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Chanting Growers Group
- Thread starter PassTheDoobie
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I can't believe it was already thirteen pages ago!
I can't believe it was already thirteen pages ago!
Dude, I quoted that post 13 pages ago (depending on whether you kept the default setting), so to answer your question please just go back to post number 3644; should be page 243. Then like it says, go back and read post 2729. The exchange is with scegy, who actually chanted in conjuction with his questions and experienced the answer, rather than just trusting the instincts of his secular mind.
Did anyone ever imply we were discussing magic here? "no effort made beyond the chanting of the words..." Ha! Dude! At first I thought you were just kidding! Were you? Wamen's post really confused me. Am I missing something?
Read the above and I believe you'll best understand the answer to your question.
T
I can't believe it was already thirteen pages ago!
GMT said:
Dude, I quoted that post 13 pages ago (depending on whether you kept the default setting), so to answer your question please just go back to post number 3644; should be page 243. Then like it says, go back and read post 2729. The exchange is with scegy, who actually chanted in conjuction with his questions and experienced the answer, rather than just trusting the instincts of his secular mind.
Did anyone ever imply we were discussing magic here? "no effort made beyond the chanting of the words..." Ha! Dude! At first I thought you were just kidding! Were you? Wamen's post really confused me. Am I missing something?
Read the above and I believe you'll best understand the answer to your question.
T
Wamen! Ha! You freaked me out dude! I kept thinking, "Am I just a dumb ass that can't see this is a trick question?" "What's he mean?"
OK, so that mystery is solved. Nice smoke I might add!
GMT, enjoy the read you will see that action is always taken in conjunction with the chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the process is considered as one. It's how the Buddha Nature interfaces with the environment to respond to your desires. You would like to separate the two time-lines of prayer and activity, but Buddhism is a LIFE philosophy. It is "on" 24/7, 365. In practice, in faith, one cannot view them as separate or unassociated, with the assumption that with or without the prayer, the activity would have come to fruition on it's own. The activity is motivated and guided by the prayer. The prayer bestows the activation of the Buddha Nature on anyone that invokes it regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, country of origin, or any other worldly manner in which mankind relegates and segregates itself. It is universally transferrable and comfirmable. Chant and see if it does anything for you!
If it doesn't, just don't do it anymore. Never mind. See ya later alligator! Take care!
We would still all be friends.
OK, so that mystery is solved. Nice smoke I might add!
GMT, enjoy the read you will see that action is always taken in conjunction with the chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the process is considered as one. It's how the Buddha Nature interfaces with the environment to respond to your desires. You would like to separate the two time-lines of prayer and activity, but Buddhism is a LIFE philosophy. It is "on" 24/7, 365. In practice, in faith, one cannot view them as separate or unassociated, with the assumption that with or without the prayer, the activity would have come to fruition on it's own. The activity is motivated and guided by the prayer. The prayer bestows the activation of the Buddha Nature on anyone that invokes it regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, country of origin, or any other worldly manner in which mankind relegates and segregates itself. It is universally transferrable and comfirmable. Chant and see if it does anything for you!
If it doesn't, just don't do it anymore. Never mind. See ya later alligator! Take care!
We would still all be friends.
"... chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Continue your practice without backsliding until the final moment of your life, and when that time comes, behold! When you climb the mountain of perfect enlightenment and gaze around you in all directions, then to your amazement you will see that the entire realm of phenomena is the Land of Tranquil Light. The ground will be of lapis lazuli, and the eight paths will be set apart by golden ropes. Four kinds of flowers will fall from the heavens, and music will resound in the air. All Buddhas and bodhisattvas will be present in complete joy, caressed by the breezes of eternity, happiness, true self, and purity. The time is fast approaching when we too will count ouselves among their number."
(The Fourteen Slanders - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 760) Selection source: SGI President Ikeda's speech, Seikyo Shimbun, August 29th, 2006
(The Fourteen Slanders - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 760) Selection source: SGI President Ikeda's speech, Seikyo Shimbun, August 29th, 2006
"There is no true happiness for human beings other than chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. The Sutra reads, '... Where living beings enjoy themselves at ease.'"
(Happiness in This World - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 681) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, August 30th, 2006
(Happiness in This World - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 681) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, August 30th, 2006
G
Guest
looking forward to my meeting tonight, I really feel invigorated after each group daimoku although my wife and I chant every morning and usually every night together. Tonight I will plant some more seeds too after the meeting and get my grow back in swing, This is the Chanting Growers thread and Babba has proven elsewhere on this Forum, that with all the heartfelt Daimoku and hardwork we are putting into Kosen-rufu a chanting grower might be able to squeeze off some nice plants! 
I'll chant for it in the meantime!
Great posts and much love to everyone
I'll chant for it in the meantime!Great posts and much love to everyone
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Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!
Easy I feel the same way about my group chants. The mrs and I have gotten the routine of chanting together each day. But I so look forward to showing up at the wednesday night meetings and chanting with a great group of people. When the group chants are over it seems like the rest of the work week just zooms by!
In the mornings I always chant alone as I am up much earlier then the mrs and normally leave before she even gets up. So I spend my mornings alone in front of the Gohonzon, which is great and I enjoy immensley. But then in the evening I will normally walk into the room where the Gohonzon is kept and Ill sit down to chant. Once I ring the bell mrsb seems to show up almost immediatley no matter what else she was doing. Once we start chanting the dog and cat seem to gravitate to us. No matter what kind of day we each have had , by the time we get done our energy has merged and we are ready to go forward. Its really a great addition to a relationship that has always been very close. Hope you all have great meetings tonite and if your not attending one I highly reccomend you give it a try . Its super encouraging and very energizing to chant with group. Much love to you all my fellow Bodhisattvas!!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!
