Attended services online at Myoshoji with Ryusho Jeffus Shonin and a couple of regular sangha members. While I would always rather attend a local service, I really appreciate being able to attend these services.

Following the service, Rev. Ryusho discussed faith and doubt. Next time I’ll remind him to record his talk. I don’t want to put words into his mouth that didn’t come from there so I’ll just talk about my reaction to what he had to say.

In the last year my position on “faith” and in particular what it means to be a Nichiren Buddhist has shifted 180 degrees. For more than 20 years, I believed in a magical power of chanting without hardly any appreciation for what powered the Daimoku and why it was important.

Today I have a much deeper appreciation of the Lotus Sutra and the goal of that sutra:

Śāriputra, know this!
Seeing with the eyes of the Buddha
The living beings of the six regions, I thought:
“They are poor, and devoid of merits and wisdom.
They incessantly suffer because they are taken
To the rough road of birth and death.
They cling to the five desires
Just as a yak loves its tail.
They are occupied with greed and cravings,
And blinded by them.

They do not seek the Buddha who has great power.
They do not seek the Way to eliminate sufferings.
They are deeply attached to wrong views.
They are trying to stop suffering by suffering.”

Chapter 2, Expedients

Eliminating suffering in my life by awakening my inherent enlightenment is the reason for chanting, not getting stuff.

Again from Chapter 2, Expedients:

Know this, Śāriputra!
I once vowed that I would cause
All living beings to become
Exactly as I am.

That old vow of mine
Has now been fulfilled.
I lead all living beings
Into the Way to Buddhahood.