NICHIREN SHOSHU TEMPLE FOR THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES, EASTERN CANADA AND TRINIDAD/TOBAGO New Year s Address by High Priest Nichinyo Shonin

Transcription

1 NICHIREN SHOSHU TEMPLE FOR THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES, EASTERN CANADA AND TRINIDAD/TOBAGO ISSUE 151 JANURARY 1, New Year s Address by High Priest Nichinyo Shonin As we welcome the early spring of the New Year, the 762nd anniversary of the establishment of true Buddhism, I am extremely pleased that our Honorable Retired High Priest Nikken Shonin also has welcomed this New Year in good health and high spirits. I am sure that all the Hokkeko members in each overseas country have welcomed this New Year feeling refreshed. Last year, Nichiren Shoshu safely completed the seven-year construction project for the major renovation of the Image Hall (Mieido). This renovation was undertaken in conjunction with the commemorative projects for the 750th Anniversary of Revealing the Truth and Upholding Justice through the Submission of the Rissho ankoku-ron. Then, the Grand Ceremony Commemorating the Completion of the Major Renovation of the Image Hall and the subsequent Commemorative Ceremonies were conducted solemnly and splendidly, with priests and lay believers from (Continued on page 2) Let s Strive together to Achieve 175 New Members in 2014! The Year of Accomplishing our Shakubuku Goal Gosho Quote for January 2014 Reply to the Wife of Lord Omonsu ( Mushimochi-gosho ) The country of Japan is now an enemy of the Lotus Sutra and is inviting disasters from a thousand miles away, whereas people who take faith in the Lotus Sutra are attracting happiness from ten thousand miles away. A shadow is cast by a body. Just as this shadow accompanies its body, disasters come to a country where people are enemies of the Lotus Sutra. On the contrary, people who take faith in the Lotus Sutra are like sandalwood and its fragrance. (Gosho, pp )

2 PAGE 2 New Year s Address by High Priest Nichinyo Shonin (continued) (Continued from page 1) Japan and overseas countries in attendance. This was possible, solely due to the heartfelt contributions from all over the world, which were offered by the priests and lay believers of Nichiren Shoshu. I would like to extend my deep appreciation for this. The Mieido is where the image of our founder Nichiren Daishonin, the True Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law is enshrined, and it is one of the main buildings at the Head Temple. Due to this construction project, the Mieido has been renovated magnificently, and manifests a beautiful appearance. This gives all of us great joy, and with this joy, we must uphold strong faith, which mirrors the grandly renovated Mieido. The Mieido originally was established by Nikko Shonin. Thus, in this year, which is one year before the 770th anniversary of the birth of Nikko Shonin, we definitely must achieve our objective of increasing the membership of all Hokkeko chapters by 50 percent. We must exert ourselves with all our might, in order to repay our debts of gratitude, no matter what obstacles or difficulties may arise. The driving force necessary for carrying out shakubuku is the practice of shodai chanting Daimoku. Nichiren Daishonin states the following in the Gosho, On the Six Difficult and Nine Easy Acts ( Rokunan kui-sho ): There is an ultimate and essential point in all affairs. The essential point of the Lotus Sutra is the Daimoku of Nam-Myoho- Renge-Kyo. If one chants Daimoku in the morning and in the evening, it is the same as correctly reading the entire Lotus Sutra. If one chants Daimoku twice, it is equal to reading the Lotus Sutra twice. Likewise, one hundred Daimoku is equivalent to reading the Lotus Sutra one hundred times; and one thousand Daimoku is equivalent to reading the sutra one thousand times. Therefore, if you chant Daimoku without regressing, you are a person who reads the Lotus Sutra with unyielding resolve. (Gosho, p. 1243) Furthermore, the Daishonin teaches in Reply to Utsubusa nyobo ( Utsubusa nyobo-gohenji ): Let me briefly describe the virtues of Myoho-Renge-Kyo. The five characters of Myoho-Renge- Kyo can change evil into good, just like poison changing into medicine. Pristine Spring is so named because in this spring, stone can change into treasure. In the same manner, these five characters are able to change common mortals into Buddhas. (Gosho, p. 1492) Truly, the key to accomplish our objective is to make a determination to do shakubuku, based on the benefits and joy that arise from chanting Daimoku. If we strive in our efforts to do shakubuku, with absolute conviction in the Dai-Gohonzon and based on the benefits and joy from the practice of shodai, then courage and wisdom naturally will arise, giving us unshakable faith. Then, we will be able to carry out the practice of refuting heresy and revealing the truth. There is an ancient Chinese proverb that says: One who can be valiant in battle is able to survive. Without courage, he will be defeated and die. This proverb means that if people fight with all their might, they will be able to stay alive otherwise they will lose their life. This also applies to the practice of shakubuku. We must aim toward the achievement of our noble objective worldwide kosen-rufu and propagate the Law to the full extent of our ability, with the determination that One s life is insignificant while the Law is supreme. You should be willing (Continued on page 3)

