Chanting Growers Group

[PassTheDoobie]

Valerio! Hope you got to those links last night...

Valerio! Hope you got to those links last night...

Everyone please be ever vigilant against the Devil of the Sixth Heaven. This thread HAS GOT to be pissing him off BIG TIME! Congratulations and sincere thanks to all. Now where the hell is Hitman?

Hey Delta9-THC, feeling great! How are you? Didnt know you were here also! Let's chant together!

If you two could really do that, another one of my sincere prayers will have been answered by the Gohonzon. Everyone needs someone else to chant with. This is the reality of Dependent Origination. We only exist because of one another. What you find in another, is always in reality, what exists in you. Find the Buddha nature in a 'good friend', and you will always be discovering your own. I hope you two really do get together and chant.

PassTheDoobie: Hello mate! Your words are full of wisdom..maybe you should write something stupid from time to time

Trust me Brother, I do that all the time. You should read some of the PM's I've written! However, great wisdom may be derived from discovering one's own ignorance. Chanting is the only way for this wisdom to be correctly perceived.

Thank you all, together we are much stronger!!

Nam myoho renge kyo!! and regards from my cat Sati!

So let's stay together and stay strong--many in body, but one in mind. We can create a great army of warriors for the Mystic Law--Brothers and Sisters, side by side, caring and creating the causes for each other's (and at the same time our own) true happiness. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

Regards to Sati from Coal and Box! Kosen-rufu kitties unite!

T

(Wags and Sleepy--You two can jump in here any time now...
DG--hope your fingers haven't fallen off from typing yet. Keep the Faith dear)

 

[PassTheDoobie]

dependent origination
[縁起・因縁] (Pali.: pati-ccha-samuppada; Skt.: pratitya-samutpada; Jpn.: engi or innen)

Also, dependent causation or conditioned co-arising. A Buddhist doctrine expressing the interdependence of all things. It teaches that no beings or phenomena exist on their own; they exist or occur because of their relationship with other beings and phenomena. Everything in the world comes into existence in response to causes and conditions. That is, nothing can exist independent of other things or arise in isolation. The doctrine of the twelve-linked chain of causation is a well-known illustration of this idea.

From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism

 

[Babbabud]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

I was so impressed with the story of the village people and the ocean people ive printed out a dozen copies and am bringing it to meeting tonight ....
Wooo hooo glad to see people are chanting !! Hope all is well and well is all.
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!

 

[fallenangel]

hey everyone ... thank you all so much for your warm welcome...
babba - yes i have tried chanting ,, as a matter of a fact that was the way i coped with a very difficult time in my life .. i now will chant for understanding..
tree huggers- yes i can see that -- there is much love here
pass the doobie - thank you for the warm welcome . i feel like i just stepped into a room full of close friends. as far as your question of how all of you can help me .. well id love to have a clearer understanding of myself and the world around me , i need to wipe all the media drivin advertisment and a.d.d. way of life out of my head . i need to slow down and apreciate all i have . i need to be able to give back all the love that is givin to me everyday ...
from what i have read , i feel that this thread is just positive . i feel all the love peace and understanding here . i hope you all dont mind if i hangout and learn a bit.

 

[Babbabud]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!

Alright FallenAngel so glad to see that you have stopped back in. Feels like old friends here because we are all old friends from many lifetimes. This is a great place for understanding!!! Lots of good positive vibes here. Hope you will hangout as much as possible and we love discussion of the Mystic Law here so questions are awesome. Tonight is SGI meeting night for me. Something I look forward to each week and do my best to attend. We chant as a group and exchange lots of encouragement. Something I never thought I would do has become something I look forward too every week now and really try so hard not to miss. Much love to you all
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

So glad to have you back again!

So glad to have you back again!

pass the doobie - thank you for the warm welcome . i feel like i just stepped into a room full of close friends. as far as your question of how all of you can help me .. well id love to have a clearer understanding of myself and the world around me , i need to wipe all the media drivin advertisment and a.d.d. way of life out of my head . i need to slow down and apreciate all i have . i need to be able to give back all the love that is givin to me everyday ...from what i have read , i feel that this thread is just positive . i feel all the love peace and understanding here . i hope you all dont mind if i hangout and learn a bit.

All of that comes from a sincere seeking spirit while you awaken your Buddha Nature through your own chanting of the Daimoku (Nam-myoho-renge-kyo). Please hang here as much as you like. We are honored by your presence and deeply appreciate you joining us.

