(You can now subscribe to this blog by putting your email in the box to the right)
will be found in the December 11th World Tribune.
I offer you what was given out at the Chicago Kosen-Rufu Gongyo
meeting on Sunday, December 6th.
We are no longer doing the prayer to the Shoten Zenjin
at the beginning of morning gongyo.
Now morning and evening gongyo are the same.
Revised Silent Prayers:
Appreciation to the Gohonzon
I offer my profound gratitude
and appreciation to the Gohonzon,
which embodies Nam-myoho-renge-kyo,
the essence of the Lotus Sutra.
I offer my profound gratitude
and appreciation to Nichiren Daishonin,
the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law.
I offer my profound gratitude
and appreciation to Nikko Shonin.
Chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo three times.
Appreciation for the
Three Founding Presidents
I offer my deepest appreciation
for the three founding presidents of the Soka Gakkai ~
Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, Josei Toda, and Daisaku Ikeda ~
the eternal mentors of kosen-rufu,
for their selfless dedication to propagating the law.
Chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo three times.
Prayers for
Worldwide Kosen-rufu
and the deceased
I pray that the great vow
for worldwide kosen-rufu be fulfilled
and that the Soka Gakkai International
will develop in this endeavor
for countless generations to come.
I pray to accomplish my own human revolution,
change my destiny,
and fulfill all of my wishes.
(Offer additional prayers silently here)
I pray for my deceased relatives,
fellow members, friends,
and all those who have passed away,
particularly for these individuals:
(Sound the bell continually while offering prayers)
Chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo three times.
I pray for peace throughout the world
and the happiness of all living beings.
Sound the bell and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo three times to conclude (if in a group chant in unison).
Note: if you are not a member yet please go to the SGI-USA.org website to find out more (see the link to the right)
Personally, I like the change...flows much better. I wonder when the "Liturgy" gongyo books/booklets will reflect this change? Probably after New Year...eh?
ReplyDeleteI will look for them at New years Gongyo. Hope so!
DeleteJamie, I'm not sure you're right about "no longer doing the prayer to the Shoten Zenjin." Can you check on this? My understanding is that we chant three times before this prayer only once instead of twice as we had been doing, but we still do the prayer and now we do it both in the morning and the evening (whereas previously we did it only in the morning)...Alan
ReplyDeleteJamie is right, we don't do the first silent prayer anymore. We ring the bell, do 1 sansho ( nmrk x 3) then start gongyo. We are meant to be showing appreciation to the shoten zenjin (life's protective forces) when we ring the bell and do sansho but there is no specific prayer for it anymore. So yeah, morning and evening gongyo are exactly the same now. :)
DeleteI understand Jamie has shared that it is changed. Who changed it? I personally love the prayer that includes Shorten Zenjin. Have we forgotten what it means? It is symbolic of spiritual environmental protection from energies we cannot see but only feel. With today's turmoil in many black communities I feel to keep using Shorten Zenjin to vibrate that word sound throughout the world to send energies that would manifest environmental protection for all black and brown persons. Dr. Kim D. Harris
DeleteI still say the Silent Prayer for Shoten Zenjin but offer it as a personal prayer before Daimoku
DeleteI agree with you, Dr. Kim. I chant appreciation to the shoten zenjin morning and evening. I have always loved that prayer and continue to do it. No reason not to.
DeleteI chose to continue to do the Silent Prayer to the Shoten Zenjin. I resonate with this prayer and have no need to stop doing just because it has (arbitrarily?) dropped.
DeleteHi, my understanding is that now morning and evening gongyo are the same. The written explanations will come out from the SGI soon.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, both morning and evening Gongyo are the same. We chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo thrice instead of six times and start with Gongyo. We don't do the first silent prayer anymore.
