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Originally Posted by Cally31
Yes, they are powerful indeed. I also found listening to chanting very Stimulating on an energetic level. There is so much knowledge out there and many different ways its expressed, love it  |
Chanting is common to many traditions and is "powerful indeed".
My niece and I were blessed to stay for days at the monastery of the Grand Zen Master in Gjungju (South Korea). Prior to that, my niece had no prior exposure to chanting or meditation. Wake-up was at 4:00AM as all were expected to be at the meditation hall in this mountain monastery at 4:30 AM.
For 30 minutes, a mantra (in Korean) was chanted and it was short enough so that we were quickly able to master it and participate in the chanting. (This reduces one's thoughts to one -- the mantra.) Following the chanting, there were 30 minutes of silence. (Since thoughts had been reduced to the one mantra, silencing that one thought brought one into the stillness where not a sound was heard in the hall.) We were then directed to walk further up the mountain where the master sent two monks ahead at 10 feet intervals with the rest of us following at 10 foot intervals in complete silence. (Each of us just followed the leader through the forested mountain area and there was no need to even think about where one was going ... just follow the leader.) After 30 minutes , we arrived at the dining and got our vegetarian food as servers were on the food line. The meal was in total silence as no one, including my niece (as she mentioned afterwards), had no urge whatever to disturb the silence/stillness with idle chatter. After breakfast, we proceeded to the lecture hall accompanied by an English-speaking monk who translated the lecture for us on the side.
After that experience, my niece realized the power of sound/mantra and actually got into chanting and meditation. The direct experience with the awesome silence of mind left a lasting impression on her.
NOTE: I used to go to the "Abode" years ago where I practiced under Hazrat's son, Pir Vilayat Khan, who taught various meditation techniques and methods to enter the silence.
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