Drove a little more than hour Monday evening to attend the Niagara County Dharma Club meeting at Singer Farm Naturals in Appleton, New York. The Dharma Club is run by Nichiren Shu Shami Kanjo Grohman and his wife, Kristin.

My trip to Upstate New York was made in order to help care for my brother-in-law after a scheduled surgery. When the surgery was postponed it left me with plenty of time to explore the region’s Nichiren Shu sanghas.

The trip to the Dharma Club capped a week of attending activities in Rochester at the Enkyoji Buddhist Temple, which was founded by Nichiren Shu Shami Kanyu Kroll. (The fact that the temple is on the 4th floor of an arts complex in a refurbished factory building only adds to the great atmosphere.)

While I knew of the Buffalo (also served by Shami Kanjo) and Rochester Nichiren Shu sanghas, it was after meeting Kanjo and Kanyu at the Enkyoji Buddhist Network 2017 Summer Retreat at the Choeizan Enkyoji Nichiren Buddhist Temple in Seattle that I was inspired to visit them.

I was particularly interested in the Dharma Club because I feel there is a great need for outreach in the region served by the Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church. Nothing is done now to invite people to learn about Nichiren Shu or Nichiren or even Buddhism in general. Yes, everyone is welcomed with smiling faces and encouragement when they attend, but if they know nothing about what happens at a Nichiren Shu service they will get nothing from the service other than befuddlement.

The Dharma Club meeting was very interesting. The discussion led by Kanjo generated a relaxed discussion. And it was over all too soon.

It had been snowing lightly on the way to the meeting, and by the time to drive home it was blowing hard. I enjoy driving in snow in much the way grandparents enjoy grandchildren: Play with them until they become fussy and then return them to their parents. For me, the hour-long drive home was a nice snowy adventure before flying home to snowless Sacramento.