Morning Gongyo:

- Face East :recite the Hoben chapter repeating the Junyose "Sho i sho ho....Nyo ze hon mak ku kyo to" three times, then recite the title of the Juryo chapter and the Jigage: "Ji ga toku bur rai". Then, after that, before reading the first prayer, chant three prolonged Daimoku called the Hiki Daimoku.

- Facing Gohonzon: hit the Gong seven times in silence (1st strike as loud as the last one) then, read the entire sutra book straight through. During the reading of the title of the Juryo chapter, hit the Gong three times, the first and the last strike being louder.

- Then, while hitting the Gong seven times, chant Daimoku until you are satisfied. With five strikes on the Gong, stop chanting Daimoku then, read 2nd through 5th prayers. During the 5th prayer, hit the Gong and at the end of this last prayer, hit the Gong three times (the 1st one as loud as the last one). Then, chant slowly three  Daimoku

Evening Gongyo:

- Hit the Gong seven times in silence, then read the entire sutra book straight through. During the reading of the title of the Juryo chapter, hit the Gong three times. Then, while hitting the Gong seven times, chant Daimoku until you are satisfied. With five strikes on the Gong, stop chanting Daimoku. Read 2nd, 3rd and 5th prayers.

If you don't have enough time, there are 4 "shortened" manners of chanting morning and evening Gongyo but it would be better if one chanted Seo as a whole

1.
Hoben chapter until "Nyo ze hon mak ku kyo to" (3 times)
Juryo chapter
Daïmoku
The five prayers (three for the evening Gongyo)
2.
Hoben  until "Nyo ze hon mak ku kyo to" (3 times)
The Jigage of the Juryo chapter
Daïmoku
The five prayers (three for the evening Gongyo)
3.
The title of the Juryo chapter and the Jigage
Daïmoku
The five prayers (three for the evening Gongyo)
4.
The title of the Juryo chapter and the Jigage
Three Hiki Daïmoku (three prolonged Daimoku "NAMU")

 

The rythm of the reading must be continuous. No need to hurry in the reading of extracts which seem easy and no need to slow down with extracts which seem difficult to pronounce. From the beginning, the rythm must be the same as the title of the Hoben chapter and must be kept till the end. Full stops are numerous and one can use them in order to get one's breath back but it also allows to have an internal rythm of the Sutra, therefore, the text remains intelligible. In the Kyobon, the character " ° " at the end of each Chinese sign corresponds to our full stop. In order to have a correct and articulated punctuation, the rythm must be slow, slower than what we usually hear. The title of the Lotus (what we call the Daïmoku) must be said on the same rythm as the reading of the Sutra. Therefore, this unity confers a harmonious and solemn aspect on the way we chant Gongyo.

 

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