Paying respect and recollecting the qualities of the Triple Gem by chanting in the Pali language (with English translation) is an uplifting and inspiring devotional practice. Guided-metta gently leads the heart to a place of stillness and love, stimulating inner peace and happiness. These practices are a beautiful way to transform the mind from negative states.

Pali Chanting

Every evening during the retreat, we chant in the Pali language (with English translation) paying respects and homage to the Buddha (the Teacher), the Dhamma (the Teaching), and the Sangha (the Enlightened Disciples). This is an ancient devotional tradition handed-down for 2600 years and has been transferred this current generation for preservation. Chanting brings great joy by temporarily removing hindrances and producing a stable one-pointed mind. The sonic vibrations of chanting are traditionally believed to have calming, healing and protective effects.  Allowing the heart to embrace the meaning of the chants develops the essential faculty of saddha (faith and confidence) in the path of the Buddha. The growth and maturing of this faith faculty is a required condition for the development of higher vipassana insights.

Included in the evening chanting is the confirmation of sila (virtue) via the eight precepts, and a chant of the Brahma Vihara – the sublime attitudes of loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity.  Whilst a little resistance to such spiritual activities may be initially experienced by some retreatants, learning to soften conditioned cultural attitudes results in an opening of the mind to contentment and freedom. It is indeed fortunate that we have the opportunity to meet the Buddha’s Teaching and offer these chants to the world of beings.

Listen to the chants on this page and download the chanting sheets (pdf/61KB) to follow along.