Easy I feel the same way about my group chants. The mrs and I have gotten the routine of chanting together each day. But I so look forward to showing up at the wednesday night meetings and chanting with a great group of people. When the group chants are over it seems like the rest of the work week just zooms by!
In the mornings I always chant alone as I am up much earlier then the mrs and normally leave before she even gets up. So I spend my mornings alone in front of the Gohonzon, which is great and I enjoy immensley. But then in the evening I will normally walk into the room where the Gohonzon is kept and Ill sit down to chant. Once I ring the bell mrsb seems to show up almost immediatley no matter what else she was doing. Once we start chanting the dog and cat seem to gravitate to us. No matter what kind of day we each have had , by the time we get done our energy has merged and we are ready to go forward. Its really a great addition to a relationship that has always been very close. Hope you all have great meetings tonite and if your not attending one I highly reccomend you give it a try . Its super encouraging and very energizing to chant with group. Much love to you all my fellow Bodhisattvas!!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!
I am sitting here laughing at myself right now. I just spent 3 hours analysing and pre-prepairing a response to your posts PTB. And yet when reading it back to myself (several times) I found that rather than furthering the discussion, it would probably be percieved as an attempt to escalate an argument. And if posted in the open, would more than likely make you feel that you had to save face in some way. Even typing that last sentence may be percieved to be inflaming a situation which was never my intention. My intention, was to accept an invitation to discuss my views upon a subject that I hold dear, and I see now that this is not the right place for me to do that. It's a great pitty, as there are few things in life that I enjoy more than discussing points of view with those who hold differing points of view to my own. Rather, I have got the impression that this is a thread that requires all to accept that which I cannot in order to exist in harmony, and so I now feel it wiser to take my leave.
I wish all well.
I wish all well.
Thanks!
Thanks!
THE POWER OF NAM-MYOHO-RENGE-KYO IS INDEED PROFOUND. The wisdom of your insight and restraint is percieved and appreciated. In fact anyone looking for a religious debate or a platform for expressing differing views may look elsewhere, as this thread has surely evolved into something specific for a few people that have embraced a practice of Nichiren Buddhism as a result of their exposure to it. If someone isn't at all open to any of the concepts discussed here, what would be the point in jumping into the conversation, right? I'm glad you agree.
Not that any one of us would be declining a debate for any other reason than it being disruptive to what we are doing and there is no purpose served, in that you would not be swayed by any argument yourself. Three hours of prep time says you can be quite passionate about your beliefs as well. The important thing is to acknowledge your invitation, while pure in intention, was not completely well thought out in relation to potential outcome.
You have interceeded at a point that was focal to my concerns about such a discussion. Thank you. I already have to explain about my schools outlook toward the Zen school as a result of you bringing it up. So as you can see, much can get started with very little effort.
Confrontation of conflicts in philosophy is not in the best interest of anyone reading this thread. If you make statements which the teachings of my school consider slanderous, I am obligated to confront you. You are correct, although your characterization of a response as 'saving face' exposes a love affair with your own ideas that is far too strong for me to ever get in between. So why continue the conversation? I couldn't agree more!
The Buddhist doctrine our beliefs are grounded in are quite extensive and accessable. We never worry about prevailing in debate. It's not in our vocabulary. Thank you for helping to avoid a waste of energy on both our parts. Like I said already, "We would still all be friends."
Thanks GMT! Wish you well too!
Thanks!
GMT said:
THE POWER OF NAM-MYOHO-RENGE-KYO IS INDEED PROFOUND. The wisdom of your insight and restraint is percieved and appreciated. In fact anyone looking for a religious debate or a platform for expressing differing views may look elsewhere, as this thread has surely evolved into something specific for a few people that have embraced a practice of Nichiren Buddhism as a result of their exposure to it. If someone isn't at all open to any of the concepts discussed here, what would be the point in jumping into the conversation, right? I'm glad you agree.
Not that any one of us would be declining a debate for any other reason than it being disruptive to what we are doing and there is no purpose served, in that you would not be swayed by any argument yourself. Three hours of prep time says you can be quite passionate about your beliefs as well. The important thing is to acknowledge your invitation, while pure in intention, was not completely well thought out in relation to potential outcome.
You have interceeded at a point that was focal to my concerns about such a discussion. Thank you. I already have to explain about my schools outlook toward the Zen school as a result of you bringing it up. So as you can see, much can get started with very little effort.
Confrontation of conflicts in philosophy is not in the best interest of anyone reading this thread. If you make statements which the teachings of my school consider slanderous, I am obligated to confront you. You are correct, although your characterization of a response as 'saving face' exposes a love affair with your own ideas that is far too strong for me to ever get in between. So why continue the conversation? I couldn't agree more!
The Buddhist doctrine our beliefs are grounded in are quite extensive and accessable. We never worry about prevailing in debate. It's not in our vocabulary. Thank you for helping to avoid a waste of energy on both our parts. Like I said already, "We would still all be friends."
Thanks GMT! Wish you well too!
G
Guest
Another learning expirience from a fact of life I initiated spuriously and immediately upon realizing the cause I actually made, I have been chanting nonstop to 'watch my step' and never shit where I eat. Big lesson learned, and on so many levels. I sure am lucky I have Gohonzon in my life right now, and the protection I recieve is ginormous! I must complete my evening planting and then will post more later but I send my loving best regards to all our Chanting Growers Family including those who might catch this message later on. Much love.
gratefully yours,
MyohoDisco
gratefully yours,
MyohoDisco
>>>>>>>>>> NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO!!!!>>>>>>>>>> 
Its what we do best !!! Keep on growing Bodhisattvas of the earth keep on growing Believers in the Lotus Sutra should fear those who attempt to obstruct their practice more than they fear bandits, burglars, night raiders, tigers, wolves, or lions--even more than invasion now by the Mongols.
