Photo above by Courtesy of HBO
If you haven’t watched the new season of White Lotus beware of some spoilers ahead. This new season explores Eastern philosophy and the role religion plays in self-discovery. There’s some talk of detaching yourself from worldly desires and finding calm within. Some characters even try meditating (some more excited about it than others).
So, we thought we’d try our hand at answering the question: Is chanting the same as meditating?
To get right to the point, meditation and chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo both encourage self-reflection, but they have different goals and effects on our lives. Meditation is often solitary, while Nichiren Buddhism emphasizes having a personal and collective practice.
With increasingly hectic lives, many people in the U.S. have taken to popular meditation practices for its benefits—reduced stress and anxiety, better heart health and more.
Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo goes further, activating the dynamic qualities of our Buddha nature at the core of our mental, physical and spiritual selves.
Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo goes further, activating the dynamic qualities of our Buddha nature at the core of our mental, physical and spiritual selves.
The Buddhist concept of the “nine levels of consciousness” provides insight into how chanting brings out our inherent goodness.
The first five levels of consciousness correspond to our five senses, while the sixth integrates them to understand and respond to the external world.
The seventh, or mano-consciousness, is where awareness and attachment to the self originate. It represents the internal realm that corresponds to the Western concept of ego and is where we form narratives about who we are. Meditation engages these first seven levels.
Chanting reaches two additional levels. The eighth, or alaya-consciousness, is known as the “karmic storehouse,” where past causes from this and previous lives are stored.
The ninth, or amala-consciousness, represents the purest state of Buddhahood. By chanting we illuminate all levels of consciousness with this highest state of Buddhahood.
The Buddhist philosopher Daisaku Ikeda explains:
Being able to see the true nature of our mind, or attain enlightenment, is not something achieved through conceptual thought or meditative practice; faith is the foundation.
The Teachings for Victory, vol. 4, p. 11
Former Zen monk and author of Waking the Buddha, Clark Strand, also observed that many who meditate seek spiritual insight without addressing real-life challenges, whereas chanting empowers people to take action while inspiring others.
So, there’s no need to remove ourselves from reality or clear our minds. Rather, seeking self-mastery and building strong connections, we lay the foundation for lasting peace and happiness. If only the characters in White Lotus knew about Nichiren Buddhism.