Scott Hanthorn attributes his 25 years as an attorney and two years as the New Orelans area coordinator of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism to mantra chanting.

Hanthorn, a practicing attorney, was first introduced to Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism when he was spending his teenage days on the streets of the French Quarter, living similar to what New Orleanians now call gutter punks or street vagabonds. A friend propositioned him to check out the chanting that a group of Nichiren Shoshu practitioners were doing on the
West Bank.

Hanthorn took the offer because he was interested in metaphysics at the time.

“I was studying it since I was 15 years old,” Hanthorn said.

Hanthorn witnessed the group all direct their gaze to a specific area on a scroll held inside a cabinet. Then they started chanting the mantra nam-myoho-renge-kyo, while their fingers held mantra beads that their hands enclosed between their palms.

The purpose of the chanting is to awaken one’s Buddha nature. As a byproduct of this, one’s life rhythm is altered so that they’re in the right place at the right time more and more to attain the things they’re focused on in life.

“I thought they were all insane chanting to a paper in a box,” Hanthorn said.

The group of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism believers invited Hanthorn to study with them after their practice. Then he started to have confidence in their belief.

“The one thing that gave credence to the whole Buddhist practice was the fact that their study topic was called ichinen sanzen, the three thousand realms in a momentary state of existence,” Hanthorn said.

Hanthorn saw similar topics like ichinen sanzen in the Hebrew Kaballah, which was the greatest or highest metaphysical thought he had encountered up until that point in his life. He was intrigued seeing similarities in the mystical aspects of Judaism and Buddhism.

“The other thing that attracted me to the practice that got me to try it was the fact that you didn’t have to believe it on the front end,” Hanthorn said.

He eventually began consistent practice of the Buddhist sect of Nichiren Shoshu for the past 43 years. It involves chanting nam-myoho-renge-kyo, as well as reciting the Gongyo, specific chapters from the Lotus Sutra that Shakyamuni Buddha claimed as his highest teaching.

Nichiren Daishonin was born more than 790 years ago in Japan and is known as the True Buddha of the age we live in. He revealed that chanting nam-myoho-renge-kyo or what’s called the mystic law of cause and effect is the only correct teaching for attaining enlightenment.

According to Hanthorn, Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism came to America with Japanese war brides. American servicemen stationed in Japan married women members of Nichiren Shoshu, and in the 1960s they organized themselves nationally.

During the chanting of the nam-myoho-renge-kyo, one looks at a Gohonzon, the object of worship in Nichiren Shoshu, which is a scroll modeled after Daishonin’s inscription of his enlightened life. Hanthorn said that by deepening one’s faith through practice, they are also engaging in a purification of their senses.

Catherine Wessinger, Professor of Religious Studies, compares the benefits of chanting to meditation.

“You can get the benefit of purifying your mind by just chanting (nam-myoho-renge-kyo)” said Wessinger.

One chants to manifest their Buddha nature and also to achieve things in life. Their life rhythm, or where one is when they’re there, shifts through their practice.

“Naturally occurring incidents seem to flow from this and after so many coincidences you have to say that there’s a direct, statistical significance between you chanting for something and it happening,” Hanthorn said.

Nichiren Shoshou uses the concept of self-directed reformation, which occurs as a result of the practice of the chanting. Professor Wessinger said this is natural because she tells students in her Religions of the World course that all humans desire well-being.

“I think in all religions people participate out of self-interest,” Wessinger said.

The Rev. Edward Vacek, S.J. pointed out that compassion can be without self-interest in religious contexts, as Christians symbolize this idea with Jesus on the cross. Buddhism and Christianity share a concern for the belief in the interconnectedness of all beings, which serves as reason to direct one’s self-interest towards compassion.

“All human beings are interconnected, so human beings are social and have a particular connection that’s more than just belonging to all other creation,” Father Vacek said.

Wessinger said that chanting on the Lotus Sutra for benefits still changes one internally.

“If you purify your mind then it will bring good things to you, but it will also help you be of service to all sentient beings,” Wessinger said.

Hanthorn elaborated on the process of self-reformation.

“You naturally reform yourself; the things that you chant for naturally change as your life condition changes,” Hanthorn said.

As relational beings, our interest spreads for others in understanding Buddhism’s foundation and essence, which is fundamental oneness, according to Hanthorn.

A result of understanding Buddhism’s foundation and the essence of fundamental oneness is one becomes more aware of the causes they are making. As you elevate your life condition, you naturally chant for more altruistic or higher things than pure selfish self-interest like Hanthorn experienced.

“I no longer chant for sex, drugs and rock and roll like I did as a young guy just starting out,” Hanthorn said.

Hanthorn is now preparing for a visit by the Rev. Shingaku Kato, the chief priest at the Nichiren Shoshu Myogyoji Temple in Chicago, which provides for Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism in the New Orleans area. NST.org is where one can find information on the correct, traditional and mainline orthodox teaching of Buddhism as taught by Nichiren Daishonin.

“Because this is such a powerful energy, it is important to avoid counterfeit Gohonzons that might distort your life force,” Hanthorn said. “NST.org is the only true source of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism.”