Before you begin practicing the recitation of Gongyo, please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the information below.
***A letter to new members from Reverend Shinga Takikawa, Chief Priest of Nichiren Shoshu Myosetsuji Temple***
Dear New Member:
We welcome you as you begin your daily practice of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism and incorporate it into your everyday life. You have taken a great step towards a wonderful new life. A life filled with joy, no matter what circumstances you may find yourself in. And a life endowed with the wisdom and power to change every poison into medicine. As we share this happiness with others, together we will bring true peace and happiness to this troubled world. Please stay close to your sponsor and strive to deepen your faith daily. The priests of Myosetsuji Temple are always available for any questions you may have and your fellow believers will be happy to help you in your Buddhist practice and share with you their faith experiences. In addition, we have various meetings and activities throughout the Northeastern United States, Trinidad & Tobago and East Canada. There is a monthly calendar on this website (https://nstny.org/new-events) outlining our monthly activities.
Performing morning and evening Gongyo and Shodai (chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo) is the foundation of our Buddhist practice. It is also a prerequisite to receiving the Gohonzon entrusted to us by High Priest Nichinyo Shonin for our daily practice. The Gohonzon is the embodiment of the enlightened life of the True Buddha, Nichiren Daishonin. By chanting to the Gohonzon we are able to fuse our lives with the life of the Buddha. We suggest that as you start out as a minimum, you begin to recite the A & C sections of the Liturgy and chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, then recite all five Silent Prayers in the morning and the second, third and fifth Silent Prayers in the evening. Below is a how-to-do guide for Gongyo practice as well as slow audio recordings of Gongyo made by a Nichiren Shoshu priest. I hope you find them helpful.
Through your daily practice of reciting the Liturgy of Nichiren Shoshu (part of the 2nd and entire 16th chapters of the Lotus Sutra) and chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo to the Gohonzon, attending the monthly Oko Ceremony where we repay our debt of gratitude to the Three Treasures of True Buddhism, and by sharing this Buddhism with your friends and family — you will definitely be able to build an indestructible life condition of happiness and true freedom. But, maintaining such a practice throughout our lives is not easy.
Our founder, Nichiren Daishonin states in “Reply to Lord Ueno”:
Those with faith like flowing water always persist in their practice of the Lotus Sutra, never discarding their faith. Because you continue to visit me, regardless of your circumstances, it can be said that your faith resembles flowing water. This deserves my genuine respect.
Again, let me welcome and congratulate you on becoming a member of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism.
Sincerely,
Reverend Shinga Takikawa,
Chief Priest of Myosetsuji Temple
Introduction to Gongyo
The Significance of Gongyo
In Nichiren Shoshu, the most important significance of Gongyo can be found within the titles and meanings of the actual sentences of the Silent Prayers. The First Prayer is an offering to the Shoten Zenjin, who are nourished by the flavor of the Law of Myoho-Renge-Kyo. The Second Prayer is an offering to the Dai-Gohonzon, the only true and absolute, orthodox Object of Worship of the Essential Teachings, which is the embodiment of the Person and the Law. We conduct the Third Prayer as an offering to the Treasure of the Buddha, Nichiren Daishonin and the Treasure of the Priest Nikko Shonin, Nichimoku Shonin and all the other successive High Priests of Nichiren Shoshu. In the Fourth Prayer, we pray for the attainment of the Great Aspiration of Kosen-rufu, the eradication of our past slanders against the Law and our enlightenment in this and all future lives. In the Fifth Prayer we pray for all of our deceased ancestors commencing with our fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters, and conclude with prayers for the salvation of all existence.
The second significance of doing Gongyo is the offering of our sincere requitals of gratitude to the Three Treasures of the Buddha, the Law and the Priest. We offer the Second and Third Prayers in order to repay our debt of gratitude to the Three Treasures. The Fourth Prayer is to pray for the salvation of, and repay our debt of gratitude to all existence, as well as to pray for the attainment of Kosen-rufu. The Fifth Prayer correlates to our repaying of our debt of gratitude to our parents, ancestors and again, all existence.
The third significance is that it is only this Gongyo which is based on the transmission of the inheritance and ceremonies (kegi) of the Daishonin’s Buddhism. It is the basis of faith for the only truly significant practice in the age of Mappo, as taught by the Buddha.
The fourth significance is that when we go Gongyo, we bathe ourselves in the benefits of the Gohonzon and develop life conditions of happiness. Gongyo is the source and generative power through which we attain Buddhahood.
The fifth significance is that through our daily practice of Gongyo, we are able to polish our minds and bodies, eradicate the slanders from our impure and sullied hearts and bodies, and transform our lives, purifying the six senses. Herein lies the importance of Gongyo.
We carry out our practice of Gongyo as disciples and believers of Nichiren Daishonin, understanding and basing our practice on the aforementioned significances, thereby amassing great fortune in our lives while striving for the accomplishment of the Daishonin's original aspiration for Kosen-rufu.
Attitude and Posture During Gongyo
One should have a correct appearance, posture and attitude when offering the recitation of Gongyo and Daimoku to the Gohonzon. One may sit either in the traditional Japanese ''seiza'' fashion, cross-legged in western style, or in a chair. However, what is important to remember is that no matter which style one chooses Gongyo should always be done out of profound respect for the Gohonzon. Therefore, one should sit up straight, placing the right and left hands together centrally on the chest in prayer, with both elbows resting evenly against the sides of the body. If one prefers to use a chair, then both feet should be properly touching the ground. One should not sit in such casual manners as sitting askew, having legs crossed or the like.
