Chanting question

[Chikyou]

I have a question for the Sangha: I've recently started chanting out loud, instead of in my head. Which is great, except I have one hiccup - it doesn't take long before I need to swallow, which of course breaks my rhythm much more even than breathing does. I haven't noticed any of our Inos stopping to swallow mid sutra so I feel like there must be a trick to this. What am I missing?

Gassho,
SatLah
Kelly

[Jundo]

I have a question for the Sangha: I've recently started chanting out loud, instead of in my head. Which is great, except I have one hiccup - it doesn't take long before I need to swallow, which of course breaks my rhythm much more even than breathing does. I haven't noticed any of our Inos stopping to swallow mid sutra so I feel like there must be a trick to this. What am I missing?

Gassho,
SatLah
Kelly

Hi Kelly,

Chanting is rarely a solo performance, and is usually done as a group chant (even if led by an Ino or the like who gets things going.)

If you are by yourself at home, of course, chanting alone in your room, it does not matter if you pause for a half second to swallow. But in a group, the general rule is that the beat and chant are maintained without pause. In other words, if you need to breathe or swallow, do so, but then jump back in at the right place as if there had been no pause.

In chanting the Heart Sutra, for example, there are certain words or phrases where one can breathe in a way that it fits in without a break. I don't want to say exactly where those places are in the chant, and better for people to figure it out for themselves according to their own breath control. I understand that brass and woodwind musicians and singers have similar tricks (including so-called "circular breathing") so that they can breathe and keep playing at once! I don't recommend anything fancy: Just breathe when folks need, pausing if you need for a moment or (if chanting with a group) jumping back in where the group is.

As to swallowing, same rule as above. Swallow and pause if you need but (if with a group) jump back in where the group is.

Now, apart from any mysterious and traditional techniques from the Himalayas for not swallowing, I would just follow guidance like this from a western singer ...

https://youtu.be/lxGsrnoh7HQ

Gassho, J

stlah

[k1982]

Hey Kelly,

We chant the FukanZazenGi before zazenkai here at my local temple (Tokyo). I have never made it through without needing to swallow, and have broken the rhythm every. single. time. And for what it's worth, the head monk leading the chant can't make it either lol. Like Jundo said though, it's a group effort! I know if I screw up the Japanese or need a break I'll be covered by everyone else, and vice versa (minus the Japanese bit as I'm the only foreigner).

I've actually never chanted on my own, but you've inspired me to give a shot. Happy chanting!

-Kyle
stlah

[Bion]

I have had plenty moments as ino where I needed to swallow. I simply try to pick a good moment to do it since my voice is the only one heard and, like Jundo says, I have to skip the syllable where I swallow, so I don’t throw off everyone else’s chanting.
One secret of having to swallow less is to pick a comfortable key to chant in and make it a bit throaty. Don’t make it too high pitched
Lovely that you incorporate this into your practice

Sorry for running long

[emoji1374] Sat

[michaelw]

In a previous life I did the really slow Cistercian chant of the Psalms.
It was described as breathing the Psalms not singing.
If you have a metronome it might be worth slowing your chant down to a manageable rate
say 70/80 bpm as you can always speed up once you have worked out the breathing.
I think the we chant around 100/120 bpm.

Gassho
MichaelW

sat

[Kotei]

It helps, when there is some time between eating/drinking and chanting.
So heading from a tea/coffee directly into the zendo for chanting doesn't work well for me, the saliva production is still in 'food mode' that way.

Gassho,
Kotei sat/lah today.

[Chikyou]

Thanks everyone! I'm so glad I'm not alone in this. Singing is one of my favorite activities (if not my favorite) and I was surprised how much more difficult chanting is. I'm guessing it's because of the pace and lack of breaks.

Gassho,
SatLah
Kelly

[Onki]

Chanting can be tricky at times. It is a beautiful part of practice. When I chant sometimes I have to quickly take a breath/swallow and return to the beat. It’s all part of practice.
Good for you for incorporating chanting into your practice!

Gasshō,

On

Sat today

[Ankai]

Having spent quite a while studying some aspects of Tibetan buddhism, in which chanting is an absolutely enormous part of day-to-day life, all I can say is that from what I've read you seem to be doing it right.
Get the tone in your voice to a place where you're putting in an effort, but it's not uncomfortable. Also keep in mind that you're not a soloist, you're part of an enormous chorus. Even if you're by yourself. Never let your chanting become performance.
Also, think about the Grateful Dead. I know that sounds silly, but go with me on this for a minute. They had an enormous following as everyone knows, and in some ways they very much still do. But the band, Bobby in particular, was notorious for screwing up the lyrics to their own songs, going off beat, or changing mid stride because someone did something unexpected.
... Those are the moments that make the Grateful Dead what they are to the fans. It's those moments of humanity where they blew something that everybody else was completely familiar with and aware of, and just kept driving on anyway. Or, "Truckin' on."
If you blow a word here and there or have to breathe at a weird moment or have to swallow, or sneeze, or fart or whatever else happens, just keep going. If you need a pause, take one. We are striving for perfection of course, but we are doing so with the knowledge absolute and firm that we are never going to achieve it. So when something like that happens, you pick it up, look at it, think to yourself, ,"well, now I know how not to do that again," and just keep truckin' on.

Just the musings of a random Deadhead who's gone the long way around the barn finding ways to beat himself up over his imperfections.

Sat.

-Karl

[k1982]

Also, think about the Grateful Dead.

This is just good advice in general, for all situations

-Kyle
Stlah

[Onkai]

I drink water before chanting to keep my throat from getting dry, but I guess that's a different issue.

Gassho, Onkai
Sat lah

[Nengei]

I just drool.



Gassho,
Nengei
Sat today. LAH.