A chant-based meditation practice that opens the way to happiness
What do we chant? Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Nichiren Daishonin, a 13th century priest who understood and preached the original Buddha's teachings, first designated Nam Myoho Renge Kyo as the chant for all Buddhists who follow the Lotus Sutra.
Nam comes from the Sanskrit namas, meaning to devote or dedicate oneself.
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is thus a vow, an expression of determination, to embrace and manifest our Buddha nature. It is a
pledge to oneself to never yield to difficulties and to win over one’s suffering. At the same time, it is a vow to help
others reveal this law in their own lives and achieve happiness.
The individual characters that make up Myoho-renge-kyo express key characteristics of this law. Myo can be translated as
mystic or wonderful, and ho means law. This law is called mystic because it is difficult to comprehend. What exactly is
it that is difficult to comprehend? It is the wonder of ordinary people, beset by delusion and suffering, awakening to
the fundamental law in their own lives, bringing forth wisdom and compassion and realizing that they are inherently
Buddhas able to solve their own problems and those of others. The Mystic Law transforms the life of anyone—even the
unhappiest person, at any time and in any circumstances—into a life of supreme happiness.
Renge , meaning lotus blossom, is a metaphor that offers further insight into the qualities of this Mystic Law. The lotus
flower is pure and fragrant, unsullied by the muddy water in which it grows. Similarly, the beauty and dignity of our
humanity is brought forth amidst the sufferings of daily reality.
Underlying the astounding diversity of life’s manifestations are ten common elements. Buddhism calls these the “Ten
Factors of Life.”Further, unlike other plants, the lotus puts forth flowers and fruit at the same time. In most plants,
the fruit develops after the flower has bloomed and the petals of the flower have fallen away. The fruit of the lotus
plant, however, develops simultaneously with the flower, and when the flower opens, the fruit is there within it. This
illustrates the principle of the simultaneity of cause and effect; we do not have to wait to become someone perfect in
the future, we can bring forth the power of the Mystic Law from within our lives at any time.
The principle of the simultaneity of cause and effect clarifies that our lives are fundamentally equipped with the great
life state of the Buddha and that the attainment of Buddhahood is possible by simply opening up and bringing forth this
state. Sutras other than the Lotus Sutra taught that people could attain Buddhahood only by carrying out Buddhist
practice over several lifetimes, acquiring the traits of the Buddha one by one. The Lotus Sutra overturns this idea,
teaching that all the traits of the Buddha are present within our lives from the beginning.
Kyo literally means sutra and here indicates the Mystic Law likened to a lotus flower, the fundamental law that
permeates life and the universe, the eternal truth. The Chinese character kyo also implies the idea of a “thread.” When
a fabric is woven, first, the vertical threads are put in place. These represent the basic reality of life. They are the
stable framework through which the horizontal threads are woven. These horizontal threads, representing the varied
activities of our daily lives, make up the pattern of the fabric, imparting color and variation. The fabric of our lives
is comprised of both a fundamental and enduring truth as well as the busy reality of our daily existence with its
uniqueness and variety. A life that is only horizontal threads quickly unravels.
These are some of the ways in which the name “Myoho-renge-kyo” describes the Mystic Law, of which our lives are an
expression. To chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is an act of faith in the Mystic Law and in the magnitude of life’s inherent
possibilities. Throughout his writings, Nichiren emphasizes the primacy of faith. He writes, for instance: “The Lotus
Sutra . . . says that one can ‘gain entrance through faith alone.’ . . . Thus faith is the basic requirement for
entering the way of the Buddha.” The Mystic Law is the unlimited strength inherent in one’s life. To believe in the
Mystic Law and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is to have faith in one’s unlimited potential. It is not a mystical phrase that
brings forth supernatural power, nor is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo an entity transcending ourselves that we rely upon. It is
the principle that those who live normal lives and make consistent efforts will duly triumph.
To chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is to bring forth the pure and fundamental energy of life, honoring the dignity and
possibility of our ordinary lives.
