Daily Practice: Gongyō
The foundational daily practice is the morning and evening service performed before one’s home altar or at the temple. The ideal is to practice both in the morning before beginning your day and in the evening before sleep. If time is limited, chanting the Odaimoku alone is sufficient, as it is the primary and essential practice.
A traditional Gongyō service follows a structured order. The essential elements are:
Vowing to the Three Treasure: Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.
Invocation: A formal invitation to the Three Treasures to be present.
Verses for Opening the Sutra: A short passage preparing the mind for the sutra recitation.
Recitation of the Lotus Sutra:
The first prose section of Chapter Two (Expedient Means).
The selections of Chapters Two, Three, Ten and Eleven (Yokuryoshu) — optional.
The portion of Chapter Twelve (Devadatta) — optional.
The verse portion of Chapter Sixteen (The Duration of the Life of the Tathagata).
The verse portion of Chapter Twenty One (The Supernatural Powers of the Tathagata).
The verse portion of Chapter Twenty Five (The Universal Gate of World Perceiver Bodhisattva) — optional.
The spells of Chapter Twenty Six (Dharanis) — optional.
Nichiren Shōnin’s Goibun Words of the Month: A short passage written by our founder.
Odaimoku Chanting: Sustained chanting of Namu Myoho Renge Kyo.
Dedication of Merit: Offering the merit of the practice for the benefit of all beings.
Four Great Vows: The bodhisattva vows to save all beings, end all desires, master all teachings, and attain Buddhahood.
The sutra recitation may be done in Sino-Japanese (the traditional Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese characters), in English or in Mandarin. At temple services, the Invocation and Dedication of Merit are typically recited by the officiating priest, while everyone joins in the sutra recitation and Odaimoku chanting.