(Reprinted from the Buddhist Review, No. 5, pp. 223-28.)

[It has not been possible to render the diacritical marks referred to in the text in this HTML version of this essay. Ed.]

THERE, is, strictly speaking, neither Ritual nor Sacrament in Buddhism; a belief, indeed, in the efficacy of ritual or ceremonial forms of worship is by the Buddhist regarded as one of the Ten Great Fetters of the Mind­fetters which all must needs be broken before the great Consummation of the Path, the Goal of Arahantship, can be won. He truly is of Right Doctrine whose life is lived, not for self, but for the weal of all; beside this great test of Right Life, the Buddhist recks little of a man's mere theories and opinions, and holds his compliance with ritual observances as of no value, except so far as they make an actual difference in his life.

Yet, for the clearer defining, in the minds of men and of the Disciple himself, of adhesion to the Master's Teaching, there has been in use, from the very days of the Great Teacher, a Formula, known as the Tisarana or Threefold Refuge, and the Panca Sila or Five Precepts of Conduct, the recitation of which, before a Member of the Order, has come to be regarded as the special sign-manual of the Buddhist; and, further, as the outward sign of lay-discipleship, of entry into the Buddhist faith. It is this Formula which is here given, for the use of intending Disciples of the Buddha; firstly, in the Magadhi, the language which the Master spoke, which is now the Sacred Tongue of Buddhism; and, on the opposite page, in English, so that its full purport and meaning may be clear. Buddhism still uses, in its few public functions, this ancient language, firstly, in remembrance of Him whose speech it was; and, secondly, that the Buddhist may always find himself at home in the functions of his Faith in any land where the Most Excellent Law prevails. In that ancient tongue, the Formula is recited, layman and Monk alternately; the Bhikkhu "giving" the Refuges and Precepts, seated; the layman"receiving" or repeating them, kneeling; the beginning and end of the ceremony being marked, on the layman's part, by the "Anjali"­the salutation of the Threefold Treasure (the Buddha, the Doctrine and the Sangha or Community of Monks) by raising the hands, clasped, to the forehead. The meaning of this salutation is on this wise:­the right hand stands for the Norm, the mental Khandhas or Groups of the postulant; the left hand for the Form-group; these two, in Buddhist psychology, including all the being of a man. Thus we may interpret the Anjali as meaning:­may all my being be united, in the outer world in adoration­by thought, word, deed­of the Threefold Treasure; in the inner, truer sense, may this my Norm and Form unite in Oneness; may all life attain Nibbdna's Peace.

A few words may be added as to the pronunciation of the Pali. The Magadhi Language has an alphabet of 41 letters, so that in using the very defective Roman alphabet diacritical marks have to be added to the usual characters to make up the full number of sounds, and other distinctions made. The Short Vowels are a, i, u, pronounced as the vowels in hut, hit, foot, respectively. The Long Vowels are a, t, u, e, o; their values as in far, see, through , day, know, respectively. Thus the vowels have the same values as in German approximately, with the exception of the short a. There are no diphthongs.

The Consonants are divided into seven classes. (I.) Guttitrals: k, kh, g, gh, and n. Here the simple sounds, k and g, are hard as in king and good. The aspirated letters are the same sounds, followed by hard breathing; the same rule applies to the aspirates in other classes, so that th and h must not be pronounced, as in English thing and philology, but as in light-house and up-hill respectively. The final sound of the first class, written n, is the guttural nasal heard in long. (II.) Palatals : c, ch, j, jh , n. These are pronounced by the tongue touching the palate in front: c is used for the ch sound as in church; ch is the same sound aspirated; j as in English, not the softer sound used in French ; jh the same aspirated; n is as in Spanish, as heard in the middle sound in canon (canyon). (III.) Cerebrals: t, th, d, dh, n. Here the sounds are made again by touching tongue to palate, and so have the values of these letters as ordinarily used in English. (IV.) Dentals: , th, d, dh, n; in which the tongue is placed between the slightly separated teeth, thus giving a pure dental n, and purer and sharper t, d, and their aspirates than is commonly heard in English­approximating the usage of Scotland. Without practice the European can generally hear no great difference between the sounds of this class and the last. (V.) Labials : p , ph, b, bh, m ; formed by closing the lips and opening as in English. (VI.) Liquids: y, r, l, v. These have the English values, but v when followed by a consonant is pronounced as English w as in between. (VII.) Spirant and Sibilant: h and s, with English values; and the cerebral l­the ordinary l pronounced by touching palate in front instead of between the teeth as usual. This gives 40 sounds; the forty-first is a vague nasal, as heard in thing, and is written in Romaic with the special character m or m. There is in practice very little difference between th and fi, but the former, called Niggahita, should properly be pronounced by giving the nasal sound with the lips finally closed, whereas in n they are open.

