Wat San Fran Dhammaram

During Buddha’s time, Queen Samavati (King Udena’s chief consort) was a devout follower of Buddha. Khujjuttara, Queen Samavati’s attendant, was sent to listen to Buddha’s sermons and upon her return to the palace, Khujjuttara would relay the teachings she had absorbed to Queen Samavati and her 500 maid servants. In this way, the Queen and her maid servants were able to practice and understand the dhamma Buddha taught, and all of them ultimately attained, at the least, the first level of emancipation. Here at Wat San Fran Dhammaram, we emphasize the importance of dhamma discussion among peers. Over 2,500 years after Buddha’s Enlightenment, we no longer have Buddha waiting at the Hall of Truth, or Venerable Sariputta or Venerable Maha Moggallana somewhere nearby to guide us in the right direction. But what we do have are the Tipitaka and a plethora of teachings to sort through and attempt to understand. We also have contemporary arahant monks and nuns who have blazed paths for us to follow. One arahant monk in particular, Venerable Acariya Thoon Khippapanyo, encouraged us to follow in the footsteps of holy individuals in Buddha’s era (like Queen Samavati and Khujjuttara, and learn from one another through candid discussion. We believe that by opening our minds and hearts to identify and learn the truth, and that by sharing this truth with those in the same pursuit, we can support one another as we all strive for the goal of ultimate nibbana.

There are many benefits that can be gained from Chanting including:

1. Humility

Bowing your head to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha is a great way to teach and train yourself to be humble. The physical act itself lends itself to the promotion of humility.

2. Reading and Chanting of Buddha’s teachings

When we chant, we traditionally chant in the language of Pali, which is widely understood to be the language used in the time of the Buddha. Many of the verses are considered to be actual teachings of the Lord Buddha passed on from one Buddhist to another. Other verses were written by highly educated Buddhist monks and used widely in Buddhist temples all over the world.

These teachings have immense value depending on how we apply and use them.
Many practitioners mistakenly think that the actual chanting in Pali is holy or will result in good luck or spiritual advancement. However, this is a misperception. Chanting or speaking in foreign languages that we do not understand has no actual value in and of itself. However, the understanding garnered from the teaching can prove to be invaluable to our lives and practice.The importance is in the meaning of the teachings, not in the chanting of them.
 
When chanting with other people, it is important to harmonize. Some people feel that they are superior to others in their chanting. This causes them to chant louder in order to “teach others.” Others spend time listening and critiquing the tones, enunciation and ability of others. All these things are distractions and will lead to negative karma rather than positive karma. People chanting should learn to get along with others and create harmony instead of discord. We should strive to adjust ourselves instead of critiquing others.

This is a good parallel for getting along with people in the real world.