The Lion’s Roar: Sacred Sound and the Sambhogakāya

All things begin in sound. From the great silence of śunyata, the boundless womb of potentiality, vibration arises as the first tremor of manifestation. The universe itself can be heard before it can be seen. In many traditions this is expressed with a single phrase: “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1). The Word, or Logos, is not a literal syllable but the primal resonance, the first arising of form from emptiness. In Buddhist teaching, this is the dynamism of dependent origination shimmering within the vastness of emptiness, what Tiantai calls the Middle Truth where emptiness and provisional existence are not opposed but unified. Silence and sound are not two but one: silence as the unconditioned source, sound as its generative unfolding. Together they reveal that all things are vibration, all phenomena resound as Dharma.

No where is this truth more profound and compelling than how all the world’s religions and wisdom traditions have used the metaphor of the lion’s roar. When a lion roars, the forest falls silent. Every creature, great and small, pauses to listen, their hearts pounding with awe or fear… In the Buddhist tradition, this image became the most powerful metaphor for the fearless proclamation of truth: the lion’s roar (simhanada). In the earliest discourses, the Buddha compared his teaching to this roar, explaining that just as a lion terrifies all other beasts, so too does the Dharma silence all rival doctrines. In the Sihanada Suttas and the Samyutta Nikaya, we hear of elephants bursting their bonds and creatures fleeing at the sound of the lion. Later, the Lotus Sutra deepens this metaphor, showing bodhisattvas roaring in the presence of the Buddha as a vow of devotion, and Nichiren goes further still, declaring that Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō itself is the lion’s roar that defeats sickness and delusion. To see this lineage clearly, we can turn to the primary texts:

Table 1: The Lion’s Roar in Buddhist Sources

Source	Quotation	Chicago-style Citation
Pāli Canon – SN 22.78 (Sīhanāda Sutta)	“When the lion, the king of beasts, comes forth from his den… and utters three times his lion’s roar, then whatever animals hear the sound are for the most part filled with fear, a sense of urgency, and terror… even royal bull elephants burst their bonds, urinate and defecate, and flee here and there.”	Bodhi, Bhikkhu, trans. The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Samyutta Nikāya. 2 vols. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2000, II:908.
Editorial Commentary – Ñāṇamoli, intro to MN 11	“When the lion steps forth from his den and sounds his roar, all the other animals stop and listen. On such an occasion none dares even to sound its own cry, let alone challenge the fearless, unsurpassable roar of the golden-maned king of beasts.”	Ñāṇamoli, Bhikkhu. “The Shorter Discourse on the Lion’s Roar (Cūḷasīhanāda Sutta).” In The Lion’s Roar, Wheel Publication No. 390/391. Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1992, 1.
Lotus Sutra – Ch. 11 “Emergence of the Treasure Tower”	“This Many Treasures Buddha… because of his great vow roars the lion’s roar.”	Watson, Burton, trans. The Lotus Sutra. New York: Columbia University Press, 1993, 114–115.
Lotus Sutra – Ch. 13 “Encouraging Devotion”	“The bodhisattvas… proceeded in the presence of the Buddha to roar the lion’s roar and to make a vow.”	Watson, The Lotus Sutra, 123.
Lotus Sutra – Ch. 15 “Emerging from the Earth”	“[The Buddha’s] wisdom has the power of the lion’s ferocity.”	Watson, The Lotus Sutra, 179.
Nāgārjuna – Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra (Da zhidu lun, T1509)	“He roars the lion’s roar, turns the wondrous Dharma wheel; in all worlds it is most noble, supreme.”	Nāgārjuna. Da zhidu lun [Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra]. T no. 1509, 25:58b28, Taishō Shinshū Daizōkyō. Tokyo: Taishō Issaikyō Kankōkai, 1924–1932.
Zhiyi – Mohe zhiguan	“Only then can one decisively determine true and false — the lion’s roar.”	Zhiyi. Mohe zhiguan. T no. 1911, 46:9c24–10a. Taishō Shinshū Daizōkyō.
Zhiyi – Mohe zhiguan opening	“Its nature is vast… the great lion’s roar… therefore it is called ‘great.’”	Zhiyi, Mohe zhiguan, T no. 1911, 46:1c–2a.
Saichō – Hokke shūku	“The great lion’s roar — a parable that jackals cannot match.”)	Saichō Hokke shūku. In Tendaishū zensho, vol. 2. Tokyo: Daiichi Shobō, 1926, 134.
Nichiren – “Reply to Kyō’ō”	“Namu-myōhō-renge-kyō is like the roar of a lion. What sickness can therefore be an obstacle?”	Nichiren. “Reply to Kyō’ō.” In The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1. Trans. Gosho Translation Committee. Tokyo: Soka Gakkai, 1999, 412.
Nichiren – “The Pure and Far-Reaching Voice”	“The Buddha’s preaching of the Law is called the lion’s roar, and the Lotus Sutra is the foremost roar of the lion.”	Nichiren. “The Pure and Far-Reaching Voice.” In The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1. Tokyo: Soka Gakkai, 1999, 330.
Nichiren – Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings (Ongi kuden)	“The lion’s roar (shishi ku) is the preaching of the Buddha… the preaching of Namu-myōhō-renge-kyō in particular.”	Nichiren. The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings. Trans. Burton Watson. Tokyo: Soka Gakkai, 2004, 111.

