Chanting Growers Group (2013-∞)

[PassTheDoobie]

"There’s bound to be some kind of gap between our dreams and reality. Any dream that’s easily attainable isn’t very exciting. To realise our dreams, we need to have a strong commitment and determination to succeed.

"Thomas Edison was said to have been a poor student at school, but his strong desire to make life more convenient for everyone led him to become a great inventor. And for the Wright brothers, it was their enduring dream to be able to fly like a bird that enabled them to surmount a long series of failures and finally invent the first powered airplane. Though facing numerous obstacles and hardships, these great individuals continued to hold fast to their dream and worked tenaciously towards making it a reality. They never gave up on it, even when others said it was impossible or ridiculed them."

SGI Newsletter No. 8663, Dialogue for the Future: Traveling the Path of Victory Together with You, [4] Dreams Are the Key to Unlock a Brilliant Future, from the Aug. 1st, 2012, issue of the Mirai [Future] Journal, translated 6th Nov. 2012

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"No matter what your dream, when you start challenging yourself to realise it, the adventure begins.

"I once asked leading American economist Lester Thurow what true wealth meant for him, to which he replied unhesitatingly: a spirit of adventure and inquiry.[1]

"Professor Thurow is himself an adventurer who has climbed 7,000-meter peaks in the Himalayas and driven across the Saudi Arabian desert.

"I completely agree with his assertion that a spirit of adventure and inquiry, not money, constitutes true wealth."

SGI Newsletter No. 8663, Dialogue for the Future: Traveling the Path of Victory Together with You, [4] Dreams Are the Key to Unlock a Brilliant Future, from the Aug. 1st, 2012, issue of the Mirai [Future] Journal, translated 6th Nov. 2012

[1] See SGI Newsletter, No. 4116.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"One who, on hearing the teachings of the Lotus Sutra, makes even greater efforts in faith is a true seeker of the way. T'ien-t'ai states, 'From the indigo, an even deeper blue.' This passage means that, if one dyes something repeatedly in indigo, it becomes even bluer than the indigo leaves. The Lotus Sutra is like the indigo, and the strength of one's practice is like the deepening blue."

(Hell Is the Land of Tranquil Light - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Volume 1, page 457) Selection source: Buddhist teachings, Seikyo Shimbun, November 11th, 2012

 

[PassTheDoobie]

If we do indeed consider ourselves youthful,
let's have that challenging spirit to realise
the great noble ideal of kosen-rufu!
Unflaggingly, fearlessly and boldly,
let's charge straight towards our great goal!

Daisaku ikeda

 

[Babbabud]

Nam myoho renge kyo

 

[PassTheDoobie]

simultaneity of cause and effect
[因果倶時] (Jpn inga-guji )

(1) The principle that both cause and effect exist together simultaneously in a single moment of life. It contrasts with the concept of non-simultaneity of cause and effect, or cause and effect as they appear in the phenomenal world, where there inevitably seems to be a time gap between an action and its result. From the viewpoint that all phenomena exist in a single moment of life, there can be no distinction between cause and effect; in other words, cause and effect are simultaneous.

(2) Cause (the nine worlds) and effect (Buddhahood) simultaneously exist in one's life. In this sense, the simultaneity of cause and effect is revealed in the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds and the three thousand realms in a single moment of life. Nichiren's work The Entity of the Mystic Law discusses the simultaneity of cause and effect as an attribute of the Mystic Law. It states: "He [the Buddha] perceived that there is this wonderful single Law [myoho] that simultaneously possesses both cause and effect [renge], and he named it Myoho-renge. This single Law that is Myoho-renge encompasses within it all the phenomena comprising the Ten Worlds and the three thousand realms, and is lacking in none of them. Anyone who practices this Law will obtain both the cause and the effect of Buddhahood simultaneously" (WND/421). Because the Law of Myoho-renge encompasses all phenomena comprising the Ten Worlds, it simultaneously possesses both the cause, or the nine worlds characterized by delusion, and the effect, the world of Buddhahood. To "obtain both the cause and the effect of Buddhahood simultaneously" means that by practicing this Law one will obtain both the cause (or practice) for attaining Buddhahood and the effect of actualizing Buddhahood simultaneously within oneself. Specifically, Nichiren is referring here to the practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and its function to instantaneously tap and bring forth one's innate Buddhahood.

http://www.sgilibrary.org/search_dict.php?id=2051

 

[PassTheDoobie]

mutual possession of the Ten Worlds
[十界互具] (Jpn jikkai-gogu )