[ Letter to the Brothers, WND Page 495 ]
[ Letter to the Brothers, WND Page 495 ]
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To all of our leaders,
summon forth great vibrant life force
just like the rising sun,
and illuminate everyone around you
with the brilliance of your life!
Daisaku ikeda
summon forth great vibrant life force
just like the rising sun,
and illuminate everyone around you
with the brilliance of your life!
Daisaku ikeda
G
Guest
Daily Encouragement:
As long as we pray earnestly and sincerely with all our being, if we have strong and genuine faith, even though results may not be immediately visible, they will definitely manifest without fail in generations of our children and our children's children. I would like all of you to have absolute confidence in this.
Lectures and articles about Nichiren Buddhism: http://sgi-usa.org/buddhism/
As long as we pray earnestly and sincerely with all our being, if we have strong and genuine faith, even though results may not be immediately visible, they will definitely manifest without fail in generations of our children and our children's children. I would like all of you to have absolute confidence in this.
Lectures and articles about Nichiren Buddhism: http://sgi-usa.org/buddhism/
Thanks, Easy.
I believe it. I'm chanting for everyone as we speak. You're all in my hearts and prayers. Be safe, keep it real.
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
At times when you think things aren't going great we can be blessed to know that things are not going wrong. What a great benefit it is!
When it gets difficult keep the faith. That's why they call it work and not play.
Obstacles occur as a matter of course, we should not be surprised when they try to wrap their tentacles around us. I'm going to chant until I feel that life doesn't have me on my heels and to roll with it.
Hit
Hitaliscious.
I believe it. I'm chanting for everyone as we speak. You're all in my hearts and prayers. Be safe, keep it real.
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
At times when you think things aren't going great we can be blessed to know that things are not going wrong. What a great benefit it is!
When it gets difficult keep the faith. That's why they call it work and not play.
Obstacles occur as a matter of course, we should not be surprised when they try to wrap their tentacles around us. I'm going to chant until I feel that life doesn't have me on my heels and to roll with it.
Hit
Hitaliscious.
Reply to Sairen-bo / WND pg. 309
Reply to Sairen-bo / WND pg. 309
Take great care when you come to see me after dark. I will explain to you in detail the teachings regarding the benefits to be gained by one ordained to the highest stage of Buddhist practice. (1)
I have carefully noted the contents of your letter. I have also received safely the various articles that came from the capital [Kyoto]. When I was living in Kamakura, such articles were a daily sight, but since having been exiled to this island, I have yet to encounter them. To come upon articles such as these on this tiny faraway island is truly most welcome.
In your letter you mention that you became a disciple of mine and pledged to follow me at the beginning of the second month, and that from now on, though you may not measure up to others, you would be most pleased and honored if I would continue to count you among my disciples.
The sutra says, "Those persons who had heard the Law dwelled here and there in various Buddha lands, constantly reborn in company with their teachers." (2) It also says, "If one stays close to the teachers of the Law, one will speedily gain the bodhisattva way. By following and learning from these teachers one will see Buddhas as numerous as Ganges sands." (3)
A commentary states, "Originally one followed this Buddha and for the first time conceived the desire to seek the way. And by following this Buddha again, one will reach the stage where there is no retrogression." (4) Another commentary states, "In the beginning one followed this Buddha or bodhisattva and formed a bond with him, and so it will be through this Buddha or bodhisattva that one will attain one's goal." (5)
When I consider these passages of the sutra and the commentaries, I wonder if you and I have not been pledged to each other as teacher and disciple from countless kalpas in the past. You and I have been born together in this defiled age of the Latter Day of the Law, in the country of Japan in the southern continent of Jambudvipa, and with the utmost reverence we chant with our mouths Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the ultimate reason for which the Buddhas appear in the world; we believe in it in our hearts, embrace it with our bodies, and delight in it with our hands. Has all of this not come about solely because of some bond of karma we share from the past?
When I look at the situation in Japan, I find that the devil king of the sixth heaven has entered into the bodies of wise persons, transforming correct teachers into erroneous teachers, and good teachers into bad teachers.This is what the sutra means when it says, "Evil demons will take possession of others." (6)
Although I, Nichiren, am not a man of wisdom, the devil king of the sixth heaven has attempted to take possession of my body. But I have for some time been taking such great care that he now no longer comes near me. Therefore, because the power of the heavenly devil is ineffectual against me, he instead possesses the ruler and his high officials, or foolish priests such as Ryo-kan, and causes them to hate me.
