The Buddha In Daily Life: An Introduction to the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin

by Richard G. Causton

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo . . . Nam-myoho-renge-kyo . . .

Perhaps because it does not involve conforming to a specific lifestyle, the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin has attracted millions of adherents around the world during recent years. Its message is simply that those who commit themselves in faith, study and practice will achieve their goals and be moved to dedicate themselves to the wider cause of human happiness, world peace and environmental harmony.

In this comprehensive and helpful book, the late Richard Causton, chairman of the lay society of those who practise the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin in the UK, explains the teachings and practice of the movement. He sets it into its international and historical perspective and gives many examples of how individuals and their families can overcome their problems and begin to reveal their full potential.

'It teaches that the state of Buddhahood can be attained by anyone within everyday life...'
THE SUNDAY TIMES

Genres: Buddhism, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Self Help, Religion

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 27, 1994

Reviews

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it a few years ago, and whilst in hindsight it was a little life changing. At the time I remember it was a dense read. Very interesting but you knew if you put it down, game over.

Quite a lot of eastern philosophy and the late Dick Causton has done a great job of showing how applicable Buddhism is in the everyday of the everyday person. Whether or not you want to start 'practising' or not, it is a deep read.

[Emma Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a mind opening book!! Can be very heavy at times and something you need to read again and again to understand bur the concepts are so insightful.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another gift from Leah. This book is wonderful and really is helping me to deepen my understanding of the practice of Buddhism.

[Ameg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book worth to read as it has an approach which makes more sense for us westerners, than other tough Buddhism books.
If it was not because the temple in London is miles away from my house in Essex and I do not have a car, I would definitely go every week because this is the kind of Buddhism that match perfectly with me

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable, inspirational, but only for SGI members (present/future followers of Nichiren Daishonin). I'm no longer a member, but I recall liking this book more than any of the [many] others that were given to me.

[msleighm · Rating 5 out of 5]

My all time favorite SGI-Nichiren Buddhism book in my 25 years of practice.

I wish this would be rereleased. It IS difficult to find used copies. Recommend trying half.com and amazon.com.

[Disha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not an easy read, too much information for someone who just started following this practice :)

[Pedro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am practicing this true form of Buddhism which requires study, so this was my book of study.
Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism is based on the Lotus Sutra, the last teaching of Shakyamuni.
The practice is to chant "Nam-Myoho-rengue-kyo".

Nam= To devote one's life
Myoho = Mystic law that is unseen but felt
Rengue = literally means lotus plant, and in this sense means cause and effect
Kyo = the voice of the Buddha, to use it.

A friend borrowed me this book to deepen my study and faith, and it has done so.

On a side note, I have felt Buddhahood/compassion/empathy(as I thought of it) one time in my life. I was in the state of compassion one time in my life, some years ago, it was for a moment only. I do not remember the situation but it engraved in my mind "so this is what empathy (compassion/buddhahood) is". A moment when I could see from another person's shoes.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has taken me 3 months to read! At one time I put it down for several weeks and had to push myself to pick it back up.
This is not because of a lack of interest on my part, more that the text gets very detailed about the meaning of the chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, the core of practicing Nichiren Bhuddism.
The book is structured in a way that didn’t quite work for me. The basics of Bhuddism generally were covered in the first couple of chapters, after which I felt the chapters detailing daily practice would have made more sense, followed by the detailed description above.
Having said this, I have gained a great deal of knowledge and will continue with this quest. I really don’t think that this is the place to start for a beginner though, but was still very good.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book when it was initially published in the late 1980's It was then called something else, Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism. After the much publicised schism beetween SGI and its parent Buddist organisation its obviously had to be renamed. Personally it was the acrimony even hatred displayed on both sides that put me off the practise rather than the issues themselves. I met Dick Causton and belive he and SGI have done much to bring a spiritual dimension to many peoples that wouldn't otherwise have it, lets remember though Buddhism is a very wide ranging family beyond the answers offered in this book.

[Robin Danckaert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fine work that captures most of the layman terms for Nichiren Buddhism, through the lens of an early Western Soka Gakkai member. There are some claims that I find too strong, or misaligned, which further reveals the thick difference this belief has in it's periphery. This is not only the result of the personal experiential difference inherent to all belief, but also the varying intensity and conservative opinion that is to be found in the Soka Gakkai narrative, heavily dependent on the location, time period and by whom you receive your information.

[Sanchita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a keep for life..so much to learn about oneself and one's environment, the reason why we are the way we are. A logical and a very scientific explaination of complex matters of life. One can read and re-read to unfold the different layers of this book.

[Gladys Lopez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Completely liked the first chapters. The last ones is more an explanation of the part of Buddhism that these teachings belong. Good to cultural knowledge or in deep knowledge of this religion. Not so appealing for general readers. However is worth the reading.

[Matt Watkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far the most accessible, compelling introduction to the practice of Nichiren Buddhism of the many that I've read. It's no overstatement to say that, on reflection, the lessons from this book have enriched my life more than any other.

[Smitha Murthy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book, but painful to read. It was detailed and couldn’t hold my attention. The intent of the book is good, but I still don’t understand the mechanics of chanting and Buddhism and life changes.

Perhaps, simpler text may have helped.

[Staci Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good!

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A down-to-earth explanation of Nichirin Buddhism, extremely readable and relatable.

[Anirudh Khandelwal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introductory book for Nichiren Buddhism. The concepts are very clearly mentioned. Recommended for people who want to start practicing and studying about Nichiren Buddhism.

[Shavawn M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book on this brand of Buddhist practice. Clear. Easy to follow.

[Arvind Ranganathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://thatwhichmatters.org/the-budd...

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful comprehensive explanation of the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin

[Chan Podmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a list of all time, greatest, most life changing books.. this made it onto the list

[Gloria Ng · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE this book! Very comprehensive for the beginning practitioner of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism! However, I like The Winning Life: An Introduction to Buddhist Practice even more for the quickest "manual" to getting started in the practice right away.

[Marko · Rating 3 out of 5]

First book I read about Buddhism and I think it handles well introducing the philosophy of Buddhism.
Has some interesting ideas and concepts in it. Good thing about the book is that it concentrates on the philosophy and it is not so much of a book that wants to convert someone. Includes some crap like world peace and so on, but the philosophy gives nice food for thought.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, and a great introduction into the practice, though I caution taking your time, and taking notes. Even though I cannot get on board with the Ikeda-train, I'd easily recommend this to anyone interested. They just don't have to read the last couple of chapters.

[Kylie Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very intense book. It is well written and gives useful analogies to help you understand the very deep theories and comments.

I have found this very useful and will certainly make use of the index and use it as a reference book in the future.

[Ankur Banerjee · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the book explains the ideology of Buddhism from a practical, modern perspective quite well, it is very dogmatic in its unwavering position that Nichiren Daoshonin's Buddhism is the only true religion. This somehow turned me off from the book as a whole.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have owned this book for awhile. It is an excellent book on the form of Buddhism practiced in the organization called the SGI. It is a good book for those practicing other forms of Buddhism too. I just purchased another one because my 1st copy is so worn.

[Giuseppe D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Abbastanza esplicativo ma penso che richieda ulteriori letture per approfondire il concetto dei mondi. D'altra parte, il buddismo di Nichiren si basa sulla pratica. Non mi �� piaciuta l'ultima parte, la nota storica, che ho trovato troppo sommaria e ingenua.

[Michael Obiora · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you read this, it means that you're open to philosophical stories, information, and ideas that may seem "far-fetched." I found the more I suspended any moments of disbelief, the more enjoyable a read it was. Then at the end I could reflect and think about what struck a chord with me.