The Advantages of Chanting Buddhaguna
by Phra Rajsuddhinanmangala
English version by Dr. Suchitra Ronruen
Rajbhat Institute Dhonburi
Issaraparb Rd, Bangkok 10600
An Approval
Chanting the holy stanzas is the way of life. A person who chants everyday will be good and prosperous. He will be able to share this merit to his friends and to all beings.
May you and your family members chant everyday for your well-being, rich of fortune, happiness and wisdom.
You should advise your children to chant every night before they go to bed. If they do this with firm faith, these benefits should be expected. They are:
1. They will have good discipline.
2. They won’t argue with their parents but will be obedient and respectful.
3. When they are grown up, they will be good members of the society as well as good citizen of the nation.
4. He who chants everyday will lead a good, prosperous, rich, smart and intellectual life. He will get all good things he wishes.
Congratulations!
Phra Rajsuddhinananmangala
Buddhaguna (woshipping the Enlightened one). I have discovered that when some people are foretold by a fortune-teller that they have bad luck and something should be done to eradicate that bad luck. With the help of mindfulness, a thought arises in my mind that it’s much better to chant Buddhaguna than to get advice from a fortune-teller. I then tell my disciples to follow this idea and it works well.
The chanting begins with Namo Tassa Bhagavato…, refuges, Buddhaguna, Dhammaguna, Sanghaguna, Bahum and Mahakaruniko. After that, chant only Buddhaguna as many times as your age plus one. Suppose you are 40, then chant Buddhaguna 41 times and if you are 35, then chant Buddhaguna 36 times.
There was a fifty-one-year-old Christian widow who was a millionaires and had only one son. This widow possessed lots of lands in Lad Prao and Klong San-sab. Her son was not keep in learning and she sent him to study in U.S.A. The son was not interested in his studies. He spent three years there as a playboy and often wrote to his mother to send him money, lying to her that he nearly finished his studies. From time to time, the son deceived his mother to send him one hundred thousand, then five hundred thousand and so on.
The mother did not know what to do, she then went to a fortune-teller to have him ridden her of her bad luck. She paid lots of money to the fortune-teller, hoping that he would help her son to finish his studies. She also went to other fortune-tellers but none of them could solve her problem though she had paid them a lot. She was very nervous and could neither eat nor sleep.
Fortunately, a man from Singburi who was one of her employees knew and asked for my help. At that time i didn’t know that she was a Christian and when i saw her face i knew that her son would finish his M.A. and would continue a Ph.D. But why couldn’t he finish his B.A., i wondered.
I suggested to her to chant Buddhaguna 52 times every night but she said she couldn’t because she was a Christian. That day she left the monastery hopeless.
She came back again after four or five months had passed. This time she came alone and confessed that “Luang Poh, i will follow your advice”. I then told her to buy a chant book but she refused. Her reason was that any Christian could not keep the chant book in the house. She requested me to write the words of the chant for her. I had to write the chant words of Buddhaguna, Dhammaguna, Sanghaguna, Bahum and Mahaka for her. She still said, “I can’t chant in the chanting hall because i am not a Buddhist.” I suggest that she could chant in her bed by counting pieces of matches for the 52 times of chanting. Having finished chanting she should transfer merit to her son. I forbade her to scold him and suggested that she must wish him happiess and success in his studies.
For three months she had followed my suggestion. She could remember all the words she chanted and there were two advantages she got.
First, her nervousness had gone. She became mindful and could eat and sleep. When she was happy, she began to transfer merit to her son in U.S.A. After six months of chanting, the son got that merit. The day he got it he had a serious accident. The car he was driving crashed on the electric distribution pole. His friends who sat in the back seat were thrown out of the car but none of them got hurt. Only he who was in the car, was hurt. The electric distribution pole had fallen down (and he had to pay lots of money for this accident). The driver was unconscious and was sent to the ICU room. Fortunately, one of his counsins was a doctor in U.S.A. He came to see him at the hospital. The doctors reported to the cousin that the patient should be dead.
On the following day he became conscious and felt seriously hurt. Tears filled his eyes when he thought of his mother. I notice that when someone is in trouble, he usually thinks of his mother but when he is happy with his friends, the mother is absolutely forgotten.
Secondly, the son missed his mother a lot. He was sorry that how unhappy would she be if she had known that her son did not finish his studies. He then determined that he would try to finish his studies as soon as he recovered.
Finally he came back to Thailand and his mother brought him to meet me. He revealed what happened to him. After he had got well, he chanted every day and also went to practise vipassana meditation at Thai Temple in U.S.A. He could finish his B.A. as well as an M.A. and i knew that he would finish his Ph.D in the future.
I then conclude that whenever someone is in trouble, he will think of his mother and perceive the Dhamma. That widow’s son said to me “Venerable sir, i never missed my mother during three or four years while i was in U.S.A. but when i was in hospital, i missed her so much.” The mother told her son that it was i who helped him. He then had faith in me and i told him if he believed me, he should have his hair cut because he wore long hair. He went immediately to Singburi to have his hair cut. I then postulate that when someone is in bad luck, he should chant Buddhaguna.
