PRAYER'S BEFORE EATING

Question:

Does Nichiren Shu say any prayers, such as a bracha in Judaism or a blessing in Christianity, before eating?

Answer:

Yes, in fact we do we do. As we believe that it is very important as a Buddhist to feel appreciation for everyone and everything around us, we do indeed have our own type of prayer that we receite before eating meals. We recite either the prayer below called Jikiho or else we simply put our hands together in prayer form (Gassho) and chant the Odaimoku of Namu Myoho Renge Kyo three times and then say Itadakimasu before eating. Itadakimasu is a Japanese word that means, "we receive". Instead of a simple "dig in!" or "enjoy your meal", we prefer to show to show our appreciation for the food we are about to recieve and chant the Odaimoku. Afterall, thanks to this food which gives us nourishment, our life is sustained, which allows us to enjoy life. After finishing a meal, we then put our hands together once again in prayer form, and chant the Odaimoku three more times, and say Gochiso-sama deshita (thank you for our meal). the fuller version of the prayer is as follows, first in Japanese, followed by a transliteration into Roman letters, and finally a translation of the prayer.

Jikiho

Transliteration [ Japaness ]:

Before Meals:
Ten no sankou ni mi wo atatame, chi no gokoku ni tamashii wo yashinau. Mina kore Honbutsu no jihi nari. Tatoe itteki no mizu, hitotsubu no kome mo kudoku to kouku ni yorazaru koto nashi. Warera kore ni yotte shinmi no kenkou ni mattou shi, Busso no oshie wo mamotte shion ni housha shi, houshi no jougyou wo tasseshimetamae. Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. Itadakimasu.

After Meals:
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. Gochiso-sama deshita.

Translation [ English ]:

Before Meals:
The rays of the sun, moon and stars which nourish our bodies, and the five grains of the earth which nurture our spirits are all the gifts of the Eternal Buddha. Even a drop of water or a grain of rice is nothing but the result of meritous work and hard labour. May this meal help us to maintain the health in body and mind, and to uphold the teachings of the Buddha to repay the Four Favours, and to perform the pure conduct of serving others. Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. Itadakimasu.

After Meals:
Chant the Odaimoku three times, and say: Gochiso-sama deshita.


source : http://www6.ocn.ne.jp/~nichiren/Jikiho.htm