Anchalii Wantha Aphiwaat

Anchalii, Wantha, Aphiwaat is a Buddhist prayer. At Wat Pa Tam Wua Forest Monastery, we closed every meditation practice with this short form of prayer and respect. The monks said it was an a way to illustrate the practice of mindfulness. I see it more as a way to express that you surrender to the spiritual path.

Anchalii Wantha Aphiwaat shows the practice of mindfulness with kneeling and bowing down three times. The words are in Pali which is the language that holds the Dhamma and is approximately 2600 years old as it comes from the time of the Buddha: Sixth Century B.C.

For reference, the Dhamma is the doctrine of the Four Noble Truths, which is about suffering and the path of salvation from it. The Sangha is the monastic order of the Buddha’s disciples.

• “An-cha-lii” means you are holding a lotus flower and preparing to give it to the Triple Gem: The Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha. You are kneeling, sitting upright with your hands in prayer over your heart. Men sit on their heels and toes and women fold their feet underneath their legs.
• “Wan-tha” means you want to give the Lotus flower to the Triple Gem. You should raise your hands to touch your forehead.
• “A-phi-waat” means you give the lotus flower to the Triple Gem. We bow down and place both hands on the floor approximately five inches apart.
• Repeat three times, and then end lastly with “An-cha-lii,” “Wan-tha,” “An-cha-lii.”

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