This is the chanting we do at the beginning of all of our Buddhist services. It is the ancient chanting that has been done in the Pali language since the time the Buddha was alive. We can find it in the Sutta Pitaka many places.

Homage

Sādhu! Sādhu! Sādhu!

Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sam-buddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sam-buddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sam-buddhassa

Homage to the Blessed One, the Worthy One, the supremely Enlightened One!
Homage to the Blessed One, the Worthy One, the supremely Enlightened One!
Homage to the Blessed One, the Worthy One, the supremely Enlightened One!

Going for Refuge

The primary way we express our commitment to follow the teachings of the Buddha is by going for refuge to the Triple Gem: the fully enlightened Buddha; the Dhamma, his liberating teachings; and the Sangha, the people in the past and the pre­sent who followed these teachings and also became enlight­ened.

Buddhaṁ saranaṁ gacchāmi.
Dhammaṁ saranaṁ gacchāmi.
Saṅghaṁ saranaṁ gacchāmi.

Dutiyam’pi Buddhaṁ saranaṁ gacchāmi.
Dutiyam’pi Dhammaṁ saranaṁ gacchāmi.
Dutiyam’pi Saṅghaṁ saranaṁ gacchāmi.

Tatiyam’pi Buddhaṁ saranaṁ gacchāmi.
Tatiyam’pi Dhammaṁ saranaṁ gacchāmi.
Tatiyam’pi Saṅghaṁ saranaṁ gacchāmi.

I go for refuge to the supreme Buddha.
I go for refuge to the supreme Dhamma.
I go for refuge to the supreme Saṅgha.

For the second time I go for refuge to the supreme Buddha.
For the second time I go for refuge to the supreme Dhamma.
For the second time I go for refuge to the supreme Saṅgha.

For the third time I go for refuge to the supreme Buddha.
For the third time I go for refuge to the supreme Dhamma.
For the third time I go for refuge to the supreme Saṅgha.

Sādhu! Sādhu! Sādhu!

Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!