Chanting Growers Group

[SoCal Hippy]

You are all so very welcome! And DG, your post carrries with it so much for all who browse and read here at this thread; Thank You!

Buddhism = Daily Life

Let's all continue to chant Nam myoho renge kyo and turn all of our sufferings into tremendous joy. Guaranteed!

Remember: like the vast ocean.....Be steadfast and resolute in the face of obstacles.

 

[Babbabud]

Thankyou all for an extra large super extreme family type size of goosebumps
nam myoho renge kyo

 

[Guest]

SMOKE TRIPPY LIGHTS and ROCKING TO YOUR FAVORITE DISCO JAM......

SMOKE TRIPPY LIGHTS and ROCKING TO YOUR FAVORITE DISCO JAM......

*To the Tune of (your favorite tune here)*

MyohoDisco checking in, whats happening whats up, lets get the bits of this kush fired up!

Congrats, hugs, kisses to all on our 2 year milestone. Seems I have many people to thank so I will just say, THANKS NICHIREN! Three cheers for NICHIREN!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is the greatest happiest proclaimation throughout our human life in the saha world, BABY! Don't you see me shining.... I am the happiest DiscoDuck in the known and unknown universe (even though me and the devil of the 6th heaven have been battling day and night) believe me when I tell you my perseverance is my emancipation, BABY!

I'm proof of the law, Dutchgrown is now proof of the law, Socal is proof of the law, babbabud is proof of the law, ptd is proof of the law, you are proof of the law.

ALSO I'm running on fumes so I'll catch up more later on, but you know I'm always here.....

It sure isn't a party if MyohoDisco doesnt do "the side to side toker" ....

Love you,

 

[SoCal Hippy]

I like that 'side to side' move EasyD!

You are an incredible follower of the Law and I congratulate you on your amazing progress in your practice and seeking spirit! I loved your post and it made me really laugh which is appreciated. Keep it on! Love ya too.

And again my thanks to everyone involved in keeping this thread 'alive and well'.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Mr.Wags and MsG! How about an audio file and pronouciation guide of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo for Jocab and anyone else recently joining the conversation! What a great birthday party! "Do the Hustle!"

(MyohoDisco: The battle is a sign of your profound progress and courage. Consider it your badge of honor. Fumes are good!!!)

Always2theleft, Bonzo, GiantBagsMan--where you guys at? We miss you Natty!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Outstanding Principles also declares: "Neither teacher nor disciples need undergo countless kalpas of austere practice in order to attain Buddhahood. Through the power of the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law they can do so in their present form.". . . The purpose of [this passage] of commentary is to clarify that the attainment of Buddhahood in one's present form is limited to the Lotus Sutra alone.

[ The Doctrine of Attaining Buddhahood in One's Present Form, WND Page 1052 ]

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Outstanding Principles of the Lotus Sutra, The
[法華秀句] (Jpn.: Hokke-shuku)

A work written in 821 by Dengyo, the founder of the Japanese Tendai school. It explains why the Tendai school, which is based on the Lotus Sutra, is superior to the Dharma Characteristics (Hosso), Three Treatises (Sanron), Flower Garland (Kegon), True Word (Shingon), and other schools. It was written to refute the arguments of Tokuitsu, a priest of the Dharma Characteristics school, who asserted that some people are by nature eternally incapable of attaining Buddhahood, and that the three vehicle teachings are true while the one vehicle teaching is provisional. In this work, Dengyo lists ten superior characteristics of the Lotus Sutra, in light of which he argues its supremacy over all other teachings.

