Chant of Reverence to Luang Pu Thuat

Wat Chang Hai, Pattani, Thailand

"Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammāsambuddhassa" (Recite 3 times)
"Namo Bodhisatto Āgantimāya Iti Bhagavā" (Recite 3 times)

1. Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammāsambuddhassa (Recite 3 times)

Pali

Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammāsambuddhassa

English Translation

Homage to the Blessed One, the Worthy One, the Fully Self-Awakened Buddha.

Word-by-Word Meaning

• Namo – Homage, reverence, or respectful salutation

• Tassa – To Him, or to that Blessed One

• Bhagavato – The Blessed One

• Arahato – The Worthy One; the Enlightened One who has eradicated all defilements

• Sammāsambuddhassa – The Perfectly and Fully Self-Awakened Buddha

This verse is known as the Homage to the Buddha and is traditionally recited at the beginning of Buddhist chanting and devotional practices throughout the Theravāda Buddhist tradition.

2. Namo Bodhisatto Āgantimāya Iti Bhagavā (Recite 3 times)

Common Romanized Form

Namo Bodhisatto Āgantimāya Iti Bhagavā

General Interpretation

Unlike the previous verse, this chant is traditionally associated with Luang Pu Thuat and is revered within Thai Buddhist devotional practice. It is not a canonical scripture found in the Pali Canon.

A commonly accepted interpretation is:

Homage to the Bodhisattva who has come, the Blessed and Exalted One.

It may also be understood more broadly as:

Homage to the Bodhisattva who came into the world to cultivate virtue and benefit all living beings, the Blessed One worthy of the highest respect.

Meaning of Individual Words

• Namo – Homage or reverence

• Bodhisatto – Bodhisattva; one who is destined for Buddhahood

• Āganti – One who has come, or who has arrived

• Māya – In this traditional chant, it forms part of a devotional phrase that has been transmitted through oral tradition rather than functioning as an independently translated word

• Iti – Thus, so, or in this way

• Bhagavā – The Blessed One; the Exalted One

Academic Note

The chant "Namo Bodhisatto Āgantimāya Iti Bhagavā" does not appear as a discourse in the Pali Canon (Tipiṭaka). Instead, it is a traditional devotional chant that has been preserved within the lineage of Luang Pu Thuat and is widely recited by devotees in Thailand.

Because its wording has been transmitted through devotional tradition, interpretations may vary slightly among different temples and lineages.

For academic or educational purposes, it is therefore more accurate to describe this verse as a traditional devotional chant associated with Luang Pu Thuat, rather than as a direct teaching of the historical Buddha preserved in the Pali Canon.