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Free Nichiren Buddhism
Free Nichiren Buddhism
Posts from the BuddhaJones community of bloggers: Andy Hanlen, Charles Atkins, Rev. Greg Dilley, Lisa Jones, Ryuei Michael McCormick, Engyo Mike Barrett, and others. 81 posts, oldest first.
External links were active in 2003–2004. Links no longer reachable are marked dead link.
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The following are musings and ramblings, after a year "away" from the SGI-USA. Folks who know nothing about me (or that organization) may not understand all of the references (or…
This site will be home for my new weekly column and other writings.Samsarawill not be your garden variety Buddhist forum. Not much will be off limits with me - a little warped…
In light of recent discussions, I thought that this might be a useful item to post. It was first published in "Reflections," December 17, 2000.
While it's legitimate and proper for Nichiren Buddhists to take a stance for peace and against violence, it seems obvious that the primary goal of our practice, and the means to…
Since this is the first official article of my new weekly column, Samsara, I thought we should get to know each other better. Its true Ive promised articles on the gamut of…
Welcome to samsara. Lets turn the wheel. Im sending daimoku to all my friends in the Northeast who were nailed by that nasty snowstorm. I would also like to thank all the people…
As my first entry I just want to thank Lisa Jones for inviting me to have a blog on Buddhajones. I have enjoyed reading Buddhajones for some time now and it is an honor to be here.
Hi folks,Some people may wonder what I do all day. They might imagine that I sit behind a computer screen in my luxuriously appointed temple, surrounded by golden statues of the…
As we enter the holiday season, the mighty wheel is about to turn another revolution. Ahh, the holiday season. For some Buddhists, its that time of year where we feign a smile,…
I was just reminded again today why having detractors can help give you perspective. I am thinking of the Rubys specifically but I want to get to them later. Thinking of all my…
Welcome to samsara. The wheel of life turns not only on earth but also in the skies. Few things will brand you as a flake on the lunatic fringe quicker than discussing UFOs or as…
I have to admit that in the past I have said that I would like to see the destruction of SGI or the collapse of SGI. Mostly this was before I began to seriously train as a…
I am not a scholar of religion in general, or Islam specifically. I am a practitioner of Nichiren Buddhism for some thirty years, and prior to that a product of a more or less…
I've heard SGI members claim that SGI and its Soka spin-off entities do not hire lobbyists or engage in activities designed to influence public officials in the United States.…
Each New Year is a blessing for me. This past Thanksgiving marked my 16th year of being cancer free. In that period there were big obstacles and some sad times. There have been…
The comments generated by my piece on Islam have been thoughtful and inspiring to me, and I am appreciative of all the folks who took the time to offer them (and I recommend that…
SGI claims millions of members worldwide -- between 10 and 12 million -- including hundreds of thousands in the U.S. In May 2002, SGI-USA's spokespersontold Congressdead linkthat…
Below is a comment written by my brother, Don, which is also in the "comments" following the "Islam is Dangerous" entry. I liked it well enough that I copied it and pasted it…
ESP. Everyone has the capacity for it -- some more than others. Most folks have had a personal glimpse. People want more of it, but usually for the wrong reasons. Extra Sensory…
The first post is always the hardest. My fear is having something I regret writing stay on the web like *forever*. Been there. There's stuff on the web I posted years ago while…
You know, like "I Claudius", whatever - you either got it or not...
The Lotus Sutra is a great source for inspiration. The message of Buddha cuts across sectarian lines. Inclusion and liberation are its message. Prior to the Lotus Sutra, spiritual…
Over the years I have gotten into many dialogue and debates about the Honzon or Gohonzon and I have found that there is a lot of confusion about the nature of the Gohonzon because…
In the Bujinkan (which translates as "devine warrior house") there are those, who, upon reaching godan shidoshi, 5th degree black belt and licensed teacher, leave their…
Ah yes, another rant about the Daigohonzon...
People are talking -- although not as much as I'd like -- about President Bush's faith-based initiatives.Faith-basedis an interesting neologism, a politically safe way of…
February marks my thirtieth year of Buddhist faith, practice, and study. For the first ten years, I ran at breakneck speed, assimilating every bit of experience possible,…
Religion is a funny thing really, which in itself means nothing; I just needed somewhere to start on my latest diatribe.
In a discussion with an old friend recently, a couple of ideas were mentioned that I thought were intriguing. One was that there comes a time (or did, for her) when one gets past…
We are like filters. Pull out the dryer screen on your clothes dryer and look at the lint. That's life experience. Except real life experience can't be pulled off and thrown away.…
More Gakkai ranting.... You will be assimilated, resistance is futile...
This blog is dedicated to my fans, the loyal followers that are my ministry. Please my flock, keep chanting, and keep moving forward in your faith in the Gohonzon. Also to my…
So here is my somewhat pseudo-xenophobic rant about how I don't care what goes on in Tokyo. Recently on the boards I have seen people getting their undies in a bunch over what…
What do SGI and political parties have in common? TheIron Law of Oligarchy, of course: "First defined by German sociologist Robert Michels (1876-1936), this refers to the…
Have you ever had an unusual experience while chanting or connected to your Buddhist practice? I think weve all had them. Its very rare to hear anomalies associated with our…
I've received a few e-mails asking what happened with the Southwell suit -- the one where a (former) Soka University professor sued Soka for religious descrimination and wrongful…
Hi everyone,Recently, Yumi and I started doing some more translations togetherof the gosho. One thing that again struck us was the humble tonewhich Nichiren takes in his letters.…
*An important note added on 2/14/04 - I incorrectly state in the following blog that the sokagakkaiinternational@yahoogroups.com list, which I openly criticize, does not have…
Guarded kudos to Greg Martin on his article in the February, 2004 issue of Living Buddhism, titled Buddhism and Christianity. The entire series needs to be seen before making a…
Ive recently been engaged in political discussions with some friends who practice Nichiren Buddhism, in particular about matters pertaining to libertarian ideas. Its been…
I was reading Lisa's blog, and her most recent excellent entry regarding the gay marriage arguments. I recommend it to all.