The ten superior characteristics of the Lotus Sutra are as follows: (1) Shakyamuni Buddha reveals the truth only in this sutra. (2) The title of the sutra as well as various names later given to the sutra has profound meaning. (3) In this sutra, the Buddha spontaneously expounds the teaching of his enlightenment without being asked to do so. (4) The sutra reveals that the five categories of Buddhas (all Buddhas, past Buddhas, present Buddhas, future Buddhas, and Shakyamuni Buddha) employ a similar device to lead people to the one Buddha vehicle; that is, they first expound the teachings that serve as expedient means to develop the people's capacity, and then reveal the one Buddha vehicle, the direct path to Buddhahood. (5) Shakyamuni declares the Lotus Sutra to be foremost among all the sutras. (6) He expounds ten similes to illustrate the superiority of the Lotus Sutra over all other sutras. (7) The sutra can purify the workings of the six sense organs. (8) The sutra enables people to attain Buddhahood in their present form. (9) In the assembly of the Buddha Many Treasures and the Buddhas of the ten directions who are Shakyamuni's emanations, Shakyamuni declares that he will entrust the sutra to someone to ensure that it will be perpetuated. (10) The sutra expounds the encouragements of Bodhisattva Universal Worthy who said to Shakyamuni Buddha that he will guard and protect those who accept and uphold the sutra after the Buddha's death.

From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism

 

[SoCal Hippy]

In the Gosho, Nichiren Daishonin states, "Faith alone is what really matters". The state of one's "mind of faith", based on belief in and practice to the Gohonzon, is all important. The direction toward happiness or unhappiness is determined deep within one's mind to believe in and devote himself to the Gohonzon. Herein lies the importance of pure faith in the Gohonzon.

Daisaku Ikeda

 

[mrwags]

Mr.Wags and MsG! How about an audio file and pronouciation guide of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo for Jocab and anyone else recently joining the conversation! What a great birthday party! "Do the Hustle!"

(MyohoDisco: The battle is a sign of your profound progress and courage. Consider it your badge of honor. Fumes are good!!!)

Always2theleft, Bonzo, GiantBagsMan--where you guys at? We miss you Natty!

As requested:

http://members.freezone.co.uk/sunspark/nmhrk/audio.htm


Glad to help.

Mr.Wags

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Daishonin states,
"... the best way to attain Buddhahood is
to encounter a good friend."*
If we are able to be associated with "good friends"**,
we will as a matter of course attain true happiness.
The SGI, therefore, is the greatest circle of
good friends and positive influences.

Daisaku Ikeda

* "Three Tripitaka Masters Pray for Rain" - WND, page 598

** http://www.sgi.org/english/Buddhism/more/more23.htm

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Good Friends

Good Friends

Ananda, one of Shakyamuni Buddha's closest disciples, once asked him: "It seems to me that by having good friends and advancing together with them, one has already halfway attained the Buddha way. Is this way of thinking correct?"

Shakyamuni replied, "Ananda, this way of thinking is not correct. Having good friends and advancing together with them is not half the Buddhist way but all the Buddhist way."

This may seem surprising, as Buddhism is often viewed as a solitary discipline in which other people might be seen as more of a hindrance than a help. However, to polish and improve our lives ultimately means to develop the quality of our interpersonal relationships--a far more challenging task than any solitary discipline. Our practice of Buddhism only finds meaning within the context of these relationships.

From another perspective, given that Buddhist practice of polishing and aiming to improve our lives from within is a constant challenge and a difficult process, it is only natural that we need support from others also dedicated to walking a correct path in life, trying also to create value in their lives.

SGI President Daisaku Ikeda has written, "Having good friends is like being equipped with a powerful auxiliary engine. When we encounter a steep hill or an obstacle, we can encourage each other and find the strength to keep pressing forward." And as Nichiren (1222--1282) wrote: "Even a feeble person will not stumble if those supporting him are strong, but a person of considerable strength, when alone, may lose his footing on an uneven path. . . ."

In Nichiren Buddhism, good friends are known as zenchishiki or good influences, while akuchishiki refers to bad influences. People affect each other in subtle and complex ways, and it is important to develop the ability to discern the nature of that influence. According to Buddhism, "bad" friends are those who encourage our weaknesses. In Nichiren's words: "Evil friends are those who, speaking sweetly, deceiving, flattering and making skillful use of words, win the hearts of the ignorant and destroy their goodness of mind."