The lion’s roar is not limited to Buddhism. In the Hebrew Bible, the prophet Amos says, “The lion has roared—who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken—who can but prophesy?” Hosea speaks of God’s roar as summoning children home, while Revelation calls Christ the Lion of Judah. In Hinduism, the man-lion incarnation Narasimha roars with such force that the cosmos trembles and demons scatter. Islam honors ʿAlī as the Lion of God, fearless defender of truth, while Sikhism gave every Khalsa man the name Singh, lion, to embody courage and sovereignty. Across traditions, the roar is the sound of authority, truth, and divine presence.

Table 2: The Lion’s Roar Across World Religions

Tradition / Text	Quotation / Reference	Chicago-style Citation
Judaism / Christianity – Amos 3:8	“The lion has roared—who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken—who can but prophesy?”	The Holy Bible, NRSV. Amos 3:8.
Judaism / Christianity – Hosea 11:10	“They will follow the LORD; he will roar like a lion; when he roars, his children shall come trembling from the west.”	The Holy Bible, NRSV. Hosea 11:10.
Christianity – Revelation 5:5 (Lion of Judah)	“See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed.”	The Holy Bible, NRSV. Revelation 5:5.
Christianity – Genesis 49:9	“Judah is a lion’s whelp… who dares rouse him up?”	The Holy Bible, NRSV. Genesis 49:9.
Christianity – 1 Peter 5:8	“Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”	The Holy Bible, NRSV. 1 Peter 5:8.
Hinduism – Bhāgavata Purāṇa 7.8 (Narasimha)	The man-lion incarnation of Viṣṇu appears, “roaring with anger,” shaking the worlds and subduing evil.	Bhāgavata Purāṇa 7.8. Trans. J.L. Shastri. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1990.
Islam – Epithet of ʿAlī	ʿAlī honored as “Asadullāh” (Lion of God), emblematic of fearless defense of truth.	Momen, Moojan. An Introduction to Shi‘i Islam. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1985, 30.
Sikhism – Khalsa identity	Guru Gobind Singh mandated the name “Singh” (lion) for male initiates, symbolizing courage and dignity.	McLeod, W.H. The Sikhs: History, Religion, and Society. New York: Columbia University Press, 1989, 49.

