Note: We just changed our name. This website belongs to the organization previously named Nichiren Buddhist Association of America (NBAA) . Same great philosophy, better name.

Transcendent Life Condition Buddhism TM

Name Change

This is a highly significant time in the ever-evolving teachings and practice of Buddhism. We, the founders and leaders of NBAA, Nichiren Buddhist Association of America, have changed the name of our organization to Transcendent Life Condition Buddhism TM.

Why the change? We felt from the beginning that the name NBAA didn’t effectively communicate the doctrine of Buddhism that we have been teaching and ourselves using. TLC Buddhism changes that. For years we have been trying to think of a name that better conveys the essence of what we’re about. It has never been strictly about paying homage to Nichiren, Shakyamuni, or any other Buddha (although we do respect and appreciate all those who have come before us). We have consistently been focused on the intent of Buddhism rather than a particular Buddha. What is that intent? The intent of Buddhism has always been, and will always be, about YOU and I becoming Buddhas ourselves.

The word "transcendent" means "beyond or above the range of normal human experience" or "surpassing the ordinary; exceptional" according to the Oxford dictionary. According to Merriam-Webster, it means, "exceeding usual limits," "lying beyond the limits of ordinary experience," or "being beyond comprehension." By using the name Transcendent Life Condition Buddhism, we are emphasizing our religious view that there is a life condition that is above and beyond ordinary experience and that attaining that life condition and inspiring others to do the same is our mission.

What does it mean to become a Buddha? Becoming a Buddha has always been about individuals struggling and fighting with, shall we say, our less noble selves, and revealing our Buddha life condition. This means grappling with our lower life conditions to the point where our central life tendency becomes that of the life conditions of Bodhisattva and Buddhahood.

The Buddha life condition is the highest state of life known to be achievable. It’s a state of wisdom, nearly unlimited energy, spiritedness, spiritual power, awareness, inner strength, confidence, determination, and challenging the negative aspects of the world. The enlightened world of bodhisattva is about spiritually connecting with other living beings, sensing who they are at the core, caring about their state (their life condition and physical well-being), and using your own condition of Buddhahood to inspire them to bring out the best in themselves. The very best possible result a bodhisattva can hope to achieve with others is to encourage them to attain Buddhahood.

Bringing about and sustaining these two conditions is no easy task, but these efforts are the applied doctrine of Buddhism. And even when we do wrangle our central life tendency to the extent that we have accomplished that goal, we can never rest on our laurels. Buddhahood is never, has never been, a permanent thing. We must challenge ourselves every single day, every morning and every evening in our Buddhist practice, to achieve and then reinforce that state of life within. In fact, every Buddha who has ever lived reveals this fact in their teachings. It has never been about following and revering them as some sort of faultless god, either. In fact, they have taught that we should always follow and practice the teachings or doctrine and not the teacher.

We, of TLC Buddhism, may be the first in our modern era to actually fulfill the intent of all historical Buddhas to focus squarely on the life condition of Buddhahood itself, as opposed to fawning over one of the people who once attained it. While appreciating their past efforts, we repay our debt of gratitude to them by emulating their efforts ourselves.

Living in a modern era that is polarized in every aspect, even in Buddhism, we find ourselves surrounded by two opposing sides. On one side are those who believe that a deceased Buddha or Bodhisattva or even Mandala can magic away their troubles and woes. On the other side are those who adamantly insist that the spiritual aspect of life doesn’t exist at all. We, of TLC Buddhism, denounce both of those points of view.

Instead, we unfurl the banner of Namu-myoho-Renge-kyo. We announce to the world that deep within the recesses of all humanity and all life is a rare, unique, and wondrous condition that can only be revealed through intense, passionate, and assiduous Buddhist practice. With open arms and open hearts, we join our efforts with the Buddhas of the past and the present to prove all of the naysayers wrong. This is our mission.

Who will join us?