But always remember, dear Brother--and I say this to all, not just to you--Buddhism is the most extremely profound belief system in the world. Just reading the truth it reveals can bring revelations that manifest as joy. But if one does not chant sincere Daimoku with a seeking spirit, it will not exist in the context of your life for which it was intended. It all just becomes mind candy. And just like candy, it cannot sustain your life for very long. A taste of sweets will give you a burst of energy, but you won't continue to survive on candy alone. One needs the life giving nourishment of chanting Daimoku. That's the main course.

And that is what we are actually trying to serve on this thread. Not the mind candy; the main course. Please everyone! CHANT Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

Deepest love and respect to you fallenangel!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

In your letter you ask, "What is signified by the Thus Come One Many Treasures and his treasure tower, which appeared from beneath the earth?" The teaching on the treasure tower is of great importance. In the eighth volume of his Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra, the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai explains the appearance of the treasure tower. He states that it has two distinct functions: to lend credence to the preceding chapters and to pave the way for the revelation to come. Thus the treasure tower appeared in order to verify the theoretical teaching and to introduce the essential teaching. To put it another way, the closed tower symbolizes the theoretical teaching, and the open tower, the essential teaching. The open tower reveals the two elements of reality and wisdom (1). This is extremely complex, however, so I will not go into further detail now.

In essence, the appearance of the treasure tower indicates that on hearing the Lotus Sutra the three groups of voice-hearers perceived for the first time the treasure tower within their own lives. Now Nichiren's disciples and lay supporters are also doing this. In the Latter Day of the Law, no treasure tower exists other than the figures of the men and women who embrace the Lotus Sutra. It follows, therefore, that whether eminent or humble, high or low, those who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo are themselves the treasure tower, and, likewise, are themselves the Thus Come One Many Treasures. No treasure tower exists other than Myoho-renge-kyo. The daimoku of the Lotus Sutra is the treasure tower, and the treasure tower is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

[ On the Treasure Tower, WND page 299 ]

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The reason I have asked some of you to seek to see the Gohonzon

The reason I have asked some of you to seek to see the Gohonzon

(1.) Reference is to the ultimate reality of Buddhahood innate in life and the wisdom to perceive that reality. These are represented, respectively, by the Buddhas Many Treasures and Shakyamuni seated together within the open treasure tower.


The treasure tower described in the Lotus Sutra is of awesome proportions, and its meaning puzzled Abutsu-bo. In this letter the Daishonin gives his aged disciple a striking glimpse into the reality of life. The ceremony depicted in the Lotus Sutra is not a historical event during which a colossal jewel-encrusted stupa actually emerged from the ground. Rather, the appearance of the treasure tower symbolizes a ceremony of life; it is a metaphor for the emergence from deep within the human being of the highest state of life.


fusion of reality and wisdom
[境智冥合] (Jpn.: kyochi-myogo)

The fusion of the objective reality or truth and the subjective wisdom to realize that truth, which is the Buddha nature inherent within one's life. Since enlightenment, or Buddhahood, is defined as the state in which one fully realizes the ultimate reality, the fusion of reality and wisdom means enlightenment. T'ien-t'ai (538-597) discusses this principle in The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra. In The Annotations on "The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra," Miao-lo (711-782) associates Shakyamuni Buddha and Many Treasures Buddha as they are portrayed in the "Treasure Tower" (eleventh) chapter of the Lotus Sutra with the fusion of reality and wisdom. This chapter describes Shakyamuni Buddha seated side by side with Many Treasures Buddha in the treasure tower. Miao-lo writes that these two Buddhas seated in this manner signify the fusion of reality and wisdom. Nichiren (1222-1282) identifies the Law that underlies the fusion of reality and wisdom as Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and asserts that he embodied his enlightenment to that Law-the fusion of reality and wisdom-in the form of the Gohonzon, the object of devotion. he established In terms of Buddhist practice for people in the Latter Day of the Law, Nichiren maintained that, when they chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with deep faith in the Gohonzon, they achieve the fusion of reality and wisdom within their own lives and are thus able to manifest the Buddha nature and attain Buddhahood. According to Nichiren, the Buddha nature constitutes reality, and faith in the Gohonzon, the embodiment of that nature, corresponds to wisdom. Nichiren states: "Reality means the true nature of all phenomena, and wisdom means the illuminating and manifesting of this true nature. Thus when the riverbed of reality is infinitely broad and deep, the water of wisdom will flow ceaselessly. When this reality and wisdom are fused, one attains Buddhahood in one's present form... . What then are these two elements of reality and wisdom? They are simply the five characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" (746).

