by James Stephens
Saturday, May 1, 1971
We finally got our hot water heater fixed so I dug a hot shower. At the meeting we chanted really good diamoku and did a vigorous Gongyo. After Gongyo I split and promoted to my family, my aunt. Unfortunately my aunt wasn’t home, but my cousin Kim and her husband Ed want to come. My aunt was at her first meeting (told by Steve Oplatka, my assistant section leader).
Monday, May 3, 1971
Bo Marie really made me realize fortune. She hurt her eye badly, but the dude she was in the accident with was killed.
During my history class, demonstrators caused some disruption. However, these pseudo revolutionaries at least are off their rears and doing something. I don’t necessarily think it has much value, but it may be a benefit for us, in fact it is a benefit for us. It will show them the futility of a social revolution without changing the most basic unit, the human being…
I found that my perfect job had turned up. It starts this summer for $2.50 tax free, outdoors, time off for the Seattle Convention, hard muscle making work.
Daimoku toso, then promotion of Min-on tickets for Hollywood Bowl. Through unity Nancy, Rich, and I were really able to get Schaeffers to go to the Min-on. Another Jewish couple was sharing coffee with them and he talked about Nichiren Shoshu in a slandering manner. However, Nancy and I corrected such baseless slander and Schaffers decided to definitely buy tickets to the Min-on…
Wednesday, May 5, 1971
Today was the 1st anniversary of the Kent State killings and the strike had no momentum or support. Approximately 200 students marched on the bank, afterwards Devonshire riot division chased the demonstrators clean back onto campus. It was really a stupid and very antagonistic move by the police. Approximately 80 students were arrested during the demonstration. Number one, the cops had no right invading the campus like animals. Of course the students did antagonize the police, but I felt they had it coming. They beat one student in the groin about four times while four other cops held him down. They were like animals. I really felt the anxiety of the students. The cops made me equally mad. Russ and I ventured to see the cops confront the demonstrators on Darby Street and then they chased us across the parking lot. For some reason members are very interested in watching these student movements.
Friday, May 7, 1971
Attended school today, but I am finding the study of Christianity unimpressive and further proving my faith in Gohonzon.
Saturday, May 8, 1971
Got up late, but managed to make to Hollywood Bowl at 12:00 or so. I practiced alone and with the Band until the performance at 7:00. During the practice for this General Meeting, I have developed many good friends, and it has also developed my human revolution a step further. The Meeting tonight was super fantastic. My mother and brother attended. I am happy that they came. I am also very have Sogohonbucho back from Japan. Our performance was not very fantastic technically, but Sogohonbucho was proud of us. He made us feel better when he played a song for “my Brass Band.” He showed us a film of his trip to Japan to see Pres. Ikeda. He showed their tennis match and pictures inside Sho-Hondo. He related Pres. Ikeda’s Guidance, “Action is Shakubuku” and reference to hardships in youth are necessary…He also told us of the 2 new temples being built in the US.S., one in San Francisco and the other in Chicago.
Sunday, May 9, 1971
I had a real bad dream last night about my Gohonzon. It was stolen, but then I discovered it destroyed. It was one hell of a nightmare. Boy I was really in hysterics.
I’ve been having a lot of strange dreams lately.
Monday, May 10, 1971
Nancy Schumow and I went out and promoted together. We saw Norm and Marianne, Dean and Winnie, and then Gail Rivera. I put up her Butsudon and then Nancy enshrined her Gohonzon. Nancy is really a close Buddhist friend. She told me tonight that she’s getting married. Se really give me great encouragement and a trusting friendship. She confides in me real trust and I just can’t express the friendship.
Well, tomorrow is the last day to sell Min-on tickets so I am chanting all night to help us fill up the Hollywood Bowl. Shibucho really encouraged us tonight to help Sogohonbucho.
Hollywood Bowl—AAO!
Tuesday, May 11, 1971
I chanted from 2 until 6 and then did Gongyo. I slept for about an hour and then attended my only class that I have on Tuesdays. After class I hitchhiked up to Russ’s and proceeded to get picked up by a recent Shakubuku of mine. After that I shakubukued some Christian person and he really seemed to be searching and noticed something in me through Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism. So I headed to Russ’s and we chanted two more hours of vigorous diamoku. After 6 hours of diamoku all I could think of was Min-on promotion.
So Russ and I advanced to several locations and my first stop was James Monroe H.S. So I saw Nancy Whitman while I was Shakubuking my old acquaintances while I was Treasurer, Mrs. Sutherland. Then I went to the Counselor’s Office and talked to the Head Counselor Scott and we readily got involved in a fantastic conversation. As I was telling him of my new found practice, another counselor came in and we all talked together. Then Nancy came in a supported me greatly. Afterwards I Shakubukued an old history teacher of mine, Mr. Kleinberg. He used to be quite straight with short hair, but now has hair to his shoulders and is greatly involved in counseling. Later, I shakubuked Mr. Miller, the principal of James Monroe High School and throughout all my shakubuku’s the Gohonzon really came through while on campus, I really saw the lack of humanism just by the look of the campus. It was completely run down like the students and the curriculum. They meaning the administrators still were talking about the same programs they talked about 4 years ago. No progress, stagnation. I really can feel why students can not get involved in school., it just further confirmed my growing determination for Kosen-rufu of the world (I’m writing this on May 13—But Sogohonbucho said that the United States is the world, just look at the different races. If you take the body that is the world, pull one hair and it hurts the whole body).
Nancy (Whitman) and I once again went out and promoted like crazy. Sancho Shima was very heavy selling tickets. But Nancy and I persisted for about twenty minutes and diamoku coming through sold two tickets to one of my member’s mother and sisters.
We then sold another ticket and promoted until the last minute. Then everyone turned the tickets in at the Shibu about 11:00 and we chanted and did Gongyo.
Nancy and I drove home together and something happened that I and Nancy had tacitly expected for sometime. We kissed and then knew we had blown it, but yet we didn’t think so. So we had a short talk and knew we had to talk to our Senior leaders. So I went in and crashed. I am now 20.
[1] Sansho shima-“Three obstacles, four devils.” “They are listed in the Nirvana Sutra and the DaichidoRon. The three obstacles are: (1) The obstacle of earthly desires (Jap bonno-sho), or obstacles arising from the three poisons of greed, anger, and stupidity. (2) The obstacle of karma (go-sho), or obstacles due to bad karma created by committing any of the five cardinal sins or ten evils acts. This category is also interpreted as opposition from one’s wife or children. (3) The obstacle of tretribution (ho-sho), or obstacles due to painful retribution for actions in the three evil paths. This category also indicates obstacles caused by one’s sovereign, parents or other persons who carry some sort of secular authority.”
“The four devils are: (1) The hindrance of the five components (on-ma), that is, those obstructions caused one’s physical and mental functions. (2) The hindrance of earthly desires (bonno-ma), or obstructions arising from the three poisons. (3) The hindrance of death (shi-ma), because the fear and suffering death entails obstruct one’s practice of Buddhism. (4) The hindrance of the Devil of the Sixth Heaven (tenji-ma) The obstruction is usually said to take the form of oppression by men of power.” Pg. 461-462 NSIC Dictionary.
Journal of a Young Buddhist Radical 