On this day in 2013, I decided to chant nam(u) myoho renge kyo everyday. Initially chanting was like taking medication because it helped me to think clearer. As a result of clearer thinking, I was able to make better decisions than in the past as it pertained to my dealings with people. I also used this chant to release 10+ years of pent up rage, and as a result I became a more compassionate and understanding person. If there is a person tat I thank, that person is Tina Turner, because I heard of the Odaimoku of the Lotus Sutra via her biopic What's Love Got to Do With It. I hope I will be able to share nam(u) myoho renge kyo and encourage many to study the Lotus Sutra until August 24, 2098.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89OJLEnsHuM&t=2s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBgN849_nOs&t=353s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QFbMhEi_qg
nam(u) myoho renge kyo - to devote oneself to the Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Sutra. Whichever Nichiren tradition you are a part of, whether it is Minobu or Fuji, make time to read the Lotus Sutra for yourself. Do not rely solely on annotations or discussions on the Lotus Sutra. When I was 24, I instinctively knew that I would be sharing the Odaimoku, and upon learning that Myoho Renge Kyo was the Japanese title of the Lotus Sutra, I made it my business to read the Lotus Sutra for myself. The last thing I wanted to do was attempt to tell people about a sutra that I had never read before. I thought that would have been really gullible and indolent for me to do to anybody. So I challenge the reader(s) to find a Lotus Sutra translation, read it for themselves, ask questions for understanding. Thank you. Gassho
Saturday, August 24, 2019
Why I Defected From the SGI (uncut)
I know that I made a blog about this already, however at the time I wanted to be polite as possible, and prevent anyone from saying that I left the SGI for Nichiren Shoshu. Now, the gloves come off. Like I had mentioned in the earlier blog, I was willing to work around many vexations, although problems would be a better word.
Problem #1: the group study material being Daisaku Ikeda's literature, or his interpretations of the Gosho passages or the Lotus Sutra. I would have rathered study being solely the Gosho or the Lotus Sutra and Daisaku Ikeda's literature be read on one's own time. I would prefer it this way because these are the building blocks of Nichiren Buddhism overall. Having come from a Christian background, N.O.I. (Nation Of Islam) background, and having seen multiple documentaries, one considerable advice I took away was "know what your religious text says". I found it disappointing when no SGI member could give me an explanation of a Lotus Sutra pasage, that wasn't covered in Daisaku Ikeda's The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra series. I had to garner explanations from Nichiren Shu members. As I type this, I wonder, is this what happens when people are complacent with understanding the bare minimum?
Problem #2: The relentless and vexatious encouraging to to establish a mentor-disciple relationship with Daisaku Ikeda. I don't know him. I haven't met him. I more than likely will never meet him in this lifetime, and even if I did get that opportunity, we would not be able to communicate. He doesn't speak English, and my Japanese is scant. Also, in the real world, a mentor is someone who takes youn under their wing. You two interact with one another; establish a rapport with one another; bounce ideas off one another. Once you surpass the mentor, the relationship dynamic changes, and you go on your way to further your development. However, the salient component is the establishment of a rapport. Ikeda established a rapport with Toda. Toda established a rapport with Makiguchi. I don't call people my friends without establishing a rapport, and I sure as hell am not about to do that with a mentor. Like I mentioned in the last blog, a multitude of members will say, "You can understand his heart through reading his literature." Well I did not understand his heart via reading, rather I surmised it. And I have read a great deal of Daisaku Ikeda's literature. I have read his 1995 lecture "The Heart of the Lotus Sutra", his 2004 lecture "The Opening of the Eyes" his 2009 lecture"On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime", etc. I even endeavored to read The Human Revolution and The New Human Revolution series. (I tried to read The Human Revolution first because it formed the backdrop to The New Human Revolution). I even wrote letters to him, to which I received no response.
I am in no ways like Ma-Ti from Captain Planet. I don't have a ring with the power of heart. I cannot telepathically read someone's heart.