From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The "Expedient Means" chapter in volume one of the Lotus Sutra states, "The wisdom of the Buddhas is infinitely profound and immeasurable." A commentary says that the riverbed of reality is described as "infinitely profound" because it is boundless, and that the water of wisdom is described as "immeasurable" because it is hard to fathom.

Is not the meaning of the sutra and the commentary that the way to Buddhahood lies within the two elements of reality and wisdom? Reality means the true nature of all phenomena, and wisdom means the illuminating and manifesting of this true nature. Thus when the riverbed of reality is infinitely broad and deep, the water of wisdom will flow ceaselessly. When this reality and wisdom are fused, one attains Buddhahood in one's present form.

The sutras expounded prior to the Lotus Sutra cannot lead to Buddhahood because they are provisional and expedient teachings that separate reality and wisdom. The Lotus Sutra, however, unites the two as a single entity. The sutra says that the Buddhas open the door of Buddha wisdom to all living beings, show it, cause them to awaken to it, and induce them to enter its path. By realizing this Buddha wisdom, one attains Buddhahood.

This inner enlightenment of the Buddha is far beyond the understanding of voice-hearers and pratyekabuddhas. This is why the "Expedient Means" chapter goes on to say, "Not one of the voice-hearers or pratyeka-buddhas is able to comprehend it." What then are these two elements of reality and wisdom? They are simply the five characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Shakyamuni Buddha called forth the Bodhisattvas of the Earth and entrusted to them these five characters that constitute the essence of the sutra. This is the teaching that was transferred to the bodhisattvas who had been the disciples of the Buddha since the remote past.


[ The Essentials for Attaining Buddhahood, WND page 746 ]

 

[PassTheDoobie]

If you chant the Daimoku, this is referring to you!

If you chant the Daimoku, this is referring to you!

"What then are these two elements of reality and wisdom? They are simply the five characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Shakyamuni Buddha called forth the Bodhisattvas of the Earth and entrusted to them these five characters that constitute the essence of the sutra. This is the teaching that was transferred to the bodhisattvas who had been the disciples of the Buddha since the remote past."

If you chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, you are a Bodhisattva of the Earth.

This isn't an honorific title that I throw around to encourage people; it is in fact what your actions describe you to be, according to the Lotus Sutra. There is only one way to validate yourself to be a Bodhisattva of the Earth. It is not from displaying profound wisdom, leading a life without error, or grasping the essence of the teachings.

It is chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! And nothing more!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

To aid our new friends:

To aid our new friends:

Gohonzon (Jpn)
[御本尊]

The object of devotion. The word go is an honorific prefix, and honzon means object of fundamental respect or devotion. In Nichiren's (1222-1282) teaching, the object of devotion has two aspects: the object of devotion in terms of the Law and the object of devotion in terms of the Person. These may be described as follows: (1) The object of devotion in terms of the Law: Nichiren's mandala that embodies the eternal and intrinsic Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. That Law is the source of all Buddhas and the seed of Buddhahood for all people. In other words, Nichiren identified Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as the ultimate Law permeating life and the universe, and embodied it in the form of a mandala. In his Questions and Answers on the Object of Devotion, Nichiren refers to the object of devotion for people in the Latter Day of the Law as "the title (daimoku) of the Lotus Sutra." He further describes the title as the essence of the Lotus Sutra, or Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to be found only in the depths of the "Life Span" (sixteenth) chapter of the sutra. The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind reads, "Myoho-renge-kyo appears in the center of the [treasure] tower with the Buddhas Shakyamuni and Many Treasures seated to the right and left, and, flanking them, the four bodhisattvas, followers of Shakyamuni, led by Superior Practices. Manjushri, Maitreya, and the other bodhisattvas, who are followers of the four bodhisattvas, are seated below" (WND pg.366). In this passage, Nichiren clarifies the relationship between the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the Buddhas Shakyamuni and Many Treasures, and the various bodhisattvas depicted on the Gohonzon. In this way he emphasizes Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as the fundamental object of devotion. The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon explains that all living beings of the Ten Worlds "display the dignified attributes that they inherently possess" (WND pg. 832) through the benefit of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Nichiren viewed the Dai-Gohonzon, the object of devotion he inscribed for all humanity on the twelfth day of the tenth month in 1279, as the purpose of his life. This can be gleaned from his statement in On Persecutions Befalling the Sage, written in the tenth month of 1279: "The Buddha fulfilled the purpose of his advent in a little over forty years, the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai took about thirty years, and the Great Teacher Dengyo, some twenty years. I have spoken repeatedly of the indescribable persecutions they suffered during those years. For me it took twenty-seven years, and the great persecutions I faced are well known to you all" (WND pg. 996). The object of devotion in terms of the Law is explained in greater detail in Nichiren's writings such as The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind and The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon.

