Memorizing Suttas - Methods?

Explore the ancient language of the Tipitaka and Theravāda commentaries
User1249x
Posts: 2749
Joined: Mon Jan 01, 2018 8:50 pm

Re: Memorizing Suttas - Methods?

Post by User1249x »

I don't remember whole discourses except for a few short ones and am not word perfect in repeating those but I remember a lot of excerpts and lists pertaining to the theory, various definitions, stories and instructions. I find it far easier and more useful than memorizing whole discourses because those things are important for my practice and are the gist of the Dhamma. Repeatedly talking about the same stuff on the forum definitely helped.
Last edited by User1249x on Tue Oct 30, 2018 2:20 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Dhammanando
Posts: 6492
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:44 pm
Location: Mae Wang Huai Rin, Li District, Lamphun

Re: Memorizing Suttas - Methods?

Post by Dhammanando »

hgf wrote: Mon Oct 29, 2018 11:53 pm im interested in the dhammapada:)
Manopubbangama wrote: Fri Oct 26, 2018 10:32 am I'm personally shooting for the Dhammapada.
I know a mnemonic technique that will help you, but may I first enquire how much time per day you are able and willing to devote to it?

There are about fifteen-and-a-half thousand syllables in the Pali text of the Dhammapada, so if you memorise five hundred syllables per day (i.e., the equivalent of twenty-nine haikus or three and a half sonnets), then you will have the whole Dhammapada committed to memory in just thirty-one days. Start on All Saints’ Day and you’ll be finished by St. Grwst’s Day.

:woohoo:

But you’ll need to spend an hour and a half a day on it, and in three sessions with at least a 3-hour interval between them: a 45-minute session for writing out the day’s text and preparing the mnemonicons, a 30-minute one for oral recital (first with the text, then with the mnemonicons and finally by memory alone), and a 15-minute one for revision of the verses memorised the day before.

Let me know if you’re interested and have enough time. If you’re interested but don’t have an hour and a half per day to spare, then let me know how much time you do have so that I can make the necessary adjustments.
Yena yena hi maññanti,
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.


In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
User avatar
Manopubbangama
Posts: 925
Joined: Sat Oct 20, 2018 4:17 pm
Location: Pennsylvania Route 969 *Europe*

Re: Memorizing Suttas - Methods?

Post by Manopubbangama »

Dhammanando wrote: Tue Oct 30, 2018 2:18 am
hgf wrote: Mon Oct 29, 2018 11:53 pm im interested in the dhammapada:)
Manopubbangama wrote: Fri Oct 26, 2018 10:32 am I'm personally shooting for the Dhammapada.
I know a mnemonic technique that will help you, but may I first enquire how much time per day you are able and willing to devote to it?

There are about fifteen-and-a-half thousand syllables in the Pali text of the Dhammapada, so if you memorise five hundred syllables per day (i.e., the equivalent of twenty-nine haikus or three and a half sonnets), then you will have the whole Dhammapada committed to memory in just thirty-one days. Start on All Saints’ Day and you’ll be finished by St. Grwst’s Day.

:woohoo:

But you’ll need to spend an hour and a half a day on it, and in three sessions with at least a 3-hour interval between them: a 45-minute session for writing out the day’s text and preparing the mnemonicons, a 30-minute one for oral recital (first with the text, then with the mnemonicons and finally by memory alone), and a 15-minute one for revision of the verses memorised the day before.

Let me know if you’re interested and have enough time. If you’re interested but don’t have an hour and a half per day to spare, then let me know how much time you do have so that I can make the necessary adjustments.
I'm interested. :reading:

Of course, like climbing a mountain, were we to do a skype group, we may all have to adjust a bit to everyone's schedule, which may not run as smooth as clockwork.
User avatar
Manopubbangama
Posts: 925
Joined: Sat Oct 20, 2018 4:17 pm
Location: Pennsylvania Route 969 *Europe*

Re: Memorizing Suttas - Methods?

Post by Manopubbangama »

Anyone want to start with Magga Vagga?




I can't imagine the entire Buddhist Canon in a more compressed jewel than this.

We could chant it perhaps once a week on skype as a group recital?
User avatar
samseva
Posts: 3045
Joined: Sat Jan 18, 2014 12:59 pm

Re: Memorizing Suttas - Methods?

Post by samseva »

Please do share the memorization technique in the thread. :smile:
User avatar
Dhammanando
Posts: 6492
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:44 pm
Location: Mae Wang Huai Rin, Li District, Lamphun

Re: Memorizing Suttas - Methods?

Post by Dhammanando »

Attached is the file for 31-day memorising of the Dhammapada. Tomorrow I'll post instructions on the method.
Dhammapada.pdf
(698.61 KiB) Downloaded 157 times
Yena yena hi maññanti,
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.


In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
User avatar
Manopubbangama
Posts: 925
Joined: Sat Oct 20, 2018 4:17 pm
Location: Pennsylvania Route 969 *Europe*

Re: Memorizing Suttas - Methods?

