Chanting Growers Group (2013-∞)

[easyDaimoku]

Myoho-renge-kyo is the Law inherent in our own lives. The ongoing moment-to-moment transformation in our hearts and minds that we achieve through chanting daimoku not only leads to a fundamental inner change, but to a change in the entire way we live our lives, putting us on track to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime, and it further creates a groundswell for the great transformation of all humankind that is kosen-rufu. The dynamic force for change on all levels is Myoho-renge-kyo.

(Source: SGI Newsletter No. 6931, featuring SGI President Ikeda Study Lecture Series, ON ATTAINING BUDDHAHOOD IN THIS LIFETIME, [6], The Mystic Nature of Our Lives, Become the Master of Your Mind Rather Than Let Your Mind Master You. Translated from the June 2006 issue of the Daibyakurenge, the Soka Gakkai study journal)

Nam myoho renge kyo!

 

[easyDaimoku]

"Strengthen your resolve more than ever. Ice is made of water, but it is colder than water. Blue dye comes from indigo, but when something is repeatedly dyed in it, the color is better than that of the indigo plant. The Lotus Sutra remains the same, but if you repeatedly strengthen your resolve, your color will be better than that of others, and you will receive more blessings than they do."

(The Supremacy of the Law - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 615) Selection source: Q & A on Buddhism, Seikyo Shimbun, August 20th, 2006

Mugi Wasshin!

 

[Stan G.]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[Weird]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[Stan G.]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[easyDaimoku]

Does everyone in here have a Gohonzon? It is the object of devotion for observing your mind.

