Chanting Growers Group

[Guest]

Thank you PTD for reading my post and sharing very meaningful insight into my direction, it is greatly appreciated. Blessings to you yours and the ones on the way.

To everyone: Continue to chant for me as I chant for you. DG and Gypsy we are with you 1000%, and continue to chant for you and hope you both recieve your Gohonzon. Same goes for all the other readers of the thread

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo yesterday now and forever.

 

[Gypsy Nirvana]

.....Thank you all for your very kind indulgence.....

....Yes both me and DG are under some sort of seige from a very negative entity.......and we both realy apreciate your concerns and prayers for us......It's not been easy believe you me.......but we will strive to carry on regardless of the propoganda and subtefuge and subversive negativity........and just chant for the goodness of all...

 

[Guest]

.....Thank you all for your very kind indulgence.....

....Yes both me and DG are under some sort of seige from a very negative entity.......and we both realy apreciate your concerns and prayers for us......It's not been easy believe you me.......but we will strive to carry on regardless of the propoganda and subtefuge and subversive negativity........and just chant for the goodness of all...

Thank you for checking in skipper and very glad you continue to chant, just having the site back up is a testament to DG, your prayers, me and everyone else's prayer and the unlimited potential within all of us Gypsy.

Do you realize that although the challenges have continued to grow, your faith will continue to grant you safe passage through this storm, continue to chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo! Everything else shall continue flourish.

We all have a great love and admiration for all you and DG do for us in order to bring upon the world peace you majestically facilitate with our thread (a work of art) within your forum.

Don't be afraid! Don't be defeated! Faith! Victory of GOLD!

I will continue to chant for you GYPSY.

 

[Babbabud]

Nam myoho renge kyo

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo Gypsy and DG!

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo Gypsy and DG!

Rather than offering up ten thousand prayers for remedy, it would be better simply to outlaw this one evil.

[ On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land, WND Page 15 ]

 

[Guest]

zenchishiki is one who leads us to strengthen our own faith and practice in order to thoroughly transform our karma. To quote Nichiren, "the best way to attain Buddhahood is to encounter a zenchishiki, or good friend." Further, Nichiren comments that Devadatta, the cousin of Shakyamuni who tried to kill him and divide the Buddhist order, was "the foremost good friend to Thus Come One Shakyamuni. In this age as well, it is not one's allies, but one's powerful enemies who assist one's progress."

Strong words for the lionhearted!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

Goto a meeting ask for you Gohonzon. If you have your Gohonzon and attend meetings do not forget World Peace Gongyo is every 1st Sunday of the month.

Hi Socal, Hi Mr.Wags, Hi Scegy, Hi Always2theleft, Hi Bonz Big hello to all who read and do not post. Peace.



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To accept, uphold, read, recite, take delight in, and protect all the eight volumes and twenty-eight chapters of the Lotus Sutra is called the comprehensive practice. To accept, uphold, and protect the "Expedient Means" chapter and the "Life Span" chapter is called the abbreviated practice. And simply to chant one four-phrase verse or the daimoku, and to protect those who do so, is called the essential practice. Hence, among these three kinds of practice, comprehensive, abbreviated, and essential, the daimoku is defined as the essential practice.


The Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra,
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, pg# 143)
Written on 6 January 1266 from Awa - Seicho-ji
http://sgi-usa.org/buddhism/library/Nichiren/wnd/concord/pages.view/143.html


Daily Encouragement:

Forward! Always forward! This is a basic spirit of Buddhism. Nichiren Daishonin's teaching is the Buddhism of true cause. We live with our gaze fixed on the future, not hung up on the past. To advance eternally-this is the essence of life and the essence of what it means to be a practitioner of the Daishonin's Buddhism.


