Buddhism is the fourth-largest religion in the world and Nichiren Shoshu/Soka Gakkai is the largest Buddhist religion in America. The purpose of Buddhism is to eradicate suffering and attain enlightenment Nichiren Shoshu to receive material benefits and find happiness. This book demonstrates the fundamental incompatibility of Buddhism and Christianity and shows the consequences particularly religious ones which lie outside the truth. This eBook was written from material which originally comprised the authors’ Master’s Thesis.

The Awakening of the West is an insightful and elegantly written history chronicling the developing relationship between Buddhism and Western culture. As anyone familiar with the work of Stephen Batchelor (best-selling author of Buddhism Without Beliefs) would expect, The Awakening of the West is presented in a fresh and lively way and backed by thorough research. Using the innovative approach of starting with the present and working back in time, Batchelor makes it easy to connect familiar contemporary Buddhist teachers to their historical roots. He breathes life into history by capturing the personalities and times of famous and lesser-known but important Buddhist figures. After absorbing these stories and their context, readers will not only have a greater appreciation of Buddhism as a religion but can gain insights that can help them develop their own discerning wisdom. The Awakening of the West is a unique, engaging and important book for anyone seeking a greater understanding of Buddhism.

This book advances a serious consideration of how the goals and practices of psychology can be informed and enriched by Buddhist traditions that transcend the individual to consider the interconnectedness of all things, and the responsibility we have towards the other. Individualistic and psychotherapeutic applications of Buddhism in psychology are examined, followed by a bold step into the community arena, with consideration given to the intersection between community psychology and Buddhist approaches to empowerment, social change, and prevention.

In this book, readers can find answers to their priceless possessiontheir own Gohonzon. If we undertake the task of kosen-rufu (spreading this Buddhism far and wide) in order to achieve world peace, then an understanding of our Gohonzon tends to firm up our faith and stand us in good stead. This book aims to illustrate comprehensively what exactly is written on our Gohonzon and what they mean. It is divided in chapters with special critical consideration boxes put in places to elicit discussions and/or reflections at various opportune points. It is a text book of the utmost interactive style. It covers the following: All inscriptions by the high priest Nichikan All the personages inscribed on it representing the ten worlds All statements inscribed on the Gohonzon Practical notes on the care and maintenance of the Gohonzon Some crucially relevant Buddhist principles and tenets In-depth exposition about the object of worship for observing the mind aided by citation of various goshos Spiritual independence (a fetterless way to practice Buddhism in real life) Some variant forms of Gohonzon for the curious ones It is an informative and useful resource for those beginning their SGI form of Nichiren Buddhist practice. It is also an important aid and memoir for more experienced practitioners.

Your Name Is Hughes Hannibal Shanks is Lela Knox Shanks’s personal account of caring for her husband, Hughes, in their home after he was stricken with Alzheimer’s disease. Lela describes her initial denial, her discovery of coping skills, her eventual acceptance of his illness, and her ultimate recognition that the key to successful caregiving lies in never losing sight of the patient’s humanness. The book outlines twenty coping and survival strategies to guide caregivers to untapped inner resources and shows caregiving’s intangible rewards of increased self-respect and self-knowledge.

In 1987 Charles Atkins was struck with Hodgkin's disease and underwent the ravages of chemotherapy. Throughout his illness he used his Buddhist training and the power of the mantra Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to carry him through the cancer treatments and allay his fears of death and doubts for recovery. During his stays in the hospital, he took every possible opportunity to comfort other cancer patients. His survival inspired him to share the healing techniques he has learned with others. In this book, Atkins introduces us to the Buddhist master Nichiren [1222-1281] and the healing teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha as laid out in theLotus Sutra. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is an old mantra that has accumulated a great deal of power from centuries of countless individuals focusing their highest intents while chanting it. He explains how Nam-myoho-renge-kyo can be used to "undo" karma that has damaged our health. Methods for chanting while visualizing abound in this book. His example, along with that of many others struggling with diseases as diverse as fibromyalgia, diabetic ulcers, high blood pressure, and mental illness, provides a beacon of hope for those facing illness. Atkins's book shows that with hope, faith, and prayer nothing is impossible.

This work in comparative philosophy uses the concept of Titanism to critique certain trends in both Eastern and Western philosophy. Titanism is an extreme form of humanism in which human beings take on divine attributes and prerogatives. The author finds the most explicit forms of spiritual Titanism in the Jaina, Samkhya, and Yoga traditions, where yogis claim powers and knowledge that in the West are only attributed to God. These philosophies are also radically dualistic, and liberation involves a complete transcendence of the body, society, and nature. Five types of spiritual Titanism are identified; and, in addition to this typology, a heuristic based on Nietzsche's three metamorphoses of camel, lion, and child is offered. The book determines that answers to spiritual Titanism begin not only with the Hindu Goddess religion, but also are found in Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism, especially Zen Buddhism and Confucianism.

Chapter One, "Religion and Nationalism in Early Kamakura Society" introduces the issues that affected the nation in the early Kamakura period. The first section points out the historical background of the time that was considered to be a spiritually significant age according to Buddhist chronology. The next section on the "Religious Answers to National Problems" provides a prelude to how the indigenous religious tradition of Shinto attempted to define its leaders and their right to rule as well as the divine protection that was to be given them by the native deities. The imported Buddhist teachings provided a new perspective to the national problems through an examination of existing conditions as possibly being consequences of immoral acts. The various characteristics of the teachings of the most prominent Buddhist leaders of the early Kamakura period are introduced in the next section of "Buddhism: Kamakura's Five Reformers." In the following four sections ("Honen," "Eisai," "Shinran," and "Dogen"), a few specifics on the differences and similarities of the nationalistic perspectives of the first four Buddhist reformers are examined. Chapter Two, "Nichiren," looks at the particulars in the fifth reformer's life that can help to clarify his approach toward providing a viable solution for the nation's problems. This is done by examining his life as being the product of "A Buddhist-Shinto Fusion." In this chapter I argue that Nichiren's upbringing and lifelong exposure to the indigenous tradition of Shinto (which emphasized the divine nature of Japan) provided an ethno-spiritual nationalistic element to his Buddhist teaching (which stressed complete faith in his interpretation of the message and meaning of the Lotus Sutra). Chapter Three surveys the "Nationalism in Nichiren's Writings" by examining the methodology that Nichiren used in propagating his teachings. One of his principles for conversion was shakubuku, which he supported by referring to scripture. His political aspirations through the use of religion are examined in the next section. Nichiren's affirmation of Shinto is presented in a comparison and contrast of his Budddhist teachings to his Shinto activities. Finally, I conclude with some reflection on how Nichiren was primarily a Shinto influenced nationalist who supported his views with Buddhist teaching and how this imported religion (Buddhism) was made Japanese by its interdigitation with Shinto.

"Since the 1960s Buddhism in America has been viewed through the lens of idealism, generally associated with the spiritual quest of baby boomers. This portrayal has been accurate only to a degree. Charles Prebish's Luminous Passage is the first account in a new generation of commentary to demonstrate the complexity and variety of this tradition as it establishes roots in this country. This book will surely stand as one of the most comprehensive assessments of Buddhism in the United States at the turn of the millennium."—Richard Seager, Hamilton College