- The Practice of Chanting in Buddhism
- Bhikkhu Dhammasami
C
hanting is very common to any religion.
Buddhism is no exception in this regard. However, the aim and purpose of chanting is
different from one religion to another. Buddhism is unique in that it does not
consider chanting to be prayer.
The Buddha in many ways has shown us to have confidence in our own
action and its results, and thereby encouraged us to depend on no one but ourselves. This
in fact is the sum and substance of His last message in the Mahaparinibbana Sutta. One of
the passages in this discourse reads: "Ananda, be dependent on yourself, take refuge
in yourself and not in others, by this mean be dependent on the Dhamma, go for refuge to
the Dhamma -- the righteous principles".
When a Buddhist does chanting, he is not asking some one to save him
from evil nor is he hoping to be given a place in heaven as a result after he dies.
Instead, through chanting he may be learning, teaching, philosophising or re-memorising
the discourse.
Actually, in the Anguttara Nikaya there are some discourses dealing
with chanting like Dhammavihari Sutta. It mentions five categories of people who make use
of the discourses.
The first one studies it just for the sake of study without putting it
into practice or explaining it to others. He even does not reflect deeply on what he has
studied. He is known as 'Pariyatti-bahulo' who is keen on studying it alone.
The second one preaches or teaches what he has learnt from the
discourses but does not follow it himself. He is 'Pannyatti-bahulo' who is keen only on
teaching.
The third one does chanting. He philosophises about the discourses,
trying all the time to satisfy his philosophical thirst. He forgets to make use of as mode
or life. He is called 'Vitakka-bahulo' who is eager only to indulge in philosophical
aspects of the Suttas (Discourses).
The fourth one is the one who chants the discourses to make them last
for a long time in his memory. He memorises and re-memorises. Nevertheless, he does not go
further to follow it in daily life. He is 'Sajjhayaka-bahulo' who is enthusiastic only in
memorising or chanting the teachings of the Buddha, He may even expect some magical power
from chanting.
The fifth and last one is who studies the discourses, teaches them to
others, reflects on their philosophical points, chants them regularly and above all
actually practices it in daily life. He is the one the Buddha praises to be 'Dhammavihari'
-- a practitioner of the Dhamma, which he has learnt from the discourses.
Having reflected on this Sutta, it is left to us to judge ourselves to
which category we belong and why we study or chant the discourses.
I would like to dwell a bit more on chanting in general. This
is, after all, an All-night Chanting ceremony. It is nothing but right for us to be fully
convinced of what we are doing. Initially I did mention that Buddhism is unique because it
does not consider chanting to be a form of prayer.
Then why do we, Buddhists, chant?
In the olden days, before there were sufficient support materials for
study like books, translations and computers we had to memorise to learn a discourse.
After we had learnt it, we still had to chant regularly to protect it and hand it down to
future generations. If we did not recite it daily we might forget it and omit some part of
it. The Anguttara Nikaya says that if the discourses are poorly maintained this
will lead to the disappearance of the Sasana.[1]
It was so important those days to memorise and chant it regularly. This must have
definitely contributed in developing chanting practice. Chanting meant almost for the
survival of the Dhamma itself.
Now we have sufficient support materials, why we should then be still
chanting? Is there any more reason to do this?
There are some reasons sufficient to continue chanting practice.
Regular chanting gives us confidence, joy and satisfaction, and increases devotion within
us. This devotion is really a power. It is called the Power of Devotion (Saddhabala). It
energises our life in general. I do not know about the others. For me I often have a
joyous feeling when the chanting goes right. I become more confident of myself. I see it
as a part of developing devotion.
In Buddhist monastic education tradition, chanting and learning by
heart still forms a part of it. We study some of the Theravada Abhidhamma texts -- the
highest teachings of the Buddha which deal with the ultimate nature of things -- in
that way in Burma. We are explained the meaning and how the logic develops in the
Abhidhamma. In the night we try to chant without having learnt it by heart. We could do it
because of the technique. It is known as evening-class (nya-war) over there. It means a
certain technique of studying the Abhidhamma and some of the Suttas. It is very helpful as
it helps you to reflect very quickly.
