Misunderstanding Regarding The Benefits of Reciting Teachings

The unreliable literature states that the Paritta (i.e. chants) have the power to protect those who recite it like in the story of the Bodhisatta’s life as a golden peacock. He often recited Mora Paritta (i.e. chants) which is about worshipping the virtuous glories of past Buddhas causing him to be safe from hunters.

In addition, the unreliable literature shares that during the lifetime of The Buddha, five hundred Monks went to the forest to practice meditation. They were harassed by the deities and were unable to meditate so they returned to Sāvatthī. So The Buddha advised them to recite the text of Loving-kindness and to radiate the spirit of love to all sentient beings. Upon returning to the forest, the Monks practiced the radiation of love. The deities were pleased and thus let the Monks meditate peacefully.

Another newly unreliable literature shares that the power of Paritta (i.e. chants) can help protect those who listen to Paritta. During the lifetime of The Buddha, Vesali was plagued by three dangers of famine, devils, and pestilence. The Vesalians sought the help of The Buddha. The Buddha instructed Venerable Ānanda to recite the discourse on Precious Jewels, then all the dangers were terminated.

Furthermore, in another unreliable literature it was composed that during the lifetime of The Buddha there was a child who was going to be eaten by a yakkha within 7 days. The Buddha then advised Monks to recite the Paritta (i.e. chants) for seven nights and The Buddha himself recited on the eighth night. The child was released from the danger of the non-human.

References:

Jätaka-atthakathā - The Khuddakapāțha-ațthakatha

The Suttanipāta-atțhakatha, - The Dhammapada-atthakatha

The unreliable literature is a contradiction to The Buddha’s discourses and Teachings that warns against adding or abolishing what has been taught. The origin of this discourse is not traced to the lifetime of The Buddha but instead was included long after The Buddha’s death.

The Buddha instructed Monks ignore others’ discourses. This was taught because The Buddha’s discourses will disappear if newly composed discourses are being studied that are not The Teachings of The Buddha.

Moreover, The Buddha also shared the harm of explaining what has not been stated, spoken, and prescribed by The Tathāgata as having been stated, spoken, and prescribed by him. Those are acting for the unhappiness of many people, for the ruin, they generate much unwholesome Kamma and cause the good Teachings to disappear.

There are no creditable sources of The Buddha describing the use of reciting Teachings as chants to dispel evil or to be used as protection. The Buddha did not teach this practice as being beneficial in any way, but instead, The Buddha spent forty-five (45) years of his life dedicated to sharing The Teachings on The Path to Enlightenment that lead to liberation of the mind through learning, reflecting, and practicing The Teachings to train the mind, liberating it from discontent feelings. The mind is liberated through wisdom and reciting Teachings as chants will not create wisdom in the mind improving one’s wisdom, moral conduct, and mental discipline to attain Enlightenment.

Chanting or Mantras: Throughout the world there are Practitioners who do “chanting” of The Teachings. It is important that Practitioners understand, while chanting can help to create mindfulness (i.e. awareness of mind), concentration, and memory, the words themselves and the sounds coming from a person’s mouth do not have any mystical, magical, or special power to attain or create Enlightenment.

There are no mystical, magical, or special powers that one could use in a chant or mantra that would create benefit of doing such things as destroying unwholesome Kamma, attaining Enlightenment, transferring Merit/Kamma, achieving a long life, helping beings that have already died, improving one’s destination after death or any other beneficial result.

Mantras are sometimes taught and “believed” to have mystical, magical, or special powers. This is not true and will not result in beneficial outcomes beyond training for concentration, memory, or awareness of mind.

All of Gotama Buddha’s Teachings are focused on the Practitioner learning and practicing Teachings that train the mind, not invoking mystical, magical, or special powers for any sort of benefit. Gotama Buddha himself did not teach these types of practices and described them as a “lowly art”.

Chanting can be relaxing and a powerful practice to calm the mind while developing awareness of mind and awareness of breath through training of the mind, but not through mystical or magical powers.

To attain Enlightenment, a Practitioner needs to practice the entire Eight Fold Path. It is through our practice of learning and applying The Teachings in everyday life, that we liberate the mind to attain Enlightenment.

Listening to chanting or performing chanting can help to create a peaceful mind, develop mindfulness, and awareness of breath. One can use the practice of chanting to improve concentration, memory, and awareness of mind among other beneficial results to train one’s own mind.

Chanting can help calm the mind, however, the Practitioner will need to do the work to sustain the mindfulness and calmness of mind long term.

Chanting is just one practice that helps to develop mindfulness and the mind will need a “life practice” to cultivate a content mind with Enlightenment. A Practitioner will need to learn and practice the entire Eight Fold Path as their “life practice” to attain Enlightenment.

Merely chanting or reciting a mantra for some beneficial result is not what Gotama Buddha taught as part of The Path to Enlightenment. These Teachings are 100% focused on learning and practicing Teachings that lead to liberation of the mind to eliminate discontentedness.

A chant or mantra alone will not accomplish that goal and is not required to attain Enlightenment.