Daimoku
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Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō (南無妙法蓮華經, also Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō in some schools; To Honour/devote oneself to the Wonderful Law of the Lotus Sutra[1][2] or Glory to the Sutra of the Lotus of the Supreme Law![3]) 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, in honorific form, o-daimoku (お題目) and was first revealed by the Japanese Buddhist teacher Nichiren on the 28th day of the fourth lunar month of 1253 CE at Seichō-ji (also called Kiyosumi-dera) near Kominato in current-day Chiba, Japan.[4] The practice of chanting the daimoku is called shōdai (唱題). The purpose of chanting daimoku is to attain perfect and complete awakening (enlightenment).
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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, Nam(u) (南無) derives from the Sanskrit "namas", and Myōhō Renge Kyō is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese title of the Lotus Sutra in the translation by Kumārajīva (hence, daimoku, which is a Japanese word meaning 'title').[5]
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 devotion 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's interpretation. The use of Nam vs. Namu is, amongst traditional Nichiren schools, a linguistic but not necessarily a dogmatic issue,[6] since u is devoiced in many varieties of Japanese.
The Lotus Sutra is held by Nichiren Buddhists, as well as practitioners of the Chinese Tiantai (T'ien-t'ai) and corresponding Japanese Tendai sects, to be the culmination of Shakyamuni Buddha's 50 years of teaching. However, followers of Nichiren Buddhism consider Myōhō Renge Kyō to be the name of the ultimate law permeating the universe, and the human being is at one, fundamentally with this Law and can manifest realization, or Buddha Wisdom (attain Buddhahood), through Buddhist Practice.
Broken down, Myōhō Renge Kyō consists of:
- Myō (妙) meaning 'wonderful' or 'mystic',
- Hō (法) meaning 'Law' or 'Dharma',
- Ren (蓮) meaning 'Lotus',
- Ge (華) meaning 'Flower' and
- Kyō (経) meaning 'Sutra' or 'Teaching'.
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 Wonderful Law of the Lotus Flower Sutra" might serve as a universal translation.
[edit] Daimoku and the Three Great Secret Dharmas
The Daimoku is the first of the Three Great Secret Dharmas (Laws) (三大秘法) (J. sandai-hiho) revealed by Nichiren Daishonin. The other two being the Gohonzon, and the Kaiden (Precept Platform).[7]
[edit] References
- ^ Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism, Soka Gakkai, "Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law" (J. Myoho-renge-kyo)
- ^ Soka Gakkai Dictionary og Buddhism, Soka Gakkai, "Namu": "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the invocation in Nichiren's teachings, meaning devotion to Myoho-renge-kyo
- ^ Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary, Kenkyusha Limited, Tokyo 1991, ISBN 4-7674-2015-6
- ^ Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism, Soka Gakkai, "Nichiren": "In 1253 he returned to Seicho-ji. There at noon on the twenty-eighth day of the fourth month, he preached to an assembly of priests and villagers who had gathered to hear the results of his studies. In that first sermon, he declared that the Lotus Sutra is the true teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha, and that its essence, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, is the very teaching in the Latter Day of the Law that enables all people to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime."
- ^ Http://www.AmericanGongyo.org is a free site that offers a complete audio tutorial for Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and the Lotus Sutra (2nd and 16th chapters) in perfect Japanese pronunciation, rhythm and tone. This one of the basic practices of SGI USA Nichiren Buddhists. This site also contains text pronunciation guides for American English and Spanish.
- ^ Nam or Namu? Does it really matter?: [1]
- ^ Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism, Soka Gakkai, "Three Great Secret Laws": The core principles of Nichiren's teaching. They are the object of devotion of the essential teaching, the daimoku of the essential teaching, and the sanctuary of the essential teaching."
http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=3