3 ISSUE 151 PAGE 3 New Year s Address by High Priest Nichinyo Shonin (continued) (Continued from page 2) to give your life to propagate the Law ( shinkyo hojū shishin guho ). Then, our mission definitely will be fulfilled with the guardian deities who surely will protect us. Nichiren Daishonin teaches in the Gosho, On the Buddha s Behavior ( Shuju onfurumai-gosho ): I, Nichiren, am the first who, at the beginning of the Latter Day of the Law, set the precedent for propagating the five characters of Myoho-Renge-Kyo, which are the core of the Lotus Sutra and the origin of all Buddhas throughout the entire world. My disciples, you must follow, one after another, and become greater than Mahakashyapa or Ananda and, moreover, surpass even the Great Teacher Tiantai or Dengyo. (Gosho, p. 1057) A little more than one year remains before the 770th anniversary of the birth of Second High Priest Nikko Shonin. I would like to conclude my New Year s address by sincerely praying that all of you in each Hokkeko chapter will exert your utmost efforts, upholding the spirit of Accomplishing our Shakubuku Goal, and make great advancements toward achieving our objective for the upcoming year of New Year s Address By Overseas Department Chief Reverend Gyoyu Urushibata As we welcome the early spring of 2014, I would like to wish all Nichiren Shoshu Hokkeko believers around the world a Happy New Year! At the start of this year, together with the resident priests in overseas countries and Nichiren Shoshu Hokkeko believers throughout the entire world, I would like to make a pledge to exert ourselves toward the further advancement of world peace and kosen-rufu. Last year, upholding the significance of The Year of Advancing in Unity, all priests and lay believers around the world assiduously performed shakubuku activities, based on the guidance of Sixtyeighth High Priest Nichinyo Shonin. As a result, not only Hokkeko chapters in Japan, but also many chapters and organizations in overseas countries acheived their shakubuku goals. We only have this year of 2014 remaining to achieve the objective given to us by High Priest Nichinyo Shonin to increase the membership of all Hokkeko chapters by 50 percent by 2015, when we will be celebrating the auspicious occasion of the 770th anniversary of the birth of Second High Priest Nikko Shonin. All of our efforts over the past four years toward the accomplishment of our objective for 2015 will come to nothing, if we do not accomplish our goal for this year. Thus, I ask all believers in each country to carry out shakubuku with a firm determination to achieve our objective for 2015, based on sincerely chanting Daimoku without cease, with unity between priests and lay believers. Then, you will be able to realize your final goal for 2015 without fail. This year is designated as The Year of Accomplishing our Shakubuku Goal. The Overseas Department has set forth the following three practical points for 2014: 1. To carry out shakubuku based on consistent Gongyo and Shodai 2. To successfully achieve our shakubuku goal with unity between the priesthood and laity 3. To promote pilgrimages to the Head Temple for new believers. 1. To carry out shakubuku based on consistent Gongyo and Shodai. Doing Gongyo and Shodai are the fundamentals of our faith and practice. (Continued on page 4)

4 PAGE 4 New Year s Address By Overseas Department Chief Rev. Gyoyu Urushibata (continued) (Continued from page 3) When we unceasingly and sincerely perform Gongyo and Shodai with the power of faith and practice, the power of the Buddha and the Law will be manifested in our own faith. When we do shakubuku with these powers of the Buddha and the Law, our prayers will enable us to reach our shakubuku targets without fail, and to achieve our goals. 2. To successfully achieve our shakubuku goal with unity between the priesthood and laity. In conducting shakubuku, many priests and lay believers should work together in unity, and carefully carry out the practice of shakubuku, leading people one by one, in order to make each shakubuku effort succeed. Furthermore, it is important for us to make the best use of each person s experience and cooperation. This is the final year before the start of 2015, when the 50 percent increase of the entire Hokkeko membership should be achieved. I hope that you definitely will accomplish your shakubuku goal in 2014, with strong unity between priesthood and laity, based on the spirit of itaidoshin. 3. To promote pilgrimages to the Head Temple for new believers. Making a tozan pilgrimage to the Head Temple is a great opportunity in our practice to accumulate immense benefit. All Hokkeko members, especially new believers, will be able to strengthen their confidence in faith through the invaluable experiences that are gained from going on a tozan pilgrimage. In order to achieve a membership of 800,000 Hokkeko believers by the year 2021, it will be necessary for the newer members to carry out the practice of shakubuku. Thus, from now on, we must help them to develop their faith and practice. Going on tozan is a great opportunity to cultivate the faith and practice of the newer believers. I hope you will further exert yourselves toward kosen-rufu in each country by upholding the above practical points for this year. Nichiren Daishonin states the following in The Property of Rice ( Beikoku-gosho ): I entrust you to propagate Buddhism in your region. (Gosho, p. 1242) I would like to say to all of the believers who are devoting themselves to spread the correct Law around the world you are the ones who are entrusted by the Daishonin to realize kosenrufu in each country through the propagation of Nichiren Daishonin s Buddhism. You are upholding faith in true Buddism and practicing it. All of you, as followers of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, are dedicating yourselves to propagate true Buddhism in every continent. This includes the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Africa, where High Priest Nichinyo Shonin made an official visit to the Republic of Ghana last year. The Daishonin trusts each and every one of you to complete the mission of the achievement of kosen-rufu, by propagating the correct Law throughout each country. I ask you always to keep this in mind. I am confident that you will work toward the actualization of kosen-rufu, exerting your utmost efforts in faith and practice, day and night. To all Hokkeko believers throughout the entire world, who uphold faith and practice, let s strive forth toward our shakubuku goal for this year, with strong faith and with unity between priesthood and laity, by following the High Priest s guidance. I would like to conclude my New Year s Address by praying from the bottom of my heart for the happiness of each one of you, for peace in your countries, and the further advancement of kosen-rufu.

