Oh, hello. Where have I been? I've been in Italy, that's where. I found several Nichiren-related links in my inbox upon my return....

Regarding food offering to the gohonzon, Shoshu has this advice:

...A proper food offering would be vegetarian, being careful to avoid odiferous foods such as onions or garlic...

Don't stink up your altar area. See more squabbling about food oferings here.

Here's a Kempon Hokke chanting guy video. Not sure what it is or what it means. Would be nice if it had been accompanied by some descriptive text.
Remember the questions and suspicions regarding Soka Gakkai's Spirit of Knowledge charter school in Massachusetts? (If not, see here and here.) The New York Times shines a light on charter schools in Texas that are receiving more than $100 million a year in taxpayer funds:

Some of the schools' operators and founders, and many of their suppliers, are followers of Fethullah Gulen, a charismatic Turkish preacher of a moderate brand of Islam whose devotees have built a worldwide religious, social and nationalistic movement in his name. Gulen followers have been involved in starting similar schools around the country - there are about 120 in all, mostly in urban centers in 25 states, one of the largest collections of charter schools in America.

So Spirit of Knowledge isn't the only charter school sponsored by a dubious religious sect and profiting from public $$$.

Oh, look! Finally, someone has started a new Nichiren-based religious organization. Why hasn't anyone tried that before? (Remember this, brooke?)

Chanting made Courtney Love literally miss the boat, according to the New York Post:

But before the boat loaded up, Love insisted on heading to her hotel "to chant," a source said. By the time she got to the docks, the rest of Istancool had floated away without her.

Apparently, there's some sort of rule about government officials in India not being allowed to join Soka Gakkai. Not clear if it's a Soka rule or the Indian government's rule. If it's the latter, wise move.

The organisation is open to everybody, barring politicians and those holding sensitive government posts, says Reddi.

Porn star yoga gurus. No, it's not about Nichiren Buddhism, exactly. I have noted that India seems to be in Soka's sights as a hotbed for expansion. Liberate-the-planet sects based on charismatic gurus all sound the same:

"We are blending ancient knowledge with modern science. The Indian potential is big. There is a big need for such a comprehensive approach on spirituality. In five years, there will be hundreds of thousands of our students in India," says Mihai...

Getting kids involved in chanting at the Portland Buddhist Festival according to OregonLive.com:

...the children's "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo" chant, led by Jason Litts, an adult from Nichiren Sangha, a Buddhist organization in Vancouver. The chant comes from the Lotus Sutra, an ancient Buddhist text, and explains the way life works.

Litts said that chanting is an important part of focusing a Buddhist's mind. This task can certainly be particularly challenging for energetic children.

"If you're really chanting in earnest, you don't have a choice to really be thinking about what you're going to have for supper tonight or things that happened earlier in the week," he said.

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