The Dhamma Wheel Memorization Challenge

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BKh
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The Dhamma Wheel Memorization Challenge

Post by BKh »

Welcome to the Dhamma Wheel Memorization Challenge.

The purpose of this thread is to provide support and encouragement for people who would like to memorize small or large passages from the suttas or list of important doctrinal items. When you have found a passage you would like to memorize, post it within quote tags in a message. Then come back an report when you have it memorized or if you need help along the way. If you find a passage already listed in the thread that you would like to memorize, just quote it and add your aspiration to memorize it.

For regular Dhamma Wheel users, seeing the thread bumped back to the top can serve as a reminder to review your text and make sure it is still held in the mind.

Please try to keep the focus on the memorization of passages, not discussing the passages themselves. Tips on memorizing and sharing your experience of memorizing the passage are welcome.

Feel free to post any sutta passages you find that specifically encourage memorization even if you don't plan on memorizing them. There are also several passages that the Buddha himself encouraged his disciples to memorize and it would be good to get them listed here as well.
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BKh
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Re: The Dhamma Wheel Memorization Challenge

Post by BKh »

So, I've been working on this one for a few days...
§27. "Bhikkhus, for a faithful disciple who is intent on fathoming the Teacher’s Dispensation, it is natural that he conduct himself thus: ‘The Blessed One is the Teacher, I am a disciple; the Blessed One knows, I do not know.’ For a faithful disciple who is intent on fathoming the Teacher’s Dispensation, the Teacher’s Dispensation is nourishing and refreshing."
MN 70 Kitagiri Sutta
This is from the latest edition of The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, Trans. Ven. Nanamoli and Ven. Bodhi. The whole sutta can be found on line translated by Ajahn Thanissaro here:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

NOTE: I've noticed a lot of people using color in their posts recently. Perhaps folks could use color to highlight passages being memorized to make them stand out. Regular text could be left in black.
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Lombardi4
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Re: The Dhamma Wheel Memorization Challenge

Post by Lombardi4 »

Hi. I just want to offer another translation of that same passage (transl. by S. Dhammika):
For a disciple who has faith in the Teacher's instruction and who lives in harmony with it, his idea is: "The Teacher is the Lord; I am the disciple. The Lord knows; I do not." For a disciple who has faith in the Teacher's instruction and who lives in harmony with it, the Teacher's instruction is furthering in growth, strength-giving.
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Polar Bear
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Re: The Dhamma Wheel Memorization Challenge

Post by Polar Bear »

The Blessed One said, "What is the All? Simply the eye & forms, ear & sounds, nose & aromas, tongue & flavors, body & tactile sensations, intellect & ideas. This, monks, is called the All. [1] Anyone who would say, 'Repudiating this All, I will describe another,' if questioned on what exactly might be the grounds for his statement, would be unable to explain, and furthermore, would be put to grief. Why? Because it lies beyond range."
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


I'll start with this one since it's concise and says quite a bit.
"I don't envision a single thing that, when developed & cultivated, leads to such great benefit as the mind. The mind, when developed & cultivated, leads to great benefit."

"I don't envision a single thing that, when undeveloped & uncultivated, brings about such suffering & stress as the mind. The mind, when undeveloped & uncultivated, brings about suffering & stress."
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rowboat
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Re: The Dhamma Wheel Memorization Challenge

Post by rowboat »

I won't post the object of my memorization project in quotes but I have determined, about a month ago, to memorize the Divine Mantra: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/thai ... antra.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This will be more difficult for me and take much more time than it would for many people. Fortunately I have downloaded and listen regularly to a good quality recording of Ven. Thanissaro chanting the Divine Mantra very beautifully.
Rain soddens what is covered up,
It does not sodden what is open.
Therefore uncover what is covered
That the rain will not sodden it.
Ud 5.5
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Cittasanto
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Re: The Dhamma Wheel Memorization Challenge

Post by Cittasanto »

I Learnt the Dhammacakkhapavattena, adittpapariyaya & anatalakhana suttas and the funeral chanting in pali, and understand what they are saying reasonably well while I am reciting them, although I havn't done them for a while, will need to brush up :) :anjali: thank-you for the reminder :)

The main thing in memorising I find, is consistency, and a desire to learn them!

I would sugest a book by Ruane which has a nice selection with analasis for a good book to learn passages from!
http://www.amazon.com/Pali-Buddhist-Tex ... 070071068X" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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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
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Polar Bear
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Re: The Dhamma Wheel Memorization Challenge

Post by Polar Bear »

Just as the ocean has a gradual shelf, a gradual slope, a gradual inclination, with a sudden drop-off only after a long stretch, in the same way this Doctrine and Discipline (dhamma-vinaya) has a gradual training, a gradual performance, a gradual progression, with a penetration to gnosis only after a long stretch.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I also will memorize this to help remind myself of the long term goal.
"I don't envision a single thing that, when developed & cultivated, leads to such great benefit as the mind. The mind, when developed & cultivated, leads to great benefit."

"I don't envision a single thing that, when undeveloped & uncultivated, brings about such suffering & stress as the mind. The mind, when undeveloped & uncultivated, brings about suffering & stress."
BKh
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Re: The Dhamma Wheel Memorization Challenge

Post by BKh »

This will be more difficult for me and take much more time than it would for many people.
As a point of encouragement (not debate) I just want to say that we all have to work hard at memorizing. It is possible that for some people it may stick more quickly, but they may not necessarily keep it with them. And I think when we are memorizing Dhamma passages, there is inherent benefit from the memorization process as well as the outcome. Again, I'm not trying to debate how hard or easy it is for some people to memorize, just to remind us that no matter who we are it involves work and that work itself is valuable.

