Congrats easydisco! Keep it going! Forward!
T
T
Last edited:
-
As of today ICMag has his own Discord server. In this Discord server you can chat, talk with eachother, listen to music, share stories and pictures...and much more. Join now and let's grow together! Join ICMag Discord here! More details in this thread here: here.
Chanting Growers Group
- Thread starter PassTheDoobie
- Start date
- Status
Changing Poison into Medicine
Changing Poison into Medicine
SGI members often speak of "turning poison into medicine" when they describe how their Buddhist practice has enabled them to transform a difficult, negative or painful situation into something positive.
In its most fundamental sense, "changing poison into medicine" refers to the transformation of deluded impulses into enlightenment. The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom, attributed to the third-century Indian Buddhist philosopher Nagarjuna, compares the Lotus Sutra to "a great physician who changes poison into medicine." This is because the Lotus Sutra opens the possibility of enlightenment to people whose arrogance and complacency had caused them to "scorch the seeds of Buddhahood." In earlier sutras such people had been condemned as being incapable of becoming Buddhas. An important implication of this principle, thus, is that there is no one who is beyond redemption.
In his writing, "On First Hearing the Teaching of the Supreme Vehicle," Nichiren develops this idea, stating that by using the power of the Mystic Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, one can transform the three paths of deluded impulses, karma and suffering into the three virtues of the Buddha, i.e., the Dharma body, wisdom and emancipation.
This can be understood to mean that any unfavorable situation can be changed into a source of value. More fundamentally, it is by challenging and overcoming painful circumstances that we grow as human beings.
How we respond to life's inevitable sufferings is the key. Negative, painful experiences are often necessary to motivate us. One Buddhist scripture describes illness as awakening the desire to seek the truth. Likewise, people have been inspired to a lifetime commitment to peace and justice by their experience of war and injustice.
The process of changing poison into medicine begins when we approach difficult experiences as an opportunity to reflect on ourselves and to strengthen and develop our courage and compassion. The more we are able to do this, the more we are able to grow in vitality and wisdom and realize a truly expansive state of life.
Suffering can thus serve as a springboard for a deeper experience of happiness. From the perspective of Buddhism, inherent in all negative experiences is this profound positive potential. However, if we are defeated by suffering or respond to challenging circumstances in negative and destructive ways, the original "poison" is not transformed but remains poison.
Buddhism teaches that suffering derives from karma, the causes that we ourselves have created. The Buddhist teaching of karma is one of personal responsibility. It is therefore our responsibility to transform sufferings into value-creating experiences. The Buddhist view of karma is not fixed or fatalistic--even the most deeply entrenched karmic patterns can be transformed.
By taking a difficult situation--illness, unemployment, bereavement, betrayal--and using it as an opportunity to deepen our sense of personal responsibility, we can gain and develop the kind of self-knowledge from which benefit flows. Buddhism teaches that self-knowledge ultimately is awareness of our own infinite potential, our capacity for inner strength, wisdom and compassion. This infinite potential is referred to as our "Buddha nature."
The original meaning of the phrase "to turn poison into medicine" relates to this level of self-knowledge.
In the "Belief and Understanding" chapter of the Lotus Sutra, Subhuti and others of the Buddha's long-time disciples respond to the prophecy that another disciple, Shariputra, will attain the ultimate enlightenment. The disciples admit that they had long ago given up on becoming Buddhas themselves, but that on hearing the teaching of the Lotus Sutra they renounced their earlier stance of resignation and spiritual laziness. "[Their minds were moved as seldom before and danced for joy." Nagarjuna and T'ien-t'ai (538--597) therefore compare the Buddha to a good doctor capable of turning poison (the laziness and resignation of the aged disciples) into medicine (a sincere aspiration for the ultimate enlightenment of Buddhahood).
This teaching of the possibility of profound transformation makes Buddhism a deeply optimistic philosophy. This optimism propels Buddhists as they seek to transform the negative and destructive tendencies within their lives as well as those in society and the world at large.
(from: http://www.sgi.org/english/Buddhism/more/more03.htm )
Changing Poison into Medicine
SGI members often speak of "turning poison into medicine" when they describe how their Buddhist practice has enabled them to transform a difficult, negative or painful situation into something positive.
