On September 10, 2006, I attended the First Rainbow Workshop sponsored by the Headquarters of Hawaii Nichiren Missions in association with the Nichiren Buddhist International Center. The workshop was held at the Nichiren Mission of Hawaii Betsuin. Workshop lecturers included ministers from the missions in Hawaii and as well as from the Nichiren Buddhist International Center. Workshop participants included members from all of the Nichiren temples on Oahu, Maui and Hawaii.
This was the first time I participated in a formal Nichiren-Shu activity other than O-Bon and memorial services at the Betsuin. I therefore was not exactly sure what to expect. However, I was pleasantly surprised with the variety of activities and the factual and spiritual education. A brief summary of the workshop lectures and instructions follows:
Chanting Practice – Rev. Ryuken Akahoshi of the Nichiren Buddhist International Center taught us the "Ichi Ichi Mon Mon" method of chanting which we applied to the Chapter II and XVI Sutras. This method of chanting is very beautiful because of the rhythm and almost musical tones.
Lecture on the Transmission of the Lotus Sutra – Rev. Akahoshi presented an indepth and rather involved lecture on The Buddha, some of His teachings, and His concern for continuing His teachings after His extinction. This was my first exposure to this information and I found it to be very complex and confusing. For the first time however, I began to understand the relationship between The Buddha, the teachings of the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Shonin. I also realized there is much more to learn about this subject.
Shakyo (Copying the Odaimoku) - Rev. Ikenaga of the Myohoji Temple taught us not only how to copy the Odaimoku, but more importantly, the deep meaning and manifestations of this practice. He explained about meditating before starting Shakyo, bowing three times before copying each character, and that skill is not required – only faith. This was my first experience with using a "fude" (brush) and copying the Odaimoku. It was a very refreshing experience and provided a nice balance to the more serious and involved lectures.
Lecture on the life of Nichiren Shonin – Rev. Hirai of the Nichiren Mission of Hawaii (Betsuin) presented a biography of Nichiren Shonin. He prefaced the biography by relating the situation in Japan around Nichiren Shonin's birth with situations in China and Europe and the evolution of Christianity. The comparisons were very interesting and helped in understanding Nichiren Shonin's life and his endeavors and difficulties in founding Nichiren Buddhism. Rev. Hirai's lecture also helped to relate the founding of Nichiren Buddhism with Rev. Akahoshi's earlier lecture on the transmission of the Lotus Sutra and the life of Sakyamuni Buddha.
Shodaigyo Service – Rev. Akahoshi taught us how to perform the Shodaigyo service that is one of the important practices for Nichiren shu followers. It is a unique service because it involves both meditation and recitation. Rev. Akahoshi taught us the elements of the service that included:
- The proper way to gassho and pay respect to the Gohonzon (bow);
- The proper way to meditate before and after reciting the Odaimoku. This included instruction on how to position our hands and how to inhale, hold our breath and exhale.
- The proper way to recite the Odaimoku.
The Shodaigyo service was my first exposure to and experience with meditation. I always thought that all we had to do was recite the various sutras. I didn't know about proper procedures, especially those for meditation. This was therefore a very unique and interesting experience for me.
Summary and Comments – Mr. Eric Kawatani explained that this was the very first workshop and therefore requested comments. All of the comments were favorable – many "firsts" for many of us. The participants agreed that follow-on workshops would be beneficial. The discussion then turned to concerns about declining membership. Mr. Kawatani stated that this is a problem facing many church groups and that more comprehensive analyses of the reasons for the decline and possible corrective action(s) are required. It was suggested that this problem might need to be the subject of a separate workshop/discussion group.
My Summary - Everything presented during the workshop was "new" to me and therefore very interesting and inspirational. I gained a better understanding of Nichiren Buddhism and learned proper procedures for reciting the sutras as well as the Shodaigyo service. I also learned how much more there is to learn and therefore look forward to subsequent Rainbow Workshops.