Also, I think it's fine if people would rather keep private the passage they are memorizing. They should feel free to post their aspiration here anyway.
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rowboat
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Re: The Dhamma Wheel Memorization Challenge

Post by rowboat »

BKh wrote:
This will be more difficult for me and take much more time than it would for many people.
As a point of encouragement (not debate) I just want to say that we all have to work hard at memorizing. It is possible that for some people it may stick more quickly, but they may not necessarily keep it with them. And I think when we are memorizing Dhamma passages, there is inherent benefit from the memorization process as well as the outcome. Again, I'm not trying to debate how hard or easy it is for some people to memorize, just to remind us that no matter who we are it involves work and that work itself is valuable.

Also, I think it's fine if people would rather keep private the passage they are memorizing. They should feel free to post their aspiration here anyway.
Thank you for your encouragement, Bhante. I fully agree that there is inherent value in memorizing Dhamma passages. I think I will begin to post specific passages here once I have made more progress toward my goal. As it is now I am merely regularly listening to the Divine Mantra while sitting with my eyes closed and working at hearing-out all of the distinct Pali words. The next step, I think, is to begin regular listening while the lights are on, following along to the recording while reading the Pali text.

I very much look forward to being able to chant the complete Divine Mantra from memory.

:anjali:
Rain soddens what is covered up,
It does not sodden what is open.
Therefore uncover what is covered
That the rain will not sodden it.
Ud 5.5
jackson
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Re: The Dhamma Wheel Memorization Challenge

Post by jackson »

I have a pretty terrible memory, but I think this excerpt from the Bahiya Sutta is most worthy of memorization:
"Herein, Bahiya, you should train yourself thus: 'In the seen will be merely what is seen; in the heard will be merely what is heard; in the sensed will be merely what is sensed; in the cognized will be merely what is cognized.' In this way you should train yourself, Bahiya.

"When, Bahiya, for you in the seen is merely what is seen... in the cognized is merely what is cognized, then, Bahiya, you will not be 'with that.' When, Bahiya, you are not 'with that,' then, Bahiya, you will not be 'in that.' When, Bahiya, you are not 'in that,' then, Bahiya, you will be neither here nor beyond nor in between the two. Just this is the end of suffering."

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .irel.html
Thank you for starting this thread!
"The heart of the path is quite easy. There’s no need to explain anything at length. Let go of love and hate and let things be. That’s all that I do in my own practice." - Ajahn Chah
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Cittasanto
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Re: The Dhamma Wheel Memorization Challenge

Post by Cittasanto »

May I suggest that it maybe easier to learn common gathas and paritta chants, than to pick passages from the canon?

There are resourses around (such as chanting books) which have a good selection of verses from the canon, and it has the added benefit of being useful for those who go to monasteries where these chants are done, as you would be able to understand the chanting in a fuller way, and be able to chant along with the group.
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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
BKh
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Re: The Dhamma Wheel Memorization Challenge

Post by BKh »

Cittasanto wrote:May I suggest that it maybe easier to learn common gathas and paritta chants, than to pick passages from the canon?
I disagree. People should be encouraged to memorize whatever sutta passages they like. There is no benefit in people having a lingering doubt, "Oh, this is really tough. I should have been memorizing Pali verses." What is common to one person won't be common to another. Although I probably would not have chosen them, the passages people have posted so far are exactly what I had in mind when starting this thread.

Prose passages are perfect and excellent for memorization. Prose or verse, we have to work hard.

Cittasanto, I know your comment wasn't intended to discourage anyone, but I think it's important that people undertake their determination free and clear. And I really don't think pose passage are harder to memorize.
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Cittasanto
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Re: The Dhamma Wheel Memorization Challenge

Post by Cittasanto »

Hi BKh,
are people free and clear to learn Pali chanting if they wish? or both? should those who wish to not be encouraged also? or assisted with resources for those who do? or is this a non-specified English memorisation only thread?
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
BKh
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Re: The Dhamma Wheel Memorization Challenge

Post by BKh »

Cittasanto wrote:are people free and clear to learn Pali chanting if they wish?
Of course! I just didn't want people to be discouraged from memorizing English and prose sutta passages. Please feel free to encourage people to memorize verse and Pali, just not to the exclusion of English (or other translation) and prose.

Apologies if that wasn't clear.
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BKh
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Re: The Dhamma Wheel Memorization Challenge

Post by BKh »

There is a good article here on memorizing verbatim text:
http://www.productivity501.com/how-to-m ... -text/294/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I find the method suggested there very helpful. Basically, you convert your text into a string of just the first letters and use it as a recall crutch. So the text I am working on now...
§27. "Bhikkhus, for a faithful disciple who is intent on fathoming the Teacher’s Dispensation, it is natural that he conduct himself thus: ‘The Blessed One is the Teacher, I am a disciple; the Blessed One knows, I do not know.’ For a faithful disciple who is intent on fathoming the Teacher’s Dispensation, the Teacher’s Dispensation is nourishing and refreshing."
Would become...
"B, f a f d w i i o f t T’s D, i i n t h c h t: ‘T B O i t T, I a a d; t B O k, I d n k.’ F a f d w i i o f t T’s D, t T’s D i n a r."
The idea is then that you are able to stretch your memory by filling in the rest of the words when you are at the middle stage of the process: sort of know it but not really completely.

There is a tool on that page that will create this version. On this page: http://www.downes.ca/memorization.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; is just the tool. If you want you can do a "save as" for that page and keep it on your computer.
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