5 ISSUE 151 PAGE 5 Guidance From Sixty-eighth High Priest Nichinyo Shonin On the Occasion of the October Kosen-rufu Shodai Ceremony Head Temple Taisekiji Good morning, everyone! On this occasion of the October Kosen -rufu Shodai Ceremony, conducted here today at the Head Temple, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to the large number of participants in attendance. The month of October already has begun. I imagine that you are striving forth toward the achievement of your shakubuku goals, day and night, based on the unity between priesthood and laity, in the spirit of itai-doshin. As I have said before, the Grand Ceremony Commemorating the Completion of the Major Renovation of the Image Hall (Mieido) at the Head Temple is planned to take place this November. Therefore, by the end of this month, I hope that all Hokkeko chapters will have achieved this year s shakubuku goals, so that we can formally report our achievement to the three treasures of true Buddhism on this occasion, and repay our debt of gratitude to them. In order to do this, those chapters that have not achieved their shakubuku goals must put forth their utmost efforts to conduct shakubuku, by overcoming every hardship and obstacle, based on the unity between priesthood and laity. There is a saying, Adversity makes a man wise. Certainly, it is difficult to accomplish each goal by prevailing against various difficulties that block our way. However, when we exert ourselves in practice for ourselves and others with unshakable conviction and develop our faith, each objective will be accomplished. Thus, we should understand clearly that this is the key for us to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime. At the same time, it is also important for the believers in each chapter to work together and devote every effort to chanting Daimoku with a prayer for the achievement of their shakubuku goal. Here is the story of one Hokkeko chapter. Its shakubuku activity didn t display much progress toward its goal until the midway point of this year. However, as the members kept chanting Daimoku for three or five hours everyday with a prayer for the achievement of their shakubuku goal, following the guidance of their chief priest with unity between the priesthood and laity, they achieved significant results. This was the appearance of benefits accumulated by chanting Daimoku. They admirably accomplished their shakubuku objective at the begining of this month. This story of a chapter s shakubuku activity shows us the importance of chanting Daimoku with the spirit of itai-doshin and conducting shakubuku based on the joy and benefits of shodai. Likewise, we should firmly commit ourselves to achieving our goal no matter what happens. When we overcome any adversity with such commitment and face the task of conducting shakubuku, our strong prayers surely will be answered. Furthermore, we will be able to defeat various obstacles that seem intractable and even actualize a goal that seems impossible. In fact, this story demostrates that our prayer definitely can be answered. Nichiren Daishonin states in Reply to Shijo Kingo ( Shijo kingo donogohenji ): A mighty warrior called General Li Guang, whose mother was mauled to death by a tiger, one day found a tiger alike to the one that killed her, and shot an arrow at it. In fact, it was just a big stone, but the arrow was lodged deep into the stone, up to its feathers. After he realized that it was a stone, he could not lodge an arrow into it again. Later, he was called General Stone Tiger. (Gosho, p. 1292) This story of General Li Guang should be well known to you. When he mistook a rock for the tiger that killed his parent (Continued on page 6)

6 PAGE 6 Guidance From Sixty-eighth High Priest Nichinyo Shonin (continued) (Continued from page 5) and shot an arrow at it, the entire arrow became lodged into the stone. But after learning that it actually was a stone, no matter how many times he tried, he was unable to make another arrow penetrate it even slightly. The proverb, one s will is almighty, has become well known; it means that, if we carry out anything with indomitable resolve, we are able to achieve it, no matter how difficult it is. In other words, it tells us that the strong will characterized by the phrase Do it, and it will be done enables us to overcome every emerging obstacle and to accomplish everything for which we sincerely pray. Our mission in practice is the noble behavior of aiming for the achievement of worldwide kosen-rufu for the people, for the world, and for the salvation of all living beings honestly following the will of the True Buddha, Nichiren Daishonin. Therefore, I believe it is most valuable for us to devote our lives to propagating true Buddhism in spite of all the difficulties. By the way, I just recently visited Ghana and France for the Ceremonies commemorating the 15th Anniversary of the Establishment of Senmyozan Hokkeji Temple and the 10th Anniversary of the Establishment of Myogenzan Shingyoji Temple respectively. When I officiated at the commemorative ceremony at Hokkeji Temple in Ghana, the Hokkeji Temple members gave us a heartfelt welcome. Their passion is also evident in the achievement of their shakubuku goal this year in Ghana, the Togolese Republic, the Republic of the Ivory Coast, and the Republic of Benin. Even though the Hokkeji Hokkeko Chapter in Ghana originally started with 600 members, now it has grown to more than 2,800 members in Ghana alone. Moreover, the total number of Hokkeji Hokkeko members in Ghana, the Togolese Republic, the Ivory Coast, Benin, Nigeria, the Congo, South Africa and Ethiopia includes approximately 4,700 people who have taken faith in and are practicing Nichiren Daishonin s Buddhism. The commemorative ceremony at Shingyoji Temple in France was held with the attendance of representative members from each European country. In Europe, Spain already has achieved its shakubuku goal. I believe the other countries certainly will accomplish their shakubuku goals for this year. In view of these current conditions, I keenly felt that we, who live in Japan where the Daishonin was born, must dedicate ourselves to practice for ourselves and others with even stronger resolution. As you already know well, currently, all Hokkeko chapters in Nichiren Shoshu are greatly moving forward toward the achievement of our objectives for 2015 and 2021, with unity between priesthood and laity. At this important time, all members from each Hokkeko chapter must devote themselves to chanting Daimoku with the prayer for the accomplishment of our shakubuku goal, and they must take action to do shakubuku, based on the vast benefits of shodai. Then, after assiduously carrying this out, by participating in the Commemorative Ceremonies celebrating the completion of the Major Renovation of the Image Hall (Mieido), they will be able to repay their debt of gratitude to the three treasures of true Buddhism. I would like to conclude my address by praying from the bottom of my heart that all of you will overcome every obstacle and strive to achieve the shakubuku goals of all Hokkeko chapters this month.

