In Nichiren Shu our main practice is chanting the Sacred Title of the Lotus Sutra, the Odaimoku of Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. In addition we recite portions of Chapter II and Chapter XVI the two most important chapters in the Lotus Sutra. These two chapters are the heart of the sutra. When we chant the Odaimoku it is as if we are reciting the entire Lotus Sutra, which is contained in the title Myoho Renge…
Namu is not merely a prefix to Myoho Renge Kyo, the full title to the Lotus Sutra. It is not merely an appending of one word, Namaste, to the other words of the title. Instead, it is a relational marker, which ties us and our invocation of the title to the contents of the Lotus Sutra. As such, it is important, regardless of how we say it, to be mindful of the implication of its…
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo is what we chant as our primary faith practice, our most important ritual practice in Nichiren Buddhism. More than one person has been confused about what is our primary most important practice. It is easy enough to misunderstand that more than chanting the sutra or a portion of the sutra the chanting of Odaimoku is where our practice is supposed to be centered. Given the nature of time constraints and other…
After a couple of weeks of illness let me get back to this writing. There are some myths floating around that Nichiren was the fist person to chant Namu Myoho Renge Kyo, or that it was his creation. There is no to support these myths. In fact there is a wealth of scholarly research to the contrary. Before Nichiren the practice of chanting Namu Myoho Renge Kyo was engaged in as a death bed ritual,…
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