WHAT IS THE CORRECT ATTITUDE TO DO GONGYO?

WHAT IS THE CORRECT ATTITUDE TO DO GONGYO?

  

Ikeda Sensei says: “Our morning and evening practice [of gongyo and daimoku] is an invigorating ceremony of beginningless time that revitalizes us from the very depths of our being. Therefore, the important thing is to chant [and do gongyo] each day filled with a sense of rhythm and cadence—like a horse galloping through the heavens. I hope you will chant in a way that leaves you refreshed and revitalized in both body and mind.” (The Heart of the Lotus Sutra, 16).

So, to do a refreshing gongyo, we need to first sit comfortably either on the floor or on a chair. However, it is important that our posture is one of respect.

Since it is a solemn ceremony we need to ensure we are dressed respectfully. Sensei explains, “It is best to keep your eyes open and to look at the Gohonzon…. Of course, if you do close your eyes occasionally, there’s no need to worry…. This, of course, does not apply to people who are … sight impaired, who need to simply chant or do gongyo to the Gohonzon within their heart” (Discussions on Youth, Vol. 2, 44).

We fold our hands and then start reciting gongyo in a clear voice which is audible to us. The Daishonin states, “The voice carries out the work of the Buddha” (ott, 4). Sensei adds: “A weak and unclear voice will not move the heavenly deities. That is why it is important for us to chant daimoku with voices that are clear, strong and brimming with joy” (Faith into Action, 100).

Of course, we should be careful not to disturb our neighbours.

Doing gongyo with an attitude of appreciation and joy is what we should aim towards. Sensei says, “… a person’s attitude in doing gongyo reveals itself in how that person lives. A person whose gongyo is weak will lack vital energy and will lapse inevitably into a feeble way of living. If you do gongyo only as if it were a chore or out of a sense of obligation, it will be hard for you to feel joy in your faith. Therefore, let us encourage one another to do a refreshing and rhythmical gongyo…. Let’s aim to do a superb, powerful gongyo each day, one that will move the entire universe and is infused with earnest prayers” (HR, Vol. 12, 352).

Source: Value Creation, February 2016