Daimoku
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Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō (南無妙法蓮華經, also transliterated Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō) is a mantra that is chanted as the central practice of all forms of Nichiren Buddhism. The mantra is referred to as daimoku (題目, "title") and was first revealed by the Japanese Buddhist teacher Nichiren on the 28th day of the fourth lunar month of 1253 ce at Kiyosumi-dera (also, Seichōji) near Kominato in current-day Chiba, Japan. The practice of chanting the daimoku is called shōdai (唱題). The purpose of chanting daimoku is to become happy, and have actual proof of this practice show up in your life.
The phrase is somewhat difficult to render into English because each word or set of words contains a complex set of symbolism and connotation, and without an understanding of the semiotic significance of the words, the full meaning is lost.
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[edit] Meaning
As Nichiren explained the mantra in his "Ongi Kuden" (御義口傳), a transcription of his lectures on the Lotus Sutra, Namu or Nam (南無) derives from the Sanskrit namas, whereas Myōhō Renge Kyō is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese title of the Lotus Sutra in the translation by Kumarajiva (hence, daimoku).
Nam(u) is used in Buddhism as a prefix expressing the taking of refuge in a Buddha or similar object of veneration. In Nam(u) Myōhō Renge Kyō, it represents devoting or submitting oneself to the Lotus Sutra, not merely as one of many scriptures, but as the ultimate teaching of Buddhism, particularly with regard to Nichiren's interpretation. In Nichiren doctrine, the ultimate teaching changes according to one of three cyclical time periods, and is always called the Lotus Sutra for that particular period.
The Lotus Sutra is held by Nichiren Buddhists, as well as practitioners of the Chinese Tiantai (also, T'ien T'ai) and corresponding Japanese Tendai sects, to be the culmination of Shakyamuni Buddha's 50 years of teaching. These schools view the phrase Myōhō Renge Kyō as the distillation of the entire sutra—for them, all the sutra's teachings are summarized in its title. By extension, followers of Nichiren Buddhism also consider Myōhō Renge Kyō to be the name of the ultimate law permeating the universe.
Broken down, Myōhō Renge Kyō consists of Myōhō (妙法), "Sublime" or "Mystic" Law, the Dharma underlying all phenomena; Renge (蓮華), the Lotus Flower, which blooms and bears seeds at the same time and therefore signifies the simultaneity of cause and effect, the "natural" law that governs karma; and Kyō (經, "thread passing all the way through a bolt of cloth", but also "scripture"), meaning a teaching of the Buddha. Kyō also connotes sound, such as that of voices, and some Nichiren Buddhists cite this as the reason that they pray using Nam(u)-Myōhō-Renge-Kyō as an invocation.
The seven characters na-mu-myō-hō-ren-ge-kyō are written down the centre of the Gohonzon, the mandala venerated by Nichiren Buddhists.
Precise interpretations of Nam(u)-Myōhō-Renge-Kyō, how it is pronounced, and its position in Buddhist practice differ slightly among the numerous schools and sub-sects of Nichiren Buddhism, but "I take refuge in (devote or submit myself to) the Lotus Sutra (i.e., the teaching of the Sublime (or Mystic) Law of the universe)" might serve as a universal translation. One school, Nichiren Shu, pronounces it Namu-Myōhō-Renge-Kyō exclusively and offers the translation "Adoration to the Scripture of the Lotus of the Perfect Truth". Another group, Soka Gakkai, a lay-Buddhist organization derived from the Nichiren Shoshu school, pronounces it primarily Nam-Myōhō-Renge-Kyō and has used "Devotion to the Mystic Law of the Lotus Sutra" as a translation.
Though Myōhō Renge Kyō has numerous English renderings, such as "The Scripture of the Lotus of the Perfect Truth", it is most commonly referred to as, simply, the Lotus Sutra.
[edit] Pop culture
- The chant appears in an episode of the television series The Monkees, "Mijacogeo" (1968), as a mystical chant Micky got from a cereal box top.
- Myōhō Renge Kyō appears as a repeated chant in the background of the 2006 Xzibit single Concentrate for nearly the entire song. It has been suggested this is ironic given the lyrical content of the song is about Xzibit losing his concentration every time he sees a pretty girl.
- Myōhō Renge Kyō also appears in a song (of the same name) by Indian Ocean in their album Jhini.
- In the play "A Good Time" by Ernest Thompson, the character of Mandy Morgan constantly chants Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō to calm herself.
- Dennis Quaid's character in the movie Innerspace chants Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō during a period of danger.
- It also appears in an episode of Boy Meets World. In the episode "Model Family," Cory quotes this chant and subsequently states "you are so bizarre."
- Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō is present, along with Nichiren Shoshu meetings, in the classic 1973 film The Last Detail, with Jack Nicholson, Otis Young, and Randy Quaid as a prisoner being escorted from Norfolk to a New England Naval Prison.
- Many people also remember this chant also from Tina Turner's 1993 biographical film What's Love Got to Do with It
- While attempting to speak to an attractive workmate, Homer Simpson Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō, among other things, for the lack of anything intelligent to say in The Simpsons episode "The Last Temptation of Homer."
- This chant is mentioned by M-1 of Dead Prez in the song "Land, Bread & Housing".
- In Akira Kurosawa's 1970 film Dodesukaden, the mother of "trolley-crazy" Rokkuchan chants Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō; this is paralleled with Rokkuchan's nonsense chant Do desu ka den.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- A breakdown of the chant according to Soka Gakkai
- The official website for the Milton Keynes Peace Pagoda
