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Chanting Growers Group
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"I, Nichiren, said in a loud voice, 'How amusing! Look at Hei no Saemon gone mad! You gentlemen have just toppled the pillar of Japan.' Hearing this, the assembled troops were taken aback. When they saw me standing before the fierce arm of the law unafraid, they must have realized that they were in the wrong, for the colour drained from their faces."
(The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 766) Selection source: SGI President Ikeda's speech, Seikyo Shimbun, February 28th, 2006
(The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 766) Selection source: SGI President Ikeda's speech, Seikyo Shimbun, February 28th, 2006
What conviction and confidence! This is what moves me from this quote from Nichiren Daishonin. Blows me away. Thanks PTD.
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How To Live as Humans: THE SIX PATHS and THE FOUR NOBLE WORLDS
How To Live as Humans: THE SIX PATHS and THE FOUR NOBLE WORLDS
What separates humans from animals is less distinct than we might expect. The examination of human nature not only holds interest for philosophers, but concerns all of us directly. How should humans live? If we trace our lineage in the context of life’s evolution on the Earth, we find that our species is a comparatively recent phenomenon. The Earth is about four and a half billion years old. The origin of the ancestral stock of the African apes and humans, although uncertain, seems to be no earlier than thirteen million years ago. The Neanderthals, an early relative of modern human beings, are believed to have lived about 100,000 to 30,000 years ago. Although scientific investigation has not yet pinned down the moment of divergence between humans and apes, it is clear that we have a far longer history as animals than as humans.
In the course of evolution, Homo Sapiens have developed the ability to reason as this name "man the wise" indicates. Animals live predominantly according to instinct. As a result, their influence cannot exceed what is prescribed by their natures. Through our intelligence, however, humans can exercise good or bad influence far beyond what seem to be our natural limits. A shark may bite a surfer’s leg dangling beneath the surface, but it cannot make a bomb capable of annihilating all life on the planet. Perhaps due to our long history as animals, we amplify--ironically through intelligence--our animalistic impulses to seek selfish pleasure and thus destroy what we fear and bring harm not only upon ourselves, but also upon many other species.
From various perspectives, Buddhism throws light on the workings of human nature. One Buddhist concept that does so is the Ten Worlds, originally described as distinct realms into which people are born according to their past actions (karma). From the lowest, they are the worlds of hell, hungry spirits, animals, asura (warlike demons from Indian mythology), human beings, heavenly beings, voice-hearers, cause-awakened ones, bodhisattvas and Buddhas. In Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism, however, the Ten Worlds are viewed as various states of being we experience from moment to moment, rather than distinct physical realms or categories. Then Ten Worlds, therefore, may be understood as the following states: (1) Hell--intense suffering and despair, (2) Hunger--insatiable desire, (3) Animality--selfish stupidity, (4) Anger--arrogance and belligerence, (5) Humanity--temporary balance and tranquillity, (6) Heaven--passing joy and pleasure, (7) Learning, (8) Self-realization, (9) Bodhisattva--altruism, and (10) Buddhahood--supreme happiness characterized by compassion and wisdom.
Buddhism classifies those Ten Worlds into two categories. The six lower states are called "the six paths," and the four higher states "the four noble worlds." Such distinction is made because those who dwell in the six paths are controlled by their environment or physical condition; they experience any of those six states at any moment in response to changing circumstances. People of the four noble worlds, on the other hand, are self-aware, striving to improve themselves regardless of external conditions. The Daishonin succinctly explains the six paths as follows: "Rage is the world of hell, greed is that of hungry spirits, foolishness is that of animals, perversity is that of asura, joy is that of heaven, and calmness is that of human beings" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 358, "The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind"). Common to all six is that they are passive states. It may be said that animals like dogs and cats manifest those states whenever they have an appropriate stimulus. Those of the six paths are slaves to their desires and environment though at times they may seem carefree, doing whatever is pleasurable. Simply put, those of the six paths are trapped in the dungeon of desires and external circumstances, and have locked the gate to true happiness from the inside through ignorance of their higher potential.
On the contrary, the four noble worlds only emerge when we make deliberate efforts to develop ourselves beyond our natural tendencies. Buddhism, in this sense, defines our humanity in our active will for self-reflection and self-improvement. Regarding those four higher states, the Daishonin comments as follows:" "The fact that all things in the world are transient is perfectly clear to us. Is this not because the worlds of the two vehicles are present in the human world? Even a heartless villain loves his wife and children. He too has a portion of the bodhisattva world within him. Buddhahood is the most difficult to demonstrate. But since you posses s the other nine worlds, you should believe that you have Buddhahood as well" (WND, 358, "The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind"). Here "the worlds of the two vehicles" refers to the states of learning and self-realization. As people see the transience of the world around them, they come to realize the shallowness of letting their self-worth raise and fall with the ups and downs of circumstance, and seek to expand their knowledge of themselves and the universe. The Daishonin also points out that we are all capable of extending our love and care to others despite our baser instincts. Regarding the state of Buddhahood, the Daishonin also points out that we are all capable of extending our love and care to others despite out baser instincts. Regarding the state of Buddhahood, the Daishonin urges us to overcome our disbelief and reveal this supreme state of happiness through faith. What characterizes people of the four noble worlds is their awareness of the slavish reality of the six paths and their conscious efforts to free themselves from the shackles of selfish desire and attachment.
In once sense, Shakyamuni and other Buddhist teachers expounded their teachings so that people might escape the entrapment of the six paths and pursue more humane ways of living. In early monastic Buddhism, practitioners were encouraged to establish the states of learning and self-realization. Mahayana Buddhism stressed the altruistic state of a bodhisattva. The Lotus Sutra, the supreme teaching of Mahayana Buddhism, illuminates the path of Buddhahood. In this regard, Buddhism teaches us the importance of transforming the animalistic, passive conditions of the six paths into the self-aware, humane states of the four noble worlds.
The necessity to transcend our animalistic nature is stressed not only in Buddhism, but also in many intellectual traditions of the West. For example, in medieval and Renaissance Europe, the human existence was divided into the four categories of the mineral, vegetable, sensual and rational. The man of stone is a man of despair and sloth. He exists but has no will to act; his existence is living death. The vegetable man only lives; he is a man of gluttony who eats, drinks and procreates. The sensual man, like many animals, lives and feels; he seeks pleasure and avoids pain. The rational man, unlike the previous three, lives, perceives and understands; he knows, chooses and acts. An image of the rational is a man at his book, trying to expand his awareness and understanding. As in the Buddhist concept of the Ten Worlds, Renaissance philosophy characterizes humans by their active will to challenge themselves.
In reality, however, it is easy for us to fall into the lifestyle of the six paths where we mistake pleasure for supreme happiness and fail to challenge our weaknesses. This maybe the result of our long history as animals. But if we truly wish to experience the profound sense of fulfillment as human beings, we must, as taught by the wisdom of both East and West, challenge ourselves to manifest the higher states, especially those of bodhisattvas and Buddhas.
