Editor's Note - This is an excerpt from the November 2003 issue of the Buddhist Wheel

There are two significant purposes in sutra chanting. One is to praise the virtues of the Buddha and the other is to reflect upon oneself.

It may be difficult to understand what it means to praise the virtues of the Buddha. When I was very young, I wondered where I would go when I died and remember being afraid thinking about it. My grandfather assured me that I would be born in the Pure Land. Unless this question is resolved for human beings, it remains a cause for uncertainty and fear in one’s life.

We are often unaware of the fact that we live our lives with the assurance of rebirth in the Pure Land because of Amida Buddha’s vows to save us. The very essence or foundation of our lives is established by the virtues of the Buddha. Therefore, when we chant the sutras, we extol these virtues in appreciation of his Vow.

Now let us consider the second purpose of sutra-chanting, self-reflection. During funerals and memorial services, specific rituals and traditions are carried on; the same goes for tea ceremonies and weddings. For example, in the Japanese tea ceremony, there is meaning in every action or step in the long process of preparing a cup of tea. It would lose its meaning and would no longer be an art form if we thought about it as too long and painstaking. The wedding ceremony has many traditions and rituals for the bride and groom, each one carried out after much planning and preparation.

When I was a youngster, I hated attending services and chanting. Sitting in seiza, my legs would hurt and grow numb. I would flip through the pages thinking, “10 pages to go, 2 pages and it will be over. I wonder what’s for dinner tonight.” I could see my younger sister fidgeting and counting the pages, too. My pouting brother did not even have the right page. To be sure, it was questionable whether or not our hearts and minds were praising the Buddha. We were just chanting because we were required to do so.

Recently, I wondered if my parents and my minister grandfather felt the same way when they were young. I have come to realize that my grandfather as a youngster and the many ancestors that I had never known also chanted the same sutras, so a strong feeling of kinship has arisen in me.

As I mentioned earlier, as a youngster my mind wandered during sutra chanting with such thoughts of when it would be all over or what to eat later. Even now, while I am chanting, my mind is often filled with foolish, selfish thoughts. Out of my mouth come words of appreciation for the wonderful teachings, but my mind is filled with thoughts of an ignorant, foolish being. Reflecting on this self that is living with contradictions, I continue chanting the sutras to express appreciation for Amida Buddha’s vows to save us. Therefore, the chanting of the sutras, though often thought to be long and tiresome, should not be hastily changed or shortened.

In today’s society, activities and experiences for us to gaman or endure and be patient for long periods of time have become fewer and often shortened. Every activity seems to move toward speed and simplicity in our society. Living in these times, what is the reason for long periods of sutra chanting and time honored rituals and traditions?

Because we live in a time of fast-paced activities, we must take the time to express appreciation, to praise the virtues of the Buddha, and to reflect on the meaning of our own life. Like the tea ceremony, sutra chanting has meaning in its length and purpose; it gives us time necessary for expressing appreciation and self-reflection.

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