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Pronouncing Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Omar067
Veteran
in Mindfulness
I can pronounce almost every word of the mantra, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo correctly. The only word that I have trouble pronouncing is the word Kyo. When ever I try to chant the mantra, it always sounds like I am saying the word Cho instead of Kyo. However, when I say the word Kyoto, I can hear myself pronouncing the word perfectly. Because I can pronounce the name Kyoto correctly, I always wonder why it sounds like I am saying the word Cho instead of Kyo when I am chanting the mantra. Is it something in my mind that is making me think that I am saying the word Cho instead of Kyo. Please help me.
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A HERMIT AND A MONK…
A monk visited a hermit, who lived alone on an island doing retreat. The hermit had given himself three years to complete chanting ten million of the powerful six-syllable mantra of the Compassionate Buddha. The hermit had been told that attaining this level of practice would awaken his yogic powers. The mantra was “OM MANI PADME HUM”.
The monk listened as the hermit did his mantra and, with the best intention in the world, leaned over to him and whispered:
“I think you have got the pronunciation wrong. This mantra should be chanted this way…” and he proceeded to demonstrate. The hermit listened attentively and then watched as the monk walked back to his boat to leave the island.
Ten minutes later when the boat was halfway across the river the monk heard his name being called, and looking around, he spied the hermit and heard him call:
“Listen to this, have I got it right now?” and the hermit proceeded to chant the same mantra but with the monk’s intonation. Astounded, the monk turned around and saw the hermit walking on the water next to his boat. In that instant he realized that the hermit’s faith and sincerity had given his mantra recitation far more power than he had realized.
https://sanaakosirickylee.wordpress.com/2012/03/20/a-hermit-and-a-monk-a-lesson-on-reciting-your-mantra/
Slow down.
Even when I say it slow, it still sounds like I'm saying Cho instead of Kyo. I use the Google voice recognition feature to see if I'm pronouncing the word Kyo correctly. When I say the word Kyoto, the voice recognition feature on Google recognizes what I'm saying perfectly. However, when I say Kyo, the voice recognition feature searches for the word Cho. I really don't know what to do.
Key-Oh
Here's how I know that: https://mobile.audible.com/pd/Self-Development/Mantra-Sacred-Words-of-Power-Audiobook/B005JELLO6/?ref=msw_search_c1_0_1_AL
Key-oh wasn't the way that I learned how to pronounce the word. I can say Key-oh perfectly, but the organization that I'm apart of says that Key-Oh is the wrong way to pronounce the word.
Well they are wrong.
Well, a Japanese member taught me how to pronounce the mantra. I doubt that he was wrong.
Thomas Ashley-Farrand was one of the West’s foremost authorities of Vedic and Buddhist Sanskrit mantras. He was recognized for his flawless mastery of mantra practice by swamis, pundits, and shastris across India, and gathered more than 8,000 transliterated mantras—the most comprehensive body of these sacred sound syllables in the English language. He received initiations and blessings from a number of prominent spiritual teachers, including H.H. the Dalai Lama. His guru was Sadguru Sant Keshavadas of Bangalore, India, and he also followed Guru Mata, Sant Keshavadas’ widow, to whom he transferred spiritual authority on the banks of the Ganges before his passing. In addition, Thomas Ashley-Farrand was an expert in the practice of Vedic fire and water rituals. His published works include Mantra Meditation, Healing Mantras, Mantra Meditation for Creating Abundance, and more.
http://www.soundstrue.com/store/thomas-ashley-farrand-5617.html
Well, the mantra that I'm trying to pronounce originates from Japan.
Maybe try Key-oh until you can say it instead of cho and then drop the hyphen so it's almost keo where "e" sounds more like a "y".
K'yo.
Japanese. Well why didn't you say so
So instead of trying what people are encouraging you to try, you keep arguing back and telling us that every constructive, helpful and productive bit of advice is ok for everyone else, but not you.
Yeah, we're fine with that....
Buddhism didn't originate in Japan, so maybe you're barking up the wrong bonsai....
Well, @Omar067, pronouncing it using "key-oh" is fine. Splitting hairs won't help you. You seem
to be fixating on a pronunciation diacritical and locking out what does not fit your perception.
While I don't know which org you are with, the org that I am in is the Soka Gakkai International. For us, your effort counts much more than your perfection of pronunciation at this point. With practice and time you will nail the pronunciation.
Nam myoho renege kyo.
I meant no disrespect to anyone. I was just explaining how I was taught to say the words. I wasn't saying that your advice was not of any value to me. Also, I did not say that Japanese people know more about the religion of Buddhism than any other people of a different race. I'm great full that you guys even answered my question.
So, what you are saying is that if try my best to chant the mantra correctly, I will still obtain benefits from the even if I'm pronouncing the word wrong?
Of course. That;s exactly what @lobster tried to tell you in his first post, right at the top of the page.....
When I used to attend Mass, we had a visiting catholic priest from China, who assisted in the Mass.
His pronunciation of the "Our Father" was amusing to say the least (and he was the first to make a joke of it, so we were laughing WITH him, not AT him...).
Not one single person ever thought that simply because his pronunciation was off (and that's putting it mildly!) his prayer had any less resonance or significance.
It's not how you say it. It's your Intention as you say it.
Intention. Is. All.
And don't let anyone, no matter how expert or elevated they are, tell you any different.
Thanks for the advice. I really appreciate it.
I'm a member of the SGI too. Well I'm not member yet, I'm just a guest as of right now.
I'm sure that most Tibetan practitioners would smile at how we in the West, mangle "Om Mani Padme Hum". I've heard more variations of that Mantra than I can shake a stick at....
And they're ALL correct.
Welcome, @Omar067.
Peace to you
Peace to all
"I refuse to be a member of any club that would accept me as a member."
(Groucho Marx. Wording varies slightly according to source.)
I'm not as smart as many people here, so please tell what that quote means. I can't figure it out.
Groucho Marx was a famous comedy actor. He worked with first, his three brothers, then two, in many films, and you need to google The Marx Brothers to know more. He was a witty raconteur and always came out with funny and pithy quips. The above quotation is his apparent response to a Club of which he was a member. He was resigning, and that's the explanation he gave.
My personal opinion and point is, you don't have to belong to any organisation, group, club or association, to practise Buddhism. It's nice to have some support if you need it, but frankly, joining a particular single group is a potential exclusion or discard of everything else you might pick up.
I don't adhere to any specific Tradition, although I quantify myself more Theravada than any other School...
Thanks for the advice. I know of some people who practice Buddhism independently. However, for me, I think it will be better if I try to become a member so that I can learn from other people. I'll still try to pick up things from other Buddhist sects. That is one of the reasons why I got back on this site.
I honestly don't know why we just don't chant in English.
That said I prefer Om Ah Hum. May I have the body, speech, and mind of a Buddha for the benefit of all.
HHDL makes a joke about the way Tibetans say that mantra. They use it casually and say it repeatedly really fast so that all you can usually make out is mani, mani, mani. Then with the average Tibetan's religious practice as a way of generating good outcomes in worldly life so that maybe what they are really chanting is money, money, money.