Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

[plwk]

What is the Tendai view/teaching/interpretation on the above?

[Tatsuo]

There is an article about that by Jacqueline I. Stone with the title "Chanting the August Title of the Lotus Sutra: Daimoku practices in Classical and Medieval Japan" in the book "Re-visioning "Kamakura" Buddhism" by Richard Karl Payne. This article also touches the topic of chanting the daimoku in Tendai, which was recited during deathbed practices, as a simple form of meditation or was associated with faith in the Lotus Sutra. But there is a controversy about the authorship of the text in which these practices are propagated.

[Jikan]

Tatsuo got it.

I can tell you that we don't recite daimoku at all in Tendai today, but that cordial relations exist between Tendai and many Nichiren and Nichiren-inspired organizations such as Rissho Kosei-Kai.

[Tatsuo]

I agree, that the daimoku is not very important in present-day Tendai (and also in medieval Tendai) and there doesn't seem to be a practice of continuous recitation of the daimoku like there is in Nichiren-shū, but the daimoku is a part of the Ekōmon (回向文), which is recited daily at Enryakuji. But the recitation of the title of the Lotus Sutra is different from the form used in Nichiren related schools. Instead of reciting Namu myōhō renge kyō, the daimoku goes as follows: Namu byōdō dai e ichijō myōhō renge kyō (南無平等大會一乘妙法蓮華經). I don't have an exact translation, but the Digital Dictionary of Buddhism translates byōdō as "A reference to the lack of discrimination between things when they are seen from the standpoint of emptiness. Realm or view of nondiscrimination. The absolute reality that penetrates all manifest phenomena. Absolute reality". The translation for "dai e" would be great assembly and ichijō is the one vehicle/ekayana. But as it is just a part of the Ekōmon/dedication text and not a practice on its own, I would say, that it is not at all emphasized. As Jikan points out, there is no practice of the daimoku and the recitation of the daimoku in the dedication text may be nothing more than a reaction to the important role of the daimoku in Nichiren schools (but that is just speculation - I know nothing about the background of that text).

[plwk]

Thank you very much for clarifying and sharing

[jikai]

The only time i've come across it in Tendai practice is in the RaiButsu/ reverence to the Buddha verse (礼佛) in the Kinichi Kuyo Saho(忌日供養作法) memorial service. Even in this case its only a single repetition.