In its most fundamental sense, "changing poison into medicine" refers to the transformation of deluded impulses into enlightenment. The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom, attributed to the third-century Indian Buddhist philosopher Nagarjuna, compares the Lotus Sutra to "a great physician who changes poison into medicine." This is because the Lotus Sutra opens the possibility of enlightenment to people whose arrogance and complacency had caused them to "scorch the seeds of Buddhahood." In earlier sutras such people had been condemned as being incapable of becoming Buddhas. An important implication of this principle, thus, is that there is no one who is beyond redemption.
In his writing, "On First Hearing the Teaching of the Supreme Vehicle," Nichiren develops this idea, stating that by using the power of the Mystic Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, one can transform the three paths of deluded impulses, karma and suffering into the three virtues of the Buddha, i.e., the Dharma body, wisdom and emancipation.
This can be understood to mean that any unfavorable situation can be changed into a source of value. More fundamentally, it is by challenging and overcoming painful circumstances that we grow as human beings.
How we respond to life's inevitable sufferings is the key. Negative, painful experiences are often necessary to motivate us. One Buddhist scripture describes illness as awakening the desire to seek the truth. Likewise, people have been inspired to a lifetime commitment to peace and justice by their experience of war and injustice.
The process of changing poison into medicine begins when we approach difficult experiences as an opportunity to reflect on ourselves and to strengthen and develop our courage and compassion. The more we are able to do this, the more we are able to grow in vitality and wisdom and realize a truly expansive state of life.
Suffering can thus serve as a springboard for a deeper experience of happiness. From the perspective of Buddhism, inherent in all negative experiences is this profound positive potential. However, if we are defeated by suffering or respond to challenging circumstances in negative and destructive ways, the original "poison" is not transformed but remains poison.
Buddhism teaches that suffering derives from karma, the causes that we ourselves have created. The Buddhist teaching of karma is one of personal responsibility. It is therefore our responsibility to transform sufferings into value-creating experiences. The Buddhist view of karma is not fixed or fatalistic--even the most deeply entrenched karmic patterns can be transformed.
By taking a difficult situation--illness, unemployment, bereavement, betrayal--and using it as an opportunity to deepen our sense of personal responsibility, we can gain and develop the kind of self-knowledge from which benefit flows. Buddhism teaches that self-knowledge ultimately is awareness of our own infinite potential, our capacity for inner strength, wisdom and compassion. This infinite potential is referred to as our "Buddha nature."
The original meaning of the phrase "to turn poison into medicine" relates to this level of self-knowledge.
In the "Belief and Understanding" chapter of the Lotus Sutra, Subhuti and others of the Buddha's long-time disciples respond to the prophecy that another disciple, Shariputra, will attain the ultimate enlightenment. The disciples admit that they had long ago given up on becoming Buddhas themselves, but that on hearing the teaching of the Lotus Sutra they renounced their earlier stance of resignation and spiritual laziness. "[Their minds were moved as seldom before and danced for joy." Nagarjuna and T'ien-t'ai (538--597) therefore compare the Buddha to a good doctor capable of turning poison (the laziness and resignation of the aged disciples) into medicine (a sincere aspiration for the ultimate enlightenment of Buddhahood).
This teaching of the possibility of profound transformation makes Buddhism a deeply optimistic philosophy. This optimism propels Buddhists as they seek to transform the negative and destructive tendencies within their lives as well as those in society and the world at large.
(from: http://www.sgi.org/english/Buddhism/more/more03.htm )
"Whether you chant the Buddha's name, recite the 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, 4)
On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime
Written to Toki Jonin in 1255
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, 4)
On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime
Written to Toki Jonin in 1255
"All disciples and lay supporters of Nichiren should chant Nam-myoho-
renge-kyo with the spirit of many in body but one in mind,
transcending all differences among themselves to become as inseparable
as fish and the water in which they swim. This spiritual bond is the
basis for the universal transmission of the ultimate Law of life and
death. Herein lies the true goal of Nichiren's propagation. When you
are so united, even the great desire for wide-spread propagation can
be fulfilled."
(WND, 217)
The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life
Written to Sairen-bo Nichijo on February 11, 1272
renge-kyo with the spirit of many in body but one in mind,
transcending all differences among themselves to become as inseparable
as fish and the water in which they swim. This spiritual bond is the
basis for the universal transmission of the ultimate Law of life and
death. Herein lies the true goal of Nichiren's propagation. When you
are so united, even the great desire for wide-spread propagation can
be fulfilled."
