Discussions

I practice with Rissho Kosei-Kai (RKK), which is an inclusive Japanese Buddhist tradition based on the Lotus Sutra. The main daily practice is chanting portions of the Lotus Sutra which is a Mahayana text and Odaimoku (its title). Most RKK English speakers actually chant in English so we understand and internalize what we are chanting while it also functions as a mindfulness practice.

But RKK is unique (especially among other schools which focus on the Lotus Sutra) in that it uses the Lotus Sutra as an "expedient mean" itself to focus on basic Buddhist teachings - 4 Noble Truths, Eightfold Path, etc. which are emphasized in the Theravada traditions (RKK tries very hard to focus on "Ekayana" - One Vehicle" practice. In fact, its other predominant and unique dharma practice is hoza - a type of facilitated discussion between sangha members (who can be trained as hoza facilitators) examining life issues using the lens of these basic Buddhist teachings to practically apply Buddhadharma to everyday issues.

I have found that RKK as well as many other Japanese Buddhist traditions here in the West tend to be very open to "secular Buddhists" and naturalistic interpretations of Buddhadharma. What has been the experience of others in this regard?

Gassho,

Dave

Dave, thanks for telling us about RKK; this is the first I've heard about it. I'd like to hear more about how hoza works -- could you give us more details? As far as acceptance of naturalistic interpretations, my experience has been that not many dharma teachers of any stripe in America spend time talking about the supernatural elements of Buddhist doctrine. I've heard hundreds of hours of dharma talks from SFZC, which is Soto Zen, and when things like cosmic bodhisattvas, hell realms, hungry ghosts, etc are brought up at all they are usually used as psychological symbolism. So on that level there is no insistance on belief in the supernatural. But everything that actually happened in the Zen center I attended was overladen with religious practice -- bowing and prostrating before a Buddha statue, making offerings, chanting dharanis, etc. When you ask there's always a practical, practice-related excuse for why they do these things, but I always wondered why it was necessary for practice to involve so much medieval Japanese religious procedure. I really value the mindfulness community I practice with now, where I never have to behave as if I believe something I don't.

Instead of "chanting" mantras and things like in many Buddhist schools, "chanting" in RKK is actually reciting small portions of chapters of the Threefold Lotus Sutra in English. These are generally parables about aspects of dharma practice which teach about the concept of skillful or expedient means (an important concept in secular Buddhism and a topic that is emphasized in the Lotus Sutra). So we are reciting important lessons from the Lotus Sutra to be internalized - and yes, I get more from some chapters than others.

But I also have Asperger's Syndrome with some physical ailments and so sitting meditation practices for lengthy periods of time was always difficult for me. I do have a "musical" mind (I can recreate classical pieces in my head) though so recitation in a type of monotone helps to provoke changes in consciousness (which elicits the relaxation response) while focusing on what I am reciting helps to evoke mindfulness (I also use breathing practice). This being the case I specifically looked at schools which had practices which I would more likely follow so I especially looked at the Japanese traditions including Jodo Shinshu (Shin Buddhism - I would be Shin if I was not in RKK), SGI (Soka Gakkai), and Nichiren Shu.

I find that reciting and focusing on dharma teachings which I can interpret naturalistically helps me to be more mindful of them during my daily life and helps me to pause, consider, and then respond to someone rather than always just responding from an emotional reaction (I work in the field of social work so this is a helpful skill). The focus on the "ten worlds" in RKK for most Westerners is more on changes in mood and reaction during the day which can make our day hellish or heavenly, make us respond more like a Buddha or bodhisattva (which the Lotus Sutra teaches that ultimately arahant = bodhisattva just two sides of the same coin), etc. Rebirth is considered more of a moment to moment thing rather than a literal truth.

Hoza simply put is most like a Buddhadharma support group. Niwano, the founder of RKK, was concerned about making Buddhist teachings practical and relevant to daily life.

In many ways Rissho Kosei-kai is like the mirror opposite of SGI (Soka Gakkai) although they both have a similar practice. SGI can be quite dogmatic and authoritarian (I looked into SGI before finding RKK). RKK is very inclusive, works cooperatively with other Buddhist groups, and the founder of RKK was a friend of a president of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UU) and RKK and UU remain partner organizations.

