Silver Lining to Terrible Year

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 I relished the extra hour of sleep delivered with the end of Daylight Savings and then did morning Gonyo. After my morning tea and news update (I am, after all, a retired newspaper editor) I joined Rev. Shoda Kanai and 10 others for the Nichiren Buddhist Kannon Temple of Nevada kito blessing service.

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Rev. Shoda Kanai

Not certain how efficacious a Zoom purification ceremony is, but I enjoy the intent.

After another tea break and an online game of Go (I won), I joined Rev. Ryuei McCormick and Shami Ryugan Herrick and the Nichiren Shu Buddhist Sangha of the San Francisco Bay Area. More than 20 people from around the world were on the call.

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This slide from Shami Herrick’s presentation offers an Origin Story of the Daimoku:

When the Buddha realized Awakening he praised the Saddharma or Wonderful Dharma and Brahma came and congratulated him saying that this was what all Buddhas did. This is “Namu Myoho.” Brahma said to him, “Great Master, you must teach the people so they too may be Free.” The Buddha looked across the world and saw all the many beings, great and small, strong and weak, smart and dull and observed that they are all like beautiful Lotus Flowers growing in the muddy pond in various states of blooming. And so the Buddha agreed to teach – this is “Renge Kyo.” He vowed, I will teach this Wonderful Dharma, the Way Things Are, the Path to Freedom from Suffering. This shall be known as the Teaching of the Blossoming Lotuses of the Wonderful Dharma.

Dharma Talk Video

Now it’s time to do my evening service and 32 Days of the Lotus Sutra blog post and retire to an evening of leisure.