(WND, 217)
The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life
Written to Sairen-bo Nichijo on February 11, 1272
ife is full of unexpected suffering. Even so, as Eleanor Roosevelt
said: "If you can live through that [a difficult situation] you can
live through anything. You gain strength, courage and confidence by
every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.
You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can
take the next thing that comes along.'" That's exactly right.
Struggling against great difficulty enables us to develop ourselves
tremendously. We can call forth and manifest those abilities lying
dormant within us. Difficulty can be a source of dynamic growth and
positive progress.
Daisaku Ikeda
from SGI-USA
"For Today & Tomorrow"
said: "If you can live through that [a difficult situation] you can
live through anything. You gain strength, courage and confidence by
every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.
You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can
take the next thing that comes along.'" That's exactly right.
Struggling against great difficulty enables us to develop ourselves
tremendously. We can call forth and manifest those abilities lying
dormant within us. Difficulty can be a source of dynamic growth and
positive progress.
Daisaku Ikeda
from SGI-USA
"For Today & Tomorrow"
"'Some people, looking at a morning glory, naturally wonder why the flower is the colour that it is and where it originally came from. They are driven to find out everything they can about morning glories. Perceiving the mystery of life itself in the flower, they see it as a sign that they still have an incredible amount to learn about existence. Such people are always eager to learn more. On the other hand, there are some who, looking at the same flower, will say: "That’s a morning glory. What more is there to know?" This equates to the attitude of a shallow person.
"'Likewise, Myoho-renge-kyo is the fundamental Law of the universe, the most difficult teaching to believe and understand. Thinking you’ve understood it completely is to think you’ve 'attained what you have not attained' (cf. WND, 270) and is just plain arrogance.'"
SGI Newsletter No. 6708, The New Human Revolution—Vol. 18: Chap. 2, Gratitude for One’s Mentor 11, translated Jan 19th, 2006
"'Likewise, Myoho-renge-kyo is the fundamental Law of the universe, the most difficult teaching to believe and understand. Thinking you’ve understood it completely is to think you’ve 'attained what you have not attained' (cf. WND, 270) and is just plain arrogance.'"
SGI Newsletter No. 6708, The New Human Revolution—Vol. 18: Chap. 2, Gratitude for One’s Mentor 11, translated Jan 19th, 2006
"We are living in increasingly troubled times. Some of you may be assailed with unexpected problems at work or in your families. As practitioners of the Mystic Law, however, we have the power to overcome all obstacles. Daimoku is the key. It’s important that we set clear, specific goals and chant earnestly to realize them. Through chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo we accumulate boundless good causes in our lives. By enduring arduous trials, the roots of our faith grow deep and strong, and we are able to develop the strength and fortitude never to be defeated by anything. Bathed in the light of the Mystic Law, these roots will eventually put forth shoots that will grow and without fail blossom into great flowers of benefit and good fortune. The Daishonin’s Buddhism definitely enables us to create lasting happiness. Please have deep confidence in this."
SGI Newsletter No. 6731, NATIONWIDE EXECUTIVE CONFERENCE—PART 1 [OF 2], A Noble Global Network of Soka, Dec. 24th, 2005, translated Feb. 16th, 2006
SGI Newsletter No. 6731, NATIONWIDE EXECUTIVE CONFERENCE—PART 1 [OF 2], A Noble Global Network of Soka, Dec. 24th, 2005, translated Feb. 16th, 2006
The Meaning of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
The Meaning of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
People first coming into contact with the religious practice of the Soka Gakkai International may be struck by the stress placed on the phrase "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo." It may appear that everything starts from and returns to this single phrase. This does, however, accurately reflect Nichiren's (1222-82) view of its importance and the value he placed on its repeated invocation. As he put it: "The soul of Nichiren is nothing other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo." Indeed, Nichiren regarded Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as the Mystic Law, the natural principle governing the workings of life in the universe, the law to which all Buddhas are enlightened and the true aspect of our own lives. He saw the practice of repeatedly invoking this law as the "direct path to enlightenment."
The Voice
Many people associate Buddhist religious practice with silent, interior meditation. But the practice of vocalizing, reciting and chanting various teachings has played a vitally important role in the history of Buddhism. To voice one's innermost conviction and vow in prayer is an intensely public act. The emphasis on audible chanting as opposed to silent meditation reflects a core stance of Nichiren's Buddhism. Rather than simply exploring and withdrawing into the private realms of the inner life, religious practice is focused on bringing forth our highest inner potential in relation to and for the benefit of our fellow humans and human society. Nichiren often quotes the words of an earlier Buddhist philosopher that "The voice does the Buddha's work."
