On Chanting ~ Page Two

The difference between chanting and singing is crucial. Chanting is primarily a meditative process which requires an inward focus on the one hand, and a sensitivity to the energy of the group, and a willingness to serve the group on the other. Through the chanting practice, both these foci are cultivated and strengthened. As with any type of meditation, effort is required, and yet at some point one must simply surrender to the power of the chant, the presence that has been invited in, and the transformation that is working through you.

I will give an example of a chant and how it might be used. The chant consists of a phrase taken from Psalm 23. It is "Kosi R’vaya", often translated as "My cup runneth over." In introducing the chant I would bring something of its context to life. Though I walk through the valley of the deepest darkness, I will not fear evil, for You, God are with me. How do you manifest yourself to me? I have come face to face with my own demons across the lavish table that You spread before me. And on that table is a cup that is overflowing.

In building the kavanah, the intention for this chant, I would invite the community to begin to become aware of two different dimensions of "cup". One cup is located in the heart. It is the connection to the source of Life and Love within us, and no matter what befalls us, or what "enemy" faces us from across the table, that inner cup continues to flow and to overflow. The sound of the chant re-connects us to that flow. The other "cup", is the cup that is formed in community. The sound of our voices and the strength of our shared intention create that cup which both contains the divine flow and serves as a vehicle for our nourishment. As we form the cup of community, we enable each person to access exactly what they need, to drink individually from the flow that we create together.

This chant is composed of three parts which through different rhythmic patterns, evoke the feeling of rivulets flowing mellifluously together and apart. Chanting is done with eyes closed, in order to promote greater concentration and less self-consciousness. The chant moves through a number of phases as the community gradually surrenders to its flow and as each heart begins to open in response to the gentle beauty of both the inner and outer flow. Some people may feel a surge of emotion welling up in them.

They are instructed to pour that emotional energy into the chant, in service to the group, and to let go of each thought or feeling as it passes. Each repetition is an opportunity to be more present to the fullness of the chant, to bring more attention to listening and receiving the "whole" of the chant, and to refining one’s own intention and generosity.

It is the leader’s responsibility to understand the direction, function and potential of the chant in the context of a service or meditation, and to know when to end the chant. Often chant leaders will end too soon, because there is a powerful message that the mind transmits when it is bored. The message to stop the chant arises from normal consciousness when it is threatened, when it can’t hold on much longer. The goal is to chant through the boredom, and through the momentary anxiety of losing control or losing the fixed boundaries of self. Past the boredom there is a shift in consciousness, a sudden expansion, and a cohesion of the group.

The most powerful moment of the chant happens in the silence that follows. The chant inclines the mind toward a certain state of consciousness which can be accessed in that moment after the chant. The discipline of chanting teaches how to discern the potential of that moment, let its fullness unfold and walk through the door that is opened by the chant. That "walk" is taken by means of a gentle deliberate directed breathing, and an expanded awareness of the energy that has emerged. A key element to using that energy is a willingness to serve and to surrender one’s "personal" experience. Thus the self expands beyond its normal boundaries and there is a taste of connection. In order to grow beyond just tasting, one must encounter certain obstacles to practice, and be careful of certain traps that lie along the way.

Obstacles and Traps

I make a distinction between obstacles and traps. It’s important to identify both. Sometimes I look at my practice life as a searching for just the right balance between "Surrender" and "Will". The will is expressed through our commitment to rigor, regularity, moving through difficult places, expending effort, not giving up.


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