Shōdaigyō: chanting held between silence (Nichiren Shū)
Chant the daimoku within a set sequence of bowing, silent sitting, chanting, silent reflection and dedication.
Why it works
Nichiren Shū describes shōdaigyō as a form of meditation practised regularly at its temples, usually in a group. Its sequence frames the chanting on both sides. A deep bow and taking refuge open the session. A few minutes of silent sitting follow, “to cleanse and bring harmony to the Body and Mind.” Then comes the chanting, then a few minutes of silent reflection on the daimoku, then a prayer dedicating the merit to all beings, the Four Great Vows and a final bow. The silence before the chanting settles the person who will chant, and the silence after lets what was chanted be reflected on rather than dropped.
How to do it
- If a Nichiren Shū temple near you holds shōdaigyō, attend one. It is usually practised as a group and is best learned that way.
- Begin with a deep bow (raihai), preparing to receive the teaching, and take refuge in the Three Treasures.
- Sit in silence for a few minutes before chanting.
- Chant the daimoku, then sit in silence again for a few minutes, reflecting on it.
- Close by dedicating the merit to family, friends and all beings, reciting the Four Great Vows, and bowing in thanks.
Evidence
The sequence and its purpose are given in Nichiren Shū’s own description of shōdaigyō. The surrounding practice of chanting the daimoku goes back to Nichiren, as Stone and Habito describe. This is one school’s form, given in that school’s words. The support is practitioner-based. (anecdotal)
Shōdaigyō is Nichiren Shū’s practice. Other schools structure their chanting differently, and Nichiren Shōshū’s own question-and-answer page takes up the question of whether it teaches silent meditation, so do not assume this form transfers between groups. Not studied in research.
Sources
- Nichiren Shu. Our Practice: Quality Not Quantity; Two Practices of Odaimoku Chanting (Shodaigyo). Nichiren Shu Portal, English edition.
- Nichiren Shu. Our Practice: An example of a Shodaigyo service. Nichiren Shu Portal, English edition.
- Stone, J. (2020). Nichiren. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion. New York: Oxford University Press.
Common mistake
Treating the silent parts as dead time before and after the “real” practice. In the sequence Nichiren Shū gives, they prepare for the chanting and receive it, and they are part of the service.
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More practices for Nichiren Buddhism and the Daimoku: Chanting the Title of the Lotus Sūtra
- Chant the daimoku: Nam(u)-myōhō-renge-kyō
Chant the title of the Lotus Sūtra aloud, steadily, as an act of devotion to the teaching it names.
- 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.
- Practise before the object of devotion (gohonzon)
Chant and recite facing the gohonzon, understanding what it depicts and how your own school understands it.
- Chant with a specific prayer or determination
Bring a real concern, a person or a resolve into the chanting, and let it shape the day’s next step.
- Study Nichiren’s writings alongside practice
Read Nichiren’s letters and treatises slowly, as the second of the “two ways of practice and study.”
- Practise with others: dialogue, encouragement and sharing
Practise in a small community where people talk about their lives in the light of the teaching and encourage one another.
- Respect the buddha in others: the practice of Bodhisattva Never Disparaging
Meet each person, including difficult ones, with the words “I deeply respect you… you will become a buddha.”
- Bring the practice into everyday challenges
Keep chanting through ordinary difficulties rather than waiting for them to pass, as Nichiren urged in his letters.
Related concepts
- The Six Pāramitās: How the Bodhisattva Trains
Six trainings, each aimed at one obstacle, and each made whole by wisdom
- The Heart Sutra: Its Lines, Its Structure and How It Is Practised
The shortest Perfection of Wisdom scripture, read line by line and practised the ways traditions practise it
- Bodhicitta: The Awakening Mind and How It Is Cultivated
The intention at the heart of Mahāyāna Buddhism, and the classical ways Tibetan teachers train it
- Zen Practice (Zazen and Beyond)
Zazen, shikantaza, koans, and beginner’s mind — mechanisms and honest evidence
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