Plato quotes his teacher Socrates: "I only wish that ordinary people had an unlimited capacity for doing harm; then they might have an unlimited power for doing good, which would be a splendid thing, if it were so." The ominous first half of his wish has come true with the arrival of the nuclear age. The fulfillment of the rest of Socrates’ wish, it seems, depends greatly upon how willing we are to challenge ourselves to live as humanly and humanely as possible in the twenty-first century.
July 2000
Living Buddhism
Page 6
By Shin Yatomi, SGI-USA vice Study Department chief, partly based on Yasashii Kyogaku (Easy Buddhist Study), published by the Seikyo Press in 1994.
How To Live as Humans: THE SIX PATHS and THE FOUR NOBLE WORLDS
What separates humans from animals is less distinct than we might expect. The examination of human nature not only holds interest for philosophers, but concerns all of us directly. How should humans live? If we trace our lineage in the context of life’s evolution on the Earth, we find that our species is a comparatively recent phenomenon. The Earth is about four and a half billion years old. The origin of the ancestral stock of the African apes and humans, although uncertain, seems to be no earlier than thirteen million years ago. The Neanderthals, an early relative of modern human beings, are believed to have lived about 100,000 to 30,000 years ago. Although scientific investigation has not yet pinned down the moment of divergence between humans and apes, it is clear that we have a far longer history as animals than as humans.
In the course of evolution, Homo Sapiens have developed the ability to reason as this name "man the wise" indicates. Animals live predominantly according to instinct. As a result, their influence cannot exceed what is prescribed by their natures. Through our intelligence, however, humans can exercise good or bad influence far beyond what seem to be our natural limits. A shark may bite a surfer’s leg dangling beneath the surface, but it cannot make a bomb capable of annihilating all life on the planet. Perhaps due to our long history as animals, we amplify--ironically through intelligence--our animalistic impulses to seek selfish pleasure and thus destroy what we fear and bring harm not only upon ourselves, but also upon many other species.
From various perspectives, Buddhism throws light on the workings of human nature. One Buddhist concept that does so is the Ten Worlds, originally described as distinct realms into which people are born according to their past actions (karma). From the lowest, they are the worlds of hell, hungry spirits, animals, asura (warlike demons from Indian mythology), human beings, heavenly beings, voice-hearers, cause-awakened ones, bodhisattvas and Buddhas. In Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism, however, the Ten Worlds are viewed as various states of being we experience from moment to moment, rather than distinct physical realms or categories. Then Ten Worlds, therefore, may be understood as the following states: (1) Hell--intense suffering and despair, (2) Hunger--insatiable desire, (3) Animality--selfish stupidity, (4) Anger--arrogance and belligerence, (5) Humanity--temporary balance and tranquillity, (6) Heaven--passing joy and pleasure, (7) Learning, (8) Self-realization, (9) Bodhisattva--altruism, and (10) Buddhahood--supreme happiness characterized by compassion and wisdom.
Buddhism classifies those Ten Worlds into two categories. The six lower states are called "the six paths," and the four higher states "the four noble worlds." Such distinction is made because those who dwell in the six paths are controlled by their environment or physical condition; they experience any of those six states at any moment in response to changing circumstances. People of the four noble worlds, on the other hand, are self-aware, striving to improve themselves regardless of external conditions. The Daishonin succinctly explains the six paths as follows: "Rage is the world of hell, greed is that of hungry spirits, foolishness is that of animals, perversity is that of asura, joy is that of heaven, and calmness is that of human beings" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 358, "The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind"). Common to all six is that they are passive states. It may be said that animals like dogs and cats manifest those states whenever they have an appropriate stimulus. Those of the six paths are slaves to their desires and environment though at times they may seem carefree, doing whatever is pleasurable. Simply put, those of the six paths are trapped in the dungeon of desires and external circumstances, and have locked the gate to true happiness from the inside through ignorance of their higher potential.
On the contrary, the four noble worlds only emerge when we make deliberate efforts to develop ourselves beyond our natural tendencies. Buddhism, in this sense, defines our humanity in our active will for self-reflection and self-improvement. Regarding those four higher states, the Daishonin comments as follows:" "The fact that all things in the world are transient is perfectly clear to us. Is this not because the worlds of the two vehicles are present in the human world? Even a heartless villain loves his wife and children. He too has a portion of the bodhisattva world within him. Buddhahood is the most difficult to demonstrate. But since you posses s the other nine worlds, you should believe that you have Buddhahood as well" (WND, 358, "The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind"). Here "the worlds of the two vehicles" refers to the states of learning and self-realization. As people see the transience of the world around them, they come to realize the shallowness of letting their self-worth raise and fall with the ups and downs of circumstance, and seek to expand their knowledge of themselves and the universe. The Daishonin also points out that we are all capable of extending our love and care to others despite our baser instincts. Regarding the state of Buddhahood, the Daishonin also points out that we are all capable of extending our love and care to others despite out baser instincts. Regarding the state of Buddhahood, the Daishonin urges us to overcome our disbelief and reveal this supreme state of happiness through faith. What characterizes people of the four noble worlds is their awareness of the slavish reality of the six paths and their conscious efforts to free themselves from the shackles of selfish desire and attachment.
In once sense, Shakyamuni and other Buddhist teachers expounded their teachings so that people might escape the entrapment of the six paths and pursue more humane ways of living. In early monastic Buddhism, practitioners were encouraged to establish the states of learning and self-realization. Mahayana Buddhism stressed the altruistic state of a bodhisattva. The Lotus Sutra, the supreme teaching of Mahayana Buddhism, illuminates the path of Buddhahood. In this regard, Buddhism teaches us the importance of transforming the animalistic, passive conditions of the six paths into the self-aware, humane states of the four noble worlds.
The necessity to transcend our animalistic nature is stressed not only in Buddhism, but also in many intellectual traditions of the West. For example, in medieval and Renaissance Europe, the human existence was divided into the four categories of the mineral, vegetable, sensual and rational. The man of stone is a man of despair and sloth. He exists but has no will to act; his existence is living death. The vegetable man only lives; he is a man of gluttony who eats, drinks and procreates. The sensual man, like many animals, lives and feels; he seeks pleasure and avoids pain. The rational man, unlike the previous three, lives, perceives and understands; he knows, chooses and acts. An image of the rational is a man at his book, trying to expand his awareness and understanding. As in the Buddhist concept of the Ten Worlds, Renaissance philosophy characterizes humans by their active will to challenge themselves.
In reality, however, it is easy for us to fall into the lifestyle of the six paths where we mistake pleasure for supreme happiness and fail to challenge our weaknesses. This maybe the result of our long history as animals. But if we truly wish to experience the profound sense of fulfillment as human beings, we must, as taught by the wisdom of both East and West, challenge ourselves to manifest the higher states, especially those of bodhisattvas and Buddhas.