7 ISSUE 151 PAGE 7 Report from the Midtown/Downtown/Staten Island area Dear members of Myosetsuji Temple and guests: This year many of our members focused on helping our new members practice by visiting their homes or inviting them over to chant with them. Making good strong bonds through the practice helps someone develop the ability to continue at home alone until he or she can make it to the temple or a meeting. We feel strongly that the act of shakubuku (introducing someone to Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism and teaching the person how to practice) is a responsibility that involves effort on everyone s part; the goal being a new member who knows how to really practice this Buddhism. With different schedules and life s responsibilities, it s not always easy for folks to get together. But we know that this activity of helping our new members is so crucial. Coming to the temple is of course very important, but to help someone really cement his or her practice, chanting together during visits is key. We ve all seen new members start strong and then slow down or stop practicing because they did not continue to develop their faith and practice. To really support our combined goal of doubling the amount of people who practice in this world by 2015, we hope to get all of our new members over the past few years, established in chanting. This world surely needs it and our new members need to overcome their own obstacles and be happy. Without them practicing, we have not doubled anything. So the challenge has been to help, compassionately. That has meant putting our own egos and issues aside. And the good news is, by putting those issues aside, we all benefit. Kindness, compassion, friendship and understanding. The Bodhisattva way. A GOOD challenge! We agreed and determined to share this Buddhism with 18 new people this year. We have more than done so, but not all of them have taken the step to join the temple and receive Gojukai. There have been 12 new members in 2013 in the Midtown/Downtown/Staten Island area as of this writing, who have joined and received Gojukai. Our other guests are slowly learning how to practice and we hope that they will decide to receive the Gojukai ceremony as soon as possible so they may begin really seeing their good fortune start to grow. Reverend Takikawa explains that he is planting the seed of happiness in the heart of the person who has the Gojukai ceremony. So of course, we want all of our guests to truly become happy. I really enjoyed seeing the experiences we ve included in this newsletter. Milagros and Jose s story was very encouraging to me after knowing the struggles they had to overcome. Rosa s getting to Tozan experience is a good lesson in use no strategy other than the Lotus Sutra. Susan Dobbis, who is living in France and Ronnie Chaikin who is living in Amsterdam are far away from us but deeply connected. We had 8 members from our area on the special Mieido Renovation Completion Tozan this year and have enjoyed hearing about it and seeing all the photos. We hope 2014 is a great year of accomplishment for all of our members and our world, without losing a single member new or old and introducing this Buddhism to as many people as we can. On another note, our senior member Joyce Tagliabue passed away this year. Joyce had a lot to do with many of us helping even hundreds of people who started practicing from the early 70 s until recently. Some of us even slept on her floor when we were young and didn t have a place to live yet. There were a lot of sleeping bags with a bunch of young chanters lined up in her living room. One of Joyce s greatest desires was to see older members who had stopped practicing, return to the temple. We hope her dreams come true and we continue to chant for her enlightenment.

