The portions of the expedient means and life span chapters of the lotus sutra recited in the practice of gongyo. Offering the sutra entails reciting the expedient means second and the life. Any one in the world can become a votary of the lotus sutra votaries of the lotus sutra refers to those who dedicate themselves to the mission of saving all people throughout the entire world and over the 10,000 years and more of the latter day of the law. In nichiren buddhism, gongyo means to recite part of the expedient means 2nd chapter and the verse section of the lifespan 16th chapter of the lotus sutra and chant nammyohorengekyo in front of the gohonzon. Expedient definition of expedient by merriamwebster. Literally, gongyo means assiduous constant practice.
We therefore recite the opening section of the expedient means second chapter, and the concluding verse section of the life span sixteenth chapter which is set out in rhythmical fivebeat lines. In the sgi, our assiduous practice consists of chanting nammyohorengekyo and reciting portions of expedient means the 2nd chapter of the. In nichirens 12221282 teaching, gongyo means to chant the. So what really is gongyo in lay man terms, it means recitation of the two prayer excerpts from the liturgy book, along with daimoku chants.
Both chapters are recited in chinese, so unless you are fluent, the meaning may be lost. Excerpted from lectures on the hoben expedient means and juryo life span of the thus come one chapters of the lotus sutra sgiusa, 1996. Nichiren shoshu myosenji buddhist temple 351,507 views. The japanese word gongyo literally means assiduous practice. More important is the rhythm and chanting in unity with those around us. In nichiren daishonins buddhism, gongyo means to recite the expedient means or hoben 2nd chapter and the life span of the thus come one or juryo 16th chapter of the lotus sutra in front of the gohonzon. The expedient means chapter, particularly in its portions on the true aspect of all phenomena and the ten factors, contains the teaching of three thousand realms in a single moment of life. The word gongyo literally means to exert oneself in practice. During gongyo, apart from chanting nam myoho renge kyo, we also recite two chapters from the lotus sutra, chapter 2 expedient means hoben and chapter 16 the life span of the thus come one juryo. Expedient definition is suitable for achieving a particular end in a given circumstance. Nbaa gongyo ceremony this book contains two chapters of the lotus sutra, expedient means and the life span of the thus come one, translated by burton watson, as well as some of the explanations of the terms from the glossary of his book.
A karaokestyle guide showing the pronunciation and rhythm of gongyo, the recitation of excerpts from the lotus sutra. Nichiren shoshu buddhism gongyo sutra recitation myosenji temple official version duration. Gongyo project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks read. In the practice of nichiren buddhism it means reciting nammyohorengekyo, and portions of the second chapter expedient means and the sixteenth life span chapters of the lotus sutra in front of the gohonzon. It is not necessary to understand every line of gongyo as we recite it. The concept of gongyo is also common in japanese pure land buddhist.
Though it is not that important to know the meaning of gongyo for nonjapanese members. Expedient means and the life span of the thus come one, translated by burton watson, as well as some of the explanations of the terms from the glossary of his book. Still it better to knows the meaning what we recite twice every day. This is the fundamental practice of nichiren buddhism, which is performed morning and evening. Buddhist liturgy is a formalized service of veneration and worship performed within a buddhist.