Lectures and articles about Nichiren Buddhism: http://sgi-usa.org/buddhism/

 

[Babbabud]

SGI meeting

SGI meeting

Hello everyone
Just thought I would tell you about this weeks meeting and whats up with our group. Since last Oct. when i recieved my gohonzon we have pretty much grown almost by 5x the amount of chanters when i first showed up.
On this coming wednesday we have two more people from our group recieving gohonzon. What a great and wonderful family this has turned out to be.
This week we had a short chanting session and then did gonyo and moved right on to a "potluck" barbeque. Was great to get together and alot of fun. Any of you people that read this thread but have not searched out he SGI in your area I advise you to do so. I never thought these people would end up like family to me because we really do keep to ourselves. What a great and wonderful group of people i have ended up becoming friends with. Im so thrilled that we have more people in our group recieving their gohonzon. I hope we can make this next meeting a very happy day for them. I urge anyone who follows this thread and is curious to just attend a meeting . I promise you ...you will be pleasantly surprised.
nam myoho renge kyo

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Easy and Bud--I'm so lucky to know both of you! Thanks for sharing your lives with everyone!

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

As I said before, though no chapter of the Lotus Sutra is negligible, among the entire twenty-eight chapters, the "Expedient Means" chapter and the "Life Span" chapter are particularly outstanding. The remaining chapters are all in a sense the branches and leaves of these two chapters. Therefore, for your regular recitation, I recommend that you practice reading the prose sections of the "Expedient Means" and "Life Span" chapters.

[ Recitation of the "Expedient Means" and "Life Span" Chapters, WND Page 71 ]

 

[Babbabud]

Labor?

Labor?

Are we in labor yet ? Just got up feeling a strong sense that this could be the weekend. Sending much Daimoku to mamma . We will be chanting for the arrival of our new little buddhas. Much love to you all
Nam myoho renge kyo!!

 

[Guest]

I just wanted to check in and wish you all the very best.


Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!


Gosho Excerpt:

Rather than offering up ten thousand prayers for remedy, it would be better simply to outlaw this one evil.


On establishing the correct teaching for the peace of the land,
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, pg# 15)
Written to Hojo Tokiyori on 16 July 1260 from Kamakura
http://sgi-usa.org/buddhism/library/Nichiren/wnd/concord/pages.view/15.html


Daily Encouragement:

No matter where we go, we cannot escape from the sufferings that are part and parcel of life. If we cannot avoid these sufferings, then our only choice is to overcome them. And since we have no choice but to overcome them, then we might as well live joyfully and vigorously while doing so. Let's continue to strive and chant daimoku to the end.


Lectures and articles about Nichiren Buddhism: http://sgi-usa.org/buddhism/

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings Translated by Burton Watson

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings Translated by Burton Watson

Chapter Sixteen: The Life Span of the Thus Come One

Twenty-seven important points


Point Four, regarding the passage “The Thus Come One perceives the true aspect of the threefold world exactly as it is. There is (u) no (mu) ebb or flow of birth and death, and there is no existing in this world and later entering extinction.”

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: “The Thus Come One” is the living beings of the threefold world. When we look at these living beings through the eyes of the “Life Span” chapter, we can see and understand the true aspect of these beings who in their original state possess the Ten Worlds.

The aspect or characteristics of the threefold world are birth, aging, sickness, and death. But if we look at birth and death in terms of their true nature, then there is no birth and death. And if there is no birth and death, then there is no ebb and flow. Not only do birth and death not exist. To look on birth and death with repulsion and to try and escape from them is termed delusion, or a viewpoint of acquired enlightenment.* Seeing and understanding the originally inherent nature of birth and death is termed awakening, or original enlightenment.

Now when Nichiren and his followers chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, they realize the originally inherent nature of birth and death, and the originally inherent nature of ebb and flow.

We may also say that nonexistence (mu) and existence (u), birth and death, ebbing and flowing, existing in this world and entering extinction, are all, every one of them, actions of the eternally abiding inherent nature.