(2) The object of devotion in terms of the Person: In his Reply to Kyo'o, Nichiren writes, "I, Nichiren, have inscribed my life in sumi ink, so believe in the Gohonzon with your whole heart. The Buddha's will is the Lotus Sutra, but the soul of Nichiren is nothing other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" (WND pg. 412). Nichiren here expresses his realization of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as the origin and basis of his life, which he embodied in sumi ink in the form of the mandala he calls the Gohonzon. In The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, he says, "The object of devotion is thus the entity of the entire body of the votary of the Lotus Sutra." "The votary" here refers to Nichiren himself. He also says, "The Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law is an ordinary person and an ordinary priest." "An ordinary priest" here refers to Nichiren. Because Nichiren revealed and spread Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which is manifest as the Person and the Law, he is regarded by his disciple and designated successor Nikko and his followers as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law. Nichiren himself writes in The Opening of the Eyes: "On the twelfth day of the ninth month of last year [1271], between the hours of the rat and the ox [11:00 P.M. to 3:00 A.M.], this person named Nichiren was beheaded. It is his soul that has come to this island of Sado and, in the second month of the following year, snowbound, is writing this to send to his close disciples" (WND pg. 269). He states that he "was beheaded," though actually he survived the execution at Tatsunokuchi, implying that the ordinary person Nichiren ceased to exist. In this context, the passage "It is his soul that has come to this island of Sado [his place of exile]" means that Nichiren described himself as having revealed a deeper, true identity in the course of his attempted execution. Again Nikko and his followers equate that identity with the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law.

(3) The oneness of the Person and the Law: This means that the object of devotion in terms of the Person and the object of devotion in terms of the Law are one in their essence. The Law is inseparable from the Person, and vice versa. The object of devotion in terms of the Law is the physical embodiment, as a mandala (the Gohonzon), of the eternal and intrinsic Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Nichiren writes in his Reply to Kyo'o, "I, Nichiren, have inscribed my life in sumi ink, so believe in the Gohonzon with your whole heart" (WND pg. 412). This passage indicates that Nichiren embodied in the Gohonzon the state of life he enjoyed as the eternal Buddha who personified the Law, so that people could attain the same state of enlightenment. The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings reads: "The 'body that is freely received and used [also, the Buddha of limitless joy]' is none other than the principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life. The Great Teacher Dengyo says: 'A single moment of life comprising the three thousand realms is itself the "body that is freely received and used"; this Buddha has forsaken august appearances. The Buddha who has forsaken august appearances is the Buddha eternally endowed with the three bodies.' Now Nichiren and his followers who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo are just this." "The Buddha who has forsaken august appearances" means a Buddha who is no different from an ordinary person in form and appearance.

(4) The core of the Three Great Secret Laws: The Gohonzon, or the object of devotion of the essential teaching, is the core of the Three Great Secret Laws in Nichiren's doctrine and represents the purpose of his life. The Three Great Secret Laws are the object of devotion of the essential teaching, the invocation, or daimoku, of the essential teaching, and the sanctuary of the essential teaching. Here, "essential teaching" refers to the teaching of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, not to the essential teaching (latter half ) of the Lotus Sutra. Nichiren expressed the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo he realized within his own life in these three forms, which correspond to the three types of learning in Buddhism-precepts, meditation, and wisdom. The object of devotion corresponds to meditation, the invocation to wisdom, and the sanctuary to precepts. Sanctuary is a translation of the Japanese word kaidan, which is also translated as "ordination platform." This is a platform where practitioners vow to uphold the Buddhist precepts. In Nichiren's teaching, to embrace the object of devotion is the only precept, and the place where one enshrines the object of devotion and chants the daimoku is called the sanctuary. Again to keep faith in the object of devotion and chant the daimoku while teaching others to chant it is called the invocation. Both the sanctuary and the invocation derive from the object of devotion. Hence the object of devotion is the core of all three. For this reason the Gohonzon, or object of devotion, is also referred to as the One Great Secret Law.

