Since November 4, 2008 I have never been the same and my life as a Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist will never be the same again. We are ushering the start of a Buddhist era worldwide or a more enlighten society and an opportunity for Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism to flourish.

Those of you who are following or reading this lecture let me share with about the teachings of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism and you can get some introduction into the Buddhist teachings. The main reason that I am writing this lecture is the point of me not being able to find any Buddhist writings on the subject. I am amazed at the void and disconnect that I find regarding Buddhist on this subject. Presently the spirit of Buddhist teachings emit from Japanese leaders and it seems that most members of my Buddhist set follow the lead of our Nichiren Shoshu Priest whom seem to be oblivious or not connected to the passion and interest of the Presidency of Barack Obama. One of the reasons that I created this website so that I could share about Buddhism in an ethnic or what I call a culturally conscientious manner.

On Sunday evening December 28, 2008 I was at a Kwanzaa meeting and an Afro-Centric African Centered Christian women  commented that it was God who made it possible for Barack Obama to become the 1st Black President in America's history. The explanation for all of the phenomena that allowed this historic event to happen is in the opinion of many Christians that this historic election was “THE WILL of GOD.” In a Buddhist definition this result is what we Buddhist call Karma. We Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist view phenomena in a different way and we pray that this lecture gives you an understanding of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism.

Buddhism explains that Karma or phenomena happens when the time and conditions are correct and it was not a God or some omnipotent force that made this phenomenon happen. Let us examine the external conditions when Barack Obama launched his campaign.

Barack Obama launched his United States Presidential campaign on February 10, 2007 in Springfield, Illinois. At this time he was more than just a “Black Candidate,” he was a young, handsome charismatic United States Senator who had galvanized the idea of a “New America” of being characterized not as  red states or Blue states, but he sold an idea that we all are “The United States. Per his July 24, 2004 speech in Boston at the Democratic convention; it was this speech that launched Barack Obama in the national and international spotlight and lead him to become a nationally known as a Senatorial candidate from Illinois along with the good fortune of both Democratic and Republican opposition dropping out and leaving him almost unchallenged for the Illinois Senate seat.  (karma or good fortune)

Another cause and effect phenomenon that contributed to his rise was the fact that on March 16, 2003 before the invasion of Iraq, Barack Obama addressed an anti war rally against the start of the Iraq war. While other leaders in America did not have the will to challenge President Bush this young Illinois State Senator came out against the war and this made him an instant leader when he became a candidate for U.S. President and this action delineated him from most leaders in America because he had taken an early stand against an unpopular war that most of America had turned against.

The Buddhist religion of Nichiren Shoshu deals with phenomenon as it relates to the “Law of Cause and Effect.” So that I can jump into the teachings of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism let me take my argument right into a Buddhist concept that is foreign to most readers of “Western Thought.” Many Christians view the election victory of Barack Obama contributed to the work of an omnipotent, omnipresent being called “GOD.” Some describe this Omnipotent, Omnipresent being Jesus. We Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist explain all phenomena in relationship to the law of cause and effect. Buddhism teaches that phenomena occur when “time and conditions are correct and when this happens we will witness a Karmic manifestation. We are in a generation of rap, youth, Hollywood and nerds who are able to relate beyond one's ethnic background.

One thing that I can agree with a Christian regarding this matter is the fact that Barack Obama did have the assistance of a unique “Being.” Buddhism does teach about Beings and there are countless “Beings” throughout our universe. However “All Beings” are subjected or relevant to the Universal law of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo or the Mystic law of cause and effect teachings. We will get deeper into the concept in our lecture but let me take you to the causal relationship of the being or phenomena that most attributed to the success of Barack Obama becoming the 1st President of African decent in America.

Barack Obama did not become President of the United States of America because he was Black, but he became President of America inspite of the challenges and obstacles he faced because he was Black. In the case of African/Americans his Blackness did galvanize a Black electoral and youth to come out in record numbers. The most important phenomena that catapulted Barack Obama in the game was via the assistance of “Sentient” and “Insentient beings. Now we are touching the surface of the teachings of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism. Let us first define “Sentient” and “Insentient beings”. Insentient those beings or objects that have no emotions or consciousness, such as trees and stones. The term is contrasted with sentient beings, those forms of life that possess senses, emotions, or consciousness. Buddhism classifies all existences into two categories: sentient and insentient. Sentient is those living things endowed with feelings, emotion, and beings. Buddhism broadly classifies all existence into sentient and consciousness; that is, most of the animal kingdom including human sentient beings. "Insentient beings," while including plants, also includes non-living things such as stones and water.

Nichiren Shoshu teaches that life at each moment" means life as an indivisible whole that includes body and mind, cause and effect, and sentient and insentient things.  The relationship of these two elements is not such that one precedes the other, or that they are simultaneous in the sense that one is included in the other. Actually they are non-dual or, as T'ient'ai put it, "two [in phenomena] but not two [in essence]." The provisional teachings stated that all phenomena arise from the mind, or that they are subordinate to the mind.