Post by Manopubbangama »

Dhammanando wrote: Tue Nov 06, 2018 5:01 pm Attached is the file for 31-day memorising of the Dhammapada. Tomorrow I'll post instructions on the method.

Dhammapada.pdf
Thank you, Bhante.

I will read this, probably will not have the capacity to finish in 31 days due to upasaka schedule.
User avatar
Dhammanando
Posts: 6492
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:44 pm
Location: Mae Wang Huai Rin, Li District, Lamphun

Re: Memorizing Suttas - Methods?

Post by Dhammanando »

Dhammanando wrote: Tue Nov 06, 2018 5:01 pm
Tomorrow I'll post instructions
Apologies for the delay. The instruction file is on my laptop, whose battery is unfortunately flat and whose power cable is not working. I'll post the guide next week when the new cable comes.
Yena yena hi maññanti,
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.


In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
User avatar
Manopubbangama
Posts: 925
Joined: Sat Oct 20, 2018 4:17 pm
Location: Pennsylvania Route 969 *Europe*

Re: Memorizing Suttas - Methods?

Post by Manopubbangama »

The pdf is excellent. :anjali: thank you.
User avatar
mettafuture
Posts: 475
Joined: Tue Jan 19, 2010 10:13 pm

Re: Memorizing Suttas - Methods?

Post by mettafuture »

I usually memorize things through a lot of repetition: hearing or reciting it over and over again.

Apparently, the technique explained in this video is a better approach. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks promising.

User avatar
Manopubbangama
Posts: 925
Joined: Sat Oct 20, 2018 4:17 pm
Location: Pennsylvania Route 969 *Europe*

Re: Memorizing Suttas - Methods?

Post by Manopubbangama »

mettafuture wrote: Sun Nov 11, 2018 12:31 am I usually memorize things through a lot of repetition: hearing or reciting it over and over again.

Apparently, the technique explained in this video is a better approach. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks promising.

Mettafuture, thanks for sharing. :namaste:
User avatar
mettafuture
Posts: 475
Joined: Tue Jan 19, 2010 10:13 pm

Re: Memorizing Suttas - Methods?

Post by mettafuture »

Manopubbangama wrote: Sun Nov 11, 2018 7:26 am Mettafuture, thanks for sharing. :namaste:
You're welcome.

:namaste:
User avatar
Dhammanando
Posts: 6492
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:44 pm
Location: Mae Wang Huai Rin, Li District, Lamphun

Re: Memorizing Suttas - Methods?

Post by Dhammanando »

Sorry again for the delay. I’ve finally got a new power cord.

I shall now describe the memorisation procedure for the first day. The material to be memorised comprises the preliminary homage, text title, chapter title and verses 1-12, making a total of 490 syllables.

This is the text:
namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa

khuddakanikāye dhammapadapāḷi

1. yamakavaggo

(1)
manopubbaṅgamā dhammā
manoseṭṭhā manomayā
manasā ce paduṭṭhena
bhāsati vā karoti vā
tato naṃ dukkhamanveti
cakkaṃva vahato padaṃ

(2)
manopubbaṅgamā dhammā
manoseṭṭhā manomayā
manasā ce pasannena
bhāsati vā karoti vā
tato naṃ sukhamanveti
chāyāva anapāyinī

(3)
akkocchi maṃ avadhi maṃ
ajini maṃ ahāsi me
ye ca taṃ upanayhanti
veraṃ tesaṃ na sammati

(4)
akkocchi maṃ avadhi maṃ
ajini maṃ ahāsi me
ye ca taṃ nupanayhanti
veraṃ tesūpasammati

(5)
na hi verena verāni
sammantīdha kudācanaṃ
averena ca sammanti
esa dhammo sanantano

(6)
pare ca na vijānanti
mayamettha yamāmase
ye ca tattha vijānanti
tato sammanti medhagā

(7)
subhānupassiṃ viharantaṃ
indriyesu asaṃvutaṃ
bhojanamhi cāmattaññuṃ
kusītaṃ hīnavīriyaṃ
taṃ ve pasahati māro
vāto rukkhaṃva dubbalaṃ

(8)
asubhānupassiṃ viharantaṃ
indriyesu susaṃvutaṃ
bhojanamhi ca mattaññuṃ
saddhaṃ āraddhavīriyaṃ
taṃ ve nappasahati māro
vāto selaṃva pabbataṃ

(9)
anikkasāvo kāsāvaṃ
yo vatthaṃ paridahissati
apeto damasaccena
na so kāsāvamarahati

(10)
yo ca vantakasāvassa
sīlesu susamāhito
upeto damasaccena
sa ve kāsāvamarahati

(11)
asāre sāramatino
sāre cāsāradassino
te sāraṃ nādhigacchanti
micchāsaṅkappagocarā

(12)
sārañca sārato ñatvā
asārañca asārato
te sāraṃ adhigacchanti
sammāsaṅkappagocarā
To aid in its memorisation three mnemonicons, A, B and C, will be used.

