Taoist Tips For Troubled Times

When we recite special mantras, or prayers, we are engaging our body, speech and mind
with the motivation of transforming our mind to develop our Buddha potential. We repeat chants because in doing so we gradually transform the mind…and transforming the mind takes time. When you chant regularly and with sincere motivation you will find wonderful pathways of blessings begin to open to you. Here is a story told to me by Lama Zopa many years ago:

The Monk & the Hermit

A monk visited a hermit who lived alone on an island doing retreat. The hermit had given himself three years to complete chanting ten million of the powerful six-syllable mantra of the Compassionate Buddha. The hermit had been told that attaining this level of practice would awaken his yogic powers.

The mantra was OM MANI PADME HUM

The monk listened as the hermit did his mantra and, with the best intention in the world, leaned over to him and whispered: “I think you have got the pronunciation wrong. The mantra should be chanted this way…” and he proceeded to demonstrate it. The hermit listened attentively and then watched as the monk walked back to his boat to leave the island.

Ten minutes later, when the boat was halfway across the river, the monk heard his name being called and looking around he spied the hermit. He heard him call, “Listen to this, have I got it right now?” and the hermit proceeded to chant the same mantra, but with the monk’s intonation.

Astounded, the monk turned around and saw the hermit walking on the water next to the boat.

In that instant he realized that the hermit’s faith and sincerity had given his mantra recitation far more power that he had realized. Getting the intonation correct seemed almost irrelevant.