The primary practice of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism is the chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the object of worship, the Gohonzon.

Sometimes referred to as the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo expresses the ultimate Law, or true entity of life, which permeates all phenomena in the universe. It is the very essence and foundation of all Buddhist teachings.

On 28 April 1 253, at Seicho-ji temple in Awa province, Japan, Nichiren Daishonin was the first person to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo aloud.

The Daishonin taught that simply by chanting daimoku, we activate the powers of the Buddha and the Law in our own lives, thus releasing unlimited creativity, life-force and wisdom.

Nam(u) is the Japanese transliteration of the Sanskrit word namas and means devotion.

In 'The Gift of Rice', the Daishonin writes, 'This word derives from Sanskrit and means to devote one's life. Ultimately it means to offer our lives to the Buddha' (Major Writings, Vol 1, p. 267). Devotion here has two implications: firstly, to fuse one's life with the eternal unchanging truth; secondly, that through this fusion one simultaneously draws forth inexhaustible compassion, wisdom, courage and life-force.

Myoho literally means Mystic Law. The ultimate reality is described as myo (mystic) because it is infinitely profound.

As the Daishonin explains in 'On Attaining Buddhahood', 'It is simply the mysterious nature of our lives from moment to moment, which the mind cannot comprehend nor words express… Myo is the name given to the mystic nature of life, and ho to its manifestations' (ibid., p. 5).

The combination of these two concepts, as represented by the word myoho, reflects the essential oneness of the ultimate reality and the phenomenal world. Indeed, Buddhism makes no distinction between the ultimate reality and the ordinary everyday one.

In 'The Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra', the Daishonin further explains that the character myo has three distinct meanings: to open, to be perfectly endowed, and to revive.
'To open' might be likened to opening a door to a room in which boundless potential is stored. When we chant with strong faith, our lives begin to pulsate with life-force and wisdom. Our own Buddha nature 'opens'.

'To be perfectly endowed' implies that the Mystic Law encompasses all phenomena and is inherent in all things. It also means that the Mystic Law has unfathomable and boundless power to transform all suffering.

'To revive' means to return to life. Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo enables anyone to reveal Buddhahood. 'To revive' also signifies that all other laws and teachings assume their correct perspective. Similarly, when we base our faith on the Mystic Law, all of our abilities, character traits and other personal qualities come to life, expressing themselves in a manner that not only contributes to our own growth but also benefits other people. This reformation forms the basis for the perfection of one's character and provides the power to transform one's destiny.

The Daishonin offers a further interpretation of myoho in 'Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life': 'Myo represents death, and ho represents life' (ibid., p. 21).

It is hard to conceive of our lives in the state of death, so death corresponds to myo, meaning mystic and inconceivable. Life, by contrast, corresponds to definite visible phenomena. Thus, myoho teaches that life and death are the two manifestations of the one ultimate reality.

Renge literally means lotus flower.
The lotus blooms and seeds at the same time, thus embodying the simultaneity of cause and effect. In addition, it flourishes in muddy ponds, symbolizing the emergence of Buddhahood from within the life of a common mortal. This is the principle that both the nine worlds (cause) and the world of Buddhahood (effect) exist simultaneously in every moment.

In terms of our practice, when a person chants with faith in the Gohonzon (cause), the state of Buddhahood (effect) instantaneously emerges from within that person's life.

Kyo literally means sutra, the voice or teaching of the Buddha.
It originally meant the warp in cloth, and later came to have the additional meanings of logic, reason, way, or law. Kyo indicates that Myoho-rengekyo itself is the eternal and unchanging truth.

The personal benefits we receive from chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo are incomparable, but the effects of our individual practice on the society in which we live are equally profound and far-reaching.

As President lkeda explains:

This fundamental Law, which has the power to revitalize human life and can enable it to blossom, should be made the basis for everything. By making the Mystic Law the foundation, all people, including politicians, scientists, artists and educators, will be able to achieve their deepest desires and greatest goals without being in conflict with one another. This is the significance of the principle of rissho ankoku, or securing the peace of the land through the universal propagation of true Buddhism, Making use of the power of the Mystic Law, people can gain new vitality, and an everlasting peace can be established (Buddhism in Action, Vol. 2, pp. 78-9).

*For beautiful explanations of the imagery, symbolism and meanings of the characters Nam-myoho-renge-kyo see this external site: http://www.gakkaionline.net/Imagery/daimoku.html" The Images of Nichiren's Lotus Sutra"

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