“Nonexistence” indicates that the actions of Myoho-renge-kyo are none other than the Dharma-realm. “Existence” indicates that hell, just as it is, is the total entity of the Wonderful Law originally endowed with the Ten Worlds. “Birth” indicates the Wonderful Law appearing as birth in accordance with changing circumstances. “Death” is death as seen through the “Life Span” chapter, in which the Dharma-realm is at the same time the true aspect of reality. Because there is “ebb,” there is “entering extinction,” and because there is “flow,” there is “existing in this world.”

Thus [in terms of the three truths], nonexistence, death, ebbing, and extinction represent the truth of non-substantiality or emptiness. Existence, birth, flowing, and existing in the world represent the truth of temporary existence. And [the true aspect of the threefold world that] the Thus Come One perceives exactly as it is, is the truth of the Middle Way.

[In terms of the three bodies], nonexistence, death, ebbing, and extinction represent the eternally endowed reward body. Existence, birth, flowing, and existing in the world represent the eternally endowed manifested body. And [the true aspect of the threefold world that] the Thus Come One perceives exactly as it is, is the eternally endowed Dharma body.

These three bodies are our own single bodies. This is why [Words and Phrases, volume nine] says, “The single body is none other the three bodies, a statement that is secret.” And this is also why it says, “The three bodies are none other than the single body, a statement that is secret.”

Thus the Buddha of the Lotus that is the entity of the Law (chapter eleven, point six), who is eternally endowed with the three bodies, is Nichiren and his disciples and lay supporters. That is because they embrace the title of honor, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.


* “Acquired enlightenment” is used in contrast with “original enlightenment.” According to the doctrine of original enlightenment, enlightenment is not something one acquires through religious practice but something that exists in one’s original state of life. From this viewpoint, “acquired enlightenment” falls into the category of delusion, not true enlightenment.

(to be continued)

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Thus Come One
[如来] (Jpn.: nyorai; Skt.: tathagata; Pali.: tathagata)

One of the ten honorable titles of a Buddha, meaning one who has come from the realm of truth. This title indicates that a Buddha embodies the fundamental truth of all phenomena and has grasped the law of causality spanning past, present, and future. There are two opinions about the Sanskrit and Pali word tathagata. One view interprets it as a compound of tatha and agata, meaning "thus come one" and indicating one who has arrived from the realm of truth. This is the interpretation generally used in Chinese translations. The other interprets the word tathagata as the compound of tatha and gata, meaning "thus gone one" and indicating one who has gone to the world of enlightenment.

threefold world
[三界] (Jpn.: san-gai)

The world of unenlightened beings who transmigrate within the six paths (from hell through the realm of heavenly beings). The threefold world consists of, in ascending order, the world of desire, the world of form, and the world of formlessness: (1) The world of desire comprises the four evil paths (the realms of hell, hungry spirits, animals, and asuras), the four continents surrounding Mount Sumeru (that contain the realm of human beings), and the first six divisions of heaven (the lowest part of the realm of heavenly beings). The beings in this world are ruled by various cravings, such as those for food, drink, and sex. (2) The world of form consists of the four meditation heavens, which are further divided into eighteen heavens (sixteen or seventeen according to other explanations). The beings here are free from desires, cravings, and appetites, but still have physical form and thus are subject to certain material restrictions. (3) The world of formlessness comprises the four realms of Boundless Empty Space, Boundless Consciousness, Nothingness, and Neither Thought Nor No Thought. Here beings are free from desires and from physical form with its material restrictions.

true aspect of all phenomena
[諸法実相] (Jpn.: shoho-jisso)