Even when intentions are good, the degree of our positive influence on each other will vary. Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, founder of the Soka Gakkai, used the following illustration. Say you have a friend who needs a certain amount of money. Giving your friend the money they need is an act of small good, while helping them find a job is an act of medium good. However, if your friend is really suffering because of a basic tendency toward laziness, then constantly helping him or her out may only perpetuate negative habits. In this case, true friendship is helping that person change the lazy nature that is the deep cause of their suffering.

A truly good friend is someone with the compassion and courage to tell us even those things we would prefer not to hear, which we must confront if we are to develop and grow in our lives.

Ultimately, however, whether people are good or evil influences in our lives is up to us. In Buddhist terms, the best kind of zenchishiki is one who leads us to strengthen our own faith and practice in order to thoroughly transform our karma. To quote Nichiren again, "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."

This expresses a key concept in Buddhism. Due to the immense transformative powers of Buddhist practice, even "bad" friends can have a good influence if we make our relationships with them into opportunities to examine, reform and strengthen our lives. The ideal is ultimately to develop the kind of all-encompassing compassion expressed by Nichiren when he wrote that his first desire was to lead to enlightenment the sovereign who had persecuted him, repeatedly exiling and even attempting to behead him.

(from: http://www.sgi.org/english/Buddhism/more/more23.htm )

 

[PassTheDoobie]

THE THREE POWERFUL ENEMIES:

THE THREE POWERFUL ENEMIES:

Corrupt Religious Authority and Mahayana Buddhism

As Mahayana Buddhism [1] was gaining popularity in India around the first century, there seems to have been a sense of urgency among Mahayana practitioners. The increasing corruption of the Buddhist clergy and their attack on the popular Mahayana movement was the cause of their concern. These practitioners felt responsible to protect what they believed to be Shakyamuni’s central teaching, which is to recognize the Buddha nature in all people and help them manifest it through Buddhist practice.

Some Buddhist scriptures suggest that Shakyamuni’s teaching in India, which was supposed to last one thousand years, would perish after five-hundred years. [2] The Mahayana practitioners around the first century were sensing the approach of the end of Shakyamuni’s teachings. The various Mahayana sutras compiled around this time, including the Lotus Sutra, reflect this sense of urgency.

The concluding verse section of the “Encouraging Devotion” (13th) chapter of the Lotus Sutra describes the “three powerful enemies”--a concept later elaborated on by the eighth-century Chinese priest Miao-lo [3] . The Lotus Sutra speaks of those who will oppress the sutra’s practitioners after the Buddha’s death. The bodhisattvas who appear in the sutra pledge to the Buddha that they will spread their mentor’s teaching after he is gone and describe the obstacles that they will face in the future. Of the first enemy they say: “There will by many ignorant people / who will curse and speak ill of us / and will attack us with swords and staves, / but we will endure all these things” (LS13, 193). They describe the second enemy as follows: “In that evil age there will be monks / with perverse wisdom and hearts that are fawning and crooked / who will suppose they have attained what they have not attained, / being proud and boastful in heart” (LS13, 193). The sutra depicts the third and most powerful enemy as follows: “Or there will be forest-dwelling monks / wearing clothing of patched rags and living in retirement, / who will claim they are practicing the true way, / despising and looking down on all humankind” (LS13, 193).

The first enemy indicates those who out of ignorance verbally and physically abuse the Mahayana practitioners. To dampen their hostility, it is important to correct their misunderstanding and communicate the true message of Buddhism to them. In this sense, the Mahayana practitioners’ real enemy is people’s ignorance of Buddhism and its teachings of equality and respect for human life. The second enemy is defined as those monks or priests who possess a distorted understanding of Buddhism and therefore slander the sutra’s votaries. In this instance, the real enemy is the arrogance of those clergy who assume that their understanding is superior while it is in fact deficient, and look down on genuine practitioners.

