NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO – Buddhist mantra to attain awakening – is inscribed on a small monument which I used to pass by walking to the top of a small hill in Kamakura to view Fujisan. This is called gohonzon in Japanese Buddhism = a venerated religious object. NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO is the most prominent inscription at gohonzon, written down the center in calligraphy.
It is the primary mantra in Nichiren Buddhism. In Japan it is called Hoke-kyo – meaning Lotus Sutra. Chanting of this mantra was introduced in 1253 by Japanese Buddhist priest St. Nichiren (1222-1282). He lived during the Kamakura period (1185-1333) and he studied in Kamakura. Lotus Sutra was treated by him as the highest scriptural authority.
It is as a short prayer, this is the meaning and we can recite it this way:
I declare my Buddha essence, by means of which I can implement the principle of cause and effect in my life in a way that me and my surroundings can be permanently happy.
The meaning of individual words:
Nam – dedication – to Buddha, Buddhism and Lotus Sutra
Myoho – mystic law – enlightment is the aim
Renge – Lotus flower – the cause and effect
Kyo = Sutra = Buddha´s voice, Buddha´s teaching
Literary translation: “I take refuge in the wonderful law of the Lotus Flower Sutra” is considered to be the universal translation.
In Indian Sanskrit these words are spelled as “Namu Sada Ruma Fundareka Sotalon”, meaning We are chanting with appreciation, can be translated as “Thank you very much”. The message is to appreciate everything. Even problems. We have to thank the gohonzon, our own life, for giving us this problem, because this is our chance to change our negative karma to fortune. We can break it and begin to project our new image. Our new self!
With romantic view of sacred Mount Fuji it was real balm for my soul. Sounds familiar? Yes, it is the very same mantra Tina Turner was chanting in What´s Love Got to Do with It movie and that helped her, too. 🙂
And there is one more added meaning to it and it has something to do with the lotus flower itself. Lotus literally grows from the mud – its roots being in it – and eventually it becomes a beautiful flower. This conveys a beautiful spiritual message. Out of something bad and dirty something pure and beautiful can develop.