When i met Somdech Phra Banaratana of Wat Pa Kaew
One night i dreamt that i went somewhere and met a monk wearing a very old triple robe, the appearance and bearing appropriate to a monk. I saw that he was a senior monk, i then paid respect to him. He stooped in front of me saying:
I am Somdech Phra Banaratana of Wat Pa Kaew of Ayudhaya. I want you to go to Wat Yai Chaimongkol to see my inscription that i engraved for blessing King Naret the Great of Thailand, on the occasion of the finish of Triumph Pagoda construction. This Triumph Pagoda was built to celebrate King Naret the Great since he triumphed over King Maha Uparaja of Burma and liberated Thailand from Burma for the first time. When you see my inscription, make a note of it and spread it to others. It’s time you must know this.
In the dream i accepted his order and he told me where the inscription was kept in the Pagoda. I reflected about my dream and thought that i was mindful all the time and such untrue dreams could not be happening to me. I had been informed the same day that the Fine Arts Department would finish restoring that pagoda and the scaffolding would be pulled down.
I went to the pagoda and climbed up to the top to find way to the bottom. There was a scaffolding and i was determined to climb down though it was very dangerous. If i fell down the scaffolding, it meant that my life would cease to be. Around 9.00a.m. I climbed down to the bottom of the pagoda with a fleshlight in my hand and saw what Somdech Phra Banaratam had told me in the dream.
I had just realized that the inscription he told me was in fact the chant called “Bahum Mahaka”, a well-known chant.
The end of the inscription was written: “I am Somdech Phra Banaratana of Wat Pa Kaew of Ayudhaya. I engraved this inscription to bless King Naret the Great.” The Bahum Mahaka is the chant consisting of Buddhaguna, Dhammaguna, Sanghaguna, Bahum that begins with Bahum Sahassa.. to Duggathaditthi till Mahakaruniko natho hitaya and ends with Bhavatu sabba mangalam…Sabba Buddha Sabba Dhamma, Sabba Sanghanu
bhavena sada Sotthi bhavantu te. I called this chant “Bahum Mahaka”.
I then understood at that moment that Bahum Mahaka was composed by Somdech Phra Banaratana of Wat Pa Kaew, presented to King Naret so that the king should chant daily especially during war time. It appeared that King Naret never lost the war but won every time even though he was alone with his brother among thousands of Burmese soldiers in the war, but the Burmese still couldn’t catch neither he nor his brother because of the protection of this chant.
After i had found what was in my dream, i climbed up with great relief. I spent nearly three hours at the bottom of the pagoda. My body was dusty and covered with spider-webs. A nun saw me and asked in a loud voice. “Luang Poh, did you enter that cave?” But i said nothing. Since then, i have taught this chant to my disciples. Why? Because this chant is the most valuable and it gives the greatest benefits since it comes from the eight hymns of the Buddha’s glorious triumphs that he had conquered Mara, Alavaka Yakkha, the elephant Nalagiri, the robber Angulimala, the woman named Cinca, the mendicant Saccaka, Nandopananda Naga and Baka, the brahma god. The victories the Enlightened One got was because of his Perfections. One who recites and recollects these eight hymns will be prosperous and mindful. If he dies mindfully, he will be born in Happy States.
I wish that everybody chant this “Bahum Mahaka” every day to protect himself as well as his family. If all citizens chant, then our country will be prosperous and ignorant people will disappear from our society.
Not only did King Naret the Great get advantages because of this chant, but King Tak Sin the Great also got these advantages. There was an ancient memorandum telling this:
“When King Tak Sin the Great conquered Chandaburi, he realized that this war would be serious and would last long. He then ordered his soldiers to make the flag like that of Ayudhaya’s and invited senior monks to chant this “Bahum Mahaka” and he himself followed in King Naret’s footsteps and finally could succeed in liberating Thailand from Burma.
May every household chant this “Bahum Mahaka” for prosperity.
How to Chant (Method of Chanting)
Begin with “Vandana” to “Jayaparittam (The Victory Protection) only one chant. Then chant Itipiso as many times as your age plus one. After that, chant the aspiration, then follow by the transference of merit. When you finish this, you can make whatever wish you want.
Buddha Vacana (Buddha’s Words)
Sabbapapassa akaranam (To avoid all evil,)
Kusalassupasampada (To cultivate good,)
Sacittapariyodapanam (To purify one’s mind,)
Etam Buddhana sasanam (This is the teaching of the Buddhas.)