8 PAGE 8 Faith Experience by Jose Caraballo and Milagros Arcia-GChanglerth Receiving invaluable treasures without even seeking them; that is how I Milagros describe our family s happiness. Every day we chant only to better our practice. Nevertheless, Jose always wanted a family and I always wanted a daughter. After the stroke that he had in 2007, the Gohonzon assured us that he was very much alive with the birth of Vaneshka, and she was our new reason to continue on practicing to the best of our abilities. We decided to move in together and eventually get married. We considered ourselves very fortunate because we have great friends and family (which we found in this practice, such as Marie Etienne, Myrna Vazquez, and Sandy & Barbara McIntosh) that helped and encouraged us. However, we knew that we needed to take a step farther after a long battle with our landlord. We moved out to a shelter in January Jose realized that he did not understand the system but I was familiar with it. I knew that if we followed the rules and procedures people would look at us differently and begin to offer us ways to improve our lives. The first step came when Jose became an American citizen. A few months later he submitted the petition of my legalization because I was his wife. The same month I was elected a Vice chairperson for the City-Wide Head Start Policy Council which through ACS represents the whole West Side where I continue to serve as an advocate for children and families. That is what I love to do the most. I have been doing this at the elementary school level for more than 10 years. In the meantime, José finally heard and took my advice and took the superintendent exam. I knew he could do it. Of course he passed and in less than 1 month he received two job offers! He decided which he thought was the best and by June we moved in to the East Village, rent free! My daughter was admitted into a Mandarin dual-language program and I began to take night classes at Bronx Community College for Early Childhood Education. My dream of becoming a teacher is very close. All of our dreams with chanting are becoming reality. My daughter is now in a science program at the American Museum of Natural History every Friday afternoon. And my son Vinceht, has been able to perform at the Castillo Theater thanks to a member, Margaret Warncke. He continues to do theater work there and he loves it. Every morning and every evening I thank the Gohonzon for changing our karma around from negative to positive. Faith Experience by Rosa Curry I first heard about the Commemorative Tozan for the Renovation of the Mieido (Image Hall) in the early part of May. I had last seen the Dai- Gohonzon in October of My heart yearned to return to Taisekiji. I felt a strong need to refresh my life and my Buddhist practice as only seeing the Dai-Gohonzon can do. The dates for this Tozan were November 20-26th. I knew that I HAD to go. The deadline for the deposit for $500 was due on June 30th, over a month away. The reality of my financial situation at the time of my determination in May, was challenging (to politely classify it!). My Landlord was suing me for past due rent and I was at the tail end of fulfilling that legal obligation. I eventually paid back every cent, however, there was nothing extra in my extremely tight budget for the $500 Tozan deposit due on June 30th. I chanted to SOMEHOW find a way to earn EXTRA MONEY to go on this Tozan! I then booked a TV commercial-type job at the end of May that would completely pay for my deposit. Based on commercial payment rules, my check would come to me before the June 30th Tozan deposit deadline. However, the check was late in coming! By the time of the Tozan deposit deadline, I still did not have the money. I considered not turning in my application for Tozan because I did not want to be irre- (Continued on page 9)

9 ISSUE 151 PAGE 9 Faith Experience by Rosa Curry (continued) (Continued from page 8) sponsible and say that I would go, yet not have the money. I chanted and decided to hand in my application anyway, WITHOUT a check, but with a letter of explanation. I explained that I would have the deposit the following week in full. I decided to dip into my rent money to pay the deposit. I turned in the deposit the following week as my note explained. My application for Tozan was accepted. I then focused on purchasing my plane ticket. Fast forward, I booked two print/modeling jobs. Print jobs can take up to 90 days to pay. So despite having money-on-the-way, I still did not have the money in my bank account for my plane ticket. I just kept chanting and determined that I was going to go on this Tozan! More financial obstacles occurred and I got behind in my rent AGAIN. I was served preliminary paperwork by my Landlord that would eventually lead me to housing court if I did not pay 3 month's rent quickly! I chanted to NOT go to court and pay all of my back rent. Catering and office work began to pick up. I was exhausted because I was doing double shifts by working at the office in the day and catering into late hours of the evening. Despite the exhaustion, the money was coming in. Also at this time, I hurt my right knee. I was in pain and I was unable to fully bend it...which meant I could not sit on the floor while on Tozan. Despite the pain in my knee, my exhaustion and my financial stress, my determination grew stronger. Again fastforward, I caught up on three months of rent in a short amount of time. One of the print/modeling jobs paid quicker than expected. I then awaited the money from the second print/ modeling job to pay for my plane ticket. Early in the month of November, I got information from another Temple member about plane tickets on a website that were going for $875, ROUND TRIP, to Japan on Delta Airlines. It was the exact ticket that I needed. Of course, all I needed was the money! During the next few days, I continued to check in on this particular website to see if the deal was still being offered. It was gone. Time was closing in and the ticket prices went back up...out of my price range. The very week before Tozan, while still searching, I saw that Delta Airlines was again offering the $875 ticket deal to Japan! This was on Monday the 11th of November. I chanted that the deal would stay in place for three more days because that was my payday and I decided to use a portion of that money, earmarked for rent, to pay for the ticket. I eventually purchased my ticket on the 14th of November (six days before Tozan!) for $975 (the price went up $100 dollars, but I was glad to be able to book the flight - and a little birdie told me that I was the last Tozan participant to purchase their plane ticket!). The day before Tozan while packing, I took a break and checked my . The representative from the payroll department from my print agency ed me that my check from the print/modeling job came in: the check that I had been waiting for all along to cover my plane ticket! She was going to send it to me by mail later that day. I IMMEDIATELY called her and asked if I could COME AND GET the check from her within the half hour! This check was enough for me to pay November's rent, all of my other bills for the month AND allow me to have spending money on Tozan!!! Also while on Tozan, my knee healed enough for me to sit on the floor and fully participate in both Ushitora Gongyos and the Mieido Commemorative ceremony! While at Taisekiji I felt such joy. I had made it to the Buddha-land. It was so wonderful to chant to the Dai- Gohonzon. The joy of seeing the Dai-Gohonzon was so overwhelming for me that I cried during both Gokaihi Ceremonies (audience with the Dai-Gohonzon)! It was great to see so many members from other temples throughout the United States as well as Overseas members. It was also great to see so many former assistant priests who had served at Myosetsuji Temple participating in this Tozan! There were members who were kind enough to share with me their experiences of great difficulties and how they overcame their karmic challenges through faith in the Gohonzon. I felt as if I had returned home and I felt a deep gratitude to have this wonderful and powerful Gohonzon in my life. It was a beautiful Tozan.

