Q-60pxWhat do you think about when you are chanting?

 

A-60pxWhen chanting, one should just listen, hear and chant. We should chant by following the leader and try to stay in tune, in time and chant naturally.

We should hear what others around us are chanting and try to stay together.

We should listen to the Dharma. Maybe we understand the words, but most likely we don’t understand the words. Still we should appreciate that the Dharma has been transmitted for centuries by chanting.

Chanting is to prepare ourselves to listen to the Dharma. It is a kind of meditation that clears our minds. When we chant, we should be in the moment and just enjoy hearing everyone’s voices chanting together.

Chanting is part of every Buddhist Service, regardless of the language, culture, country or time. Chanting and the Dharma talk is common to all Buddhists and is the expression of the Three Treasures: Buddha, Dharma, Sangha—or Teacher, Teaching, Group.

So, the real answer to the question is to be thinking about nothing, just be doing the chanting.

Editors note: To experience chanting visit our Buddhist Chanting page to view a video series of traditional Shin Buddhist chants.