Indigenous traditions echo this same current. The Tibetan Snow Lion’s roar represents emptiness, joy, and truth so fierce it can topple dragons from the sky. The Rig-Veda speaks of thunder as the roar of lions, while in the Andes, mythic felines roar as thunder and rain, ordering the cosmos. In Africa, tales explain how lions first learned to roar, and in Sri Lankan folklore, jackals are mocked for failing to imitate the lion’s authentic sound. In Native American traditions, the Hopi and Zuni honor Toho, the mountain-lion kachina, guardian of hunters and protector of the people, while the Great Lakes tribes tell of underwater panthers whose roaring and hissing fill the stormy sky. Each of these roars carries the same signature: a vibration that cannot be ignored, a sound that binds nature, people, and spirits together in awe.

Table 3: The Lion’s Roar in Indigenous and Ancient Wisdom Traditions

Culture / Tradition	Metaphor / Reference	Citation
Ancient Egypt	Lions (e.g., Sekhmet, Maahes, Bast) as divine protectors with commanding presence and authority.	“Cultural depictions of lions.” Wikipedia, accessed Sept 2025.
Tibetan (Snow Lion)	Snow Lion’s roar embodies emptiness, courage, truth; myth says one roar could cause seven dragons to fall.	“Snow Lion.” Wikipedia, accessed Sept 2025.
Vedic / Rig‑Vedic	Thunder and Maruts described with “lion-like roars” (simha iva nanda), symbol of divine power.	Wisdomlib.org, entry “Lion-like roar,” accessed Sept 2025.
Inca / Andean	Deity Qhoa: feline roar as thunder, stream of rain, hail—the cosmic roar shaping weather and order.	“Inca mythology.” Wikipedia; ESJ Journal article on Andean cosmology, accessed Sept 2025.
Indigenous Africa (Zambia)	Folktale: lions originally silent, only growling to cubs—origin of roaring as significant act.	“Cultural depictions of lions.” Wikipedia, accessed Sept 2025.
South Asian Folk‑Tales (Sri Lanka)	Lion’s roar symbolizes authentic dominance; jackals cannot imitate it convincingly.	Earthstoriez.com; Wisdomlib.org entries, accessed Sept 2025.
Native American – Hopi / Zuni (Toho)	Toho, the mountain‑lion kachina: guardian of the north, guiding hunters, protector spirit.	“Toho (kachina).” Wikipedia, accessed Sept 2025.
Native American – Zuni Fetishes	Mountain‑lion fetishes embody the roar’s power in spiritual and protective contexts.	“Zuni fetishes.” Wikipedia, accessed Sept 2025.
Native American – Great Lakes Tribes	Mythic underwater panthers roar or hiss in storms, embodying water‑spirit power.	“Underwater panther.” Wikipedia, accessed Sept 2025.

This universal pattern of the lion's roar across traditions points toward a profound truth: that certain sounds, certain vibrations, carry the capacity to awaken what is deepest in human consciousness. Yet among all these expressions, the Buddhist understanding offers something unique, not just the metaphor of the roar, but the actual practice of embodying it through sacred sound. While other traditions speak of God's roar or the lion's divine authority, Buddhism, particularly in its Japanese development through Nichiren, transforms the metaphor into method. Here, the lion's roar becomes not something we hear from outside ourselves, but something we voice from within. The chanting of Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō represents the culmination of this universal insight: the recognition that we ourselves can become the lion, that the Dharma's roar can resound through our own vocal cords, our own breath, our own awakening bodies. What began as metaphor in the earliest suttas becomes lived reality in the practice hall.

The lion’s roar, then, is not confined to scripture or culture. It is universal: the sound of the cosmos proclaiming itself. From the Buddha’s sermons to the prophets’ cries, from Narasimha’s terrifying roar to the Hopi kachinas, it always signifies the same thing—truth proclaimed so powerfully that nothing can withstand it. In our time, this roar is ours to embody. When we sit to meditate, when we chant the Daimoku, we let the vibration of Dharma resound through our bodies and into the world. The forest falls silent, the storms pause, and all beings listen.

Now is the time to roar together. Chant Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō, let its resonance fill your chest, and feel the Sambhogakaya’s vibration ripple outward. The lion’s roar is not somewhere else—it is already within you, waiting to resound.