(5) The inscriptions on the Gohonzon: In the center of the Gohonzon are written the Chinese characters "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo Nichiren." This indicates the oneness of the Person and the Law. On either side there are characters for the names of beings representing each of the Ten Worlds. At the top of the Gohonzon, the names of Shakyamuni Buddha and Many Treasures Buddha appear respectively to the immediate left and right (when facing the Gohonzon) of these central characters. They represent the realm or world of Buddhahood. The four bodhisattvas-Superior Practices, Boundless Practices, Pure Practices, and Firmly Established Practices-who lead the other Bodhisattvas of the Earth are positioned to the left and right of the two Buddhas. They, along with other bodhisattvas in the second row from the top such as Universal Worthy and Manjushri, represent the realm of bodhisattvas. Also in the second row are persons of the two vehicles-voice-hearers and cause-awakened ones , such as Shariputra and Mahakashyapa-and flanking them are representatives of the realm of heavenly beings, such as Brahma, Shakra, the devil king of the sixth heaven, and the gods of the sun and moon. In the third row appear a wheel-turning king, representing the realm of human beings; an asura king, representing the realm of asuras; a dragon king, representing the realm of animals; the Mother of Demon Children and the ten demon daughters, representing the realm of hungry spirits; and Devadatta, representing the realm of hell. Moreover, the four heavenly kings are positioned in the four corners of the Gohonzon: (again, when facing the Gohonzon) Vaishravana in the upper left, Upholder of the Nation in the upper right, Wide-Eyed in the lower right, and Increase and Growth in the lower left. While all other figures on the Gohonzon are represented in Chinese characters, the names of the wisdom king Craving-Filled and the wisdom king Immovable are written below Vaishravana and Upholder of the Nation respectively in Siddham, a medieval Sanskrit script. Here the wisdom king Craving-Filled represents the principle that earthly desires are enlightenment, and the wisdom king Immovable, the principle that the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana. Other characters on the Gohonzon include the names of Great Bodhisattva Hachiman and the Sun Goddess. All these names express the principles that the Ten Worlds exist within the eternal Buddha's life, and that living beings of the Ten Worlds can attain Buddhahood. Not all of the above names appear on every Gohonzon that is transcribed from the Dai-Gohonzon, but whichever ones do appear represent all of the Ten Worlds.

The names of the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai and the Great Teacher Dengyo are inscribed in the lower part of the Gohonzon representing those who transmitted the true lineage of Buddhism. There are two inscriptions gleaned from Miao-lo's Annotations on "The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra," which Nichiren used to describe the power of the Gohonzon and the Law it embodies. One, placed in the upper right (facing the Gohonzon), reads, "Those who vex or trouble [the practitioners of the Law] will have their heads split into seven pieces." The other, in the upper left, reads, "Those who give alms [to them] will enjoy good fortune surpassing the ten honorable titles." The ten honorable titles are epithets applied to the Buddha expressing his virtue, wisdom, and compassion. In the lower right is Nichiren's declaration that "This is the great mandala never before known in the entire land of Jambudvipa in the more than 2,230 years since the Buddha's passing."


From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Judging from these examples, we may conclude that for evil people living in the latter age the attainment of Buddhahood does not depend upon whether their offenses are slight or grave, but solely upon whether or not they have faith in this sutra.

[ Reply to Hakiri Saburo, WND Page 409 ]

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Remember! Never give up; never give in!

Remember! Never give up; never give in!

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

 

[WAMEN]

thanks PTD...now we got a bit of stuff to read....

Blessings

wam

 

[Babbabud]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!

This thread is rockin!!! Look at all the Buddhas gathering.
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!






On Attaining Buddhahood
- Issho Jobutsu Sho -
If you wish to free yourself from the sufferings of birth and death you have endured through eternity and attain supreme enlightenment in this lifetime, you must awaken to the mystic truth which has always been within your life. This truth is Myoho-renge-kyo. Chanting Myoho-renge-kyo will therefore enable you to grasp the mystic truth within you. Myoho-renge-kyo is the king of sutras, flawless in both letter and principle. Its words are the reality of life, and the reality of life is the Mystic Law (Myoho). It is called the Mystic Law because it explains the mutually inclusive relationship of life and all phenomena. That is why this sutra is the wisdom of all Buddhas

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!

