南無妙法蓮華経

See also: 南無妙法蓮華經

Japanese

Kanji in this term
南	無	妙	法	蓮	華	経
な Grade: 2	む Grade: 4	みょう Grade: S	ほう Grade: 4	れん Jinmeiyō	げ Grade: S	きょう Grade: 5
kan'yōon	goon

Alternative spelling
南無妙法蓮華經 (kyūjitai)

南無妙法蓮華経 (Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō): a slab with the inscription of Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō in Fujikawa, Shizuoka

Etymology

From 南(な)無(む) (namu, a Buddhist salutation or expression of faith) + 妙(みょう)法(ほう)蓮(れん)華(げ)経(きょう) (Myōhō Renge Kyō, “Lotus Sutra”).

Phrase

1. (Buddhism) a mantra commonly chanted in the Nichiren school of Buddhism, praising the Lotus Sutra

   Synonym: 御題目 (o-daimoku)

Usage notes

• Namu Myoho Renge Kyō is the most common pronunciation of the mantra; but there are also regional variants:
  • The Soka Gakkai religious movement uses なんみょうほうれんげきょう (Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō).
  • The Tendai school mainly uses なもべいほうれんがけい (Namo Beihō Renga-kei), a mostly kan'on pronunciation of the kanji.
  • The Honzan Shugen sect of Tendai uses a mixed goon-kan'on reading of なむべいはれんがけい (Namu Beiha Renga-kei).

See also

See also

• 題(だい)目(もく) (daimoku, literally “title”)
• 唱(しょう)題(だい) (shōdai, “daimoku chanting”)
• 帰(き)依(え) (kie, “devotion”)
• 法(ほ)華(け)経(きょう) (Hoke-kyō, “Lotus Sutra”)
• 本(ほん)尊(ぞん) (honzon), 御(ご)本(ほん)尊(ぞん) (go-honzon, “principal image”, especially of the daimoku)