The key phrase is seeing the four noble truths. Taking refuge in this sense is not placing your hopes in someone else; it is understanding suffering, its cause, its ending, and the path that leads there.
Pali
- Bahuṃ ve saraṇaṃ yanti pabbatāni vanāni ca Many people, when fear presses in, go looking for refuge:
- Ārāmarukkhacetyāni manussā bhayatajjitā to mountains, forests, parks and trees held to be sacred.
- Netaṃ kho saraṇaṃ khemaṃ netaṃ saraṇamuttamaṃ That is not a safe refuge, it is not the highest refuge.
- Netaṃ saraṇamāgamma sabbadukkhā pamuccati Taking that as refuge, one is not released from suffering.
- Yo ca buddhañca dhammañca saṅghañca saraṇaṃ gato But whoever goes for refuge to the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Saṅgha,
- Cattāri ariyasaccāni sammappaññāya passati and sees the four noble truths with right understanding —
- Dukkhaṃ dukkhasamuppādaṃ dukkhassa ca atikkamaṃ suffering, the arising of suffering, the passing beyond suffering,
- Ariyañcaṭṭhaṅgikaṃ maggaṃ dukkhūpasamagāminaṃ and the noble eightfold path that leads to its stilling —
- Etaṃ kho saraṇaṃ khemaṃ etaṃ saraṇamuttamaṃ that is the safe refuge, that is the highest refuge.
- Etaṃ saraṇamāgamma sabbadukkhā pamuccati Taking that as refuge, one is released from all suffering.
Where it comes from in the Tipiṭaka
Click to read the actual page it refers to
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Suttas often chanted
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Tirokuḍḍa Kaṇḍa — verses for dedicating merit to the departed
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