When reciting Daimoku or Gongyo, eyes should be focused on the character “Myo” in the center of the Gohonzon; one’s voice should have a speed that is properly matched to the rhythm of one's breathing and be of a medium volume. One should chant strongly and correctly, clearly pronouncing each word syllable and letter. When reading the Silent Prayers, one should fully concentrate on sincerely offering these prayers to the Gohonzon.
During Gongyo, it sometimes occurs that one has random or distracted thoughts. However, we need not be swayed by such thoughts, but should rather have strong confidence that if we practice this Buddhist training to this marvelous Gohonzon with correct faith, without a doubt, we will all be able to manifest the greatest of benefits in our lives. Day by day, we should carry out our practice with a fresh spirit, and put forth our utmost effort to do the best and most concentrated Gongyo possible.
As a standard rule, we conduct Gongyo twice daily, once in the morning and once in the evening. While there is no set or particular time that we must do Gongyo, we should choose a time that is most convenient according to lifestyle and exert ourselves to make Gongyo the most important aspect of daily life.
Pronunciation Guide
Here is a guide to Japanese pronunciation.
Vowels
“a” as in father
“e” as in let
“i” as in machine
“o, ō as in post
“u, ū” as in rule
“y” as in yes
“ai” as in “I”
“ui” as in Louie
“ei” as in “lei”
Consonants
“ch” as in cherry
“g” as in go
“j” as in just
“s” as in say
“sh” as in shell
“ts” gets
“z” as in needs
“r” as in the Spanish name Ricardo
"h' is always sounded--note the difference between yaku and hyaku. Long marks over the o (ō) and u (ū) do not change their pronunciation, but indicate a spelling differentiation in Japanese. The sign, ͡ , indicates the elision of two words or syllables, e.g, on pg. 1, "but͡ chi-e is an elision of "butsu chi-e." On page 22, at the beginning of the "Jigage'' section, the first syllable of the elided word "bud'͡ rai is pronounced like the first syllable of the word "Buddha,” except that the "d’” is clipped short. Hyphens are used to divide words into one beat syllables. There will generally be one Chinese character per beat in the rhythm of Gongyo, with the following exceptions:
shari - hotsu (two beats)
hara – mitsu (two beats)
shaka - muni - butsu (three beats)
shigi, p.22 (one beat)
Because each syllable or group of syllables is a word or phrase which contains profound meaning, mispronunciation of a word will change the meaning of the sutra. Hence, each syllable should be pronounced separately and distinctly. Words have been hyphenated to aid rhythm and pronunciation. These instructions are intended as guidelines. To master Gongyo, there is no substitute for learning from one who has mastered it.
How to do Gongyo
Gongyo consists of a series of prayers. Recite all five prayers in the morning. In the evening, recite the second, third and fifth prayers only. For convenience, the sutra book is divided into four sections:
A - Excerpt from the Hoben chapter, p. 1-4.
B - Chogyo or prose section of the Juryo chapter, p. 5-22.
C - Jigage or verse section of the Juryo chapter, p. 22-31.
D - Silent Prayers, p. 32-37.
Here is the order of recitation.
First Prayer
Face the Gohonzon, chant Nam-Myoho-Renge Kyo three times (Daimoku Sansho), bowing in reverence to the Three Treasures of True Buddhism (the True Buddha, Nichiren Daishonin, the True Law, Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo and the Priest, i.e., Nikko Shonin, Nichimoku Shonin and each of the successive High Priests). Face east, chant Nam-Myoho-Renge Kyo three times, bow, and recite part A. The portion of part A from "Sho-i sho-ho” to "nyo ze hon-mak͡ ku-kyo to" is always repeated three times. Bow after the third recitation. Recite the title of the Juryo chapter (first two lines of part B) omit remainder of part B and recite part C, bowing at the end of part C. Chant three prolonged Daimoku (Hiki-Daimoku, which is pronounced Namu-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, i.e., chant Namu, breath, chant Myoho-Renge-Kyo, Namu, breath, chant Myoho-Renge-Kyo, Namu, breath, chant Myoho-Renge-Kyo). Bow, chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo three times and while bowed, offer the first Silent Prayer. (The bell is not rung during the first prayer.)
Second Prayer
Face the Gohonzon, sound bell seven times. Recite part A, sound bell three times. Recite parts B, C, chant three prolonged Daimoku and bow. Sound bell five times, chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo three times, bow and offer the second Silent Prayer. This is the only time that the whole sutra is recited straight through. (The places indicated for bowing in the first prayer are the same for all five prayers. The number of times the bell should be struck is always the same as indicated above, except as indicated in the fifth prayer.)
Third Prayer
Sound bell, recite part A. Sound bell, recite first two lines of part B, omit remainder of B and recite part C. Chant three prolonged Daimoku, sound bell, chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo three times and offer the third Silent Prayer.
Fourth Prayer
Sound bell, recite part A. Sound bell, recite first two lines of part B, omit remainder of B and recite part C. Chant three prolonged Daimoku, sound bell, chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo three times and offer the fourth Silent Prayer.
Fifth Prayer
Sound bell, recite part A. Sound bell, recite first two lines of part B omit remainder of B and recite part C. Sound bell seven times, while beginning the chanting of Daimoku (Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo). To end the recitation of Daimoku, sound bell with each syllable of the last Myoho-Renge-Kyo and bow. chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo three more times, and while bowed, offer the fifth Silent Prayer. Sound bell and conclude Gongyo by chanting Nam Myoho-Renge-Kyo three times and bowing.