The Rowdy Buddhist Podcast

In this episode of The Rowdy Buddhist Podcast, we explore the true meaning of making offerings in Buddhism. Discover why flowers, incense, light, water, and food are not gifts to a deity, but practices that cultivate gratitude, generosity, mindfulness, and compassion within ourselves. Learn how honoring the Buddha differs from worship and how every offering becomes an opportunity to awaken and embody the Dharma in daily life.

The Hands of Compassion: Self-Reiki Through the Lens of Maka Shikan explores how the modern practice of self-Reiki can be understood through the Buddhist meditation teachings of Maka Shikan (Great Calming and Contemplation) by Grand Master Zhiyi. Rather than presenting Reiki as a separate religious tradition, this lecture examines how mindful touch, chanting Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō, and awareness of the body can be integrated with the principles of calming (śamatha) and insight (vipaśyanā). Participants will learn how self-Reiki may serve as a contemplative practice that supports relaxation, mindfulness, compassion, and spiritual growth while remaining firmly rooted in the Dharma and the teachings of the Lotus Sutra. Ideal for both Reiki practitioners and Buddhist meditators, this lecture offers a thoughtful and historically grounded approach to cultivating wisdom and compassionate presence through the hands.

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Why do Nichiren Shū Buddhists chant the Lotus Sutra? This lecture explores the meaning and purpose of one of the central practices of Nichiren Buddhism: reciting the Lotus Sutra and chanting Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō (Odaimoku). Together we will examine how Nichiren Shōnin understood the Lotus Sutra as a direct path for ordinary people to awaken their inherent Buddha nature in everyday life. Through discussion of Buddhist teachings, tradition, and practical application, participants will discover how chanting is not merely repetition, but a discipline that unites body, breath, voice, and mind while cultivating wisdom, compassion, resilience, and inner transformation. Whether new to Buddhist practice or a long-time practitioner, this lecture offers an accessible introduction to the spiritual meaning and benefits of Lotus Sutra practice in Nichiren Shū.

SHINDOKU – The Sacred Sound of the Dharma examines how Buddhist teachings moved from the oral recitation traditions of India into the scriptural and chanting culture of Tang Dynasty China, and how these traditions were preserved and transmitted into Japan.

Together we will explore the meaning of Shindoku—the traditional Japanese reading of Buddhist scriptures—and Shōmyō, the sacred art of Buddhist chant. The lecture will also clarify the historical role of Grand Master Dengyō Daishi (Saichō), who did not introduce Shindoku itself to Japan but transmitted Tang Dynasty liturgical and recitation traditions that deeply shaped Japanese Tendai Buddhism.

From there, we will examine how Nichiren Shōnin inherited this world of scripture, chant, and devotion and revealed the heart of the Lotus Sutra through the practice of Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō.

This lecture invites participants to see chanting not simply as reading words, but as entering a living lineage of sacred sound—a tradition carried through generations and still embodied in practice today.

This lecture explores the many different versions of “self” that arise within our minds through memory, emotion, relationships, expectations, and spiritual identity. Through Buddhist meditation, chanting, and mindfulness practice, we will examine how these shifting “me’s” influence suffering, attachment, and inner peace. Participants will learn how Buddhist practice helps cultivate awareness, compassion, and harmony beyond the fragmented ego-self, revealing a deeper understanding of Buddha-nature and interconnected life. Open to all experience levels.

Lecture from Sept. 17th, 2023

Itai Dōshin (異体同心) is a Buddhist principle often translated as “many in body, one in mind.” It teaches that although individuals may differ in personality, background, abilities, and circumstances, they can work together harmoniously when united by a shared purpose, spirit, or aspiration. In Nichiren Buddhist thought, Itai Dōshin emphasizes unity based on mutual respect, compassion, and dedication to the Dharma, encouraging practitioners to overcome ego and division in order to support one another and create peace within the community and society.

🌿 Fasting Is Meditation 🌿

A Dharma Talk by Rev. Kanjin Cederman

What if hunger isn’t a problem…

but a doorway to awareness?

Drawing from Yoga, Ayurveda, and Buddhism, this talk explores:

• Why we feel the need to constantly eat

• The difference between hunger and craving

• How fasting can become a form of meditation

• Returning to balance in a world of excess

🧘‍♂️ Discover stillness in the body

🔥 Restore balance in the mind

🌱 Reconnect with true nourishment

“Finding the ‘Why’ in ‘Why Study Buddhism?’” is a thought-provoking lecture that explores the deeper purpose behind Buddhist practice. Moving beyond simple curiosity or the search for peace, this talk examines how the teachings of the Buddha guide us to understand suffering, transform our lives, and awaken to our true nature. Grounded in practical insight and the living practice of Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō, the lecture invites participants to reflect on their own path, discover meaning in everyday life, and cultivate compassion for themselves and others. Whether you are new to Buddhism or continuing your journey, this lecture offers clarity, direction, and inspiration for living with intention and purpose.