Gohonzon ［御本尊］ (): The object of devotion. The word go is an honorific prefix, and honzon means object of fundamental respect or devotion. In Nichiren’s (1222–1282) teaching, the object of devotion has two aspects: the object of devotion in terms of the Law and the object of devotion in terms of the Person. These may be described as follows: (1) The object of devotion in terms of the Law: Nichiren’s mandala that embodies the eternal and intrinsic Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. That Law is the source of all Buddhas and the seed of Buddhahood for all people. In other words, Nichiren identified Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as the ultimate Law permeating life and the universe, and embodied it in the form of a mandala. In his Questions and Answers on the Object of Devotion, Nichiren refers to the object of devotion for people in the Latter Day of the Law as “the title (daimoku) of the Lotus Sutra.” He further describes the title as the essence of the Lotus Sutra, or Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to be found only in the depths of the “Life Span” (sixteenth) chapter of the sutra. The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind reads, “Myoho-renge-kyo appears in the center of the [treasure] tower with the Buddhas Shakyamuni and Many Treasures seated to the right and left, and, flanking them, the four bodhisattvas, followers of Shakyamuni, led by Superior Practices. Manjushrī, Maitreya, and the other bodhisattvas, who are followers of the four bodhisattvas, are seated below” (366). In this passage, Nichiren clarifies the relationship between the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the Buddhas Shakyamuni and Many Treasures, and the various bodhisattvas depicted on the Gohonzon. In this way he emphasizes Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as the fundamental object of devotion. The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon explains that all living beings of the Ten Worlds “display the dignified attributes that they inherently possess” (832) through the benefit of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. The object of devotion in terms of the Law is explained in greater detail in Nichiren’s writings such as The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind and The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon.
(2) The object of devotion in terms of the Person: In his Reply to Kyō’ō, Nichiren writes, “I, Nichiren, have inscribed my life in sumi ink, so believe in the Gohonzon with your whole heart. The Buddha’s will is the Lotus Sutra, but the soul of Nichiren is nothing other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo” (412). Nichiren here expresses his realization that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the origin and basis of his life, which he embodied in sumi ink in the form of the mandala he calls the Gohonzon. The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says, “The object of devotion is thus the entity of the entire body of the votary of the Lotus Sutra.” “The votary” here refers to Nichiren. It also says, “The Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law is an ordinary person and an ordinary priest.” “An ordinary priest” here refers to Nichiren. Because Nichiren revealed and spread Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which is manifest as the Person and the Law, he is regarded by his disciple and successor Nikkō and his followers as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law. Nichiren himself writes in The Opening of the Eyes: “On the twelfth day of the ninth month of last year [1271], between the hours of the rat and the ox [11:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.], this person named Nichiren was beheaded. It is his soul that has come to this island of Sado and, in the second month of the following year, snowbound, is writing this to send to his close disciples” (269). He states that he “was beheaded,” though actually he survived the execution at Tatsunokuchi, implying that the ordinary person Nichiren ceased to exist. In this context, the passage “It is his soul that has come to this island of Sado [his place of exile] “ means that Nichiren described himself as having revealed a deeper, true identity in the course of his attempted execution. Again Nikkō and his followers equate that identity with the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law.
(3) The oneness of the Person and the Law: This means that the object of devotion in terms of the Person and the object of devotion in terms of the Law are one in their essence. The Law is inseparable from the Person, and vice versa. The object of devotion in terms of the Law is the physical embodiment, as a mandala (the Gohonzon), of the eternal and intrinsic Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Nichiren writes in his Reply to Kyō’ō “I, Nichiren, have inscribed my life in sumi ink, so believe in the Gohonzon with your whole heart” (412). This passage indicates that Nichiren embodied in the Gohonzon the state of life he enjoyed as the eternal Buddha who personified the Law, so that people could attain the same state of enlightenment. The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings reads: “The ‘body that is freely received and used [also, the Buddha of limitless joy]’ is none other than the principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life. The Great Teacher Dengyō says: ‘A single moment of life comprising the three thousand realms is itself the “body that is freely received and used”; this Buddha has forsaken august appearances. The Buddha who has forsaken august appearances is the Buddha eternally endowed with the three bodies.’ Now Nichiren and his followers who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo are just this.” “The Buddha who has forsaken august appearances” means a Buddha who is no different from an ordinary person in form and appearance.
(4) The core of the Three Great Secret Laws: The Gohonzon, or the object of devotion of the essential teaching, is the core of the Three Great Secret Laws in Nichiren’s doctrine that represent the purpose of his life. The Three Great Secret Laws are the object of devotion of the essential teaching, the invocation, or daimoku, of the essential teaching, and the sanctuary of the essential teaching. Here, “essential teaching” refers to the teaching of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, not to the essential teaching (latter half) of the Lotus Sutra. Nichiren expressed the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo he realized within his own life in these three forms, which correspond to the three types of learning in Buddhism—precepts, meditation, and wisdom. The object of devotion corresponds to meditation, the invocation to wisdom, and the sanctuary to precepts. Sanctuary is a translation of the Japanese word kaidan, which is also translated as “ordination platform.” This is a platform where practitioners vow to uphold the Buddhist precepts. In Nichiren’s teaching, to embrace the object of devotion is the only precept, and the place where one enshrines the object of devotion and chants the daimoku is called the sanctuary. Again to keep faith in the object of devotion and chant the daimoku while teaching others to chant it is called the invocation. Both the sanctuary and the invocation derive from the object of devotion. Hence the object of devotion is the core of all three.
(5) The inscriptions on the Gohonzon: In the center of the Gohonzon are written the Chinese characters “Nam-myoho-renge-kyo Nichiren.” On either side there are characters for the names of beings representing each of the Ten Worlds. At the top of the Gohonzon, the names of Shakyamuni Buddha and Many Treasures Buddha appear respectively to the immediate left and right (when facing the Gohonzon) of these central characters. They represent the realm or world of Buddhahood. The four bodhisattvas—Superior Practices, Boundless Practices, Pure Practices, and Firmly Established Practices—who lead the other Bodhisattvas of the Earth are positioned to the left and right of the two Buddhas. They, along with other bodhisattvas in the second row from the top such as Universal Worthy and Manjushrī, represent the realm of bodhisattvas. Also in the second row are persons of the two vehicles—voice-hearers and cause-awakened ones, such as Shāriputra and Mahākāshyapa—and flanking them are representatives of the realm of heavenly beings, such as Brahmā, Shakra, the devil king of the sixth heaven, and the gods of the sun and moon. In the third row appear a wheel-turning king, representing the realm of human beings; an asura king, representing the realm of asuras; a dragon king, representing the realm of animals; Mother of Demon Children and the ten demon daughters, representing the realm of hungry spirits; and Devadatta, representing the realm of hell. Moreover, the four heavenly kings are positioned in the four corners of the Gohonzon: (again, when facing the Gohonzon) Vaishravana in the upper left, Upholder of the Nation in the upper right, Wide-Eyed in the lower right, and Increase and Growth in the lower left. While all other figures on the Gohonzon are represented in Chinese characters, the names of the wisdom king Craving-Filled and the wisdom king Immovable are written below Vaishravana and Upholder of the Nation respectively in Siddham, a medieval Sanskrit script. Here the wisdom king Craving-Filled represents the principle that earthly desires are enlightenment, and the wisdom king Immovable, the principle that the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana. Other characters on the Gohonzon include the names of Great Bodhisattva Hachiman and the Sun Goddess. All these names express the principles that the Ten Worlds exist within the eternal Buddha’s life, and that living beings of the Ten Worlds can attain Buddhahood. Not all of the above names appear on every Gohonzon, but whichever ones do appear represent all of the Ten Worlds.
The names of the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai and the Great Teacher Dengyō are inscribed in the lower part of the Gohonzon representing those who transmitted the true lineage of Buddhism. There are two inscriptions gleaned from Miao-lo’s Annotations on “The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra,” which Nichiren used to describe the power of the Gohonzon and the Law it embodies. One, placed in the upper right (facing the Gohonzon), reads, “Those who vex or trouble [the practitioners of the Law] will have their heads split into seven pieces.” The other, in the upper left, reads, “Those who give alms [to them] will enjoy good fortune surpassing the ten honorable titles.” The ten honorable titles are epithets applied to the Buddha expressing his virtue, wisdom, and compassion. In the lower right is Nichiren’s declaration that “This is the great mandala never before known in the entire land of Jambudvīpa in the more than 2,230 years since the Buddha’s passing.”

