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3. Namu Myoho Renge Kyo / Homage to Lotus Sutra
4. Nan / South
南無阿彌陀佛 is how to express “The Compassionate Amitabha Buddha” (especially for the Pure Land Buddhist Sect).
Some will translate as “Homage to Amitâbha Buddha” or “I seek refuge in the Amitâbha Buddha.”
This is valid in Chinese characters, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
Sometimes modern Japanese use a different version of the 4th and last Kanji, but the version shown here is the most universal.
This is used to pay homage to Amitabha Buddha.
See Also: Bodhisattva | Buddhism | Nirvana
南無阿弥陀仏 is the modern Japanese version of “Namu Amida Butsu” or “The Compassionate Amitabha Buddha.”
Some will translate this as “I sincerely believe in Amitabha; Lord have mercy on me.”
This phrase especially applies to Japanese Pure Land Buddhists.
There is a universal version using ancient characters (with more strokes) for the 4th and last characters. That version is also used in Chinese, Korean, and occasionally Vietnamese.
This is used to pay homage to Amitabha Buddha.
See Also: Bodhisattva | Buddhism | Nirvana
南無妙法蓮華經 is sometimes translated as the “Devotion to the Law of the Lotus Flower Scripture.”
This is a meditation chant and homage to the Lotus Sutra, used by Nichiren Buddhists in Japan.
This is also a chant used in China by certain sects of Buddhism that celebrate the deity Guanyin.
Also romanized as “Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō” or without accents as “Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.”
The last character was originally written as seen on the left. Sometimes, you will see it written in the Japanese variant form as shown on the right. If you want this Japanese variant, click on the "Modern Japanese Variant" text instead of the button up by the main title of this entry.
南 means south or southern.
In Chinese, this is also a surname that romanizes as Nan.
In Japanese, it can also be the given names Mimi, Minamihama, Minamitate, Minami, Mina, Miumi, Hinata, Nantetsu, or Namuchoru. It can be the Japanese surnames Nanzaki, Nan, Namu, Nami, or Takaminami.
Below are some entries from our dictionary that may match your namu search...
Characters If shown, 2nd row is Simp. Chinese |
Pronunciation Romanization |
Simple Dictionary Definition |
南無三寶 南无三宝 see styles |
nán wú sān bǎo nan2 wu2 san1 bao3 nan wu san pao namu sanbō |
More info & calligraphy: Take Refuge in the Three Treasures |
南無阿弥陀仏 see styles |
namuamidabutsu なむあみだぶつ |
More info & calligraphy: Namu Amida Butsu |
南無觀世音菩薩 南无观世音菩萨 see styles |
nán wú guān shì yīn pú sà nan2 wu2 guan1 shi4 yin1 pu2 sa4 nan wu kuan shih yin p`u sa nan wu kuan shih yin pu sa namu Kanzeon bosatsu |
More info & calligraphy: Namo Guanshiyin Pusa |
ナム see styles |
namu ナム |
(personal name) Nahm |
南無 南无 see styles |
nā mó na1 mo2 na mo namu; namo なむ; なも |
Buddhist salutation or expression of faith (loanword from Sanskrit); Taiwan pr. [na2 mo2] (conj,int) {Buddh} amen; hail; (surname) Namu namaḥ; Pali: namo; to submit oneself to, from to bend, bow to, make obeisance, pay homage to; an expression of submission to command, complete commitment, reverence, devotion, trust for salvation, etc. Also written 南牟; 南謨; 南忙; 那謨 (or 那模 or 那麻); 納莫 (or 納慕); 娜母; 曩莫 (or 曩謨); 捺麻(or捺謨), etc. It is used constantly in liturgy, incantations, etc., especially as in namaḥ Amitābha, which is the formula of faith of the Pure-land sect, representing the believing heart of all beings and Amitābha's power and will to save; repeated in the hour of death it opens the entrance to the Pure Land. |
南牟 see styles |
nán móu nan2 mou2 nan mou namu |
Skt. namas |
念仏 see styles |
nenbutsu ねんぶつ |
(n,vs,vi) (1) {Buddh} (See 南無阿弥陀仏) nembutsu; nianfo; the three-word invocation "Namu Amida Butsu" dedicated to the Amitabha Buddha; (n,vs,vi) (2) {Buddh} visualizing a Buddha (in one's mind); (place-name, surname) Nenbutsu |