It seems your practice is very close to some of what went on during the Buddha's day. He speaks of chanting as a way of learning the lessons and focusing on them. Dual purpose in those days: spread the sermons far and wide by having people memorize them and carry them out there, and using them as a meditation and teaching tool at the same time!

Hi Dave S.

I get curious on this one.

I specifically looked at schools which had practices
which I would more likely follow so I especially looked at
the Japanese traditions including Jodo Shinshu (Shin Buddhism -
I would be Shin if I was not in RKK),
SGI (Soka Gakkai), and Nichiren Shu.

I would not say that I am a Shin Buddhist but that is
the school I looked briefly into since 2009.
I've been active on one of their email lists.

I've been mindful (in the ordinary sense of
what being mindful means) of their thinking
since 2009. Jodo Shu does a lot of chanting?

I am not sure of if Shin Buddhist chants a lot
in their temples. I have to ask Ivan and Jeff
about that. I live in Sweden and we have very
many Buddhists and not a single of them Shin.

Maybe we have RKK? I have not looked though.
I read about them now today thanks to you
mentioning your activity. So that is interesting.

Tell us more about the differences between RKK
and Jodo Shinshu. Why do you prefer RKK.

Maybe I do too when I get to know them
but I know zero about them. I made a link
and quote from their site in another thread.

That text did remind me of views on Amida
in Shin.

Topic: Dharma as the Eternal Buddha. A secular interpretation?
http://secularbuddhism.org/forum/secular-buddhist-community-group3/buddhist-texts-forum5/dharma-as-the-eternal-buddha-a-secular-interpretation-thread144.0#postid-1864

Would you say that quote is a good one? Can one do a secular interpretation of it?

I'm a social worker so I tend to find Hoza useful not only for myself, but also with my clients. I don't identify it as "Hoza" and avoid Buddhist-specific terms but it does help to step back from the emotional impact of a situation and critically analyze cause and effect especially using the framework of the Four Noble Truths. This makes Buddhadharma very concrete and practical, and less "mystical".

Like many who studied in the Japanese-American Buddhist traditions, I interpret Buddhadharma naturalistically anyways so that is not that difficult. And a naturalistic interpretation of Buddhist teachings always ends up focusing more on the core Buddhist teachings from the early Pali (Theravada and related) traditions and viewing Mahayana teachings as a form of skillful or expedient means for practice and understanding.

BTW, the whole focus of "secular" or "skeptical" Buddhism is nothing new as many American Buddhists involved with the more Japanese "ethnic" traditions that evolved into new understandings here in America such as Jodo Shinshu aka Shin Buddhism such as Buddhist Churches of America, Rissho Kosei-kai, Nichiren schools, or Bright Dawn Sangha have been doing that for many years. I do think that over time many of these naturalistic American Mahayana Buddhists tend to find that the expedient means (such as Amida Buddha or the Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni or the Gohonzon as metaphorically representing Dharmakaya - the interdependent forces of the Universe) become less necessary and central to practice (this was one of the reasons that Bright Dawn Sangha evolved out of Shin Buddhism).

Bright Dawn does not use Amida Buddha as a focus of devotion as it is a stumbling block for many Westerners (the focus has been to develop a uniquely American form of Buddhism that speaks to Americans).

However, there has been some new influx of Shin Buddhists into Bright Dawn who still use some of the traditional practices.(There is also someone there who is into a more literal supernaturalist Jodo Shu practice - he believes that Amida and the Pure Land are literally real - so Bright Dawn let him set up his own online group to talk about his understanding. A note - he does not tend to get the concept of expedient or skillful means which was discussed extensively in the Lotus Sutra.)

The online Bright Dawn sangha is:

http://brightdawnsangha.ning.com/

You can find out more about Bright Dawn itself at:

http://www.brightdawn.org/about.html

(Click on the links on each teach's name will give insight into how Bright Dawn orients itself

I was a "skeptical" Buddhist for well over 10 years before discovering Sasana and this site in the Japanese Buddhist traditions such as Rissho Kosei-kai, Nichiren Shu, Soka Gakkai, and Jodo Shinshu aka Shin Buddhism where few Japanese-American Buddhists or American converts batted an eye if you said that you did not believe in a literal rebirth or a literal Amida or Pure Land (while not all members of these groups at least in the United States are skeptical and naturalistic, it's common enough among both laity and leaders to be accepted - in the Lotus Sutra those types of teachings which are unproven and based on supernaturalist claims may be deemed expedient or skillful means).