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Film
The Guru
New Zealand member Yvonne Tan sent in this sighting:
"'The Guru' with Heather
Graham, Melissa Tomei and Jimi Mistry. There was a part where Melissa’s Character Lexi was on the bed with Jimi
Mistry and she was meditating. They were about to make love (I think) and she suddenly started bowing to him and chanting
Nam Myo Ho Renge Kyo!"
What's Love Got to Do With It?
Excellent bio-pic of the life of Tina Turner features her conversion to Nichiren Buddhism in several scenes.
Gross Pointe Blank
The Out-of-Towners
Muchas Gracias to Canadian member Karen Benoit for e-mailing the following:
"A 1997 film, starring
John Cusack and Minnie Driver, is called 'Grosse Pointe Blank'. John is a hitman, named Martin Blank, who is sent to do a
job in Grosse Pointe where, as it turns out, his 10-year high school reunion is taking place. At one point fairly early in
the film, Minnie says to John: 'You know what you need? Shaka buku.'
He replies something like, 'What's that?'
Her
answer (not verbatim) goes something like: 'It's a swift kick in your karmic butt.'."
[Web Goddes Note: the screenplay
has this as 'It's a swift spiritual kick to the head that alters your reality forever.']
"The new re-make of 'The
Out-of-Towners' with Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn also has a scene where Steve overhears people chanting."
The Last Detail
Innerspace
Atlantic City
Many thanks to John Gallagher for the following:
"The most famous of
all is the film by Hal Ashby, 'The Last Detail' starring Jack Nicholson and featuring the young Randy Quaid as the unfortunate
sailor sent to seven years hard labor for trying to steal a few dollars from a charity collect box. On the way to prison,
he, Nicholson and another sailor attend a (then) NSA) meeting. I swear that one of the young ladies leading a Gakkai song
is Gilda Radner. It is almost embarrassing to see how hokey the meeting was. But Randy starts chanting and does so devotedly
for the rest of the film.
"Another film stars Martin Short and Dennis Quaid involving a machine which shrinks Quaid for
him to be implanted in somebody's body. The film is "Innerspace". He chants vigorously as he is about to take a dangerous
leap.
"Another film: 'Atlantic City', starring Burt Lancaster and Susan Sarandon. The pregnant "hippie chick" friend
of Sarandon chants Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. Very brief occurrence you might overlook."
Revenge of the Nerds II
Evil fraternity boys have trapped the nerds, in their underwear, facing crocodiles. They burst into a group chant of "Nam-Myo-Ho-Renge-Kyo"
in a desperate effort to invoke a miraculous escape.
Televison
Sakyamuni Buddha Guest Stars on 'South Park'
In the "Super Best Friends" episode of 'South Park', Sakyamuni
Buddha is one of the Super Best Friends, along with Jesus, Mohammed, and Krishna, who band together to fight an evil cult.
BONUS - In another episode of "South Park", God admits to being a Buddhist.
"The Simpsons"
In the episode "The Last Temptation of Homer", Homer has written a speech he wants to give to a co-worker on his
hand. But his palms perspire and run the words together towards the end. Homer hence concludes his speech by chanting "Nam-Myo-Ho-Renge-Kyo".
This season, Lisa Simpson became a Vajrayana Buddhist.
"Absolutely Fabulous"
In the episode 'Fashion', Edina credits her house and her success in fashion
with chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. Edina is also seen in other episodes with a butsudan, prayer beads, and a bell in her bedroom.
Note-In real life, Joanna Lumley (Patsy) is a Vajrayana (Tibetan) Buddhist.
"The Monkees"
In the final episode, "Mijacogeo (The Frodis Caper)", the Monkees ward off the evil of Wizard Glick by chanting
Nam-Myo-Ho-Renge-Kyo.
Newspaper & Magazine Articles Online
"Nichiren -- Art and Belief" at the Tokyo National Museum
"Thousands Convert to Buddhism in India" - Salon.Com
"Buddhism Lighted Way To Joy Within" - Washington Post
"Boomer Buddhism" - Salon.Com
"American Buddhists - Who Are They"? by Jan Nattier
Madonna - Propagator of Buddhism
From The Sun, UK, July 2, 2001:
MADONNA has sent a copy of 'A Buddhist Bible' to biographer Andrew Morton after
finding out he is writing a warts-and-all book on her.
She included a note with the book - considered essential
reading for all Buddhists - saying: "This will help you and make you a better person."
The Buddha at the Oscars!
2001 Best Actress Nominee Ellen Burstyn, on where she placed her previous Oscar, for 'Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore': "For
a long time, it was sitting on a table in front of my Buddha lamp, facing the Buddha with its back to the room, and I said
it was worshipping the Buddha."
Commemorative Stamp
1975 Soka Gakkai International 2000
25th. Anniversary
Uruguay
Technical features:
Code: 2000-27-C
Date
of issue: October 2nd, 2000
Value: $ 18.-
Print-run: 25.000
Design: E. de Ogueta
Comics
Matt Groening, creator of "The Simpsons", has featured Nam-Myo-Ho-Renge-Kyo in several of his "Life in Hell"
weekly comic strips.
Books
The Exorcist
In an early passage, Chris MacNeil recalls her secretary, Sharon Spencer, meditating and chanting Nam-Myo-Ho-Renge-Kyo. "See",
Sharon explains, "you just keep chanting that, Chris, just that, and you get your wish, you get everything you want..."
Sharon is apparently closer to her Buddha-nature than most. She also tells Chris, "You can turn on the TV. It's fine.
I can chant when there's all kinds of noise. It won't bother me a bit."
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