Evening Chanting (English)
Verses on the Buddha’s First Exclamation
[ Ha꜓nda mayaṃ paṭhama-bu꜕ddha-bhāsi꜕ta-gāthāyo bh꜕aṇāmase ]
A꜕neka꜕-jāti꜕-sa꜓ṃsā꜓raṃ
sa꜕ndhāviss꜓aṃ a꜕nibbi꜕saṃ
Ga꜕ha-kā꜕raṃ ga꜕vesa꜓nto
dukkhā jāt꜕i pu꜕nappu꜕naṃ
For many lifetimes in the ro꜕und o꜕f birth,
Wandering on e꜓ndle꜕ssly,
For the bu꜕ilde꜕r o꜕f th꜕is ho꜕use I꜕ searched —
How painful is repe꜓ated꜕ birth.
Ga꜕ha-kā꜕raka꜕ diṭṭho꜓’si
pu꜕na gehaṃ na kā꜓hasi
Sa꜕bbā te phāsu꜕kā bhaggā
gaha-kūṭa꜓ṃ vi꜕saṅkh꜕ataṃ
Visa꜓ṅkhā꜕ra-ga꜕taṃ ci꜕ttaṃ
taṇhānaṃ kh꜕aya꜕m-ajjh꜕agā
House-builder yo꜕u’ve be꜕en seen,
Another home you w꜓ill no꜕t build,
All your ra꜕fte꜕rs ha꜕ve be꜕en snapped,
Dismantle꜓d is your ri꜕dge-pole;
The non-co꜓nstructing mi꜕nd
Ha꜕s co꜕me to꜕ cra꜕vi꜕ng’s end.