The Buddha in Your Mirror

May 28, 2001
Tina Turner found the strength to leave an abusive marriage after she began chanting "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo." This phrase, translated as "I devote myself to the mystic law of cause and effect through sound," is at the heart of Nichiren Buddhism, a practice clearly explained in this self-help primer. In 1253, the Japanese monk Nichiren declared Nam-myoho-renge-kyo "to be the one true law, the great 'secret' hidden in the depths of the Lotus Sutra." Nichiren's intent was to make attainment of Buddhahood imminently available to all. This manual's authors heartily endorse the chant as completely accessible and effective at achieving desires for self and others. Noting that Nichiren Buddhism is "open equally to everyone... there are no priests or gurus," the authors promote the Nichiren path as fitting neatly within the modern world of science, especially physics, where impermanence is now a given. They also point readers toward finding community within Soka Gakkai International, a Nichiren-centered organization with 12 million adherents in 160 nations. The introduction by jazz great Herbie Hancock, a Nichiren practitioner for 29 years, makes one wonder if the rhythmic emphasis of this chant has a special call for musicians, but this path obviously has bold appeal for a broad audience of people who are willing to give chant a chance.