10 PAGE 10 Faith Experience by Ronnie Chaikin Hello Everyone, I began chanting around 1974 in New York City. Diane Lapson and I became roommates after I began practicing, and I chanted with her and Richie and Lisa Samalin among other long-time members. Then, in the late 70 s, life changed and I moved to Amsterdam in The Netherlands. I would like to share a little bit about what is happening here in Holland. I have been now been living here more than 30 years and believe me it has been very difficult to keep together a "GOOD" practice! I chanted for a long time about meeting people who chant here in Holland and now, finally I have three shakubukus (people I introduced to this Buddhism)...as well as meeting many other people who chant. We also now have an official meeting place, where a Priest from Japan, who is assigned to The Netherlands, comes periodically to visit. It has been difficult to have regular contact with members, due to great distances, transportation and work schedules. Thus, sometimes I have to chant with one of my shakubukus on the computer through Skype! Chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo to the Gohonzon has definitely changed my life. When I open the Butsudan doors to see my Gohonzon, I see ME. I feel it in my spine...as if I am connected to heaven and earth! Chanting connects me to my being, my truths. It brings clarity for me to walk MY path, make my decisions...and learn from them. Here s a short experience: I have no cartilage in my lower back and still I can walk 20 kilometers every week. The beginning was very painful. I went to the Gohonzon to seek guidance about what I could do to heal myself. I truly believe that it is through chanting to the Gohonzon that the healing was made possible. Also, my Osteoporosis - which was moving through my body - came to a halt. My doctor finds this unbelievable. Through chanting, I knew how to help myself heal. I am everyday thankful. I would also like to thank everyone who is chanting as I am sure that when I chant there are many of you out there that are chanting at the same time. Therefore I am never really chanting alone. Faith Experience by Susan Dobbis In 1972, I was introduced to this wonderful practice by Joan Fleischer and Tobie Haggerty. They made enormous efforts to get me to my first meeting as I held many skeptical ideas of organized religion. However, I remember that at this meeting people shared their personal experiences that repeatedly echoed the promise of being able to actualize world peace through individual happiness brought about by practicing Gongyo (recitation of portions of the Lotus Sutra), Daimoku (chanting Nam-Myoho- Renge-Kyo), shakubuku (introducing others to the practice and helping them stand on their own two feet) and study. It was a time of great upheaval in the world especially for young people and yet I began to feel happier. We encouraged each other despite our differences and through this unity created by chanting and doing shakubuku together, our confidence and happy life conditions grew, developed and attracted many people to our meetings throughout New York City. My roommate and fellow member at the time had met George Frederick from Trinidad, who was in NY on a work assignment and invited him to a meeting. George looked sad and withdrawn and told us of his struggle with acclimating to life in NY and how he was missing his family who were living far from one another. He connected with the practice and the happy life conditions of those practicing and he determined to learn Gongyo that evening. We invited him to join us for morning Gongyos. He appeared every day at 7am for a whole month committed to consciously and carefully pronouncing each syllable of the sutra and striving to chant daimoku vigorously and in unison. It was a very reflective experience for me to help George learn Gongyo. I remember the amazing difference in George s appearance from the time before he began chanting and how he looked after that first month of effort. He had gained a sparkle in his face and he stood tall and spoke out. His sadness was nowhere to be seen. He began supporting and leading meetings and we continued to grow. His sparkle rubbed off on us. It was through this shakubuku experience that I first understood what practicing for the sake of others means. During those early years, there was no temple in New York to benefit from (Continued on page 11)

11 ISSUE 151 Faith Experience by Susan Dobbis (continued) (Continued from page 10) learning directly from the Priesthood. There was a lay organization called Nichiren Shoshu of America (NSA) and Daisaku Ikeda was its president. We had a community center where we would receive a visit from a Nichiren Shoshu priest once or twice a year. He would perform the Gojukai ceremony and bestow Gohonzon to quite a few members at one time. Toward the end of the seventies, we began to receive strange guidances from Mr. Ikeda and his lay organizers that emphasized supporting him as though he were the True Buddha. The emphasis on doing world peace based on the Law and not the person disappeared from his directives. It became a very hierarchical organization and culture festivals and showing off famous people seemed to be the most prized way to practice. Worst of all was that unless we held a formal leadership position in the organization, we were not allowed to make a Tozan (pilgrimage) to meet the priesthood and chant to the Dai-Gohonzon. Without having or following the profound guidance of Nichiren Shoshu Priests, NSA began to fall apart organizationally and many sincere members suffered from a sense of betrayal at having been manipulated. Many stopped chanting altogether. Those of us that had made Gohonzon and Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo the center of our practice began going our separate ways and continued alone with Gongyo and Daimoku. However, being a solitary Bodhisattva, without the support of members and without doing shakubuku, we were practicing in principle only and our good fortune was on its way to deficit. Our joyous gratitude to Gohonzon had been taken advantage of, our itai doshin (many bodies, one mind in unity) corrupted. Our network had been hacked and we lost our connections. Many of us were hurt and confused, and many went on to practice incorrectly or stopped. I went through the