Recite the sūtra (gongyō): chapters 2 and 16

Recite set passages of the Lotus Sūtra morning and evening, chiefly from the “Expedient Means” and “Life Span” chapters, alongside the daimoku.

Pourquoi ça marche

In a letter of 1264, a follower told Nichiren she had been reading one chapter a day. He replied that while no chapter is negligible, the “Expedient Means” chapter (2) and the “Life Span” chapter (16) stand out, and the other twenty-six are “branches and leaves” of them. He recommended reading their prose sections as her regular practice. Nichiren Shū explains the choice: chapter 2 teaches that everyone can become a buddha, and chapter 16 that Śākyamuni’s life is eternal. In the BDK translation, chapter 2 says the buddhas appear “for one great purpose alone,” to cause beings to attain a buddha’s wisdom. Chapter 16 reveals that immeasurable ages have passed since the Buddha actually attained buddhahood. Reciting these two chapters keeps both claims present each day.

Comment faire

1. Learn which passages your community recites. Nichiren Shū’s home service, for example, includes chapter 2 and the verse section of chapter 16 (Jigage). Other groups use different portions.
2. Recite in the morning and the evening, in the order your community uses, and follow the recitation with the daimoku.
3. Use the printed text your group provides, and recite at a pace that lets you follow the words rather than rush them.
4. At another time, read the same two chapters in an English translation (the BDK Lotus Sūtra is free from the publisher), so you know what you are reciting.
5. If you have time on some days, Nichiren Shū also suggests reading other chapters, or working through the whole sūtra a little at a time.

Données probantes

Nichiren’s recommendation of the prose sections of chapters 2 and 16 is in his 1264 letter on the recitation of the “Expedient Means” and “Life Span” chapters. Nichiren Shū’s own description of its practice lists both chapters in its temple and home services and gives its reason for choosing them. Soka Gakkai describes reciting portions of the Lotus Sūtra, which it calls gongyō, as part of its members’ basic daily practice. The passages quoted are from the BDK translation. This is textual and practitioner support. (anecdotal)

Which passages are recited, in what order and how long the recitation runs all vary between schools. Follow the form of the community you practise with rather than one taken from a book. Not studied in research.

Sources

• Nichiren. The Recitation of the “Expedient Means” and “Life Span” Chapters (1264). In The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. I, pp. 68–75. Tokyo: Soka Gakkai (Nichiren Buddhism Library).
• Nichiren Shu. Our Practice: Recite, Explain, Copy, and the Buddhist Practice for Our Time. Nichiren Shu Portal, English edition.
• Nichiren Shu. Our Practice: Morning and Evening Services at Home. Nichiren Shu Portal, English edition.
• Soka Gakkai. Daily Practice. Soka Gakkai (global) official website.
• Kubo, T., & Yuyama, A. (trans.). (2007). The Lotus Sutra (Taishō Volume 9, Number 262), translated from the Chinese of Kumārajīva. BDK English Tripiṭaka Series. Moraga, CA: BDK America (revised second edition; free PDF from the publisher).

Erreur fréquente

Reciting for years without ever reading what the passages say. Nichiren Shū distinguishes reading the sūtra “with understanding” from simply reading its letters, and an English reading now and then is what makes that possible.