Nichiren Buddhism Manifest itself as a True Black  Cultural Entity

When I first joined NSA or Nichiren Shoshu of America I saw Buddhism in Memphis manifest in a way that included the culture of Black people and the religion grew. Later I saw first Japanese leaders inhibit the Black culture and the religion declined. Later I witness Japanese Priest inhibit the Black culture and I saw the religion decline. One's cultural expression is the heart and soul of a people and with out culture there is no life. When the slave masters brought Africans to America they destroyed the culture of the people because the culture of a people is a way to express their growth.

When Buddhism traveled from India to China there was a great cultural divide between Indian and Chinese. The Indian people were very passive and they could sit for hours meditating. In China Bodhidharma introduced Buddhism to the Shaolin Buddhist temple as a form of Martial Arts, this art was later known a Kung Fu and Buddhist Priest studied Martial Arts as way to learn Buddhism. Buddhism manifested itself in a cultural fashion.

In America when the Africans were forced to learn the White cultural Christian religion the religion and faith manifested its expression in music. The Black music was the first original music developed in America; this original America music was called "Negro Spirituals." During the introduction of Buddhism in America the NSA Buddhist organizations put own cultural festivals and they racially failed to recognize that the first original music in America is the "Negro Spirituals." Later music styles such as Blues, Jazz, Soul and Rock and Roll emerged in America. The Country and Western Music was only a White version of the Black Blues music.

Buddhism will never grow in America unless it manifest itself in the culture of American people

Black people I actually made history and for the first time in my over 40 year practicing as a Nichiren  Buddhist I am able to integrate traditional "Real Black Culture" into my Buddhist faith. In my sincerity to teach Buddhism in a way that others can understand it the "Buddhist Gods" sent the master to give this brother some assistance at explaining Buddhism. Can you imagine the joy that I feel that I am able to employ the assistance of perhaps the greatest singer of soul love ballads in the history of mankind I call on the "Late Luther Vandross." There is no way in the hell a Japanese can tell a love story to Black folk like Luther. Any sister out there know when I put on Luther you know what the hell I am talking about. I hope the hell my wife do not read what I am about to write. Imagine being in love with a person and you have to face the reality that you and this person can never be together. In your life you pray that you can get " If Only One Night" you know the joy and the pain. Please play Luther Vandross and let him tell the story. The issue of Love, Sex and Relationship is some serious stuff and I call upon Luther Vandross to help me tell my story.  How many of you wish that you can have just one night. Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism deals with all of these issues. Click on the picture to the left and hear the song; "If only for one night."

Nichiren Buddhism deals with Sex, Love and Relationships. In 1994 I was dating a woman and I had no idea that I really loved her. This woman broke up with me and I saw her with another man and this almost killed me. I had to use my Buddhist faith to just survive. I understand why love drives people to kill, commit suicide, take drugs or go crazy. When my ex-friend broke my heart I used my Buddhist faith and I went to Africa to find a wife and in my mind I said that "Anyone who has a heart" can take me. Please click on this picture and listen to the Luther Vandross song anyone has a heart. This may sound crazy but I was so hurt that I walked right up to a woman in Africa in Nairobi, Kenya and I told her that I was heart broken and that I was a good man and if she wanted a Good man I would marry her and take her to America. The African woman agreed. Buddhism teaches us that it is the challenges in life that makes us who we are and the real cause for true happiness. The real joy is being able to accept love. This Luther Vandross song, anyone who has a heart is actually my life story at one time. Click on the picture to listen to this song.