When we examine the nature of the discourses, the reasons for chanting
will become clearer to us than ever.
THE NATURE OF THE DISCOURSES
A Sutta (Discourse) like Mangala Sutta was
an answer to the Deva who asked the Lord Buddha about the real progress in social,
economic and spiritual life. It is the vision of the Buddha on those issues as much as his
advice to all of us who genuinely want those progresses in social and spiritual life. It
is some thing that we should follow throughout our life starting from childhood to the day
we take our last breath. Most of the Suttas are of this nature. They are descriptions as
well as prescriptions for the common diseases like Lobha, Dosa and Moha (Greed, Hatred and
Delusion).
Another nature of the discourses is protection or healing. Ratana Sutta is one of the best-known examples here. It was
first taught to Venerable Ananda who in turn chanted in Vaisali to ward off all the evils
and famine the people were then facing. Angulimala Sutta also
falls into this category as it relieves the pains and trouble of a would-be mother. Mahasamaya Sutta and Atanatiya
Sutta come under the same category because they emphasise much on protection
and healing. Remember that Venerable Ananda and Venerable Angulimala did cultivate love
and compassion before they chanted the discourse for this particular kind of blessing.
The three Bojjhanga Suttas [2] (Maha Kassapa/Moggallana/Cunda) [3] have been in common use
to help relieve the suffering of a patient. This is the third nature of the discourses I
am trying to understand and reflect. Even the
Buddha asked Venerable Cunda to chant this Bojjhanga Sutta when He was
ill. He himself did the chanting of the Bojjhanga Sutta when his senior disciples,
Venerable Maha Kassapa and Venerable Maha Moggallana, were sick. These are the kind of
Suttas that have both instructions for meditation practice and healing power.
Karaniyametta Sutta has these same natures: instruction for daily practice to develop our
spiritual benefit and to ward off the evils.
In other words, Buddhist chanting serves as a reminder of the practice
we need to follow in daily life. If we understand and learn how to do it properly, it is
another type of meditation in itself. It is also at the same time a healing or blessing
service.
The last benefit we may get from chanting discourses is meditative one.
When we chant if we try to concentrate well on the chanting, our mind becomes
contemplative, not wandering, not engaging in unwholesome thoughts. The late Venerable Dr.
H. Saddhatissa Mahanayaka Thero, the founder of SIBC [4], has rightly remarked in his work
[5] that almost all Buddhist practices are nothing else but some form of meditation./.
Bhikkhu Dhammasami, 1999
[1] "Dve 'me bhikkhave dhamma
saddhammassa sammosaya antaradhanaya samvattanti. Katame dve. Dunnkikkhittam ca
pada-byancanam attho ca dunnito."
[2] Samyutta Nikaya, In the Mahakassapa Sutta, the Buddha chanted the Sutta to ailing
Venerable Maha Kassapa while the second to another patient, Venerable Maha Moggallana, His
own chief disciple. In the Mahacunda-bojjhanga Sutta, Venerable Cunda was asked by the
Buddha who was then ill to chant (expound) the Bojjhanga. All were reported to have
recovered at the end of the Sutta.
[3] Also Girimananda Sutta, Anguttara Nikaya; Girimananda
bhikkhu was ill. That was reported to the Buddha by Venerable Ananda who was then taught
this Sutta and asked to go back to Girimananda for expounding, reminding him of ten
factors. At the end, he got recovered.
[4] Saddhatissa International Buddhist Centre. London
[5] Facets of Buddhism by Venerable H. Saddhatissa; World Buddhist
Foundation, London, 1991; p. 267.
Source: Nibbana.com, http://web.ukonline.co.uk/buddhism/