Walking With Captain James – the first British Nichiren Shu Buddhist
Welcome to my blog. My name is Kanse Hosshi, and on Tuesday 17th July 2018, I will embark on a journey by foot of around 300 miles, walking whilst chanting the Odaimoku, “Namu Myoho Renge Kyo” and beating a hand-held drum – a traditional Nichiren Shu Buddhist practice called “Angya” – from Penzance in Cornwall to Dagenham in Essex.
Why that route? Why start from Penzance in particular? I would like to spread the Buddha’s teaching of the Lotus Sutra across the English countryside and in English towns and cities by chanting its sacred title, “Namu Myoho Renge Kyo” starting from there because that was the birthplace of Captain John M. James, the first British Nichiren Shu Buddhist, and therefore the starting point of Nichiren Shu Buddhism in the UK, and Europe as well. My wish is that people can experience the joy and happiness that the Buddha’s teachings can bring, and I believe Captain James must have had the same wish.
Please follow my journey on this site, and if you would like to support our efforts to spread Buddhism in the UK and Europe, please consider making a donation to the Nichiren Shu Buddhist Temple of UK via PayPal on our website (link below), with a comment saying it is for “Angya”. Your donations will go towards covering the cost of the Angya Pilgrimage and to supporting our temple, which is in Dagenham in Essex.
To find out more about Nichiren Shu Buddhism and the UK temple, please have a look on our website: http://www.nichiren-shu.org.uk and find us on Facebook. We support people practising not only in the UK but elsewhere in Europe as well. You can also find lots of information and help from the Enkyoji Buddhist Network which which has been created to help individuals around the world who wish to develop or have information about Nichiren Shu Buddhist practice: http://www.enkyojibuddhistnetwork.org