next thirteen years of my life cleaning my altar, making offerings of water and fruit to Gohonzon and chanting by myself. I tried to introduce my sister and my husband to the practice but to no avail. It was as though the plug of a lamp had been pulled from its power source and I kept trying to turn it on. Some of us kept in touch sporadically and one day in 1997, I received a call from Tobie Haggerty. She explained that there was now a Temple in Flushing with a resident priest and invited me to join her and Dennis to chant at the Temple. I hesitated and she said the same things to me that she d said all those many years ago when she persevered in challenging all my negative arguments and reasons for not attending my first meeting; those arguments that, had I won, would have kept me from becoming happy and enlightened in this lifetime! I joined them and met Reverend Nagasaka. I received the Kankai (return) Ceremony that day. I saw old friends who were bringing shakubuku to the Temple. The happy faces were again in front of me. It was amazing. We were again striving to create itai doshin. I was encouraged to go on Tozan after having practiced for almost thirty years. And finally, in 2003, after having moved to France, I attended my first Tozan. When Tobie informed Assistant Priest Hagiwara that I would be going on Tozan for the first time, his response was so encouraging. He said that now I could begin to practice correctly. It was true. Things became more real and concrete from the moment I committed to going on Tozan. On the actual Tozan, there was something unexplainable working all around me that I d never experienced before. Like getting on the bus at Narita with only one other person waiting to leave for Taisekiji and when I turned to say hello, it was George Frederick! It had been almost thirty years since our last meeting and we d both lived a whole other lifetime since we d last met. Over the course of that Tozan, we spoke about many events that had occurred. He told me that he d gone back to Trinidad after his work assignment in NYC had ended and that he had practiced with SGI, (the new name for NSA). He said that SGI campaigned hard for large membership and that there had been over 2000 people chanting in Trinidad at one point. He too had experienced the diminution of the pure practice brought about by SGI in Trinidad but he persevered. I remembered his month of perseverance those many years ago when he, without fail, showed up at 7am to learn to do Gongyo and practice correctly. He had eventually also switched to practice with the temple after similar things happened in Trinidad with the split in the organization and many lost members. I have heard that he was the basic foundation of Nichiren Shoshu members in Trinidad. On that same Tozan, I found myself alone in the Sonni-bo on our morning of arrival with another woman. We were the first in. I was going to get hot water for a cup of tea and offered her a teabag. She smiled and accepted. I asked where she was from and she said Trinidad! I asked if she knew George and she said I am his shakubuku. And so I realized I hadn t been alone out there in the wilderness, that there were and still are so many of us struggling to reconnect to the true source of our happiness of chanting Nam-Myoho- Renge-Kyo to the Dai-Gohonzon and to achieve the True Buddha s Great Aspiration of achieving Kosen-rufu, our truest benefit of all.

12 PAGE 12 FAITH EXPERIENCE BY JOHN DE CLEF PIÑEIRO Challenging and Changing Your Life by Accepting the Challenge of Gongyo [In response to one of our inmate members, the following message/ experience was sent to encourage inmates to challenge their karma by accepting the challenge of learning Gongyo. JdeCP] Anyone who practices True Buddhism knows that the challenge of learning and doing Gongyo is a familiar issue. Perhaps we have to go back to basics in terms of clearly understanding why we are doing this. Simply put, our practice is about changing our life by changing our karma - - yes, those painful, nasty, frustrating, and fear-inspiring sticky residues of all the causes we've made and the habits of mind which we have formed and grown accustomed to in order to rationalize, accept, or try to live despite those sticky residues that have defined us to ourselves and to others for so long. We come to this practice with our sticky, smelly karmic self, suspecting that THERE MUST BE A BETTER ALTER- NATIVE THAN KARMIC BONDAGE. Each of us has a brain, we can learn new things (that s how we go through life daily, learning things), we are not stupid (unless we choose to be stupid), and we are not blind (unless we choose to shut our eyes and not see). Let s face it, learning the Liturgy/Sutra Book requires discipline in changing one's karma. The process and the difficulties encountered show us (like a reflection in a mirror) how our conditioned self, our ego, has been formed, and what our tolerance level and capacity for patience are for new learning and change. Properly understood, when we study the Sutra Book and how to pronounce the syllables, we begin to confront our obstacles and challenge our life condition, not only when we learn Gongyo, but also when we do Gongyo each day. Let s keep in mind the words of our founder in his Gosho "On Attaining Buddhahood": "A mind which presently is clouded by illusions originating from the innate darkness of life is like a tarnished mirror, but once it is polished it will become clear, reflecting the enlightenment of immutable truth. Arouse deep faith and polish [the tarnished mirror of your deluded mind] night and day. How should you polish it? Only by chanting Nam- Myoho-Renge-Kyo." And in his Gosho "Shin Kokuo," he tells us: "We are able to see ourselves in the reflection of a polished mirror. There is no finer barometer with which to measure the changing fortunes of a nation than the mirror of Buddhism." What you have told the brothers about studying the CD in the prison library is certainly correct. No one develops biceps by just sitting around, without lifting weights. No one learns a skill without studying. No one loses weight without changing one s eating habits. All of these are examples of the relationship of the Mystic Law of Cause and Effect to our life. So facing the obstacle of the Sutra Book and accepting the challenge of doing Gongyo IS ACTUAL