The ultimate truth or reality that permeates all phenomena and is in no way separate from them. A principle expressed in the "Expedient Means" (second) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. The chapter states: "The true aspect of all phenomena can only be understood and shared between Buddhas. This reality consists of the appearance, nature, entity, power, influence, internal cause, relation, latent effect, manifest effect, and their consistency from beginning to end." The "Expedient Means" chapter defines the true aspect of all phenomena as the ten factors of life from "appearance" through "their consistency from beginning to end," which describe the unchanging aspect of life common to all phenomena. Since the ten factors exist in any being of the Ten Worlds, there can be no fundamental distinction between a Buddha and an ordinary person. This revelation of the ten factors of life thus establishes a theoretical basis for the universal attainment of Buddhahood. Based on this passage of the "Expedient Means" chapter, T'ien-t'ai (538-597) established the philosophical system of three thousand realms in a single moment of life. In his 1273 work titled The True Aspect of All Phenomena, Nichiren defined "all phenomena" as all living beings and their environments in the Ten Worlds, and "the true aspect" as the Law of Myoho-renge-kyo, the ultimate reality permeating all living beings and their environments in any of the Ten Worlds. All phenomena, he stated, are manifestations of this universal Law; phenomena and the ultimate truth are inseparable and non-dual.

acquired enlightenment
[始覚] (Jpn.: shikaku)

See also: inherent enlightenment

original enlightenment
[本覚] (Jpn.: hongaku)

1. A reference to the enlightenment Shakyamuni attained countless kalpas ago, as described in the "Life Span" (sixteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra.

2. Enlightenment or Buddhahood originally inherent in human life.

See also: "Life Span of the Thus Come One" chapter; inherent enlightenment

inherent enlightenment
[本覚] (Jpn.: hongaku)

Also, original enlightenment; or, depending on context, originally enlightened or eternally enlightened. Enlightenment, or Buddhahood, that is originally inherent in human life. Often used as an equivalent of the Buddha nature. The concept of inherent or original enlightenment is contrasted with acquired enlightenment (shikaku), the view that enlightenment occurs as a result of carrying out Buddhist practice, dispelling illusions, and developing wisdom. In the Tendai school of Japan, the doctrine of inherent or original enlightenment was taken to the extreme with the argument that ordinary people were already Buddhas even before engaging in Buddhist practice, and that the world as it is equals the world of enlightenment. Critics asserted that this view led to complacency in Buddhist practice.

"Life Span of the Thus Come One" chapter
[如来寿量品] (Jpn.: Nyorai-juryo-hon)

http://sgi-usa.org/buddhism/dictionary/define?tid=2559

Ten Worlds
[十界] (Jpn.: jikkai)

Ten distinct realms or categories of beings referred to in Buddhist scriptures. From the lowest to the highest, the realms of (1) hell, (2) hungry spirits, (3) animals, (4) asuras, (5) human beings, (6) heavenly beings, (7) voice-hearers, (8) cause-awakened ones, (9) bodhisattvas, and (10) Buddhas. The Ten Worlds were viewed originally as distinct physical locations, each with its own particular inhabitants. The Lotus Sutra, however, teaches that each of the Ten Worlds contains all ten within it, making it possible to interpret them as potential states of life inherent in each individual being. In other words, from the standpoint of the Lotus Sutra, the Ten Worlds indicates ten potential states or conditions that a person can manifest or experience. The mutual possession of the Ten Worlds is a component principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life, which T'ien-t'ai (538-597) set forth in Great Concentration and Insight.

