Soka Buddhist Club

Up until last April, Saera Hanlon was the only member of what was then called the Buddhist Philosophy Association. During her Anthropology class last year, she became friends with Katie Gartner, and she convinced her to join. Now, there are more members, and the group meets once a week on Thursday nights.

According to Gartner, people who have practiced Buddhism for they whole life are usually "fortune babies"; people who are born to two parents that practice Buddhism.

"People who have practiced Buddhism their whole life are lucky," said Gartner, who has only practiced since last March.

At the October 28th meeting, five of the group's members met to discuss "What is Buddahood?"

The meeting opened with the chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which is the name of the fundamental law of life and the universe expounded in Nichiren Buddhism. While chanting this, the members of the group faced the Gohonzon, which is the object of devotion and the embodiment of the law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. This rhythmic chanting means Nam: (devotion) the action of practicing Buddhism; myoho: (Mystic Law) the essential law of life and its phenomenal manifestations; renge: (lotus) the simultaneity of cause and effect; kyo: (sutra) the truth expressed through the sound of one's voice.

After this opening, Holly Miller, a member that has been practicing Buddhism for three years, did an introduction to Buddhism, explaining that the Soka Buddhist Club belongs to an international group called Soka Gakkai International. The form of Buddhism this group practices is called Nichiren, based on the early teachings of the fifteenth century Japanese monk Nichiren Daishonin.

Once Miller finished her introduction, Hanlon, who is the vice president of the group, led the discussion about "Buddahood", reading passages from different books and asking the group when they thought they have felt their own Buddahood.

Alicia Raymond, a member that has been practicing Buddhism for seven years, believes people find their Buddahood when they handle something better than they thought they would.

Gartner, the president of the Soka Buddhist club, and Miller both believe that it is always possible for something to work out.

"I think if you put enough work into something," said Garner, "it will work out."

"I think in the end everything really does work out," said Miller. "No matter what it is."

After the discussion, the meeting concluded with the another chant of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

For more information, go to the Soka Buddhist Club's page on Campus Pulse. Also, you can visit the Soka Gokkai International or the Soka Gokkai Internation- USA.

All of the definitions in this post are from The Liturgy of Nichiren Buddhism that I received from the Soka Buddhist Club.