PROOF of our faith and determination to make a fundamental change in our life for the better. Talk about "turning a corner" in your life! To go to a higher level, we need to climb. And learning the Sutra Book isn't just a chore (although it feels like one in its most superficial sense). It is actually how we prove to ourselves that we will not be defeated, and that we will not continue to chase our tails in a vicious karmic cycle of "same-old/same-old." Each of us is an evolving dynamic being, capable of tremendous change. That s an innate feature of being a human being. Mind you, the Sutra Book is the wisdom of the historical Buddha expressed in ideographic Chinese characters and ancient syllables. But it is actually the preparation for climbing "Mt. Sumeru" to see and understand everything (your life, your environment, the world) from a different and higher perspective. The world-famous genius physicist Albert Einstein once observed that you cannot solve the problems in your life with the same kind of thinking/ consciousness/mindset that created them in the first place. Indeed, we have to change our mind to change our life. This is so applicable to what we are doing when we embark upon the path to our own Buddhahood. That journey is powered by a belief/faith that the destination of enlightened living is what we want for our life and that we can achieve it through our efforts and by using the Daishonin's True Cause of practicing and (Continued on page 13)

13 ISSUE 151 FAITH EXPERIENCE BY JOHN DE CLEF PIÑEIRO (CONTINUED) chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo to the Gohonzon. Just like learning anything new, learning to do Gongyo can be easy for some and difficult for others. And we need to be mindful that our practice DOES NOT REQUIRE that we learn to do Gongyo before we can receive benefits from our practice. We do not make Gongyo a barrier to entry into the practice of True Buddhism. From the standpoint of True Buddhist compassion, we need to recognize that everyone s life condition (and energy level and ability to focus) is different, and that Gongyo is not as simple as marching in lockstep to anyone else s "sound off." So, as you know, we do not require doing Gongyo as a prerequisite for receiving Gojukai (the initiation into our practice). We do, however, require that one be doing parts A and C, in order to receive a Gohonzon, since our True Buddhist practice of chanting to the Gohonzon does involve the recitation of the Sutra Book. Exceptions may be made for persons who are blind, have poor eye -sight, have poor health or are elderly, but that is only done on a case-by-case basis by our Chief Priest. Frankly speaking, I almost despaired of ever being able to learn the Sutra Book in my first few weeks of exposure to True Buddhism (that is, before receiving my Gojukai). But one day, while attending a meeting that involved doing evening Gongyo with a large group of practitioners, I was nearly dozing off from watching my sponsor s finger sliding across each line of strange syllables, when I noticed two young voices in the row behind me confidently reciting the Sutra Book at the same fast pace that everyone else was going. I turned to see whose voices they were and I saw two very young African- American boys, aged about 9, 10, or 11. I looked at their calm engaged faces and thought to myself "Damn, if two young boys can do it, then so can I." And with that I asked my sponsor to record the recitation of parts A, B and C (there were no available recordings in those days, so my sponsor recorded a slow, steady recitation on a cassette tape recorder). I swore to myself that I would learn Gongyo in two weeks by using the recording. I immersed myself in repetitive study, and spent many hours, going through all the lines of syllables, over and over, conditioning my memory to the rhythm and succession of sounds, and thinking of the two boys who gave me the confidence that this was doable. I did it. Failure was not an option. Based on my nearly daily readings of the Daishonin s Goshos, I had strong faith that the True Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin was the true spiritual practice that I needed in my life (to have a life), and I have never looked back. You see, I knew and did not want what my life was like up to age 45, when I encountered the practice. So, I was determined to make the change from being the angriest person I knew to one who could rise above and discover a much better way to be a human being and enjoy my life, and in time found that my mission was to be a positive force and influence for others in finding their spiritual center. That inspiration from seeing and hearing the two boys made it possible for me to move full speed ahead with confidence and become a "fully functioning" practitioner of True Buddhism within two months after my hearing the Daimoku for the first time in my life (that was in early May 1990). Three months later, I was already doing Gongyo, had a large Butsudan set up with all of the accessories, and was ready to receive my Gojukai and Gohonzon at the same time from our then Chief Priest Rev. Jisei Nagasaka. At the time, my work responsibilities as a professional corporate and real estate lawyer at a major law firm in Manhattan were considerable, and I often (actually it was the norm) would come home late each night. So my choice to immerse myself in learning Gongyo occupied much of the little free time I had and most of two weekends. Given the CDs that we now have to learn Gongyo, I can say with certainty that learning Gongyo will either take a short time or a long time, depending on how much or how little effort you put into it. I knew that there was much depth to this practice and I wanted to quickly overcome the initial hurdle of doing Gongyo, so that I could dig deeper into all that this practice has to offer anyone who is serious about changing one s life for the better, based on profound doctrines and teachings that accord so perfectly and intelligently with the world of reality, both outside and inside my head. I hope this reply helps to encourage the brothers to overcome their karmic obstacles to learning or doing Gongyo, and clarifies the deeper significance and meaning of taking on and accepting this transformational challenge to change one s karma for a much better quality of life and mind.