Today’s Sunday service was a nice change from the days of work leading up to and during the annual Fall Food Sale. Everyone had aches and pains.

We had three new people attending. One was a former SGI/Nichiren Shoshu practitioner trading up to Nichiren Shu. She had a friend with her.

And in the very back we had a guy who told me he was “checking out” the service when I greeted him. After the service I wanted to talk with him about his experience but by the time I finished collecting the uchiwa daikos from the ladies in the front and walked to the back where the traditional fan drums are kept, the guy was gone.

The church really needs a brochure for people who wander in. While much of today’s service was in English, the recitation of the portions of the Lotus Sutra and the Odaimoku were not.

The Ven. Kenjo Igarasha offered something of an overview for the guests. One part stuck with me.

Each character of the Odaimoku, he said, is a separate Buddha. Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo. Seven Buddhas. Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. Seven more. Namu-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. Seven more. And seven more. And seven more. And pretty soon we’re talking some serious numbers. I imagined building layers and layers of protective Buddhas as I chant Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. As many as the sands of the River Ganges.