Gongyo prayers

Guidelines on Performing the new morning gongyo

- Face the Gohonzon, ring the bell, and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo three times.

- Recite the "Expedient Means" chapter—Part A.

- Ring the bell and recite the verse section of the "Life Span" chapter—Part C.

- Then ring the bell as you begin chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo continuously (for as long as you wish).

- To end daimoku, ring the bell, then chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo three times.

- At this point, for morning gongyo, offer all the five silent prayers—as we normally do them—each segment separated by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo three times.

- For evening gongyo, offer the second, third and fifth silent prayers—as we normally do them—each segment separated by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo three times.

- For both morning and evening gongyo, after the fifth silent prayer, ring the bell and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo three times to conclude gongyo.

Some points to keep in mind:

1. The new format of gongyo allows us to understand what is changeless and changeable. In his writings, Nichiren Daishonin encourages us to recite the "Expedient Means" and "Life Span" chapters—changeless. He never prescribed a specific format, which has varied over the centuries—changeable.

2. The new format helps us to focus on the primary practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo; we can use the extra time to chant more daimoku.

3. The new format makes our practice more accessible to people all over the world, furthering the cause of kosen-rufu.

4. Not reciting the prose—or Part B of the "Life Span" chapter—and only the verse—or Part C—does not eliminate any of the teachings of the chapter. Part C repeats the message of Part B. The last line of Part B reads: "At that time the World-Honored One, wishing to state his meaning once more, spoke in verse form" (The Lotus Sutra, trans. Burton Watson, p. 229).

As to the importance of the verse, Part C, Nichiren states: "The Lotus Sutra represents the bone and marrow of all the sacred teachings of the Buddha’s lifetime, and the verse section of the "Life Span" chapter represents the soul of the twenty-eight chapters of the sutra" ("Letter to Horen," The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 516).

If you have any questions regarding this memo, please contact your local zone leader.

Frequently Asked Questions on Gongyo
DATE: May 21, 2002
DISTRIBUTE TO: All Members
TO: All Leaders and Office Managers
FROM: SGI-USA Organization Department Director – Margie Hall

SUBJECT: On Performing A & C Gongyo

With the recent announcement "A & C Gongyo—The New SGI Standard For Gongyo Practice" (PLN-020), we offer the following guidelines on performing the "Expedient Means" chapter (Part A) and the verse section of the "Life Span" chapter (Part C) at activities and for teaching new members. (Of course, members can perform whatever format is most comfortable in their personal practice.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do we still need to face east in the morning?

A: This is not necessary. Facing east is a tradition that expresses our resolve to activate the protective functions of the universe, which are represented by the sun, through our innate Buddhahood; it is not a worship of the sun. These protective functions are represented on the Gohonzon, and most importantly, are inherent in our own lives and in the environment. What matters is our sense of appreciation for their protection and our resolve to exert ourselves in faith and practice to strengthen them. Therefore, we should be confident that when performing A & C gongyo and chanting sincere daimoku, we are activating these protective forces. What is essential is our confidence to affirm our innate Buddhahood through the practice of gongyo.

Q: How many times should I ring the bell?

A: There is no specific formality in how many times to ring the bell, although three times is generally the way we start and end.

Q: When I was doing 5 prayers in the morning and 3 prayers in the evening, I would chant three prolonged Namu-myoho-renge-kyo after completing each recitation of the sutra. Do we still do this when performing A & C gongyo?

A: Chanting three prolonged Namu-myoho-renge-kyo, which followed the completion of each recitation of the sutra, is not necessary since we begin chanting daimoku immediately after reciting the "Expedient Means" chapter (Part A) and the verse section of the "Life Span" chapter (Part C).

More info-click here: SGI-USA

This page was last modified on Sunday, August 20, 2006.