For memorizing pali its probably best to find a recording of a recitation first.
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There are many techniques to memorise the suttas, but they will not necessarily be remembered if your mind is overcome by defilements, so a sure way to remember is to uproot all unwholesome things…but once you have done that you might not really have the passion for or care about memorising vast amounts of suttas.
SN46.55
_ "Master Gotama, what is the cause and reason why sometimes even those hymns that have been recited over a long period do not recur to the mind, let alone those that have not been recited? What is the cause and reason why sometimes those hymns that have not been recited over a long period recur to the mind, let alone those that have been recited?”
_i. Why the hymns do not recur to the mind
“Brahmin, when one dwells with a mind obsessed by sensual lust, overwhelmed by sensual lust, and one does not understand as it really is the escape from arisen sensual lust, on that occasion one neither knows nor sees as it really is one’s own good, or the good of others, or the good of both. Then even those hymns that have been recited over a long period do not recur to the mind, let alone those that have not been recited…" _
_ "2. Why the hymns recur to the mind
Brahmin, when one dwells with a mind that is not obsessed by sensual lust, not overwhelmed by sensual lust, and one understands as it really is the escape from arisen sensual lust, on that occasion one knows and sees as it really is one’s own good, and the good of others, and the good of both. Then even those hymns that have not been recited over a long period recur to the mind, let alone those that have been recited. "
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Thanks @sabbamitta. That’s really unfortunatle about the mistake! I hadn’t looked it up on SC so didn’t know.
Here’s a version I particularly like:
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it’s been nearly a year since your first post. how did it go?