Some’s Tools for Nichiren Shu Ceremony

The Big Drum (taiko, oodaiko)
Origin: Drums have been used since olden times, maybe first as a means of communication between far away communities. In Buddhism, they are used in rituals and to mark the time. Sometimes the big drum has its own building, the Drum Pavillion (koroo).

Form: The body is like a cylinder, usually made from wood, seldom metal or bamboo. On both sides a piece of leather from an oxen (gyuuhi) is streached and kept in place with wide bolts or with a string for smaller drums (shimedaiko). The leather part is hit on one or both sides with a drumstick (bachi). The body of the drum is usually placed on a wooden stand.

Hand Drum (uchiwadaiko)
This drum is used when chanting a special prayer at the Nichiren Shu, the Daimoku. So this drum is also called Daimoku Daiko. The form resembles a Chinese hand fan, hece the name.

The circular frame is made from wood or bamboo and covered with a piece of leather. The prayer “namu myo ho renge kyo”, a prayer to the Lotus Sutra, is usually written on the leather. One side has a grip and the drum is beaten with a small wooden stick.

Mokugyo, the Fish Gong and some haiku
The Fish Gong is a wooden percussion instrument used by Buddhist monks ordained in the Mahayana tradition. It is used during rituals and ceremonies involving recitation of sutras, mantras, or other Buddhist texts. Small ones are for private use, large ones for use in the temple hall. Mokugyo are also used by lay people for their daily recital of the sutras to help them keep the rythm during chanting.

The Fish Gong is also used by Buddhist students in China, Japan and Korea. Sometimes called : (“Kissing Fish”) .

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