Using our voices to express and convey the state of our inner life--whether that be one of joy, gratitude, despair or determination--is central to our identity as humans. It is likely that the quintessentially human act of "prayer" grew from such semi-instinctual pleas, cries and thanks--directed toward the inscrutable forces of nature and prior to any consciously formulated system of doctrine or belief. Likewise, it is through song, the voice, that human beings have given primary expression to their innermost feelings of--and desires for--harmony with all life. The voice serves as a vital link between ourselves, our fellow humans and a universe that is itself vibrant with the rhythms of life and death.
Nichiren viewed the Lotus Sutra, with its message that all people are capable of becoming Buddhas--that, at the deepest level, all people already are enlightened Buddhas--as the ultimate teaching of Buddhism with an enduring and universal applicability. In line with earlier schools dedicated to the Lotus Sutra, he considered the five Chinese characters of the title of the sutra--myo, ho, ren, ge, kyo--as embodying the essence of the sutra, the Mystic Law to which Shakyamuni and other Buddhas are enlightened. Thus, when on April 28, 1253, he declared that to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo was to activate its promise of universal enlightenment, Nichiren was establishing a form of practice that would open the way to enlightenment for all people--regardless of class or educational background. This was borne out in the diverse range of people who gathered around Nichiren, becoming his followers and fellow practitioners; they included people with a highly developed understanding of Buddhist doctrine and history as well as farmers with little if any literacy. It is also borne out in the astonishing diversity of people practicing Nichiren Buddhism globally today.
The Mystic Law
Nichiren devoted great energy to encouraging his followers to muster profound faith that chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is a practice by which they can bring forth their inherent Buddha nature--strengthening their capacity for wisdom, courage, confidence, vitality and compassion--to successfully meet the challenges of daily life and establish a state of unshakable happiness in this world.
What, then, does Nam-myoho-renge-kyo mean? The phrase can be literally translated as "I devote myself to the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law." In a number of his many writings--which include treatises, petitions, records of lectures as well as letters to individual believers--Nichiren delves into the deeper significance of each of the component characters.
Nam (or Namu) derives from the Sanskrit and means to venerate or dedicate oneself. (It is often translated as "hail" or "take refuge in," but from the perspective of Nichiren Buddhism, with its stress on the fact that the Law is inherent in all people, this cannot be considered the optimal translation.) Myoho-renge-kyo is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese characters comprising the title of the Lotus Sutra, or "Saddharma Pundarika Sutra" in the original Sanskrit.
Nichiren comments that the entire formulation thus fuses elements of Sanskrit and Chinese, the two great civilizations of his known world. This may be understood as expressing the universalist orientation of Nichiren Buddhism, its active embrace of human culture and civilization.
Myoho corresponds to Saddharma and may be translated as "wonderful or mystic Law." As Nichiren comments in one letter: "What then does myo signify? It is simply the mysterious nature of our life from moment to moment, which the mind cannot comprehend or words express."
Nichiren further cites three attributes of the character myo: To open, to be fully endowed, and to revive. Ho is the dharma or law, and together the two characters of myoho refer to the Mystic Law. As SGI President Daisaku Ikeda has written: "The great power of the Mystic Law . . . embraces everything, brings out the positive possibilities of all situations, transforming everything toward the good, reviving and giving new life to all experiences."
Myo and ho are also identified by Nichiren as corresponding to life and death, which Buddhism regards as the two aspects--one active and manifest, the other latent and unseen--of a deeper life-continuum. This continuum is permeated and shaped by the law of causality, or cause and effect, which Nichiren identifies with renge, the lotus flower.
Specifically, the fact that the lotus flower already contains seeds when it opens symbolizes the principle of the simultaneity of cause and effect, the idea that causes we make are engraved in the deepest, most essential realms of life, and on this plane we immediately experience the effects of our thoughts, words and deeds. In terms of Buddhist practice this means that "Anyone who practices this Law will obtain both the cause and effect of Buddhahood simultaneously." The fact that the lotus flower sends forth pure white blossoms from roots sunk deep in muddy water expresses the idea that our highest nature is brought forth through committed engagement with the often difficult or disagreeable realities of life and society.
