Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō (南無妙法蓮華経, 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). In Tibet, many Buddhists carve mantras into rocks as a form of devotion. ... Nichiren Buddhism (日蓮系諸宗派: Nichiren-kei sho shÅ«ha) is a branch of Buddhism based on the teachings of the 13th century Japanese monk Nichiren (1222–1282). ... Nichiren (日蓮) (February 16, 1222 – October 13, 1282), born Zennichimaro (善日麿), later Zeshō-bō Renchō (是生房蓮長), and finally Nichiren (日蓮), was a Buddhist monk of 13th century Japan. ... For broader historical context, see 1250s and 13th century. ... Chiba Prefecture ) is located in the Greater Tokyo Area of Honshu Island, Japan. ...

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 symbology behind the words, the full meaning is lost.

Meaning

As Nichiren explained the mantra in his "Ongi Kuden" (御義口伝), 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). The Sanskrit language ( , ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and one of the 22 official languages of India. ... Several Buddhist terms and concepts lack direct translations into English that cover the breadth of the original term. ... KumārajÄ«va (Mandarin Chinese 鳩摩羅什 Jiumoluoshi; also Kiu-kiu-lo, Kiu-mo-lo-che, Kiu-mo-to-tche-po, Tang-cheu) was a Kuchean Buddhist monk and scholar whose father was originally from an Indian noble family, and whose mother was a princess. ...

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 onself to Myōhō Renge Kyō—the Lotus Sutra as, not merely a scripture, but the ultimate teaching of Buddhism, particularly as Nichiren intrepreted it: In Nichiren doctrine, the ultimate teaching changes according to one of three time periods, and is always called the Lotus Sutra for that particular period. A replica of an ancient statue of Gautama Buddha, found in Sarnath, near Varanasi. ... Several Buddhist terms and concepts lack direct translations into English that cover the breadth of the original term. ...

Myōhō Renge Kyō is held by some, particularly Tiantai (also, T'ien T'ai; Jp. Tendai) and Nichiren Buddhists, to be Shakyamuni Buddha's ultimate teaching—the culmination of Shakaymuni's 50 years of teaching. These schools view Myōhō Renge Kyō as the distillation of the entire sutra—for them, all the sutra's teachings are summarized in its title. Further, Myōhō Renge Kyō is held by followers of (particularly) Nichiren Buddhism to be the name of the ultimate law permeating the universe. Tiantai (天台宗, Wade-Giles: Tien Tai) is one of the thirteen schools of Buddhism in China and Japan, also called the Lotus Sutra School because of its emphasis on the supremacy of that scripture. ... Tendai (Japanese: 天台宗, Tendai-shÅ«) is a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism, a descendant of the Chinese Tiantai or Lotus Sutra school. ... Statues of Buddha such as this, the Tian Tan Buddha statue in Hong Kong, remind followers to practice right living. ... Standing Buddha, ancient region of Gandhara, northern Pakistan, 1st century CE. Gautama Buddha was a South Asian spiritual leader who lived between approximately 563 BCE and 483 BCE. Born Siddhartha Gautama in Sanskrit, a name meaning descendant of Gotama whose aims are achieved/who is efficacious in achieving aims, he...

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 (経, "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. Dharma (Sanskrit धर्म) or Dhamma (Pāli) means Natural Law or Reality, and with respect to its significance for spirituality and religion might be considered the Way of the Higher Truths. ... Species Nelumbo lutea (American Lotus) Nelumbo nucifera (Sacred Lotus) Nelumbo is a genus of water flowers commonly known as lotus (Hindi: कमल) and the only genus in the family Nelumbonaceae. ... Cause and Effect is considered by many fans to be one of the best episodes of the series Star Trek: The Next Generation. ... Karma(Sanskrit: from the root , to do, [meaning deed] meaning action, effect, destiny) means (the result of) action, generally taken as a term that comprises the entire cycle of cause and effect. ...

The seven characters na-mu-myō-hō-ren-ge-kyō are written down the centre of the Gohonzon, the mandala venerated by Nichiren Buddhists. Gohonzon (ご本尊 or 御本尊) refers to the object of devotion in many forms of Japanese Buddhism. ... Buddhist mandala Mandala (Sanskrit circle, completion) is of Hindu origin and is also used in most Dharmic religions, such as Buddhism and Hinduism, to refer to various tangible objects. ...

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—the Soka Gakkai, a group derived from the Nichiren Shoshu school)—pronounces it primarily Nam-Myōhō-Renge-Kyō and likes "Devotion to the Mystic Law of Cause and Effect Sutra" as a translation. Nichiren Shu (日蓮宗, lit. ... Soka Gakkai International or SGI is the umbrella organization for affiliate lay organizations in over 190 countries practicing a form of the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin. ... Nichiren ShōshÅ« (日蓮正宗) is a branch of Nichiren Buddhism based on the teachings of the 13th century Japanese monk Nichiren (1222–1282). ...

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. The Lotus Sutra or Sutra on the White Lotus of the Sublime Dharma (Sanskrit: SaddharmapundarÄ«ka-sÅ«tra; 妙法蓮華經 Cn: MiàofÇŽ Liánhuā JÄ«ng; Jp: Myōhō Renge Kyō; Kr: Myobeop Yeonhwa Kyong) is one of the most popular and influential Mahāyāna sutras in East Asia and...

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 - myo - ho - rengay - kyo" to calm herself.

The Monkees were a four-man musical band created for an American television series of the same name, which ran on NBC from 1966 to 1968. ... Mijacogeo (also known as The Frodis Caper) is the 58th episode of The Monkees television series. ... George Michael Dolenz, Jr. ... Look up Cereal in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Alvin Nathaniel Joiner (born September 18, 1974), better known by his stage name Xzibit, is an American hip hop performer, actor, and television personality who was born in Detroit, Michigan. ... Full Circle is an upcoming album from West Coast rapper. ...

See also

• Nichiren Shu
• Nichiren Shoshu, section on doctrine
• Soka Gakkai International

Nichiren Shu (日蓮宗, lit. ... Nichiren ShōshÅ« (日蓮正宗) is a branch of Nichiren Buddhism based on the teachings of the 13th century Japanese monk Nichiren (1222–1282). ... Soka Gakkai International (International Value-Creation Society; also, SGI) is the international umbrella organization for Soka Gakkai-affiliated lay organizations in over 190 countries. ...

External links

• An in-depth discussion of each character
• The official website for the Milton Keynes Peace Pagoda