A principle formulated by T'ient'ai (538-597) on the basis of the Lotus Sutra stating that each of the Ten Worlds possesses the potential for all ten within itself. One of the component principles of T'ient'ai's doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life. "Mutual possession" means that life is not fixed in one or another of the Ten Worlds, but can manifest any of the ten, from hell to the state of Buddhahood, at any given moment. While one of the ten is manifest, the other nine remain latent, in the state of nonsubstantiality. The important point of this principle is that all beings in any of the nine worlds possess the Buddha nature. This means that every person has the potential to manifest Buddhahood, while a Buddha also possesses the nine worlds and in this sense is not separate or different from ordinary people.From another viewpoint, the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds can be seen as indicating "the world of Buddhahood inherent in the nine worlds," or "inclusion of Buddhahood in the nine worlds," and "the nine worlds inherent in Buddhahood," or "inclusion of the nine worlds in Buddhahood." In his treatise The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind, Nichiren (1222-1282) writes: "The 'Expedient Means' chapter in volume one of the Lotus Sutra states, 'The Buddhas wish to open the door of Buddha wisdom to all living beings.' This refers to the world of Buddhahood inherent in the nine worlds. The 'Life Span' chapter states: 'Thus, since I attained Buddhahood, an extremely long period of time has passed. My life span is an immeasurable number of asamkhya kalpas, and during that time I have constantly abided here without entering extinction. Good men, originally I practiced the bodhisattva way, and the life span that I acquired then has yet to come to an end but will last twice the number of years that have already passed.' Here the sutra refers to the nine worlds inherent in Buddhahood" (WND/356-57).

http://www.sgilibrary.org/search_dict.php?id=2051

 

[PassTheDoobie]

nine worlds
[九界] (Jpn ku-kai or kyu-kai )

Nine of the Ten Worlds; those other than the world of Buddhas, or Buddhahood. The nine worlds are contrasted with the world of Buddhas to indicate the realm of delusion and impermanence. They are the worlds or realms of hell, hungry spirits, animals, asuras, human beings, heavenly beings, voice-hearers, cause-awakened ones, and bodhisattvas. In the Lotus Sutra, both the nine worlds and the world of Buddhas are viewed as different states or potential states of life rather than physical realms or locations. The nine worlds and the world of Buddhahood are mutually inclusive: the world of Buddhas, or the state of Buddhahood, is inherent within the nine worlds, and the nine worlds all exist within the state of Buddhahood. Thus, the sutra holds that all beings of the nine worlds possess the potential for Buddhahood, and that Buddhas are not without the nine worlds.

http://www.sgilibrary.org/search_dict.php?id=1552

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Buddha nature
[仏性] (Skt buddha-dhatu or buddha-gotra; Jpn bussho )

The internal cause or potential for attaining Buddhahood. The Sanskrit word dhatu means root, base, foundation, ground, or cause, and gotra means family, lineage, basis, source, cause, or seed. Mahayana Buddhism generally holds that all people possess the innate Buddha nature, though its existence is obscured by illusions and evil karma. The Nirvana Sutra is especially famous for the phrase "All living beings alike possess the Buddha nature." The history of Buddhism has witnessed doctrinal arguments concerning the Buddha nature, especially with regard to whether all people possess it. The Dharma Characteristics (Chin Fa-hsiang; Jpn Hosso) school, for instance, teaches the doctrine of the five natures, which classifies all people into five groups by their inborn capacities: those destined to be bodhisattvas, those destined as cause-awakened ones, those destined as voice-hearers, an indeterminate group, and those who can neither become bodhisattvas nor attain the enlightenment of voice-hearers or cause-awakened ones. Of these, only those destined to be bodhisattvas and some among the indeterminate group can attain Buddhahood. In contrast, the T'ient'ai (Chin; Jpn Tendai) school, which is based on the Lotus Sutra, holds that all people are endowed with the three inherent potentials of the Buddha nature —the innate Buddha nature, the wisdom to perceive it, and the deeds to develop it —and therefore can attain enlightenment.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Essence of the “Life Span” Chapter / WND pg. 182

The Essence of the “Life Span” Chapter / WND pg. 182

When Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, expounded the “Life Span” chapter, he referred to what all living beings had heard in the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings and in the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra. He said: “In all the worlds the heavenly and human beings and asuras all believe that the present Shakyamuni Buddha, after leaving the palace of the Shakyas, seated himself in the place of meditation not far from the city of Gaya and there attained supreme perfect enlightenment.”(1) This statement expresses the idea held by all the Buddha’s disciples and the great bodhisattvas from the time they heard Shakyamuni preach his first sermon in the Flower Garland Sutra up through the time he expounded the “Peaceful Practices” chapter of the Lotus Sutra.

