Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō (Kanji: 南無妙法蓮華経) is a Japanese sacred phrase chanted within all forms of Nichiren Buddhism. In English, it means "Devotion to the Mystic Dharma of the Lotus Flower Sutra" or "Homage to the Sublime Dharma of the Lotus Sutra". The words Myōhō Renge Kyō refer to the Japanese title of the Lotus Sūtra (Sanskrit: Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra). The phrase is referred to as the Daimoku (題目) , meaning title, and was publicly taught by the Japanese Buddhist priest Nichiren on 28 April 1253 atop Mount Kiyosumi, now memorialized by Seichō-ji temple in Kamogawa, Chiba prefecture, Japan. In Nichiren Buddhism, the practice of prolonged Daimoku chanting is referred to as Shōdai (唱題). Nichiren Buddhist believers claim that the purpose of chanting is to reduce suffering by eradicating negative karma and all karmic retribution, while also advancing the practitioner on the path to perfect and complete awakening.
