Buddhist scripture have been recited aloud since the time of the Buddha. In fact, without this recitation, usually as a group, we wouldn’t have the suttas with us today. You can continue this tradition by reading the suttas aloud.
Even though we don’t need to recite out loud to preserve the teachings for future generations, it is still a great practice.
Reading suttas aloud has many benefits:
- If we are tired, reading out loud can help us wake up
- If the mind is really distracted, it can help calm and focus the mind.
- By reading aloud, we can process them through hearing as well as seeing.
Don’t worry about pronouncing all of the Pali words correctly. Sound them out the best you can, but don’t let incorrect pronunciation hold you back.
You don’t need to read the whole sutta out loud. If there is part of the sutta that doesn’t make sense, try reading that part aloud till you can track what is being said.
Sometimes repetitions start to blend together. By reading them out loud, the differences will pop out.