Chanting Growers Group (2013-∞)

[SoCal Hippy]

"Justice will perish if people fail to be angered by evil. Similarly, only a hypocritical kind of justice conducive to the perpetuation of evil will exist if people stop struggling actively against injustice and iniquity.”

SGI Newsletter No. 9739, The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, Part 3: Kosen-rufu and World Peace, Chap. 26: The Three Founding Presidents and the Path of Mentor and Disciple, Part 1: Tsunesaburo Makiguchi and Josei Toda (Continued), 26.7 The Immortal Struggles of Presidents Makiguchi and Toda, from the April 2017 issue of the Daibyakurenge, translation released 10th Nov. 2017

 

[Babbabud]

Nam myoho renge kyo

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"There is no true happiness for human beings other than chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. The sutra reads, '. . . where living beings enjoy themselves at ease.' How could this passage mean anything but the boundless joy of the Law?"

(Happiness in This World - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Volume 1, page 681) Selection source: President Ikeda's Essay: Our Great Road to Victory, Seikyo Shimbun, April 7th, 2013

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"Please become the kind of person of whom others will say, 'It is because of your encouragement that I was able to turn my life around and become truly happy.’ Surely there isn’t any greater honour and pride for practitioners of the Daishonin’s Buddhism than being respected by many people.

"There is no nobler undertaking than sharing Nichiren Buddhism with others and offering guidance in faith. Those who continue to do so throughout their lives are Bodhisattvas of the Earth and Buddhas."

Daisaku Ikeda

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"Now Nichiren and his followers, who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, are persons who 'lodge in the same place as the Thus Come One.' Therefore, Fu Ta-shih says in his commentary, 'Morning after morning we rise up with the Buddha, evening after evening we lie down with the Buddha. Moment by moment we attain the way, moment by moment we reveal our true identity.'"

(Ongi kuden - Gosho Zenshu, page 737, The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, page 83)

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"Dialogue is a life-to-life exchange that can open another’s heart and mind; it is the music of life’s inner realm that creates a resonance of conscience."


Daisaku Ikeda

Nam myoho renge kyo

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"Neither the pure land nor hell exists outside oneself; both lie only within one's own heart. Awakened to this, one is called a Buddha; deluded about it, one is called an ordinary person. The Lotus Sutra reveals this truth, and one who embraces the Lotus Sutra will realise that hell is itself the Land of Tranquil Light."

(Hell Is the Land of Tranquil Light - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 456) Selection source: SGI President Ikeda's message, Seikyo Shimbun, April 14th, 2013

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"In 'On Repaying Debts of Gratitude,' the Daishonin writes: 'If in this present existence I am so fearful for my life that I fail to speak out, then in what future existence will I ever attain Buddhahood? Or in what future existence will I ever be able to bring salvation to my parents and my teacher? With thoughts such as these uppermost in my mind, I decided that I must begin to speak out' (WND-1, 727). As SGI members striving for kosen-rufu today, we are carrying on the same selfless spirit demonstrated by the Daishonin from the time of his proclamation of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Engaging in the struggle for kosen-rufu may entail many hardships and our days may be hectic, but this is the path to attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime and the unsurpassed way to repay our debt of gratitude to our teachers or mentors in Buddhism and to bring true benefit to our parents."

SGI Newsletter No. 8735, SGI President Ikeda’s Editorial, Spreading Joy from One Person to Another, from the April 2013 issue of the Daibyakurenge, translated 18th March 2013

 

[SoCal Hippy]

A person of wisdom is one who, understanding the time, spreads the teachings of the Lotus Sutra accordingly; this is their most important task. If a person’s throat is dry, what they need is water; they have no use for bows and arrows, weapons and sticks. If a person is naked, they want a suit of clothes but has no need for water. From one or two examples you can guess the principle that applies in general.

Letter to Horen, WND, page 518

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"Bodhisattvas of the Earth with their indomitable spirit,
continue to the very end to help others while challenging to overcome
their own personal sufferings. Their noble lives that they live out
by fulfilling their vow are adorned with the brilliant light of happiness!"

Daisaku Ikeda

*”Our original essence is pure and undefiled, but we willingly take on negative karma, choosing to be born in difficult circumstances or with various physical or psychological challenges in order to give hope to others by triumphing over these difficulties. By showing proof of the inherent power of our humanity to overcome suffering, we open the way for others to do the same. Likewise, we are able to give real support to people who suffer from similar difficulties. In each new life, we again awaken to our original vow and joyfully embrace whatever challenges it presents us.”
(Ref.: Lifespan and the Bodhisattva Vow -
https://www.sgi.org/about-us/buddhism-in-daily-life/lifespan-and-the-bodhisattva-vow.html)

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"To accept is easy; to continue is difficult. But Buddhahood lies in continuing faith.”

(The Difficulty of Sustaining Faith- WND, Vol. 1, page 471)

 

[SoCal Hippy]

“What is most important is that, by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo alone, you can attain Buddhahood. It will no doubt depend on the strength of your faith. To have faith is the basis of Buddhism."