We find two flaws in the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings: First, “Because the Ten Worlds are separate from one another in these teachings, they fail to move beyond the provisional.”(2) That is, they do not reveal the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life, that of discarding the provisional and revealing the true,(3) or that of persons of the two vehicles being capable of attaining Buddhahood—the doctrines related to the ten factors of life stated in the “Expedient Means” chapter of the theoretical teaching.

Second, “Because they teach that Shakyamuni first attained enlightenment in this world, they fail to discard the Buddha’s provisional status.”(4) Thus they do not reveal the Buddha’s original enlightenment in the remote past expounded in the “Life Span” chapter. These two great doctrines [the attainment of Buddhahood by persons of the two vehicles and the Buddha’s original enlightenment] are the core of the Buddha’s lifetime teachings, the heart and marrow of all the sutras.

The theoretical teaching states that persons of the two vehicles can attain Buddhahood, thus avoiding one of the shortcomings found in the sutras expounded during the first forty years and more of the Buddha’s preaching. However, since the “Life Span” chapter had not yet been expounded, the true doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life remained obscure, and the enlightenment of persons of the two vehicles was not assured. In these respects the theoretical teaching does not differ from the moon’s reflection on the water, or rootless plants drifting on the waves.

The Buddha also stated, “But good men, it has been immeasurable, boundless hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of nayutas of kalpas since I in fact attained Buddhahood.”(5) With this single proclamation, he refuted as great falsehoods his other statements [concerning his own enlightenment]. For instance, the Flower Garland Sutra states that Shakyamuni attained Buddhahood for the first time in this world. The Agama sutras speak of his first attainment of the way, and the Vimalakirti Sutra says, “For the first time the Buddha sat beneath the bodhi tree.” The Great Collection Sutra states, “It is sixteen years [since the Thus Come One first attained the way].” The Mahavairochana Sutra describes the Buddha’s enlightenment as having taken place “long ago when I sat in the place of meditation.” The Benevolent Kings Sutra refers to the Buddha’s enlightenment as an event of “twenty-nine years” ago. The Immeasurable Meanings Sutra states, “In the past I sat upright in the place of meditation,” and the “Expedient Means” chapter of the Lotus Sutra says, “When I first sat in the place of meditation . . .”

When we come to the “Life Span” chapter of the essential teaching, the belief that Shakyamuni attained Buddhahood for the first time [in India] is demolished, and the effects [enlightenment] of the four teachings are likewise demolished. When the effects of the four teachings are demolished, their causes are likewise demolished. “Causes” here refers to Buddhist practice [to attain enlightenment] or to the stage of disciples engaged in practice. Thus the causes and effects expounded in both the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings and the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra are wiped out, and the cause and effect of the Ten Worlds (6) in the essential teaching are revealed. This is the doctrine of original cause and original effect. It teaches that the nine worlds are all present in beginningless Buddhahood and that Buddhahood exists in the beginningless nine worlds. This is the true mutual possession of the Ten Worlds, the true hundred worlds and thousand factors, the true three thousand realms in a single moment of life.

Considered in this light, it is evident that Vairochana Buddha depicted in the Flower Garland Sutra as sitting on a lotus pedestal, the sixteen-foot Shakyamuni described in the Agama sutras, and the provisional Buddhas of the Correct and Equal, Wisdom, Golden Light, Amida, and Mahavairochana sutras are no more than reflections of the Buddha of the “Life Span” chapter. They are like fleeting images of the moon in the sky mirrored on the surface of the water held in vessels of varying sizes. The wise men and scholars of the various schools are first of all confused as to [the nature of the Buddhas of ] their own school, and more fundamentally, they are ignorant of [the Buddha of ] the “Life Span” chapter of the Lotus Sutra. As a result, they mistake the reflection of the moon on the water for the real moon shining in the sky. Some of them enter the water and try to grasp it with their hands, while others try to snare it with a rope. As the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai says, “They know nothing of the moon in the sky, but gaze only at the moon in the pond.”(7) He means that those attached to the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings or the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra are not aware of the moon shining in the sky, but see only its reflection in the pond.

The Great Canon of Monastic Rules also tells of five hundred monkeys who, emerging from the mountains, saw the moon reflected in the water and tried to seize it. However, as it was only a reflection, they fell into the water and drowned. This writing equates the monkeys with Devadatta and the group of six monks. (8)

Were it not for the presence of the “Life Span” chapter among all the teachings of Shakyamuni, they would be like the heavens without the sun and moon, a kingdom without a king, the mountains and seas without treasures, or a person without a soul. This being so, without the “Life Span” chapter, all the sutras would be meaningless. Grass without roots will die in no time, and a river without a source will not flow far. A child without parents is looked down upon. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the heart of the “Life Span” chapter, is the mother of all Buddhas throughout the ten directions and the three existences.

