Chanting Growers Group (2013-∞)

[SoCal Hippy]

There are trails in the sky where birds fly, but people cannot recognize them. There are paths in the sea along which fish swim, but people cannot perceive them. All people and things of the four continents are reflected in the moon without a single exception, but people cannot see them. But they are visible to the heavenly eye. In like manner, ordinary people cannot see that the "Treasure Tower" chapter exists within the body of Lady Nichinyo, but Shakyamuni, Many Treasures, and the Buddhas of the ten directions perceive it. I, Nichiren, also presume this to be the case.

From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"'I, Nichiren, am the richest man in all of present-day Japan. I have dedicated my life to the Lotus Sutra, and my name will be handed down in ages to come.'- From "The Opening of the Eyes" (WND-1, 268).

"Nichiren Daishonin made this declaration while in exile on Sado Island. Amid a time of unprecedented adversity, he demonstrated a dauntless, towering state of life as vast as the universe itself."

​"We of the SGI are true heirs to the Daishonin's spirit. No hardships, therefore, can intimidate us. Let's continue to achieve brilliant, lasting victories based on the Mystic Law, taking pride in the fact that we are accumulating the 'treasures of the heart that are the most valuable of all' (cf. WND-1, 851) through our activities for kosen-rufu."

Daisaku Ikeda

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"Become the master of your mind rather than let your mind master you."

(Letter to the Brothers - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 502)

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"Therefore, the best way to attain Buddhahood is to encounter a good friend."

(Three Tripitaka Masters Pray for Rain - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 598)

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"'One accepts [the Lotus Sutra] because of one’s power of faith and continues [to uphold it] because of one’s power of constant thought' (WND-1, 471)—this is a passage from the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai’s Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra. It was cited by Nichiren Daishonin in a letter to Shijo Kingo, who was steadfastly exerting himself in his Buddhist practice in an area that is part of present-day Kanagawa Prefecture.

"Nothing surpasses the power of faith in the Mystic Law. Based on that belief, we need to speak out freely and share our convictions with others, for the sake of Buddhism, the happiness of others, and the welfare of society.

"In a letter to the Ikegami brothers, who faced repeated challenges to their faith, the Daishonin wrote urging them to speak out intrepidly for their beliefs, adding: 'You should not have the slightest fear in your heart' (WND-1, 637).

"When our prayers are focused and we courageously share the Mystic Law with others, we can lead our families and loved ones along the path to eternal happiness and victory."

Daisaku Ikeda

Nam myoho renge kyo

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"My mentor, second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda, was always eager to take on ever greater challenges.

"Great challenges give us the opportunity to carry out our human revolution and change our karma more quickly. They open wide the road to attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime.

"Thanking members for their tireless efforts, Mr. Toda once said: 'If we persevere in faith, enormous benefit will clearly manifest in our life—and I mean truly extraordinary benefit. We of the Soka Gakkai are firmly committed to realising kosen-rufu and establishing the correct teaching for the peace of the land. Therefore, let’s share our convictions without hesitation! The Gohonzon is aware of all our efforts. Knowing that, don’t you feel courage rising within you?'

"These words capture the eternal and unchanging Gakkai spirit."

Daisaku Ikeda

Nam myoho renge kyo

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is like the roar of a lion. What sickness can therefore be an obstacle?"

(Reply to Kyo'o - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 412)

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"Whatever trouble occurs, regard it as no more than a dream, and think only of the Lotus Sutra."

(Letter to the Brothers - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 502)

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"And yet, though one might point at the earth and miss it, though one might bind up the sky, though the tides might cease to ebb and flow and the sun rise in the west, it could never come about that the prayers of the practitioner of the Lotus Sutra would go unanswered."

(On Prayer - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 345)

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"In a letter to the lay nun Ueno [the mother of Nanjo Tokimitsu], Nichiren Daishonin writes: 'With regard to the Lotus Sutra, when one’s hand takes it up, that hand immediately attains Buddhahood, and when one’s mouth chants it, that mouth is itself a Buddha' (WND-1, 1099).

"Even in times of suffering and hardship, if we continue chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, our lives, just as they are, will shine as entities of the Lotus Sutra [the Mystic Law], and we will be able to positively transform our situation in accord with the principle of 'changing poison into medicine.'

"The lay nun Ueno was able to pull herself out of her profound grief following the deaths of her husband and youngest son and open the way for a happy future for her family and loved ones."

SGI Newsletter No. 8764, SGI President Ikeda’s Editorial, Walking the Path of Happiness and Victory Together with the Women’s Division

Nam myoho renge kyo

 

[Weird]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Nichiren writes: "Hence we come to realize that there is no difference between
one's own mind and the mind of the Buddha, and accordingly wake from the dream
realm of birth and death and return to the waking state of original
enlightenment. This is known as attainment of Buddahood in one's present form."

The Unanimous Declaration by the Buddhas, The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Volume II, p. 846.

Nam myoho renge kyo

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"To all those families who offer their homes as meeting places thank you all so much for your contribution to our activities. It is within the walls of these noble castles that we witness the unfolding of countless dramas of joy and happiness. The blessings and benefits you accrue will certainly shine across all three existences!"

Daisaku Ikeda

 

[Babbabud]

Nam myoho renge kyo

 

[SoCal Hippy]

A bird's egg contains nothing but liquid, yet by itself this develops into a
beak, two eyes, and all the other parts, and the bird soars into the sky. We,
too, are the eggs of ignorance, which are pitiful things, but when nurtured by
the chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which is like the warmth of the mother
bird, we develop the beak of the thirty-two features and the feathers of the
eighty characteristics and are free to soar into the sky of the true aspect of
all phenomena and the reality of all things.

(WND, 1030)
Letter to Niike
Written to Niike Saemon-no-jo in February 1280
from "Daily Wisdom - from the writings of Nichiren Daishonin"
__________________

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"Buddhism is, in sense, an eternal struggle between the Buddha and demons; in
other words, a contest between positive and negative forces. If we are never
assailed by negative influences, we cannot be said to be truly practicing
Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism. Buddhist practice lies in bravely facing and
overcoming adversity."

Daisaku Ikeda

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"In the end, no one can escape death. The sufferings at that time will be exactly like what we are experiencing now. Since death is the same in either case, you should be willing to offer your life for the Lotus Sutra."

(The Dragon Gate - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 1003)

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Even a wise person cannot become a Buddha through the other sutras, but with the
Lotus Sutra, even fools can plant the seeds that lead to Buddhahood. As the
sutra passage I have quoted earlier puts it, "Although they do not seek
emancipation, emancipation will come of itself."

The Opening of the Eyes (WND, 283)
Written to Shijo Kingo in February 1272

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Our worldly misdeeds and evil karma may have piled up as high as Mount Sumeru,
but when we take faith in this sutra, they will vanish like frost or dew under
the sun of the Lotus Sutra.

Letter to Niike (WND, 1026)
Written to Niike Saemon-no-jo in February 1280

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"What is the secret to victory? Mr. Toda once described that in a certain sense
life is a gamble. ""If you are lucky, you will win," he said. "But if you are
unlucky, then sometimes no matter how hard you try you lose. This is a hard
fact." That is why, in addition to ability, good fortune is essential. The key
to creating good fortune is found in faith and daimoku. I hope that you will all
act in accord with the fundamental Law of Buddhism and lead victorious lives
filled with unsurpassed good fortune."

Daisaku Ikeda

(Daimoku = Chanting Nam Myoho Renge kyo)