Attended the Matsubagayatsu Persecution Service at the Sacramento Nichiren Church on Sunday. By 11:30 am the temperature outside under the canopies was more than 90 degrees on its way to a forecast high for 101. Cloth masks made it seem even hotter and the fans set around the perimeter failed to cool.

August 27, 1260, just forty-one days after Nichiren Shonin submitted his “Rissho Ankoku-ron” to the Shogunate, a mob set fire to Nichiren’s hermitage in the Matsubagayatsu section of Kamakura. According to legend, a white monkey alerted Nichiren to the danger and led him to safety.

The topic of Rev. Kenjo Igarashi‘s sermon was the power of the Odaimoku and to illustrate this he told the story of man who started attending services in Long Beach where Rev. Igarashi officiates once a month. (Well, not since the pandemic hit, but once a month before then.)

This new guy explained to Rev. Igarashi that he had been chanting the daimoku with SGI for many years and had decided that he might have better luck with Nichiren Shu. Seems he was chanting for a new girlfriend.

The purpose of the Lotus Sutra is to save all livings beings. Chanting the Odaimoku puts oneself in alignment with the sutra. We practice for ourselves but we also practice for others. We don’t practice to get stuff.

The white monkey who saved Nichiren illustrates the power of the Odaimoku, Rev. Igarashi explained. Protective deities watch out for those who chant Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō.

Help in times of trouble: That’s what chanting brings.

New girlfriends: Not so much.