There is a moment from "The Last Temptation of Homer" that I probably should have taken into account when I covered the episode last month. This is the moment where Homer, realising that his requited attraction to Mindy is on the brink of dragging them down a very dangerous direction, has composed a carefully-constructed message for Mindy on the palm of his hand, suggesting that from now on they attempt to stay well away from one another. But obviously kismet isn't having that. Homer gets so nervous around Mindy that, in his own words, he ends up sweating like Roger Ebert (did he have a reputation for perspiring a lot? I guess he must have), causing the ink to smudge and rendering his missive illegible. Homer soldiers on regardless, hoping to still eke some sense out of the dissipating letters, but ends up spewing out a mouthful of mostly unintelligible nonsense. At one point, however, Homer produces the words, "Nam Myoho Renge Kyo". Well, what are the odds?
Is it by sheer fluke that Homer happens to recite the central mantra of Nichiren Buddhism, or is he revealing some deep hidden layers within his own psyche (albeit almost certainly on a subconscious level)? Colonel Klink might have forsaken Homer, but it seems that his own internal Buddha hasn't.
"Nam Myoho Renge Kyo", which, translates roughly to "Dedication to The Mystic Law of The Lotus Sutra", is a chant espoused by the 13th century Buddhist monk Nichiren, its purpose being to evoke the chanter's own oneness with the universal law of life that governs everything in existence. Nichiren's teachings were based on the (at the time, fairly radical) idea that the Buddha, or awakened one, and the ordinary deluded human are a part of this oneness, and therefore the ordinary person has it within them to attain the wisdom and enlightenment of the Buddha and apply it to any given situation. This differs from other schools of Buddhism, which teach that Buddhahood must be accumulated over multiple lifetimes; by contrast, Nichiren teaches that all humans are capable of reaching their peak in the here and now, if they are able to unlock that capability. Central to Nichiren's mantra is the metaphor of the lotus flower (or "renge"), which blooms and bears fruit at the same time, thus signifying the "simultaneity of cause and effect" - that is, the practice applied in order to attain the enlightenment of the Buddha, and the actual attaining of that enlightenment. The lotus symbolises this fundamental oneness. In addition, the lotus flower's ability to bloom in muddy waters is a reminder that wisdom and enlightenment can be achieved even amid the swamp of human misery and attachment.
Followers of Nichiren Buddhism use the mantra "Nam Myoho Renge Kyo" as a means of overcoming adversity, so it seems only appropriate that Homer would be compelled to recite it right at the point where his marriage is facing its greatest ever crisis. As his own physical form fails him, and engulfs his prepared method of defence in an Ebert-esque deluge of sweat, Homer cries out in an effort to align himself with the fundamental law of the universe and to attain the enlightenment to see his way through the problem. Paradoxically, the fundamental energy he hopes to tap into comes from a universe itself in a terminal state of disarray; the universe not only feels the full extent of Homer's crisis, but is compelled to exacerbate it, putting everything into place so that Homer and Mindy will ultimately have no choice but to give in to their throbbing biological urges. This is because the destiny underpinning Homer and Mindy's impending coupling is undeniable, thus undermining the fundamental nexus of the Simpsons universe - the union between Marge and Homer, and the Simpsons' basic inseparability as a family unit. Realising that the very basis for its being was founded on a gargantuan error, the universe is in the process of winding down, hoping to redress this mistake and sweep itself quietly under the rug. The haphazardness of the universe is something that Homer must slowly come to terms with over the course of the episode - initially, he takes Barney's advice and attempts to reassure himself that his infatuation with Mindy is based solely on physical attraction, but quickly discovers that he and Mindy are soulmates to an almost uncanny extreme. Later, Angel-Klink appears to Homer in a vision, ostensibly to show him that the current state of affairs is the only way that things could be, but in actuality Klink ends up confirming Homer's darkest suspicions, by revealing that if Homer had married Mindy instead of Marge, then things would be immeasurably better for all three parties. In other words, the here and now is a grotesque aberration. Thus, Homer's chant of "Nam Myoho Renge Kyo" is a shriek of desperation amid an existence that seems increasingly incapable of justifying itself.
But Homer does more than simply wail out in anguish. By chanting this mantra, he is, in effect, expressing his allegiance to the here and now. The metaphor of the lotus flower is an assertion that he is complete as he is and has the ability to reach his full potential within this lifetime. The universe he is stuck with may be a malodorous swamp, founded on a series of accidents and filled with all kinds of unpalatable detail, but lotus flowers may bloom atop it just the same, and Homer's subconscious acknowledgement as such foreshadows his willingness to embrace the messy imperfections of the life that is. What could have been or should have been becomes irrelevant, as Homer express his oneness with the Homer he intrinsically is, under any and all possible circumstances. Fueling Homer's adherence is the unconscious understanding that the universe remains bound by the same fundamental energy, regardless of whether things went according to plan or not, and the accidental existence is every bit as valuable as the predetermined. Homer's awakening to this, and to the realisation that want he truly wants, more than anything, is to continue his present life with Marge, is what finally brings stability to the cosmos and enables the world around to settle. The Simpsons universe survives, then, by upholding its fundamental oneness with Homer.
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