 To awaken the Buddha within, you have to become the Buddha.
How does one rouse the Buddha nature inside? In the city, it’s a challenge to be centered when stressors of all sorts are in the periphery. Stimuli bombard the senses from every quadrant and even commuting frays the nerves. Driving by Worli naka at peak hours is usually a nightmare. The next time you’re caught in the crossfire, park in one of the lanes and visit the oldest Buddhist temple in the city.
A few paces away from City Bakery, the Nipponzan Myohoji temple has an aura of serenity that is distinct from the heat, colour and aroma of a classic Hindu temple. Interestingly, the roof is architecturally similar to the shikaras or pyramidal roofs of Indian temples. The coolness of the marbled interiors complements the warmth of the sepia-coloured stone façade and endows the temple with a feeling of in-utero tranquility, akin to some of the classic marble Jain temples. Large pillars support the structure through the central hall, bestowing a sense of the unshakeable. Above, the walls are adorned with inspirational paintings that chronicle Gautama Buddha’s life. The sanctum with its stupa-esque domed ceiling is the focal point, where a life-sized marble effigy of the Buddha sits in blissful meditation, adorned with flower offerings of marigold. The marbled altar has vases of artificial flowers and numerous representations of the Buddha.
In the central hall, the marble flooring is covered with cloth mats, where devotees congregate for the morning prayer service. Percussion instruments of all forms are used during the chanting of the mantras. A beautiful, wooden singing bowl with a mallet lies close to the sanctum. One drum that stands out is the gargantuan Japanese Taiko drum, whose skin is nailed to the wooden body with huge nails. The skin is hit during the prayer service with a wooden stick or bachi. There are several, flat, one-dimensional drums that resemble table tennis rackets. The daimoku Nam Myoho Renge Kyo from the Lotus Sūtra is chanted as the drums and gongs are beaten in rhythm.
The history of the Nipponzan Myohoji temple is woven around the life of Japanese monk and messenger of peace Nichidatsu Fujii. He is known for constructing peace pagodas all over the globe. He founded the Nipponzan-MyÂhÂji order of Buddhism and was impressed by the teachings of Nichiren Buddhism, where a prophecy was made that the Lotus Sutra would be preached in India someday. Fujii arrived at Calcutta in January, 1931 and chanted the daimoku whilst beating a drum through the town. He met India’s greatest prophet of peace, Mahatma Gandhi, in 1933. The temple was constructed after a chance meeting on the Ballygunje lake banks in Kolkata, between Fujii and philanthropist Jugal Kishore Birla. The land was acquired and the temple was built in 1952.
The temple welcomes all to soak in its peaceful vibrations and participate in its prayer service.
Karen Menezes
Nipponzan Myohoji Temple
Opposite Podar Hospital, Dr. Annie Besant Road, Worli Naka, Mumbai – 400 018
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