Tina Turner is the world's most noted Nichiren Buddhist who tells her story of Love, Sex and Relationships in her book and Movie; "I Tina." Many people and especially women joined the Buddhist faith as a direct result of Tina Turner joining the faith. When Tina joined Buddhism the organization was called NSA or Nichiren Shoshu of America. In 1991 the organization fractured between the Priesthood and the lay organization. The lay organization lead by powerful lay leader Daisaku Ikeda took 90% of the members and formed his own Buddhist sect called the SGI. The remaining Buddhist became direct Nichiren Shoshu Temple members who are lead in faith with the over 750 year old Buddhist traditions. Tina Turner has been wise enough not to let herself be used and she keeps her loyalty close to her heart and she calls herself simply a Buddhist. Those interested in learning Buddhism can take the story of Tina Turner, one who was courageous in her Buddhist faith to turn her life around and become one of the most powerful female singers in the history of mankind.  Click on the picture to hear Tina chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Let me take you into the "Profound teachings of Buddhism." Before you can begin to understand the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin we must first introduce or re-introduce to you the concept of Karma as it is taught in Nichiren  Buddhism. Please note that in my lecture I take a lot of liberty and I go further than most writings on the subject. In common everyday terms; our existence in this world is the result of past causes that we made in other lifetimes. We are taught that our present moment includes the entity of our past, present and future existences. What we are today is the result of our past causes and what we will become tomorrow is the result of what we do today. Since Tiger Woods is a point of discussion we will use Tiger to explain the Teachings of Nichiren  Buddhism. From a Buddhist prospective we will say that Tiger Woods was a golfer in his past life and he brought those skillis with him in this life. He did not become the world's greatest golfer in one lifetime.  Tiger came into this world swinging a golf club see video of him swinging a club at 2 years old. Nichiren  Buddhist do not go around publicly making such states but we see no discontinuity of the past, present and the future.  All phenomena is interelated.

The Gosho (Buddhist Bible) "The True Aspect of All Phenomena" reads; The true aspect of all phenomena [can only be understood and shared between Buddhas. This reality consists of the appearance, nature . . . and] their consistency from beginning to end."

Buddhism explains the phenoma of  Tiger Woods.   Click on the above pictures  to see video.

1. Appearance: attributes of things discernible from the outside, such as color, form, shape, and behavior.  Tiger Woods appear as a baby playing golf.

2. Nature: the inherent disposition or quality of a thing or being that cannot be discerned from the outside. T'ient'ai characterizes it as unchanging and irreplaceable. The nature of fire, for instance, is unchanging and cannot be replaced by that of water. He also refers to the "true nature," which he regards as the ultimate truth, or Buddha nature. Tiger Woods is almost born playing Golf.

3. Entity: the essence of life that permeates and integrates appearance and nature. These first three factors describe the reality of life itself.  Tiger Woods was an entity early in life. The next six factors, from the fourth, power, through the ninth, manifest effect, explain the functions and workings of life.

4. Power: life's potential energy.  Tiger was born with an inate power in golf

5. Influence: Even at the age of 2 years old Tiger was an influence

6. Internal cause: the cause latent in life that produces an effect of the same quality as itself, i.e., good, evil, or neutral. All phenomena has an Internal cause. The Internal cause was the fact that everybody knew that when Tiger Grew up he was going to be a force in golf.

7. Relation: the relationship of indirect causes to the internal cause. Indirect causes are various conditions, both internal and external, that help the internal cause produce an effect. We also can describe Relation as Karma.  The relation is what we call Karma and Tiger came upon the earth destined to be a great Golfer.

8. Latent effect: the effect produced in life when an internal cause is activated through its relationship with various conditions. Everyone knew when Tiger was 2 years old when he grows up the latent effect will be him becoming a great golfer.

9. Manifest effect: the tangible, perceivable result that emerges in time as an expression of a latent effect and therefore of an internal cause, again through its relationship with various conditions.  The manifest effect is the fact that Tiger Woods is the greatest Golfer in the world.

10. Consistency from beginning to end: the unifying factor among the ten factors. It indicates that all of the other nine factors from the beginning (appearance) to the end (manifest effect) are consistently and harmoniously interrelated. All nine factors thus consistently and harmoniously express the same condition of existence at any given moment. If we take all of the nine factors we will find that they are consistent from beginning to end.

The Ten Aspects of All Phenomena

All Penomena Manifest The Ten Aspects But The Problems In Life is Managing The 10 Worlds.

1 Hell Physical or mental condition distress

2. Hunger desire

3. Animality or basic instinctual actions

4. Anger rage or passion to overtake

5. Humanity or tranquility peace or calm state

6. Rapture or heaven or Joy

7. Learning the condition of absorbing knowledge or adapting

8. Self realization or absorption in common term learning things by practice.

9. Bodhisattva is our compassionate or loving protecting nature or condition

10. Buddha hood is our highest life condition or enlightenment state.

Nichiren Buddhism explains that all phenomena exist in 3000 realms or moments of life. This theory is called Ichinen Sanzen. All phenomena has Ten Aspects 10 x 10 worlds=100 x 10 = 1000 and each world exist in each world x 3 realms= 3000. Instead of giving a complicated theory we use the lecuture of Love, Sex and Relationships  to teach Nichiren  Buddhism to make it interesting and understandable.