Chanting works , in fact one can chant on anything but it is
merely suppressing what one deems undesirable. What is latent is
still there and without reconciling/integration or
acceptance without understanding it wont go away.
If it works for you now - go with the flow but beware the
pitfalls of such a stance.
Chanting is not only supressing the undesirable. And it is not
really "suppressing something" in a sense. Suppressing something in
itself means there is already a latching on to that
something. If you would like to know more about chanting and it's
benefits you can read reply to letter 17 in Pureland-Zen
Zen-Pureland. It is a book with Master Yin Guang's replies to
the letters people wrote him.
Anyway, below are some of the points Master Yin Guang mentioned in
his letter about chanting....
"Heavy karmic obstructions, excessive greed and anger, a weak and
ailing body,
a fearful, apprehensive mind – these symptoms will, in time,
disappear naturally
if you singlemindedly recite the Buddha’s name. The “Avalokitesvara
[twenty-fifth]
Chapter” of the Lotus Sutra states:
If ... living beings much given to carnal passion keep in
mind and revere the
Bodhisattva Regarder of the Cries of the World, they will be set
free from
their passion. If [those] much given to irascibility [hatred and
anger] keep in
mind and revere the Bodhisattva Regarder of the Cries of the World,
they will
be set free from their delusion. (B. Kato, et al, The Threefold
Lotus Sutra, p.
320.)
(Note: I think there is a line missing. It should be those with
a lot of hatred can be set free from their hatred and those with a
lot of delusion can be set free from their
delusion)
The same is true of reciting the Buddha’s name. However,
you should concentrate
your mind to the utmost and put a stop to “sundry [distracting]
thoughts,” doubts
and uncertainties. Whatever you seek will then materialize. As the
Bodhisattva
Avalokitesvara has great affinities with sentient beings in the
Saha World, you
should, in addition to your regular Pure Land sessions, recite Her
name. Alternatively,
you may also recite the Surangama Mantra or the Great Compassion
Mantra."
......
"If, on the other hand, you would like to engage in Sutra Recital
in accordance
with your limited capacities for the benefits it confers, you
should keep the three
karmas of body, speech and mind utterly pure, earnest and sincere,
bow to the
Buddhas and sit erect concentrating your mind for a moment or two,
before opening
a sutra to read aloud or silently. At that time, you should sit up
straight as though
you were facing the Buddhas, listening to their perfect voices,
without a single lazy,
discriminating thought. Then, without trying to find the meaning of
the sutra, just
recite it in one stretch from beginning to end.
By reciting the sutras in such a manner, if you are of
superior spirituality, you
can awaken to the Non-Dual Truth and reach the Dharma of True Mark.
Even if you are dull and of low capacity, you will gain increased
merit and wisdom, eradicating karmic obstructions in the
process. The Sixth Patriarch once said:
We can awaken our Mind and see our True Nature just by
reciting the Diamond Sutra.
This quote refers to the practice of Sutra Recital as
explained above. It is
therefore called “samatha” (stopping or arresting mental
processes). If you follow these steps, reciting any Mahayana sutra
can lead to the opening of the Mind, the seeing of your True
Nature. This does not apply to the Diamond Sutra
alone."
......
"Whether reciting the sutras, meditating, chanting mantras
or reciting the
Buddha’s name, as long as you do it with this level of
concentration and persevere for a long time, one day you will
understand all and everything and experience a Great Awakening
(awaken to the Way)."
These are just some of the points... Please read the
letter in it's whole, it will be clearer.