Today I traveled to Hayward and the Nichiren Buddhist International Center for a Tokudo Jukai-shiki cermony, the Attaining the Way and Bestowing the Precept Ceremony for inducting a novice priest. The new novice is Mark Herrick, whom I’ve met several times while attending services in Oakland with Rev. Ryuei McCormick. Ryuei’s Hōkoku-bun Here is a … Continue reading Attaining the Way and Bestowing the Precept Ceremony
See The Cause of My Life I am currently publishing here daily quotes taken from A Buddhist Kaleidoscope: Essays On The Lotus Sutra, an anthology edited by Gene Reeves. My 32 Days of the Lotus Sutra practice is currently using The Threefold Lotus Sutra: A Modern Translation for Contemporary Readers for my afternoon English recitation. … Continue reading Buddhism for Today
The book Two Buddhas Seated Side By Side presents a chapter by chapter look at the Lotus Sutra, with Donald S. Lopez Jr. offering a description and anti-Mahayana commentary on each chapter and Jacqueline I. Stone following with an explanation of how Nichiren used the chapter in Medieval Japan. I’ve found Stone’s contribution excellent and … Continue reading Bodhisattvas from Other Worlds
On Oct. 8, 2019, I received a contact email from Richard, who lives in Sydney, Australia. Richard asked how he might receive a Gohonzon. He said he has been practicing on his own, chanting and reciting the Lotus Sutra. I replied to his contact email, but the email address he provided doesn’t work. So, I’ll … Continue reading How to Receive a Gohonzon
I have not read past the Author’s Introduction for Two Buddhas Seated Side by Side. I’m looking forward to reading this chapter-by-chapter introduction to the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren’s interpretation as part of my 32 Days of the Lotus Sutra. Two Buddhas is written by Jacqueline I. Stone, Emeriti Faculty in the Department of Religion … Continue reading Two Authors Seated Side by Side
Recently I found a stack of old brochures at the Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church. The 28-page 6 inch by 8 inch brochure was produced by Nichiren Order of North America in 1991. You can read the brochure on the church website here. I enjoyed this description of the Odaimoku: According to Nichiren Shonin, the Odaimoku … Continue reading Nichiren Shu Brochure from 1991
“World-Honored One! The bhikṣus, bhikṣunīs, upāsakās or upāsikās who seek, keep, read, recite and copy this Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma in the defiled world in the later five hundred years after [your extinction], if they wish to study and practice this sūtra, should concentrate their minds [on study and practice] … Continue reading With the Encouragement of Universal-Sage Bodhisattva
In Kangyō Hachiman-shō, Remonstration with Bodhisattva Hachiman (Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 257-258), Nichiren writes in part: At the beginning of the Kalpa of Construction, when the world is being created, gods were born with excellent rewards of virtuous acts in previous lives, and men were not evil. Therefore, heavenly beings were shiny … Continue reading Day 7 of 21
I’ve been in Churchville, NY, for a week helping to prepare my wife’s parents’ house to be sold. Today, I took the opportunity to visit Kanjo Grohman’s Ro-Ō Zan Enkyoji Nichiren Buddhist Temple and attend the 9am service. After the service we were discussing tea and the dharma and it occurred to be that understanding … Continue reading Tea and Study in Lewiston, NY
This is a followup to yesterday’s post about The Lotus Sutra: A Biography with a few additional ideas I want to save for later retrieval. On the fate of the 5,000 arrogant monks who walked out in Chapter 2, Expedients, of the Lotus Sūtra: For Zhiyi, and for many readers over the centuries, the Lotus … Continue reading Odds and Ends from The Lotus Sutra: A Biography