So there is no mentor-disciple relationship without the establishment of a rapport. In fact, the only connection between me and Daisaku Ikeda is that we share the same birthday.
Problem #3: For me, any leadership position within the SGI is a bane and a magnanimous chore. I know because I was one for some time. While people normally don't defect to avoid being a leader, I highlighted that to emphasize that members are not likely to leave you alone when you decline leadership positions ad infinitum. You will be barraged ad nauseam with encouragements that it's an auspicious way to change your karma and accrue good fortune. This is why being a leader was a bane for me.
Problem #5 - I cannot work around and no longer endure Article 21 of Nikko Shonin's 26 Admonitions "Article 21: You should not sit together with slanderers of the Law at religious ceremonies for fear of suffering the same punishment as they." http://sokaspirit.org/home/newsletter/nikko-shonins-admonitions-and-nikken/
While this may have been a necessity in 13th century Kamakura era Japan, in 2019 I think this admonition is and will continue to be an inevitable and considerable impediment to any endeavor for world peace or for solving world issues. Is that why one will never find a picture of Daisaku Ikeda with the Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhah Hanh of Vietnam? Is that why they never engaged in dialogue about making world peace a reality? Is that why one will never find a picture of Daisaku Ikeda with Master Cheng Yen of Taiwan, even though she teaches from the Lotus Sutra? Is that why they never engaged in dialogue about Humanistic Buddhism, since Soka Gakkai purports to be humanistic religion? Even though Master Cheng Yen speaks Mandarin Chinese with a Taiwanese dialect, certainly Daisaku Ikeda could have found a competent translator to help with the dialogue. Upholding this article internationally in 2019 is conducive to tribalism in Buddhism. I have 0 interests in upholding it or trying to encouraging someone else to do it.
Problem #6 - I have 0 problems with anyone mixing practices. If someone chants the Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra for their nerves and practices Christianity, that's fine with me. If someone chants the Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra and practices Zen meditation on the side for their anxiety, that is fine with me. In 2019, no one has the right to tell anybody "don't mix practices". I think that discouraging people from mixing practices is an archaic, narrow-minded, tribalistic, and obsolescent way of thinking.
Due to my disagreements with Article 21 of Nikko Shonin's 26 Admonitions, the discouraging of mixing practices, and affixing the titles Original Buddha and True Buddha to Nichiren, I have no further interests in practicing with the Fuji tradition whatsoever. (And for those who don't know, that includes Nichiren Shoshu, and all its current and former affiliations). My views align more with the Minobu tradition. Gassho.
Problem #1: the group study material being Daisaku Ikeda's literature, or his interpretations of the Gosho passages or the Lotus Sutra. I would have rathered study being solely the Gosho or the Lotus Sutra and Daisaku Ikeda's literature be read on one's own time. I would prefer it this way because these are the building blocks of Nichiren Buddhism overall. Having come from a Christian background, N.O.I. (Nation Of Islam) background, and having seen multiple documentaries, one considerable advice I took away was "know what your religious text says". I found it disappointing when no SGI member could give me an explanation of a Lotus Sutra pasage, that wasn't covered in Daisaku Ikeda's The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra series. I had to garner explanations from Nichiren Shu members. As I type this, I wonder, is this what happens when people are complacent with understanding the bare minimum?