Be that as it may, one should understand that, at present, when it comes to teachers, there is a difference between correct teachers and erroneous teachers, between good teachers and bad teachers. One should shun those who are erroneous or evil, and associate with those who are correct and good. Even if their virtue is known throughout the country and their wisdom is as bright as the sun and moon, one should recognize that teachers who slander the Lotus Sutra are evil teachers and erroneous teachers, and refrain from approaching them. A sutra warns us on this point, "If there are slanderers of the Law, one should not dwell with them. If one draws near them and dwells with them, one will be bound for the Avichi hell." (7)
No matter how honest and upright you may be, or how you may strive to be known as a worthy person in the secular or the religious world, if you associate with evil persons, then as a natural result you will find that in two or three instances out of ten you are following their teachings, and in the end you, too, will become an evil
person. Thus the commentary says, "Though one may not be evil to begin with, if one associates with and is friendly with evil persons, one is bound in time to become an evil person oneself, and one's evil reputation will spread throughout the world." (8)
In the end, what we mean by erroneous and evil teachers are those priests in the world today who slander the Lotus Sutra. The Nirvana Sutra says: "Bodhisattvas, have no fear of mad elephants. What you should fear are evil friends! . . . Even if you are killed by a mad elephant, you will not fall into the three evil paths. But if you are killed by an evil friend, you are certain to fall into them." The Lotus Sutra says, "In that evil age there will be monks with perverse wisdom and hearts that are fawning and crooked." (9)
As I have pointed out so many times in the past, when teachers such as Shan-wu-wei, Chin-kang-chih, Bodhidharma, Hui-k'o, Shan-tao, Honen, Kobo of To-ji, Chisho of Onjo-ji, Jikaku of Mount Hiei, or Ryokan of Kanto read the golden words, "Honestly discarding expedient means, [I will preach only the unsurpassed way (10)]," they take them to mean, "Honestly discarding the true teachings, I will preach only the expedient teachings." When they read the passage that says, "Among the sutras, it [the Lotus Sutra] holds the highest place (11)," they take it to mean, "Among the sutras, it holds the lowest place." And when they read, "[Among those sutras] the Lotus is the foremost," (12) they take it to mean, "The Lotus holds second place," or "holds third place." That is why I describe these various priests as misleading and evil teachers.
Those that I call correct and good teachers are persons who take Shakyamuni Buddha's golden words to mean just what they say, namely, that the other sutras represent expedient means and the Lotus Sutra represents the truth.
In this connection, you should consult the "Entering the Dharma Realm" chapter, the seventy-seventh volume of the Flower Garland Sutra (13). The Lotus Sutra states, "A good friend is the great cause and condition by which one is guided and led, and which enables one to see the Buddha and to conceive the desire for supreme perfect enlightenment." (14)
As the Buddha tells us, we should regard as correct teachers and good teachers those who honestly discard the doctrines of the four flavors and three teachings, the Hinayana and provisional Mahayana sutras that were ex-pounded as expedient means, as well as the Nembutsu, True Word, Zen, and Precepts schools and the sutras upon which they rely, and expound Myoho-renge-kyo, "the one great reason for which the Buddhas appear in the world." (15)
As for myself, I, Nichiren, having been born in Japan in the first five hundred years of the Latter Day of the Law, have encountered the three powerful enemies and met with various types of calamity and trouble, just as the Thus Come One predicted would happen. But, without any thought for my person or my life, I chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. I ask you to consider with the utmost care whether I deserve to be called a correct teacher or an erroneous teacher.
Each of the proponents of the various schools I have mentioned above declares that he beyond all others has grasped the meaning of and is practicing the Lotus Sutra. But none of them have been exiled to the province of Izu as I was in the Kocho era, or exiled to the island of Sado as I was in the Bun'ei era, or been led to the place of decapitation at Tatsunokuchi or faced the countless other difficulties that I have. If the sutra passages [that predict such difficulties] are true, then you should realize that I am the correct teacher, the good teacher, and that the scholars of the other schools are all erroneous teachers and evil teachers.
In addition to these, there are a great many other passages in the sutras and treatises that make clear the distinction between these two types of teachers,the good and the bad. But I am sure you are already familiar with them, so I will not go into them here.
How wondrous that in your letter you say that from now on you will reject the erroneous teachers of our time and will rely entirely upon me as the correct teacher! When the Thus Come One Shakyamuni, our original teacher, appeared in the world in order to expound the Lotus Sutra, the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the other worlds, like shadows and echoes, came forth and assisted him in his efforts to spread the teachings. Now it seems that they have appeared here in Japan as envoys of Shakyamuni, Many Treasures, and the Buddhas of the ten directions to help me in my efforts to spread the teachings!
The sutra says: "I will send persons conjured up by magic to other lands to gather together assemblies to listen to the Law. And I will also send [monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen] conjured up by magic [to listen to the preaching of the Law. These persons conjured up by magic will listen to the Law, believe and accept it], and abide by it without violation."(16) The "monks" who are spoken of in this passage refer to you. Therefore, when the sutra speaks of persons who "listen to the Law, believe and accept it, and abide by it without violation," you need look no further than yourself. How can there be any doubt about it?
Although the sutra speaks of those who, having heard the Law, "dwelled here and there in various Buddha lands, constantly reborn in company with their teachers," there are persons like the three groups of voice-hearers who, after receiving the seeds of Buddhahood, reject the Mahayana, select the Hinayana, and sink into the five paths or the six paths for a succession of rebirths, but when the time to achieve Buddhahood arrives, they are able to obtain emancipation, one after another. How gratifying to think that you have now cast aside the erroneous doctrines and erroneous teachers of the Nembutsu, True Word, and other schools, and become a disciple of Nichiren!
In any case, like me, you should condemn the slander of the Law committed by the followers of the other schools and cause them to reject the erroneous and embrace the correct. Then, when you arrive in the Land of Eternally Tranquil Light where the three kinds of Buddhas are seated (17), and appear before the Buddhas Shakyamuni and Many Treasures, you will ask, "Were Nichiren and I bound by a promise to be teacher and disciple from the beginningless past, or were we not? Was I sent as an envoy of Shakyamuni Buddha to assist him in his efforts to spread the teachings?" And when the Buddhas reply, "Just so!" then you, too, will understand in your own mind why these things happened. Therefore, you must by all means be diligent! You must be diligent!