Plato quotes his teacher Socrates: "I only wish that ordinary people had an unlimited capacity for doing harm; then they might have an unlimited power for doing good, which would be a splendid thing, if it were so." The ominous first half of his wish has come true with the arrival of the nuclear age. The fulfillment of the rest of Socrates’ wish, it seems, depends greatly upon how willing we are to challenge ourselves to live as humanly and humanely as possible in the twenty-first century.
July 2000
Living Buddhism
Page 6
By Shin Yatomi, SGI-USA vice Study Department chief, partly based on Yasashii Kyogaku (Easy Buddhist Study), published by the Seikyo Press in 1994.
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"Since you now appear certain to attain Buddhahood, perhaps the
heavenly devil and evil spirits are using illness to try to intimidate
you. Life in this world is limited. Never be even the least bit
afraid!"
(WND, 1109)
The Proof of the Lotus Sutra
Written to Nanjo Tokimitsu on February 28, 1282
heavenly devil and evil spirits are using illness to try to intimidate
you. Life in this world is limited. Never be even the least bit
afraid!"
(WND, 1109)
The Proof of the Lotus Sutra
Written to Nanjo Tokimitsu on February 28, 1282
G
Guest
Nam Renge Myoho Kyo! This afternoon after digesting PTD and Socal's latest posts, I am more comfortable and wise than before I stumbled upon today's posts.
Come let us chant together this afternoon evening into the next morning, we are but a few steps away from attaining that which we seek
Come let us chant together this afternoon evening into the next morning, we are but a few steps away from attaining that which we seek
For a dear friend who seeks encouragement today...
For a dear friend who seeks encouragement today...
Don't be afraid,
Don't be defeated!
FAITH!!!
VICTORY of GOLD.
[but you gotta CHANT!]
I promise that it is true that no prayer goes unanswered. But how can you know if I'm right or wrong without trying? You have to try, and before you know the truth from your personal experience, the act of trying without knowing IS FAITH!!! And it is such a powerful act of faith in relationship to the faith you will experience and be required to manifest thereafter, this faith of the beginning of the re-establishment of your relationship with the Mystic Law from your past lives, is incredibly powerful. DO challenge Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Should the Buddhist Gods fail to protect you they will have their heads split into seven pieces! THEY WILL NEVER FAIL TO PROTECT YOU!
That is the reward for having faith and the only reason I ask you to trust me and experience it for yourself.
All my love!
T
For a dear friend who seeks encouragement today...
SoCal Hippy said:
Don't be afraid,
Don't be defeated!
FAITH!!!
VICTORY of GOLD.
[but you gotta CHANT!]
I promise that it is true that no prayer goes unanswered. But how can you know if I'm right or wrong without trying? You have to try, and before you know the truth from your personal experience, the act of trying without knowing IS FAITH!!! And it is such a powerful act of faith in relationship to the faith you will experience and be required to manifest thereafter, this faith of the beginning of the re-establishment of your relationship with the Mystic Law from your past lives, is incredibly powerful. DO challenge Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Should the Buddhist Gods fail to protect you they will have their heads split into seven pieces! THEY WILL NEVER FAIL TO PROTECT YOU!
That is the reward for having faith and the only reason I ask you to trust me and experience it for yourself.
All my love!
T
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"And yet there is a way to meet him readily. With Shakyamuni Buddha as your guide, you can go to meet him in the pure land of Eagle Peak. The sutra states, 'If there are those who hear the Law, then not a one will fail to attain Buddhahood.' This means that, even if one were to point at the earth and miss it, even if the sun and moon should fall to the ground, even if an age should come when the tides cease to ebb and flow, or even if flowers should not turn to fruit in summer, it could never happen that a woman who chants Nam-myoho-renge-kyo would fail to be reunited with her beloved child."
(The Gift of Clear Sake - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 1092) Selection source: SGI President Ikeda's speech, Seikyo Shimbun, March 1st, 2006
(The Gift of Clear Sake - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 1092) Selection source: SGI President Ikeda's speech, Seikyo Shimbun, March 1st, 2006
Treasures Of The Heart
Treasures Of The Heart
Essentials for proper self-control and personal brilliance
We value many things in life, particularly that which enhances and improves the quality of our lives in some way. Nichiren Daishonin divides life’s “treasures” into three categories: treasures of the storehouse, treasures of the body, and treasures of the heart. He writes, “More valuable than treasures in a storehouse are treasures of the body, and the treasures of the heart are the most valuable of all. Strive to accumulate the treasures of the heart!” (The Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 2 [2nd ed.], p. 238) Thus the Daishonin teaches that life’s most important commodity—that which most greatly enhances the quality of our lives—is treasures of the heart.
To pursue material treasure alone is to lead a miserable life
“Treasures of the storehouse” are material treasures. They include such things as property and financial wealth. They are, for the most part, life’s external adornments. These are things that almost all of us want—treasures we are naturally attracted to, often feel we need, and to which there is usually attached monetary value. And while we tend to seek these things, most of us realize that focusing on them exclusively or excessively can be futile, or even detrimental.
“Treasures of the body” are attributes that endow our person, such as skills, knowledge, educational background, etc. They also include perceptions that are attached to or associated with us, such as social standing, reputation, position and fame. In contrast to treasures of the storehouse, treasures of the body are perhaps more stable and lasting. Nevertheless, simply possessing them does not ensure happiness, and when such attributes are misused even a little, they can lead a person to ruin or to the ruin of others.
Nichiren Daishonin referred to those of great skill or learning who failed to use those skills wisely as “talented animals.”
The human heart, left to its own devices, tends to lean toward the exclusive pursuit of wants and desires. When, spurred on by this “hungry heart,” people focus their energies on obtaining treasures of the storehouse and treasures of the body, they are never satisfied. It is quite as Cicero said, “The thirst of desire is never filled, nor fully satisfied.”
Psychological research is finding more and more that people whose primary focus in life is the attainment of “extrinsic goals”—externals such as wealth, property, fame or status—tend to be less happy. In general, they are said to experience higher levels of anxiety, suffer more from illness, and have less of a sense of fulfillment.
Shakyamuni Buddha said that “the mind is wavering and restless, difficult to guard and restrain.... But it is a great good to control the mind; a mind self-controlled is a source of great joy” (The Dhammapada, verse 34–35).
The most respected figures in early Buddhism were those known as arhats. Literally, the Sanskrit word arhat meant “deserving,” or “worthy,” but it was also interpreted as meaning “killer of the robber.” In other words, an arhat was a Buddhist sage who had defeated the “robber” of earthly desires within his heart and mind.
Shakyamuni also said, “If a man should conquer in battle a thousand and a thousand more, and another man should conquer himself, this would be the greater victory, because the greatest victory is over oneself…” (The Dhammapada, verse 103).