“Returning to the Why — Through the Odaimoku” is a guided meditation that gently leads participants inward to reconnect with their deeper purpose for practice. Through mindful breathing, reflective awareness, and the rhythmic chanting of Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō, this meditation helps quiet the mind, release attachments, and cultivate clarity and compassion. Rooted in the spirit of Nichiren Shonin, it invites practitioners to transform suffering into insight and rediscover the path of awakening within their own lives.

This Hanamatsuri lecture teaches that the birth of Shakyamuni Buddha is not just a historical event, but a living reminder that all people possess the potential for enlightenment. Drawing from the Lotus Sutra and the writings of Nichiren, it emphasizes the dignity of every life and the presence of the Buddha nature within us. Through faith, practice, and chanting Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō, we actively “give birth” to awakening in our own lives, bringing compassion and wisdom into the world.

This talk explores whether it is appropriate to say that Buddhism can “save” us, reframing salvation as liberation through awakening rather than rescue from outside. Drawing connections between Easter’s message of renewal and the Buddha’s birth on April 8th, it highlights our shared human potential for transformation. Rooted in Nichiren Buddhist practice, the lecture emphasizes personal responsibility, inner awakening, and the compassionate call to share the Buddha Dharma so that all beings may find freedom from suffering. 🙏

This 30-minute guided meditation invites practitioners to gently settle the body and mind, reflect on the nature of suffering, and awaken to their inner Buddha-nature. Through mindful breathing, silent chanting of Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō, and compassionate awareness, participants connect with their own capacity for transformation while extending that intention toward others. Rooted in the teaching that liberation comes through one’s own awakening, this meditation encourages both personal insight and the courageous wish to help others find peace. 🙏

This lecture, “Helping Others with Wisdom: When Compassion Becomes Attachment,” explores the deeper Buddhist understanding of compassion beyond simple kindness. It challenges the common assumption that helping others is always beneficial, revealing how unchecked compassion can sometimes lead to burnout, attachment, or even the reinforcement of suffering. Drawing from the teachings of the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Shonin, the message emphasizes the importance of balancing compassion with wisdom—recognizing when to act, when to step back, and how to support others without losing oneself. Ultimately, the lecture teaches that true help is not about rescuing or controlling others, but about empowering them while maintaining clarity, boundaries, and faith in their inherent Buddha-nature.

In “Guarding Our Energy, Awakening Compassion,” Rev. Kanjin Cederman explores how to remain calm, centered, and compassionate when faced with both supportive and difficult people. Drawing on Buddhist wisdom, this talk offers practical guidance on protecting one’s inner state, setting healthy boundaries, and transforming conflict into an opportunity for growth. Especially relevant for high-stress environments, this lecture invites listeners to cultivate strength, clarity, and compassion in every interaction.

O-Higan is a Buddhist observance held during the spring and autumn equinox that symbolizes crossing from the “this shore” of suffering to the “other shore” of enlightenment. The practice encourages reflection on the **Six Pāramitās—generosity, ethical conduct, patience, diligence, meditation, and wisdom—as the path that carries us toward awakening. In Nichiren Shu Buddhism, this crossing is realized through faith and practice of the Lotus Sutra, especially through chanting Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō while living with gratitude toward our ancestors and compassion toward all beings.

This lecture explores Chapter 21 of the Lotus Sutra, “The Supernatural Powers of the Tathagata,” through the lens of Nichiren Buddhism. It explains how the Buddha demonstrates supernatural powers to confirm the truth of the Lotus Sutra and entrusts its future propagation to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth and to practitioners in later ages. Drawing on teachings from Nichiren, the lecture highlights the importance of chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo as the essence of the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day of the Law. It also connects the sutra’s message to Nichiren’s own life, particularly his courage during persecution, illustrating how ordinary people can embody the Buddha’s compassion and continue the mission of spreading the Dharma in the world today.

This lecture explored how Prince Shōtoku helped establish the spiritual foundation of Japan through his devotion to the Lotus Sutra, centuries before Nichiren proclaimed it as the essential teaching for the Latter Age of the Dharma. As regent of early Japan, Prince Shōtoku promoted the Lotus Sutra as a guide not only for personal awakening but for ethical governance and social harmony, expressing its spirit in his Seventeen-Article Constitution and in the establishment of temples such as Hōryū-ji. The lecture emphasized that the Lotus Sutra teaches the universality of Buddhahood and the unity of all beings, principles that Nichiren later embodied through the chanting of Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō. Together, Prince Shōtoku’s protection of the Dharma and Nichiren’s fearless proclamation of it form a continuous lineage, calling modern practitioners to courage, compassion, and the active embodiment of the Lotus teaching in society today.

In this lecture we investigate how Nichiren Shonin's birth and faith can be used in our own study and practice of the Lotus Sutra.

One of the 5 aspects that we must regulate such as sleep in order to support our meditation practice... This was a previous episode going from Summer into Fall.