When chanted

Chanted in the Seven Tamnan; among the best known of all Buddhist texts.

Historical background

The Seven Tamnan is the shorter of the two great paritta collections. Its texts are the same as those of the Twelve Tamnan; what differs is which are included and how far each is cut, and the book's three running orders shorten them further again. This printing opens at the deity's question rather than at the narrative frame.

The book prints its own reference. Dropping the frame is the commonest of the Seven Tamnan's abbreviations — the setting goes and the verse begins.

Meaning and purpose

The question repeats the failure its prefatory verse describes: many devas and humans have pondered on blessings, longing for well-being. Tell us the highest blessing.

The answer is a list and its order is the argument. It begins where anybody can begin — not keeping company with fools, keeping company with the wise, honouring those worthy of honour — and moves out through learning, craft, discipline, supporting one's parents, giving and blameless action.

The closing verse is why it is chanted for protection: having done such things, undefeated everywhere, they go everywhere in safety. Safety is presented as the consequence of conduct rather than of the chanting, and the text is nonetheless chanted for safety.

The chant

As the book prints it: page 166 and page 167 →

page 166 page 167