No matter how many “treasures of the storehouse” and “treasures of the body” one amasses, nothing of these may remain in the aftermath of an unexpected event. And certainly after one has been visited by what Buddhism calls the four sufferings—birth, old age, sickness and death—these external treasures lose all meaning. The sense of loss one feels at parting with such treasures can even become a cause for further suffering. In this light, it is easy to see why the ability to win over ourselves—over our weakness that makes us vulnerable to defeat by our own desires—is the most important treasure we can possess. This is the treasure of the heart.
We can define “treasures of the heart” as the mental and spiritual capacities to achieve mastery over oneself and to have genuine concern for others. This equates to such attributes as a solid sense of fulfillment, a brightness of spirit, a warm and attractive personality, self-control, conviction, a sense of justice, courage, empathy and compassion.
Or, it may be viewed as an indestructible spiritual state—the state of absolute happiness— that allows a person to surmount even life’s most fundamental sufferings. A winner in life is a person who amasses treasures of the heart.
The Roman philosopher Seneca, tutor to the infamous Emperor Nero, was unjustly sentenced by imperial order to commit suicide. Just before the end, he turned to his family and is reported to have said, “There is no need to worry. There is something that surpasses the riches of this world and I will leave as an example, the moral life I have lead. ”
Even though facing a tragic and unjust death, at the final moment, he gave expression to the treasures of the heart he had accumulated through the way he lived. He also stated that he had led a full life. “Death,” he said, “is so little to be feared that through its good offices, nothing is to be feared” (Moral Essays, book 1, XXIV).
Though not persecuted in the same way as Seneca, we may perceive the sufferings of birth, aging, illness and death, which assail us all, as inherently unjust. In a sense, we all fall victim to the tyrannical emperor of death. The question is whether we can face this ultimate suffering of death with composure and confidence.
Nichiren Daishonin wrote that because the four sufferings of birth, aging, sickness and death are the greatest of life’s sufferings, we can use them to “adorn the [treasure] tower of our beings” to the greatest extent. In other words, through our practice of the Mystic Law, we turn the greatest of life’s sufferings into life’s greatest assets—we develop treasures of the heart.
Ultimately, treasures of the heart mean the strength, wisdom and good fortune not to be done in by desires and suffering. It indicates the condition of Buddhahood potential within us, which we aim to bring forth and develop through Buddhist practice. And when we become rich in treasures of the heart, on that basis we also enrich our treasures of the storehouse and treasures of the body. In fact, we gain the ability to use these other two treasures to enhance our happiness and that of others.
By Jeff Kriger, Managing Editor Based on the book Yasashii Kyogaku (Easy Study), Tokyo: Seikyo Press
Title: Treasures Of The Heart
Subject: Living Buddhism 07/99 v.99 n.7 p.5 LB9907p05
Author: Jeff Kriger
Keywords: Buddhist Concepts Fortune Heart Jeff Kriger Study Terms Treasures
Treasures Of The Heart
Essentials for proper self-control and personal brilliance
We value many things in life, particularly that which enhances and improves the quality of our lives in some way. Nichiren Daishonin divides life’s “treasures” into three categories: treasures of the storehouse, treasures of the body, and treasures of the heart. He writes, “More valuable than treasures in a storehouse are treasures of the body, and the treasures of the heart are the most valuable of all. Strive to accumulate the treasures of the heart!” (The Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 2 [2nd ed.], p. 238) Thus the Daishonin teaches that life’s most important commodity—that which most greatly enhances the quality of our lives—is treasures of the heart.
To pursue material treasure alone is to lead a miserable life
“Treasures of the storehouse” are material treasures. They include such things as property and financial wealth. They are, for the most part, life’s external adornments. These are things that almost all of us want—treasures we are naturally attracted to, often feel we need, and to which there is usually attached monetary value. And while we tend to seek these things, most of us realize that focusing on them exclusively or excessively can be futile, or even detrimental.
“Treasures of the body” are attributes that endow our person, such as skills, knowledge, educational background, etc. They also include perceptions that are attached to or associated with us, such as social standing, reputation, position and fame. In contrast to treasures of the storehouse, treasures of the body are perhaps more stable and lasting. Nevertheless, simply possessing them does not ensure happiness, and when such attributes are misused even a little, they can lead a person to ruin or to the ruin of others.
Nichiren Daishonin referred to those of great skill or learning who failed to use those skills wisely as “talented animals.”
The human heart, left to its own devices, tends to lean toward the exclusive pursuit of wants and desires. When, spurred on by this “hungry heart,” people focus their energies on obtaining treasures of the storehouse and treasures of the body, they are never satisfied. It is quite as Cicero said, “The thirst of desire is never filled, nor fully satisfied.”
Psychological research is finding more and more that people whose primary focus in life is the attainment of “extrinsic goals”—externals such as wealth, property, fame or status—tend to be less happy. In general, they are said to experience higher levels of anxiety, suffer more from illness, and have less of a sense of fulfillment.
Shakyamuni Buddha said that “the mind is wavering and restless, difficult to guard and restrain.... But it is a great good to control the mind; a mind self-controlled is a source of great joy” (The Dhammapada, verse 34–35).
The most respected figures in early Buddhism were those known as arhats. Literally, the Sanskrit word arhat meant “deserving,” or “worthy,” but it was also interpreted as meaning “killer of the robber.” In other words, an arhat was a Buddhist sage who had defeated the “robber” of earthly desires within his heart and mind.
Shakyamuni also said, “If a man should conquer in battle a thousand and a thousand more, and another man should conquer himself, this would be the greater victory, because the greatest victory is over oneself…” (The Dhammapada, verse 103).
No matter how many “treasures of the storehouse” and “treasures of the body” one amasses, nothing of these may remain in the aftermath of an unexpected event. And certainly after one has been visited by what Buddhism calls the four sufferings—birth, old age, sickness and death—these external treasures lose all meaning. The sense of loss one feels at parting with such treasures can even become a cause for further suffering. In this light, it is easy to see why the ability to win over ourselves—over our weakness that makes us vulnerable to defeat by our own desires—is the most important treasure we can possess. This is the treasure of the heart.
We can define “treasures of the heart” as the mental and spiritual capacities to achieve mastery over oneself and to have genuine concern for others. This equates to such attributes as a solid sense of fulfillment, a brightness of spirit, a warm and attractive personality, self-control, conviction, a sense of justice, courage, empathy and compassion.
Or, it may be viewed as an indestructible spiritual state—the state of absolute happiness— that allows a person to surmount even life’s most fundamental sufferings. A winner in life is a person who amasses treasures of the heart.
The Roman philosopher Seneca, tutor to the infamous Emperor Nero, was unjustly sentenced by imperial order to commit suicide. Just before the end, he turned to his family and is reported to have said, “There is no need to worry. There is something that surpasses the riches of this world and I will leave as an example, the moral life I have lead. ”
Even though facing a tragic and unjust death, at the final moment, he gave expression to the treasures of the heart he had accumulated through the way he lived. He also stated that he had led a full life. “Death,” he said, “is so little to be feared that through its good offices, nothing is to be feared” (Moral Essays, book 1, XXIV).
Though not persecuted in the same way as Seneca, we may perceive the sufferings of birth, aging, illness and death, which assail us all, as inherently unjust. In a sense, we all fall victim to the tyrannical emperor of death. The question is whether we can face this ultimate suffering of death with composure and confidence.
Nichiren Daishonin wrote that because the four sufferings of birth, aging, sickness and death are the greatest of life’s sufferings, we can use them to “adorn the [treasure] tower of our beings” to the greatest extent. In other words, through our practice of the Mystic Law, we turn the greatest of life’s sufferings into life’s greatest assets—we develop treasures of the heart.
Ultimately, treasures of the heart mean the strength, wisdom and good fortune not to be done in by desires and suffering. It indicates the condition of Buddhahood potential within us, which we aim to bring forth and develop through Buddhist practice. And when we become rich in treasures of the heart, on that basis we also enrich our treasures of the storehouse and treasures of the body. In fact, we gain the ability to use these other two treasures to enhance our happiness and that of others.
By Jeff Kriger, Managing Editor Based on the book Yasashii Kyogaku (Easy Study), Tokyo: Seikyo Press
Title: Treasures Of The Heart
Subject: Living Buddhism 07/99 v.99 n.7 p.5 LB9907p05
Author: Jeff Kriger
Keywords: Buddhist Concepts Fortune Heart Jeff Kriger Study Terms Treasures
G
Guest
Most powerful words today my friend, your enthusiasm and strength quashes all the perconcieved barriers and notions today's society instills in its young. I am but a newborn child reincarnate learning the steps and understanding the truth slowly but surely. I realize the more I open my eyes ears heart mind and soul to acceptance the easier it is for me to assimilate such incredible knowledge.
I cannot thank each and everyone of you enough.
*special announcement, I have a gongyo on the way and essentially I am yet another step closer to my goals of attaining the previously unfathomable. Thank you dear friends thank you enough. Although I chanted twice already today, Let us proceed from here going forward,
Nam myoho Renge Kyo!
I cannot thank each and everyone of you enough.
*special announcement, I have a gongyo on the way and essentially I am yet another step closer to my goals of attaining the previously unfathomable. Thank you dear friends thank you enough. Although I chanted twice already today, Let us proceed from here going forward,
Nam myoho Renge Kyo!
"Just what constitutes a deeply meaningful life? What is true happiness? Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism is a teaching of hope that enables us to forge a state of unsurpassed and indestructible happiness and to lead a life of supreme value, while also helping others do the same.
"Everyone has the potential to attain Buddhahood; moreover, they can gain that lofty state just as they are, and in fact are assured of being able to do so in this lifetime. The Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin clearly elucidates this wonderful path to enlightenment.
"The Daishonin’s profound teaching of attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime was a revolutionary concept that turned prevailing Buddhist thought on its head. Indeed, it continues to shine today as a principle that can powerfully transform the age and open a bright future for our modern world in the 21st century.
"...When we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we are both chanting the name of, and calling forth, the Buddha nature in our own lives and the lives of others. When our faith wins out over inner doubt and delusion, the power of our inherent Buddha nature is called forth by the sound of our daimoku and spontaneously manifests in our lives.
"The key point that set the Daishonin’s Buddhism apart from the other Buddhist schools of his day was the establishment of this concrete means for attaining Buddhahood. And from the time he first declared Nam-myoho-renge-kyo until the moment of his death, the Daishonin ardently strove to teach this supreme path of enlightenment to people throughout the land."
SGI Newsletter No. 6753, SGI President Ikeda’s Study Lecture Series, LECTURES ON “ON ATTAINING BUDDHAHOOD IN THIS LIFETIME” [1] Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime—The Fundamental Purpose of Life And a Source of Hope for Humankind. Translated March 1st, 2006
"Everyone has the potential to attain Buddhahood; moreover, they can gain that lofty state just as they are, and in fact are assured of being able to do so in this lifetime. The Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin clearly elucidates this wonderful path to enlightenment.
"The Daishonin’s profound teaching of attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime was a revolutionary concept that turned prevailing Buddhist thought on its head. Indeed, it continues to shine today as a principle that can powerfully transform the age and open a bright future for our modern world in the 21st century.
"...When we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we are both chanting the name of, and calling forth, the Buddha nature in our own lives and the lives of others. When our faith wins out over inner doubt and delusion, the power of our inherent Buddha nature is called forth by the sound of our daimoku and spontaneously manifests in our lives.
"The key point that set the Daishonin’s Buddhism apart from the other Buddhist schools of his day was the establishment of this concrete means for attaining Buddhahood. And from the time he first declared Nam-myoho-renge-kyo until the moment of his death, the Daishonin ardently strove to teach this supreme path of enlightenment to people throughout the land."
SGI Newsletter No. 6753, SGI President Ikeda’s Study Lecture Series, LECTURES ON “ON ATTAINING BUDDHAHOOD IN THIS LIFETIME” [1] Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime—The Fundamental Purpose of Life And a Source of Hope for Humankind. Translated March 1st, 2006
"Illness gives rise to the resolve to attain the way."
(The Good Medicine for All Ills - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 937) Selection source: The New Human Revolution, Seikyo Shimbun, March 2nd, 2006
(The Good Medicine for All Ills - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 937) Selection source: The New Human Revolution, Seikyo Shimbun, March 2nd, 2006
For the Stashbox!
For the Stashbox!
Hey folks, well done! More than half of the the posts were from someone other than me!!! Thank you! Here is the list. If anyone wants to contest a number they must do so by listing their accompanying post numbers to dispute the one listed below:
SoCal 84
Babbabud 40
EasyDisco 20
Marley 7
Giantmanbags 5
Kmarpa 5
Mrwags 5
Always 4
Sleepy 4
MrsB 3
BOG 2
Agnes 2
GordyP 2
Payaso 1
Green Lantern 1
Tricky 1
Indicalover 1
Tarbosh 1
Bartender187 1
Mr Nice High 1
Kronick Kanuck 1
Br26 1
Scrappy420 1
Thunderbolts 1
Spice Cowboy 1
Sativa Joe 1
MasterKush 1
420KushMaster 1
Forest20 1
I included March 1st to give Forest a shot. This goes from 12-25 (a day there were no posts) on page 136 to page 158. I am not entered. Good luck to everyone! I have to figure out how to randomly do this and will be making the drawing or whatever (with a full explaination of how I did it) by the end of the weekend. You have a day or two to dispute the number above.
T
For the Stashbox!
Hey folks, well done! More than half of the the posts were from someone other than me!!! Thank you! Here is the list. If anyone wants to contest a number they must do so by listing their accompanying post numbers to dispute the one listed below:
SoCal 84
Babbabud 40
EasyDisco 20
Marley 7
Giantmanbags 5
Kmarpa 5
Mrwags 5
Always 4
Sleepy 4
MrsB 3
BOG 2
Agnes 2
GordyP 2
Payaso 1
Green Lantern 1
Tricky 1
Indicalover 1
Tarbosh 1
Bartender187 1
Mr Nice High 1
Kronick Kanuck 1
Br26 1
Scrappy420 1
Thunderbolts 1
Spice Cowboy 1
Sativa Joe 1
MasterKush 1
420KushMaster 1
Forest20 1
I included March 1st to give Forest a shot. This goes from 12-25 (a day there were no posts) on page 136 to page 158. I am not entered. Good luck to everyone! I have to figure out how to randomly do this and will be making the drawing or whatever (with a full explaination of how I did it) by the end of the weekend. You have a day or two to dispute the number above.
T
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"Bodhisattva Never Disparaging of old said that all people have the
Buddha nature and that, if they embrace the Lotus Sutra, they will
never fail to attain Buddhahood. He further stated that to slight a
person is to slight the Buddha himself. Thus, his practice was to
revere all people. He revered even those who did not embrace the Lotus
Sutra because they too had the Buddha nature and might someday believe
in the sutra."
(WND, 756)
The Fourteen Slanders
Written to the lay priest Matsuno Rokuro Saemon on December 9, 1276
Buddha nature and that, if they embrace the Lotus Sutra, they will
never fail to attain Buddhahood. He further stated that to slight a
person is to slight the Buddha himself. Thus, his practice was to
revere all people. He revered even those who did not embrace the Lotus
Sutra because they too had the Buddha nature and might someday believe
in the sutra."
(WND, 756)
The Fourteen Slanders
Written to the lay priest Matsuno Rokuro Saemon on December 9, 1276
The Teaching Of Sunyata: Non-Substantiality
The Teaching Of Sunyata: Non-Substantiality
Overcoming selfishness helps you find a world of new possibilities within!
Have you seen the patterns formed by sand dunes? Depending on the size and shape of the sand grains, the direction of the winds and the surface features of the land, shifting sands can form myriad dune patterns. The scaly or wavy patterns are constantly changing. Just like those ever-shifting sand patterns, everything around us (ourselves included) is constantly changing. And like dunes of sand, how things or people change is a function of their relations with their surroundings.
Nagarjuna, the Buddhist teacher believed to have lived in India sometime around the late second century and the early third century, expounded the teaching of sunyata (Jpn ku), which is variously translated as non-substantiality, void or emptiness. He developed the concept of non-substantiality from Shakyamuni’s principle of dependent origination (Skt pratityasamutpada; Jpn engi).
Nagarjuna asserted that since everything arises and continues to exist by virtue of its relationship with other phenomena (i.e., dependent origination), it has absolutely no fixed or independent substance of its own (i.e., non-substantiality). Viewed from this perspective, there is nothing that cannot be changed. Nothing exists entirely on its own, and no form is absolute and immutable. The universe, then, is full of new situations at every moment.
This open-ended nature of the universe also applies to human beings. Our lives are full of new possibilities for the future. It all depends upon how we view ourselves—how well we recognize these possibilities—and what kind of relationship we create with our surroundings.
According to the perspective of non-substantiality, everything changes not only in its appearance or shape but also in its nature or meaning. A raft, for example, may be useful for a traveler to cross a river. But it would be foolish for him to carry the raft a long distance after crossing the river. The raft then becomes a heavy burden, an obstacle to his journey. In this sense, the concept of non-substantiality suggests that it is foolish for us to base our lives on and grow attached to things that we possess, such as wealth or position. Like the raft, they are only of immediate value, and attachment to them can even become a burden on our journey toward self-perfection. And from the standpoint of eternity, they are nothing at all.
The important thing is that we create a positive relationship with our ever-shifting surroundings at every moment and thereby create value. If we base our lives on the belief that there is permanent value and meaning in money or social status, our expectation will be miserably betrayed sooner or later. For example, we would be endangering ourselves if we were to cling to a bundle of dollar bills rather than a jug of water when walking across a desert. If we attach ourselves to material wealth while ignoring our spiritual well-being, we will eventually become miserable as well. At the same time, if we develop the ability to utilize material wealth to support our happiness and to benefit others, neither shunning it nor enslaving ourselves to it, our lives can be more fulfilling.
Nagarjuna’s concept of non-substantiality points out that there is no absolute value— good or evil—assigned to the things or events in our lives. Their meanings are essentially what we make of them. No matter how painful or unfortunate an event we may encounter, we can still create a positive meaning from it, depending upon how we view it and what we do about it. Our views and resulting actions, however, are determined not merely by our intellectual understanding but by our essential consciousness or the state of our innermost being. This is where our practice of Buddhism can effect positive change.
The concept of non-substantiality also helps us discover within us a world of new possibilities. Sometimes we limit our potential, thinking that we will remain the way we are forever. "This is something that I was born with. It’ll never change!" As the concept of non-substantiality illustrates, however, nothing is exactly the same from one moment to the next. As much as things may get worse, they may also get better. Changing our lives for the better is therefore always possible, and it is always up to us. In this sense, putting limitations on ourselves amounts to living under the illusion that our present self-image is a fixed reality. In reality, it is non-substantial and changeable.
Probably the most important implication of the teaching of non-substantiality is that we do not exist entirely on our own. The meaning of our lives—and our happiness—arises through our interconnectedness with those around us, with the community and world in which we live. An analogy used to describe this principle in Buddhism is that of two bundles of reeds that remain standing as long as they are leaning on each other. The implication is that there is no fundamental distinction between our happiness and that of others. To fall under the illusion that we are independent of others is to alienate ourselves from the world around us. This kind of selfishness becomes self-defeating. The concept of non-substantiality teaches that all things, including our lives, exist as they are only in the context of their relations with other phenomena. Nothing has an independent substance of its own. For instance, a human being in the vacuum of space will be quickly transformed into a lifeless mass—scorched to coal on one side by the direct rays of the sun and frozen on the other. Without air and water and other forms of life to provide nourishment, a human being will die. And in our modern world, few of us could easily survive without the system of commerce that surrounds us, which includes transportation, food distribution, etc. Many people are involved in these endeavors and all of us depend on them. To fail to recognize and appreciate this due to an illusion of independent identity will cause imbalance and unhappiness.
Isolated, our lives lose meaning. But depending upon how we relate to others and our environment, we can realize the infinite potential we possess and our own value to the world around us. In this sense, the most unfortunate are those who withdraw to the prison of their own self-centeredness and lock the door from the inside by insisting that their lives are fundamentally separate. In an ironic reversal of intent, those who seek absolute value in their own existence while ignoring the happiness of others are, in fact, voiding their lives of meaning and substance. With the absence of such relationships, all that remains is "non-substantiality" or "emptiness."
In the final analysis, the concept of non-substantiality is a teaching through which we awaken compassion and transcend our selfish ego so that we may actively engage with others. When we view the happiness of others as our own and extend them genuine care, our lives transform themselves from "emptiness" to "substance." In this regard, Nichiren Daishonin states: "To dwell in the seat of non-substantiality is to practice with selfless dedication" (Gosho Zenshu, p. 737). As the Daishonin succinctly explains here, when we live for the sake of others’ happiness with selfless dedication, we are putting the teaching of non-substantiality into action. As noted Buddhist scholar Hajime Nakamura explains, Nagarjuna himself esteemed and upheld the values of "thankfulness" and "the ideal of the bodhisattva." [1] He saw the importance of realizing the interconnectedness of all lives as well as of expressing appreciation and compassion in altruistic action. The concept of non-substantiality suggests that selflessness may be the shortest path to meaningful selfhood.
By Shin Yatomi, Associate Editor based on the book Yasashii Kyogaku (Easy Study), Tokyo: Seikyo Press
Title: The teaching of sunyata: non-substantiality
Subject: Living Buddhism 08/99 v.99 n.8 p.6 LB9908p06
Author: Shin Yatomi
Keywords: Buddhist Concepts Daily Life non-substantiality Shin sunyata teaching Yatomi
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] Hajime Nakamura, Indian Buddhism: A Survey with Bibliographical Notes. Delhi, Motilal Banarsidass Publishers: 1987, p. 252.
The Teaching Of Sunyata: Non-Substantiality
Overcoming selfishness helps you find a world of new possibilities within!
Have you seen the patterns formed by sand dunes? Depending on the size and shape of the sand grains, the direction of the winds and the surface features of the land, shifting sands can form myriad dune patterns. The scaly or wavy patterns are constantly changing. Just like those ever-shifting sand patterns, everything around us (ourselves included) is constantly changing. And like dunes of sand, how things or people change is a function of their relations with their surroundings.
Nagarjuna, the Buddhist teacher believed to have lived in India sometime around the late second century and the early third century, expounded the teaching of sunyata (Jpn ku), which is variously translated as non-substantiality, void or emptiness. He developed the concept of non-substantiality from Shakyamuni’s principle of dependent origination (Skt pratityasamutpada; Jpn engi).
Nagarjuna asserted that since everything arises and continues to exist by virtue of its relationship with other phenomena (i.e., dependent origination), it has absolutely no fixed or independent substance of its own (i.e., non-substantiality). Viewed from this perspective, there is nothing that cannot be changed. Nothing exists entirely on its own, and no form is absolute and immutable. The universe, then, is full of new situations at every moment.
This open-ended nature of the universe also applies to human beings. Our lives are full of new possibilities for the future. It all depends upon how we view ourselves—how well we recognize these possibilities—and what kind of relationship we create with our surroundings.
According to the perspective of non-substantiality, everything changes not only in its appearance or shape but also in its nature or meaning. A raft, for example, may be useful for a traveler to cross a river. But it would be foolish for him to carry the raft a long distance after crossing the river. The raft then becomes a heavy burden, an obstacle to his journey. In this sense, the concept of non-substantiality suggests that it is foolish for us to base our lives on and grow attached to things that we possess, such as wealth or position. Like the raft, they are only of immediate value, and attachment to them can even become a burden on our journey toward self-perfection. And from the standpoint of eternity, they are nothing at all.
The important thing is that we create a positive relationship with our ever-shifting surroundings at every moment and thereby create value. If we base our lives on the belief that there is permanent value and meaning in money or social status, our expectation will be miserably betrayed sooner or later. For example, we would be endangering ourselves if we were to cling to a bundle of dollar bills rather than a jug of water when walking across a desert. If we attach ourselves to material wealth while ignoring our spiritual well-being, we will eventually become miserable as well. At the same time, if we develop the ability to utilize material wealth to support our happiness and to benefit others, neither shunning it nor enslaving ourselves to it, our lives can be more fulfilling.
Nagarjuna’s concept of non-substantiality points out that there is no absolute value— good or evil—assigned to the things or events in our lives. Their meanings are essentially what we make of them. No matter how painful or unfortunate an event we may encounter, we can still create a positive meaning from it, depending upon how we view it and what we do about it. Our views and resulting actions, however, are determined not merely by our intellectual understanding but by our essential consciousness or the state of our innermost being. This is where our practice of Buddhism can effect positive change.
The concept of non-substantiality also helps us discover within us a world of new possibilities. Sometimes we limit our potential, thinking that we will remain the way we are forever. "This is something that I was born with. It’ll never change!" As the concept of non-substantiality illustrates, however, nothing is exactly the same from one moment to the next. As much as things may get worse, they may also get better. Changing our lives for the better is therefore always possible, and it is always up to us. In this sense, putting limitations on ourselves amounts to living under the illusion that our present self-image is a fixed reality. In reality, it is non-substantial and changeable.
Probably the most important implication of the teaching of non-substantiality is that we do not exist entirely on our own. The meaning of our lives—and our happiness—arises through our interconnectedness with those around us, with the community and world in which we live. An analogy used to describe this principle in Buddhism is that of two bundles of reeds that remain standing as long as they are leaning on each other. The implication is that there is no fundamental distinction between our happiness and that of others. To fall under the illusion that we are independent of others is to alienate ourselves from the world around us. This kind of selfishness becomes self-defeating. The concept of non-substantiality teaches that all things, including our lives, exist as they are only in the context of their relations with other phenomena. Nothing has an independent substance of its own. For instance, a human being in the vacuum of space will be quickly transformed into a lifeless mass—scorched to coal on one side by the direct rays of the sun and frozen on the other. Without air and water and other forms of life to provide nourishment, a human being will die. And in our modern world, few of us could easily survive without the system of commerce that surrounds us, which includes transportation, food distribution, etc. Many people are involved in these endeavors and all of us depend on them. To fail to recognize and appreciate this due to an illusion of independent identity will cause imbalance and unhappiness.
Isolated, our lives lose meaning. But depending upon how we relate to others and our environment, we can realize the infinite potential we possess and our own value to the world around us. In this sense, the most unfortunate are those who withdraw to the prison of their own self-centeredness and lock the door from the inside by insisting that their lives are fundamentally separate. In an ironic reversal of intent, those who seek absolute value in their own existence while ignoring the happiness of others are, in fact, voiding their lives of meaning and substance. With the absence of such relationships, all that remains is "non-substantiality" or "emptiness."
In the final analysis, the concept of non-substantiality is a teaching through which we awaken compassion and transcend our selfish ego so that we may actively engage with others. When we view the happiness of others as our own and extend them genuine care, our lives transform themselves from "emptiness" to "substance." In this regard, Nichiren Daishonin states: "To dwell in the seat of non-substantiality is to practice with selfless dedication" (Gosho Zenshu, p. 737). As the Daishonin succinctly explains here, when we live for the sake of others’ happiness with selfless dedication, we are putting the teaching of non-substantiality into action. As noted Buddhist scholar Hajime Nakamura explains, Nagarjuna himself esteemed and upheld the values of "thankfulness" and "the ideal of the bodhisattva." [1] He saw the importance of realizing the interconnectedness of all lives as well as of expressing appreciation and compassion in altruistic action. The concept of non-substantiality suggests that selflessness may be the shortest path to meaningful selfhood.
