Had a full Sunday today. After my personal morning service, I attended the Nichiren Buddhist Kannon Temple of Nevada Shodaigyo service offered via Zoom by Rev. Shoda Kanai. After a brief break it was back on Zoom for the Nichiren Buddhist Sangha of the San Francisco Bay Area weekly service. Bay Area Nichiren Buddhist Sangha … Continue reading Spending the Merit of Chanting Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō
I started attending Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church services in January 2015. Every New Year after that – 2016 through 2020 – I attended the services held to usher out the old year – Joya (End of Year) Service – and bring in the new – Shinnen (New Year) Service. At the Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church … Continue reading Hoping for a Happier New Year
Traditionally I clean my altar on the last day of the year in preparation for the New Year. Never before have I looked forward to the end of a year as I do 2020. While I’m here I figure I should clean out my blog to-do list. Following an online service back on December 6 … Continue reading Bye Bye, 2020
There is very, very little that you can say about 2020 that is not depressing, beginning with the loss of Ryusho Shonin. But in this world of COVID-19 and all that the pandemic has turned upside down, the expansion of the online Sangha of Nichiren Shu followers is at silver lining worth cherishing. This morning … Continue reading Silver Lining to Terrible Year
Back on Oct. 8, 2020, I started enumerating the 10 Merits listed in the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings. I confess that I began this sequence to make my monthly posts regarding the opening sutra easier. Now I know the topic of my posts for the next nine months. But the inadequacy of this was underscored … Continue reading Levels of Understanding and Meaning
Why do you suppose it is that suddenly something you thought was familiar becomes remarkable? Take this snippet from a letter written by Nichiren in 1277 at Minobu: A singing bird in a cage attracts uncaged birds, and the sight of these uncaged birds will make the caged bird want to be free. Likewise, the … Continue reading Laying Down the Banner of Arrogance, Casting Away the Club of Prejudice
Yesterday I completed the third week of the Enkyoji Buddhist Network’s online classes. This week dealt with Shodaigyo, the Nichiren Shu alternative to the traditional sutra chanting service. Shodaigyo eschews shindoku and instead combines seated meditation and chanting Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō. The simplicity of this format makes it an excellent vehicle for introducing the … Continue reading Perfecting Shodaigyo Practice
Today I participated in another of the Enkyoji Buddhist Network’s online classes. This one dealt with the Four Noble Truths. The assignment prior to today’s Zoom class was straightforward: Please take a critical look at basic translations of the Four Noble Truths you find online and compare them. Informed by your own faith and practice, … Continue reading Reviewing the Four Noble Truths
Yesterday I posted about Ryusho Kansho Jeffus Shonin’s memorial services. I had wanted to include the program from the sangha memorial but had misplaced my copy. Davie Endo Byden-Oakes has sent me another copy and so I have an opportunity to include it now. Davie opened with these prepared remarks: Hello everyone and thank you … Continue reading Service d’aurevoir à Ryusho Kansho Jeffus Shonin
Yesterday, I summarized Rev. Kenjo Igarashi’s sermon in which he told the tale of an SGI member who sought to switch to Nichiren Shu in the hope of having better success chanting for a new girlfriend. I could relate to the guy. I spent roughly 26 years believing that the purpose of chanting daimoku was … Continue reading Why I Chant