Buddhism is a philosophical set of teachings that originated from Siddhartha Gautama who was known as Buddha. Buddhism is over 2,500 years old and it aims at relieving pain as well as the development of the mind. Of all these different practices music and chanting are especially important in different schools of Buddhism. This article is aimed at explaining the occurrence of music and chanting in the context of Buddhism as well as the multifunctional character of the latter.
Buddhist prayer: Concept of music and chantingMusic and chanting in Buddhism are used for a variety of purposes: for providing devotional practices, for ritual, for meditation, as well as for education. These elements are not purely artistic expressions but are rather related to the spiritual goals of the subject. They can be used as a meditation tool, evoke spiritual states, pass the information, and make the audience united.
Theravāda Tradition: Simplicity and DevotionTheravada Buddhism is popular in Sri Lanka Thailand and Myanmar and general is quite conservative as it follows the early texts that were written. The chanting is a major practice in this branch as compared to the music which is rather minimal as compared to others.