Expert: Justin Choo - 4/24/2009

Question
QUESTION: Dear Justin,
It's me again. I've got a problem in accepting & doing rituals which I don't understand. Eg. a lot of Buddhist chants are done in Pali or some foreign language. To me, chanting is mindless and meaningless if I don't even understand what I'm saying.  They are just ... sounds.
Hope to hear your point of view, thanks.

ANSWER: Hi Phang,

Welcome back.

Most chanting books in Pali will have English translations by the side.   Go to any Theravada temple in Penang and all chanting books come with English translations.


Chanting is a wholesome mental exercise.  There are two main types of chanting.  One is the ritualistic recitation of homage to the Triple Gem and administering the precepts.  The other is chanting of the Buddha's teachings call suttas.  Actually there are certain "powers" in chanting because we are chanting about truths and goodwill.  The sound vibration if chanted properly will also have positive effect.  It is believed that when a virtuous person chants with great faith, the good devas will also be listening, and provide protection.

The efficacy of chanting depends on the 5 powers:
The power of truth
The power of goodwill (metta)
The power of virtue (of the person chanting)
The power of sound vibration
The power of faith

Hope this helps.

Take care,

Justin Choo.

[I like to invite you to visit my blog:]
http://lifeislikethat999.blogspot.com/

[And these sites by Rev. Dhammika:]
http://sdhammika.blogspot.com/
http://www.buddhismatoz.com/


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Dear Justin,
Thanks for your reply. Maybe it's just me that I can't chant something while trying to read the English translation (my mind gets into a fix). What is the correct mindset and attitude when chanting?  Do you face problems during your early days of being a Buddhist? Do we need to follow a certain tune or melody? Frankly, the chants normally done during funerals (in Chinese) in the well known "melody" never gives me peace but feels like listening to a foreign song which is not very nice sounding either. Maybe my mindset caused by my own life experience is a stumbling block, but first my mind needs to make sense of the whole thing. Don't know how to "unblock" the mindset.

Answer
Hi Phang,

Of course you can't chant while at the same time read the English translation.  There is nothing to "unblock" the mindset.  In fact your mind is not blocked.  You just got to practise chanting.  That's all.

Please don't confuse yourself over the Chinese version.  Here we are talking about  Pali chanting.  There are three main "versions" or "styles" of chanting.  It's just the different accent and pronunciation.  They are the Sri Langkan (Mahindarama temple), the Burmese (Dhammikarama temple), and the Thai version (go to any Thai wat, or Ehipasiko temple).

And of course our own "Malaysian" version with our perculiar "flat" accent; and other versions from other nationalities! As I said, the efficacy of chanting comes from the 5 powers.

Justin Choo