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Line Gauthier | + Follow Poet |

Notes About The Poem

~ my heart is in this piece ~

FYI - 'nam myoho renge kyo' is a chant expressing determination to embrace
and manifest our Buddha nature (Tina Turner was a devout practitioner)

Borrowed Bits of Spirituality

Listen to poem:

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
The chant of purity
The cleansing my soul
The freeing my heart

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
I light a candle for an offering
And bow my head in prayer

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
I strike another match
Light the stick of incense in my hand
And take one deep breath

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Most often though I prefer to burn some sage
And imitate my native ancestors
By cleansing body heart and soul

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Life is at its utmost best
When I close my eyes and hover
Midway between heaven and earth
Leaving behind a mundane world

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
The final words I want to utter
As life departs my lips



AP: 1st place 2025, 3rd place 2025, Honorable Mention 2023, Honorable Mention 2020

Submitted on  April 23, 2020 for contest A POEM HONORING SPIRITUALITY sponsored by CAREN KRUTSINGER  -  RANKED 1ST

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Greg Gaul

Date: 5/7/2020 3:47:00 PM

A Buddhist phrase is such a powerful notion and it expresses the breadth of your spirituality. Thank you for professing it so in this poem, lovely as it is. Well deserved high placement. Honored to be along side you on this one.

Line Gauthier
Date: 5/7/2020 8:11:00 PM

Thanks for your lovely comment, Greg.

L. J. Carber

Date: 5/7/2020 12:30:00 PM

Congrats Line on your win--curious what language the phrase is in--Thai maybe?

Line Gauthier
Date: 5/7/2020 8:13:00 PM

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is a phrase generally attributed to a 13th century Japanese Buddhist monk called Nichiren.

John Watt

Date: 5/7/2020 10:08:00 AM

Line, thank you for giving us this insight into your spiritual nature. Very peaceful and meditative. Cleansing of soul and freeing of heart. Beautiful.

Line Gauthier
Date: 5/7/2020 8:14:00 PM

Thank you so much, John. Most appreciated.

Gershon Wolf

Date: 2/27/2018 12:09:00 PM

Wow! Powerful! Shades of Hamlet, chancing upon his father-in-law in prayer, so he could not kill him then,...or the ten martyrs of the Roman destruction of Israel/The Holy Temple, who went to their deaths with "Sh'ma Yisroel" on their lips: Hear, O Israel, The Lord Our God, The Lord is One. Ommmmmmmm, from Alan Ginsberg. Bravo, Line! :) Gershon

Line Gauthier
Date: 2/27/2018 6:48:00 PM

O Gershon, you crack me up. Yes this is exactly what I had in mind when I wrote this poem. LOL! Thank you for your wonderful visit and comment.