ReplyDeleteanyone has the revised silent prayers in chinese or other languages? thank you
ReplyDeleteHi Jamie, as a newer member, (practicing for 2 years November 17th), and really working on my practice, I wonder if things like this make the whole "practice" seem so rigid...to me it seems that I must follow these exact steps or I wont see benefit my life (???) Surely going to my Gohonzon and chanting sincerely is a huge benefit?? Please help me to understand, because all I really want to do is chant and better my life and the lives of others. Now (and I've kinda always felt this way) that I'm in a rigid religion where I must do this and not that...if this all makes sense. I'd love your input. Thanks ;)
ReplyDeleteHi, thank you for writing. I understand your concern, I really do. But I think Practical SGI Buddhism is about as un-rigid as a religion can be. There are no lifestyle guidelines, no eating guidelines...no "rules." I think there is power in unity. And chanting together, doing gongyo together, and reciting these prayers in unity is a good thing. If you wish to continue a dialogue please write me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com
DeleteThank you for posting this from across the world!!!
ReplyDeleteLike the change
ReplyDeleteHere in the UK we are still encouraged to do the prayer for the shoten zenjin in our minds as we do the first sancho in the morning.. just not separately in between two sancho anymore. But the new silent prayers will be fully published soon so until then there is no harm in doing the above as Jamie has kindly writtenote - it encorporates the essence and no one will be doing anything 'wrong' doing this until the official publication makes it's way out of Japan. Nam myoho renge kyo everyone!
ReplyDeleteHere in Brazil no one talks about this changes. We don't have any meetings in the holidays. Dear Jamie, Did you read what the WT talks about these changes?
ReplyDeleteNew Gongyo books will be printed and sold only in March, 2016, here.
Here is a preview of the new Silent Prayers in portuguese:
It's a little bit different of english version...
Agradecimento ao Gohonzon
Eu ofereço a minha profunda gratidão
e agradecimento ao Gohonzon,
que encarna Nam-myoho-rengue-kyo,
a essência do Sutra de Lótus.
Eu ofereço a minha profunda gratidão
e apreciação de Nitiren Daishonin,
o Buda dos Últimos Dias da Lei.
Eu ofereço a minha profunda gratidão
e apreciação para Nikko Shonin.
Apreço pelos Três presidentes fundadores
Eu ofereço a minha mais profunda apreciação
para os três presidentes fundadores da Soka Gakkai ~
Tsunesaburo Makiguti, Josei Toda, e Daisaku Ikeda ~
os mestres eternos do Kossen-rufu,
por sua dedicação altruÃsta a propagação da lei.
Orações para a concretização do Kosen-rufu Mundial
e pelos falecidos
Oro sinceramente pela mais breve concretização
do Kosen-rufu mundial
e que Soka Gakkai International
se desenvolva por incontáveis gerações vindouras.
Eu oro para conseguir a minha própria revolução humana,
mudar o meu destino,e cumprir todos os meus desejos.
Eu oro por meus parentes falecidos,
colegas, amigos,e todos aqueles que já passaram,
particularmente para estes indivÃduos:
Eu oro pela paz mundial
e pela felicidade de todas as pessoas.
Best wishes for you and all companions of Chigago,IL!!!
Leonardo from Brazil
Our practice is about at all time i think to myself how best and quickly to help others to enter the buddha way. Thats what we recite in gongkyo..mai ji sa ze nen..soku joju busshin
ReplyDeleteOur practice is about at all time i think to myself how best and quickly to help others to enter the buddha way. Thats what we recite in gongkyo..mai ji sa ze nen..soku joju busshin
ReplyDeleteI'm a New Member since August 30 2015, thank you for this blog, it's very informative . NMRK.
ReplyDeleteThanks from Ireland
ReplyDeleteHello, I see the comments about the Shoten Zenjin and I agree they are very important. You can always include them in the silent prayers, and chant with them in mind while doing Daimoku. Yes! We need them in this day and age for sure!
ReplyDeleteI still offer the Shoten Zenjin prayer as a personal prayer when I do Daimoku in the morning.
ReplyDeleteI love the prayer to the Shoten Zenjin and continue to do it twice daily. I am very thankful for protection and harmony with the energies of the universe.
ReplyDelete