Chanting Growers Group (2013-∞)

[SoCal Hippy]

"What a joy it is for us to have been born in the Latter Day of the Law and to have shared in the propagation of the Lotus Sutra! How pitiful are those who, though born in this time, cannot believe in this sutra!"

(Letter to Niike - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 1026) Selection Source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shinbun

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"Seek out friends you can trust, rely on, and consult with, and resolve to become such an individual yourself.

"Mr. Toda said: 'Make friends with even just one person whom you can share your heart with or who can teach you about faith in times of need.'

"...Since you possess within you the supreme treasure of the Mystic Law, you have nothing to fear. Even if your efforts go unnoticed by others, the Gohonzon is aware of everything, and all the Buddhas and heavenly deities throughout the universe will definitely protect you. So please don’t worry about anything. Have confidence in yourself, and just do your very best."

SGI Newsletter No. 8752, Humanistic Teachings for Victory, (9) Praying for the Happiness of All Young Women’s Division Members, Following the Correct Path in Life, from the 6th June, 2012, issue of the Soka Shimpo, the Soka Gakkai youth division’s fortnightly newspaper

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"Even a feeble person will not stumble if those supporting him are strong, but a person of considerable strength, when alone, may fall down on an uneven path."

(Three Tripitaka Masters Pray for Rain - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 598) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"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 colour is better than that of the indigo plant. The Lotus Sutra remains the same, but if you repeatedly strengthen your resolve, your colour 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: President Ikeda's Essay - Our great path to victory, Seikyo Shinbun

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"A well-known proverb from Madagascar states: 'Don’t seek soft soil to dig in.' In other words, challenge yourself!"

SGI Newsletter No. 8750, 65th Soka Gakkai Headquarters Leaders Meeting, Laying the Solid Foundation for Victory, from the 14th April, 2013, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun

 

[Weird]

nam myoho renge kyo

 

[Weird]

Point Two, regarding the words “The wisdom of the Buddhas is infinitely profound and immeasurable. The door to this wisdom is difficult to understand and difficult to enter. Not one of the voice-hearers or pratyekabuddhas is able to comprehend it.”

Words and Phrases, volume three, says, “First the passage praises the true wisdom, and then it praises the provisional wisdom. ‘True’ here refers to ‘the wisdom of the Buddhas.’ This is not the ‘true and provisional’ that applies to the teachings expounded in accordance with the capacities of people, the three teachings prior to the Lotus Sutra, the Tripitaka, the connecting, and the specific teachings. Therefore the text describes it as the wisdom ‘of the Buddhas.’ It is a manifestation of the truth the Buddhas realized for themselves, and therefore it is termed ‘wisdom.’
“The essence of this wisdom is the three kinds of wisdom of a single mind. ‘Infinitely profound and immeasurable’ are the words of praise applied to this wisdom. The true wisdom of the Buddhas is of such depth that it can clearly penetrate to the very base of universal truth; therefore it is described as ‘infinitely profound.’ And it is of such width that it extends to the very limits of the Dharma-realm; therefore it is described as ‘immeasurable.’ ‘Infinitely profound and immeasurable’ refers to its vertical and horizontal dimensions.
“To employ a simile, if the roots of a tree reach far down, then its branches will flourish; and if the source of a river is far away, its flow will be long-lasting. Such are the terms used to describe true wisdom. And those used to describe provisional wisdom follow the same pattern.
“When the sutra speaks of ‘the door to this wisdom,’ it is praising the provisional wisdom. It is an expedient means that acts as a corridor to the teaching of the Buddhas’ enlightenment, a force p.25that enables one to advance on one’s way. Therefore it is described as a ‘door.’ A door is that by which one enters upon the way. The ‘way’ one enters upon is the true teaching, and the corridor leading to the way is the provisional teachings.
“The sutra praises the provisional wisdom by saying that it is ‘difficult to understand and difficult to enter.’ It is beyond comprehension, yet we comprehend it; it has indescribably great assistance to offer. To those acquainted only with the seven expedient means it is beyond measuring. Only when one reaches the ten stages of security can one for the first time be said to ‘understand’ it. And when one reaches the ten stages of development, one may be said to ‘enter’ it. Here we mention only the earlier stages, the stages of security, and the later stages, the stages of development. During the intervening stages, one comes to realize that this wisdom is truly difficult to expound and difficult to awaken to.
“The sutra, however, makes a special point of saying that none of the voice-hearers or pratyekabuddhas are able to comprehend it. Because such persons are so heavily weighed down by their attachments, it makes a special point of admonishing them.”
On “The Words and Phrases,” volume three, says, “The [passage that includes the] words ‘refer to its vertical and horizontal dimensions’ consists of a doctrine, its simile, and a reference to both true and provisional wisdom. This shows the pattern to be followed. Here the true wisdom has been interpreted as being vast in its horizontal dimensions and all-reaching in its vertical dimensions or depth. In what follows, we are to understand that the provisional wisdom should be interpreted to be extremely profound in principle. The interpretation of the provisional wisdom is to be given in what follows, and so its characteristics are described in advance in this passage. That is why the commentary says what it does.
“In the passage ‘The door to this wisdom,’ the word ‘this’ refers to the wisdom that is the cause of the true wisdom mentioned earlier in the text [as ‘the wisdom of the Buddhas’]. If the wisdom here is likened to a door, then it must be provisional. But if this is p.26the door to wisdom, then the wisdom must be the true wisdom that results from the cause. In this passage, therefore, the ten stages of development are to be understood as the corridor that leads to the way, perfect enlightenment as the way itself, and the state following enlightenment as what comes after one has attained the way.
“Therefore one should understand that the purpose underlying this passage is to describe the cause that leads to enlightenment.”

