Chanting is somewhat different from conventional Western concepts of prayer. Instead of beseeching some outside force for solutions, the Buddhist musters his or her own inner resources to meet the problems. Chanting can be compared to priming a pump to bring the Buddha nature welling forth from the depths of your life.
When one chants, a vow or determination is being formed. Instead of "I wish such and such would happen" or " Lord give me the stength to make such and such happen", the Buddhist's prayer is more along the lines of "I vow to make the following changes in my life so that such and such will happen."(The Buddha in Your Mirror, p. 51)
SGI members direct their prayer to the Gohonzon, or object of veneration. This is a mandala, a symbolic representation of the ideal state of Buddhahood, or enlightenment, in which all the tendencies and impulses of life--from the most debased to the most noble--function in harmony toward happiness and creativity. The Gohonzon is not an "idol" or "god" to be supplicated or appeased but a means for reflection and a catalyst for inner change.
Daisaku Ikeda has written that the ultimate form of prayer is in fact a vow--a vow to contribute to the happiness of others and the development of human society.
It is this vow and pledge to action that most profoundly attunes our lives to the larger life of the universe and brings forth our highest, most noble "selves."
[Excerpt - January 2001 SGI Quarterly]
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