As a matter of course, I began giving you instruction in the important doctrines around the second month. And as a result, on the eighth day of the fourth month, after midnight in the hour of the tiger (3:00-5:00 AM), I performed for you the ceremony for (18) ordination in the precept of the perfect teaching of the Mystic Law.
How could a person who has undergone this ordination fail to become a Buddha of perfect enlightenment in his present existence? And if in this life you have attained the level of perfect enlightenment, then in your next life, how could you have any reason to regress to the stage of near-perfect enlightenment and other lower stages of practice? In view of our promise from the beginningless past and the principle that one will be constantly reborn with one's teacher, if I, Nichiren, attain Buddhahood in my present lifetime, then how could it be possible for you to become separated from me and fall into the evil paths?
The prophecies of the Thus Come One recorded in the scripture, when viewed in the light of the Buddha's true intentions, never contain the slightest falsehood with regard to either secular or religious matters. Now, in the Lotus Sutra it is stated, "After I have passed into extinction, [one] should accept and uphold this sutra. Such a person assuredly and without doubt will attain the Buddha way (19)." It also says, "This way one will quickly attain the unsurpassed Buddha way (20)." If these passages of prophecy should be meaningless, and if the prediction that we will attain Buddhahood should be a lie, then the tongues of all the Buddhas will break apart, the tower of Many Treasures Buddha will crumble and fall, the place upon which the two Buddhas [Shakyamuni and Many Treasures] are seated side by side will be changed into a bed of burning iron in the hell of incessant suffering, and the three lands of Transition, Actual Reward, and Eternally Tranquil Light will be transformed into the three evil paths of hell, hungry spirits, and animals. But how could such a thing ever be possible?
Ah, how assuring! How assuring! If we continue to think in this way, then, though we may be exiles, we have cause to be joyful in both body and mind!
So day and night I ponder the important doctrines, and hour by hour, moment by moment, I savor the principle that allows us to attain Buddhahood. And because I pass the time in this fashion, though months and years go by, it does not seem long at all, and the hours that have elapsed do not seem like many. It is similar to the case described in the sutra when the two Buddhas Shakyamuni and Many Treasures, seated side by side in the treasure tower, nodded in approval over the wonderful principles of the Lotus Sutra, and although fifty small kalpas had elapsed, because of the supernatural powers of the Buddha, it seemed to the great crowd assembled there like no more than half a day. (21)
Among all the persons since the beginning of our present kalpa who have incurred the wrath of their parents or their rulers and have been exiled to distant islands, there can be none who overflow with joy as we do. Therefore, wherever we dwell and practice the single vehicle, that place will be the Capital of Eternally Tranquil Light. And, without having to take a step, those who are our disciples and lay supporters can view Eagle Peak in India and day and night will go to and from the Land of Eternally Tranquil Light that has existed for all time. What a truly inexpressible joy it is!
So delightful is the thought that I will now make a promise to you. If you should be released quickly from exile and return to the capital, although the lord of Kamakura (22) may continue to refuse pardon to Nichiren, I will call upon the heavenly deities, and when I have returned to Kamakura, I will write to you in Kyoto. If I should be pardoned first and return to Kamakura, I will call upon the heavenly gods to make certain that you are able to return home to the capital.
With my deep respect,
Nichiren
The thirteenth day of the fourth month
Reply to Sairen-bo
Background:
This letter was written to Sairen-bo Nichijo in the fourth month of the ninth year of Bun'ei (1272) at Ichino-sawa on Sado Island. Sairen-bo, a former Tendai priest, was also living in exile on Sado. From the letters sent to him by Nichiren Daishonin, it appears that Sairen-bo was well versed in Buddhist teachings. The Daishonin, on receiving the government's pardon, left Sado and moved to Minobu. Somewhat later Sairen-bo was also pardoned, whereupon he returned to his native Kyoto. He received a number of important writings from the Daishonin, including The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life and The True Aspect of All Phenomena.
In this letter, the Daishonin expresses his heartfelt gratitude for the various articles from Kyoto that Sairen-bo had sent to him as offerings. For an exile such as Sairen-bo, these articles must have been exceedingly precious.
The Daishonin also refers to a letter that Sairen-bo had sent him. In his letter Sairen-bo explained that he had pledged near the beginning of the second month to follow the Daishonin, and he expressed his desire to be considered one of the Daishonin's disciples.
With regard to Sairen-bo's recent pledge to become his disciple, the Daishonin quotes from the Lotus Sutra and its commentaries to illustrate the profound relationship between teacher and disciple. He then states that one should discard evil teachers and follow good ones. He reveals that he himself is the true and correct teacher for the Latter Day of the Law and declares that Sairen-bo was born in order to aid him in his efforts, thereby encouraging his disciple to exert himself in Buddhist practice.
The Daishonin reveals the great benefits to be gained by observing the precept of the perfect teaching - in other words, faith in the Mystic Law. And he tells Sairen-bo that, although they may both be exiles, in the future they are sure to attain Buddhahood and that, therefore, he feels great satisfaction and joy. In conclusion, the Daishonin encourages Sairen-bo by suggesting that they are both likely to be pardoned soon.
Notes:
1. The highest stage of Buddhist practice refers to the stage of perfect enlightenment, the highest of the fifty-two stages of bodhisattva practice.
