Hi everyone,
The following are tentative guidelines that I am writing up to use at Nichiren Shu meetings that I am either hosting or involved in directing from afar. I wrote them based on my experiences with many Buddhist groups and observing the dynamics of those groups, and also based on stories my wife tells me about teaching classes and how disruptive and disrespectful the students can be to the teacher and to each other. I have also read on various yahoo groups complaints about a certain carelessness at gongyo and how others find that disturbing. So what I am wondering is if anyone would care to read through these and let me know what you think. Do they come across as too strict or not strict enough? Did I leave something out? And so on.
Ok here it is:
In the Sacred Services of Nichiren Shu we cite a modified version of a passage from chapter 21 of the Lotus Sutra that reads: "Know that wherever this sutra is worshipped is the place of enlightenment." Bearing this in mind, we must show reverence in our attitudes and actions for this place of enlightenment, for our fellow practitioners, and for the Gohonzon. To have a casual, negligent, or even disrespectful attitude in the time and place of practice is tantamount to slandering the three jewels of the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha and the Buddha-nature of ourselves and others. Though we should show the reverence and respect that Bodhisattva Superior Practice displayed to all beings throughout our lives, the time and place for reciting the Odaimoku and the Lotus Sutra before the Gohonzon should be an especially regarded as the time and place to cultivate such reverence and respect. If we cannot show reverence and respect in the presence of the Omandala-Gohonzon and our fellow practitioners, then when will we? So please keep these following points in mind when coming to Nichiren Shu meetings:
1. Please try to be on time to services and practice sessions. If one is unavoidably constrained due to family or traffic or some other incident, then please make sure that when you come in you do not distract anyone or disrupt the service. Keep in mind that if coming late means that someone must break away from the service to let you in (for instance if the meeting is in a home or apartment or some other space where doors cannot be left open) - then it is better to wait outside until the formal service is over and then be let in. But above all - you must not distract or disrupt the service and most especially not those who are conducting the service.
2. Shut off your cell phone, pagers, or other electronic devices that might make noise and disrupt the service. Remembering to shut off such devices is part of the practice of mindfulness and is part of showing reverence and respect to the Gohonzon and one's fellow practitioners. If one does forget and you receive a call or some other signal, please shut the device off immediately and/or leave immediately. Under no circumstance should you take a call in the place of practice while a service is going on.
3. Make sure to take off your shoes in places where shoes are to be taken off. Check to see if other people are wearing shoes and if not, where shoes are put when taken off before entering the practice space. Also, if in a temple and one is at a service where one is
expected to go up to the altar area to offer incense, one must remember to take off one's shoes. Usually the minister will explain this beforehand, but also watch to see what other people are doing.
4. If one is at a service and there is a time for the congregation to offer incense, please do not hurry but walk up, offer the incense, and depart in a dignified manner. And if one is coming
between the doshi (officiant) and the Gohonzon, please remember to bow to the doshi before stepping in front of him, and again when stepping away. This is basically to excuse yourself for coming in between the doshi and the Gohonzon. At the same time that you should
not hurry, you also should not dawdle or offer long prayers when offering incense. Please be mindful that other people are awaiting their turn
.
5. If one is at a service and the congregation is expected to beat the hand drums during the chanting of Odaimoku please be mindful and do not drop the drums during the service. Please place them somewhere that they will not fall or be harmed. And when beating the
drum, please make sure to be in rhythm with the taiko drummer and/or the mokusho. Be mindful that when the bell is rung for the final three Odaimoku the rhythm will change. Watch carefully.
6. When chanting the Odaimoku or the Lotus Sutra, please try to stay in rhythm with the ministers or lay leaders. The mokusho and/or taiko will help set the rhythm, but there may be times when one is chanting without such instruments. In any case, please keep the same rhythm and tempo so that Odaimoku chanting can be harmonious. Do not chant in such a way that it disrupts the harmony.
7. Sometimes after a service there may be a Dharma talk or even a discussion period. During this time, do not hold private conversations. Only one person should be speaking at a time, and the
others should show their respect by listening attentively. If it is a discussion meeting, please be mindful that everyone should have a chance to speak or ask questions. Do not monopolize the
conversation. Also, stay on topic. And if the minister or lay leader who is facilitating the talk asks you to save your comment or question for later or reminds you to please come back to the topic
or that it is someone else's turn to speak - do not take that personally. The facilitator of the discussion is simply trying to make sure everyone has a chance to speak. If you think that you are
being neglected or unfairly cut off, please talk to the facilitator about this afterwards.