Problem #2: The relentless and vexatious encouraging to to establish a mentor-disciple relationship with Daisaku Ikeda. I don't know him. I haven't met him. I more than likely will never meet him in this lifetime, and even if I did get that opportunity, we would not be able to communicate. He doesn't speak English, and my Japanese is scant. Also, in the real world, a mentor is someone who takes youn under their wing. You two interact with one another; establish a rapport with one another; bounce ideas off one another. Once you surpass the mentor, the relationship dynamic changes, and you go on your way to further your development. However, the salient component is the establishment of a rapport. Ikeda established a rapport with Toda. Toda established a rapport with Makiguchi. I don't call people my friends without establishing a rapport, and I sure as hell am not about to do that with a mentor. Like I mentioned in the last blog, a multitude of members will say, "You can understand his heart through reading his literature." Well I did not understand his heart via reading, rather I surmised it. And I have read a great deal of Daisaku Ikeda's literature. I have read his 1995 lecture "The Heart of the Lotus Sutra", his 2004 lecture "The Opening of the Eyes" his 2009 lecture"On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime", etc. I even endeavored to read The Human Revolution and The New Human Revolution series. (I tried to read The Human Revolution first because it formed the backdrop to The New Human Revolution). I even wrote letters to him, to which I received no response.
I am in no ways like Ma-Ti from Captain Planet. I don't have a ring with the power of heart. I cannot telepathically read someone's heart.
So there is no mentor-disciple relationship without the establishment of a rapport. In fact, the only connection between me and Daisaku Ikeda is that we share the same birthday.
Problem #3: For me, any leadership position within the SGI is a bane and a magnanimous chore. I know because I was one for some time. While people normally don't defect to avoid being a leader, I highlighted that to emphasize that members are not likely to leave you alone when you decline leadership positions ad infinitum. You will be barraged ad nauseam with encouragements that it's an auspicious way to change your karma and accrue good fortune. This is why being a leader was a bane for me.
- home visitations - when it was an active member, this was okay. When it was a member who had not been active for over 12 months, home visitations were just nauseatingly pushy for me. To add insult to injury, most of the YMD in my district had been inactive for over 12 months. They were inactive when I became a member. Personally, if a member has been inactive for over 12 months, and have not made any effort to reach out, I would have, and still would, chalk it up to "person is not interested in practicing with the S. G. I." And that's fine with me.
- calling up YMD in my district to encourage them to register for, or participate in events like the 50K Festival. Once again, when it pertained to YMD who had been inactive of 12+ months, this was a nauseatingly pushy thing for me to do. I hated it so much, that in the months leading to the 50K Festival, when my higher up leader suggested that me and other YMD leaders in our chapter call youth in our district to register, throughout the week, I didn't call at all. I waited until we did it as a group.
- fukudoshi - a frustrating drudgery. I don't know who the hell came up with that accursed and grievous idea to "chant with the rhythm of galloping horses", but for me it made chanting other members, and fukudoshi to be distasteful, discombobulated, and contemptuous drudgery. Why? Because for Daimoku, members, especially in the big city, want to go warp speed, even in the Gongyo. (The last district I was in was thankfully an exception). I find warp speed chanting to be mentally exhausting, and only befitting for two occasions: earthquakes and tornadoes. That's it!!!!! Also, as it pertains to Gongyo, I see no point in rushing, especially when rushing meant fucking up the pronunciation. I find it to be so much of a chore that when I was a member, I would do Gongyo by myself before doing it with members. Even during 50K rehearsals, when we had to do Gongyo together except in extenuating circumstances. I would do Gongyo by myself first.
- and one responsibility and bullet that I have been thankful to have dodged as leader. However I would have had to deal with it sooner or later. In the event that I home visited someone and learned that they either had a print off copy of the Gohonzon or painted it on a mirror in the house in its calligraphic format, and tell me that they also chant to it when they're away from their Gohonzon; I would not lose my shit; albeit I would advise them that there are members who will. And if they painted it on a mirror in its calligraphic format, I will actually take my hat off to them for their artistic acumen, earnestness in faith, and be glad that they didn't draw it on their windshield.
