Buddhism- Chanting

Chanting a mantra in Buddhism is at the very core of one's daily practice.  In Japan, many people recite okyo (sacred texts) or repeat mantras everyday in front of the butsudan (Buddhist altar).  A popular okyo is the heart sutra that you can listen to here.

Chanting is a common practice in many religions but people often forget why they chant or never knew the reason.  We will explore here some of the reasons why you should chant everyday and give you some suggestions of what to chant.

First, what is chanting?  A picture is worth a thousand words as a saying goes and a video is worth a million so please watch this short video of a group reciting  the heart sutra (Japanese version).  Please note that different traditions have different tempo and speed.  This one has a slow tempo, suited for meditative purposes, it is probably sung by a group of Zen practitioners.

After the main sutra, the leader in this rendition starts invoking some Buddhas.

Chanting can be a long text like here (sometimes the text goes on for an hour or more like the Lotus Sutra) or can be a very short  phrase repeated many times like Om Mani Padme Hum or Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, chanted by the Nichiren tradition.

Unlike other religious practices, chanting is not considered a prayer in Buddhism.  The practitioner is not asking for anything,   At the origin, chanting was a way of remembering the sutras and passing it down to the next generation as paper was rare and expensive and texts had to be memorized to be preserved.
Soon, they discovered the effects of chanting on the body, spirit and soul.

Chanting has the effect of raising the level of vibration in the body.  This relates to the Kototama, spiritual words in Japan or sacred sounds in other traditions.  According to this theory,  different sounds have certain effects on the body and even on the universe surrounding us. (in tantric Buddhism, invocations are considered powerful)

  Look for Chanting:: Discovering Spirit in Sound

One thing is certain: after chanting, when well done,  one can feel centered, filled with peace and centered.  This is, according to Robert Gass, author of Chanting: Discovering Spirit in Sound, because of different factors:

• Chanting repeatedly activates a "trigger" created by repetition that puts us in a conditioned state of mind. (just like the smell of food will make us hungry)
• Entrainment, in which the mind-body is set into a certain mode when it hears a melody or a rhythm.  (your body will start dancing of following the rhythm of a drum beat without you voluntarily doing it)
• Your breath.  When chanting, we slow down our breath and will usually go down to 5 to 8 cycle a minute which is ideal for healing the body.  We usually have around 15 to 20 breath cycle in a minute.
• The sonic effect; chanting long vowels, typical of most mantras, creates pleasurable vibrations in the body and brain, thus affecting our brainwaves.  
• Our intent also is a factor on the effect chanting has on us.  It goes in pair with the trigger effect discussed in the first point.  We must have intent, create the trigger, repeat it over and over and soon, just by activating the trigger, we will awaken the initial intent.

So, why should you chant?  It's easy to answer, really.  You should because it's good for you.  Chanting, calms your mind, lowers your blood pressure, sharpens your intellect, empties your mind of worries while you do it, leaving room for inspiration.  It is a form of meditation and a form of healing for the body and the mind.

If we go a little deeper in the arcane side of the subject,  by chanting you tap into the collective consciousness of all the others who have done the same chant before you, bringing you a little closer to the divine or enlightment.

Next, we discuss how to chant.

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