(The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon- WND, Vol. 1, page 832)

 

[SoCal Hippy]

“The Daishonin clearly states: ‘Nor will I ever reproach [those who persecuted me].’ As he points out in another writing where he says, ‘[this present exile] is not because of any secular crime’ (WND-1, 303), he had committed no wrong. All the persecutions and attacks directed at him were unfounded, and it might have been perfectly natural for him to be angry and resentful.

But he was not. This is because, as taught in the Lotus Sutra, the persecutions he faced were precisely due to his propagation of the correct teaching. They were therefore a source of joy, not resentment.”

SGI Newsletter No. 9738, The New Human Revolution––Vol. 27: Chap. 3, Fierce Struggle 36, translation released 9th Nov.2017

 

[Babbabud]

Nam myoho renge kyo

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"The Daishonin encourages us to"Diligently polish your mirror day and night."*
Each and every day is a challenge of win or lose.
By persistently trying to chant daimoku,let’s continue to develop those
“treasures of the heart” in our lives!"

Daisaku Ikeda

“Arouse deep faith, and diligently polish your mirror day and night. How should you polish it? Only by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo."

"On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime", WND-I, page 4

 

[Weird]

nam myoho renge kyo

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"Though we speak of the three obstacles and four devils appearing, no one wishes to have to face adversity. That is surely a natural human reaction. But Nichiren Daishonin says that the appearance of the three obstacles and four devils is a source of joy. How could that be? It doesn’t seem possible. But it is, in fact, by overcoming the steep hills and inclines of obstacles that we can forge our lives and ascend the summit of Buddhahood, where we can savour the sublime vista of eternity, happiness, true self, and purity.[1]

" My mentor, second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda, often spoke about the three obstacles and four devils. He said they represented the valleys of training and development that lie in between the hills of benefit that we climb on the way to scaling the highest mountain of Buddhahood.[2]

"The important thing is how we approach the three obstacles and four devils. We need to 'own' them, to look at them as something we ourselves have summoned up. It may seem that we are being assailed by the three obstacles and four devils, but the true reality is just the opposite. Because we have voluntarily set ourselves to the task of climbing the peak of Buddhahood, they have arisen. The fact that we encounter these obstacles and devilish functions is proof that we are upholding the correct teaching and advancing in the right direction. We are in charge; we are the protagonists. The three obstacles and four devils are a trial we must surmount in order to attain lasting happiness imbued with the noble virtues of Buddhahood. When we achieve that awareness, then the struggle against the three obstacles and four devils is indeed a great joy."

SGI Newsletter No. 8746, Learning from the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin: The Teachings for Victory [46] “The Three Obstacles and Four Devils.” “The Wise Will Rejoice!”—Let’s Achieve Eternal Victory through Undefeated Buddhist Practice, from the November 2012 issue of the Daibyakurenge, translated 8th April 2013

[1] Eternity, happiness, true self, and purity are known as the four virtues. Describing the noble qualities of the Buddha’s life, the four are explained as follows: “eternity” means unchanging and eternal; “happiness” means tranquillity that transcends all suffering; “true self” means true and intrinsic nature; and “purity” means free of illusion or mistaken conduct.

[2] Mr. Toda once said: “In making the ascent from a low-lying mountain to a high mountain, you will inevitably have to pass through valleys in between. . . . If attaining Buddhahood is compared to reaching the summit of the highest mountain, then the benefit you receive upon first taking faith corresponds merely to scaling a low-lying mountain. Attaining Buddhahood means scaling a far higher mountain. It is vital that you don’t lose your way in the valleys you pass through on your journey. These are valleys where the three obstacles and four devils vie with one another to attack. You mustn’t become drunk on the benefit that you receive upon first taking faith. You mustn’t become remiss in your daily Buddhist practice, but always remember that the purpose of faith is to climb out of these valleys.” [Translated from Japanese. Josei Toda, Toda Josei Zenshu (Collected Writings of Josei Toda), (Tokyo: Seikyo Shimbunsha, 1983), vol. 3, pp. 444–45.]

 

[Weird]

Point One, concerning the parable of the jewel in the robe in the “Prophecy of Enlightenment for Five Hundred Disciples” chapter

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: This chapter tells the story of the priceless jewel that was sewn into the lining of a man’s robe. In a word, it means that Nichiren and his followers, who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, have accepted and taken faith in the wisdom jewel of the Wonderful Law of the one vehicle. The mind of faith is comparable to the jewel that is sewn into the robe.

---> http://www.nichirenlibrary.org/en/ott/PART-1/8

 

[Babbabud]

Nam myoho renge kyo

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"[Again, when Nichiren and his followers recite Nam-myoho-renge-kyo], they are burning the firewood of earthly desires, summoning up the wisdom fire of bodhi or enlightenment."

(Ongi kuden - Gosho Zenshu, page 710, The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, page 11) Selection source: Buddhist study for new members, Seikyo Shimbun