Problem #5 - I cannot work around and no longer endure Article 21 of Nikko Shonin's 26 Admonitions "Article 21: You should not sit together with slanderers of the Law at religious ceremonies for fear of suffering the same punishment as they." http://sokaspirit.org/home/newsletter/nikko-shonins-admonitions-and-nikken/
While this may have been a necessity in 13th century Kamakura era Japan, in 2019 I think this admonition is and will continue to be an inevitable and considerable impediment to any endeavor for world peace or for solving world issues. Is that why one will never find a picture of Daisaku Ikeda with the Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhah Hanh of Vietnam? Is that why they never engaged in dialogue about making world peace a reality? Is that why one will never find a picture of Daisaku Ikeda with Master Cheng Yen of Taiwan, even though she teaches from the Lotus Sutra? Is that why they never engaged in dialogue about Humanistic Buddhism, since Soka Gakkai purports to be humanistic religion? Even though Master Cheng Yen speaks Mandarin Chinese with a Taiwanese dialect, certainly Daisaku Ikeda could have found a competent translator to help with the dialogue. Upholding this article internationally in 2019 is conducive to tribalism in Buddhism. I have 0 interests in upholding it or trying to encouraging someone else to do it.
Problem #6 - I have 0 problems with anyone mixing practices. If someone chants the Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra for their nerves and practices Christianity, that's fine with me. If someone chants the Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra and practices Zen meditation on the side for their anxiety, that is fine with me. In 2019, no one has the right to tell anybody "don't mix practices". I think that discouraging people from mixing practices is an archaic, narrow-minded, tribalistic, and obsolescent way of thinking.
Due to my disagreements with Article 21 of Nikko Shonin's 26 Admonitions, the discouraging of mixing practices, and affixing the titles Original Buddha and True Buddha to Nichiren, I have no further interests in practicing with the Fuji tradition whatsoever. (And for those who don't know, that includes Nichiren Shoshu, and all its current and former affiliations). My views align more with the Minobu tradition. Gassho.
Thursday, August 15, 2019
Why I Defected From the SGI and all schools with former and current affiliations with Nichiren Shoshu
First, I would like to add this disclaimer concerning the SGI: I was willing to work around and endure many vexations.
I was willing to work around the focus and group study being more on Daisaku Ikeda and his literature than the Gosho, the Lotus Sutra, and Shakyamuni. I have no issue with Daisaku Ikeda. I found his lectures to youth to be inspirational. In terms of Buddhism however, he doesn't supersede Nichiren Shonin, nor Shakyamuni. In terms of literature, his works do not supersede the Gosho, nor the Lotus Sutra. After all, studying on one's own is crucial; therefore I studied the Gosho and Lotus Sutra on my own.
I was willing to endure the relentless and vexatious encouraging to to establish a mentor-disciple relationship with Daisaku Ikeda, whom I more than likely will never meet in person in this lifetime; never communicate with since he doesn't speak English and my Japanese is scant; and will never be able to establish the kind of rapport that authentic mentor-disciple relationships are built upon. Even in my most gung ho SGI days, I could never really establish a mentor-disciple relationship with Daisaku Ikeda. Yes I read his literature. I read his 1995 lecture "The Heart of the Lotus Sutra", his 2004 lecture "The Opening of the Eyes" his 2009 lecture"On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime", etc. I even endeavored to read The Human Revolution and The New Human Revolution series. (I tried to read The Human Revolution first because it formed the backdrop to The New Human Revolution). I even wrote letters to him, to which I received no response. I could never really form a relationship because there was never a rapport established like him and Toda, or Toda and Makiguchi. And there was a cavalcade of encouragement to form a mentor-disciple relationship with Daisaku Ikeda. Maybe it's my personality, but there needs to be a rapport established before I can even begin to consider anyone a friend, much less a mentor. Now I am sure a multitude of members will say, "You can understand his heart through reading his literature." Well I did not understand his heart via reading, rather I surmised it. Now if you can have a mentor-disciple relationship with someone via surmising their heart, then more power to you. To encourage me to form a relationship with Ikeda was like encouraging me to form a mentor-disciple relationship with Dr. Patricia Hill Collins, or Dr. W. Julius Wilson because their sociologists. (I have a degree in Sociology, and I did not establish a rapport with either of them). It's not likely to happen! (Dear SGI members, it pays to learn to leave well enough alone).