Finally, as to accent; this is very simple, the rules being that (a) any syllable containing a long vowel is accentuated or prosodically long; andvice versd syllables containing short vowels are non-accented or short; and (b) a syllable containing a short vowel, but followed by Niggahita, m or by any doubled consonant, is accentuated in speech and prosodically long. Thus the accent falls on the first syllable in Buddha, the short u being followed by the double consonant ddh ; the first two syllables in Nibbana are accentuated, the last short. In such few words, as Samana, where all three syllables are prosodically short, there is generally a slight tendency to accentuate the first syllable.

Finally, in Romaic, it is customary to employ, for convenience sake (it makes no difference in pronunciation), an inverted comma, ', to mark elision; as where dutiyam' pi is written for dutiyam api; and also to use a circumflex accent over a vowel to mark crasis, as in Bhagavati for Bhagava iti.

The Magadhi of the Refuge and Precept Formulae is given on the left-hand central page, the translation on the right-hand page facing this. In order to facilitate recognition of the Migadhi words, the translation has throughout been made almost literal, the syntactical order of the Pali being preserved. The reader, it is hoped, will pardon the resultant awkwardness of the English in consideration of the assistance to proper comprehension and hence to memory.

ANANDA METTEYYA.

 

TISARANAGAMANAM.

Upasaka. Aham Bhante Tisaranena saha Panca-silam dhammam yacami; anuggaham katva, Silam detha me, Bhante.

Bhikkhu. Yam aham vadami, tam vadehi.

Upasaka. Ama, Bhante!

Bhikkhu. Namo Tassa Bhagavato, Arahato, Sammasambuddhassa!

Upasaka. Namo Tassa Bhagavato, Arahato, Sammasambuddhassa!

Bhikkhu. Buddam saranam gacchami.

Dhammam saranam gacchami.
 

Sangham saranam gacchami.

Upasaka repeats.

Bhikkhu. Dutiyam' pi Buddham saranam gacchami,

Dutiyam' pi Dhammam saranam gacchami,
 

Dutiyam' pi Sangham saranam gacchami.

Upasaka repeats.

Bhakkhu. Tatiyam' pi Buddham saranam gacchami.

Tatiyam' pi Dhammam saranam gacchami.
 

Tatiyam' pi Sangham saranam gacchami.

Upasaka repeats.

Bhikkhu. Tisaranagamanam sampunnam!

Upasaka. Ama, Bhante!

 

PANCA-SIKKHAPADANI.

(Each Precept, one at a time, is recited by the Bhikkhu and repeated by the Upasaka.)

1. Panatipata veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami.

2. Adinnadana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami.

3. Kamesu micchacara veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami.

4. Musavadaveramani sikkhapadam samadiyami.

5. Sura-meraya-majja-pamadatthana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami.

Bhikkhu. Tisaranena saha panca-silam dhammam sadhukam surakkhitam katva,­'Appamadena sampadehi!'

Upasaka. Ama, Bhante!

 

THE THREEFOLD REFUGE FORMULA.

Lay-disciple. I, Venerable Sir, the Threefold Refuge, together with the Five-Precept Rule, ask (from you): (your) assistance granting, the Precepts give me, Venerable Sir!

Monk. That which I recite (do) thou repeat.

Lay-disciple. Yes, Venerable Sir!

Monk. Glory be to Him, the Exalted Lord, the Holy One, the Utterly-Awakened!

The Lay-disciple repeats.

Monk . To the Buddha as a Guide (or, as a Refuge) I go.

To the Law as a Guide I go.
 

To the Order as a Guide I go.

The Lay-disciple repeats.

Monk. For the second time to the Buddha as a Guide I go.

For the second time to the Law as a Guide I go.
 

For the second time to the Order as a Guide I go.

The Lay-disciple repeats.

Monk. For the third time to the Buddha as a Guide I go.

For the third time to the Law as a Guide I go.
 

For the third time to the Order as a Guide I go.

The Lay-disciple repeats.

Monk. The Three-Refuge-going is accomplished!

Lay-disciple. Yes, Venerable Sir!

 

THE FIVE PRECEP'TS.

(Recited alternately by Monk and Lay-disciple.)

1. The Taking-of-life abstinence Precept I solemnly undertake.

2. The Taking-what-is-not-given abstinence Precept I solemnly undertake.

3. The In-passion's-ill-way-walking abstinence Precept I solemnly undertake.

4. The False-speech abstinence Precept I solemnly undertake.

5. The Strong- drink- intoxicant-wine-and-fermented-liquor abstinence Precept I solemnly undertake.

Monk. The Threefold Refuge together with the Five Precept Rule carefully well-guarding, "By earnestness mayest thou accomplish!"

Lay-disciple. So be it, Venerable Sir!