Principles, in regards to human society, are sometimes defined as those moral and ethical guidelines that dont change. Mores and customs found throughout the world differ greatly…
I am choosing to re-write my last blog for reasons that I feel differently about what I wrote than before I wrote it. My devoted readers may or may not wish to go back and read…
Between the period at the end of the Sengaku Era (the age of continuous civil wars in Japan) and the years 1876-77 which is marked by the Satsuma Rebellion (the historical basis…
I have to admit, I was much more rabidly anti-SGI until I met Bill Aiken at the AAR. Even just hours prior to my private conversation with him after our panel together, I was…
The other day I ran into my old acquaintance, Theo. Hes a born again Christian. We had gently sparred over theology a few times, long ago. That never stopped us from being…
The only problem I have with the Gandhi-King-Ikeda Exhibit is that it's a big fib. To rank Daisaku Ikeda alongside Gandhi and King isdisingenuous-- and that's the nicest word I…
Denver-area SGI-USA member Jan Tyler sent the following letter to the University of Denver last week regarding the Gandhi-King-Ikeda Exhibit. She gave me permission to post it…
Hypnosis is little understood by most people, writes Steven Hassan inCombatting Cult Mind Control: "When the term is mentioned, the first image that may come to mind is of a…
When I decided to withdraw from the SGI-USA, I sent a letter to Guy McCloskey, then (and still) SGI-USA Senior Advisor and a vice general director, and a friend. At that time I…
Not long ago I spoke with my old friend, Dennis. Hes dying of cancer the same kind that killed my mom. We grew up in the same Chicagoland neighborhood. We were close. Apparently…
Well, this ought to be an interesting experiment! Let's just see how this goes...... For my biographical info, please continue reading:
Ive been on the net since practically the beginning, so to speak. Working for Sun Microsystems for so long, waytoolong actually, I was harassing people on the usenet before most…
Authoritarian leadership, deception and destructive mind control are the main ingredients in a cult, and SGI fits the bill. That may strike some as an unkind or unfair assertion,…
Just a quick note to clarify my comment about the future of this site. I've gotten a lot of e-mail messages about it, so I guess I should elaborate.
The "community" blog mentioned in my previous post is nowopen for businessunavailable. I won't be posting anything new here until Monday. Have a great weekend! LJ
This Sunday I will be hosting my first Sunday evening meeting at Faithful Fools in the Tenderloin in San Francisco. Faithful Fools is an outreach program at 230/234 Hyde Street in…
A friend of mine sent me this letter (below), ostensibly written by Bette Midler to President Bush. As is the case with many of these Internet circulars, I have no idea whether…
As I sit here this morning I am observing, and surrounded by, the ongoing Kitty Wars in my house. We have a middle aged female feline named Cheria (dunno why - it's something our…
Prayer is a universally potent phenomenon. Repeating daimoku and the Lotus Sutra is the basis of Nichiren Buddhism. Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo has been described as the greatest…
Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
TheJapan Timesdead linkreports: "Hiroshi Mori, 67, a publisher and former head of a fringe political group; Seiji Takeoka, 55, an employee at Mori's firm; and company executive…
SGI is a cult? No, certainly not, I would tell my concerned friends and family members. Do I seem like the kind of person who would be in a cult?
I just wanted to say that I am sometimes afraid that some people might think they have wasted their time by being in an organization for years on end, or even decades, that they…
Having lived in Spain for a couple of years (returning to the USA in October, 2001), and falling in love with the people of that country, the recent news about the atrocities in…
There seems to be quite a bit of concern by some people as to whether a person's sincere offerings can be offset by making the offerings to the wrong person or organization. And…
Some may take issue with my using the word cult to describe SGI because they see it as unnecessarily pejorative. Theyre comfortable saying that SGI has cult-like aspects, but…
Should there be "only one right way" to practice Nichiren Buddhism? Does the whole tradition come unstuck if one person or sangha practices differently than another does?
In every organization that is not absolutely monolithic (and what org really is) you are going to find leaders who try to arrogate more authority to themselves than they should.…
Several months ago, I reported on BuddhaJones that SGI's official PR flak in Denver had claimed in a letter to a local newspaper that SGI *was not* excommunicated by Nichiren…
For the past few years I have been moving away from the mainstream of the SGI. Doing so was unthinkable before as it has been my family. No one is trying to convince me to stay.…
Theres been a lot of talk about cults on Buddhajones. So be it, people write, read and talk about what interests them. Its natural.
I offer the following, which is an edited version of something I wrote in 2002, while I was still a member of the SGI-USA. I thought it might be of interest.
Both SGI and Nichiren Shu do not practice as the sutra directs. Both schools are creating obstacles for those that follow them. The Bodhisattva practice, as a formal vehicle, is a…
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