VANDANA
Namo tassa Bhagavato Arahato Samma-sambuddhassa
Namo tassa Bhagavato Arahato Samma-sambuddhassa
Namo tassa Bhagavato Arahato Samma-sambuddhassa
TI-SARANA
Buddham saranam gacchami
Dhammam saranam gacchami
Sangham saranam gacchami
Dutiyampi Buddham saranam gacchami
Dutiyampi Dhammam saranam gacchami
Dutiyampi Sangham saranam gacchami
Tatiyampi Buddham saranam gacchami
Tatiyampi Dhammam saranam gacchami
Tatiyampi Sangham saranam gacchami
Itipi so Bhagava Araham
Sammasambuddho vijjacarana-sampanno
Sugato Lokavidu
Anuttaro purisadhamma-sarathi sattha
Devamannussanam
Buddho Bhagavati
Svakkhato Bhagavata Dhammo
Sanditthiko
Akaliko
Ehipassiko
Opanayiko
Paccattam veditabbo vinnuhi’ti
Supatipanno Bhagavato savakasangho
Ujupatipanno Bhagavato savakasangho
Nayapatipanno Bhagavato savakasangho
Samicipatipanno Bhagavato savakasangho
Yadidam cattari purisayugani
Atthapurisapuggala
Esa Bhagavato savakasangho
Ahuneyyo
Pahuneyyo
Dakkhineyyo
Anjalikaraniyo
Anuttaram Punnakkhettam lokassati
JAYA-MANGALA-GATHA
Bahum sahassa’ mabhinimmita savudhantam
Girimekhalam udita ghora sasena maram
Danadi dhamma vidhina jitava Munindo
Tam tejasa bhavatu me jayamangalani
Marati reka’mabhiyujjhita sabbarattim
Ghorampanalavaka makkhamathaddha yakkham
Khanti sudanta vidhina jitava Munindo
Tam tejasa bhavatu me jayamangalani
Nalagirim gajavaram atimatta bhutam
Davaggi cakka’masaniva sudarunantam
Mettambuseka vidhinna jitava Munindo
Tam tejasa bhavatu me jayamangalani
Ukkhitta-khagga matihattha sudarunantam
Dhavam tiyojanapatham’Gulimala vantam
Iddhibhi sankhata mano jitava Munindo
Tam tejasa bhavatu me jayamangalani
Katvana kattha’mudaram iva gabbhi niya
Cincaya duttha vacanam janakaya majjhe
Santena somavidhina jitava Munindo
Tam tajasa bhavatu me jayamanalani
Saccam vihaya matisaccaka vadaketum
Vadabhiropitamanam atiandhabhutam
Pannapadipa jalito munindo
Tam tejasa bhavatu me jayamangalani
Nandopananda bhujagam vibudham mahiddhim
Puttena thera bhujagena damapayanto
Iddhipadesa vidhina jitava Munindo
Tam tejasa bhavatu me jayamangalani
Duggahaditthi bhujagena sudattha hattham
Brahman visuddhi jutim’iddhi bakabhidhanam
Nanagadena vidhina jitava Munindo
Tam tejasa bhavatu me jayamangalani
Eta pi Buddha jayamangla atthagatha
Yo vacako dinadine sarate matandi
Hitvana nekavivdhani c’upaddhavani
Mokkham sukham adhigameyya naro sapanno
N.B. The last line “me” is changed to “te” if repeated for others.
JAYAPARITTAM (THE VICTORY PROTECTION)
Mahakaruniko natho hitaya sabbapaninam
Puretva parami sabba patto sambodhimuttaman
Etena saccavajjena hotu te jayamangalam
Jayanto bodhiya mule sakyanam nandivaddhano
Evam tvam vijayo hohi jayassu jayamangale
Aparajitapallanke sise pathavipokkhare
Abhiseke sabbabuddhanam aggapatto pamodati
Sunakkhattam sumangalam supabhatam suhutthitam
Sukhano sumuhutto ca suyittham brahmmacarisu
Padakkhinam kayakammam vacakammam padakkhinam
Paddkkhinam manokammam panidthi te padakkhina
Padakkhinani katvana labhantatthe padakhine
Bhavatu sabba mangalam-rakkhantu sabba devata
sabba Buddhanu bhavena-sada sotti bhavantu te.
bhavatu sabba mangalam-rakkhantu sabba devata
sabba dhammanu bhavena-sada sotti bhavantu te.
bhavatu sabba mangalam-rakkhantu sabba devata
sabba Sanghanu bhavena-sada sotti bhavantu te.
Iti’pi so Bhagava Araham
Sammasambuddho vijjacarana-sampanno
Sugato Lokavidu
Anuttaro purisadhamma-sarathi sattha
Devamannussanam
Buddho Bhagavati
(Repeat this part as many times as your age plus one)
PATTIDANA
Idam me matapitunam hotu
Sukhita hontu matapitaro
Idam me natinam hotu
Sukhita hontu natayo
Idam me gurupajjhayacariya
nam hotu
Sukhita hontu
gurupajjhayacariya
Idam sabba devanam hotu
Sukhita hontu sabbe deva
Idam sabba petanam hotu
Sukhita hontu sabbe peta
Idam sabba verinam hotu
Sukhita hontu sabbe veri
Idam sabba sattanam hotu
Sukhita hontu sabbe satta
Buddha Vacana (Buddha’s Words)
Attanava katam papam (By oneself is evil done,)
attana sankilisati (By oneself is one defiled,)
attana akatam papam (By oneself is evil left undone,)
attanava visujjhati (By oneself is one purified,)
Suddhi asuddhi paccattam (Purity and impurity depend on onself)
nanno annam visodhaye (No one can purify another.)
Should you like to have a printed chanting booklet of “The Advantages of Chanting Buddhaguna” please proceed HERE.