Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

[Jainarayan]

Originally Posted by Engyo

In general, an Omandala (gohonzon) is bestowed on a person after they have practiced for a period of time and made the decision to join and commit to the practice.

Did not know that. Though I found this, do not know how accurate it is... Gohonzon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Generically used, gohonzon can refer to any such object of devotion, whether a statue or set of statues, a painted scroll of some sort, or some other object

He has statues and printed images of Quan Yin and the Buddha.

There are Omandalas for sale, both from vendors and on eBay, but in my tradition at least they would not be consecrated until after that initial period. We would normally bestow an Ofuda (temporary mandala or amulet) on a person just beginning their practice, until they had enough experience to make a decision to commit to it fully. Then they woud be bestowed an Omandala at that time.

I don't know how serious he is about a commitment and full conversion. At this point I think he is feeling the need to look outside of the RC church for additional spiritual guidance. He also has Catholic saints' statues. I'm not sure if he's conflicted and unsure, or unknowledgeable (I don't want to use the word ignorant).

I feel one should not tread into a spiritual belief system lightly. For example, it annoys me when people pick up a small statue of the Buddha or Lord Ganesha as good luck charms to put on top of the dresser, tv or bookshelf.

Here is a link to the website for the Nichiren Buddhist International Center in Hayward, CA. This will give you some ideas, as well as contact info for our various temples in North America. We also have an online bookstore there.

Thanks... I will check it out.

In regard to the Lotus Sutra, there are a number of different translations into english. Some of them are more difficult to read than others; some of them are harder to find than others. I think I have a copy at home of every one except the Kern version from the late 1800s. That one (and several others) are available online, but the Kern was translated directly from the Sanskrit version of the Sutra. All of the other english translations I am aware of have been made from the Kumarajiva chinese translation (from ~450 CE). Since the Kumarajiva version is the one Nichiren himself used (he lived in Japan from 1222 - 1282) those translations are the ones we tend to study.

Excellent help, thanks.

[Engyo]

Originally Posted by TouchedbytheLord

Did not know that. Though I found this, do not know how accurate it is... Gohonzon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Wiki article is reasonably accurate; it is somewhat focused on the Nichiren Shoshu perspective but it does mention other interpretations.

He has statues and printed images of Quan Yin and the Buddha.

Fine from my perspective.

I don't know how serious he is about a commitment and full conversion. At this point I think he is feeling the need to look outside of the RC church for additional spiritual guidance. He also has Catholic saints' statues. I'm not sure if he's conflicted and unsure, or unknowledgeable (I don't want to use the word ignorant).

I would expect that from someone who is seeking and exploring. One tenet of my school is that our practice is not necessarily the right fit for everyone. I have seen a Shonin (priest or minister) tell a prospective member after an hour's consultation that the person might be better suited to practicing a different form of Buddhism, and provide that person with references.

I feel one should not tread into a spiritual belief system lightly. For example, it annoys me when people pick up a small statue of the Buddha or Lord Ganesha as good luck charms to put on top of the dresser, tv or bookshelf.

Thanks for the consideration; not everyone takes faiths besides their own seriously.

[Jainarayan]

Originally Posted by Engyo

The Wiki article is reasonably accurate; it is somewhat focused on the Nichiren Shoshu perspective but it does mention other interpretations.
Fine from my perspective.

Fantastic.

I would expect that from someone who is seeking and exploring. One tenet of my school is that our practice is not necessarily the right fit for everyone. I have seen a Shonin (priest or minister) tell a prospective member after an hour's consultation that the person might be better suited to practicing a different form of Buddhism, and provide that person with references.

We feel the same way in Hinduism. Not everyone is drawn to devotion to the same forms of God. I myself am Vaishnava, devoted to Krishna/Vishnu; others are devoted to Shiva, for example. It's what you feel is right for you.

For a time I explored what I felt was right for me. Even now, I include devotions to Lord Shiva and Devi because They are the greatest Vaishnava devotees, as we see it, and to be emulated.

Thanks for the consideration; not everyone takes faiths besides their own seriously.

The Rig Veda Samhita 1.164.46 does say "ekam sad vipra bahudha vadanti agnim yamam matariswanam ahuh" meaning "Truth is One, but the wise refer to it by different names". It's true and unfortunate that is lost on a lot of people.

[dyanaprajna2011]

I'll try and give a little more background. Avalokitesvara is a bodhisattva, who's name means "regarder of the cries of the world", and is considered the bodhisattva of infinite compassion. He is known in Tibetan as Chenrezig, and, upon going to China (where SHE's known as Kwan Yin) and Japan (Kannon) went from being male to female. Nichiren Buddhism began with a Tendai monk who would later be known as Nichiren Daishonin. They focus almost exclusively on the Lotus Sutra, chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo (Homage to the Lotus Sutra), as well as chanting the 2nd and 16th chapters of the Lotus Sutra. If I'm not mistaken, like Zen and Pure Land Buddhists, some also chant the 25th chapter. Nichiren is considered an "other power" school (like Pure Land), because it relies on the practitioners faith in the Lotus Sutra. When one dedicates their life to Nichiren, they are given a Gohonzon, which is the mandala inscribed with the Mantra, as well as various spiritual beings, etc. Hm, I think that's about all I remember of Nichiren for now. Hope that helps.

