What does Nam-myoho-renge-kyo mean?
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo (南無妙法蓮華経) is the title-chant (daimoku, 題目) established by Nichiren (日蓮) in 1253 as the essence of the Lotus Sutra's teaching. 'Nam' derives from Sanskrit namas ('devotion/homage'); 'myoho-renge-kyo' is the Japanese rendering of the Chinese title Miaofa lianhua jing (妙法蓮華經)—'the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law.' For Soka Gakkai (創価学会) and Korea SGI (韓國SGI), chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the primary daily practice, understood as activating the Buddha nature inherent in all life.
- ·Nam (南無): from Sanskrit namas — devotion, taking refuge
- ·Myoho (妙法): the Mystic Law — the wondrous essence of reality
- ·Renge (蓮華): the lotus — symbol of Buddha nature blooming in adversity
- ·Kyo (經): sutra, the teachings of the Buddha
- ·Established by Nichiren in 1253 as the daimoku for the latter age
- ·Core chanting practice of Soka Gakkai and Korea SGI
Etymology and Structure
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo consists of five elements. 'Nam' (南無) is the phonetic rendering of Sanskrit namas—offering one's entire being in devotion. 'Myo' (妙) means 'mystic' or 'wondrous,' indicating the unfathomable depth of the teaching. 'Ho' (法) is dharma—truth, law, the underlying principle of reality. 'Renge' (蓮華) is the lotus flower, which blooms pure in muddy water—symbolizing the Buddha nature that flourishes within the defilements of ordinary life. 'Kyo' (經) is sūtra, the word of the Buddha. Together, these five characters are understood as a single condensed expression of the Lotus Sutra's entirety.
Nichiren's Establishment of the Daimoku
On April 28, 1253, Nichiren (日蓮) first chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, declaring it the essential practice for the mappo (末法, latter age of the Dharma). Nichiren argued that in an age of social and spiritual decline, the complex practices of earlier Buddhism were no longer accessible to ordinary people; the title itself, containing the totality of the Lotus Sutra, was sufficient. His collected letters (Gosho, 御書) explain in detail the spiritual principle by which chanting this title activates the fundamental force of life.
Components of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
| Character | Reading | Sanskrit Root | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 南無 | Nam | Namas | Devotion, taking refuge |
| 妙 | Myo | Sad (Wonderful) | Mystic, wondrous |
| 法 | Ho | Dharma | Law, truth, reality |
| 蓮華 | Renge | Puṇḍarīka (Lotus) | Buddha nature in adversity |
| 経 | Kyo | Sūtra | Teaching, scripture |
Practice in Soka Gakkai and Korea SGI
In Soka Gakkai (創価学会) and Korea SGI (韓國SGI), chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo twice daily—as part of morning and evening gongyo (勤行)—is the central practice. Ikeda Daisaku (池田大作) explains this not as prayer to an external deity but as the activation of one's inherent Buddha nature: the chanting harmonizes the practitioner's life rhythm with the Mystic Law underlying all existence. This understanding reflects the Lotus Sutra's teaching that all people possess Buddha nature, and that ordinary life itself is the arena of practice.