Daimoku
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Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō (南無妙法蓮華經, also transliterated Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō; literally translated as Devotion to the Wonderful Law of the Lotus Flower Scripture an exegetical translated as Devotion to the Mystic Law of cause and effect that exists throughout all the sounds and vibrations of the universe) 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, or the Great Invocation) 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 attain perfect and complete awakening, and have actual proof of this practice to oneself and others of the validity of the Lotus Sutra.
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 conviction in the Mystic Law of Life as expounded in the Lotus Sutra, not merely as one of many scriptures, but as the ultimate teaching of Buddhism, particularly with regard to Nichiren Daishonin's interpretation.
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 - with Myo representing the unseen aspects of life and HO representing the parts of life which is manifest...for example, thoughts vs speech...; 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"vibrations", 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 most 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.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. It is typically taught in Soka Gakkai to mean "Devotion to the Mystic Law of Cause and Effect through Sound."
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
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- The chant is used prominently by jazz singer Jon Lucien in his song 'Creole Lady,' the last minute and a half of the song is a thick chorus of vocalists chanting.
- Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is chanted in the film "Vice Versa" when Judge Reinhold's character "Marshall" sees a Buddhist monk to retrieve the artifact (skull) that switched over the father and son. It comes in the film like a moment of clarity and after it is chanted everything in the film is happy!
- Marlon Wayans uses the chant in an episode of "The Wayans Bros", accentuating the ge part to scare a male actor he was planned to kiss.
- 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.
- The chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is also repeated in the film "The Taking of Pelham 123" by a female passenger who thinks the speeding train may crash.
- 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.
- Curtis Armstrong aka Dudley "Booger" Dawson Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise (1987) chants Myōhō Renge Kyō when forced semi nude to walk close to a crocodile pit.
- 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 babbles 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.
- The band Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. has released an hour-long album of their musical interpretation of the chant, titled Nam Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo.
- In the film 'Les Randonneurs' - 'The Hikers' by Philippe Harel
- In Damien Rice's Cold water (as performed at BBC4 sessions)
- Courtney Love said in her blog: "nam myoho renge kyo and may all impediments create JOY in you."
- In Music Emporium's debut album (Sundazed Music Inc. 1969), the title track is titled, "Nam Myo Renge Kyo."
- This is probably the "phrase of just 16 letters" that is referred to at the end of the book 'The Buddha, Geoff and Me' by Edward Canfor-Dumas.
[edit] See also
The chant is also heard in the background of rapper Xzibits track "Concentrate".
[edit] External links
- A breakdown of the chant according to Soka Gakkai
