Path: shell.portal.com!shell.portal.com!not-for-mail From: tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com (nagasiva) Newsgroups: alt.magick.tyagi,alt.religion.buddhism,talk.religion.buddhism,talk.religion.misc Subject: THarris: Chanting and Zen Followup-To: alt.magick.tyagi,alt.religion.buddhism,talk.religion.buddhism,talk.religion.misc,alt.zen Date: 15 Jan 1996 17:31:24 -0800 Organization: Portal Communications (shell) Lines: 63 Sender: tyagi@shell.portal.com Message-ID: <4dev5c$kds@jobe.shell.portal.com> References: <1996Jan9.100321@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au> Reply-To: tharris@oz.net (Tim Harris) NNTP-Posting-Host: jobe.shell.portal.com Xref: shell.portal.com alt.magick.tyagi:6200 alt.religion.buddhism:135 talk.religion.buddhism:15256 talk.religion.misc:199321 [from alt.zen: tharris@oz.net (Tim Harris)] [some editing of structure for clarity - tn] In article <1996Jan9.100321@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au> phs179b@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au (Dien Alfred Rice) writes: >From: phs179b@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au (Dien Alfred Rice) >Subject: Chanting and Zen >Date: 9 Jan 96 10:03:21 +1100 >I am interested in finding out about chanting and zen. >Is chanting something a fundamental practice in Zen? Chanting is done in most Zen traditions but different schools place different emphasis on it and the method will be different. In Korean Zen, which I practice, there is much chanting. We have both morning and evening chants that are done daily plus special chanting and extended kido chanting which goes on for many hours or days. We chant some chants in Korean, some in English and one in Sanskrit. >What is chanted? Mostly sutras. The most common Zen chants that I think encompass all traditions are the Prajna Paramita Hrydaya Sutra (The Heart Sutra) and the Great Dharani. On top of this we have a morning and evening bell chant and the Homage to the Three Jewels. The morning bell chant is based on the Avatamsaka (Hwa-om) sutra, I have no idea where Homage came from originally. >Is chanting done individually or in a group? Loudly or silently? Chanting is done both ways. In a group in formal practice, on your own if you practice alone. Korean chanting in our school anyway is kind of loud. >How do I find out more? The best article on Zen chanting I've read came from the founder of the school I'm in - Seung Sahn DSSN. There is an introduction to the chanting book that describes why we chant. There is also mention of this in Dropping Ashes on the Buddha by Zen Master Seung Sahn which you can find at many bookstores. >My interest comes in that I know in Sufism, chanting something >(God's "Names", which mean's God's attributes) is a fundamental >part of practice. It is done both silently by an individual or >loudly in a group. It can even be done while spinning around (like >the "whirling dervishes", of the Mevlevi Sufi order, do). I am >interested in comparing Zen and Sufi practice, in order to deepen >my own understanding. Personally, I think Zen, Taoism, and Sufism >all head in the same direction, though using different paths and >methods, but I am interested in the parallels. (Probably other >methods I know less about also head in the same direction too.) >Thanks for any help, >Fred Rice [end - tn] -- To ensure my response CC all public replies to email (READ alt.magick.tyagi) (emailed replies may be posted) * http://www.hollyfeld.org/~tyagi/nagasiva.html INTENTIONAL .SIG PROTEST: FUCK SHIT PISS COCKSUCKER MOTHERFUCKER TITS CUNT