The third enemy is considered the most powerful because what they really are is so different from what they seem to be. They are therefore extremely hard to identify.

Dressed in the robes of humble priests, they inhabit temples in areas remote from the center of society. But in their hearts, they despise ordinary people and view them simply as object to be exploited. The sutra explains: “Greedy for profit and support, / hey will preach the Law to white-robed laymen / and will be respected and revered by the world / as though they were arhats who possess the six transcendental powers” (LS13, 193-94). “White-robed laymen” here refers to wealthy, influential lay patrons. Such priests endeavor to pass themselves off as saints possessing supernatural powers and thereby gain respect from the masses. To do this, they depend on the people remaining ignorant of Buddhism. Furthermore, they cleverly attack genuine Buddhist practitioners fro preaching “non-Buddhist doctrines’ and incite “the rulers” and “high ministers” to oppress the Buddha’s disciples (LS13, 194).

Hypocrisy is thus the true nature of the third of the three powerful enemies. In fact, the Oxford English Dictionary defines hypocrisy in a way that well describes their tendency: “The assuming of a false appearance of virtue or goodness, with dissimulation of real character or inclinations, esp. in respect of religious life or beliefs.”

The false nature of the appearance of this third enemy is difficult to identify precisely because it is that of a highly respected religious authority. The descriptions in the sutra, however, provide some clues to perceiving the third enemy’s true nature. For example, such saintly looking yet corrupt priests tend to live away from society perhaps to create a sense of longing among their followers. True Buddhist practitioners, however, practice among the people, striving to awaken them to their supreme potential of Buddhahood. Many early Buddhist scriptures record Shakyamuni constantly traveling to preach his Dharma to the people He is said to have visited the city of Rajagriha more than 120 times and Shravasti more than nine hundred times. The same was true of Nichiren Daishonin; judging from many of his writings, he deeply cherished his encounters and interactions with ordinary people, paying careful attention to the circumstances and welfare of each of his followers.

Vasubandhu, [4] an Indian Buddhist scholar from the fourth or fifth century, points out in his Treaty of Analyses of the Law (Skt Abhidharma-kosha-shastra) that the Buddhist Order may be destroyed not by nuns or lay followers, but by monks. The higher the status a religious practitioner possesses, the greater the temptation to abuse that religious authority for selfish gain. This is why Vasubandhu warned monks to be strict with themselves and encouraged the rest of the Buddhist community to remain vigilant. In this regard, the Lotus Sutra describes how those in religious authority succumb to their own devilish desire to seek selfish gain and oppress the Buddha’s real disciples: “Evil demons will take possession of others / and through them curse, revile and heap shame on us” (LS13, 194). The underlying nature of the third powerful enemy lies in the dark human desire to control and oppress others for one’s own pleasure and gain. Buddhism describes such an insidious aspect of human nature as “the devil king of the sixth heaven.” To challenge this third powerful enemy, then, is to challenge this “devil” lurking not only in the lives of those in power and authority, but also in our own lives.

Those who compiled the Mahayana sutras, including the Lotus, were deeply aware of the importance of overcoming obstacles stemming from ignorance, arrogance and selfishness, especially those brought on by corrupt religious authority. In the “Encouraging Devotion” chapter, the Buddha’s disciples pledge to their teacher: “we care nothing for our bodies or lives / but are anxious only for the unsurpassed way. In ages to come we will protect and uphold / what the Buddha has entrusted to us” (LS13, 194-95). The integrity of Buddhism hinges upon whether its practitioners challenge corruption within the Buddhist community. As the Mahayana practitioners at the beginning of the first millennium experienced, when Buddhism takes root in the lives of ordinary people, opposition arises. The lesson that those Mahayana bodhisattvas learned also applies to us as we launch our popular Buddhist movement into the third millennium. To ignore the obstacles presented by the three powerful enemies is to ignore “the Buddha’s orders” (LS13, 195) to protect the integrity of his teaching after his death.

