Nichiren Soshu Buddhist

Nebraska Wesleyan University

Jenn Ortegren, Researcher

Brief History and Demographics

Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism means "the School of Nichiren." This type of Buddhism has been an organized, practiced religion in Lincoln since 1943 when a Japanese woman and her husband, who had served in the military, retired in Lincoln. During the 1960's, up to 400 Nichiren Shoshu Buddhists could be found in Nebraska and the surrounding areas though these numbers have declined in recent years.

Of the individuals in Lincoln that practice Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism, 95% are Caucasian, 3% Japanese, and 2% are Black, Hispanic, or Vietnamese.

Description of the Center

There are five major temples, where priests reside, in the United States, the nearest to Lincoln being located in Chicago, Illinois. Outside of these temples, worship takes place in the family home. In Lincoln, Carol Griffith is the area coordinator and has an altar and Guhunza, which has Buddhist text written in Sanskrit, given to her directly from the priest in Chicago in honor of her long time faith and practice. Because her Guhunza is slightly bigger and more elaborate than is common, Ms. Griffith often opens her home to others for worship. Nichiren Shoshu Buddhists are encouraged to travel to the five U.S. temples such as the ones in Chicago and Los Angeles, or to Japan to worship, but these trips are individually organized.

Center Activities

No specific worship schedule is maintained, but individuals worship according to their own schedules. Most followers worship twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. A liturgy book, originally written in Sanskrit but often used in translation, consists of rhythmic, meditative sayings to be repeated during worship times and activities, such as meals. Prayer books are also available. This Lincoln religious community subscribes to the Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist national newsletter, published monthly by the national temple in Los Angeles. The newsletter relays information about the temples and groups across the nation and can be accessed on the internet at www.nst.org.

What kinds of cooperative interaction/relationships do you have with other religious communities in Lincoln?

The Nichiren Shoshu Buddhists in Lincoln are members of the Lincoln Interfaith Council, and provide their contact information to the general public. They also are involved in volunteer activities such as Habitat for Humanity and are also maintain an active relationship with the other forms of Buddhism practiced in the Lincoln area.

As a religious minority, what kind of obstacles or problems has the community encountered in Lincoln?

Carol Griffith was asked to become a member of the Police Chaplain Core in order to aid police with any citizens arrested of this Buddhist tradition. Though she submitted a letter from the Nichiren Shoshu priest in Chicago, stating that Ms. Griffith was certified to act as a chaplain representative, she was denied entrance into the Police Chaplain Core because she did not have "official training." Presumably this rejection was because, in the eyes of the Police Chaplain Core administrators, her role in the Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist tradition did not fit the Christian category of a chaplain. Buddhism does not have a widely available educational structure that trains Buddhists for priesthood and the category of priest is understood differently than the category of priest in, for example, Roman Catholicism. Ms. Griffith believes that she was denied involvement on the Police Chaplain Core and denied the opportunity to officiate in a manner equal to those of other religious traditions because the Police Chaplain Core administration was not informed or sensitive to the differences in polity and religious leadership in Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism.

Other (Any other qualities that make this center particularly interesting)

Simply the fact that the "center" of worship for Nichiren Shoshu Buddhists is that of the home makes the center and the religion somewhat unique. Further, as Carol Griffith herself states, "

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