NAM-MYOHO-RENGE-KYO

Myoho renge kyo is the title of the lotus sutra. The lotus sutra was originally
written in Sanskrit. The literal translation of it is Mystic law of the Lotus Sutra.
By adding Nam to it, it means I devote my life to the Mystic Law of the Lotus
Sutra. After years of struggle, Nichiren found that the essence of Buddhism lies
in chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. He pointed out that the benefits one will
derive from chanting NMRK would be incomparable even to reading the lotus
sutra in its entirety. By chanting NMRK one aligns himself to the mystic law that
pervades the entire universe.
Since Nam-myoho-renge-kyo expresses, in words, the Law of life which all
Buddhist teachings in one way or other seek to clarify, this is hardly surprising:
as Nichiren Daishonin explains, To practice only the seven characters of Nammyoho-renge-kyo may appear limited, yet since this Law is the master of all
Buddhas of the past, present and future, the teacher of all bodhisattvas in the
universe, and the guide that enables all human beings to attain Buddhahood, its
practice is incomparably profound.
Chanting brings changes in our surroundings as well as our innerselves. The
inner change that one experiences through the practice of this Buddhism is
called inconspicuous benefit.
You must be wondering as to why it is called INCONSPICUOUS BENFIT?
It is bcoz it is not just invisible to the naked eye, but also it accumulates
gradually and you may not notice it yourself until after some time has passed.
One day, you may suddenly realize that problems no longer depress or frighten
you as they once did; or that you are looking forward to going to work these
days; or that you worry about things much less than you used to.
Inconspicuous benefit, then, relates to the unseen world and could be said to
show itself in the extent to which one can enjoy his/her life as a whole.
MYOHO
As we have seen, myoho means the mystic law and expresses the relationship
between the life inherent in the universe and the myriad different ways this life
expresses itself.
As Nichiren Daishonin explains, Myo is the name given to the mystic nature of
life, and ho to its manifestations.
The relationship between myo and ho is so all embracing that to explain it in full
would be to not only explain the whole of Buddhist philosophy, but also the
whole of life. It can be explained with a few interrelated viewpoints.
For ex: myo refers to the state of buddhahood, while ho refers to the nine worlds
from Hell to Bodhisattva. On one level this means that our Buddha nature is not
separate from the nine other worlds we all possess. On another level, this can
also be interpreted as meaning that myo represents our full individual potential
while ho represents how much of that potential can be achieved.
Just by having great potential is no good to anybody, if it simply remains
dormant in our lives. Chanting , thus, help us to turn our potential into reality
and manifest it every day in society.
Nichiren Daishonin, however, also explains that the character myo means to
open, which refers to the fact that we ordinary individuals are able to develop
our full potential as human beings and thus truly open up our lives to the utmost.

RENGE
Renge means lotus flower. As you may rightly conclude from the fact that the
Lotus Sutra is named after this flower, the lotus is highly significant in Buddhism
for 2 reasons
(i) firstly, the beautiful and pure lotus blooms in a muddy swamp and, thereby,
symbolizes the emergence of our Buddha nature from the everyday problems
and desires of our ordinary lives
(ii) Secondly, because the lotus puts forth its flower and seedpod at the same
time, renge stands for simultaneity of cause and effect.
KYO
Kyo literally means sutra, the voice or teaching of Buddha. In this sense it also
means sound, rhythm or vibration, and might therefore be interpreted to indicate
the practice of chanting. Furthermore, since everything in the universe is
essentially connected through the vibrations of various different kinds of waves
light waves, sound waves, radio waves and so on by implication kyo refers to
the life activity of universal phenomena and indicates that everything that exists,
has existed or will exist is a manifestation of the Mystic Law.
In terms of human life, Nichiren Daishonin explains kyo thus: once you realize
that your own life is the Mystic Law, you will realize that so are the lives of all
others. That realization is the mystic kyo or sutra.
NAM
The concept of nam is so important because the deepest meaning of this word
encompasses both the action we need to take, and the attitude we need to
develop, if we are to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime. In other words, nam
might be said to indicate how to practise the Law revealed in the Lotus Sutra.
Thus Nam can be considered as a 2 way communication. When chanting, we
return our lives to the unchanging eternal truth. We can then deal with the
changing circumstances of life using the wisdom of Buddhahood, with this
regular returning rhythm, we are able to live based on our intrinsic enlightened
nature.
CONCLUSION
Chanting nam-myoho-renge-kyo helps us discover the courage so that,
eventually, we are able to take the step that we have known for a long time we
must take to make ourselves truly happy. Or it could be that what we lack is the
life force needed to make the great and consistent effort our goal demands,
whether it be getting a job, passing exams, fighting an illness, or whatever.
Chanting provides us with that life force. Since our environment is unique to us,
the effects of chanting NMRK cannot help but be tailormade to fit our own
particular situation.
As nichiren daishonin says, Money serves various purposes according to our
needs. The same is true of Lotus Sutra (NMRK). It will be a lantern in the dark or
a boat at a crossing. At times it will be water, and at other times, fire.