Chanting 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/
http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma2/chanting.html