This article is about the Sanskrit and Prakrit verses. For the sacred hymns of Zarathushtra, see Gathas.
Gāthā is a Sanskrit term for 'song' or 'verse', especially referring to any poetic metre which is used in legends or folklores, and is not part of the Vedas but peculiar to either Epic Sanskrit or to Prakrit.[1] The word is originally derived from the Sanskrit/Prakrit root gai, which means 'to speak, sing, recite or extol', cognate to the Avestan term gatha.[2]
In contemporary Buddhist practice as popularized (and derived from the Zen and Theravādin traditions) by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, a gatha is a verse recited (usually mentally, not aloud) in rhythm with the breath as part of mindfulness practice, either in daily life,[4][5] or as part of meditation or meditative study.[6]
^Weiss, Andrew (February 4, 2004). Beginning Mindfulness: Learning the Way of Awareness. New World Library. ISBN978-1577314417.
^The Blooming of a Lotus: Guided Meditation Exercises for Healing and Transformation, by Thich Nhat Hanh, (Beacon Press, Boston, MA USA 1993) ISBN0-8070-1222-X
