Anumodana |

Anumodana is a difficult word to translate into Portuguese or English. Literally it means “to rejoice together”, but it can also mean approval and encouragement. In the Buddhist monastic tradition give anumodana to the offerers of food and other goods
Necessary comes from the time of the Buddha. After a meal, or when presented with a good, the monk usually “instructs, exhorts, encourages and encourages” the offerer with a Dhamma lecture. Many of the stanzas of anumodana used today come directly from these words. Reading as a direct translation we see that stanzas are not mere blessings. They express approval of the donor's wisdom by being generous, explaining the merits of generosity, and giving encouragement in continuing generosity. Other stanzas, composed centuries ago, belong more to the category of blessings, desires for happiness and good fortune for donors.

The stanzas collected and translated here are those that are most used in the Thai tradition of Theravada today. All are appropriate as generators of merit, although some are more appropriate on special occasions. The common standard when given anumodana is to begin with Pass I, and end with Pass XIII, and include one or the other of the intermediate passages.

Some notes have been included to identify the origin of the stanzas, that is, whether they come from the Pali canon, and to give them useful information in their meaning and use.

My hope is that this collection will be useful not only to the monks and novices who are to sing and memorize these verses but also to lay donors who wish to understand the meaning of the verses and who appreciate the encouragement in the practice of the Buddha's teachings.

Like rivers full of water
They fill the ocean,
In the same way, here they are given
Benefits to the departed (the hungry shadows).
May what you aspire to or quickly desire to be,
And all your aspirations are achieved,
as the moon is full on the fifteenth day,
or that they are radiant like a clear crystal.

Let all adversity be avoided,
May all disease be destroyed,
To be safe from danger,
Be happy and have a long life.
For those of a respectable nature who
constantly honors what is worth,
Four qualities grow:
Long life, beauty, happiness and strength.

That is:
freed from all disease,
safe from the torments,
away from all animosity,
and no arrests.

“He offered me, he acted on my behalf,
and he is my relative, companion, friend.”
These offerings are to be given to those who have departed,
When a person reflects (therefore) on what has been done in the past.
For no weeping, pity, or form of lamentation,
It will benefit the loved ones of those who act in this way.
But when this offering is given, properly ascribed to the Sangha,
It will work for your long-term benefit
and there will be immediate benefit.
In this way the proper duty to relatives is shown
and great honor is done to those who have departed
and the monks have been given strength:
You have accumulated merit that is not small.

For the one with confidence,
who perform as the Dhamma is supreme,
With confidence in the supreme Buddha,
unparalleled in the merit of offerings,
With confidence in the supreme Dhamma,
the joy of being without passions and calm,
With confidence in the Sangha,
unparalleled as a vast field of merits,
Having given offerings to the supreme,
he develops the supreme merit,
supreme long life and beauty,
status, honor, happiness, strength,
Having given to the supreme,
the intelligent person, steadfast in the supreme Dhamma,
Whether you become a Deva or a Human Being,
He rejoiced and became supreme.

Note 1: These verses are the final part of the “Tirokuddakanda Sutta” (Speech on “Those Beyond the Wall”, Khuddakapatha 8). They are often sung on occasions when donors dedicate merits to the deceased. A common practice is for the leader to start the chant in the ‘astery’ by omitting the first four lines.

Note 2: These verses are from the Aggappasada Sutta (Discourse on Faith in the Supreme), Anguttara Nikaya V.32.