The Ten Worlds may be described as follows: (1) The world of hell. Nichiren's 1273 treatise The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind states, "Rage is the world of hell" (358). Hell indicates a condition in which living itself is misery and suffering, and in which, devoid of all freedom, one's anger and rage become a source of further self-destruction. (2) The world of hungry spirits. Also called the world of hunger. A condition governed by endless desire for such things as food, profit, pleasure, power, recognition, or fame, in which one is never truly satisfied. The above work reads, "Greed is the world of hungry spirits" (358). (3) The world of animals. Also called the world of animality. It is a condition driven by instinct and lacking in reason, morality, or wisdom with which to control oneself. In this condition, one is ruled by the "law of the jungle," standing in fear of the strong, but despising and preying upon those weaker than oneself. The same work states, "Foolishness is the world of animals" (358). The worlds of hell, hungry spirits, and animals are collectively known as the three evil paths. (4) The world of asuras. Also called the world of animosity or the world of anger. In Indian mythology, asuras are arrogant and belligerent demons. This condition is called the world of animosity because it is characterized by persistent, though not necessarily overt, aggressiveness. The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind states, "Perversity is the world of asuras" (358). It is a condition dominated by ego, in which excessive pride prevents one from revealing one's true self or seeing others as they really are. Compelled by the need to be superior to others or surpass them at any cost, one may feign politeness and even flatter others while inwardly despising them. The worlds of hell, hungry spirits, animals, and asuras are collectively called the four evil paths. (5) The world of human beings. Also called the world of humanity. The same work reads, "Calmness is the world of human beings" (358). In this state, one tries to control one's desires and impulses with reason and act in harmony with one's surroundings and other people, while also aspiring for a higher state of life. (6) The world of heavenly beings. Also called the world of heaven. The same work states, "Joy is the world of heaven" (358). This is a condition of contentment and joy that one feels when released from suffering or upon satisfaction of some desire. It is a temporary joy that is dependent upon and may easily change with circumstances. The six worlds from hell through the world of heavenly beings are called the six paths. Beings in the six paths, or those who tend toward these states of life, are largely controlled by the restrictions of their surroundings and are therefore extremely vulnerable to changing circumstances.

The remaining states, in which one transcends the uncertainty of the six paths, are called the four noble worlds: (7) The world of voice-hearers, a condition in which one awakens to the impermanence of all things and the instability of the six paths. Also called the world of learning. In this state, one dedicates oneself to creating a better life through self-reformation and self-development by learning from the ideas, knowledge, and experience of one's predecessors and contemporaries. "Voicehearers" (Skt shravaka ) originally meant those who listen to the Buddha preach the four noble truths and practice the eightfold path in order to acquire emancipation from earthly desires. (8) The world of cause-awakened ones, a condition in which one perceives the impermanence of all phenomena and strives to free oneself from the sufferings of the six paths by seeing some lasting truth through one's own observations and effort. Also called the world of realization. "Cause-awakened ones," also known as "self-awakened ones" (pratyekabuddha), originally meant those who attain a form of emancipation by perceiving the twelve-linked chain of causation or by observing natural phenomena. Persons in the worlds of voice-hearers and cause-awakened ones, which are together called persons of the two vehicles, are given more to the pursuit of self-perfection than to altruism. They are also willing to look squarely at the reality of death and seek the eternal, in contrast to those in the world of heaven, who are distracted from life's harsh realities. (9) The world of bodhisattvas, a state of compassion in which one thinks of and works for others' happiness even before becoming happy oneself. Bodhisattva, which consists of bodhi (enlightenment) and sattva (beings), means a person who seeks enlightenment while leading others to enlightenment. Bodhisattvas find that the way to self-perfection lies only in altruism, working for the enlightenment of others even before their own enlightenment. Nichiren states in The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind: "Even a heartless villain loves his wife and children. He too has a portion of the bodhisattva world within him" (358). (10) The world of Buddhas, or Buddhahood. This is a state of perfect and absolute freedom in which one realizes the true aspect of all phenomena or the true nature of life. One can achieve this state by manifesting the Buddha nature inherent in one's life. From the standpoint of the philosophy of the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds, Buddhahood should not be viewed as a state removed from the sufferings and imperfections of ordinary persons. Attaining Buddhahood does not mean becoming a special being. In this state, one still continues to work against and defeat the negative functions of life and transform any and all difficulty into causes for further development. It is a state of complete access to the boundless wisdom, compassion, courage, and other qualities inherent in life; with these one can create harmony with and among others and between human life and nature. In the above work, Nichiren states, "Buddhahood is the most difficult to demonstrate" (358), but he also says, "That ordinary people born in the latter age can believe in the Lotus Sutra is due to the fact that the world of Buddhahood is present in the human world" (358).

three truths
[三諦] (Jpn.: san-tai)