Finally, kyo signifies the sutra, the voiced and transmitted teaching of the Buddha. The Chinese character for kyo indicates the threads that run continually through a woven fabric. Nichiren writes: "Kyo represents the words and voices of all living beings. . . . Kyo may also be defined as that which is constant and unchanging in the three existences of past, present and future."
Elsewhere Nichiren associates each of the characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with parts of the human body: head, throat, chest, abdomen and legs, respectively. This may be understood as indicating that the mystic principle or law that guides and governs the living cosmos is in no way separate from the concrete realities of our lives.
By invoking the Mystic Law and bringing forth our highest, most enlightened nature, we naturally inspire those around us to strive toward the highest, most creative and compassionate way of life. This develops into a "virtuous circle" of mutually reinforcing celebration of the infinite dignity and value of all human beings. Nichiren uses a poetic metaphor to describe this process: "When a caged bird sings, birds who are flying in the sky are thereby summoned and gather around, and when the birds flying in the sky gather around, the bird in the cage strives to get out. When with our mouths we chant the Mystic Law, our Buddha nature, being summoned, will invariably emerge."
(from: http://www.sgi.org/english/Buddhism/more/more30.htm )
The Meaning of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
People first coming into contact with the religious practice of the Soka Gakkai International may be struck by the stress placed on the phrase "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo." It may appear that everything starts from and returns to this single phrase. This does, however, accurately reflect Nichiren's (1222-82) view of its importance and the value he placed on its repeated invocation. As he put it: "The soul of Nichiren is nothing other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo." Indeed, Nichiren regarded Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as the Mystic Law, the natural principle governing the workings of life in the universe, the law to which all Buddhas are enlightened and the true aspect of our own lives. He saw the practice of repeatedly invoking this law as the "direct path to enlightenment."
The Voice
Many people associate Buddhist religious practice with silent, interior meditation. But the practice of vocalizing, reciting and chanting various teachings has played a vitally important role in the history of Buddhism. To voice one's innermost conviction and vow in prayer is an intensely public act. The emphasis on audible chanting as opposed to silent meditation reflects a core stance of Nichiren's Buddhism. Rather than simply exploring and withdrawing into the private realms of the inner life, religious practice is focused on bringing forth our highest inner potential in relation to and for the benefit of our fellow humans and human society. Nichiren often quotes the words of an earlier Buddhist philosopher that "The voice does the Buddha's work."
Using our voices to express and convey the state of our inner life--whether that be one of joy, gratitude, despair or determination--is central to our identity as humans. It is likely that the quintessentially human act of "prayer" grew from such semi-instinctual pleas, cries and thanks--directed toward the inscrutable forces of nature and prior to any consciously formulated system of doctrine or belief. Likewise, it is through song, the voice, that human beings have given primary expression to their innermost feelings of--and desires for--harmony with all life. The voice serves as a vital link between ourselves, our fellow humans and a universe that is itself vibrant with the rhythms of life and death.
Nichiren viewed the Lotus Sutra, with its message that all people are capable of becoming Buddhas--that, at the deepest level, all people already are enlightened Buddhas--as the ultimate teaching of Buddhism with an enduring and universal applicability. In line with earlier schools dedicated to the Lotus Sutra, he considered the five Chinese characters of the title of the sutra--myo, ho, ren, ge, kyo--as embodying the essence of the sutra, the Mystic Law to which Shakyamuni and other Buddhas are enlightened. Thus, when on April 28, 1253, he declared that to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo was to activate its promise of universal enlightenment, Nichiren was establishing a form of practice that would open the way to enlightenment for all people--regardless of class or educational background. This was borne out in the diverse range of people who gathered around Nichiren, becoming his followers and fellow practitioners; they included people with a highly developed understanding of Buddhist doctrine and history as well as farmers with little if any literacy. It is also borne out in the astonishing diversity of people practicing Nichiren Buddhism globally today.
The Mystic Law
Nichiren devoted great energy to encouraging his followers to muster profound faith that chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is a practice by which they can bring forth their inherent Buddha nature--strengthening their capacity for wisdom, courage, confidence, vitality and compassion--to successfully meet the challenges of daily life and establish a state of unshakable happiness in this world.
What, then, does Nam-myoho-renge-kyo mean? The phrase can be literally translated as "I devote myself to the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law." In a number of his many writings--which include treatises, petitions, records of lectures as well as letters to individual believers--Nichiren delves into the deeper significance of each of the component characters.
