Uplifting Black Nichiren Buddhist Voices

Study is a core practice for Nichiren Buddhists, who dive deeply into the Lotus Sutra and the writings of Nichiren Daishonin as a way to cultivate their inherent Buddha-nature.Mahazi Roundtree has been a Nichiren practitioner for 38 years. She is a study leader in the Nichiren Buddhist association, Buddhists of African Descent, and she lives in Harlem, New York, where she is a corporate paralegal by day and a jazz vocalist & bass player by night.

This and the next three episodes feature conversations with members of the association, Buddhists of African Descent (aka BAD) which engages in connecting traditional systems of African spirituality with the basic tenets and principles of Nichiren Buddhism. Thembi is one of the founding co-architects of BAD. She speaks with Rima Vesely-Flad about the significance of Buddhahood for herself and other Black practitioners in America.Thembi (Valerie Geaither) is professor emerita at Metropolitan State

One compelling teaching of Nichiren Daishonin, the founder of the Nichiren Buddhist tradition, is that each person is responsible for contributing to world peace and justice. He believed that the daily practice of chanting was an essential form of committing to compassionate action, and could generate benefits for society. Bishop Myokei Caine-Barrett Shonin is the first American woman and the first of African-Japanese descent to attain full ordination as a Nichiren priest.Myokei Caine-Barrett Shonin

One tenet of Nichiren Buddhism known as “faith in action” is used consistently in the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin, the founder of the tradition. The use of the word “faith,” though seldom associated with Buddhism, has helped a number of practitioners in the West make connections between their Christian heritage and their Buddhist practice. Ben Harris, is one such practitioner who has made the connections between seemingly very different religious traditions.Ben Harris is a former student of Rima

Buddha-nature refers to the innate potential for every living being to attain enlightenment, and one of the most compelling aspects of Nichiren Buddhism is the teaching that this is already present in every being. The realization of this inherent truth is called “Buddhahood.” In this episode, Rima Vesely-Flad speaks with Dr. Kamilah Majied about using hardship as fuel for reaching the state of mind called Buddhahood.Dr. Kamilah Majied is a longtime member of the Soka Gakkai International lineage, a

The distinctive teachings of Nichiren Buddhism are deeply compelling for Black practitioners throughout the United States. To start this exploration of the significance of this practice for Black Americans, Rima Vesely-Flad speaks with Dr. Ralph Craig about the famous Black Buddhist singer Tina Turner, and her relationship to Nichiren practices such as chanting the Lotus Sutra.Dr. Ralph Craig is the author of Dancing In My Dreams: A Spiritual Biography of Tina Turner. He is an interdisciplinary

Buddhist teachings have always been adapted to the environments in which they're transmitted. This is true of Buddhism as it is embraced by Black people in the United States, as Black Buddhists bring distinctive interpretations of the dharma to our communities. One of the Buddhist lineages that has garnered exceptional attention is a Japanese based lineage, Nichiren. The chanting practices of Nichiren Buddhists interviewed in these episodes carry Black practitioners  forward. In their own words,