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From: ntm1836@dsacg3.dsac.dla.mil (Ken Burch)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.eastern
Subject: Re: Nichiren Soshen Buddhism, Parts I & II
Message-ID: <1990Dec21.072748.7002@nas.nasa.gov>
Date: 21 Dec 90 07:27:48 GMT
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>From the article, "Nichiren Soshen Buddhism", parts I & II:

> In other words, the great life of the ninth consciousness, the ultimate
> reality, exists absolutely within the lives of us who believe in the
> Mystic Law and devote ourselves to chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
> Moreover, the Gohonzon of  Nam-myoho-renge-kyo which the Daishonin
> inscribed is itself the concrete embodiment of the ultimate reality of
> the ninth consciousness, as this passage clearly indicates. 
> 
> By believing in and embracing the Gohonzon - the embodiment of the ninth
> consciousness, the unchanging reality which reigns over all life's
> functions- and by chanting daimoku to it, we can manifest the great life
> of the ninth consciousness from within ourselves, and in this way freely
> use the workings of the first eight consciousnesses to further our
> enlightenment.


> [5] Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
> 
> The core of Nichiren Daishonin's teachings, the expression of the
> fundamental law of the universe.  It is often translated, "devotion or 
> correct relationship to the mystic law of cause and effect through 
> sound or vibration."  The Daishonin stated emphatically that the 
> recitation of this phrase enabled one to manifest his enlightened 
> nature without fail.


Overall, I thought this 2-part article was very good.  I still fail to
see, however, the special significance of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
The notions set forth in this article would lose nothing, in my opinion,
by omitting the bit about chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.  It doesn't fit
in, and seems an unnecessary add-on, in my opinion.

It is presented as if there is some magical quality to the phrase itself
-- Nam-myoho-renge-kyo -- as if it is some magical spell or incantation 
capable of inducing Enlightenment.  What does it matter _what_ words or
sounds we chant, or whether we chant at all?  How is chanting Nam-myoho-
renge-kyo better than chanting OM, for example, or just concentrating on
the breath?  Chanting is just chanting, no matter what words or sounds we
chant, and no matter what we believe about what we are chanting, it would
seem to me.  Nam-myoho-renge-kyo means nothing to me -- I may just as well
be chanting Scooby-dooby-dooby-doo.  Even knowing that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
is translated in my own language as "devotion-or-correct-relationship-to-
the-mystic-law-of-cause-and-effect-through-sound-or-vibration", seems to
be of little benefit in actually chanting the phrase Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
itself.  If I were going to chant it, I may as well be chanting "devotion-
or-correct-relation-ship-to-the-mystic-law-of-cause-and-effect-through-
sound-or-vibration".

In other words, I just don't get it.  Hopefully someone will point out
where I err.  Of course Nam-myoho-renge-kyo may be "the expression of
the fundamental law of the universe", but so isn't every thing?  
Me sitting here scratching my head  may also be considered to be
"the expression of the fundamental law of the universe", may it not?
Somebody help me out here.


Ken Burch