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Chanting Growers Group
- Thread starter PassTheDoobie
- Start date
- Status
I'll bring some grub, we'll get stuffed and baked! And then Chant for a few hours- we'll break barriers!
G
Guest
PassTheDoobie said:
Big Quote for me and thanks Hitman, I just had some turkey tacos and send me dinner time love your way.GOODNight brother. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
Following one of T's quotes, Letter to Brothers, rocks!
paraphrased from pg 495 http://sgi-usa.org/buddhism/library/Nichiren/wnd/concord/pages.view/495.html
Last edited:
Evening my friends. I just came from a meeting/disscusion/video and live narration by SGI members of Josei Todas life. I gotta tell ya, ill never look at my Gohonzon the same.
I will give it ten times the repect i have spoken of before.
peace
bonz
>>>>>>>>>> nam myoho renge kyo >>>>>>>>>>
I will give it ten times the repect i have spoken of before.
peace
bonz
>>>>>>>>>> nam myoho renge kyo >>>>>>>>>>
"The reality of this world, twisted by greed, self-interest, and envy, can be terribly cruel, and people’s hearts can be weak and easily influenced. But if people open their eyes to the truth of Buddhism, they can see something different. They can see that in every person’s life exists an infinitely precious treasure glowing with the light of compassion, courage, and creativity. That is why I believe in people, and why I call on them to make their lives shine like the sun—to break through the rain clouds of suffering and cast a bright rainbow of happiness and peace. This is the aim of our great movement of human revolution."
SGI Newsletter No. 6967, The New Human Revolution—Vol. 19: Chap. 1, Rainbow of Hope 1, translated Sep. 20th, 2006
SGI Newsletter No. 6967, The New Human Revolution—Vol. 19: Chap. 1, Rainbow of Hope 1, translated Sep. 20th, 2006
Human Revolution (part 1 of 3)
Human Revolution (part 1 of 3)
B. Human Revolution
‘Human revolution’ is the term coined by Josei Toda, the second president of the Soka Gakkai, to describe the process by which each individual attains Buddhahood through the practice of Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism. Moreover, the human revolution of one person will set in motion that of another so that, in time, society as a whole will experience a human revolution, as described in this famous passage from Daisaku Ikeda’s novel of the same name:
A great revolution of character in just a single person will help achieve a change in the destiny of a nation and, further, will cause a change in the destiny of all humankind.[1]
The concepts and principles discussed in the following sections all relate in one way or another to this central theme.
1. Relative and absolute happiness
The Soka Gakkai teaches the concept of relative and absolute happiness as a means to clarify the fundamental purpose of our Buddhist practice.
Relative happiness depends on circumstances; more precisely, on our relationships – to the people around us, to our physical and social environment, and to our possessions and talents. All of these things can bring us a certain degree of happiness and are not to be denigrated. The problem, however, is that when our circumstances change our happiness can quickly disappear, to be replaced with misery. Our partner might leave us, or even die; our bank balance can decline; our health worsen – and as a result suddenly life can seem less worthwhile, even totally empty. Or we ourselves might change – human desire is both fickle and theoretically limitless, so what made us happy yesterday might not make us happy today. And ultimately, of course, all aspects of relative happiness are ended by death – all our relationships, however happy; all our achievements, our wealth and possessions, and so on.
