Chant is the rhythmic speaking or singing of words or sounds, either on a single pitch or with a simple melody involving a limited set of notes and often including a great deal of repetition or statis. Chant may be considered speech, music, or a heightened form of speech which is more effective in conveying emotion or expressing ones spiritual side. Chants are used in a variety of settings from ritual to recreation. Supporters or players in sports contests may use them (see football chant). Warriors in ancient times would chant ...

Read more here: » Chant: Encyclopedia - Chant

chanting

Rhythmic repetition of sound, such as a mantra, in which vibrational energy is received and discharged

(See also: Chanting, Body Mind and Soul)

Chant

A form of ritual speech; a repetitive, rhythmic vocalization.

(See also: Chant, New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

Aum is one of the most popular chants in India. From time to time Osho has suggested many ways of doing it; if done properly, it can be a door to silence.

A caution from Osho: A mantra has to be chanted and then dropped. A mantra is complete only when you can drop it. Do not cling to it!

Here we discuss one of the ways of chanting the Aum mantra.

(See also: Meditation Techniques, Meditation, Meditation for Beginners, Meditation Techniques)

The sages who gave us the ancient Vedic mantras and hymns were evolved beings who had either attained or come very close to a state of pure consciousness. In their meditations they heard perfect words and sounds - sublime mantras, sacred wisdom arising from within. They passed this sacred wisdom on to their disciples by singing it.

In those days all the scriptures were sung, and the rishis and sages understood that chanting the sacred word was an offering to God for the well-being of the earth and all its creatures. They knew that the human voice chanting sacred mantras has healing power and that these pure sounds actually replenish the universe, create harmony, and keep the universe healthy.

(See also: Chanting, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

The chanting of the Divine Name or nama japa has an important place in bhakti tradition. Nama japa can be in the form of japa or stotra. Japa is silent repetition of a mantra while stotra is uttered out loud.

The sahasranama stotra is perhaps the most popular of all stotras. There are sahasranamas of most of the deities of the Hindu pantheon of which two have attained great popularity. These are the Lalita Sahasranama in praise of the Divine Mother and Vishnu Sahasranama in praise of the Lord conceived as Vishnu.

(See also: Sahasranama, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

A Buddhist chant is a form of musical verse or incantation, in some ways analogous to Hindu or Christian religious recitations. They exist in just about every part of the Buddhist world, from the Wats in Thailand to the Lamaist temples of India (re: Tibetan Government in Exile). Almost every Buddhist school has some tradition of chanting associated with it, regardless of being Theravada or Mahayana. Buddhist chant - Chanting. In Buddhism, chanting is the traditional means of preparing the mind for M ...

Including:

• Buddhist chant - Chanting
• Buddhist chant - Adherents

Read more here: » Buddhist chant

It is believed that the entire creation was manifested with the sound of Om, the Nada Brahman. Om is a combination of So and Ham. This sound vibrates every moment of our life till there is life in our body, till life continues to flow through the Kundalini.

When the sound travels through the various bodies it gets refined and the vibration ultimately merges in Om. It is constantly chanted within us and is thus called the highest mantra, the Mantra Maheshwara. Ham beejam, says the Guru Gita, which means the sound of Ham is the seed of the entire consciousness which pervades us.

(See also: Life and Death, Life and Beyond, Death and Dying, Body Mind and Soul)

Chanting mantras inspires the body to heal itself, the mind to become calm and the soul to grow strong. Chanting makes room for divine energies. Mantras are vibrations - they unlock hidden centres and help to dissolve the ego; they help us build invisible tools for shaping a better life. We start discovering resources within.

A young farmer, simple and ego-less, was rearing goats. One day a realised soul in ordinary attire visited him. The poor farmer welcomed him with respect without knowing that he was a great guru. Affectionately, he offered goat milk to the visitor. The guru left after some time. His blessings created a great spiritual armour around the farmer, unbeknownst to him.

(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Chanting mantras inspires the body to heal itself, the mind to become calm and the soul to grow strong. Chanting makes room for divine energies. Mantras are vibrations - they unlock hidden centres and help to dissolve the ego; they help us build invisible tools for shaping a better life. We start discovering resources within.

A young farmer, simple and ego-less, was rearing goats. One day a realised soul in ordinary attire visited him. The poor farmer welcomed him with respect without knowing that he was a great guru. Affectionately, he offered goat milk to the visitor. The guru left after some time. His blessings created a great spiritual armour around the farmer, unbeknownst to him.

(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace in Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

A Buddhist chant is a form of musical verse or incantation, in some ways analogous to Hindu or Christian religious recitations. They exist in just about every part of the Buddhist world, from the Wats in Thailand to the Lamaist temples of India (re: Tibetan Government in Exile). Almost every Buddhist school has some tradition of chanting associated with it, regardless of being Theravada or Mahayana. Buddhist chant - Chanting. In Buddhism, chanting is the traditional means of preparing the mind for M ...

