I've been meaning to speak about this topic, which generally deals with the role of women in Nichiren Buddhism, for quite a while. Being a woman myself, it is obviously something close to my own heart, but I do believe that any person with a genuine humanistic spirit, be they a man or a woman, should be interested in the topic of equality. Discrimination is discrimination, whether it's done on the basis of gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, pizza topping preference, IQ, it is still discrimination, and as such it is not conducive of a happy society based on humanism and fundamental respect. In many ways, discrimination is the polar opposite of respect.
I don't know about you, but me, I have a thing with bad spelling. And bad grammar. It might have something to do with me being a teacher, and a languages one at that. That said, some TEACHERS I know are guilty of some of my biggest pet peeves. The other day, an English teacher in my school corrected me when I said "I wouldn't do it if I were you", saying that "were" is for plural, and the snotty deputy head of English, who at least knew that "if I were you" is correct, had the nerve to give both of us a condescending smile and say that there was no rule for that. No, darling. There is a sodding rule. You are just ignorant. And arrogant. Pretending you know stuff when you don't, and ASSuming that because I'm a foreigner you automatically know better than me. Look up the word "subjunctive" and then we'll talk.
And yet more awesome stuff from SGI-USA. This is a short video that explains very clearly our daily practice of Nichiren Buddhism. Have fun and Happy chanting!
I went to a YW inspiration meeting tonight and one of my fellow District leaders mentioned having read a rather inspiring publication: SGI-USA District Leaders Handbook.
The handbook is written from the perspective of the SGI-USA. As such, some things will be different (like the concept of Groups, which we don't have in the UK), but the general spirit and the guidelines are actually relevant for any leader in my opinion. I thought the sheer idea was so awesome that I immediately looked for it to post a quick one on my blog. You can download the manual from here.
I know readers of this blog are just dying to know how I spent my half term holiday. I know, I know, but fear not, the end to your anguished questioning in the small hours of the night has come to an end, I am going to present you with the highly profound and dramatically interesting account of how a Nichiren Buddhist teacher spends her half term.
Now, allow me to give you a bit of much needed (and clearly yearned after) background.
