Reddit reviews I, Tina: My Life Story

Got it:

>Part 1

>The essential Buddhist practice taught by Nichiren Daishonin (1222-1282) was chanting the Hoben and Juryo chapters of the Lotus Sutra and its title (Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo) to the Supreme Object of Worship, the Gohonzon, a sacred mandala scroll inscribed with prayers and sections of the sutra. When the lay organization Soka Gakkai brought this practice to the United States in 1960, it brought with it copies of a small book "The Liturgy of Nichiren Shoshu," called the gongyo book by members. In it were the Japanese characters (which are a classical Chinese translation from Sanskrit transliterated into Japanese) with a phonetic translation into the Roman alphabet so that American converts could chant without learning Japanese first. The Order of Recitation included silent prayers of gratitude to the shoten zenjin (the guardians of Buddhism), the Three Great Secret Laws (including the Dai-Gohonzon, Daimoku, and the High Sanctuary of true Buddhism), and for Nichiren Daishonin and the successive High Priests. Prayers were then to be offered for the attainment of kosen rufu (the spread of Buddhism throughout the world) and for the deceased. The textured cover of the gongyo book became a testimony to the member's faith. The more worn it became, the more the member had been chanting. A member would treasure the gongyo book, carrying it constantly as a reminder of the Buddhist practice that was transforming his or her life.

Guess I was doin it rong - my gongyo book stayed put on my altar! BTW, that is what Tina Turner publicly thanked - "the liturgy of Nichiren Shoshu". Not "the SGI", not "President Ikeda" O_O

>The exact content of the silent prayers changed with the fluctuating relationship between the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood and the Soka Gakkai organization responsible for the worldwide propagation of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism. From 1976-1978, when the relationship was at its high point, the fourth silent prayer included the phrase "I pray for the Soka Gakkai to flourish and accomplish the merciful propagation of true Buddhism." The fifth prayer included specific thanks to the first two Soka Gakkai Presidents, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi (1871-1944) and Josei Toda (1900-1958). After open conflict between the priests and the laity erupted in late 1978 these sections of the prayer were omitted from gongyo books.

>After the permanent split in 1991, when all 11 million Soka Gakkai members were excommunicated by the Nichiren Shoshu Priesthood, two different gongyo books were printed. The priesthood version is still called "The Liturgy of Nichiren Shoshu," and the prayers remain as they have been since 1978 with no mention of the Soka Gakkai. The Soka Gakkai version with the SGI symbol on the cover is called "The Liturgy of the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin." What Soka Gakkai considers to be the intent of the fourth and fifth prayers has been restored, with prayers for kosen-rufu, Soka Gakkai's role in fulfilling it and with gratitude for Presidents Makiguchi and Toda. The third prayer has a glaring omission from the past version. The section thanking the first three High Priests has been retained, but the section offering "praise and deep gratitude to the successive High Priests" is nowhere to be found. Sutra book

But, see, WE know that, technically, only Ikeda was excommunicated in 1991. The lay members (SG and SGI) were not officially excommunicated until 1997 O_O

>Tina clearly states in the front of her book that she (carefully) credits "The Liturgy of Nichiren Shoshu for an introduction to spiritual awareness". Tina has always carefully credited the form of Buddhism for her spiritual journey and not the organization that she learned it from WHEN IT WAS AFFILIATED WITH THE RELIGION SHE CONVERTED TO.

>In 1991 the Soka Gakkai was seperated from the Nichiren Shoshu religion and Tina has kept no affiliation with the SGI.

>In a 1997 interview on Larry King live ,Larry asked Tina how she learned about Buddhism. She clearly and carefully stated that she learned it from an organization that president Ikeda WAS the President of. The exact quote " There WAS an organization called the Nichiren Shoshu (Nichiren Shoshu America was the former name of SGI when it was associated with the Nichiren Shoshu Religion) President Ikeda was the president at that time".

>Since this interview the SGI has used this quote to claim Tina as one of its celebrity members-she is not. Tina Turner's forward to a book

>But Tina Turner is different. She grew up in the American South, was raised by grandparents in a strict Baptist church, and in adulthood has rather publicly embraced Buddhism, even saying that this new faith helped her through difficult times, of which she seems to have had more than her share. Actually, she has called herself a “Buddhist-Baptist” and says that, when she prays, she prays in both a Baptist and Buddhist style which, I have to say, makes me all the more curious. Pastors are attuned to statements like that. Source

Ha! I KNEW I'd heard that TT had identified herself as a "Buddhist Baptist"!

>After releasing her 1999 album, "Twenty Four Seven," and the subsequent major tour in support of the record, Tina Turner retired from music to her Swiss chalet.

>After 15 years, the 74-year-old self-described Buddhist-Baptist has reemerged to lend her voice to three songs on an album of Hindu prayers, traditional Indian music and Christian hymns, according to Noise11.

>Turner sings "Amazing Grace," "The Lord's Prayer" and the old spiritual, "Motherless Child" on the album, "Beyond: Love Within," which will be released in August. Of the album, Turner said: "Personally, it's something I'm very proud of. Hopefully, this project will teach people how to use what they're born with to help themselves and help the world - and therefore there will be more world peace." Ooooh, mixing practices is a HUGE no-no!!