Mnemonicon A: The first syllable of each word.
Mnemonicon B: The first letter of each word.
Mnemonicon C: The first syllable of each line.

Instructions

Session One, ca 45 minutes.

1. Go to a quiet place at a time when you’re unlikely to be interrupted. Recite the refuges and precepts, dedicate your person to the Buddha:

Imāhaṃ Bhagavā attabhāvaṃ tumhākaṃ pariccajāmi.

and then make an adhiṭṭhāna to give the session over wholly to the task of dhamma-dhāraṇa, remembering the purpose of it:
Kathañca, bhikkhave, anupubbasikkhā anupubbakiriyā anupubbapaṭipadā aññārādhanā hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, saddhājāto upasaṅkamati, upasaṅkamanto payirupāsati, payirupāsanto sotaṃ odahati, ohitasoto dhammaṃ suṇāti, sutvā dhammaṃ dhāreti, dhatānaṃ dhammānaṃ atthaṃ upaparikkhati, atthaṃ upaparikkhato dhammā nijjhānaṃ khamanti, dhammanijjhānakkhantiyā sati chando jāyati, chandajāto ussahati, ussāhetvā tuleti, tulayitvā padahati, pahitatto samāno kāyena ceva paramasaccaṃ sacchikaroti, paññāya ca naṃ ativijjha passati.

“And how is final knowledge achieved by gradual training, gradual practice, gradual progress? Here one who has faith [in a teacher] visits him; when he visits him, he pays respect to him; when he pays respect to him, he gives ear; one who gives ear hears the Dhamma; having heard the Dhamma, he memorises it; he examines the meaning of the teachings he has memorised; when he examines their meaning, he gains a reflective acceptance of those teachings; when he has gained a reflective acceptance of those teachings, zeal springs up in him; when zeal has sprung up, he applies his will; having applied his will, he scrutinises; having scrutinised, he strives; resolutely striving, he realises with the body the supreme truth and sees it by penetrating it with wisdom.”
(Kīṭāgiri Sutta)

2. Read the text through as many times as is necessary for your recital to be fluent. There are a few words that you may stumble over at first. In particular when pronouncing kāsāvamarahati, vantakasāvassa and kāsāvamarahati make sure that you’re pronouncing the long and short vowels correctly. If you need help with the pronunciation, listen to Bhikshu Bodhijñāna’s reading:

.


The pace of your recital should be somewhat slower than normal conversational speed – roughly that of T. S. Eliot reciting the Four Quartets:

.


Note that your aim at this stage should be solely that of attaining correctness and fluency rather than that of memorising anything.

3. Once your recital is fluent take a sheet of paper and copy out the text in full from the pdf file that I posted earlier. Do this very slowly, repeating each word aloud four or five times as you write it.

4. Then take another sheet of paper and copy out Mnemonicon A, reciting the full word as you copy each syllable:

.
Mnemonicon A.jpg
As you copy, try to remember what the full word is without looking at the text. If you can’t, then cheat by looking at the text, but always try to exert your memory first.
Yena yena hi maññanti,
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.


In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
User avatar
Dhammanando
Posts: 6492
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:44 pm
Location: Mae Wang Huai Rin, Li District, Lamphun

Re: Memorizing Suttas - Methods?

Post by Dhammanando »

5. Pause, take a deep breath and close your eyes for a minute or two to clear your head. Read the whole text again and then copy out Mnemonicon B using the same procedure as for Mnemonicon A.

.
Mnemonicon B.jpg
Yena yena hi maññanti,
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.


In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
User avatar
Dhammanando
Posts: 6492
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:44 pm
Location: Mae Wang Huai Rin, Li District, Lamphun

Re: Memorizing Suttas - Methods?

Post by Dhammanando »

6. Pause and read the whole text again as in stage 5. Then copy out Mnemonicon C, this time attempting to recite the whole line after writing each syllable. As in stage 4 try to rely initially on your memory alone and cheat only when necessary.

.
Mnemonicon C.jpg
7. Transfer the merit of your dhamma-dhāraṇa to all beings.


Session Two, ca 30 minutes.

1. Read the full text.

2. Recite the text using Mnemonicon A, cheating only when necessary.

3. Do the same using Mnemonicons B and then C.

4. Recite the full text using your memory alone.

If you should fail, then don’t increase the time beyond 30 minutes, but rather try reducing the workload on subsequent days (e.g. by one verse per day) until you find how much you can comfortably manage. As you become more skilled at memorising you will find that this amount will gradually increase. For most people it will eventually plateau at about 2000 syllables a day, at which rate it is possible to memorise the whole of the Dīgha Nikāya in about eight months.

Session Three, ca 15 minutes.

1. Recite the material that you memorised the day before. Try at first to do this from memory alone. If you fail, then try doing it using Mnemonicon C. If that fails (though it shouldn’t!) then use Mnemonicon B, and if that fails, then Mnemonicon A, before reverting to memory alone.

2. Recite the material that you memorised three days before.
Yena yena hi maññanti,
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.


In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
Post Reply