March 2000
Living Buddhism
By Shin Yatomi, associate editor, based on Yasashii Kyogaku (Easy Buddhist Study), published by the Seikyo Press in 1994.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[1] Mahayana means a “greater vehicle” that enables all people to attain enlightenment. The Mahayana Buddhist movement started out essentially as a lay movement, and its practitioners were critical of monastic Buddhism for its insularity from the populace, calling it Hinayana or a “lesser vehicle.”

[2] Hirakawa, Akira. Daijo Bukkyo Nyumon (A Guide to Mahayana Buddhism). Tokyo: Daisanbunmeisha, 1998. p. 164.

[3] Miao-lo (711-782): The sixth patriarch of the T’ien-t’ai school in China, counting from T’ien-t’ai. He is revered as the restorer of the school and wrote commentaries on T’ien-t’ai’s major works, contributing to a clarification of the school’s teachings.

[4] Vasubandhu (n.d.): A Buddhist scholar in India thought to have lived around the fourth or fifth century. He is known as the author of The Dharma Analysis Treasury. He originally studied Hinayana but was later converted to Mahayana by his elder brother Asanga. He wrote numerous treatises designed to clarify the Mahayana teachings.

 

[SoCal Hippy]

W I N T E R A LWAY S T U R N S TO S P R I N G

Those who believe in the Lotus Sutra are as if in winter, but winter always turns to spring. Never, from ancient times on, has anyone heard or seen of winter turning back to autumn. Nor have we ever heard of a believer in the Lotus Sutra who turned into an ordinary person. The sutra reads, "If there are those who hear the Law, then not a
one will fail to attain Buddhahood."

WND pg 536

 

[PassTheDoobie]

I, Nichiren, am hated by the people of Japan. This is entirely due to the fact that the lord of Sagami regards me with animosity. I grant that the government has acted quite without reason, but even before I encountered my difficulties, I foresaw that troubles of this kind would occur, and I resolved that, whatever might happen to me in the future, I must not bear any hatred toward others. This determination has perhaps acted as a prayer, for I have been able to come safely through any number of trials.

[ On Consecrating an Image of Shakyamuni Buddha Made by Shijo Kingo, WND Page 686 ]

 

[Guest]

Create fortune from taking action with a positive spirit!

Create fortune from taking action with a positive spirit!

Had a another "fact of life" I would like to briefly mention, I became a bit upset earlier this week because certain things were not being done to my personal standards and as a result I was upset to the point where I was complaining about the situation to my best friend. So I tell him " Its all (their) fault, how could they take this burden so lightly as a result I am affected " as I said that I knew I was going "outside of myself" and basically talking deluded shit because what the votary of the lotus sutra said to me was "hey bud, hahahahaha I go through the same thing and its happening right now!" with that kind hearted reinforced Nichiren base those words proved the law when I needed it most. I was teetering on a getting really upset prior to those words and do you know it was because things were going so extraordinairly well and still are right now that the tiny little "pothole in the road" was enough to swiftly knock me into a lower life condition which still leads to Buddhahood.


How grande and greatly enriched are our lives when you associate yourself with the Bodhisattvas of the Earth! Nor the mundane or the insane has any bearing on the outcome because the cause has always and will be Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

So sunday is the huge SGI get together with over 5000 excepted to be in attendance, I have tickets and have been asked by the district and chapter leaders to write up a report on sundays events for the youth and rest assure it will most certainly be transcribed onto our "work of art".

Have the best friends, drink the best drinks, eat the best foods, be the best influence you can be, shed light where there is no light, be a strong steadfast beacon of hope, and propagate/share/spread/whisper/sing/proclaim Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!AND YOU SHALL LEAD THE BEST LIFE (FOR ALL)!

For you are the Conductor of the Symphony and now is the greatest movement!

Like the ROAR OF THE LION KING ON TOP OF THE HIGHEST PEAK,

NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

To make every possible effort to improve and maintain good health
and to take every possible precaution to prevent
any type of accident or incident from occurring,
are the very basic points of the principle, "Faith Equals Daily Life,"*
and the fundamental source of our being victorious and successful in our
daily lives.

