In a fabulous HBO concert in South Africa that is floating around on “You Tube” the famous Soul Singer Whitney Houston says; to hear “I got a little story to tell you, an English man by the name of John Newton a slave trader one day while walking down the streets of London he passed by a house of Worship and stopped people singing the Lord's praises from this moment on it changed his life, so shortly afterwards he took his vow and became a Priest and known for his hymn writing and his most famous hymn goes like this” and Whitney Houston begins to sing Amazing Grace and the crowd goes hysterical some even crying.

Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism is a religion that teaches one to deals with phenomena from the standpoint of our inherent Buddha's wisdom or an “Enlighten life Condition” that we all inherently posse and we use our Buddha's wisdom and Buddhist practice to move away concepts of looking outside of ourselves to be saved by what the Christian teach as “Grace.” Buddhist view all phenomena in terms of a law.

Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism teaches that by Chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo to the Gohonzon (True Object of Worship) we fuse our life with that of the True Buddha and we bring out our Buddha nature or our highest life condition called enlightenment.

Let us look at the life of John Newton and see if some phenomena or a God suddenly inspired him to write this song. John Newton became a Christian on March 21, 1748 and after he became a Christian he became Captain of a slave ship. He made three voyages and it was only after a stroke that he got out of the Slave trade. The Gosho (Buddhist Bible) reads only Buddhas know the “True Entity of all phenomena.” Newton expressed his regrets about his part in the slave trade only in 1780 32 years after becoming a Christian. Newton settled down because of his wife and because he had a stroke. I am afraid to report that there was no such thing as “Amazing Grace” if we look at the true facts about John Newton's life. Multi-Grammy award winner and superstar Whitney Houston and many others are perpetrating a myth about John Newton and Amazing Grace panders to the emotions of those uninformed about the true facts. The way that Christians commonly teach the story about how John Newton found faith is a myth. John Newton's Hymn Amazing Grace was only one of many Hymns that was embellished into a song that leads one to believe that he mystically reached a spiritual plateau called Grace even the name of the Hymn came later to be called Amazing Grace.

The first Stanza to this song can be easily morphed and transferred to an enlighten Buddhist teachings depending on one's level of faith and life condition. In Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism we chant the words Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is truly an Amazing Grace. The word Amazing is defined as an adjective 1. Causing amazement so extraordinary or wonderful, as to be barely believable or to cause extreme surprise. 2. Outstanding, outstanding good, skillful or admirable

The word Grace is a noun which means 1. Elegance, beauty and smoothness or form or movement 2. Politeness dignified, polite and decent behavior 3. Generosity of spirit a capacity to tolerate accommodate or forgive people. 4. Prayer at mealtimes a short prayer or thanks to God before or sometimes after a meal 5. Same as grace period finance 6. Pleasing quality and admirable quality or Characteristic 7. Gift of God to humankind in Christianity, the infinite love, mercy, favor and goodwill shown to human kind by God. 8. Freedom from sin

Let us review some of the words John Newton's famous Song: “Amazing Grace.”

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.
Amazing Grace from the standpoint of the Christian religion refers to a grace bestowed by an omnipotent and omnipresent power. Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism teaches about the universal law of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo in simple terms it means devotion or dedication to the Mystic Law of Cause and Effect Teachings. The one thing that is omnipotent and omnipresent is the law of Cause and Effect or Nam Myoho Renge kyo the ultimate law of the Universe. When one hears the Universal law or the Sound of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo this awakens our “Buddha Nature” that is inherent in all beings. Our Buddha nature is our highest “Life condition” that brings us Wisdom, Good Fortune and Happiness.

Whether it is Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin or Whiney Phillips or any of the Worlds greatest singers humming out a verse of Amazing Grace non of this could ever compare to the power of Chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo to a Gohonzon or (True Object of Worship). Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is truly a sweet sound, that saved a wretch like me, I was once lost but now found was blind, but now, I see.