One of the first books I worked on was a text and translation of the chanting we used to make in the evening at my ordination temple, the International Vipassanā Meditation Centre at Kanduboda, Sri Lanka. We had a good chanting schedule but very inadequate texts to work with, and seeing the need I prepared the book.
At that time I called it Pūjā and Pirit, and it was known in that way for a number of years. It consists of a daily scheme for Pūjā (or Offerings) followed by Protection chanting (Pirit), that changes according to the day of the week, and closes with final blessing chants. The whole daily schedule takes around 20 minutes.
Around 2006 some supporters in Sri Lanka wanted to get the book printed, and so I revised the work and retitled it: Daily Chanting. That book was prepared with the Pāḷi in both Roman and Sinhala scripts, along with an English translation, and was published on very good quality paper in Colombo later that year.
The book has just been reprinted in Kuala Lumpur, and I hear that 5,700 copies were printed altogether, although I haven’t been able to confirm this yet. The book was again revised so as to be more suitable for families, and the Sinhalese script removed as it is not relevant here in Malaysia, of course.
The publication of the book was organised by Ven Saranankara, the Chief Monk at the Sentul Temple, published by the Maha Karuna Society, and at least the copies I have were sponsored in memory of Mr. Chick Yan Poh & Mdm. Lee Sing Tai.
If you are unable to get hold of a copy from Malaysia, don’t worry too much because the book is available online, and can be downloaded in printable PDF format from here.
Possibly Related Posts:
- Text and Translation of the Bhadra-cari-pranidhanam
- Publication of Romesh Dutt’s Condensed Translations of the Indian Epics
- 280+ photographs from Trowulan, including Candis, Tombs and Modern Temples
- 300+ Photographs from Penataran and other Candis in East Java
- 250+ Photographs of Temples from the Singhasari Kingdom in Java