2. Lotus Sutra, chap. 7.
3. Ibid., chap. 10.
4. The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra.
5. The Annotations on "The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra."
6. Lotus Sutra, chap. 13.
7. Ten Kinds of Wheels Sutra.
8. The Annotations on "Great Concentration and Insight."
9. Lotus Sutra, chap. 13.
10. Ibid., chap. 2.
11. Ibid., chap. 14.
12. Ibid., chap. 10.
13. The "Entering the Dharma Realm" chapter consists of the sixtieth volume through the eightieth, and last, volume of the eighty-volume Flower Garland Sutra. This chapter relates the story of the boy Good Treasures, who visits a total of fifty-three teachers in search of the Law. In the seventy-seventh volume, when he meets the boy Life of Virtue and the girl Possessor of Virtue, he learns about the importance of correct and good teachers and about the benefits to be gained by following them.
14. Lotus Sutra, chap. 27.
15. Ibid., chap. 2.
16. Ibid., chap. 10. The entire passage is quoted in translation here for clarity, although only a portion appears in the Japanese original.
17. The three kinds of Buddhas refer to Shakyamuni, Many Treasures, and the Buddhas of the ten directions.
18. The precept refers here to the rule of conduct that one should observe to attain Buddhahood instantly. It means, simply, to embrace the Mystic Law.
19. Lotus Sutra, chap. 21.
20. Ibid., chap. 11.
21. This scene is described in chapter 15 of the Lotus Sutra.
22. The lord of Kamakura is another name for Hojo Tokimune (1251-1284), the eighth regent of the Kamakura government.
Reply to Sairen-bo / WND pg. 309
Take great care when you come to see me after dark. I will explain to you in detail the teachings regarding the benefits to be gained by one ordained to the highest stage of Buddhist practice. (1)
I have carefully noted the contents of your letter. I have also received safely the various articles that came from the capital [Kyoto]. When I was living in Kamakura, such articles were a daily sight, but since having been exiled to this island, I have yet to encounter them. To come upon articles such as these on this tiny faraway island is truly most welcome.
In your letter you mention that you became a disciple of mine and pledged to follow me at the beginning of the second month, and that from now on, though you may not measure up to others, you would be most pleased and honored if I would continue to count you among my disciples.
The sutra says, "Those persons who had heard the Law dwelled here and there in various Buddha lands, constantly reborn in company with their teachers." (2) It also says, "If one stays close to the teachers of the Law, one will speedily gain the bodhisattva way. By following and learning from these teachers one will see Buddhas as numerous as Ganges sands." (3)
A commentary states, "Originally one followed this Buddha and for the first time conceived the desire to seek the way. And by following this Buddha again, one will reach the stage where there is no retrogression." (4) Another commentary states, "In the beginning one followed this Buddha or bodhisattva and formed a bond with him, and so it will be through this Buddha or bodhisattva that one will attain one's goal." (5)
When I consider these passages of the sutra and the commentaries, I wonder if you and I have not been pledged to each other as teacher and disciple from countless kalpas in the past. You and I have been born together in this defiled age of the Latter Day of the Law, in the country of Japan in the southern continent of Jambudvipa, and with the utmost reverence we chant with our mouths Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the ultimate reason for which the Buddhas appear in the world; we believe in it in our hearts, embrace it with our bodies, and delight in it with our hands. Has all of this not come about solely because of some bond of karma we share from the past?
When I look at the situation in Japan, I find that the devil king of the sixth heaven has entered into the bodies of wise persons, transforming correct teachers into erroneous teachers, and good teachers into bad teachers.This is what the sutra means when it says, "Evil demons will take possession of others." (6)
Although I, Nichiren, am not a man of wisdom, the devil king of the sixth heaven has attempted to take possession of my body. But I have for some time been taking such great care that he now no longer comes near me. Therefore, because the power of the heavenly devil is ineffectual against me, he instead possesses the ruler and his high officials, or foolish priests such as Ryo-kan, and causes them to hate me.
Be that as it may, one should understand that, at present, when it comes to teachers, there is a difference between correct teachers and erroneous teachers, between good teachers and bad teachers. One should shun those who are erroneous or evil, and associate with those who are correct and good. Even if their virtue is known throughout the country and their wisdom is as bright as the sun and moon, one should recognize that teachers who slander the Lotus Sutra are evil teachers and erroneous teachers, and refrain from approaching them. A sutra warns us on this point, "If there are slanderers of the Law, one should not dwell with them. If one draws near them and dwells with them, one will be bound for the Avichi hell." (7)
No matter how honest and upright you may be, or how you may strive to be known as a worthy person in the secular or the religious world, if you associate with evil persons, then as a natural result you will find that in two or three instances out of ten you are following their teachings, and in the end you, too, will become an evil
person. Thus the commentary says, "Though one may not be evil to begin with, if one associates with and is friendly with evil persons, one is bound in time to become an evil person oneself, and one's evil reputation will spread throughout the world." (8)
In the end, what we mean by erroneous and evil teachers are those priests in the world today who slander the Lotus Sutra. The Nirvana Sutra says: "Bodhisattvas, have no fear of mad elephants. What you should fear are evil friends! . . . Even if you are killed by a mad elephant, you will not fall into the three evil paths. But if you are killed by an evil friend, you are certain to fall into them." The Lotus Sutra says, "In that evil age there will be monks with perverse wisdom and hearts that are fawning and crooked." (9)
As I have pointed out so many times in the past, when teachers such as Shan-wu-wei, Chin-kang-chih, Bodhidharma, Hui-k'o, Shan-tao, Honen, Kobo of To-ji, Chisho of Onjo-ji, Jikaku of Mount Hiei, or Ryokan of Kanto read the golden words, "Honestly discarding expedient means, [I will preach only the unsurpassed way (10)]," they take them to mean, "Honestly discarding the true teachings, I will preach only the expedient teachings." When they read the passage that says, "Among the sutras, it [the Lotus Sutra] holds the highest place (11)," they take it to mean, "Among the sutras, it holds the lowest place." And when they read, "[Among those sutras] the Lotus is the foremost," (12) they take it to mean, "The Lotus holds second place," or "holds third place." That is why I describe these various priests as misleading and evil teachers.
