Nichiren Group
At a variety of locations in Cornwall, Nichiren Buddhists who are members of SGI-UK regularly meet to hold discussion meetings. These are open-forum gatherings where experiences are exchanged and our practice is demonstrated and explained. Contact information about your nearest group. All who are interested to find out more are welcome at our discussion meetings.
Our conviction, as Nichiren Buddhists, is that an inherent Buddha nature exists in everyone and the aim of our basic and accessible practice is to activate this life state. The qualities of courage, life-force, wisdom and compassion, that are characteristic of the Buddha within each of us, enable us to become happy and fulfilled, interacting with others and with our environment in the most positive and life enhancing way.
SGI stands for Soka Gakkai International, the International Value Creating Society.
In 1256 in Japan the great Buddhist sage Nichiren wrote:
“If you wish to free yourself from the sufferings of birth and death you have endured since time without beginning and to attain without fail unsurpassed enlightenment in this lifetime, you must perceive the mystic truth that is originally inherent in all living beings. This truth is Myoho-renge-kyo.”
The syllables “Myoho-renge-kyo” in these opening words of Nichiren's collected writings form the ancient Japanese title of the Lotus Sutra, the first historical Buddha's teaching for our time. In subsequent texts Nichiren explained that, by putting the character Nam (meaning devotion) before Myoho-renge-kyo one makes of it something truly accessible and powerful – the great chant of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
A full explanation of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo; an account of the origins of Nichiren Buddhism. For further information about SGI.
The central image above shows a Butsudan which literally means Buddha house in Japanese. This enshrines the Gohonozon, a scroll which is the focal point of Nichiren Buddhist devotions.
This photo is from a recent family event that brought together members of SGI-UK from across Cornwall.
