Otsutome

Nembutsu

‘Nembutsu’ (念仏) literally means “to think of the Buddha” and broadly refers to practices rooted in the Vows of Amida Buddha found in the Larger Sūtra of Immeasurable Life. However in contemporary Pure Land Buddhism it more usually refers to recitation of  the phrase “I take refuge in the Buddha of Immeasurable Life and Light”; which is pronounced as ”Namuamidabutsu” in Japanese (南無阿弥陀仏), or often simply “namanda”.

“As one goes back to the Primal Vow [of Amida] by throwing sundry practices away, chanting the name of Amida Buddha emerges as “great practice”. It is not chanting to go from here (this world) to there (Pure Land) in the future … Benefits of religious faith such as “non-retrogression in the present life”, and “[being] grasped and never abandoned” lie within religious faith itself. They are not outcomes of accumulated religious faith, nor the results that one can obtain in an exchange of religious faith. This is the reason why the one can rest peacefully in “just chanting.” – Issho Fujita

Otsutome

In the Jōdo Shin tradition followers perform daily services known as Otsutome (daily devotions) or Gongyo (steadfast practice) in the morning and evening.  These consist of various rituals and the chanting of scriptures and hymns.  Of the two largest Jōdo Shinshū denominations Nishi Honganji temples use the Ryokoku Gongyo-shu liturgy and Higashi Honganji Temples use the Otani Gongyo-shu.   The authors of this site are more familiar with the latter.

Daily Service in the Higashi tradition consists of:

  • Morning: Amida-kyō (Kan-on style), Shōshinge, Ekōmon (Ga se pi son …), Nembutsu Wasan (group of six verses with nembutsu chorus), Ekōmon (Gan ni shi ku doku …), Hyappen Nembutsu, Ofumi Reading, Faith Meeting, Gaikemon
  • Evening:  Shōshinge, Nembutsu Wasan (group of three verses with nembutsu chorus), Ekōmon (Gan ni shi ku doku …), Ofumi Reading, Faith Meeting, Goke

> Download a pdf version of the Higashi daily liturgy <
(Requires Adobe Reader with Japanese Fonts Pack)

Additional Resources:

Sound files:

  • Formal Higashi Style Service(Different to Everyday Version) 
  • Lay-person’s Higashi Style Service


     
  • Shoshinge – Higashi Honganji Style (with visual guide)
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.