best suttas to memorize? techniques?

Exploring Theravāda's connections to other paths - what can we learn from other traditions, religions and philosophies?
User avatar
Cittasanto
Posts: 6646
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:31 pm
Location: Ellan Vannin
Contact:

Re: Aditthana – Memorize the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta

Post by Cittasanto »

Hi Khalil,
Be careful with the texts and chanting files there maybe differences.

but :anjali: :anjali: :anjali: it is my favourite to chant
Khalil Bodhi wrote:I suppose you could call it a form of New Year’s resolution but I quite spontaneously (perhaps impulsively) decide last night to take up the memorization of the Dhammacakkappavattana sutta again. I believe the English title is the Discourse on the Setting in Motion of the Dhamma Wheel and it contains, as such, the core teachings such as the Four Noble Truths and the Eight-fold Path. If there were one sutta that I ever wanted to memorize in its entirety for fear of being left without a physical or digital copy of the Dhamma this would be it. I have memorized the Metta sutta in English in the past as well as gathas but this will be the first sutta of significant length I will attempt.

In essence, I plan to use the Dhammaruwan recording (here: http://www.pirith.org/download/Dhammachakka.mp3" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) in conjunction with Ven. Anandajoti’s rendering of the sutta as found in the Vinaya-pitaka and I’ll come back here later to add in the links. I intend to dedicate the half hour required to recite the sutta every evening which would put my evening session at around 45 minutes in total with a fifteen minute metta session. I’ve decided to give myself until the end of the year to memorize it at which point I may choose either the Mahamangala or Karaniya Metta Sutta.

I would like to invite anyone who feels so inclined to join me on this quasi-New Year's resolution.
Blog, Suttas, Aj Chah, Facebook.

He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
User avatar
Sambojjhanga
Posts: 109
Joined: Sat Nov 03, 2012 3:51 pm
Location: San Diego, California, USA

Re: best suttas to memorize? techniques?

Post by Sambojjhanga »

Cittasanto wrote:
alan... wrote:
Cittasanto wrote: I think in practical terms these two are hard to beat no matter the length. but the Dhammacakkhapavatena sutta is supremely useful.
yeah see i love this sutta and it's on my list but it's not got a lot of advice directly explaining practice. it's certainly a sutta that includes information i would want memorized though after i memorize satipatthana.
does a map directly explain or point in the direction?
the Dhammacakkha Sutta is telling us far more that you may think as it is what some would call a wisdom text.
What do you mean by a "wisdom text"? Would this be the same thing as an "illuminated text" in some traditions?

:namaste:
Sabba rasam dhammaraso jinati
The flavor of the dhamma exceeds all other flavors
alan...
Posts: 824
Joined: Thu Dec 06, 2012 9:37 pm

Re: Aditthana – Memorize the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta

Post by alan... »

Khalil Bodhi wrote:I suppose you could call it a form of New Year’s resolution but I quite spontaneously (perhaps impulsively) decide last night to take up the memorization of the Dhammacakkappavattana sutta again. I believe the English title is the Discourse on the Setting in Motion of the Dhamma Wheel and it contains, as such, the core teachings such as the Four Noble Truths and the Eight-fold Path. If there were one sutta that I ever wanted to memorize in its entirety for fear of being left without a physical or digital copy of the Dhamma this would be it. I have memorized the Metta sutta in English in the past as well as gathas but this will be the first sutta of significant length I will attempt.

In essence, I plan to use the Dhammaruwan recording (here: http://www.pirith.org/download/Dhammachakka.mp3" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) in conjunction with Ven. Anandajoti’s rendering of the sutta as found in the Vinaya-pitaka and I’ll come back here later to add in the links. I intend to dedicate the half hour required to recite the sutta every evening which would put my evening session at around 45 minutes in total with a fifteen minute metta session. I’ve decided to give myself until the end of the year to memorize it at which point I may choose either the Mahamangala or Karaniya Metta Sutta.

I would like to invite anyone who feels so inclined to join me on this quasi-New Year's resolution.
cool! eightfold path and truths are in maha satipatthana sutta as well, if they weren't i would probably have decided to memorize another one first. my resolution was to strive even harder to walk the eightfold path. particularly verbal stuff as that's hard for me working with a huge variety of different kinds of people, it can be hard not to talk mindlessly.
User avatar
Cittasanto
Posts: 6646
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:31 pm
Location: Ellan Vannin
Contact:

Re: best suttas to memorize? techniques?

Post by Cittasanto »

Sambojjhanga wrote:What do you mean by a "wisdom text"? Would this be the same thing as an "illuminated text" in some traditions?
No, it is a text which aims at/or can be used to cultivate wisdom.
Blog, Suttas, Aj Chah, Facebook.

He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
User avatar
Sambojjhanga
Posts: 109
Joined: Sat Nov 03, 2012 3:51 pm
Location: San Diego, California, USA

Re: best suttas to memorize? techniques?

Post by Sambojjhanga »

Cittasanto wrote:
Sambojjhanga wrote:What do you mean by a "wisdom text"? Would this be the same thing as an "illuminated text" in some traditions?
No, it is a text which aims at/or can be used to cultivate wisdom.
Thank you for clarifying.
Sabba rasam dhammaraso jinati
The flavor of the dhamma exceeds all other flavors
alan...
Posts: 824
Joined: Thu Dec 06, 2012 9:37 pm

Re: best suttas to memorize? techniques?

Post by alan... »

Cittasanto wrote:
Sambojjhanga wrote:What do you mean by a "wisdom text"? Would this be the same thing as an "illuminated text" in some traditions?
No, it is a text which aims at/or can be used to cultivate wisdom.
So satipatthana and anapanasati are both wisdom texts as well then right?
User avatar
Cittasanto
Posts: 6646
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:31 pm
Location: Ellan Vannin
Contact:

Re: best suttas to memorize? techniques?

Post by Cittasanto »

alan... wrote:
Cittasanto wrote:
Sambojjhanga wrote:What do you mean by a "wisdom text"? Would this be the same thing as an "illuminated text" in some traditions?
No, it is a text which aims at/or can be used to cultivate wisdom.
So satipatthana and anapanasati are both wisdom texts as well then right?
sure, there is no hard and fast rule on the use.
Blog, Suttas, Aj Chah, Facebook.

He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
User avatar
Biija
Posts: 29
Joined: Mon Sep 23, 2013 6:18 pm

Re: best suttas to memorize? techniques?

Post by Biija »

Cittasanto wrote:This is essentially a link to the PDF of everything I have memorised, and what I used http://www.buddhanet.net/cmdsg/bm2.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

if you start memorising the pali satipatthana I have a good sound file to help.
Hello, friends. Has anyone got the PDF file mentioned above by Cittasanto? I really want to see this PDF to have an idea of what's worthy memorizing. When I click on the link, an error occurs.

Thanks. :thumbsup:
Kayo
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Mar 24, 2014 8:47 pm

Re: best suttas to memorize? techniques?

Post by Kayo »

Hey Alan,

Thanks for posting this topic. I'm looking to memorize the sattipathana sutta as well. I know this was traditionally done through chanting. You know where I might find a call & response chanting of this sutta? And/or maybe the Pali translated line for line directly under/above the English.

How'd you do it?

Thanks
Post Reply