Kigaku Noah Roen: Sesshin: Embodying the Invisible Through Chanting (Spring Practice Period 2022)

Why do we chant in Zen? What does chanting have to do with Zazen and practicing awareness in our everyday lives? These are the questions that Kigaku Kodo Noah Roen explores in this Spring Practice Period dharma talk, one part of a larger series on Zen forms and liturgy. Kodo takes us through the chants that we recite at the Upaya Zen Center, discussing both the meaning of the words chanted and, perhaps even more importantly, the purpose of the chanting itself.  The meaning is not necessarily in the words, but in the practice of repeatedly chanting them and doing so together with others. Kodo also takes us through Zen Master Dogen’s fascicle, “Dharani,” about how through the chanting of these magical incantations or mantras (such as the Daihishin Dharani, chanted at Upaya once a week) we “calm and actualize the realm of all time; we calm and create the entire Buddha realm.” Kodo’s exploration of Zen chanting will give you a solid understanding of the why, what, and how of chanting, as well as how to apply the practice in your daily life, in or outside of a Zen monastery. Bonus: this episode contains gorgeous recitations of both The Heart Sutra mantra and The Metta Chant. To access the resources page for this program, please sign up by clicking here. For Program/Series description and to access the entire series, please click on the link below: Upaya Podcast Series: SPRING PRACTICE PERIOD 2022: Making Visible the Invisible – An Exploration of Zen Liturgy