[Jainarayan]

Thanks, more information is always good. So then I guess that's what Tina Turner is doing in the video, chanting the 2nd and 16th chapters of the Lotus Sutra.

[Nowhere Man]

The thing with Turner is her affiliation is with SGI (Soka Gakki), which IMO is not a recognised Buddhist school by any traditional sense, but rather an offshoot practice* which might explain the noted differances while comparing to practices of Nichren-shu which is a recognised school of Buddhism. It's a very heated topic in debate circles and can be as passionate as the issues raised over NKT (New Kandampa Tradition) involving Tibetian Buddhism.

While I still wont particularly endorse SGI as being a type of Buddhist practice, I did soften my personal opinion somewhat in light of a series of confrences held at Berkley involving SGI and Zen Practictioneers.

*Cult as some will bluntly put it.

[dyanaprajna2011]

Soka Gakkai, which is what Tina Turner practices, was originally an offshoot of the Nichiren Shoshu school. It was considered a lay movement, and was very 'evangelical', going against the Buddhist grain in seeking out converts. But, it was sometime in the 90's, that they were 'excommunicated' from the larger Nichiren Shoshu body, but I can't remember why off the top of my head. And, like Nowhere Man said, they're status as an 'official' Buddhist school is debated. However, I, personally, don't see any reason why not to consider them Buddhists, but then again, I'm not too up to date on exactly what they believe and practice. I've just made the assumption that they don't really differ all that much from Nichiren Shoshu.

[Jainarayan]

I did read about a schism and an excommunication or "day of liberation".

The card with the Nam Myoho Renge Kyo mantra on it that he got from someone was indeed from SGI. At this point neither of us know Zen from Mahayana from Theravada from Nichren-shu. Not that I dont know how to read up. Though I do know the Dalai Lama speaks only for Tibetan Buddhism, and not all of Buddhism as many people think.

Anyway, I think it was a matter of a SGI person approaching him, not unlike Hare Krishnas do, and saying "oh yeah, Tina Turner is a follower too". All you need to hear is that a celebrity does this or that, and everyone wants to do it too.

I hope he can learn the right way to practice, if that's indeed what he wants, and not just think that the mantra and some pretty statues and pictures (they actually are pretty) will bring "good luck". You pray to Lord Ganesha and Maa Lakshmi for that.

[Engyo]

Originally Posted by dyanaprajna2011

Soka Gakkai, which is what Tina Turner practices, was originally an offshoot of the Nichiren Shoshu school. It was considered a lay movement, and was very 'evangelical', going against the Buddhist grain in seeking out converts. But, it was sometime in the 90's, that they were 'excommunicated' from the larger Nichiren Shoshu body, but I can't remember why off the top of my head. And, like Nowhere Man said, they're status as an 'official' Buddhist school is debated. However, I, personally, don't see any reason why not to consider them Buddhists, but then again, I'm not too up to date on exactly what they believe and practice. I've just made the assumption that they don't really differ all that much from Nichiren Shoshu.

They don't differ all that much from Nichiren Shoshu doctrinally. They do differ from them in regards to questions about clergy and so forth.

That said, other Nichiren schools have some different interpretations, and tend to be much less exclusiveist about many doctrinal questions. Nichiren himself is viewed differently in Nichiren Shoshu and Soka Gakkai than in other Nichiren schools. For example, Nichiren Shoshu and Soka Gakkai chant ONLY portions of the 2nd and 16th chapters of the Sutra, and ONLY in shindoku. My school, in contrast, chants all of the Sutra (not at once of course), and does so in both shindoku and in the practitioner's native language for understanding.

[dyanaprajna2011]

Originally Posted by Engyo

They don't differ all that much from Nichiren Shoshu doctrinally. They do differ from them in regards to questions about clergy and so forth.

That said, other Nichiren schools have some different interpretations, and tend to be much less exclusiveist about many doctrinal questions. Nichiren himself is viewed differently in Nichiren Shoshu and Soka Gakkai than in other Nichiren schools. For example, Nichiren Shoshu and Soka Gakkai chant ONLY portions of the 2nd and 16th chapters of the Sutra, and ONLY in shindoku. My school, in contrast, chants all of the Sutra (not at once of course), and does so in both shindoku and in the practitioner's native language for understanding.

I know that between the different Nichiren sects, some allow Shinto practices, while others do not. And that there are some that see Nichiren as Maitreya Buddha, while others see him only as an enlightened being. Am I correct in stating this?