Nam (or Namu) derives from the Sanskrit and means to venerate or dedicate oneself. (It is often translated as "hail" or "take refuge in," but from the perspective of Nichiren Buddhism, with its stress on the fact that the Law is inherent in all people, this cannot be considered the optimal translation.) Myoho-renge-kyo is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese characters comprising the title of the Lotus Sutra, or "Saddharma Pundarika Sutra" in the original Sanskrit.
Nichiren comments that the entire formulation thus fuses elements of Sanskrit and Chinese, the two great civilizations of his known world. This may be understood as expressing the universalist orientation of Nichiren Buddhism, its active embrace of human culture and civilization.
Myoho corresponds to Saddharma and may be translated as "wonderful or mystic Law." As Nichiren comments in one letter: "What then does myo signify? It is simply the mysterious nature of our life from moment to moment, which the mind cannot comprehend or words express."
Nichiren further cites three attributes of the character myo: To open, to be fully endowed, and to revive. Ho is the dharma or law, and together the two characters of myoho refer to the Mystic Law. As SGI President Daisaku Ikeda has written: "The great power of the Mystic Law . . . embraces everything, brings out the positive possibilities of all situations, transforming everything toward the good, reviving and giving new life to all experiences."
Myo and ho are also identified by Nichiren as corresponding to life and death, which Buddhism regards as the two aspects--one active and manifest, the other latent and unseen--of a deeper life-continuum. This continuum is permeated and shaped by the law of causality, or cause and effect, which Nichiren identifies with renge, the lotus flower.
Specifically, the fact that the lotus flower already contains seeds when it opens symbolizes the principle of the simultaneity of cause and effect, the idea that causes we make are engraved in the deepest, most essential realms of life, and on this plane we immediately experience the effects of our thoughts, words and deeds. In terms of Buddhist practice this means that "Anyone who practices this Law will obtain both the cause and effect of Buddhahood simultaneously." The fact that the lotus flower sends forth pure white blossoms from roots sunk deep in muddy water expresses the idea that our highest nature is brought forth through committed engagement with the often difficult or disagreeable realities of life and society.
Finally, kyo signifies the sutra, the voiced and transmitted teaching of the Buddha. The Chinese character for kyo indicates the threads that run continually through a woven fabric. Nichiren writes: "Kyo represents the words and voices of all living beings. . . . Kyo may also be defined as that which is constant and unchanging in the three existences of past, present and future."
Elsewhere Nichiren associates each of the characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with parts of the human body: head, throat, chest, abdomen and legs, respectively. This may be understood as indicating that the mystic principle or law that guides and governs the living cosmos is in no way separate from the concrete realities of our lives.
By invoking the Mystic Law and bringing forth our highest, most enlightened nature, we naturally inspire those around us to strive toward the highest, most creative and compassionate way of life. This develops into a "virtuous circle" of mutually reinforcing celebration of the infinite dignity and value of all human beings. Nichiren uses a poetic metaphor to describe this process: "When a caged bird sings, birds who are flying in the sky are thereby summoned and gather around, and when the birds flying in the sky gather around, the bird in the cage strives to get out. When with our mouths we chant the Mystic Law, our Buddha nature, being summoned, will invariably emerge."
(from: http://www.sgi.org/english/Buddhism/more/more30.htm )
Last edited:
Pho
Pho
Found a restaraunt about an hour from home that serves Pho and there is a vietnamese market next door and I just know they have the pepper sauce . The store is connected to the restaraunt and ive already seen the same pepper sauce on the tables. Havent been inside yet as we had just finished eating when we spotted it . Next time through town we will be stopping
Once I saw the pepper sauce and the store i came home and have found a few recipes for pho so I think ill be figuring out how to make our own soon. Should give PTD and SG a good reason to visit Ill have it perfected by then hopefully !!
nam myoho renge kyo!!
Pho
Found a restaraunt about an hour from home that serves Pho and there is a vietnamese market next door and I just know they have the pepper sauce . The store is connected to the restaraunt and ive already seen the same pepper sauce on the tables. Havent been inside yet as we had just finished eating when we spotted it . Next time through town we will be stopping
Once I saw the pepper sauce and the store i came home and have found a few recipes for pho so I think ill be figuring out how to make our own soon. Should give PTD and SG a good reason to visit
Ill have it perfected by then hopefully !!nam myoho renge kyo!!
