A student asked how to chant "Samma Araham" so that the sound arises from within the center of the belly rather than from the head.

Wherever You Focus, the Heart Settles There, and the Sound Arises from There

The teacher explained that chanting "Samma Araham" should let the sound arise from within, at the center of the belly — not from the head. It is like a sound drifting in from the source of inner purity, from the Nirvana sense-base, passing through into the center of the body, clearing away the defilements in the heart, turning what is unwholesome into what is wholesome, until the mind settles firmly.

Wherever we place our attention, the heart goes there. And where the heart settles, mindfulness arises there too — mindfulness is what recalls the mantra and the meditation object. Without mindfulness, focusing on the mantra or the meditation image becomes impossible. It is mindfulness itself that connects us to the inner knower. Wherever we recite the name "Samma Araham," wherever the heart is, wherever we focus — the sound will arise from exactly there. For example, if we focus at the nostrils while reciting "Buddho" or following the in-breath and out-breath, the sound will arise there. But if we assume the sound comes from the head, the heart runs to the head instead of staying at the body's center.

This is why our late great teacher taught that the sound should rise from the center of the belly, not from the head. It depends entirely on where we set our intention and focus with precision. The more precisely and deeply we specify the location, the more immediately the heart runs into that depth, and the sound arises from exactly there. Without precision, the practice becomes difficult.

The Deeper the Precision, the More the Heart Connects with the Source of Purity

The heart is an "accomplishing element" — however we set our intention, that is what comes to be. This precision is exactly what allows us to connect with the source of purity in the Nirvana sense-base. Only our teachers, who have themselves reached that source, can point out these details for us. When we receive their guidance and practice exactly as they teach, we too can connect with that source of purity.

The deeper and more precise our understanding, the finer our heart becomes, and the more deeply it can connect. It is like people who know only of devas — their minds can reach only as far as the devas. But if we understand that there is something higher still — the Brahma realms — our minds can reach the Brahmas. And if we understand something higher still — Nirvana, the Lord Buddha himself — we can connect with that. Our teachers tell us there are also Supreme Buddhas, beings of such refinement dwelling deep within Nirvana that they hold all Buddhas within their center, watching over and caring for them. The more refined our understanding, the further our inner vision can reach.

Understanding Gives Rise to Faith; Faith Gives Rise to Inspiration

When we have knowledge and understanding of all these details, we become able to reach that vision. The deeper and more refined the vision, the more it inspires faith. Faith gives rise to inspiration, and inspiration drives us to practice in order to reach a better life. This is why understanding must come first, leading to faith; faith drives inspiration; and inspiration drives us to put in the effort — to build a new, better way of living.

When we meditate with a mind that has become refined and deep, connecting with the system of wholesome Dhamma, the sound of "Samma" begins to resonate on its own from deep within — a sound more beautiful than anything we have ever heard, so beautiful that we may have to pause our chanting just to listen to it. All of this depends on our teachers, who provide these details so that we, too, can connect with that source of purity.