What it is
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the phrase chanted in the Buddhist practice founded by Nichiren, a Japanese monk of the 13th century. The Soka Gakkai, which follows his teachings, gives each part a meaning:
- Nam, from the Sanskrit namas: to dedicate or devote oneself.
- Myoho: the mystic, or wonderful, law.
- Renge: the lotus, which blooms and bears fruit at the same time, an image of cause and effect arriving together.
- Kyo: sutra, in the sense of a thread.
Myoho-renge-kyo is the Japanese title of the Lotus Sutra. The Soka Gakkai describes the whole phrase as a vow: the determination not to give up in the face of difficulty, and to help others not give up either.
How it shows up for me
I’m not Buddhist, and I don’t believe in God, but I have chanted it in hard moments. The vow part speaks to me: refusing to give up, out loud, with others in mind.
This entry is only the Soka Gakkai’s own explanation. I haven’t studied the Lotus Sutra or Nichiren’s writings.