With my deep respect,

Nichiren

The seventeenth day of the fourth month


Background

Neither the year nor the recipient of this letter is indicated. Its contents are quite similar to what the Daishonin wrote about the importance of the “Life Span” chapter in his treatise The Opening of the Eyes. Therefore, although it is generally thought to have been written in the eighth year of Bun’ei (1271), some hold that it might have been completed after the Daishonin wrote that lengthy treatise in 1272. In any event, it clarifies the important differences among the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings, the theoretical and essential teachings of the Lotus Sutra, and the essential teaching revealed by Nichiren Daishonin, that is, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which is implicit in the depths of the “Life Span” chapter.

First, the sutras that came before the Lotus discriminate among certain types of people in terms of their capacity for attaining Buddhahood. Second, the theoretical teaching reveals that the Buddha nature is equally inherent in all people. But neither sets forth Shakyamuni’s original enlightenment countless kalpas in the past. This led people to believe that they could attain Buddhahood only after many lifetimes of self-sacrificing practice as they heard Shakyamuni had. For them, attaining Buddhahood was like a remote dream. Shakyamuni declares in the “Life Span” chapter of the Lotus Sutra’s essential teaching, “But good men, it has been immeasurable, boundless hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of nayutas of kalpas since I in fact attained Buddhahood.” From this it follows that Shakyamuni did not finally become a Buddha in his present life as the result of his many kalpas of ascetic practices, but that he had already been a Buddha.

The question that remained was what teaching or Law did Shakyamuni realize in his heart and put into practice when he first attained enlightenment countless kalpas before? No Buddhist teacher after Shakyamuni had ever answered this question. Nichiren Daishonin was the first to reveal this Law, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, to enable anyone in any time or any place to attain Buddhahood.

Notes

1. Lotus Sutra, chap. 16.
2. The Annotations on “The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra.”
3. A principle set forth in the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra. “The provisional” here refers to all the sutras expounded during the first forty-two years of Shakyamuni’s teaching, and “the true,” to the Lotus Sutra.
4. On “The Profound Meaning.”
5. Lotus Sutra, chap. 16.
6. Here “cause” or the stage of practice is equated with the nine worlds of delusion in which the Buddha nature still remains dormant, and “effect,” with Buddhahood or enlightenment, the tenth world. By indicating that the Buddha still retains all the nine worlds even after attaining enlightenment, the “Life Span” chapter demonstrates that cause (nine worlds) and effect (Buddhahood) exist simultaneously, thus substantiating the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds.
7. The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra.
8. The group of six monks refers to the monks who lived during the Buddha’s lifetime, whose misconduct is said to have caused the necessity to formulate the precepts. They are Nanda, Upananda, Kalodayin, Chanda, Ashvaka, and Punarvasu.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

attainment of Buddhahood
[成仏] ( Jpn jobutsu )

To become a Buddha. Several principles concerning the attainment of Buddhahood or enlightenment have been expounded on the basis of the sutras:

(1) Attaining Buddhahood in one's present form. This means to attain Buddhahood just as one is, without discarding the body of a common mortal. Also referred to as attaining Buddhahood as a common mortal, this principle was formulated by the T'ient'ai school on the basis of the Lotus Sutra. According to many of the teachings other than the Lotus Sutra, one can attain Buddhahood only after having discarded the body of a common mortal that gives rise to earthly desires and illusions. In contrast, the Lotus Sutra teaches that one can attain Buddhahood in one's present form, or as an ordinary person. This principle is often illustrated by the example of the dragon king's daughter who, according to the "Devadatta" (twelfth) chapter, attained Buddhahood in a single moment without changing her dragon form. The concept of attaining Buddhahood in one's present form contrasts with that of attaining Buddhahood through transformation of sex and character. The latter means, for example, that a woman must be reborn as a man in order to attain enlightenment.

(2) Attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime or in a single lifetime. This concept contradicts the idea that one must practice over a period of many kalpas in order to attain Buddhahood. This concept is essentially the same as attaining Buddhahood in one's present form. Other principles concern the attainment of Buddhahood by certain categories of people and derive from the Lotus Sutra per se:

(1) Attainment of Buddhahood by persons of the two vehicles. In the first half of the Lotus Sutra, persons of the two vehicles—voice-hearers and cause-awakened ones—receive a prophecy from Shakyamuni Buddha that they will attain Buddhahood in future ages. This prophecy refutes the view of the provisional Mahayana teachings, which deny persons of the two vehicles the attainment of Buddhahood, for they seek only personal salvation and do not strive to save others. The Lotus Sutra says that they will practice the bodhisattva way and attain Buddhahood.

