Every morning and every evening, practitioners of Nichiren Buddhism sit in front of the Gohonzon and chant the same five words. Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. 7 syllables, one continuous line, repeated until the room fills with sound.

That line carries the entire teaching inside it. This cheat sheet breaks it into its four working parts, with pronunciation and meaning for each.

Quick answer: Namu Myoho Renge Kyo means devotion to the Mystic Law contained in the Lotus Sutra. Nichiren Daishonin established it as the central practice of his teaching in 13th century Japan. Chanting it connects the practitioner directly with that Law.

Namu 南 (NAH-moo)

Namu comes from the Sanskrit word namas, carried into Chinese as kimyo, dedication of life. Saying it means putting your life behind the words that follow it.

Myoho 妙法 (MYO-ho)

Myo names the Dharma nature, the potential for enlightenment already present in a person's life. Ho names fundamental darkness, the delusion that obscures it. Saying Myoho together reveals that the two were never actually separate.

Renge 蓮華 (REN-geh)

The lotus flower blooms and seeds at the same moment, unlike most plants where the flower falls before the fruit forms. Nichiren used that timing to explain cause and effect happening together, not one after the other. The r in Renge is soft, closer to an l when spoken aloud.

Kyo 経 (KYO)

Kyo means sutra, the voice of a Buddha's teaching carried into words. Nichiren wrote that the voices of all living beings do the Buddha's work, and that this Law continues across past, present, and future without break.

Namu or Nam?

The traditional chant opens with Namu, not the shortened Nam. Both point to the same devotion. The channel name uses the short form. When you chant, use Namu.

Frequently asked

• What does Namu Myoho Renge Kyo mean? Devotion to the Mystic Law contained in the Lotus Sutra. Namu means dedicating your life to it. Myoho Renge Kyo names the Law itself.
• How do you pronounce Namu Myoho Renge Kyo? NAH-moo MYO-ho REN-geh KYO. The r in Renge is soft, closer to an l than an English r.
• Is it Namu or Nam Myoho Renge Kyo? Namu is the traditional form. 

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