Hope everyone has a great day!!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!!

 

[Guest]

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

wow, we're jamming yet again.

So I will be confirmed as a Mens Division Leader for My District and begin to reinvigorate my district and create a strong core to lead our mission of Kosen-rufu in my area. We are all capable of this; from gary coleman to steven hawking, from Mel Gibson to Ehud Olmert. Leading others to Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is the way, to me there is nothing greater than dedicating your life to Kosen-rufu.

Please go back read as much as you can then try again tomorrow. This thread is beyond my own district's collective comprehension at the moment and essentially a great treasure tool to uncover the truth and proofs within Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. Its within you and within me

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Ocean Culture Buddhism By Dr. Tetsugai Obo (Part 5 0f 8)

Ocean Culture Buddhism By Dr. Tetsugai Obo (Part 5 0f 8)

Smiling Is Contagious

This month in the SGI Graphic President Ikeda talked about his wife and her smile. Mrs. Ikeda is always smiling.

President Ikeda said, "Having a smile should not be a result of your happiness. Smiling becomes the cause to be happy. Smiling when you are happy or smiling as a result of your happiness is not the right way. No matter how hard your life is, you keep smiling. Within your life fortune will accumulate." This is what I mean by a "strange principle."

For instance, some say, "You can overcome your problems if you do shakubuku, if you promote Seikyo Shimbun you can be happy. You can be happy if you try to do more zaimu." This is a life condition of hunger. You are always expecting something in return. If you don't overcome your problem you will resent having made the effort. This is different from the life condition of Bodhisattva. The Daishonin states: "Self and others rejoice together."

There is a famous allegory of Tokusho Doji. He wanted to donate something to the Buddha because of watching others make their contributions. Since he didn't have anything to give he made a mud pie. If he thought he could get something in return by giving the mud pie, such as getting a benefit later or being reborn as King Ashoka -- if he did it as if he were trading the mud pie -- he would not have gained any benefit.

One's life gains benefit when one is delighted to do so. It is not "give and take." Neither is it the spirit of self-sacrifice.

It is wrong to think, "As long as I do my best and work hard selflessly, I will somehow get benefits." Which category do you think President Ikeda falls into: finding a way to shine as he lives, or [meekly] enduring everything? Obviously, the first is the answer.

This is the "strange principle." Strange means Myo and principle is Ho. People who neglect the entity of the Mystic Law lose fortune. People who shine their entity of the Mystic Law multiply fortune.

The question is which way you are. Simply, it is either way. It is whether you shine in your life, and the direction in which you enjoy living, or a direction in which you disrespect yourself. The most important thing is which way the basis of your life is facing.

I would like to ask again, who would give themselves 100 points in this audience? There are a lot of honest people.

(to be continued)

 

[Mrs.Babba]

Congrats Easy!!...wont be long till your running the whole show!!...They see a very special person in you and I agree totally!!...way to go!
We had a great meeting last night, had lots of great dialog and talked about the Gosho "on Attaining Buddahood in this lifetime"...there is so much I dont understand, but I'm trying to get it, I do know that I have faith and keep chanting and it will all be good. I dont have to understand everything to know that I'm the Buddha and try to make my Buddha nature come out everyday...Thank you all for the great posts, I love to read them and wish I had more time to devote to this practice...*hugs* to all my friends
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo !!!! *ROAR*

 

[Babbabud]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!

WooooooooHooooooooooooooooooo!!
What a lucky man I am
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!!

 

[Guest]

Congrats Easy!!...wont be long till your running the whole show!!...They see a very special person in you and I agree totally!!...way to go!
We had a great meeting last night, had lots of great dialog and talked about the Gosho "on Attaining Buddahood in this lifetime"...there is so much I dont understand, but I'm trying to get it, I do know that I have faith and keep chanting and it will all be good. I dont have to understand everything to know that I'm the Buddha and try to make my Buddha nature come out everyday...Thank you all for the great posts, I love to read them and wish I had more time to devote to this practice...*hugs* to all my friends
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo !!!! *ROAR*

My sweetiepie told me the same thing today over lunch! GOOSEBUMPS!!!!!!! WOW.

We are so connected it makes me smile!

*ROAR!*