I was willing to decline ad infinitum offers for leadership positions after the first time I was a leader. [Personally, I saw my responsibilities (most home visits, fukudoshi, encouraging members to register for or attend events) to be a magnanimous chore for different reasons
What I cannot work around and no longer endure is Article 21 of Nikko Shonin's 26 Admonitions "Article 21: You should not sit together with slanderers of the Law at religious ceremonies for fear of suffering the same punishment as they." http://sokaspirit.org/home/newsletter/nikko-shonins-admonitions-and-nikken/
While this may have been a necessity in 13th century Kamakura era Japan, in 2019 I think this admonition is and will continue to be an inevitable and considerable impediment to any endeavor for world peace or for solving world issues. Is that why one will never find a picture of Daisaku Ikeda with the Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhah Hanh of Vietnam? Is that why they never engaged in dialogue about making world peace a reality? Is that why one will never find a picture of Daisaku Ikeda with Master Cheng Yen of Taiwan? Is that why they never engaged in dialogue about Humanistic Buddhism, since Soka Gakkai purports to be humanistic religion? Even though Master Cheng Yen speaks Mandarin Chinese with a Taiwanese dialect, certainly Daisaku Ikeda could have found a competent translator to help with the dialogue. Upholding this article internationally in 2019 is conducive to tribalism in Buddhism. I have 0 interests in upholding it or trying to encouraging someone else to do it.
Also, I have 0 problems with anyone mixing practices. If someone chants the Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra for their nerves and practices Christianity, that's fine with me. If someone chants the Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra and practices Zen meditation on the side for their anxiety, that is fine with me. In 2019, no one has the right to tell anybody "don't mix practices". I think that discouraging people from mixing practices is an archaic, narrow-minded, tribalistic, and obsolescent way of thinking.
Due to my disagreement with Article 21 of Nikko Shonin's 26 Admonitions and the discouraging of mixing practices, I have no further interests in practicing with the Fuji tradition whatsoever. (And for those who don't know, that includes Nichiren Shoshu, and all its current and former affiliations).
As to whether I will find happiness outside of SGI, my answer is yes. Yes without a doubt. Because happiness is not determined by an organization. In fact, happiness looks different to 7-8 billion people. Growing up, I was taught that Christianity was the right and only way. It wasn't for me. So clearly there is no one way to happiness. And anyone who says that thei religion is the only way to happiness is either unaware of a life outside of their religion, banally repeating their religious doctrine, or lying so you can remain another entity in their religion even if you feel that the religion doesn't align with your personal beliefs; even if you feel that the religion is demanding too much of your time or heaven forbid money; even if you find the religion to be a chore. Do not allow anyone to convince you of this grievous untruth.
I am sorry for anybody who may be hurt and heartbroken after reading this. I am thankful for the real friends I made in SGI. I am thankful for 50K experience.
I was willing to work around the focus and group study being more on Daisaku Ikeda and his literature than the Gosho, the Lotus Sutra, and Shakyamuni. I have no issue with Daisaku Ikeda. I found his lectures to youth to be inspirational. In terms of Buddhism however, he doesn't supersede Nichiren Shonin, nor Shakyamuni. In terms of literature, his works do not supersede the Gosho, nor the Lotus Sutra. After all, studying on one's own is crucial; therefore I studied the Gosho and Lotus Sutra on my own.
