Today, I'm going to write about prayer in such a way that not only Buddhists could appreciate (since they are my primary, intended audience), but also those who worship in other traditions. There is a basic prayer in Nichiren Buddhism which is supposed to contain the essence of all of the Buddha's doctrines. The chanting of this basic prayer is defined as the primary practice: Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.
[Spoiler alert: I'm going to propose replacing this prayer with another, which also consists of six syllables: Lotus, Buddha, Sangha.]
I don't know if all of the other religions of the world have a basic prayer of utmost, primary importance. But they do have prayers with words, which probably aren't analyzed in any particular depth. And that makes sense, since most believers are not priests or have much of a theological bent. Too many prayers are offered up in a robotic, knee-jerk kind of way by force of habit. Still, I think it's important to know what one is praying, to have a grasp of its import. To believers everywhere: "It's your time that you spend praying. Don't you owe it to yourself to reflect deeply on the meaning of your words? For prayer without any attempt to understand becomes nothing more than lip service!"
Disclaimer
When I refer to Nichiren Buddhists, I am referring either to the Nichiren Shoshu sect or its former (prior to being excommunicated) lay organization known as the Soka Gakkai International (SGI).
When I cite the Lotus Sutra, I am referring to the version published in 2009 by the SGI, as translated into English by Burton Watson.
The temptation to oversimplify
Nichiren (1222-1282) was a Japanese Buddhist monk who gave the world Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. He insisted that chanting this prayer (called the daimoku) is the most powerful means at one's disposal for attaining Buddhahood. It also, as part of this process, has the power to thwart evil and to help the faithful realize their personal goals. I have heard the daimoku compared to an acorn, which (though small and inconspicuous) "contains" the oak tree which it can become. Similarly, the essence of all of Shakyamuni Buddha's teachings are "contained" in the daimoku.
These assertions come from Nichiren - who was not a Buddha, though some Nichiren Buddhists make that claim on his behalf. He, himself, never claimed to be a Buddha.
There is great power in simplification. But there is also a great pitfall, which I can sum up in terms of what I call The Great Irony:
"Even though Nichiren Buddhists chant N-M-R-K (which means, "I devote myself to the Lotus Sutra"), they don't make it part of their practice to actually read a translated version they can understand, preferring instead to study the writings of Nichiren. Again, Nichiren was not a Buddha, but Shakyamuni (who gave the world the Lotus Sutra) was. And that Lotus Sutra defines correct Buddhist practice as reading, reciting, pondering, and teaching to the best of one's ability the Lotus Sutra - the whole thing, not just its title which (in Japanese) is "Myoho Renge Kyo."
Nichiren claimed that chanting the daimoku once was equal to have chanted the entire Lotus Sutra once. That's some claim, considering the fact that the Lotus Sutra consists of over 300-pages when translated into English. I can understand the temptation to find the essence of a body of complex doctrine. But...there is such a thing as dumbing down, which denies to the faithful the most profound benefits of Buddhism.
I think Nichiren made such a claim as a way to attract the average Japanese person living in his era - a person who was, more likely than not, illiterate. He probably felt, "Once they start practicing on a very basic level, they can learn about theory later." I'm also sure that monks who had read the Lotus Sutra (and who knew better) didn't contradict Nichiren's claims on behalf of the daimoku. They knew what he was doing and why he made such a claim. And they, too, were interested in attracting the common man so that he could start working toward his own enlightenment.
The "vital importance" of the daimoku can be seen in this quote from page 352 of the Lotus Sutra:
QUOTE:
The Buddha said to the rakshasa daughters, "Excellent, excellent! If you can shield and guard those who accept and uphold the mere name of the Lotus Sutra, your merit will be immeasurable. How much more so if you shield and guard those who accept and uphold it in its entirety...
:UNQUOTE.
I highlighted "...mere name..." to draw attention to the fact that that "mere name" (Myoho Renge Kyo) is the daimoku after Nam (which means "devotion") is added. Nichiren places great importance on the title of the Lotus Sutra (which is what the word "daimoku" means - "title"), whereas Shakyamuni placed greater emphasis on the entire sutra - not "merely" its title.
What did the daimoku mean to Nichiren?