(2) Attainment of Buddhahood by women. In the first half of the sutra, the dragon king's daughter attains Buddhahood, and Yashodhara, Mahaprajapati, and other women receive Shakyamuni's prophecy of their future enlightenment. Almost all sutras deny women the capacity for attaining Buddhahood and insist that they must be reborn as men in order to attain enlightenment. The Lotus Sutra, however, teaches that both women and men are equally endowed with the potential for Buddhahood, based on the teaching of the true aspect of all phenomena.

(3) Attainment of Buddhahood by evil persons. Even those who oppose and slander the correct teaching of Buddhism, such as icchantikas, or persons of incorrigible disbelief, can attain Buddhahood through a reverse relationship. That is, because they establish a connection with the correct teaching by opposing it, though they receive the negative effect, eventually they profess faith in it and attain Buddhahood. In the Lotus Sutra, this idea is illustrated by the examples of Devadatta and those who ridiculed and attacked Bodhisattva Never Disparaging. See also Buddhahood.

http://www.sgilibrary.org/search_dict.php?id=112

 

[CrazyDog]

A woman's love and affection and compassion for people's lives
is the wellspring for creating peace.
Please try to do all you can to shine a light of inspiration and encouragement
at your family and the people around you in society!

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"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 Shimbun, March 1st, 2013

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Please try to find whatever time you can, no matter how brief, to chant in earnest, as well as to make an effort to read even just a line or two of the Gosho, to study Gakkai guidance, and to reconfirm the true purpose of your Buddhist faith and practice.

"The presence of fellow members who are a source of inspiration in faith is also important. People tend to grow weak when they are isolated and alone. That's why good friends who encourage and support us are so invaluable.

"Nichiren Daishonin thus cites the Lotus Sutra passage: 'Thrust aside evil friends and associate with good companions [cf. LSOC3, 114]' (WND-1, 832)."

SGI Newsletter No. 8727, The New Human Revolution, Vol. 26: Chap. 1, Atsuta 60, translated 25th Feb. 2013

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"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 Shimbun, March 2nd, 2013

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"In ‘On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime,’ Nichiren Daishonin writes: ‘Whether you chant the Buddha’s name, recite the [Lotus] sutra, or merely offer flowers and incense, all your virtuous acts will implant benefits and roots of goodness in your life. With this conviction, you should strive in faith’ (WND-1, 4).

“In other words, please be assured that everything we do for kosen-rufu—including our gongyo and daimoku and all our Gakkai activities—becomes a source of benefit and good fortune for ourselves and for our families, and forms the vital 'roots' that allow happiness to thrive.

“I also hope you will always engage in activities with a positive attitude. And please keep not only the aims of the organisation, but your own personal aims, clearly in view, then chant and take action wholeheartedly to realise them and transform your various sufferings and problems. To win in the realm of kosen-rufu is to win in life. To find joy in our activities is to find joy in life.

“The life condition of those who truly enjoy Gakkai activities and introducing others to Buddhism is the life condition of the Buddha.”

SGI Newsletter No. 8727, The New Human Revolution, Vol. 26: Chap. 1, Atsuta 61, translated 25th Feb. 2013

 

[PassTheDoobie]

A woman's love and affection and mercy for people's lives
is the wellspring for creating peace.
Please try to do all you can to shine a light of inspiration and encouragement
at your family and the people around you in society!

Daisaku Ikeda

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"In the Daishonin’s Buddhism, we can all equally and directly connect to the Gohonzon."

SGI Newsletter No. 8727, The New Human Revolution, Vol. 26: Chap. 1, Atsuta 61, translated 25th Feb. 2013

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is like the roar of a lion."

(Reply to Kyo'o - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1,page 412) Selection source: SGI President Ikeda's guidance, Seikyo Shimbun, March 3rd, 2013

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"No matter how poor these estates might be, avoid complaining of it, either to others or to your lord. If you say, 'They are excellent, excellent lands,' your lord may add to your fiefs again. But if you say things like, 'The lands are poor,' or 'There are no profits,' you could very well be forsaken by both heaven and other people. You should bear this in mind."

(The Receipt of New Fiefs - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 945) Selection Source: Suntetsu, Seikyo Shinbun, October 11th, 2012