菜眸 see styles |
namu なむ |
(female given name) Namu |
南無佛 南无佛 see styles |
nán wú fó nan2 wu2 fo2 nan wu fo namu butsu |
南無三寳 I devote myself entirely to the Buddha, or triratna, or Amitābha, etc. |
南無師 南无师 see styles |
nán wú shī nan2 wu2 shi1 nan wu shih namu shi |
Masters of namaḥ, i.e. Buddhist or Taoist priests and sorcerers. |
奈亜夢 see styles |
naamu / namu なあむ |
(female given name) Naamu |
南無歸依佛 南无归依佛 see styles |
nán mó guī yī fó nan2 mo2 gui1 yi1 fo2 nan mo kuei i fo namu kie butsu |
to the Buddha for refuge I go |
南無歸依僧 南无归依僧 see styles |
nán mó guī yī sēng nan2 mo2 gui1 yi1 seng1 nan mo kuei i seng namu kie sō |
to the saṃgha for refuge I go |
南無歸依法 南无归依法 see styles |
nán mó guī yī fǎ nan2 mo2 gui1 yi1 fa3 nan mo kuei i fa namu kie hō |
to the dharma for refuge I go |
門徒物知らず see styles |
montomonoshirazu もんとものしらず |
(derogatory term) ignorance of Jōdo Shinshū practitioners (who only chant the Namu Amida Butsu and have little knowledge of other parts of Buddhism) |
南無妙法蓮華經 南无妙法莲华经 see styles |
nán wú miào fǎ lián huá jīng nan2 wu2 miao4 fa3 lian2 hua2 jing1 nan wu miao fa lien hua ching namu myōhō renge kyō |
homage to the Lotus Sūtra |
南無大師遍照金剛 南无大师遍照金刚 see styles |
nán wú dà shī biàn zhào jīn gāng nan2 wu2 da4 shi1 bian4 zhao4 jin1 gang1 nan wu ta shih pien chao chin kang namu daishi henshō kongō |
homage to the great master universally illuminating and adamantine one |
The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
Namo Amitabha Buddha | 南無阿彌陀佛 南无阿弥陀佛 | na mu a mi da butsu namuamidabutsu | nā mó ē mí tuó fó na1 mo2 e1 mi2 tuo2 fo2 na mo e mi tuo fo namoemituofo | na mo o mi t`o fo namoomitofo na mo o mi to fo |
Namu Amida Butsu | 南無阿弥陀仏 | namu amida butsu namuamidabutsu | ||
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo Homage to Lotus Sutra | 南無妙法蓮華經 / 南無妙法蓮華経 南无妙法莲华经 | na mu myou hou ren ge kyou namumyouhourengekyou na mu myo ho ren ge kyo | nán wú miào fǎ lián huá jīng nan2 wu2 miao4 fa3 lian2 hua2 jing1 nan wu miao fa lian hua jing nanwumiaofalianhuajing | nan wu miao fa lien hua ching nanwumiaofalienhuaching |
Nan South | 南 | minami / nan | nán / nan2 / nan | |
Take Refuge in the Three Treasures | 南無三寶 南无三宝 | na mu san bou namusanbou na mu san bo | nán mo sān bǎo nan2 mo san1 bao3 nan mo san bao nanmosanbao | nan mo san pao nanmosanpao |
Namu Dai Bosa | 南無大菩薩 南无大菩萨 | namu dai bosa namudaibosa | ||
Namo Guanyin Pusa | 南無觀音菩薩 南无观音菩萨 | namu kannon bosatsu namukannonbosatsu | nán wú guàn yīn pú sà nan2 wu2 guan4 yin1 pu2 sa4 nan wu guan yin pu sa nanwuguanyinpusa | nan wu kuan yin p`u sa nanwukuanyinpusa nan wu kuan yin pu sa |
In some entries above you will see that characters have different versions above and below a line. In these cases, the characters above the line are Traditional Chinese, while the ones below are Simplified Chinese. |
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Professional calligraphers are getting to be hard to find these days.
Instead of drawing characters by hand, the new generation in China merely type roman letters into their computer keyboards and pick the character that they want from a list that pops up.
There is some fear that true Chinese calligraphy may become a lost art in the coming years. Many art institutes in China are now promoting calligraphy programs in hopes of keeping this unique form
of art alive.
Even with the teachings of a top-ranked calligrapher in China, my calligraphy will never be good enough to sell. I will leave that to the experts.
The same calligrapher who gave me those lessons also attracted a crowd of thousands and a TV crew as he created characters over 6-feet high. He happens to be ranked as one of the top 100 calligraphers in all of China. He is also one of very few that would actually attempt such a feat.
Check out my lists of Japanese Kanji Calligraphy Wall Scrolls and Old Korean Hanja Calligraphy Wall Scrolls.
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