Thank you all

[hopefullotus]

Hey everyone, I just wanna thank you all wholeheartedly for supporting me through this forum even if you didn't know you were!

Since I found this forum, I've taken control of my spiritual practice even though I had to grapple with a lot of hard decisions and concepts. I am chanting morning and evening much more regularly. I attended a Nichiren Shu online service. I am not chanting "for" things as much as I am just enjoying my practice. This has given me much more peace of mind.

I ended up with a 4.0 this semester of grad school, submitted a lot for publication, and I've been getting myself out of a harmful situation with my mother. All of these are benefits, but they come not from chanting to "win", but chanting to have the peace of mind that I can be successful right where I'm at and to be confident and calm in stressful situations. I feel a greater connection to Nichiren and the Lotus Sutra now.

You all really helped me with that so thank you hope everyone is doing well.

[Queequeg]

[dude]

Wonderful. I rejoice in your victory!

[hopefullotus]

Thanks!

And HAPPY PRIDE to everyone celebrating :3

[Minobu]

Does my heart good to see you taking pride in your practice for practice sake.
it's not about getting things but evolving to the point where things come on their own, make you pleasantly surprised and one realizes the true benefit of trust in the ongoing efforts of practice faith and study.

just a heads up>>>> it never gets easy...with struggle comes reward...

as Bruce Cockburn sang " gotta kick at the darkness till it bleeds daylight ".

[Minobu]

Thanks!

And HAPPY PRIDE to everyone celebrating :3

huge month long pride celebration kicked off this week in toronto .
one thing about SGI canada ...they always protected the rights of the gay community.
and accepted their lives as a normal thing.

[hopefullotus]

Does my heart good to see you taking pride in your practice for practice sake.
it's not about getting things but evolving to the point where things come on their own, make you pleasantly surprised and one realizes the true benefit of trust in the ongoing efforts of practice faith and study.

just a heads up>>>> it never gets easy...with struggle comes reward...

as Bruce Cockburn sang " gotta kick at the darkness till it bleeds daylight ".

I love that - when things come and make you pleasantly surprised. And great quote too!

As for SGI and Pride, that's something I feel has been overall good - many trans people are supported as members and leaders. However, I had heard from older members that they used to get told to chant to be straight! I know SGI has changed a lot since then though.

[Minobu]

As for SGI and Pride, that's something I feel has been overall good - many trans people are supported as members and leaders. However, I had heard from older members that they used to get told to chant to be straight! I know SGI has changed a lot since then though.

Well I never heard of them asking that off gay people in canada.
sometimes a group of people make their own ideals that of an organizations.

I was told by the person who shakabukkuked me that he was from Osaka and that that city had a reputation for being a place where a lot of gay japanese people chose to live. He said they felt comfortable within SGI .
Something like San Francisco or Toronto.

i dunno people all have their own ideas about stuff...but generally...

[Queequeg]

Does my heart good to see you taking pride in your practice for practice sake.
it's not about getting things but evolving to the point where things come on their own, make you pleasantly surprised and one realizes the true benefit of trust in the ongoing efforts of practice faith and study.

just a heads up>>>> it never gets easy...with struggle comes reward...

as Bruce Cockburn sang " gotta kick at the darkness till it bleeds daylight ".

I love that - when things come and make you pleasantly surprised. And great quote too!

As for SGI and Pride, that's something I feel has been overall good - many trans people are supported as members and leaders. However, I had heard from older members that they used to get told to chant to be straight! I know SGI has changed a lot since then though.

I suspect that was somebody just making it up as they go along.

In SG and SGI, everything I ever heard or read never offers any opinion on sexuality, gay or straight.

[narhwal90]

Since day 1 in NSA back in the late 80's, I've known quite a few openly (and not openly) gay folks in the organization, and it remains the case today. I've never heard anyone say anything about chanting to become straight or conform to some gender appearance/role- concur with Q on this, likely someone inappropriately projecting their own biases. There has always been encouragement to be wiser, more capable and responsible in conduct but that is a different question entirely.

[hopefullotus]

Since day 1 in NSA back in the late 80's, I've known quite a few openly (and not openly) gay folks in the organization, and it remains the case today. I've never heard anyone say anything about chanting to become straight or conform to some gender appearance/role- concur with Q on this, likely someone inappropriately projecting their own biases. There has always been encouragement to be wiser, more capable and responsible in conduct but that is a different question entirely.

For sure, it could have been people projecting their own biases. But still those leaders were "speaking for SGI" just as pastors speak for the church - it doesn't undo harm done unfortunately. People still internalize messages from their religious leaders.

That being said, today SGI is very progressive. I have faced some discrimination as a trans guy though, to be honest.