Daisaku Ikeda

* http://sgi-usa.org/publications/world_tribune/b2b/faithequalsdailylife.htm

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Faith Equals Daily Life

Faith Equals Daily Life

Faith equals daily life is a simple concept with profound and far-reaching implications, because a person's present circumstances and moment-to-moment experience is where the relevance and reality of Nichiren Buddhism pulsates.

The Lotus Sutra compares the Bodhisattvas of the Earth to the lotus flower and relates the way beautiful white lotus petals flourish in a muddy pond, a fitting metaphor for the way our Buddha nature manifests itself amidst the gritty reality of day-to-day existence. Nichiren Daishonin's philosophy, when implemented, actualizes this beautiful blossoming in our lives.

In 1277, Shijo Kingo, a follower of the Daishonin, attempted to convert his lord to Nichiren Buddhism. Later, after attending a debate in which one of the Daishonin's disciples defeated an opponent of another Buddhist school, Kingo was falsely accused of disrupting the debate by colleagues jealous of his standing with his lord. As a result, Kingo's lord, influenced by those hostile to the Daishonin, threatened to reduce his retainers' land holdings. The Daishonin then wrote a letter to Kingo encouraging him and urging this cherished disciple to persevere calmly and courageously, with wisdom cultivated from strong faith. The last line of this letter reads, "The purpose of the appearance in this worlds of Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, lies in his behavior as a human being" (The Writings Of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 852).

The Daishonin's goal was to put an end to the misery and unhappiness afficting the common people. With profound understanding of Shijo Kingo's character and temperament, the Daishonin gives explicit instructions in the letter regarding various aspects of his disciples' daily life. The Daishonin's attention to detail and his acute insights into subtleties of human emotion convey the humanism of his religion.

Faith is not separate from daily life. Health, work, family, school, our struggles, fears, hopes, dreams and desires blend together to weave the fabric of our lives. Rather than limit or restrict people through narrow-minded dogma, Nichiren Buddhism seeks to empower self-reliant individuals who, acting with true reason--based upon the law of cause and effect--manifest unlimited creativity and value.

The Daishonin revealed the precious tool by which each person, through their own efforts in faith, can cultivate their inner-wisdom, determination and joy. That tool is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo--the Mystic Law.

SGI President Ikeda said: "Faith and daily life, faith and work--these are not separate things. They are one and the same. To think of them as separate--that faith is faith, and work is work--is theoretical faith. Based on the recognition that work and faith are one and the same, we should put one hundred percent of our energy into our jobs and one hundred percent into faith, too. When we resolve to do this, we enter the path of victory amid the realities of society and in our own daily lives" (For Today And Tomorrow, p. 175).

Growing up in New York City, my first associations with words like Buddha and enlightenment were images of rotund, smiling statues and beatific, robed men, living on mountaintops. The worlds of religious contentment and contemporary society seemed mutually exclusive. Nichiren Buddhism, however, reveals a practice whereby faith and daily life become the genuine forum for revolutionizing our lives as human beings--right here and right now.

By: JOSHUA KRAWITZ
Los Angeles
August 26, 2002
World Tribune
Page 5

 

[SoCal Hippy]

What is the Buddhism of Nichiren?

What is the Buddhism of Nichiren?

Members of the SGI practice the Buddhism taught by Nichiren, a 13th Century Japanese priest whose philosophy centered around the final teaching of the first historically recognized Buddha (known as Siddhartha Gautama or Shakyamuni Buddha). This teaching, called the Lotus Sutra, declares that all living beings have the potential to attain enlightenment or Buddhahood.

Enlightenment is an awakening to the true nature of life, including the profound realization of the interconnectedness of all things — the inseparable relationship between the individual and the environment and the ability of each human being to powerfully influence both. This realization leads the individual to assume personal responsibility for his or her own condition of life and for that of the environment.