I was willing to endure the relentless and vexatious encouraging to to establish a mentor-disciple relationship with Daisaku Ikeda, whom I more than likely will never meet in person in this lifetime; never communicate with since he doesn't speak English and my Japanese is scant; and will never be able to establish the kind of rapport that authentic mentor-disciple relationships are built upon. Even in my most gung ho SGI days, I could never really establish a mentor-disciple relationship with Daisaku Ikeda. Yes I read his literature. I read his 1995 lecture "The Heart of the Lotus Sutra", his 2004 lecture "The Opening of the Eyes" his 2009 lecture"On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime", etc. I even endeavored to read The Human Revolution and The New Human Revolution series. (I tried to read The Human Revolution first because it formed the backdrop to The New Human Revolution). I even wrote letters to him, to which I received no response. I could never really form a relationship because there was never a rapport established like him and Toda, or Toda and Makiguchi. And there was a cavalcade of encouragement to form a mentor-disciple relationship with Daisaku Ikeda. Maybe it's my personality, but there needs to be a rapport established before I can even begin to consider anyone a friend, much less a mentor. Now I am sure a multitude of members will say, "You can understand his heart through reading his literature." Well I did not understand his heart via reading, rather I surmised it. Now if you can have a mentor-disciple relationship with someone via surmising their heart, then more power to you. To encourage me to form a relationship with Ikeda was like encouraging me to form a mentor-disciple relationship with Dr. Patricia Hill Collins, or Dr. W. Julius Wilson because their sociologists. (I have a degree in Sociology, and I did not establish a rapport with either of them). It's not likely to happen! (Dear SGI members, it pays to learn to leave well enough alone).
I was willing to decline ad infinitum offers for leadership positions after the first time I was a leader. [Personally, I saw my responsibilities (most home visits, fukudoshi, encouraging members to register for or attend events) to be a magnanimous chore for different reasons
- most home visits - I felt to be intrusive and nauseatingly pushy
- fukudoshi - a frustrating drudgery
- encouraging members to register for or attend events - when it was someone who had been inactive for 12+ months and never made an effort to reach out, I felt it to be so nauseatingly pushy. So much so that in the months leading to the 50K Festival, when my higher up leader suggested that me and some other leaders call youth in our district to register, throughout the week, I didn't call at all because most of the youth in my district had been missing in action for 12+ months.. I waited until we did it as a group.
- and one responsibility and bullet that I have been thankful to have dodged as leader. However I would have had to deal with it sooner or later. In the event that I home visited someone and learned that they either had a print off copy of the Gohonzon or painted it on a mirror in the house in its calligraphic format, and tell me that they also chant to it when they're away from their Gohonzon; I would not fly into a frenzy; albeit I would advise them that there are members who will. And if they painted it on a mirror in its calligraphic format, I will actually take my hat off to them for their artistic acumen, earnestness in faith, and be glad that they didn't draw it on their windshield].
What I cannot work around and no longer endure is Article 21 of Nikko Shonin's 26 Admonitions "Article 21: You should not sit together with slanderers of the Law at religious ceremonies for fear of suffering the same punishment as they." http://sokaspirit.org/home/newsletter/nikko-shonins-admonitions-and-nikken/
While this may have been a necessity in 13th century Kamakura era Japan, in 2019 I think this admonition is and will continue to be an inevitable and considerable impediment to any endeavor for world peace or for solving world issues. Is that why one will never find a picture of Daisaku Ikeda with the Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhah Hanh of Vietnam? Is that why they never engaged in dialogue about making world peace a reality? Is that why one will never find a picture of Daisaku Ikeda with Master Cheng Yen of Taiwan? Is that why they never engaged in dialogue about Humanistic Buddhism, since Soka Gakkai purports to be humanistic religion? Even though Master Cheng Yen speaks Mandarin Chinese with a Taiwanese dialect, certainly Daisaku Ikeda could have found a competent translator to help with the dialogue. Upholding this article internationally in 2019 is conducive to tribalism in Buddhism. I have 0 interests in upholding it or trying to encouraging someone else to do it.
Also, I have 0 problems with anyone mixing practices. If someone chants the Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra for their nerves and practices Christianity, that's fine with me. If someone chants the Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra and practices Zen meditation on the side for their anxiety, that is fine with me. In 2019, no one has the right to tell anybody "don't mix practices". I think that discouraging people from mixing practices is an archaic, narrow-minded, tribalistic, and obsolescent way of thinking.