Those that I call correct and good teachers are persons who take Shakyamuni Buddha's golden words to mean just what they say, namely, that the other sutras represent expedient means and the Lotus Sutra represents the truth.
In this connection, you should consult the "Entering the Dharma Realm" chapter, the seventy-seventh volume of the Flower Garland Sutra (13). The Lotus Sutra states, "A good friend is the great cause and condition by which one is guided and led, and which enables one to see the Buddha and to conceive the desire for supreme perfect enlightenment." (14)
As the Buddha tells us, we should regard as correct teachers and good teachers those who honestly discard the doctrines of the four flavors and three teachings, the Hinayana and provisional Mahayana sutras that were ex-pounded as expedient means, as well as the Nembutsu, True Word, Zen, and Precepts schools and the sutras upon which they rely, and expound Myoho-renge-kyo, "the one great reason for which the Buddhas appear in the world." (15)
As for myself, I, Nichiren, having been born in Japan in the first five hundred years of the Latter Day of the Law, have encountered the three powerful enemies and met with various types of calamity and trouble, just as the Thus Come One predicted would happen. But, without any thought for my person or my life, I chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. I ask you to consider with the utmost care whether I deserve to be called a correct teacher or an erroneous teacher.
Each of the proponents of the various schools I have mentioned above declares that he beyond all others has grasped the meaning of and is practicing the Lotus Sutra. But none of them have been exiled to the province of Izu as I was in the Kocho era, or exiled to the island of Sado as I was in the Bun'ei era, or been led to the place of decapitation at Tatsunokuchi or faced the countless other difficulties that I have. If the sutra passages [that predict such difficulties] are true, then you should realize that I am the correct teacher, the good teacher, and that the scholars of the other schools are all erroneous teachers and evil teachers.
In addition to these, there are a great many other passages in the sutras and treatises that make clear the distinction between these two types of teachers,the good and the bad. But I am sure you are already familiar with them, so I will not go into them here.
How wondrous that in your letter you say that from now on you will reject the erroneous teachers of our time and will rely entirely upon me as the correct teacher! When the Thus Come One Shakyamuni, our original teacher, appeared in the world in order to expound the Lotus Sutra, the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the other worlds, like shadows and echoes, came forth and assisted him in his efforts to spread the teachings. Now it seems that they have appeared here in Japan as envoys of Shakyamuni, Many Treasures, and the Buddhas of the ten directions to help me in my efforts to spread the teachings!
The sutra says: "I will send persons conjured up by magic to other lands to gather together assemblies to listen to the Law. And I will also send [monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen] conjured up by magic [to listen to the preaching of the Law. These persons conjured up by magic will listen to the Law, believe and accept it], and abide by it without violation."(16) The "monks" who are spoken of in this passage refer to you. Therefore, when the sutra speaks of persons who "listen to the Law, believe and accept it, and abide by it without violation," you need look no further than yourself. How can there be any doubt about it?
Although the sutra speaks of those who, having heard the Law, "dwelled here and there in various Buddha lands, constantly reborn in company with their teachers," there are persons like the three groups of voice-hearers who, after receiving the seeds of Buddhahood, reject the Mahayana, select the Hinayana, and sink into the five paths or the six paths for a succession of rebirths, but when the time to achieve Buddhahood arrives, they are able to obtain emancipation, one after another. How gratifying to think that you have now cast aside the erroneous doctrines and erroneous teachers of the Nembutsu, True Word, and other schools, and become a disciple of Nichiren!
In any case, like me, you should condemn the slander of the Law committed by the followers of the other schools and cause them to reject the erroneous and embrace the correct. Then, when you arrive in the Land of Eternally Tranquil Light where the three kinds of Buddhas are seated (17), and appear before the Buddhas Shakyamuni and Many Treasures, you will ask, "Were Nichiren and I bound by a promise to be teacher and disciple from the beginningless past, or were we not? Was I sent as an envoy of Shakyamuni Buddha to assist him in his efforts to spread the teachings?" And when the Buddhas reply, "Just so!" then you, too, will understand in your own mind why these things happened. Therefore, you must by all means be diligent! You must be diligent!
As a matter of course, I began giving you instruction in the important doctrines around the second month. And as a result, on the eighth day of the fourth month, after midnight in the hour of the tiger (3:00-5:00 AM), I performed for you the ceremony for (18) ordination in the precept of the perfect teaching of the Mystic Law.
How could a person who has undergone this ordination fail to become a Buddha of perfect enlightenment in his present existence? And if in this life you have attained the level of perfect enlightenment, then in your next life, how could you have any reason to regress to the stage of near-perfect enlightenment and other lower stages of practice? In view of our promise from the beginningless past and the principle that one will be constantly reborn with one's teacher, if I, Nichiren, attain Buddhahood in my present lifetime, then how could it be possible for you to become separated from me and fall into the evil paths?
The prophecies of the Thus Come One recorded in the scripture, when viewed in the light of the Buddha's true intentions, never contain the slightest falsehood with regard to either secular or religious matters. Now, in the Lotus Sutra it is stated, "After I have passed into extinction, [one] should accept and uphold this sutra. Such a person assuredly and without doubt will attain the Buddha way (19)." It also says, "This way one will quickly attain the unsurpassed Buddha way (20)." If these passages of prophecy should be meaningless, and if the prediction that we will attain Buddhahood should be a lie, then the tongues of all the Buddhas will break apart, the tower of Many Treasures Buddha will crumble and fall, the place upon which the two Buddhas [Shakyamuni and Many Treasures] are seated side by side will be changed into a bed of burning iron in the hell of incessant suffering, and the three lands of Transition, Actual Reward, and Eternally Tranquil Light will be transformed into the three evil paths of hell, hungry spirits, and animals. But how could such a thing ever be possible?
