I first learned of Kishio Satomi’s book on Nichirenism from Bruno Petzold’s book, Buddhist Prophet Nichiren–A Lotus In The Sun. Petzold, a Tendai monk, disparaged Daimoku chanting, especially the idea that it can somehow hypnotize the chanter. [W]hile adherents of Hinayāna and ancient Mahāyāna Schools refute any association of hypnotism with their meditation, Nichiren scholars state … Continue reading Five Reasons for Chanting Daimoku
In Chapter 21, The Supernatural Powers of the Tathāgatas, we are told: “To sum up, all the teachings of the Tathāgata, all the unhindered, supernatural powers of the Tathāgata, all the treasury of the hidden core of the Tathāgata, and all the profound achievements of the Tathāgata are revealed and expounded explicitly in this sūtra. … Continue reading 800 Years: Supernatural Powers of the Daimoku
Finally set aside some time to do Odaimoku Shakyo. I have been anxious to do this since I received a copy of Rev. Shoda Kanai’s instructions, which were distributed in advance of the Nichiren Buddhist Kannon Temple of Nevada Shakyo Odaimoku Tracing service on June 27. Not only do the instructions include all of the … Continue reading Odaimoku Shakyo Practice
Finally, after more than a year, Rev. Kenjo Igarashi ventured into the congregation of the Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church to give his monthly Kito Blessing. During the pandemic Rev. Igarashi had to provide the purification blessing remotely from the altar stage without moving about the congregation. Rev. Igarashi said afterward during his sermon that this … Continue reading The Bow of the Lotus Sutra and the Arrow of the Daimoku
In cleaning up my desk, I found a photocopy of a translation of an article in the Nichiren Shu Shinbun No. 2373 published on Sept. 1, 2019. The article was written by Rev. Shincho Mochizuki, Ph.D., Professor, Minobusan University, and translated into English by Rev. Keiji Oshima. Here’s the text of the article without the … Continue reading The Merit of 10,000 Odaimoku
Attended the Matsubagayatsu Persecution Service at the Sacramento Nichiren Church on Sunday. By 11:30 am the temperature outside under the canopies was more than 90 degrees on its way to a forecast high for 101. Cloth masks made it seem even hotter and the fans set around the perimeter failed to cool. August 27, 1260, … Continue reading The Power of the Odaimoku
Today I attended Rev. Shoda Kanai’s online Shodaigyo practice at the Nichiren Buddhist Kannon Temple of Nevada. A special treat today was the incorporation of Reidan hand gestures during the Daimoku chanting. I enjoyed the service and the sermon. I failed miserably at the hand gestures. I’m just terrible at that sort of thing. However, … Continue reading Reidan Daimoku Hand Gestures
During my recent hour-long walking meditations, I’ve been pondering how to describe the role of the Daimoku in Buddhist practice. Similes – comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid – seem the best bet. Consider The Simile of the Magnifying Glass Let’s … Continue reading Daimoku Similes
Today was the monthly Kaji Kito purification service at the Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church. Ven. Kenjo Igarashi discussed his sadness at the passing of an old friend as the thread running through his sermon. When Rev. Igarashi graduated from college in Japan he and his friend Taikyo Nakamura were assigned to the Los Angeles Nichiren … Continue reading Climbing Out of Hell With the Rope of Daimoku
I’ve been having fun applying AI tools to my Buddhist exploration. There’s been “A Little AI Magic” and last year’s “Compare and Contrast Tendai Teachings and Nichiren Doctrine” and even back in 2020, AI and Buddhism. Today I ran across the ZD Net article Google’s hidden AI tool turns your text into stunningly lifelike … Continue reading An Artificial Discussion of the Innumerable Meanings Sutra