Special Topics
Morning and Evening Chanting as a Regular Monastic Practice
As the morning bell tolls at dawn and signals a new day for monastic life, resident monastics file into the main Buddha hall, ready to begin their morning chanting. Echoes of Buddhist chanting in the Buddha hall always have the power to make those hearing it feel calm and peaceful. But, do you know why monastics must participate in morning and evening chanting services? The morning and evening chanting, the Mengshan Food Bestowal ritual (Mengshanshishi), and the breakfast and lunch practic...
Innovations in Morning and Evening Services in Modern Day Monasteries
In Buddhist monasteries, morning and evening services traditionally last one to two hours. As monastic lifestyles change in today's world, the content and length of morning and evening services have undergone some adjustments. Take the example of the morning service at Dharma Drum Mountain. It starts at six o'clock in the morning, and begins with chanting of the Shurangama Dharani, is followed by recitation of the Heart Sutra and "Maha-Prajna-Paramita" three times, and ends ...
Morning and Evening Recitation Helps Mental and Physical Adjustment
Morning and evening recitation helps monastic practitioners regulate and tame their minds, in the sense that it serves as a regular reminder to avoid laziness, practice diligently to accumulate spiritual provisions, and learn to let go of the ego. For example, when hearing the signals for morning and evening chanting, monastics are supposed to immediately stop their work at hand and head to the Buddha hall for the chanting session. From the very moment we enter the Buddha hall to the concl...
The Regular Daily Practice of Venerable Master Sheng Yen
Venerable Master Sheng Yen mentioned in his autobiography "The Journey Home" that when he became a novice at the age of thirteen at Guangjiao Monastery in the Wolf Hills in Nantong, Jiangsu, China, his master required him to, firstly, prostrate to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara five hundred times every morning, to remedy his failure to memorize the contents of daily morning and evening services. After keeping this routine for three months, Venerable Master Sheng Yen could then ...
Daily Practice Q & A: Q1: Is it necessary to have a daily practice after studying Buddhism ?
What is the meaning of daily practice for Buddhists? How does one choose the daily practice most suitable for oneself? Do we need to make up for missing morning and evening chants? Let's clarify the must-know concepts of daily practice for Buddhists. Q1: Is it necessary to have a daily practice after studying Buddhism ? Yes. With regard to practicing Buddhism, one has to constantly familiarize oneself with the Buddhist teachings and put them into practice in order to advance on the ...
Daily Practice Q & A: Q2: How does one choose a daily regular practice?
It is said that there are "84,000 dharma methods" to practice Buddhism, so how does one find a practice method that is suitable for oneself? Venerable Master Sheng Yen has advised those who are interested in cultivating the habit of self-study to incorporate a variety of dharma methods when starting to do daily practices, so that they won't feel monotonous and boring. For example, one can do sitting meditation before the morning practice, make prostrations to the Buddha after re...
Daily Practice Q & A: Q3: If I don't finish my daily practice in time, do I have to make up for it on the same day?
Not necessarily. There are two kinds of daily regular practices: set-times and set-quantity (set-number). A set-time practice is carried out at a fixed time, such as morning and evening recitations or morning and evening meditations. If, for whatever reason, you are unable to finish it, you should grasp the principle of "living in the present moment at anytime and anywhere," and settle down in your work or family life without being attached to the unfinished practice or worrying abo...
Daily Practice Q & A: Q4: What is the difference between preliminary and daily practice?
Preliminary and daily practice may differ in approach, but their function and purpose is to purify and stabilize the body and mind, as well as to accumulate merits for the practice. The preliminaries performed before joining the group practice are preparations for the actual practice of the Dharma assembly. The preliminaries are required for practicing any dharma method. Through the practice of the preliminaries, the body and mind are settled and stabilized. Participating in the Dharma ass...