Thursday, March 24, 2011

Three Good Chants

Gohonzon - an object of devotion






















When calamities such as the tsunami in Japan strike, one is often at a loss as to what to do to help.  In those shocking moments, I would recommend saying a prayer in the form of a chant.  Powerful phonetic vibrations have a activating effect on the forces of the universe, bringing change and improvement of conditions. 

One such Nichiren Buddhist chant is "Nam Myoho Renge Kyo," which translates "to honor/devote oneself to the wonderful law of the Lotus Flower Sutra."  While the original purpose of this chant is to attain enlightenment, I and my friends find ourselves resorting to it when in need of immediate help, like an S.O.S. call.  When repeating it with strength and focus, the power of it shoots out like a laser beam.

Another such chant is the Tibetan Buddhist "Om Mani Padme Hum" which invokes the attention and blessings of the compassionate one.  It is more subtle, but no less powerful than the one above, instilling peace to wherever one's thoughts are directed.

My third favorite chant is "Om Namah Shivaya," a Hindu mantra shich means "I bow to Shiva, my true inner self."  Whenever I say this mantra, I feel a tremendous sense of beauty and grace within myself that fills me up and runneth over.  It's as if I become one with God's gorgeousness.

So instead of worrying and or getting depressed, which does nothing positive, use your own focused power to change the world through chanting.  It can be done anywhere and at any time.  108 times is the magic number to open up the portals of the universe.  Then, have faith and see how things change.

1 comment:

Bert Flores | Hindu Mantras said...

Myoho-renge-kyo is the name of the Lotus Sutra in Japanese pronunciation of classical Chinese characters, and so the literal meaning of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is "I devote myself to the Lotus Sutra." As the following explanation shows, there are deeper levels of meaning attached to each element of the phrase.