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Who are the eight [types of] individuals that the chant refers to, and what is the meaning of the chant?

Apparently, it is the Wat Phra Ratana Mahathat Monks at evening service before the great bronze Chinnaret Buddha, Phitsanulok Thailand.

Source: Freesound

The translation came from the YouTube comments section but I cannot locate it any longer. Here is the link to a looped version...

Buddhist Chanting

Of good conduct is the Order of the Disciples of the Blessed One.
Of upright conduct is the Order of the Disciples of the Blessed One.
Of wise conduct is the Order of the Disciples of the Blessed One.
Of proper conduct is the Order of the Disciples of the Blessed One.

This Order of the Disciples of the Blessed One, namely these Four Pairs of persons, the eight [types of] individuals,
is worthy of gifts,
worthy of hospitality,
worthy of offerings,
worthy of reverential salutation,
and is an incomparable field of merit for the World.

Supatipanno Bhagavato sāvakasangho
Ujupatipanno Bhagavato sāvakasangho
Ñāyapatipanno Bhagavato sāvakasangho
Sāmīcipatipanno Bhagavato sāvakasangho

Yadidam cattāri purisa yugāni
Attha purisa puggalā
Esa Bhagavato sāvakasangho
Āhuneyyo
Pāhuneyyo
Dakkhineyyo
Añjalīkaranīyo
Anuttaram Puññak khettam lokassāti

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  • If liking the source (like maybe wished by the giver of it) of the Parita it might be even included there as explaining. – Samana Johann Oct 11 '18 at 6:20
  • @ChrisW - Thanks for the excellent edit. ;-) – user14148 Oct 11 '18 at 8:35
  • I use two spaces at the end of a line, to force a line-break for verse; and mostly avoid using bold and italic. – ChrisW♦ Oct 11 '18 at 8:38
  • when thinking that if a moderator helps in violating the tos here and there..., well go on and take... may you all of you here give the right causes to attain liberation and freedom from any missery with ease. – Samana Johann Oct 11 '18 at 9:06
  • @SamanaJohann The same appears on many sites, I don't know exactly where this was quoted from. I assume the Pali isn't copyright at all, can't be copyrighted; I don't know about the translation, that might be copyleft (given to the public domain). Suchness, I think that Samana Johann is suggesting that you ought to reference the source from which you quote something. That's usually good policy -- it may be a convenience to people reading, a politeness to the source/author, and an aspect of the "fair use" doctrine. – ChrisW♦ Oct 11 '18 at 9:15
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Supatipanno Bhagavato sāvakasangho

The Blessed One's community of disciples who have practised well/thoroughly

Ujupatipanno Bhagavato sāvakasangho

The Blessed One's community of disciples who have practised directly/without messing around/without dreaming about reincarnation/without trolling internet forums obsessively attempting to teach morality to worldlings/with total abandonment of selfing

Ñāyapatipanno Bhagavato sāvakasangho

Practised insightfully

Sāmīcipatipanno Bhagavato sāvakasangho

Practised correctly

This Order of the Disciples of the Blessed One, namely these Four Pairs of persons, the eight [types of] individuals,

Eight individuals practising for or have realised the four levels of enlightenment, namely, stream-entry, once-returner, non-returner and arahant

is worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of reverential salutation, and is an incomparable field of merit for the World.

The above means to not give to or place faith in idiotic monks (duppaññā eḷamūgā) but only revere and place faith in monks who have realised emptiness (sunnata).

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  • buddha-vacana.org translates uju·paṭipanno as "straightforwardly", with uju as "right, direct, straightforward, honest, upright". – ChrisW♦ Oct 11 '18 at 10:14
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    its means directly; like the "hearers" in the suttas, who entered the stream immediately upon hearing the teaching. It means not flip flopping to this & that practise,guru, school , etc. – Dhammadhatu Oct 11 '18 at 20:17
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It's taken from (or quoted in) MN 7 (but it's one of the Pali Formulae -- buddha-vacana.org says, of this one, "45 occurrences", so I suppose this occurs in 45 suttas; also, that it's a component of the Sekha Paṭipadā).

It's one of the Anussati -- specifically Saṅghānussati. Sati is "mindfulness" -- and anu is "after (behind)", "for (towards an aim)", "according to (in conformity with)", also "each/every/one-by-one" -- so, combined, "remember" or "recollect" or "call to mind".

AN 3.70 says (of all the Anussati) that, "as they recollect ... their mind becomes clear, joy arises, and mental corruptions are given up".

Commentary says that this is referring to the "ariya sangha" (the noble sangha), i.e. all enlightened ones. The "8 [types of] individuals" refer to the "four stages of enlightenment" (sotāpanna etc.) or as it says "the four pairs of persons" -- both ordained and/or lay.

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For the meaning of saṅghānussati in advance, see Part II—Concentration (Samádhi) CH. VII SIX RECOLLECTIONS Recollection of the Saṅgha page 215.

We should be used with the tree refuges according to Sutta. Ma. U. Sevitabbāsevitabbasuttaṃ:

It was said, "Sāriputta, I say, persons are also twofold those that should be used and not used" On account of what was it said by the Blessed One? Venerable sir, when using certain persons demerit increases and merit decreases, such persons should not be used, when using certain persons demerit decreases and merit increases, such persons should be used. It was said, "Sāriputta, persons too are twofold, those that should be used and not used. " It was said on account of this.

Why? Sutta. Khu. Jā.(1) Vīsatinipātajātakaṃ Sattigumbajātakaṃ:

“To whomsoever, good or bad, a man shall honour pay, Vicious or virtuous, that man holds him beneath his sway.

“Like as the comrade one admires, like as the chosen friend, Such will become the man who keeps beside him, in the end.

“Friendship makes like, and touch by touch infects, you’ll find it true: Poison the arrow, and ere long the quiver’s poisoned too.

“The wise eschews bad company, for fear of staining touch: Wrap rotten fish in grass, you’ll find the grass stinks just as much. And they who keep fool’s company themselves will soon be such.

“Sweet frankincense wrap in a leaf, the leaf will smell as sweet. So they themselves will soon grow wise, that sit at wise men’s feet.

“By this similitude the wise should his own profit know, Let him eschew bad company and with the righteous go: Heaven waits the righteous, but the bad are doomed to hell below.”

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