This responsibility is furthered by an understanding of the simultaneity of cause and effect. Each thought, word and deed has an immediate effect both on the individual and on his or her environment.

The goal SGI members try to achieve is to manifest Buddhahood, or enlightenment, in their lives, which will tap their creative potential as individuals and, in so doing, create thriving and peaceful families, work places and communities. The eventual goal is, through the gradual "human revolution" of the individual, to create peace and prosperity in societies throughout the world.

Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

Nichiren taught that all of the benefits of the wisdom contained in the Lotus Sutra can be realized by chanting its title [Nam] Myoho Renge Kyo. Chanting these words and excerpts from the Lotus Sutra is the core of this Buddhist practice, supported by study and the propagation of teachings. Faith, practice and study are the basics of the Buddhist practice, pursuing activities for oneself and activities for the sake of others.

The Gohonzon

Nichiren Daishonin inscribed the fundamental object of respect, the Gohonzon. The object, in the form of a scroll, depicts, in Chinese characters, the law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and the life of Nichiren, as well as protective influences. Down the center are the characters Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and Nichiren's signature. This indicates the oneness of person and Law — that the condition of Buddhahood is a potential within and can be manifested by all people. SGI members enshrine a replica of the Gohonzon in their homes as a focal point for their daily practice. The Gohonzon's power comes from the worshipper's faith — the Gohonzon functions as a spiritual mirror. Sitting in front of the Gohonzon and chanting, a person is able to recognize and reveal his or her own Buddha nature, the creative essence of life.

Daily Practice - Gongyo

The Japanese word gongyo literally means "assiduous practice." Generally speaking it means to recite Buddhist sutras in front of an object of worship. The practice of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism is to recite Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and part of the second "Hoben" and the entire sixteenth "Juryo" chapters of the Lotus Sutra in front of the Gohonzon. This is the fundamental practice of Nichiren Buddhism, performed morning and evening.

The Major Writings (Gosho)

Nichiren Daishonin was persecuted throughout his life by the Japanese government and by religious powers who considered his revolutionary teachings a grave threat to their continued authority. Nevertheless, the letters he wrote to his followers, often under the most dire conditions, illustrate that even in the midst of the greatest challenge, he was able to realize the great beauty of life and feel joy and compassion for others. These letters and treatises, more than 400 of which remain today, are collected in English as The Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, and are the primary study material for SGI members.

Lay believers - the SGI

Until the 1930s the followers of Nichiren known as the Hokkeko were a relatively small group of lay believers, led by the priesthood of the Fuji School (Nichiren Shoshu). In 1930, a lay organization was founded by educator Tsunesaburo Makiguchi. During World War II, Makiguchi was imprisoned for refusing to compromise his religious beliefs and resisting pressure from the Japanese government to accept the State Shinto religion, which was used to unify the public in support of the war. He died in prison in 1944. His successor, Josei Toda, was also imprisoned, but survived to help lead the postwar growth of the Soka Gakkai ("Value Creation Society") from a handful of members to more than 750,000 households before his death in 1958. The third President, Daisaku Ikeda, has guided the movement to its present day strength of 10 million members in Japan, and approximately 2 million members in more than 180 countries and territories abroad. The international organization, Soka Gakkai International (SGI), was formally established in 1975.

In 1991 the SGI organization separated from the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood.

http://sgi-usa.org/buddhism/bofnd.html

 

[Hitman]

Very Coooooooooooooooooooooooool!

 

[Guest]

would it be possible to print out the thread and produce a few copies in a book format for us to read? this thread is truly amazing, I'm serious go back and read anywhere on this thread for a couple pages and tell me what you think, any two!

Its just so excellent to know everyone is trying so hard, TRY HARDER! No I'm serious, take it up a notch. I have the utmost confidence in our continued success and regard everyone's approach to their participation in this thread as essential elements to the message this thread conveys....


CHANT, NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO! and seek to answer a private prayer. Your wish is Your Command.