Nichikan Shonin (1655–1726), the Twenty-sixth High Priest of Nichiren Shoshu wrote in his treatise, “The Three Robes of This School” (Toke Sanne Sho):
The prayer beads are the Buddhist implement which helps common mortals advance in their Buddhist practice.
(Seiten, p. 970)
The Mokugenji Sutra states: Aking named Haruri once spoke these words in sorrow to the Buddha: “In recent years, famine and pestilence have plagued my small country. All the people are distressed. I am always worrying about this. We are in a painful position. The storehouse of the Law is too profound and extensive to practice. Please teach me the main point of the Law.” The Buddha replied: “King, if you want to eliminate earthly desires, make a circular string of 108 wooden beads. Hold them always to yourself. Recite ‘Nam Buddha-Nam Dharma-Nam Sangha’; Count one bead with each recitation.”
This is the origin of the prayer beads. As this sutra indicates, the Buddha advised the king to hold a string of beads. We follow this tradition when worshipping the Three Treasures, or when counting the number of recitations of the Daimoku.
Nichikan Shonin further stated:
Acircle of beads manifests the mystic principle. Miao-lo stated in his writing The Annotations on the Great Concentration and Insight: “There is no lack in the mystic principle.” Therefore, we use a circle of beads that compares to the mystic principle. The basic number of beads is 108, which is said to represent the number of earthly desires possessed by common mortals.
(Seiten, p. 971)
In Nichiren Shoshu, “Nam Buddha” is Nichiren Daishonin, “Nam Dharma” is the Dai-Gohonzon, and “Nam Sangha” is Nikko Shonin and the successive High Priests. These are the Three Treasures.
Our prayer beads consist of two long strands joined at either end with two large beads. Hanging from the outside of these large beads are two shorter strands on one side, and three on the other. They are strung with white braided cords with white pompom tassels at the end. These sets of two and three strands are equidistant and opposite from each other. The two large beads are called the father and mother beads. Both of them represent the Buddha.
When we use the beads, we twist them over once, forming a figure eight. The end of the figure eight with the three strands is placed over the middle finger of the right hand, and the end with the two strands, over the middle finger of the left. The short strands lie on the outside of the hands which are placed together with palms and fingers touching.
Between the father and mother beads are 108 of a smaller size. As mentioned, these represent earthly desires. You will also find four still smaller beads. They are opposite each other, two being seven beads away from the end with two strands, and the other two are fourteen beads beyond the first two.
These four small beads represent the four leaders of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth—Jogyo, Muhengyo, Jyogyo, and Anryugyo— and also indicate the four virtues of the Buddha’s life. These are eternity, happiness, true self, and purity. Directly under the father bead, which is at the end with two tassels, is a smaller bead. This represents the essential nature of the Law, the eternal, absolute truth.
The strands which hang from the outside of the middle fingers represent ichinen sanzen. The two strands of ten beads each which hang from the left signify the ten worlds and their mutual possession. Of the three strands which hang on the right side, the two strands with five beads each together signify the ten factors.
Because of their profound significance, you should treat your prayer beads with respect, just as you would the Buddha. To understand the meaning of the beads is to begin to understand the profundity of Buddhism, the correct practice, and the reason for expressing gratitude to the Three Great Secret Laws and the Three Treasures.
Nichiren Shoshu prayer beads (juzu) can be obtained from the accessories stores at the Head Temple, at your local Temple, or at various independent stores that sell Nichiren Shoshu accessories. Before they are sold, juzu are purified in front of the Temple Gohonzon by a Nichiren Shoshu priest. This is called the eye-opening ceremony. If you purchase your beads from a store outside a Nichiren Shoshu Temple, ask if the eye-opening ceremony was performed on the beads. If not, then take them to the Temple for the ceremony before using them. Also keep in mind that many heretical Buddhist sects also use some form of prayer beads. Only Nichiren Shoshu prayer beads, as described above, can be used in our practice to the Gohonzon.
Contents
THE DOCUMENTARY SIGNIFICANCE OF JOINING THE HANDS IN PRAYER
The Lotus Sutra contains various descriptions of people in the life condition of Learning and those in the state of Bodhisattva. Bodhisattva Fukyo, for example, joined his hands in reverent worship as he prayed to the inherent Buddha nature of everyone he encountered. Some phrases from the Lotus Sutra include the following: “In facing the Buddha, we must join our hands in prayer.” “It is imperative to join our hands in prayer of whole-hearted determination.” “We must show our reverence through our hands joined in prayer as we hear about the path with which we are endowed.” “We must extend greetings by respectfully joining our hands in prayer.” This practice is frequently mentioned in the Lotus Sutra.
Apassage from Nichiren Daishonin’s “Oral Teachings” states:
Joining our hands in prayer is an alternative expression for the Lotus Sutra . . . . The two characters for joining the hands in prayer are contained in all phenomena. The entities of hell and hunger, respectively, and all the laws of the three-thousand worlds in their present condition join their hands in prayer and face the Buddha.
(Gosho, p. 1734)
When we, the common mortals of the nine worlds, join our hands in prayer with sincere determination in faith and face the Gohonzon, we become entities that manifest the principles of the “mutual possession of the ten worlds,” (jikkai goku) the “actual52 Nichiren Shoshu Basics of Practice three-thousand realms contained in a single life-moment,” (ichinen sanzen) and the “attainment of Buddhahood in our present form” (sokushin jobutsu); thus, joining our hands in prayer arouses a feeling of faith.
Joining our hands in prayer is immediately synonymous with understanding our life. (Ibid.)
When we pray and devote ourselves to the Gohonzon with humility, we demonstrate the principle: “Buddhahood is inherent within the nine worlds.” Our existence, as we join our hands in prayer, facing the Buddha and chanting Daimoku, is the very manifestation of enlightenment.
THE SYMBOLISM OF JOINING THE HANDS IN PRAYER
Based on the principles discussed above, Nichiren Shoshu describes the meaning of joining our hands in prayer in the following way: Our whole-hearted faith is represented by the eight petals of the lotus flower. This is also called the “lotus of the heart” or the “white lotus” and it depicts our Buddha nature. In joining our hands in prayer, the eight petals are represented by our eight fingers, and the remaining two thumbs symbolize the father and the mother or the principles of “reality and wisdom” and “practicing for spiritual stability and wisdom.” It has been said that the ten digits portray the concept of three-thousand realms inherent in the ten worlds, and joining the fingers and palms signifies the mutual possession of the ten worlds. Bringing the joined hands in front of the chest represents the white lotus of our hearts (our faith).
THE ACTUAL PRACTICE OF JOINING OUR HANDS IN PRAYER
We have discussed the significance of joining our hands in prayer. Most important, however, is whether or not we position them correctly when we perform our Morning and Evening Gongyo and chant Daimoku. Many people begin with the correct posture but gradually lose their form. When the tension wanes, their fingertips start to bend and the hands separate. Others increase the tension in their hands too much and push their arms outward. Still others let their hands gradually fall below the chest. The correct form is sitting up straight and chanting from the diaphragm.
Our eyes should be set on the character Myo on the Gohonzon. This enables us to achieve the actual three-thousand realms in a single life moment and become the Buddha of the entity of the Mystic Law. Thus, we must be conscientious on a daily basis to maintain a correct posture in our practice.
