The deepest prayer of Shakyamuni, the original historical Buddha in ancient India, as well as Nichiren Daishonin, the Japanese founder of the Nichiren Buddhist practice in the 13th century, was to relieve human suffering. In other words, to give humans hope.
SGI members chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo (pronounced repeatedly out loud as six syllables or beats: nahm-myoh-hoh-rehn-gay-kyoh) and face their enlightened selves, which are mirrored in the scroll or mandala, called a Gohonzon, that we chant to in our own homes each day.
The emphasis on audible chanting as opposed to silent meditation reflects a core aspect of this Buddhism. In addition to exploring our private inner life, our religion emphasizes the active practice of bringing forth our highest inner potential in relation to and for the benefit of our fellow humans and human society. Nichiren said, "The voice does the Buddha's work."
For Nichiren Buddhists, chanting every day is the engine that powers this active hope. It is how, in the words of Nichiren, "We become the master of our mind rather than let our mind master us."
What the Words Mean
The word *Nam* roughly means to dedicate oneself. *Myoho* signifies the mystic or universal law. *Renge* symbolizes the Lotus Flower, which grows in a muddy swamp and becomes a beautiful flower. It also represents the simultaneity of cause and effect. Finally, *kyo* is sound — a voiced teaching or sutra.
Nichiren Buddhism teaches that the self and all phenomena are one; all things are interrelated. In other words, all of us exist because of our relationship with other beings and phenomena, and nothing in either the human or the nonhuman world exists in isolation. It is for this reason that treating others with respect and dignity is so important.
Hope Is Not Wishful Thinking
Hope is akin to trust. If we could see it, there'd be no need for trust or hope. But hope is not avoiding what is going on in the world. Instead, fostering hope involves looking directly at our reality and making the decision to improve it.
The kind of hope I am referring to is not grounded in wishful thinking. In fact, powerful hope — what's been called "active hope" — may not be possible without going through despair. It is during the darkest days that we need to persevere, trusting that hope is ahead.
When confronted by cruel reality, we need to create hope. We can do this by digging deeper within, searching for even a small glimmer of light, for the possibility of a way to begin to break through the impasse before us. And our capacity for hope can actually be expanded and strengthened by these difficult circumstances.
I believe that the ultimate tragedy in life is not physical death. Rather, it is the spiritual death of losing hope, giving up on our own possibilities for growth.
Through a persistent daily spiritual practice, we can manifest our enlightened nature. The choice is ours. And that is why we should never lose hope!