Yes, Nichiren chanted daimoku. But not always, as this quote reveals:
Source of quote:
http://www.sgilibrary.org/search_dict.php?id=2223
QUOTE:
On the twelfth day of the ninth month [of the year 1271]...Hei no Sae-mon and a group of warriors rushed to Nichiren's dwelling at Matsuba-gayatsu and arrested him. Around midnight, Nichiren was taken by Hei no Saemon's men to the execution grounds on the beach at Tatsunokuchi.
As the party passed the shrine of the god Hachiman, Nichiren requested that he be given a moment. His request was granted, and he turned to address the deity of the shrine. Nichiren reprimanded Hachi-man for failing to protect him, saying that he was the votary of the Lotus Sutra, whom hachiman had vowed to protect in the presence of Shakyamuni Buddha.
:UNQUOTE: These quoted paragraphs are only a small portion of the text on the link cited above.
Nichiren is about to be beheaded. You would think he would be chanting daimoku to save his life, but no, he reprimands Hachiman. This whole business of reprimanding one particular deity ignores the fact that the Lotus Sutra lists a large number of beings who had sworn to protect the votaries of the Lotus Sutra. Besides, if Nichiren were really a Buddha, he wouldn't have needed anyone's protection, for it is not possible to kill a Buddha. The Five Cardinal sins of Buddhism include "injuring the Buddha" as being worthy of hellish punishment. If it were possible to kill a Buddha, surely that would have been listed as a cardinal sin, but it wasn't.
Nichiren had written, in "Conversation Between a Sage and an Unenlightened Man":
"If only you chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, then what offense could fail to be eradicated? What blessing could fail to come? This is the truth, and it is extremely profound. You should believe and accept it."
When push came to shove and Nichiren's life was at stake, he chose to face Hachiman and reprimand him rather than chant daimoku which should have led to the protection he was seeking as evidenced by his question: "What blessing could fail to come?"
How much daimoku should be chanted?
This is an important question, since Nichiren Buddhists define the chanting of daimoku as the primary practice, and the sutra recitation during Gongyo (consisting of only chapters 2 & 16 of the Lotus Sutra) as the supporting practice. In that light, I find it strange that neither the SGI nor Nichiren Shoshu gives much in the way of guidance on this matter. The SGI merely says, "Chant daimoku to your heart's content." Nichiren Shoshu offers the following:
Source of quote:
http://www.nichirenshoshumyoshinji.org/faq/gongyo.php
QUOTE:
When chanting Daimoku during Gongyo, put your hands together and hold them at the chest naturally. Look at the character "Myo" on the Gohonzon as much as possible. Again, there is no restriction as to how much or how long you must chant Daimoku. You may chant as long as you like.
:UNQUOTE.
"You may chant as long as you like" overlooks "...but there is a certain minimum you must chant." My instinct tells me that, when doing gongyo, spend (at least!) as much time chanting daimoku as you do chanting the sutra. I find it hard to believe that spending more of our precious time on earth on the supporting practice could be acceptable.
My proposal: Replace daimoku with...
As I had written above, replace Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo with "Lotus, Buddha, Sangha" - in which "Lotus" is understood to be the highest teaching of all Buddha's in the universe, "Buddha" is understood to be Shakyamuni Buddha (since he is the one who brought Buddhism to this world and is still alive to help us, if only we become receptive to his assistance), and "Sangha" is understood to be the entire community of believers (and not only those in the monastic community).
I'll explain that last: Since the Lotus Sutra places great emphasis on all believers teaching to the best of their ability, and mentions that some people aren't open to monks who preach but will respond to common, ordinary people, all such teachers of the Law should be included in the sangha. The monk is idealized but shouldn't be regarded as the only possible teacher, since the monk all too often doesn't know enough about the everyday world to make his teachings relevant to the more worldly seekers of the Way.
As for how much of my proposed daimoku should be chanted, the real question is, "Under what circumstances should it be chanted?" Since I regard the chanting of the Lotus Sutra as the primary practice, my formal daily gongyo consists of reading aloud from its pages. And I don't chant any daimoku (that is, L-B-S) at that time. I regard the daimoku as supporting practice, as something I might do when waiting for a bus or walking down the street. Do I think my version of daimoku has any mystic powers? Only to the extent that it reminds me of my larger Buddhist practice. The Lotus Sutra, on the other hand? Yes, that has mystic powers.
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Virtual Samgha of the Lotus and
former candidate for US President (in 2008 and 2012)
Contact me at bpa_cinc@yahoo
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