Chanting

[sabaijai]

The Power of Chanting

by Piyadassi Thera, The Buddhist Channel, Jan 14, 2005

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -- 'Recent research in medicine, in experimental psychology and what is still called parapsychology has thrown some light on the nature of mind and its position in the world. During the last forty years the conviction has steadily grown among medical men that very many causes of diseases organic as well as functional, are directly caused by mental states. The body becomes ill because the mind controlling it either secretly wants to make it ill, or else because it is in such a state of agitation that it cannot prevent the body from sickening. Whatever its physical nature, resistance to disease is unquestionably correlated with the physiological condition of the patient.' 1

'Mind not only makes sick, it also cures. An optimistic patient has more chance of getting well than a patient who is worried and unhappy. The recorded instances of faith healing includes cases in which even organic diseases were cured almost instantaneously.'2

In this connection it is interesting to observe the prevalence, in Buddhist lands, of listening to the recital of the dhamma or the doctrine of the Buddha in order to avert illness or danger, to ward off the influence of malignant beings, to obtain protection and deliverance from evil, and to promote health, prosperity, welfare and well-being. The selected discourses for recital are known as 'paritta suttas', discourses for protection. But they are not 'rakshana mantras' or protective incantations found in Brahmanic religion, nor are they magical rites. There is nothing mystical in them.

'Paritta' in Pali, 'paritrana' in Sanskrit and 'pirit' (pronounced pirith) in Sinhala3 mean principally protection. Paritta suttas describe certain suttas or discourses delivered by the Buddha and regarded as affording protection. This protection is to be obtained by reciting or listening to the paritta suttas. The practice of reciting or listening to the paritta suttas began very early in the history of Buddhism. The word paritta, in this context, was used by the Buddha, for the first time, in a discourse known as 'khandha paritta'4 in the Culla Vagga of the Vinaya Pitaka (vol. ii, p. 109), and also in the Anguttara Nikaya under the title 'Ahi (metta) Sutta' (vol. ii, p. 82). This discourse was recommended by the Buddha as guard or protection for the use of the members of the Order. The Buddha in this discourse exhorts the monks to cultivate metta or lovingkindness towards all beings.

It is certain that paritta recital produces mental well-being in those who listen to them with intelligence, and have confidence in the truth of the Buddha's words. Such mental well being can help those who are ill to recover, and can also help not only to induce the mental attitude that brings happiness but also to overcome its opposite. Originally, in India, those who listened to paritta sayings of the Buddha understood what was recited and the effect on them was correspondingly great. The Buddha himself had paritta recited to him, and he also requested others to recite paritta for his own disciples when they were ill.5. This practice is still in vogue in Buddhist lands.

for more see ....

chanting perspective

[Abandon]

I read that an insurance company in Califonia was giving cheaper premiums to people who could prove that they had others praying for them. I would love to know how that could be proven, and how many people successfully got the discount.

I also assume that any tangible benefit from the chanting depends ont he faith of the listener more than the chanting itself. Then again, Rupert Sheldrake proposed that any repeated actions produce a kind of ripple effect in morphic fields, so maybe the chanting itself does gain a kind of power if done often enough. 2500 years should be often enough ...

[drummer]

There is going to be quite a lot of studies coming out in the next decade regarding meditation and mental health. There has been a big paradigmn shift in neurophysiology that says the brain CAN change after all - you can grow new neurons, your neural connections to rewire.

The new concept isthat the brain is just like a muscle. You can work out and get stronger, and you can focus on particular aspects of the mind.

Chanting is a form of meditation - it can act like an exercise routine. Assuming you are chanting (and thinking) good things, it will help improve your mind, and the associated physiology

[ThaiPauly]

I had my first experience of really close quarters chanting at my House Blessing 3 weeks ago.

I was really moved by it, I would not say I went into a trance but I was certainly gripped by its power, the way they used different tones was ammazing, I have a small house and myself and my Wife and I had nine monks chanting the blessings around us for about 15 minutes. I was definatley crying at the end, it was so so beautiful

[Gohonzon]

I don't necessarily agree with what I've posted below (the opposite in fact,as I chant daily and know the benefits of such) but was the reply from another website where I posted the article for discussion.

However, it's a different perspective....

Ven U Dhamminda taught:

The Buddha he didn't like (melodious chanting) - so it's not the only thing wrong with

it - but he didn't advise the monks to do that. People listen too much

to the tune and get attached to the tune and they don't listen to the

words - that was his objection to it. Even for the monks to recite with

a long drawn out tone like they do in Sanskrit - he didn't like that -

the monks aren't allowed to recite like that - although you see many

monks who seem to be doing it (but we're not sure exactly what it

entails). The Buddha allowed us when we recite to put an emphasis to

try to enunciate clearly and also to make ourselves heard - they didn't

have microphones - so to put some effort in - but to draw out the tones

and to change them and make them into a melody just for entertainment -

it becomes entertainment. So people spend too much time on the tone and

the musical quality of it and the sound quality instead of thinking

about the meaning - so he objected to it on those grounds. People get

attached to the sound.

The Buddha didn't compose music I'm afraid and putting the Dhamma to

music - I think the devas and that do it and lots of people have done

it - but in a higher sense it's not the right way to convey Dhamma - to

convey the teachings of the Buddha - I think the Buddha didn't like it.

It doesn't have the potency because it's been mixed - it gets diffuse.

In the beginning the Buddha wasn't composing stuff like that and it had

more effect in those days - there were lots more people who seemed to

be doing a lot better in their meditation with less distractions -

things were simpler. People used to just meditate and listen to the

meaning of the words.

Especially since we've lost the meaning of them - the chants are really

good if you know the meaning. The other day I had to go to a funeral

for the Burmese so I did the chanting in Burmese Pali. I had planned to

read it out in English so people would know what I was saying - like a

translation of some of the stuff - because they don't know what it

means, and it's the meaning that is the most important part of it - not

just sounds. In the Buddha's day you understood it straight away -

didn't need a translation and the Buddha he allowed us to teach in our

own languages and to learn Dhamma in our own languages. So he wasn't

trying to keep the Dhamma in some foreign language. He didn't want it

to be translated into Sanskrit - there's part of that in the Vinaya

where some Brahmins come to him and wanted to put the Dhamma into

Sanskrit because it's a better sound and then the Buddha he refused

their request.

So I think the Buddha he just wanted us to know the meaning of things.

With time it's become ritual - people just listen to the sound and say

"It sounds good" but it would be better if we knew the meaning of what

the monks chant - that would be the most important part. The monks know

the meaning so they enjoy chanting - they know what they're talking

about - so they're the only ones who really get benefit out of it

sometimes. When we recite some of the suttas it's very good for us - it

reminds us of many things - we recite them to ourselves or recite them

with people. We know what we're talking about but there are very few

other people who do.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eightfold-l/message/2203

http://www.lioncity.net/buddhism/index.php?showtopic=932&hl=

[sendbaht]

'I was really moved by it, I would not say I went into a trance but I was certainly gripped by its power, the way they used different tones was ammazing, I have a small house and myself and my Wife and I had nine monks chanting the blessings around us for about 15 minutes. I was definatley crying at the end, it was so so beautiful"

Very cool Thaipauly, very cool!