Also, threefold truth, triple truth, or three perceptions of the truth. The truth of non-substantiality, the truth of temporary existence, and the truth of the Middle Way. The three integral aspects of the truth, or ultimate reality, formulated by T'ien-t'ai (538-597) in The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra and Great Concentration and Insight. The truth of non-substantiality means that phenomena have no existence of their own; their true nature is non-substantial, indefinable in terms of existence or nonexistence. The truth of temporary existence means that, although non-substantial, all things possess a temporary reality that is in constant flux. The truth of the Middle Way means that the true nature of phenomena is that they are neither non-substantial nor temporary, though they display attributes of both. The Middle Way is the essence of things that continues either in a manifest or a latent state. According to T'ien-t'ai's explanation, the Tripitaka teaching and the connecting teaching do not reveal the truth of the Middle Way and therefore lack the three truths. The specific teaching reveals the three truths but shows them as being separate from and independent of one another; that is, it does not teach that these three are inseparable aspects of all phenomena. This view is called the separation of the three truths. The perfect teaching views the three as an integral whole, each possessing all three within itself. This is called the unification of the three truths.

non-substantiality
[空] (Jpn.: ku; Skt.: shunya or shunyata)

A fundamental Buddhist concept, also translated as emptiness, void, latency, or relativity. The Sanskrit shunya or shunyatameans emptiness. Shunya also means "empty" and "empty of." It is the concept that things and phenomena have no fixed or independent nature or existence of their own.

Non-substantiality is neither negative nor world-negating but teaches the importance of perceiving the true nature of phenomena, which are on the surface transient. The Wisdom sutras developed the Mahayana concept of non-substantiality and Nagarjuna (c. 150-250) systematized it based on them. This concept originated in connection to those of dependent origination and of the nonexistence of self-nature. Dependent origination means that, because phenomena arise only by virtue of their relationship with other phenomena, they have no distinct nature or existence of their own. Nonexistence of self-nature means that there is no independent entity that exists alone, apart from other phenomena. The common message is that the true nature of all phenomena is non-substantiality, and that it cannot be defined in terms of the concepts of existence and nonexistence. Nagarjuna explained it as the Middle Way, a perspective that regards the categories of existence and nonexistence as extremes, and aims to transcend them. The practical purpose behind the teaching of non-substantiality lies in eliminating attachments to transient phenomena and to the ego, or the perception of self as an independent and fixed identity.

Middle Way
[中道] (Skt.: madhyama-pratipad; Jpn.: chudo)

The way or path that transcends polar extremes. The Middle Way also indicates the true nature of all things, which cannot be defined by the absolutes of existence or nonexistence. It transcends the extremes of polar and opposing views, in other words, all duality. However, interpretations of this concept vary considerably from one text or school to another. The three major interpretations of the Middle Way follow:

(1) In the Hinayana teachings, it is the rejection of the two extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification. While still a prince, Shakyamuni lived in luxury in his father's palace, but after renouncing the secular world, he abandoned worldly diversions and for years practiced as an ascetic, leading a life of deprivation and austerity. Eventually he rejected asceticism as well, and after attaining enlightenment he preached a way of life that avoids the extremes of indulgence and denial. The Medium-Length Agama Sutra, one of the four Chinese Agama sutras, terms this path the Middle Way. It is exemplified by the doctrine of the eightfold path.

(2) According to Nagarjuna's Treatise on the Middle Way, the true nature of all things is that they are neither born nor die, and cannot be defined by either of the two extremes of existence or nonexistence. This true nature of things is non-substantiality, also referred to as the Middle Way. The Treatise on the Middle Way begins: "Neither birth nor extinction, neither cessation nor permanence, neither uniformity nor diversity, neither coming nor going...." This passage is termed the eight negations, or themiddle path of the eight negations, and is intended to clarify the concept of the Middle Way.

