| > | | | | also known as Siddhartha Gautama, or simply the |
| The following commentary ran in the Religion Section | | | | Buddha, which means "The Enlightened One." The |
| of the Cleveland-based Plain Dealer, Ohio's largest | | | | Buddha called the Lotus Sutra his highest teaching. In it, |
| Newspaper, Saturday, August 19, 2000. | | | | he declared that his true purpose was to show all |
| "Your father didn't teach you right, THAT'S your | | | | people that they are Buddhas who are in every way |
| problem," I am told. | | | | equal to him. He predicted the future birth of a Buddha |
| It's late January, 1999. I sit in a small, maternity ward | | | | who would complete his teachings. |
| meeting room at Hillcrest hospital in Mayfield Heights, a | | | | Around 2,500 years after the Buddha's death, a |
| suburb of Cleveland. I nurse my baby girl, while sharing | | | | thirteenth century Japanese teacher named Nichiren |
| childbirth stories with two other post partum moms. | | | | formulated the practice of chanting the title of the |
| The three of us are African American. Our talk turns | | | | Lotus Sutra. "Myoho Renge Kyo" is how the Japanese |
| to religion. I say I'm Buddhist. Next thing I know, my | | | | pronounced a Chinese translation of the title. Nichiren |
| Baptist-preacher father is being called a bad parent. He | | | | added "Nam." Nam is an Indian Sanskrit word that |
| isn't even around to defend himself. | | | | means "Devotion." Nichiren Buddhists are literally |
| Almost 13 years ago I emerged from a life of hellish | | | | chanting, "Devotion to the Lotus Sutra," but the deeper |
| suffering. I had been in and out of battles with eating | | | | meaning of this phrase is beyond words. We revere |
| disorders, suicidal depression and substance abuse, | | | | Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as the unchanging and eternal |
| and I had dropped out of college. I found unshakable | | | | Mystic Law of Life. We tap into this law by chanting. |
| happiness within myself by embracing Nichiren | | | | In revealing Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nichiren gave rise |
| Buddhism as a member of the Soka Gakkai | | | | to a revolutionary religion that promises to enable |
| International (SGI-USA). | | | | anyone to bring forth the absolutely happy, |
| If I had talked to that mother on the maternity ward a | | | | courageous, wise, compassionate, creative and |
| bit longer, maybe she would have blasted me for | | | | powerful condition called Buddhahood from within. |
| choosing a religion that's not "Black enough," like others | | | | So was the post-partum mom right? Was there |
| have. When I'm labeled a cultural sell-out for not being | | | | something wrong with my upbringing? Did I miss some |
| Christian, I reply that, like many Blacks, I believe that | | | | parental, spiritual lesson that would have saved me |
| Jesus probably had African ancestry, but most folks | | | | from Buddhism? No. My Christian parents taught me to |
| also believe he lived in the Middle East, and that area's | | | | treat others like I want to be treated, reach out to |
| not known for having much American-style | | | | people with compassion, forgive, withhold scornful |
| "it's-a-Black-thing" flavor. | | | | judgment, love, stand against injustice and be a person |
| More importantly, I think that religion should be about | | | | who creates peace. They taught me to work hard, |
| something deeper than cultural identity. Religion should | | | | learn all I can and think for myself. |
| squarely address the three fundamental questions we | | | | [Full Expression] |
| each need to askĀ"Where did I come from? Why | | | | Being the daughter of my bible-reading daddy and |
| was I born? And what happens to me when I die?" | | | | church-going mother, the teachings of Christ will |
| Religion should also enable one to live each day | | | | always hit a resounding chord within my soul. I feel that |
| joyfully, and with the inner resources it takes to move | | | | through Buddhist practice I fully express the heart of |
| both mole hills and mountains. In Nichiren Buddhism, all | | | | those teachings. I believe that these same teachings |
| of these requirements are met to my satisfaction. | | | | are the essence of what it means to be human. |
| [Buddhist Teachings] | | | | For me, Nichiren Buddhism enables me to bring these |
| This Buddhism teaches that our lives are eternal and | | | | core values to life every day. I think this is why there |
| that on the deepest level we are all Buddhas, or | | | | have even been times when my mother has picked |
| people enlightened to the ultimate truth of life. It | | | | up on a bad vibe I'm giving off and asked, "Have you |
| teaches that each one of us is worthy of the greatest | | | | been praying?" Ma hasn't asked me this often, but |
| respect. | | | | whenever my funky mood has led her to do so, truth |
| Nichiren Buddhists pray by chanting the phrase | | | | is that I've hardly been praying at all. In her Southern |
| Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. We do this as often as we | | | | Baptist, mother-love way, Ma leads me back to the |
| like, but traditionally, at least every morning and evening. | | | | faith of my choice where I sit before my family's altar |
| In addition to chanting, we recite sections of the Lotus | | | | and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo until my heart is |
| Sutra.This scripture was preached in India roughly 1,000 | | | | content. |
| years before the Christian era by Shakyamuni. He is | | | | |