 

[easyDaimoku]

It's very good to brushup on the theories, teachings, and great material from the original thread where we started. Follow this link to the massive beginning for our Chanting Growers movement: https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=3819

Also, check out this link to find a local group in the US to chant with and learn more: https://www.sgi-usa.org/find-us/

Go for your Gohonzon, leave with a new practice that will improve your entire family/bloodline 7 generations into the past and 7 generations into the future. If you have been chanting and haven't taken this step, now is a great time! I did it over 11 years ago, and the rest is history! Babba led the way for me, and Mrs.Babba nurtured us all. PasstheDoobie started this for us and we'll always be eternally grateful!!!

 

[Babbabud]

Nam myoho renge kyo

 

[Stan G.]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

 

[Stan G.]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, followed by bong rip!

 

[easyDaimoku]

More on obtaining your Gohonzon

More on obtaining your Gohonzon

This is from an SGI website:
https://www.worldtribune.org/2017/03/why-do-i-need-the-gohonzon/

Q: I’ve been chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo for a little while and have seen changes in my life, but I haven’t received the Gohonzon. Why do I need the Gohonzon?

A: It’s wonderful that you’ve seen the benefit of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Chanting enables us to call forth the highest life state of Buddhahood and experience the greatest happiness in our lives. Buddhism teaches that we and everything in our environment are interconnected. So when we chant and bring forth our Buddhahood, we can elicit the same enlightened aspect that resides in the people and things around us, creating value for ourselves and others.

Though easy to agree that all people have wonderful potential within, believing this about ourselves as well as others is not easy. In addition, the reality of daily life is that it is difficult to maintain consistency in many things we do. The same applies to our Buddhist practice. As Nichiren Daishonin states: “Many hear about and accept this sutra, but when great obstacles arise, just as they were told would happen, few remember it and bear it firmly in mind. To accept is easy; to continue is difficult. But Buddhahood lies in continuing faith” (“The Difficulty of Sustaining Faith,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 471).

In short, by having the Gohonzon enshrined in our homes, we are able to consistently and freely chant and derive innate courage, wisdom, compassion and everything that we need to progress in life. Especially when facing daunting or discouraging situations, chanting to the Gohonzon helps us face challenges head on and win.

Why is this?

Because Nichiren Daishonin’s winning state of life is expressed in the Gohonzon. To fulfill his vow to lead all people to lasting happiness, he overcame numerous harsh persecutions and attempts on his life. After the failed execution attempt at Tatsunokuchi in 1271, Nichiren began inscribing the Gohonzon—a physical expression of his enlightened and victorious life. We activate within our lives this same enlightened and victorious life condition by chanting to the Gohonzon.

The Gohonzon is a graphic representation of the sublime reality to which Shakyamuni Buddha was enlightened, the fundamental Law that permeates all life. Nichiren identified this Law as Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, establishing the teaching and practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to directly awaken the innate enlightened nature in all people. The Gohonzon serves as a mirror to reflect our innate enlightened nature and causes it to permeate every aspect of our lives.