Ah, how assuring! How assuring! If we continue to think in this way, then, though we may be exiles, we have cause to be joyful in both body and mind!
So day and night I ponder the important doctrines, and hour by hour, moment by moment, I savor the principle that allows us to attain Buddhahood. And because I pass the time in this fashion, though months and years go by, it does not seem long at all, and the hours that have elapsed do not seem like many. It is similar to the case described in the sutra when the two Buddhas Shakyamuni and Many Treasures, seated side by side in the treasure tower, nodded in approval over the wonderful principles of the Lotus Sutra, and although fifty small kalpas had elapsed, because of the supernatural powers of the Buddha, it seemed to the great crowd assembled there like no more than half a day. (21)
Among all the persons since the beginning of our present kalpa who have incurred the wrath of their parents or their rulers and have been exiled to distant islands, there can be none who overflow with joy as we do. Therefore, wherever we dwell and practice the single vehicle, that place will be the Capital of Eternally Tranquil Light. And, without having to take a step, those who are our disciples and lay supporters can view Eagle Peak in India and day and night will go to and from the Land of Eternally Tranquil Light that has existed for all time. What a truly inexpressible joy it is!
So delightful is the thought that I will now make a promise to you. If you should be released quickly from exile and return to the capital, although the lord of Kamakura (22) may continue to refuse pardon to Nichiren, I will call upon the heavenly deities, and when I have returned to Kamakura, I will write to you in Kyoto. If I should be pardoned first and return to Kamakura, I will call upon the heavenly gods to make certain that you are able to return home to the capital.
With my deep respect,
Nichiren
The thirteenth day of the fourth month
Reply to Sairen-bo
Background:
This letter was written to Sairen-bo Nichijo in the fourth month of the ninth year of Bun'ei (1272) at Ichino-sawa on Sado Island. Sairen-bo, a former Tendai priest, was also living in exile on Sado. From the letters sent to him by Nichiren Daishonin, it appears that Sairen-bo was well versed in Buddhist teachings. The Daishonin, on receiving the government's pardon, left Sado and moved to Minobu. Somewhat later Sairen-bo was also pardoned, whereupon he returned to his native Kyoto. He received a number of important writings from the Daishonin, including The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life and The True Aspect of All Phenomena.
In this letter, the Daishonin expresses his heartfelt gratitude for the various articles from Kyoto that Sairen-bo had sent to him as offerings. For an exile such as Sairen-bo, these articles must have been exceedingly precious.
The Daishonin also refers to a letter that Sairen-bo had sent him. In his letter Sairen-bo explained that he had pledged near the beginning of the second month to follow the Daishonin, and he expressed his desire to be considered one of the Daishonin's disciples.
With regard to Sairen-bo's recent pledge to become his disciple, the Daishonin quotes from the Lotus Sutra and its commentaries to illustrate the profound relationship between teacher and disciple. He then states that one should discard evil teachers and follow good ones. He reveals that he himself is the true and correct teacher for the Latter Day of the Law and declares that Sairen-bo was born in order to aid him in his efforts, thereby encouraging his disciple to exert himself in Buddhist practice.
The Daishonin reveals the great benefits to be gained by observing the precept of the perfect teaching - in other words, faith in the Mystic Law. And he tells Sairen-bo that, although they may both be exiles, in the future they are sure to attain Buddhahood and that, therefore, he feels great satisfaction and joy. In conclusion, the Daishonin encourages Sairen-bo by suggesting that they are both likely to be pardoned soon.
Notes:
1. The highest stage of Buddhist practice refers to the stage of perfect enlightenment, the highest of the fifty-two stages of bodhisattva practice.
2. Lotus Sutra, chap. 7.
3. Ibid., chap. 10.
4. The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra.
5. The Annotations on "The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra."
6. Lotus Sutra, chap. 13.
7. Ten Kinds of Wheels Sutra.
8. The Annotations on "Great Concentration and Insight."
9. Lotus Sutra, chap. 13.
10. Ibid., chap. 2.
11. Ibid., chap. 14.
12. Ibid., chap. 10.
13. The "Entering the Dharma Realm" chapter consists of the sixtieth volume through the eightieth, and last, volume of the eighty-volume Flower Garland Sutra. This chapter relates the story of the boy Good Treasures, who visits a total of fifty-three teachers in search of the Law. In the seventy-seventh volume, when he meets the boy Life of Virtue and the girl Possessor of Virtue, he learns about the importance of correct and good teachers and about the benefits to be gained by following them.
14. Lotus Sutra, chap. 27.
15. Ibid., chap. 2.
16. Ibid., chap. 10. The entire passage is quoted in translation here for clarity, although only a portion appears in the Japanese original.
17. The three kinds of Buddhas refer to Shakyamuni, Many Treasures, and the Buddhas of the ten directions.
18. The precept refers here to the rule of conduct that one should observe to attain Buddhahood instantly. It means, simply, to embrace the Mystic Law.
19. Lotus Sutra, chap. 21.
20. Ibid., chap. 11.
21. This scene is described in chapter 15 of the Lotus Sutra.
22. The lord of Kamakura is another name for Hojo Tokimune (1251-1284), the eighth regent of the Kamakura government.
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