Sonic Benefit: Buddhist Ontologies of Chant and the Supramundane in Bengaluru

Abstract:In his edition of the Mahā Paritta Pāli, the late Venerable Acharya Buddhrakkhita—founder of the Theravāda Mahabodhi Society, Bengaluru—wrote that "[chanting] of the suttas is considered a holy act bringing blessings both to listeners and to … reciters. It is a Puñña Kamma, an act of spiritual merit. As such, reciters put forth great effort … on every word that is chanted and in spreading thoughts of Universal Love (Mettā) on the listeners" (2014a, x). In this article, I explore the relationships between chant, mettā, puñña (merit), cosmology, and metaphysics at the society and, following Jim Sykes, present a sonic ontology of in-action metaphysical concepts manifested within chant. I then consider the influences this ontology has through its application to a case study: the dāna round, a monthly visit paid by the society to the cancer department of Victoria Hospital, Bengaluru, throughout which the monks chant for patients. By foregrounding relationships between chant and the supramundane, this article departs from previous work on chant that generally focuses on earthly concepts and benefits.