SGI President Ikeda says: “Just as you look into a mirror when you make up your face, to beautify the face of the soul, you need a mirror that reflects the depths of your life. This mirror is none other than the Gohonzon of ‘observing one’s mind,’ or more precisely, observing one’s life” (My Dear Friends in America, third edition, p. 97).

The Gohonzon is the clearest of all mirrors. When we chant to the Gohonzon, we can perceive the true aspect of our lives and bring forth the limitless power of Buddhahood to illuminate all aspects of our lives.

 

[Stan G.]

When you have a Gohonzon, you have some thing that keeps the end goal in your vision at all times. Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[Babbabud]

My Gohonzon is enshrined in a Butsudan made by my son.

Nam myoho renge kyo

 

[easyDaimoku]

Before the Original Thread (google search "chanting growers") I was only growing bud, making seeds, and consuming all the products. Now-a-days, I have a Gohonzon surrounded by art canvases and I'm becoming a painter.

Not sure where I'm going next, but I do know that my Gohonzon will be there. I actually pray at the end of Gongyo to have the Gohonzon for the rest of this life and the next. I also specifically chant for Tony Matsuoka, Ted Osaka, The PTDs and The Babbas everytime I pray for the founding presidents.

Not sure if all you Chanting Growers realize, but we are part of a heritage extending from Nichiren Daishonin through the ages first in the temple, then in modern times through President Makiguchi, President Josei Toda, and President Daisaku Ikeda. We're all pioneering causes for kosenrufu in tandem with millions of others everyday.

This world is a truly wonderful place!!

 

[Stan G.]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.

 

[Stan G.]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.
Mam Myoho Renge Kyo.
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[Weird]

The more than three thousand volumes of non-Buddhist scriptures3 concern no other matters; they teach nothing but filial conduct toward one’s father and mother. Yet though with these teachings one may fulfill one’s duties to one’s parents in the present life, one will be unable to help them in their life to come. The debt of gratitude owed to one’s father and mother is as vast as the ocean. If one cares for them while they are alive but does nothing to help them in their next life, it will be like a mere drop of water.
The more than five thousand volumes of Buddhist scriptures likewise concern nothing else; they simply set forth the merits of filial piety. However, though the Thus Come One’s first forty years and more of teachings may seem to be about filial conduct, he did not reveal in them the true teaching on this matter. Therefore, though they appear to fall within the realm of teachings on filial conduct, they are in fact unfilial.
The Venerable Maudgalyāyana rescued his mother from the suffering of the realm of hungry spirits.4 However, he was only able to lead her to the worlds of human and heavenly beings, and could not enable her to enter the path of attaining Buddhahood. The Thus Come One Shakyamuni, at the age of thirty, expounded a teaching to his father, King Shuddhodana, enabling him to reach the fourth and highest level of attainment.5 And at the age of thirty-eight, he enabled his mother, Lady Māyā, to attain the stage of arhat.6 Yet while such deeds may resemble filial conduct, the Buddha was in fact p.1034guilty of unfilial behavior, for though he freed his parents from the six paths, he caused them to enter a path that would never lead to Buddhahood.7 This is like reducing a crown prince to the status of commoner, or like marrying a princess to a man of lowly birth.
For this reason, the Buddha said, “[If I used a lesser vehicle to convert even one person], I would be guilty of stinginess and greed, but such a thing would be impossible.”8 Having given his parents a meal of boiled barley while begrudging them amrita, and having offered them unrefined spirits while denying them fine wine, the Buddha had become the most unfilial of persons. Like King Virūdhaka, he should have fallen alive into the great citadel of the hell of incessant suffering, and like King Ajātashatru, his body should have been afflicted with white leprosy. However, forty-two years [after he attained enlightenment], he expounded the Lotus Sutra, saying: “Those disciples, though they have conceived an idea of extinction and entered into what they take to be nirvana, will in that other land seek the Buddha wisdom and will be able to hear this sutra.”9 Because Shakyamuni expounded the Lotus Sutra to repay the debt of gratitude he owed to his father and mother, Many Treasures Buddha, who had come from the World of Treasure Purity, praised him as a Buddha of true filial piety. And the Buddhas of the ten directions assembled and declared him to be the most filial among all the Buddhas.

---> http://www.nichirenlibrary.org/en/wnd-1/Content/146

 

[Babbabud]

Nam myoho renge kyo

 

[Stan G.]

Nam myoho renge kyo!

 

[Stan G.]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo