Chanting Growers Group

[Guest]

Seeking answers sharing the truth, thats what helps me

TAKE ARMS and CHANT with great faith and admiration for those esteemed individuals whom have inspired me on a daily basis to not only follow the right path to enlightenment but also embrace the buddha nature within all of us.


By saying Taking Arms I mean the strength and I get from Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and force upon myself the illumination and positivity which balances my 10,000 worlds. Before this thread I was in disaray. Now I am not a refugee but an empowered and grateful soul, getting better each day.

Thanks for the recent posts.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Fear means cowardice; it means losing the will to fight. We are lost if, when the time comes to fight, we are filled with reluctance and think, “Not again . . . .” This is an attitude that always leads to defeat. As the Daishonin says: “Nichiren’s disciples cannot accomplish anything if they are cowardly” (WND, 481). Let us take these words deeply to heart."

SGI Newsletter No. 6783, Forging Trust and Understanding in Society. (At a national representatives conference, held at the Soka Culture Centre in Shinanomachi, Tokyo, on January 27, 2006) Translated March 30th, 2006

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Great news on the twins for those that might be interested! They are big and healthy! Anna D is 25% bigger than normal, and Hazel JoAnn is 38% bigger than normal. Stonegirl is just one hell of a mommy person, I guess. I am a very lucky man!

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! Six Kids! We will one day have enough people in my household chanting to have our own discussion meetings! How cool is that?!?

 

[Babbabud]

Great news my friend. So happy to hear everything is going great.
Stonegirl makes a great mother and I could not think of a more patient loving father then you PTD. Two awesome little chanting buddha girls. When my granddaughter looks me in the eyes she melts my soul. So happy for you guys .... such a beautiful family Hope to meet the whole group some time when we can all chant together. Would love to be a part of that discussion group
nam myoho renge kyo

 

[Guest]

Congrats PTD. I also look forward to chanting with all of you as well.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

True Cause

True Cause

Perhaps the most important teaching of the Lotus Sutra is that concerning exactly how long Shakyamuni has been a Buddha. "The Life Span of the Thus Come One" (sixteenth) chapter reveals his attainment of Buddhahood in the remote past overturning people's assumption that he attained enlightenment for the first time at around age of thirty, after meditating under the bodhi tree in India. Instead, he says: "In all the worlds the heavenly and human beings and asuras all believe that the present Shakyamuni Buddha, after leaving the place of the Shakyas, seated himself in the place of practice not far from the city of Gaya and there attained anuttara-samyak-sambodhi [supreme enlightenment]. But good men, it has been immeasurable, boundless hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of nayutas of kalpas since I in fact attained Buddhahood" (The Lotus Sutra, chap. 16, p. 225).

The Buddha then explains with examples on a cosmic scale the astounding magnitude of this "life span" as a Buddha.

This has many profound implications. First, in all his teachings before the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha related stories of his practice in many lifetimes spanning countless kalpas in preparation for his attainment of buddhahood in the current lifetime. With this revelation, however, it becomes clear that he was already a Buddha while carrying out these practices. His true identity is that of a Buddha since the inconceivably remote past. Hence his actions as an ordinary person for the sake of others over countless lifetimes were all expressions of, rather than means to attain, Buddhahood. This opens the way for the idea that ordinary persons can themselves be Buddhas who express their enlightenment through their mundane actions, particularly in their efforts to help others.

It also attests to the enduring nature of Buddhahood: Rather than being simply a hard-won state of spiritual attainment, it is an ever-present innate condition that transcends birth and death.

Shakyamuni's revelation of having attained enlightenment countless kalpas ago is an expression of the "mystic principle of true effect." That is, the "truth" of the Buddha's enlightenment (the effect of Buddhist practice) is that he had been enlightened since the remote past. But what of the cause of his enlightenment?

The Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai of China identifies another statement in the "Life Span" (16th) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, "Originally I practiced the bodhisattva way..," (LS16, 227) as referring to the true cause of Shakyamuni's original enlightenment. Shakyamuni, however, does not clarify what this "bodhisattva way" was. T'ien-t'ai interpreted it as a reference to a particular stage of Bodhisattva practice. Nevertheless, there is no precise reference to what practice or teaching enabled the Buddha to attain this state. Thus, the true cause of Shakyamuni's original attainment of enlightenment remained a mystery.

Nichiren Daishonin, however, identified that true cause as the fundamental Law that enables all Buddhas to attain enlightenment, the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Regarding the significance of Shakyamuni's revelation he writes: "When we come to the 'Life Span' chapter of the essential teaching, the belief that Shakyamuni attained Buddhahood for the first time [in India] is demolished, and the effects [enlightenment] of the four teachings are likewise demolished. When the effects of the four teachings are demolished, their causes are likewise demolished. 'Causes' here refers to Buddhist practice [to attain enlightenment] or to the stage of disciples engaged in practice. Thus the causes and effects expounded in both the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings and the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra are wiped out, and the cause and effect of the Ten Worlds in the essential teaching are revealed. This is the doctrine of original cause and original effect. It teaches that the nine worlds are all present in beginningless Buddhahood and that Buddhahood exists in the beginningless nine worlds. This is the true mutual possession of the Ten Worlds, the true hundred worlds and thousand factors, the true three thousand realms in a single moment of life" ("The Essence of the 'Life Span' Chapter," The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 183).

"Original cause and original effect" in this passage are the same as "true cause" and "true effect." The "Life Span" chapter of the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra overturns the concept of Buddhahood stated in the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings as well as those of the first-half, or theoretical teaching, of the Lotus Sutra. Later in the same letter, Nichiren Daishonin refers to the "true cause" of the Buddha's enlightenment, stating, "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the heart of the "Life Span" chapter, is the mother of all Buddhas" (WND, 184).

Nichiren Daishonin's teaching is known as the "Buddhism of the True Cause" because it elucidates the fundamental Law or principle by which all Buddhas attain their original enlightenment and by which all people can become Buddhas.

What does this principle of "true cause" mean" to us ordinary practitioners of Nichiren Buddhism? Nichiren Daishonin quotes the Contemplation on the Mind-Ground Sutra: "If you want to understand the causes that existed in the past, look at the results as they are manifested in the present. And if you want to understand what results will be manifested in the future, look at the causes that exist in the present" (WND, p. 279).

In one sense, how we approach life and our Buddhist practice depends on whether we have a perspective of "true effect" or "true cause." A perspective of "true effect," only sees enlightenment, or happiness, a result of past causes. From the perspective of "true cause," enlightenment, or happiness, is an ever-present potential; the cause for bringing it forth can only be made right now, in the present moment. The moment we make the "true cause," enlightenment reveals itself.

From the standpoint of the mystic principle of true cause (Jpn hon'in-myo) past, present and future exist fully in this moment. We cannot change the past, yet there is no reason to let it bind or restrict us. All of us face setbacks, disappointments and crises from time to time, but whatever our circumstances or our past, by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with a strong resolve, we are creating a brilliant future in this moment. The true cause for enlightenment and the true effect of enlightenment are fully present at each moment as we exert ourselves in faith and practice.

Regarding the spirit of true cause, SGI President Ikeda said in a dialogue with young people, "The past is the past and the future is the future. You should keep moving forward with a steady eye on the future, telling yourself, "I'll start from today!' 'I'll start afresh from now, from this moment!' This is the essence of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism of True Cause, the spirit of starting from the present moment. This is the heart of our daimoku" (World Tribune, November 1, 1996, p.11).

By Jeff Kriger, SGI-USA Study Department Vice Leader

1. Nayuta (Skt): An Indian numerical unit.

2. Kalpa (Skt): An extremely long period of time.

3. In particular, the eleventh of fifty-two stages through which a bodhisattva progresses toward Buddhahood.

4. Four Teachings: They are the Tripitaka, Connecting, Specific and Perfect Teachings.

 

[always2theLeft]

Great news on the twins for those that might be interested! They are big and healthy! Anna D is 25% bigger than normal, and Hazel JoAnn is 38% bigger than normal. Stonegirl is just one hell of a mommy person, I guess. I am a very lucky man!

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! Six Kids! We will one day have enough people in my household chanting to have our own discussion meetings! How cool is that?!?

Congratz PTD! you must have an amazing household, 6 lil buddhas, that just reminded me of "Meet the Fockers" for some reason.

 

[Mrs.Babba]

Congrats Thomas and StoneGirl
wow seems like we just left each other in the bay and now your about to have twins!
Im very happy everything is going smoothly[as smoothly as it can with 4 kids] and we wish your family happiness and much love from the babbas

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Practicing for Oneself / PRACTICING for OTHERS

Practicing for Oneself / PRACTICING for OTHERS

Solomon Ibn Gabriol (1022-1058/70), Hebrew poet and philosopher, wrote:

In seeking knowledge,
the first step is silence,
the second listening,
the third remember
the fourth practicing,
and the fifth --
teaching others.

Today, a number of educational programs emphasize the power of teaching others to facilitate one’s own learning and mastery of the subject matter.

In addition, the tangible benefits of helping others, of altruism, are coming to be recognized widely in scientific and other circles as well. In the book The Healing Power of Doing Good, one researcher chronicles the results of a study about the positive effects of helping strangers. In the introduction he writes:

Now, with the findings from my survey, it has become evident that the dramatic improvements in health produced by helping have specific, identifiable stages. They begin with a physical high, a rush of good feeling. What I now call helper's high involves physical sensations that strongly indicate a sharp reduction in stress and the release of the body’s natural painkillers, the endorphins. This initial rush is then followed by a longer-lasting period of improved emotional well-being. (Allan Luks, The Healing Power of Doing Good [New York: Ballantine Books, 1991] p. 10)

It seems, then, that no matter how hard we try to be unselfish--to forget about ourselves in the service of others--we cannot avoid gaining something ourselves from the act. This is all the more so in the realm of Buddhism, the purpose of which is to enable human beings to perfect themselves while helping others to become happy. Buddhists work to help others at a most basic and essential level of life; hence the benefits to the helper occur on a deep and fundamental level.

The foundation of Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism exists in the essentials known as faith, practice and study. The element of practice is further divided into “practice for oneself” and “practice for others.”

“Practice for oneself” refers to Buddhist practice to obtain the benefits of the Buddha’s teachings. For practitioners of Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism, it means to reveal Buddhahood from within through faith in the Gohonzon and exert ourselves diligently in the morning and evening ceremony of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and reciting the sutra. “Practice for others” means to enlighten or educate others. It is providing people with a means to refine, educate and develop themselves. In Buddhism it means efforts to enable others to receive the benefit of the Buddha’s teachings, that is, to enable others to awaken their innate Buddha nature. For practitioners of the Daishonin’s Buddhism, this means to share the great power and benefit of chanting daimoku to the Gohonzon.

Buddhist practice for others has its roots in the Buddha Shakyamuni’s (of Gotama’s) first public sermons. Immediately after his attainment of enlightenment, Shakyamuni wondered whether the Law or Dharma to which he had awakened was not too profound and inexplicable for people to understand, and so he hesitated to preach it. At that time, it is said, the Indian god Brahma appeared to Shakyamuni and beseeched him three times to teach the Dharma to the people. With this, Shakyamuni embarked on a lifetime of “practice for others.”

He called upon new converts to join him in walking among the various countries and provinces of India to teach the Dharma. From his first sermon on, Shakyamuni and his disciples devoted themselves to educating people about their potential for enlightenment and teaching the law of life to benefit others. The Buddha’s lifetime of teaching and practice thus set the original example of Buddhist “practice for others.” Shakyamuni’s teaching was not exclusivist like many Indian religious teachings of the time, but was open to all people. Regarding this, Buddhist scholar Hajime Nakamura writes:

It was unheard of in Gotama’s contemporary India to preach one’s teaching to all the people. This is obvious when we compare his situation with the various philosophers of the Upanishads, who limited their audience and often confined themselves to preaching to their own children, or distinguished individuals whom they deemed were qualified to receive instruction. Gotama Buddha broke this traditional restriction and doing so must have required considerable determination and courage. (Hajime Nakamura, Gotama Buddha. [Los Angeles: Buddhist Books International, 1987] p. 69)

After Shakyamuni’s death, such open and active teaching gradually diminished. The Buddhist monastics began to focus more on individual practices and disciplines thought to lead to enlightenment and became less engaged with the non-practicing community. This form of self-focused Buddhism was later dubbed Hinayana (Lesser Vehicle) by its critics, who felt the monks had lost the Buddha’s original spirit of “practice for others.” The reformist movement called Mahayana (Greater Vehicle) began to flourish and advocated a return to Shakyamuni’s original spirit. That spirit was expressed in the ideal of the bodhisattva--a practitioner dedicated to the enlightenment and happiness of others before his or her own happiness.

We can view the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin as a crystallization of Mahayana practice that contains within it both practice for oneself and practice for others. The Daishonin writes; “Now in the Latter Day of the Law, the daimoku that Nichiren chants is different than that of previous ages. It is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo that entails practice both for oneself and others” (Gosho Zenshu, p. 1022).

He is saying here that the practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with the goals of one’s own happiness and that of others constitutes the correct and most effective Buddhist practice in this age.

A useful analogy in viewing the relationship between the basic elements of our Buddhist practice is that of an automobile. The running of the car’s engine is compared to faith, the turning of the wheels, to practice, and the driving of the car with knowledge of the directions and destination, to study. Further, the two wheels that transmit the engine’s power to the road are practice for oneself and practice for others. However much we rev the engine or how familiar we are with the route, if both wheels aren’t engaged and turning, we’re going to sit still. If one tire is flat (if either practice for self or practice for others is missing), then naturally we won’t arrive at the destination without repairing it.

Only when the power of faith (the engine) and the confidence derived from study (the ability of the driver) are strongly and consistently expressed as “practice for oneself” and “practice for others” (the wheels) will the car of our life make consistent progress toward the destination of enlightenment or happiness. From another perspective, while enlightenment is our destination, we are actually out to have a wonderful and enjoyable drive. When we harmonize these elements of Buddhist practice, our lives will be rich and enjoyable--even if there are bumps and hills to climb along the way.

We might also view “practice for others”: as a lever, while our own problems and goals are like a large rock. If we try to move the rock directly, we may groan and strain against its weight without it budging. But if we use a good lever in the proper manner, we can move even an enormous rock with relative ease.

Agonizing and praying over our own problems alone may not give us the “leverage” required to move them in any meaningful way. By praying and acting for the sake of another person’s success, growth, and happiness, we can achiever the “spiritual leverage” to transform our own seemingly heavy burdens. Our own triumph then becomes “leverage” to encourage others. In this way, practice for self and practice for others are never separate.

Living Buddhism
October 2000
By Jeff Kriger, SGI-USA VICE study Department chief, partly based on Yasashii Kyogaku (Easy Buddhist Study).

 

[Guest]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

easy, this is for you...

easy, this is for you...

"There are no coincidences in Buddhism. As the saying goes, determination can penetrate stone.... Nichiren Daishonin writes: 'Muster your faith, and pray to this Gohonzon. Then what is there that cannot be achieved?' (WND, 412)."

SGI Newsletter No. 6791, The New Human Revolution—Volume 18: Chapter 3, Moving Forward 29, translated April 3rd, 2006

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Daishonin states, "Only by defeating a powerful enemy can one prove one's real strength."* It is only through our struggles to overcome the seemingly impossible that we can truly develop our lives. Let's enthusiastically challenge ourselves to be victorious over every obstacle that confronts us!

* "Letter from Sado" - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 302

 

[Guest]

I needed those last two posts! Here I am nursing my wounds hoping to improve and tonight I chanted longer than ever before and feel great!

I am chanting to my Gohonzon chanting for better days for all of us. The blessings are innumerable yet the eyes only see what they want to see! I am believing that the benefits from chanting have exceeded my expectations and that guides me towards more chanting opening myself upto more truth. Its all there written on the Gohonzon every time I open the Butsudan.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[PassTheDoobie]

On Repaying Debts of Gratitude / WND pg. 690 (continued)

On Repaying Debts of Gratitude / WND pg. 690 (continued)

Now there is only I, Nichiren, who remain behind, announcing and giving warning of these things. But when I do so, the rulers of the nation treat me like an enemy. People by the hundreds curse me and speak ill of me, attack me with staves and sticks, swords and knives. Door after door is closed to me, house after house drives me away. And when the authorities find that even such treatment does not stop me, they intervene in the matter. Twice they sent me into exile, and once, on the twelfth day of the ninth month in the eighth year of Bun'ei (1271), they very nearly cut off my head.

The Sovereign Kings Sutra says, "Because evil people are respected and favored and good people are subjected to punishment, marauders will appear from other regions, and the people of the country will meet with death and disorder."

The Great Collection Sutra states: "There may perhaps be various kings of the Kshatriya class who act in a way contrary to the Law, causing anguish to the voice-hearer disciples of the World-Honored One. Perhaps they may curse and revile them or beat and injure them with swords and staves, or deprive them of their robes and begging bowls and the other things they need. Or perhaps they may restrain and persecute those who give alms to the disciples. If there should be those who do such things, then we will see to it that their enemies in foreign lands rise up suddenly of their own accord and march against them, and we will cause uprisings to break out within their states. We will bring about pestilence and famine, unseasonable winds and rains, and contention, wrangling, [and slander]. And we will make certain that those rulers do not last for long, but that their nations are brought to destruction."

As these passages from the sutras indicate, if I, Nichiren, were not here in Japan, then one might suppose that the Buddha was a teller of great lies for making such predictions, and that he could not escape falling into the Avichi hell.

On the twelfth day of the ninth month in the eighth year of Bun'ei, I stood in the presence of Hei no Saemon and several hundred others and declared, "Nichiren is the pillar of Japan! Doing away with Nichiren is toppling the pillar of Japan!"

The passages of scripture I have quoted indicate that, if the rulers, heeding the slanders of evil monks or the vicious talk of others, should inflict punishment on persons of wisdom, then warfare will immediately break out, great winds will blow, and attackers will appear from foreign lands. In the second month of the ninth year of Bun'ei (1272), fighting did in fact break out between two factions of the ruling (73) Hojo family; in the fourth month of the eleventh year of Bun'ei, there were violent winds; (74) and in the tenth month of the same year, the Mongol forces attacked Japan. Has not all of this come about because of the treatment that has been given to me, Nichiren? This is exactly what I have been predicting from times past. Can anyone be in doubt about the matter?

The errors preached by Kobo, Jikaku, and Chisho have for many long years been spread about the country, and then, on top of them, have come the confusions propagated by the Zen and Nembutsu schools. It is as though, in addition to adverse winds, one should be visited by huge waves and earthquakes as well. With all this, the nation has been brought to the verge of destruction.

In the past the grand minister of state (75) usurped the power of government, and after the Jokyu Disturbance the imperial court ceased to exercise its rule and the seat of authority shifted east to Kamakura. But these were no more than internal disturbances; the nation as yet had not faced invasion from abroad.

Moreover, though at that time there were those who slandered the Law, there were also a few people who continued to uphold the correct doctrine of the Tendai school. And in addition, at that time no wise person had appeared who would attempt to remedy the situation. As a result, things were relatively peaceful.

If the lion is sleeping and you do not wake him, he will not roar. If the current is swift but you do not pull against it with your oar, no waves will rise up. If you do not accuse the thief to his face, he will remain unruffled; if you do not add fuel to the fire, it will not blaze up. In the same way, though there may be those who slander the Law, if no one comes forward to expose their error, then the government will continue for the time being on its regular course, and the nation will remain undisturbed.

For example, when the Buddhist teachings were first introduced to Japan, nothing out of the ordinary occurred. But later, when [Mononobe no] Moriya began burning Buddhist statues, seizing priests, and putting the torch to Buddhist halls and pagodas, then fire rained down from heaven, small-pox broke out in the nation, and there were repeated military clashes.

But the situation now is far worse. Today those who slander the Law fill the entire country, and I, Nichiren, attack them, strong in my determination to uphold what is right and just. We battle no less fiercely than the asuras and the god Shakra, or the Buddha and the devil king.

The Golden Light Sutra states, "There will be times when enemies among the neighboring states will begin to think as follows: 'We must call (76) out all our four types of troops and destroy that country [where the slanderers of the Law live].'"

The same sutra also says: "There will be times when the rulers of neighboring states, observing the situation and mobilizing their four types of troops, will make ready to set out for the country [where the slanderers of the Law live], determined to subdue it. At that time we [the great deities] will instruct all the countless, limitless numbers of yakshas and other deities who are our followers to assume disguises and protect these rulers, causing their enemies to surrender to them without difficulty."

The Sovereign Kings Sutra states the same thing, as do the Great Collection and Benevolent Kings sutras. According to the statements of these various sutras, if the ruler of a state persecutes those who practice the correct teaching and instead sides with those who practice erroneous teachings, then the heavenly kings Brahma and Shakra, the gods of the sun and moon, and the four heavenly kings will enter the bodies of the worthy rulers of neighboring states and will attack his state. For example, King Krita was attacked by King Himatala, and King Mihirakula was overthrown by King Baladitya. Kings Krita and Mihirakula were rulers in India who attempted to eradicate Buddhism. In China, too, all those rulers who tried to destroy Buddhism were attacked by worthy rulers.

But the situation in Japan today is much worse. For here the rulers appear to be supporters of the Buddhist teachings, but they assist the priests who are destroying Buddhism and persecute the practitioner of the correct teaching. As a result, ignorant people all fail to realize what is happening, and even wise persons, if they are no more than moderately wise, have difficulty grasping the situation. Even the lesser deities of heaven, I suspect, do not understand. For this reason, the confusion and depravity in Japan today are even greater than those in India or China in the past.

In the Decline of the Law Sutra the Buddha speaks as follows: "After I have entered nirvana, in the troubled times when the five cardinal sins prevail, the way of the devil will flourish. The devil will appear in the form of Buddhist monks and attempt to confuse and destroy my teachings. . . . Those who do evil will become as numerous as the sands of the ocean, while the good will be extremely few, perhaps no more than one or two persons."

And the Nirvana Sutra says, "Those who thus are able to take faith in works such as this Nirvana Sutra will be as few as the specks of dirt that can be placed on a fingernail. . . . But those who are not able to take faith in this sutra will be as numerous as the specks of dirt in all the worlds of the ten directions."

These passages from the scriptures are extremely apt, considering the times we live in, and they are deeply etched in my mind. Nowadays in Japan one hears people everywhere declaring, "I believe in the Lotus Sutra," and "I, too, believe in the Lotus Sutra." If we took them at their word, we would have to conclude that there is not a soul who slanders the Law. But the passage from the sutra that I have just quoted says that in the Latter Day the slanderers of the Law will occupy all the lands in the ten directions, while those who uphold the correct teaching will take up no more land than can be placed on top of a fingernail. What the sutra says and what the people of the world today say are as different as fire is from water. People these days say that, in Japan, Nichiren is the only one who slanders the Law. But the sutra says that there will be more slanderers of the Law than the great earth itself can hold.

The Decline of the Law Sutra says that there will be only one or two good persons, and the Nirvana Sutra says that the believers can fit into the space of a fingernail. If we accept what the sutras say, then in Japan Nichiren is the only good person, the one who fits into the space of a fingernail. Therefore, I hope that people who are seriously concerned about the matter will consider carefully whether they want to accept what the sutras say, or what the world says.

Notes:

73. Hojo Tokisuke (1247-1272), elder half brother of Regent Hojo Tokimune, attempted to seize power, but failed. Many were killed in the fighting in Kyoto and Kamakura.
74. A reference to prayers for rain conducted by the True Word priest Dharma Seal Kaga, which produced not only rain but a destructive gale as well. The incident is described in detail in The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra (pp. 775-76).
75. Taira no Kiyomori (1118-1181), warrior and leader of the Heike clan.
76. Troops that travel by foot, horse, elephant, and chariot.

(to be continued)

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." It's through our being nothing but tenacious, patient and persistent, that we can achieve glory and success!

 

[Guest]

Sound the Bells!

Sound the Bells!

PTD and Company, this thread is the reason I pay a monthly fee for internet access. I was planning on retiring from the internet in general but the incredible resource within our "Bodhisattva of Earth" handbook (aka Chanting Growers Thread) compels me to continue taking part everyday in our studies, conversations, growth within our personal human revolutions, helping others, and repaying our debt of gratitude through not only expidient means but also living thru each others expiriences here.

Thank you.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[Guest]

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." It's through our being nothing but tenacious, patient and persistent, that we can achieve glory and success!

Patience
Tenacity
Persistence

Its what I have been meditating very much recently among other things especially during and after diamoku. Chanting throughout the day especially before the Gohonzon gives our spirit a chance to step back and engage all issues with a clearer prespective. Taking the time out of our lives to nurture our Buddha Nature brings upon us what we truly need. Essentially whats good for the goose is good for the gander, helping yourself equals helping others equals KOSENRUFU!

This thread is very special, embrace the love behind every post, as I do and embrace the Buddha Nature within all of us.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Society tends to evaluate people based on their wealth or status. But a person’s real worth is actually measured by what one does for the sake of others’ happiness and the welfare of society."

SGI Newsletter No. 6792, The New Human Revolution—Vol. 18: Chap. 3, Moving Forward 33, translated April 4th, 2006

 

[Guest]

"What then is the purpose of national education? Rather than devise complex theoretical interpretations, it is better to start by looking to the lovely child who sits on your knee and ask yourself: What can I do to assure that this child will be able to lead the happiest life possible?"

-- Makiguchi

 

[Guest]

Dependent Origination

Buddhism teaches that all life is interrelated. Through the concept of "dependent origination," it holds that nothing exists in isolation, independent of other life. The Japanese term for dependent origination is engi, literally "arising in relation." In other words, all beings and phenomena exist or occur only because of their relationship with other beings or phenomena. Everything in the world comes into existence in response to causes and conditions. Nothing can exist in absolute independence of other things or arise of its own accord.

Shakyamuni used the image of two bundles of reeds leaning against each other to explain dependent origination. He described how the two bundles of reeds can remain standing as long as they lean against each other. In the same way, because this exists, that exists, and because that exists, this exists. If one of the two bundles is removed, then the other will fall. Similarly, without this existence, that cannot exist, and without that existence, this cannot exist.

More specifically, Buddhism teaches that our lives are constantly developing in a dynamic way, in a synergy of the internal causes within our own life (our personality, experiences, outlook on life and so on) and the external conditions and relations around us. Each individual existence contributes to creating the environment which sustains all other existences. All things, mutually supportive and related, form a living cosmos, a single living whole.

When we realize the extent of the myriad interconnections which link us to all other life, we realize that our existence only becomes meaningful through interaction with, and in relation to, others. By engaging ourselves with others, our identity is developed, established and enhanced. We then understand that it is impossible to build our own happiness on the unhappiness of others. We also see that our constructive actions affect the world around us. And, as Nichiren wrote, "If you light a lamp for another, your own way will be lit."

There is an intimate mutual interconnection in the web of nature, in the relationship between humankind and its environment--and also between the individual and society, parents and children, husband and wife.

If as individuals we can embrace the view that "because of that, this exists," or, in other words, "because of that person, I can develop," then we need never experience pointless conflicts in human relations. In the case of a young married woman, for instance, her present existence is in relation to her husband and mother-in-law, regardless of what sort of people they may be. Someone who realizes this can turn everything, both good and bad, into an impetus for personal growth.

Buddhism teaches that we "choose" the family and circumstances into which we are born in order to learn and grow and to be able to fulfill our unique role and respective mission in life.

On a deeper level, we are connected and related not just to those physically close to us, but to every living being. If we can realize this, feelings of loneliness and isolation, which cause so much suffering, begin to vanish, as we realize that we are part of a dynamic, mutually interconnected whole.

As Daisaku Ikeda has written, an understanding of the interconnectedness of all life can lead to a more peaceful world:

"We're all human beings who, through some mystic bond, were born to share the same limited life span on this planet, a small green oasis in the vast universe. Why do we quarrel and victimize one another? If we could all keep the image of the vast heavens in mind, I believe that it would go a long way toward resolving conflicts and disputes. If our eyes are fixed on eternity, we come to realize that the conflicts of our little egos are really sad and unimportant."