Why does Thay move his fingers during the Avalokiteshvara chant?

Thay answers questions on 21 June 2014. Question 2

(Half-Bell)

(Bell)

Do you think that she has a question?

(Spanish) She wants to ask why
Thây does like this

when they sing Avalokiteshvara?

Ok.

(English translator)
She is a bit embarrassed.

She wants to ask Thây
why Thay does this

when the monks and nuns
chant Avalokiteshvara?

(Laughter)

The monks and the nuns
chant Namo Avalokiteshvara

because...

because they want
to produce, to make compassion,

to have compassion in their heart.

When you chant the name
of Avalokiteshvara mindfully,

and get in touch with
the suffering inside of you,

compassion is born.

Love is born.

And when love is born,
you suffer less.

And you can forgive
the other person.

And you can help him or her suffer less.

That is the purpose of chanting.

And why did Thây do
this during the chanting?

That is a Buddhist practice in order
for you to get more concentration.

Concentration is the best
when three things come together:

the mind, the body and the word.

Your mind is...

focusing on the chanting.

Your...

Your mouth is chanting.

So your mouth and your mind are together.

And now...
your body is calm.

And this position of the hand
helps you to be focused on the chanting.

You do not think of anything else.

You do not need to do this in order
to be really concentrated.

but if you do this, you might
be more concentrated.

And for Thây,

it helps Thây to be
very concentrated on the chanting

if Thây does like this.

This is only a way
in order to get concentration.

You may also do like this.

Or you may do like this,

and nobody can see it.

And then when Thây's hand
is in this position, facing in,

he touches the sufferings inside of him.

When he turns like this,

he becomes aware of the suffering
of other people around.

And when he reaches out like this,

he is touching the suffering
far away in the world.

Now you know everything.

(Laughter)

Thanks to this question.

(Spanish)
Thank you.

(Bell)