An SGI chapter in Springfield, Missouri, is featured in the Springfield News-Leader. The reporter, Linda Leicht, interviewed several members of the Soka Gakkai International chapter, who told how they turned their lives around through practice of Nichiren Buddhism. The article is well-written and inspirational. Enjoy!

A. G. Sulzberger writes in the New York Times about efforts in some states to regulate and license yoga teachers and studios. The states say they want to protect consumers. Whether there has been a rash of consumer complaints against yoga studios the article does not say.

One yoga teacher quoted in the article thinks the licensing trend might benefit yoga in the long run, but most consider it to be government intrusion on a spiritual practice. The latter group believes the states are mostly interested in squeezing money out of yoga studios, and Sulzberger's article provides some corroboration for that claim. The licensing fees and fines involved are causing some small yoga studios to close.

I don't want to get into a political discussion of governmental regulatory power. However, what is yoga in the West? Is it primarily spiritual or something else? In Tibetan Buddhism in particular there are a number of practices called "yoga" that are definitely spiritual, but what goes on in most yoga studios is very far removed from that.

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At The Guardian, Naseem Khan writes that western Buddhism sometimes is not viewed as "authentic." She asks if this is true, and if so, how important is "authenticity"?

I regret that Ms. Khan doesn't define "authentic, which can mean -- trustworthy or factual; matching the features of an original (as in "authentic reproduction"); not an imitation; true to an original spirit. But let's go on.

Western Buddhism has a reputation for being frivolous. This is not entirely undeserved. Westerners often approach Buddhism as some kind of enrichment activity, to be engaged on a superficial level and abandoned when it gets boring. It's also the case that there still are too few genuinely skillful (and authentic) teachers to go around. However, it's also true there are many sincere and devoted followers of dharma in the West.

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Today Theravada Buddhist monks and nuns are beginning Vassa, the "rains retreat." This is a three-month period of intensive training that begins on the first day after the full moon of the eighth lunar month of the common Buddhist calendar. Monks and nuns will remain inside monasteries and temple grounds, devoting their time to meditation and study. This year, Vassa will end on October 4.

Laypeople make merit during Vassa by bringing food, candles and other essential supplies to the temples. They also sometimes take vows to observe Vassa with daily chanting and meditation or by giving up something they desire, such as drinking alcohol, smoking or eating meat. This last practice has caused some westerners to call Vassa the "Buddhist Lent."

Theravada monks and scholar Bhikkhu Khantipalo objects to equating Vassa with Lent. He writes about the purpose of Vassa: Read more...