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: The meaning of this passage in Words and Phrases and the commentary on it in On “The Words and Phrases” is perfectly clear. In the passage referring to the vertical and horizontal dimensions, the vertical dimensions represent the essential teaching and the horizontal dimensions represent the theoretical teaching. The “roots” are the roots of a plant or tree. Plants and trees in their growth climb upward. Hence the roots here stand for the theoretical teaching [that leads one upward to enlightenment in the essential teaching]. The “source” represents the essential teaching. The source is the fountainhead from which the river flows. Rivers flow downward. Hence the source here stands for the essential teaching [from which enlightenment flows downward]. The flourishing branches stand for the fourteen chapters of the theoretical teaching in the Lotus Sutra, and the long-lasting flow or the river stands for the fourteen chapters of the essential teaching.
The wisdom referred to is the three kinds of wisdom of a single mind. The “door” is the door that enables one to enter into this wisdom. The essence of the three kinds of wisdom of a single mind is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and the door is the mind of faith. So the passage in volume two of the Lotus Sutra (chapter three, Simile and Parable) says, “Even you, Shāriputra, / in the case of this sutra / were able to gain entrance through faith alone.” Here “entrance” is the same in meaning as “door.”
Now when Nichiren and his followers recite Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, they are giving expression to this wisdom. The “Simile and Parable” chapter says, “This house has only one gate p.27(door).” With regard to gates, there is the gate of being, the gate of emptiness, the gate that is both being and emptiness, and the gate that is neither being nor emptiness. The gate of being is birth. The gate of emptiness is death. The gate that is both being and emptiness is the birth and death of a single mind or life. The gate that is neither being nor emptiness is that which is not birth and not death.
The gate of being is exemplified by the five characters that make up the daimoku. The gate of emptiness is exemplified by the way in which these five characters are endowed with all the phenomena of the universe, without respect to any one particular direction or another. The gate of both being and emptiness is exemplified by the way in which these five characters are endowed with the essential and the theoretical teachings. And the gate that is neither being nor emptiness is exemplified by the underlying meaning of the whole sutra.
This kind of inner enlightenment is not something that can be comprehended by the wisdom of the people of the two vehicles who had yet to hear the Lotus Sutra. Therefore volume three of Words and Phrases says, “To those acquainted only with the seven expedient means it is beyond measuring.”
Now Nichiren and his followers have gained entrance to this wisdom. Therefore when the verse passage [in chapter two of the Lotus Sutra] says, “Among the other kinds of living beings / there are none who can comprehend it, / except the many bodhisattvas / who are firm in the power of faith,” it is referring to persons like us, who are votaries of the Lotus Sutra.

---> http://www.nichirenlibrary.org/en/ott/PART-1/2

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"This life is like a dream. One cannot be sure that one will live until tomorrow. However wretched a beggar you might become, never disgrace the Lotus Sutra."

(A Warning against Begrudging One's Fief - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. I, page 824) Selection Source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shinbun

 

[SoCal Hippy]

I am realy happy to report that I begin my new job today, exactly 2 months since I was discharged from my last job after 6+ years.

It has been the most "enlightning" experience and I am truly grateful for the awakening that has taken place in my life and the strong determination for kosenrufu (world peace) that I have now rekindled before it was too late.

I have reunited with my local SGI organization and am determined to fight along with President Ikeda on this noble mission as bodhisatvas of the earth.