8. If it is a Nichiren Shu meeting and discussion, the topic should be about Nichiren Buddhism. While it is ok to occasionally discuss other Buddhist teachings, this should be related to the practice of the Lotus Sutra according to Nichiren Shu. Also, discussion meetings
may have different themes. Please be attentive to those themes. Many times it is entirely appropriate to talk about how the Lotus Sutra and the gosho and the practice of Nichiren Buddhism relate to daily life and current concerns and issues. But on the other hand, a
discussion meeting is not a place to seek psychological counseling (either form the minister or lay leader or from the group as a whole) or secular advice. It is a place to shed the light of the
Dharma on our lives and not a place for group therapy.
9. Buddhist meetings should discuss the values that shape our lives. These values may impact our decisions in economic, social, and political matters. Buddhism teaches the value of life - and so it will have something to say about war, capital punishment, abortion,
euthanasia and other issues. Buddhism teaches right livelihood and that one should not take what is not given - and so will have something to say about how one earns a living and about economic and social justice. Buddhism teaches about the equality of all beings
and so will have something to say about discrimination. On the other hand, the Buddha did not play partisan politics and neither should we. The Buddha taught his insights and values and teachings about cause and effect to the people of his day and then told them "Now is
the time to do as you see fit" as they returned to their secular duties and obligations. He left it up to them and their conscience to decide what to do. We also must leave it to the individual to
decide how to vote or whether or not to demonstrate for a particular cause. A minister might interpret the Dharma and decide that he/she must speak out on a certain issue or even demonstrate (or refrain from demonstrating). But a minister and other members of a Sangha
should not be telling others how to vote or whether or not to demonstrate or what political party to join or which candidate to back. It is the responsibility of the Sangha and its leaders to
teach the Dharma, not to indoctrinate people in political, social, or economic views except indirectly by virtue of teaching the Buddha Dharma and its values and insights. But the specific application of those values and insights must be left to each person to "do as they
see fit."
10. When leaving the place of practice, be sure to leave everything as you found it - if not in a better condition than you found it. This is everyone's responsibility. Fluff cushions and make sure they are set right, put chairs back where they belong, make sure that no rubbish is left behind, and so on. One must show reverence and respect and even gratitude to the place of practice and those who have made it available (even in a rented situation). This reverence, respect, and gratitude might even extend to making a dana offering to help support those who have made the meeting possible and to help pay for the costs of the space and/or other materials that were
needed to hold the meeting or other overheard on the part of those hosting the meeting (for instance a minister might have to pay tolls when going back and forth across a bridge in order to come to the meeting space). Such dana is also part of taking care of the space
and those who have made it possible to gather and practice there. Please do not take these things for granted but remember that reverence, respect, gratitude, and generosity are at the heart of Buddhist practice.
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei
Hi Greg,
LOL! No, no. Nothing bad happened. It is just that sometimes people act in a way that is inconsiderate and/or disruptive and as a minister I sometimes am asked how to deal with this by people who are holding practice/discussion meetings. Also, after years of observing, participating in, and facilitating various meetings (San Jose Temple, Mt. Source Sangha, Faithful Fools, Sutra Salon, Tranquility and Insight Reading Group, and others), years of hearing my wife talk about her students conduct in the classes she teaches, and years of reading people talking about SGI meetings (what they like and what they don't), and after reading some of Dogen's guidelines for practice halls it occured to me that maybe Nichiren Buddhists should consider some basic forms of reverence and common courtesy when coming to the temple and/or to practice/discussion meetings and/or Dharma conferences. It would be nice if such things didn't need to be said - but situations do crop up where common courtesy is not followed. These guidelines are a way of telling people what to expect at meetings beforehand, so that people don't have to be singled out and told to be more courteous and respectful. This way everyone is literally on the same page.
And really, in this culture, people could use some more manners and lessons in mutual respect. Don't they still have to teach this stuff at martial arts dojos? I know that I had to be taught such forms and courtesies when I did Tae Kwon Do back in high school. I also did Western Fencing, and it had its own forms and traditions. So why not Buddhist temples and practice centers?
The only thing is - one must not go to the other extreme of cold and unfriendly formalism. That is also a danger. But right now the imbalance in Nichiren Buddhism is in the direction of a disrespectful casualness on the part of some people (not necessarily anyone I know if people are reading this and thinking "Gosh, I hope he doesn't mean me!" but if you're concerned please read the list and just determine to be more mindful).
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei
I thought they are pretty good guidelines for conduct at meetings. I'm someone get irritated at those, who even after reminding several times, still forget to turn off their cellphones at meetings. It's just common courtesy.
M.
Posted by: Michele at March 17, 2007 07:06 PM