Good stuff! I am sure you will find that special pepper sauce that you are seeking for sure.
"Never seek this Gohonzon outside yourself. The Gohonzon exists only within the mortal flesh of us ordinary people who embrace the Lotus Sutra and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo."
(The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 832) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, February 17th, 2006
(The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 832) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, February 17th, 2006
"If you light a lantern for another, it will also brighten your own way."
(Shokumotsu santoku gosho - Gosho Zenshu, page 1598) Selection source: Q & A on Buddhism, Seikyo Shimbun, February 19th, 2006
(Shokumotsu santoku gosho - Gosho Zenshu, page 1598) Selection source: Q & A on Buddhism, Seikyo Shimbun, February 19th, 2006
G
Guest
Some say "variety is the spice of life" others interestingly enough seek to consolidate their thirst for a previously implicit harmony now a clearer acceptance within singular practice and focused devotion,
My Garden is a consolidation of Love, My heart is focusing directly on a personal freedom I have been seeking within the umbrella of all encompassing introspective sentiments and at the same time essentially understanding of "The voice does the Buddha's work."
I love steak marinated in fresh ground pepper, onions, some salt, and achote with olive oil which can be marinated for a day then grilled. Bringing together the individuals and propagating the truth essentially has been developing my Buddha Belly so to speak! Nam myoho renge kyo !
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo !
many thanks for the very dedicated posts most recently answers questions before I ask! Your practice of your faith is admirable! It leads you closer to your goals honorably. I tip my iHAT to you all.
nam myoho renge kyo !
My Garden is a consolidation of Love, My heart is focusing directly on a personal freedom I have been seeking within the umbrella of all encompassing introspective sentiments and at the same time essentially understanding of "The voice does the Buddha's work."
I love steak marinated in fresh ground pepper, onions, some salt, and achote with olive oil which can be marinated for a day then grilled. Bringing together the individuals and propagating the truth essentially has been developing my Buddha Belly so to speak! Nam myoho renge kyo !
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo !
many thanks for the very dedicated posts most recently answers questions before I ask! Your practice of your faith is admirable! It leads you closer to your goals honorably. I tip my iHAT to you all.
nam myoho renge kyo !
Last edited:
".. fortune comes from one's heart and makes one worthy of respect."
(New Year's Gosho - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 1137) Selection source: SGI President Ikeda's speech, Seikyo Shimbun, February 20th, 2006
(New Year's Gosho - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 1137) Selection source: SGI President Ikeda's speech, Seikyo Shimbun, February 20th, 2006
giantmanbags
Member
Thankyou PassThe Doobie for such a magnificent thread......I feel that chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo works for me like meditation if I want it to affect me that way....chanting the words on the exhale and inhaling after, can lower the heart rate significantly and if I concentrate on each body part from the feet to the head at times I feel like I'm floating--no joke. That type of concentration is focused upon only if I have had a particularly stressful day and works every time!!!
HEY!!!
I smell food cookin in here!!!
HEY!!!
I smell food cookin in here!!!
Last edited:
G
Guest
Reading this and listening to Shpongle... omg....
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo !
Peace and love,
Agnes
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo !
Peace and love,
Agnes
always2theLeft
Member
"Thankyou PassThe Doobie for such a magnificent thread"
-giantmanbags
i gota thanks too man, since ive been chanting my life has done a complete 180. i wake up every morning feeling good and satisfied. ive turned 4 people onto Nicherin Buddhism since i started reading this and they are loving it. :friends:
Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo :smile:
-giantmanbags
i gota thanks too man, since ive been chanting my life has done a complete 180. i wake up every morning feeling good and satisfied. ive turned 4 people onto Nicherin Buddhism since i started reading this and they are loving it. :friends:
Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo :smile:
Hey gmb! Good to see you Brother. The thanks should really go out to those who inspire it and keep it going through their seeking spirit. I am sure their karmic influence of seeking the Law is manifest in the thread they read. Dependent Origination. We all exist strictly and only because of each other.
And hey Agnes! It's great to see you! You now have a shot at the Gypsy Nirvana stash box being given away at the end of the month. Good luck everyone! Keep posting please!
Thomas
And hey Agnes! It's great to see you! You now have a shot at the Gypsy Nirvana stash box being given away at the end of the month. Good luck everyone! Keep posting please!
Thomas
- Status
