Education and Spiritual Exploration: A Welcome and Background

Welcome to The Lotus Path.


This blog is part of an ongoing project for Anthropology 7: Magic, Witchcraft and Religion at Laney College and is meant to explain and showcase my experiences and observations when learning about the Nichiren Buddhist tradition. I know it's a dry introduction, but everyone has to start somewhere.

Spiritualism and Me

Like most people my age growing up in suburban California I was raised in some denomination of Christianity. In my case that denomination was Roman Catholic. All of my friends belonged to various "born again" churches and kept trying to convert me. All that did was annoy me. Afterall who likes to be told that what you believe is going to send you to hell?

The I never really questioned my religion or beliefs until I got to college and one night my non-religious suitemate asked me, "Is that what you believe or what you were taught to believe?" Nine years later I still think about that question at least once a week. It's part of what has fueled my interest in learning about other religious and spiritual traditions than the one in which I was raised.


Why Nichiren Buddhism?

Since my awakening per say to the fact that other traditions also have valid ways of viewing the world I have developed a love of learning about and discussing other religions. During one of those conversations with a close friend who I always presumed was Pegan due to the pentagram she wears daily, she introduced me to Nichiren Buddhism with which she more closely identifies. Buddhism is one of the religious traditions that has peaked my interest during my studies yet I still know little about it. Upon with her introduction to Nichiren Buddhism my interest was peaked.

The Project

This blog is a part of is not meant to be a profound statement of religious awakening, yet it may serve as that. The project that it is a part of is meant to enlighten us to a tradition that is different than our own and come to understand it from an anthropological perspective. It is an educational exploration into a world that I am not currently a part of. Please, enjoy my journey as I expand my views on spirituality and another religion.