By the way, Pesident Ikeda will be celebrating his 90th birthday on Jan 2 of next year!

"Don't be afraid,
don"t be defeated,
Faith
Victory of Gold"

Mugi wasshin (doubt-free faith) all the way baby!

Nam myoho renge kyo

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"What matters is winning in the end; the wins and losses along the way are of secondary significance. It's final victory in life that counts and that is the reason for our Buddhist practice. No matter how powerful or famous or privileged a person might be, Nichiren Daishonin says, from a Buddhist point of view it is all nothing more than a dream, an illusory pleasure; true happiness can only be attained by revealing the state of Buddhahood within our own life."

Daisaku Ikeda

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"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 - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 4) Selection Source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shinbun

 

[Babbabud]

Nam myoho renge kyo

 

[Guest]

I am realy happy to report that I begin my new job today, exactly 2 months since I was discharged from my last job after 6+ years.

It has been the most "enlightning" experience and I am truly grateful for the awakening that has taken place in my life and the strong determination for kosenrufu (world peace) that I have now rekindled before it was too late.

I have reunited with my local SGI organization and am determined to fight along with President Ikeda on this noble mission as bodhisatvas of the earth.

By the way, Pesident Ikeda will be celebrating his 90th birthday on Jan 2 of next year!

"Don't be afraid,
don"t be defeated,
Faith
Victory of Gold"

Mugi wasshin (doubt-free faith) all the way baby!

Nam myoho renge kyo

So what is the job?

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Operations Manager

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"In the light of the above points, this shows, my followers, that you had better cut short your sleep by night and curtail your leisure by day, and ponder this! You must not spend your lives in vain and regret it for ten thousand years to come."

(The Problem to Be Pondered Night and Day - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page ) Selection source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shimbun

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"Nichiren Daishonin clearly states: 'I have believed it is most important to understand one’s obligations to others, and made it my first duty to repay such debts of kindness' (WND-1, 122). This feeling of gratitude is an essential part of being human, as well as central to the teachings of Buddhism. . . .

"In a famous piece of guidance, Mr. Toda said: 'Looking at the world today, there are very few people with a proper sense of appreciation and gratitude. Ingratitude is the root of society’s troubles.' A family is in trouble when the children forget to be grateful and appreciative of their parents. . . .

"Of the different kinds of gratitude that exist, Buddhism teaches that the most important is gratitude to one’s teacher—in other words, to the person who teaches us the principles of Buddhism and the correct path in life. . . .

"What is the key to repaying one’s debt of gratitude to one’s teacher or mentor? . . . The way to do so is to strive for kosen-rufu with the spirit of 'not begrudging one’s life.'"

SGI Newsletter No. 8754, excerpts from the 17th Soka Gakkai Headquarters Leaders Meeting held in Tokyo, on April 23rd, 2008. These excerpts were shown during the 65th Soka Gakkai Headquarters Leaders Meeting in Tokyo, on April 13th, 2013. The excerpted text appeared in the April 24, 2013, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, published 24th April 2013

 

[Guest]

Operations Manager

Just curious do you leave this stuff at the door when you go to work or do you practice it at work as well?

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Just curious do you leave this stuff at the door when you go to work or do you practice it at work as well?

Stewart, there is a quote in this buddhism that says, "Faith equals daily life."

So yes, I strive to be the best at whatever I am doing daily, whether that be work or whatever else I do after chanting morning and evening.

Each one of us must deal with our own karma each day. Having a high life condition allows me to deal with any challenge that confronts me and those close to me.

By chanting Nam myoho renge kyo, this puts me on the path to the ultimate goal of attaining enlightenment in this lifetime.

I have been posting different passages from the gosho's written by Nichiren Daishonin and quotes from sgi president Daisaku Ikeda. Anything I have posted here has had a significant inpact in my life recently as I have really had to face serious life challenges and I still have other negative circumstances that are atacking me now.

Hope this helps you in my answer to your question.

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"Suffer what there is to suffer, enjoy what there is to enjoy. Regard both suffering and joy as facts of life, and continue chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. no matter what happens. How could this be anything other than the boundless joy of the Law? Strengthen your power of faith more than ever."

(Happiness in This World - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 681)

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"This sutra is superior to all other sutras. It is like the lion king, the monarch of all the creatures that run on the ground, and like the eagle, the king of all the creatures that fly in the sky."

(The Sutra of True Requital - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 929) Selection source: President Ikeda's Essay: Our Grand Road to Victory, Seikyo Shimbun