Everyday Buddhist Chanting: A Constant Companion for Cultivating Mind and Peace in Life

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Most Venerable Acharya Buddharakkhita Born in Imphal, Manipur, graduated as an engineer in Kolkata, having participated in the Indian Freedom Movement, this extraordinary person joined the army and saw enough violence of the II World War. That led him to renounce everything and he went in search of peace and truth. At last through reading the holy Dhammapada, he came to the path of the Buddha and got ordained in Kushinagar under the most Venerable Chandamani Mahathera and came to be known as Venerable Acharya Buddharakkhita.

A visionary and hard working Buddhist monk, he scarified his whole life in study, practice and teaching of the Buddha's words and putting that compassionate teachings into practice by establishing Maha Bodhi Society, Bengaluru in 1956. Since then he worked tirelessly in the field of spirituality, education, medical and social services and established meditation centers, hospitals and educational institutions in India and abroad. He had the distinction of being a member of the Editorial Board of the Sixth Buddhist Synod (Chattha Sangayana) in Yangon, which brought out a complete edition of the Buddhist scriptures in the original Pali language.

This is the centenary year of his birth and Mahabodhi organizations and his countless disciples are celebrating the Birth Centenary with meaningful activities as mark of paying respect to the great teacher Most Venerable Acharya Buddharakkhita. We feel privileged to present this book as a part of this centenary celebrations series.

Religion and devotion are interactive, and this is as true of Buddhism as of any other faith. Buddhism, being essentially rational in approach, does not encourage exuberant display of piety; sobriety characterizes its devotional approach. For this reason Theravāda Buddhism is alleged by some to be dry, intellectual and devoid of higher emotional content. There may be some truth in this allegation, as regards those people who limit themselves to an intellectual study, acceptance and appreciation of Dhamma without applying it to their everyday lives.

For the true follower of Theravāda, however, devotion is an indispensable aid on the way to Deliverance. For him the very word 'Buddha' can produce a deep emotional upsurge and rapture. Yet he is fully aware that devotion equated with emotion is harmful and leads to over-sensitivity, fanaticism and blind faith.

The concept of devotion in Theravāda Buddhism is distinctly different from that of religions placing emphasis on emotion alone. Accompanied by insight, the act of devotion is a spiritual exercise aimed at development of several faculties - the rational, emotional and volitional. As a culture of mind, it sets afoot the harmonious development of the mental faculties, bringing about the integration required for attainment of Nibbana. It is, in effect the orchestration of various mental powers and spiritual faculties, reaching its crescendo with the Supermundane.