By Shin Yatomi, Associate Editor based on the book Yasashii Kyogaku (Easy Study), Tokyo: Seikyo Press
Title: The teaching of sunyata: non-substantiality
Subject: Living Buddhism 08/99 v.99 n.8 p.6 LB9908p06
Author: Shin Yatomi
Keywords: Buddhist Concepts Daily Life non-substantiality Shin sunyata teaching Yatomi
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] Hajime Nakamura, Indian Buddhism: A Survey with Bibliographical Notes. Delhi, Motilal Banarsidass Publishers: 1987, p. 252.
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G
Guest
PTD the last post, re: selflessness really hits home, I have two family members I love. They are as close to my heart as can be. They both share strong faith apparently in monotheism. Yet they are as different as night and day.
One is the most faithful selfless servant, always putting the needs of the "many" in the forfront in other words someone who considers others before their own needs, selfless to the core. He has not walked the easiest path.
The other is genuinely introverted and stuck within his own selfpity wallowing within the vast void of lonely an unfullfilled heart. He claims to be and have the needs of others ahead of his own, but that is grossly skewed in the opposite direction perpetrating a malign maladjusted (very sad) general exsistence, in my point of view. He hides under his blanket and considers himself a piece of waste.
Now the selfless individual is extremely effective helping others to the point he blatantly sacrafices himself! Unwittingly causes himself extra obstacles in his path, ironically just as the more depressed individual does. Although the more effective of the two is obviously the manifestation of selflessness (the first individual) its difficult as a conscious individual to recognize his self sacrafice always has a purpose!
Now, this causes me to reflect even deeper within the depths of my ambitous "search" for rewards inherant within the eventual enlightenment laden with Nichiren Daishonin Buddism.
To be able to relate, empathize with both ends of the spectrum and "accept" both the actively focused unselfish individual and "accept" the other individual clearly lost within his own self pity as actual human beings who represent a dark part of my past and the other an example I strive to incorporate.
I am guilty of falling within the influence of the 7 distructive forces attempting to divert me from the ultimate goal! I am just essentially caught within the faux irrelavent riches of the flesh, stumbling upon the richest path of all, the path of enlightenment, clarity of an overall view of the greatest journey within all the directions the universe's magnetism pulls me. I can not only feel the warm understanding acceptance of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo but the compelling impression forcing me to engage with more dedication of the ultimate truths and feel the "understanding" presence of direct and positive growth of my "seeking spirit" when I have spoken with you, I have heard you refer to my "seeking spirit" YES THAT IS WHAT IS! I wish to share it with the words, so I post what I feel and find within chanting.
All my life, there has been .. MORE, EXTRA, ESSENTIAL knowledge/understanding I lacked. I was born with that feeling, it has never left my persona. I could argue its expirience, its my own stubborness, but its more than that, its my journey into the realm of consciousness I have been out of place with. My journey has reached a new light to follow. I different path.
The man who was once lost within the confines of my "brother" lost in his own tiresome cycle is coming into haramony with the overall encompassing pleasure/healing/freedom/fullfillment present with Nam Myoho Renge KYO! The other "brother" living a life difficult to comprehend is not only light years beyond my practice but a tremendous part of my comprehension of the path I must continue to forge.
I kid you not, the future is now.
Chant with me today and everyday, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!
I am an excellent student due to my excellent teachers, I am once again stating "my eternal debt of gratitude"
You have awoken the sleeping giant of "Nam MYOHO RENGE KYO" within me. I wake up better and feel more positive throughout my day. The chains of my self imposed unconscious punishment should be but a relic of my age of oppression. The truth is with all of our kind, scratch the surface, attempt to uncover and persue its truth!
You have nothing to lose!
NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO!`
One is the most faithful selfless servant, always putting the needs of the "many" in the forfront in other words someone who considers others before their own needs, selfless to the core. He has not walked the easiest path.
The other is genuinely introverted and stuck within his own selfpity wallowing within the vast void of lonely an unfullfilled heart. He claims to be and have the needs of others ahead of his own, but that is grossly skewed in the opposite direction perpetrating a malign maladjusted (very sad) general exsistence, in my point of view. He hides under his blanket and considers himself a piece of waste.
Now the selfless individual is extremely effective helping others to the point he blatantly sacrafices himself! Unwittingly causes himself extra obstacles in his path, ironically just as the more depressed individual does. Although the more effective of the two is obviously the manifestation of selflessness (the first individual) its difficult as a conscious individual to recognize his self sacrafice always has a purpose!
Now, this causes me to reflect even deeper within the depths of my ambitous "search" for rewards inherant within the eventual enlightenment laden with Nichiren Daishonin Buddism.
To be able to relate, empathize with both ends of the spectrum and "accept" both the actively focused unselfish individual and "accept" the other individual clearly lost within his own self pity as actual human beings who represent a dark part of my past and the other an example I strive to incorporate.
I am guilty of falling within the influence of the 7 distructive forces attempting to divert me from the ultimate goal! I am just essentially caught within the faux irrelavent riches of the flesh, stumbling upon the richest path of all, the path of enlightenment, clarity of an overall view of the greatest journey within all the directions the universe's magnetism pulls me. I can not only feel the warm understanding acceptance of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo but the compelling impression forcing me to engage with more dedication of the ultimate truths and feel the "understanding" presence of direct and positive growth of my "seeking spirit" when I have spoken with you, I have heard you refer to my "seeking spirit" YES THAT IS WHAT IS! I wish to share it with the words, so I post what I feel and find within chanting.
All my life, there has been .. MORE, EXTRA, ESSENTIAL knowledge/understanding I lacked. I was born with that feeling, it has never left my persona. I could argue its expirience, its my own stubborness, but its more than that, its my journey into the realm of consciousness I have been out of place with. My journey has reached a new light to follow. I different path.
The man who was once lost within the confines of my "brother" lost in his own tiresome cycle is coming into haramony with the overall encompassing pleasure/healing/freedom/fullfillment present with Nam Myoho Renge KYO! The other "brother" living a life difficult to comprehend is not only light years beyond my practice but a tremendous part of my comprehension of the path I must continue to forge.
I kid you not, the future is now.
Chant with me today and everyday, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!
I am an excellent student due to my excellent teachers, I am once again stating "my eternal debt of gratitude"
You have awoken the sleeping giant of "Nam MYOHO RENGE KYO" within me. I wake up better and feel more positive throughout my day. The chains of my self imposed unconscious punishment should be but a relic of my age of oppression. The truth is with all of our kind, scratch the surface, attempt to uncover and persue its truth!
You have nothing to lose!
NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO!`
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- Status
