Read Online Taneesha Never Disparaging by M. LaVora Perry - Free Book Online

that really it was just Mama not making sense.
    I laughed to myself.

    â€œWhat’s funny?”
    â€œNothing. Just something I remembered.”
    I stomped snow off my boots while the altar bell bonged three times.
    â€œHey, Miles? Taneesha? I was waiting for you before doing evening Gongyo. You joining me?”
    No, thank you.
    I didn’t want to join anything but my head to my pillow.
    â€œI’ll be right in, dear! Thanks for waiting!”
    â€œI’ll pass, Mama!” I hoped my parents wouldn’t push it. “It’s been a long day! I just want to sleep!”
    â€œThat’s all right, Taneesha,” said Daddy.
    Thank goodness.
    â€œYour mother and I can do Gongyo and chant for you. But before you turn in, come read a passage from the Gosho and do Sansho with us.”
    â€œOkay.”
    I figured I could do that with no problem. I wasn’t up to doing Gongyo, the whole evening prayer. But I could read a little from the Gosho , Nichiren’s writings, and do Sansho , chant three times.
    I placed my boots on the shoe shelf in the hallway, hung my coat, hat, and scarf in the closet, and walked into the living room.

    A pretty, orange fire blazed in the fireplace, warming the room. Mama sat in the center chair, in front of the altar, in jeans and a blue sweater, and Daddy sat next to her wearing a grey one and black slacks.
    â€œMama, I’ll read something from the Gosho , okay?” I said, ready to throw in “Daddy said I could,” if I had to. “And I’ll do Sansho . Then I want to go to bed.”
    â€œAll right, sweetie.”
    Hey. That was easy.
    Mama reached underneath the altar table and, from inside the cubby, she pulled the first book from the row of them— The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin , the Gosho.
    I took the Gosho from Mama, sat next to her, and flipped to a letter I picked a lot to read because it was the first one in the book and short.
    â€œâ€˜The Lotus Sutra,” I read out loud, “explains that the entity of our life, which manifests either good or evil at each moment, is in fact the entity of the Mystic Law.’”
    â€œNow, what does that mean ?” Daddy asked, raising his left eyebrow. Whenever he did that, he
reminded me of Mr. Alvarez, only nicer. Mr. Alvarez’s raised eyebrow usually meant he was mad about something.
    I read the passage again, slowly, to myself.
    Sometimes my parents’ little quizzes annoyed me. But I knew that if I didn’t just go with the script, I’d probably hear my mother nag: “Come on, Taneesha, just read a little. It’s for your own life.” I knew that the easiest thing for me to do was just read the book and get it over with. Plus, that evening I thought I understood the passage.
    â€œIt means we’re always Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, we’re Buddhas, no matter if we’re acting good or bad.”
    I hoped that was good enough. I could hardly keep my eyes open. I stretched my arms wide and yawned loud as an elephant.
    Daddy laughed a little. “That pretty much says it all.”
    â€œGirl, let’s do Sansho so you can get to bed.”
    Who’d a thunk it? Mama was setting me free without even saying, “Just one page of Gongyo.”
    She struck the altar bell. “Sit up, Taneesha.”
    Can’t help it, can she?
    I huffed, but I sat straighter anyway.

    Mama bonged the bell again and we all chanted together three times.
    I stood and kissed her on her forehead. “’Night, Mama.”
    She kissed my cheek. “’Night sweetie.”
    I did the same stuff with Daddy and headed for the stairwell.
    â€œDon’t forget to set your alarm,” he said. “Remember, your mother and I leave early tomorrow.”
    â€œI won’t forget.”
    I climbed the stairs. The altar bell bonged. I heard them do Sansho and start Gongyo , their evening prayer. I reached the top of the stairs, entered the hallway,