Audio recording of nam myoho renge kyo chant:
Become a Happy Chanter in Ten Simple Steps
- Sit comfortably. If you have an altar* or a peaceful corner of your home, sit there – otherwise just sit somewhere comfortable.
- If you have prayer beads*, use them. Otherwise you can hold your hands in a prayer position, or simply rest them on your lap, whichever you prefer.
- You can keep your eyes open or closed. If open, it’s nice to have a mandala* to softly focus your gaze on – I use a print of this lovely lotus.
- If you have a bell*, ring it to focus your mind.
- Think about a goal you would like to achieve. If you can, think about it positively, almost pretend that it’s already happened so that the thought of it makes you feel happy and grateful. If you can’t think of a specific goal, just think about being happy!
- Start chanting nam myoho renge kyo. You can chant along with the recording above if you like, or simply on your own – I chant alone.
- You can chant as loudly or as softly as you like – I just chant at normal speaking level.
- Allow your mind to gently focus on the sound you’re making, and listen out for any insights that might come along…
- Keep going for as long as you can manage! Generally the longer the better, but just do what you can – I read some wonderful guidance once to simply “chant until you smile” 🙂
- When you’re done, just get up and go about your day!
* Some people like to use accessories like this to ritualise their spiritual practice – this is entirely up to you. There is no right or wrong so if you don’t have any of these things, don’t worry! Just chant 🙂
Repeat these steps every morning and evening, or at least as often as you can manage. Even more than how long you chant for in each session, the most important thing is to be consistent and chant every day.
Happy Chanting!