Due to my disagreement with Article 21 of Nikko Shonin's 26 Admonitions and the discouraging of mixing practices, I have no further interests in practicing with the Fuji tradition whatsoever. (And for those who don't know, that includes Nichiren Shoshu, and all its current and former affiliations).
As to whether I will find happiness outside of SGI, my answer is yes. Yes without a doubt. Because happiness is not determined by an organization. In fact, happiness looks different to 7-8 billion people. Growing up, I was taught that Christianity was the right and only way. It wasn't for me. So clearly there is no one way to happiness. And anyone who says that thei religion is the only way to happiness is either unaware of a life outside of their religion, banally repeating their religious doctrine, or lying so you can remain another entity in their religion even if you feel that the religion doesn't align with your personal beliefs; even if you feel that the religion is demanding too much of your time or heaven forbid money; even if you find the religion to be a chore. Do not allow anyone to convince you of this grievous untruth.
I am sorry for anybody who may be hurt and heartbroken after reading this. I am thankful for the real friends I made in SGI. I am thankful for 50K experience.
Friday, August 9, 2019
Making Things Right
First, I want to apologize. If I have given anyone the impression that chanting namu myoho renge kyo functions like magic, I apologize. It doesn't work that way. It is not a key to making the Law of Attraction work in your life. And if anyone tells you otherwise, they are dead ass wrong, putting a lot of stock in coincidences, and more than likely don't know where reality begins. Second, the meaning of nam(u) myoho renge kyo.
nam(u) - to devote oneself; salutation; glory to
myo - mystic, wonderful
ho - Dharma (Buddhist term for law)
ren - lotus
ge - flower; blossom
kyo - sutra
If you have started chanting and are interested in Nichiren Buddhism, the first book you ought to read is the Lotus Sutra. Not Daisaku Ikeda's 6-volume The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra series; but the Lotus Sutra. Which translation? Whichever one fits your vernacular preference. Of course it may mean reading more than one translation; however it will enable you to be able to discuss the Lotus Sutra across numerous audiences. And do not allow any Buddhist to discourage you from reading the Lotus Sutra under any circumstances.
Here is a translation of the Lotus Sutra
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus1.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus2.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus3.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus4.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus5.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus6.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus7.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus8.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus9.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus10.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus11.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus12.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus13.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus14.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus15.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus16.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus17.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus18.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus19.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus20.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus21.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus22.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus23.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus24.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus25.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus26.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus27.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus28.htm
These chapters were translated by the Buddhist Text Translation Society in USA. If you have any questions, one good sources I am familiar of consists of the Nichiren Shu school of Nichiren Buddhism.
nam(u) - to devote oneself; salutation; glory to
myo - mystic, wonderful
ho - Dharma (Buddhist term for law)
ren - lotus
ge - flower; blossom
kyo - sutra
If you have started chanting and are interested in Nichiren Buddhism, the first book you ought to read is the Lotus Sutra. Not Daisaku Ikeda's 6-volume The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra series; but the Lotus Sutra. Which translation? Whichever one fits your vernacular preference. Of course it may mean reading more than one translation; however it will enable you to be able to discuss the Lotus Sutra across numerous audiences. And do not allow any Buddhist to discourage you from reading the Lotus Sutra under any circumstances.
Here is a translation of the Lotus Sutra
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus1.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus2.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus3.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus4.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus5.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus6.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus7.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus8.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus9.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus10.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus11.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus12.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus13.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus14.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus15.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus16.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus17.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus18.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus19.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus20.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus21.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus22.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus23.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus24.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus25.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus26.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus27.htm
http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus28.htm
These chapters were translated by the Buddhist Text Translation Society in USA. If you have any questions, one good sources I am familiar of consists of the Nichiren Shu school of Nichiren Buddhism.
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