(3) In terms of T'ien-t'ai's doctrine of the three truths, the truth of the Middle Way means that the true nature of all things is neither nonsubstantiality nor temporary existence, but exhibits the characteristics of both.

three bodies
[三身] (Skt.: trikaya; Jpn.: san-jin)

http://sgi-usa.org/buddhism/dictionary/define?tid=623

From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"The aspect or characteristics of the threefold world are birth, aging, sickness, and death. But if we look at birth and death in terms of their true nature, then there is no birth and death. And if there is no birth and death, then there is no ebb and flow. Not only do birth and death not exist. To look on birth and death with repulsion and to try and escape from them is termed delusion, or a viewpoint of acquired enlightenment.* Seeing and understanding the originally inherent nature of birth and death is termed awakening, or original enlightenment."

* “Acquired enlightenment” is used in contrast with “original enlightenment.” According to the doctrine of original enlightenment, enlightenment is not something one acquires through religious practice but something that exists in one’s original state of life. From this viewpoint, “acquired enlightenment” falls into the category of delusion, not true enlightenment.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Thus the Buddha of the Lotus that is the entity of the Law (chapter eleven, point six), who is eternally endowed with the three bodies, is Nichiren and [because of that, so are*] his disciples and lay supporters. That is because they embrace the title of honor, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo."

* (my inclusion to convey MY undertanding of the "why and how" of this statement.

T

 

[Dutchgrown]

These most informative writings posted by PTD, and others here, even though are a bit over my head, clearly shows the power of many things, faith and truth and all things good.

In doing a bit of research, I came up with this and wanted to share it cause it seems to have much relevance, especially for me at the moment:

“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.”
Buddha quotes (Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.)



So, I believe that having faith in the truth can and will bring things into balance and harmony. And yes, chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

Much love to you all for your support, guidance, understanding and compassion.
dg

 

[Guest]

Thank You All

Thank You All

Please continue to chant for me as I chant for your well being. Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

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(Althought this excerpt was recently referred to it is very meaningful today as well)
Gosho Excerpt:


"As I said before, though no chapter of the Lotus Sutra is negligible, among the entire twenty-eight chapters, the "Expedient Means" chapter and the "Life Span" chapter are particularly outstanding. The remaining chapters are all in a sense the branches and leaves of these two chapters. Therefore, for your regular recitation, I recommend that you practice reading the prose sections of the "Expedient Means" and "Life Span" chapters."


Recitation of the "Expedient means" and "Life span" chapters,
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, pg# 71)
Written to Hiki Daigaku Saburo Yoshimoto's wife
on 17 April 1264 from Kamakura
http://sgi-usa.org/buddhism/library/Nichiren/wnd/concord/pages.view/71.html




Daily Encouragement:

I would like each of you to rise to the challenge of revolutionizing the area where you live into an ideal community and to do so with the determination to start from where you are right now. This means building a good SGI organization in your local area-and building it yourself with loving, painstaking care, the way an artist pours his or her heart and soul into creating a work of art. It also means fostering capable people. Buddhism, after all, can only flourish if there are people who uphold and practice its teachings.

Lectures and articles about Nichiren Buddhism: http://sgi-usa.org/buddhism/



THIS THREAD IS OUR WORK OF ART, THANK YOU PTD, BABBA, GYPSY, DG, EVERYONE.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Now, no matter what, strive in faith and be known as a votary of the Lotus Sutra, and remain my disciple for the rest of your life."

(The True Aspect of All Phenomena - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 385) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, June 1st, 2006

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"...whatever sufferings we encounter in life, Buddhism teaches that “earthly desires are enlightenment” and “the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana” (OTT, 173–74). No matter what misfortune may befall us, the eternal Law enables us to lessen our karmic retribution and change poison into medicine. We can transform everything and find a way through."

SGI Newsletter No. 6856, SGI President Ikeda’s Editorial, A Tribute to Wise Mothers—Commemorating June 10th, Women’s Division Day, translated May 31st, 2006

 

[bartender187]

I backed up this thread for a friend, I thought others may be interested in a hard-copy.

Folder, with an html file of each page... Updated to page 190.

http://rapidshare.de/files/22234731/CGT.rar.html

You will need winrar (or a similar rar extractor) rarlabs.com, to decompress it. Enjoy : ), and thanks everyone who made this thread possible

bartender187