Chanting

[Vajra Fist]

13 hours ago, dmattwads said:

That being said I like the chant and not at all interested in SGI (just thought I'd put that out there).

 

My father in law is Nichiren and SGI is widely regarded as a cult in Japan. If you steer away from them, I reckon its a decent enough practice. Have a read of Nichiren's writing and see if it gels with you. I never really got past how disparaging he was of pure land traditions, but some appreciate how frank he was.

[Maddie]

1 hour ago, Vajra Fist said:

 

My father in law is Nichiren and SGI is widely regarded as a cult in Japan. If you steer away from them, I reckon its a decent enough practice. Have a read of Nichiren's writing and see if it gels with you. I never really got past how disparaging he was of pure land traditions, but some appreciate how frank he was.

 

Yeah from everything I've heard about SGI they sound like a cult to me also. Yeah I also don't really understand why Nichiren was so critical of other groups that were not his own and I can't say I really like it but I have found with a lot of experimentation that Nam myoho renge Kyo does seem to be effective. I guess it's like I've heard Thomas Edison was a jerk but I still like the light bulb.

[EFreethought]

On 1/15/2021 at 11:01 PM, dmattwads said:

Does anyone practice chanting "Nam myoho renge Kyo"?. I've been disillusioned lately with a lot of stuff but this one seems to really be doing it for me more and more. It benefits my mind and moves my qi. That being said I like the chant and not at all interested in SGI (just thought I'd put that out there).

 

Lately I have been using it. I am trying to meditate more often.  I started using mantras to help motivate me to stick with it. I have a rough guess of how many I can do in a minute and keep track of how many repetitions I have done. Now I am on day 200 of meditating ever day. I started "nam myoho renge kyo" about 50 days ago.

 

"Nam myoho renge kyo" hasn't seemed to have much of an effect on me. I plan on doing it until I get to about 125,000, then going to another one. I tried "om vajarapani hum" for a few days, and I did feel different.

[Maddie]

8 hours ago, EFreethought said:

 

Lately I have been using it. I am trying to meditate more often.  I started using mantras to help motivate me to stick with it. I have a rough guess of how many I can do in a minute and keep track of how many repetitions I have done. Now I am on day 200 of meditating ever day. I started "nam myoho renge kyo" about 50 days ago.

 

"Nam myoho renge kyo" hasn't seemed to have much of an effect on me. I plan on doing it until I get to about 125,000, then going to another one. I tried "om vajarapani hum" for a few days, and I did feel different.

 

This seems to be how it goes when I have a few people I know here try some of the mantras that I do. They don't really seem to feel much which baffles me because I do and I'm not sure why. Sometimes all I have to do is a couple repetitions to feel the effects (not always). Although if I do, do a mantra for a while and notice nothing I usually drop it and move on.

[Sketch]

My big curiosity about sounded mantra practices comes to this...is there one way you sound the mantra? Do you use your diaphragm, do you just mumble through your throat and mouth? Does it resonate through your body, or just sound in your ears? Pitch changes?

 Have you a consistent practice here or do such things "take care of themselves "?

 

Edited January 18, 2021 by Sketch

[Maddie]

18 minutes ago, Sketch said:

My big curiosity about sounded mantra practices comes to this...is there one way you sound the mantra? Do you use your diaphragm, do you just mumble through your throat and mouth? Does it resonate through your body, or just sound in your ears? Pitch changes?

 Have you a consistent practice here or do such things "take care of themselves "?

 

 

Interesting point. What I have noticed is that the more I do a chant, over time it seems to develop a rhythm and tone on its own. I might start off just voicing the words and as I progress the tempo and sound sort of reveal themselves to me. Sometimes I just do it mentally as well. 

[Sketch]

Mental recitations seem like a different process to sounded ones, from my perspective. 

 

Mentally and biologically at least.

 

Potentially valuable practices; but exercising some separate qualities. 

[EFreethought]

8 hours ago, dmattwads said:

 

This seems to be how it goes when I have a few people I know here try some of the mantras that I do. They don't really seem to feel much which baffles me because I do and I'm not sure why. Sometimes all I have to do is a couple repetitions to feel the effects (not always). Although if I do, do a mantra for a while and notice nothing I usually drop it and move on.

the last time I did it I was unemployed, and then I got a job. Maybe it is a coincidence.

Now I need a new job. Perhaps I will try one of the "abundance" mantras in Thomas Ashley-Farrand's books.

[Maddie]

2 minutes ago, EFreethought said:

the last time I did it I was unemployed, and then I got a job. Maybe it is a coincidence.

Now I need a new job. Perhaps I will try one of the "abundance" mantras in Thomas Ashley-Farrand's books.

 

Well if you did it and you got a job I would stick with what works.

 

Nam Myoho...... is a very good abundance mantra. In fact the SGI group practically promote it as such.

 

I've gotten several jobs / resolved situations well with this chant.

[skyblue]

I've seen a lot of realized masters emphasize the way of chanting Mantras. In this except, Nan Huai-Jin says

Quote

without chanting the Buddha’s name, there will be no way to improve. This means that he used the Chan samadhi method to cultivate but after a certain level, you need to eliminate the Eighth Consciousness’ subtle hindrances. Without sincerely chanting the Buddha’s name, there is no power from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to help you, and it will be impossible.

 

Edited January 19, 2021 by skyblue

[Maddie]

On 1/19/2021 at 9:59 AM, skyblue said:

I've seen a lot of realized masters emphasize the way of chanting Mantras. In this except, Nan Huai-Jin says

 

 

That much like what Nichiren said about this age and chanting daimoku.

[Maddie]

I was pondering if people that get more out of chanting than other practices benefit from "help from above" so to speak more than others?

[Maddie]

One more thought. I would like to know what other's think about the theory that in this day and age chanting is the most beneficial practice? Such as the Kali Yuga/ third age of Buddhism theory.

[EFreethought]

On 1/18/2021 at 10:10 PM, dmattwads said:

 

Well if you did it and you got a job I would stick with what works.

 

Nam Myoho...... is a very good abundance mantra. In fact the SGI group practically promote it as such.

 

I've gotten several jobs / resolved situations well with this chant.

One more thing: I should  point out that I don't actually chant a mantra. I just repeat it mentally, using that instead of watching my breath. I usually have a hard time just watching my breath without controlling it.

[Maddie]

5 hours ago, EFreethought said:

One more thing: I should  point out that I don't actually chant a mantra. I just repeat it mentally, using that instead of watching my breath. I usually have a hard time just watching my breath without controlling it.

 

That's a perfectly valid and good use of a mantra.