Devotional Chanting

For any army to achieve victory, the gathering of its many soldiers into one unified force is essential. This also holds true for success in meditation. To meditate effectively, our thoughts-like undisciplined soldiers-need to be focused one-pointedly. Chanting before you meditate can greatly enhance your practice, because it helps to command the attention of your thought-soldiers and direct them dynamically towards God.

Yogananda introduced a new kind of chanting in the West that is based on the repetition of meaningful phrases, such as Door of my heart, open wide I keep for Thee. Wilt Thou come, wilt Thou come? Will my days fly away without seeing Thee, my Lord? Night and day, night and day, I look for Thee night and day. In this kind of chanting you are singing to God in a deeply intimate and loving way-which is the most magnetic way of all, if we are to draw His response.

The first featured article, The Art of Chanting by Swami Kriyananda, is from his Video Course in Meditation. It is highly recommend that you view and/or listen to it because he gives an excellent and deeply inspiring presentation on the spiritual benefits of devotional chanting. Reading the articles: How to Chant; Chanting Quiets the Mind; and The Power of Chanting; will greatly enrich your overall understanding and practice of chanting. Lastly, in the section, Sing These Chants!, you will be able to listen to and learn four chants.