Including:

• Buddhist chant - Chanting
• Buddhist chant - Adherents

Read more here: » Buddhist chant: Encyclopedia - Buddhist chant

Peace Chant

Peace be to the East! Peace be to the West!

Peace be to the North! Peace be to the South!

Peace be above! Peace be below!

Peace be to all creatures of this universe!

Peace be everywhere.

From "Easy Steps to Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Peace: Peace Chant

The Concluding Peace Chant.

From Hindu Fasts & Festivals by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Hindu Prayers: Concluding Peace Chants - a Hindu Prayer

Pali Chanting in the Theravada Buddhist Tradition

With translation to enlglish, including

Vandan a - Homage to the Triple Gems

Ti-Sarana - The Three Refuges

Panca-sila - The Five Precepts

Buddha Vandana - Homage to the Buddha

Dhamma Vandana - Homage to the Teachings

Sangha Vandana - Homage to the Disciples of the Buddha

Maha-Mangala Sutta - Discourse on Blessings

Karaniya Sutta - Discourse on Loving Kindness

Ratana Sutta - The Jewel Discourse

Read more here: » Buddhism: Pali Chanting in the Theravada Buddhist Tradition

Chanting the Rosary - With Faith and Hope

The Rosary, a common family prayer among Catholics, contemplates the mysteries of the life of Christ. It opens with the prayer "Our Father", followed by "Hail Mary" recited ten times for five decades (10x50) normally using a set of beads. It is a prayer that helps bind the family and community together. It is a form of devotion to Mary. The year of the Rosary is being celebrated from October 2002 to October 2003.

Read more here: » Rosary: Chanting the Rosary - With Faith and Hope

Chanting of mantras and the practice of meditation are time-honoured traditions in oriental religions like Hinduism and Buddhism. Christians use the concept of chanting in a variety of ways in their prayer. The Divine Office or Prayer of the Church is a rhythmic recitation or singing of the Psalms in monastic communities. For a Christian the practice of meditation is the practice of an 'awareness' of God in Christ. Equally, at the heart of the practice of Christian meditation is the essential onslaught on the 'ego' so that we may be completely free from its domination. Prophet Isaiah says (30:15): "In conversion and tranquillity lies your salvation".

Read more here: » Spiritual Practices: Christian Mantras And Meditation

Chanting with Krishna Das consists of: Chanting with musical accompaniment Meditation instruction Readings from different spiritual traditions Teachings and discussions about the spiritual path Krishna Das leads chanting and satsang alone or in conjunction with other like-minded teachers of the Path. Satsangs usually last from 1-2 hours or can be scheduled to last all night. Intensive seminar/workshops can last a weekend or longer. Sharing his heart through music and chanting is the basis of Krishna Das' own spiritual work; his way of servi ...

See also:

Krishna Das, Krishna Das - Chanting, Krishna Das - Discography

Read more here: » Krishna Das: Encyclopedia II - Krishna Das - Chanting

Buddhist music is music created for or inspired by Buddhism and part of Buddhist art. Buddhist music - Honkyoku. Honkyoku are the pieces of shakuhachi or hocchiku music played by wandering Japanese Zen monks called komuso. Komuso played honkyoku for enlightenment and alms as early as the 13th century. In the 18th century, a komuso named Kinko Kurosawa of the Fuke sect of Zen Buddhism was commissioned to travel throughout Japan and collect these musical pieces. The results of several years of travel a ...

Including:

• Buddhist music - Honkyoku
• Buddhist music - Buddhist chant
• Buddhist music - Shomyo
• Buddhist music - Buddhist music in the US
• Buddhist music - Source

Read more here: » Buddhist music

Sanskrit is one of the oldest languages in the World. The mundane understanding of sound and language is that it is only used for communication between two or more people. But at another level, the science of sound and language is a huge field of wisdom that affect many aspects of life, not the least our spiritual wellbeing. This article explain in detail the science of sound and language and how this wisdom has been an imbedded key component of the ancient sciences of India for thousands of years. Yoga, chanting and the use of mantras are all closely connected to the conscious use of sound and language for healing and spiritual awakening.

Read more here: » Spirituality & Science: Sanskrit - a divine Language?

The term Vedic chant refers to recitation of hymns of the Vedas, the most ancient scriptures of India, and the basis of the many Hindu traditions. Chanting of these hymns has continued for at least last three millennia and is believed to the oldest such religious tradition. Before the introduction of printed texts, the Vedas were passed from one generation to the next only by the oral tradition, which necessitated chanting and memorizing of these hymns. Vedas, Mantra, Yantra, Japa, Hare Krishna, ...

Including:

• Vedic chant - Introduction
• Vedic chant - Divine Sound
• Vedic chant - Unesco
• Vedic chant - Popular Vedic Chants

Read more here: » Vedic chant: Encyclopedia - Vedic chant