With the recent announcement “A&C Gongyo”- The new SGI Standard for Gongyo Practice” (PLN-20), we offer the following guidelines on performing he “Expedient Means” chapter (part A) and the verse sections of the “Life Span” chapter (Part C) at activities and for teaching new members. (Of course, members can perform whatever format is most comfortable in their personal practice.)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: Do we still need to face east in the morning?
A: This is not necessary. Facing east is a tradition that expresses our resolve to activate the protective functions of the universe, which are represented by the sun, through our inmate Buddhahood: it is not worship of the sun. These protective functions are represented on theGohonzon, and most importantly, are inherent in our own lives and din the environment. What matters is our sense of appreciation for their protection and our resolve to exert ourselves in faith and
practice to strengthen them. Therefore, we should be confident that when performing A&C Gongyo and changing sincere daimoku, we are activating
hese protective forces. What is essential is our confidence to affirm our innate Buddhahood through the practice of Gongyo.

Q: How many times should I ring the bell
A: There is no specific formality in how many times to ring the bell, although three time is generally the way we start and end.

Q: When I was doing 5 prayers in the morning and 3 prayers in the evening, I would chant three prolonged Namu-myoho-renge-kyo after
completing each recitation of the sutra. Do we still do this when performing A&C gongyo?
A: chanting three prolonged Namu- myoho-renge-kyo, which followed the completion of each recitation of the sutra, is not necessary since we
begin chanting daimoku immediately after reciting the “Expedient means” chapter (Part A) and the verse section of the “Life Span” chapter (Part C).

Guidelines on Performing A&C Gongyo

- Face the Gohonzon, ring the bell, and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo three times.
- Recite the “expedient Means” chapter - Part A.
- Ring the bell and recite the verse section of the “life Span” chapter - part C.
- Then ring the bell as you begin chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo continuously (for as long as you wish).
- To end daimoku, ring the bell, then chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo three times.
- At this point, for morning Gongyo, offer all the five silent prayers
? as we normally do them ? each segment separated by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo three times.
- For evening Gongyo, offer the second, third and fifth silent prayers, as we normally do them, each segment separated by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo three times.
- For both morning and evening Gongyo, after the fifth silent prayer, ring the bell and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo three times to conclude Gongyo.

Some points to keep in mind:
1. The new format of Gongyo allows us to understand what is changeless and changeable. In his writings, Nichiren Daishonin encourages us to
recite the “Expedient Means” and “Life span” chapters. He never prescribed a specific format, which has varied over the centuries
2. The new format helps us to focus on the primary practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo; we can use the extra time to chant
more daimoku.
3. The new format makes our practice more accessible to people all over the world, furthering the cause of kosen-rufu.
4. Not reciting the prose or Part B of the “life Span” chapter and only the verse, or Part C, does not eliminate any of the teachings of the chapter. Part C repeats the message of part B. The last line of part B reads: “At that time the World-honored One, wishing to state his meaning once more, spoke in verse form “(the Lotus Sutra, trans. Burton Watson, p. 229). As to the importance of the verse, part C, Nichiren states: “The Lotus Sutra represents the bone and marrow of all the sacred teachings of the Buddha’s lifetime and the verse section of the “Life Span” chapter represents the soul of the twenty-eight chapter of the sutra” (“Letter to Horen, “the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 516).

We now have a new format for gongyo. Instead of the five sutra recitations in the morning and three in the evening, the standard SGI format is to recite the hobenbon and the jigage portion of the juryohon (parts A and C of the prayer book). I have sent the official announcement via email. If anyone I missed wants it, let me know.

This wasn't altogether unexpected given the recent news that doing A & C at discussion meetings would be a good thing so that guests wouldn't feel uncomfortable for a long period of time. There have been rumors of change to come for the past couple of years, always vigorously denied by senior leaders. Recent guidance has indicated that missing gongyo wasn't necessarily a really bad thing. And so on...

Ronnie Smith discussed this only briefly at the Pasqual Olivera meeting on May 17th. There are no reasons given for this change. I guess the proponents of the shorter gongyo finally got enough votes to make it happen. SGI General Director Eichi Wada is said to have confirmed the shared understanding that A & C gongyo is the SGI standard. This doesn't necessarily mean that he supports the decision. I wonder. There is nothing that indicates President Ikeda's position. I wonder if he'll do only A & C too.

Pasqual had two main points in his experience speech. One was his victory over 4th stage cancer, the other his determination for the annual contribution. His description of his victory over cancer revealed deep faith and great courage. It certainly is an admirable and respectworthy accomplishment. His talk about the contribution sure came at the right time. Could it be that that's why his making this current experience tour? He's in the fifth year of a pledge he made to himself after overhearing some guidance President Ikeda was giving to a member of the young women's division. He encouraged everyone to give big.