Be focused when chanting mantras

The Buddha said in the Sutra of Forty-Two Chapters, “Control your mind in one place and do everything.” The most important thing in reciting mantras and chanting sutras is to control your mind.

Since I have been very busy with study and work recently, when I was doing evening classes and reciting the Diamond Sutra and the Shurangama Mantra, I always had many delusional thoughts and could not concentrate.

On this day, I suddenly had a delusional thought: The Buddhist scriptures say that when we chant sutras, countless sentient beings will come to listen to the sutras and hear the Dharma. Is this true? Just as the delusion arose, many heavenly soldiers, generals and gods suddenly appeared in the sky on the upper left side. They were standing and watching me.

I was shocked and thought to myself: Oops! What the Buddha said in the sutra is true and true. We really cannot have the slightest doubt. Now I put all my delusions behind me. I didn’t dare to have any selfish thoughts, and started chanting the sutra seriously without any distractions.