VIPS

Bhavatu Sabba Mangalam” - thrice and I’m gonna break this down in 3 parts:

1. Why chant? There are several resources online as to why chanting is good - vibrations, balance, soothing, etc. I believe that mindless chanting is not always going to help induce the purpose, one should know and understand and relate to the meaning of the mantra to be able to effectively use it.
2. Why chant “Bhavatu Sabba Mangalam”? One of the key learnings from the Vipassana course is compassion and Bhavatu Sabba Mangalam” is just that - as it translates to “May all beings be happy”. This chant is not connected to any religion or deity in my understanding and only means that we wish, send & share good thoughts for everyone. As most practices believe in doing good & being good will eventually change your karma for the better. Club this understanding with benefits of chanting and you’re good to go! :)
3. Why chant thrice? Many mantras are chanted thrice to align with the 3 pillars of Buddhism which are Wisdom, Courage & Compassion.

During Vipassana, the audience generally follows with this chant with the word “sadhu, sadhu, sadhu” which basically means “so be it, so be it, so be it” which is more like a reinforcement.