Learning to recite the Sutra – Gongyo
People learn in different ways so our Chief Priest is offering a few options for you to choose from. First, be sure you have a Gongyo (Liturgy of Nichiren Shoshu) book.
If you want to download the files from a desktop, right-click and save the file to your computer. You should be able to do this from a Windows machine or a Mac. When the pop up window appears, use the “Save link as” option. Be sure to remember where you stored the file.
From a smartphone, click on the link of the file you want to download. The file should open to a audio player. On the top or bottom of your screen, depending on your device, you should have the option to “bookmark” the file to your device. You can also email it or message it to yourself.
For purposes of instruction, we divide the book into “A” section (pages 1-4), “B” section (pages 5-22), and “C” section (pages 22-31). The prayers are at the end of the book.
1) If you want to just jump right in and follow along with the Priest reciting the entire book (A-B-C) one time through, you can download the audio file here. If you would like a VERY slow Gongyo (recitation of the sutra), click here.
2) You have another option, “Repeat After Me.” The Priest will teach you how to pronounce each sentence in a “repeat after me” fashion. There are three (3) audio files:
Following along with the Priest when you are learning is the very best way to learn the Sutra pronunciation properly. It is also very important to learn how to chant with others and to follow the pace and rhythm set by the Priest at the Temple. So be sure to visit the Temple often (if you can). This will accelerate your learning immensely.
Finally, please resist the urge to use videos on YouTube of people saying they can teach you how to properly chant the Sutra. Use the authentic source here to learn the proper pronunciation.
