How to Chant to Gong Mantras
Chanting is a beneficial addition to your meditation practice. In Buddhist practice, it is important to transform and purify your mind. Chanting allows you to perform this mind transformation and activate change, as it is an audible manifestation of a positive mantra. Different sounds have different effects on the mind, and it is believed that the sounds and syllables in Buddhist mantras have great spiritual power. The gong acts as an aid to your chanting: it indicates of the beginning and end of the session, and helps to prepare your mind. This guide will teach you how to chant gong mantras.
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Things You'll Need
- Gong Incense Broom Duster Mala (prayer beads with 108 beads) (optional)
Instructions
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Prepare your space. Be respectful of your spiritual space and maintain its cleanliness. Before you begin meditation or chanting, sweep and dust the space. The regard you show your spiritual space represents the sincerity in your practice.
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Light incense. Traditionally, incense is believed to be a method of communication to spiritual beings. Make sure the incense you purchase is a fragrance that will not cause nausea or allergic reactions. The scent of the incense should give you a peaceful feeling.
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Prepare your mind. It is not a good idea to begin your chanting or meditation practice without clearing your mind. Chanting will be ineffective if you have distracting thoughts. Take deep breaths or chant "Aum" until you feel your concentration increase. When chanting "Aum," hit the gong simultaneously and try to hold your "Aum" while the sound of the gong lasts.
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Pronounce your mantra. It is important that your mantra is pronounced correctly as the specific sounds and syllables have benefits. If you are unsure of which mantra to use, the most popular mantra, "Om Mani Padme Hum," which many Buddhists chant, is the mantra of the Boddhisattva of compassion, Avalokiteshvara,
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Begin your chanting by sounding the gong. The gong is useful for group chanting or meditations; a louder sound indicates the beginning and end. Take care not to hit the gong too hard, as the loud sound will overwhelm your chanting.
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Repeat the mantra 108 times. Each utterance should be sincere and come from your heart. Speak clearly but slowly. If you speak too quickly, the syllables will be jumbled and your chanting will be insincere. To keep track of the times you utter the mantra, use a japa mala, which has 108 beads.
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End the chanting by sounding the gong.
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