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.