By contrast, absolute happiness is a state of life that is not dependent on our changing circumstances. Rather, it is the state where our life itself is happy. This is achieved through the steady practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, based on the solid foundation of faith in the eternity of life. Absolute happiness does not mean that we will live in perpetual bliss, free of problems or any suffering. Rather, it is a condition dominated by the confidence that, whatever problems or suffering we might encounter, by chanting to the Gohonzon we can win through, using any troubles to achieve an even greater life. For example, climbing a mountain when we are unfit can be an agonising experience; if we are fit the same climb can be a source of joy, and leave us feeling even fitter than before. In other words, in the state of absolute happiness everything can be used to create benefit, even suffering. In this sense, absolute happiness is another way of describing the life state of Buddhahood. In the words of Daisaku Ikeda:
A strong person is happy. At the same time, strength is relative; it depends on the relationship between one's life force and the environment. If your life force is weak and frail, then even minor problems will cause you to fret and become overwhelmed, ending you in deadlock. This will only make you miserable…
The Lotus Sutra enables us to tap into the life force of the universe, so that no matter what happens, we are never bound by our difficulties. The Daishonin's Buddhism is the teaching that gives all people the power to experience incredible energy welling forth in their lives. A person who has solid faith in the Mystic Law, therefore, is the strongest and happiest of all.[2]
2. Attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime (issho-jobutsu)
Attaining Buddhahood in this (or a single) lifetime means to reveal the world of Buddhahood from within our lives by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the Gohonzon. It means to reveal Buddhahood here and now as we are, ordinary human beings.
This is in contrast to other Buddhist teachings that view Buddhahood as a state of life – often known as nirvana - that is above, beyond or somehow cut off from the mundane realities of everyday existence, and is attained only as a reward for lifetime after lifetime of spiritual effort.
Shakyamuni overturned this view of Buddhahood when he preached his ultimate teaching, the Lotus Sutra. The ‘Life Span’ (sixteenth) chapter in particular teaches that Buddhahood exists eternally as a potential within all of us: enlightenment therefore means becoming aware of this potential and turning it into reality. But Shakyamuni did not reveal exactly how ordinary people could do this. Moreover, despite the doctrines taught by the Lotus Sutra, over the centuries Shakyamuni himself became increasingly elevated by his followers, so that eventually he came to represent a virtual god, whose life condition is totally out of the reach of ordinary people.
It was Nichiren Daishonin who brought Buddhism back to the people. In the Gosho ‘Letter to Niike’, for example, he states:
Becoming a Buddha is nothing extraordinary. If you chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with your whole heart, you will naturally become endowed with the Buddha’s thirty-two features and eighty characteristics.[3] As the sutra says, ‘hoping to make all persons equal to me, without any distinction between us’,[4] you can readily become as noble a Buddha as Shakyamuni.[5]
Elaborating on this sentiment from the viewpoint of our daily lives and practice, President Ikeda says:
The world of Buddhahood is found nowhere but in the strong mind of faith that seeks always to advance from the state of suffering to the state of Buddhahood, and then to proceed from that state of Buddhahood to transform reality. It is the strength and determination of faith to keep on fighting.[6]
It follows from this that attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime is not a condition that we simply reach and then stop. Rather, it lies in continuing to take action to spread the Law – in chanting and struggling for the happiness of ourselves and others - until the last moment of our lives.
3. The benefits of Buddhism
We practise Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism in order to experience its beneficial effect in our lives, and to extend that benefit to the lives of others. Benefit in Japanese is called kudoku, which can be translated as ‘happiness’. More specifically, ku of kudoku means to eradicate evil, while doku means to bring forth good. Essentially, therefore, this indicates that the true benefit of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo lies in the fundamental reformation of our own lives: from misery to happiness; from evil to good; and from delusion to enlightenment. As Nichiren Daishonin states:
Benefit is happiness. It is the effect of eradicating evil and producing good. Benefit is the attainment of Buddhahood in one’s present form. It is the purification of the six sense organs (Gosho Zenshu, p. 762).
i) Conspicuous and inconspicuous benefit
This fundamental reformation of our lives is a gradual process that may go unnoticed from day to day: as a result it is called inconspicuous benefit (myoyaku) With the passing of time, however, we definitely notice that we have changed for the better. In the same way, a tree grows a little each day but its accumulated growth is only obvious after a number of years. By contrast, conspicuous benefit (kenyaku) refers to the visible and obvious changes in our circumstances that occur as a result of our practice – better relationships, financial security, improved health, and so on. These conspicuous appear as a result of the inconspicuous benefit accumulating in our lives. As President Ikeda explains:
…it must be stressed that in this time of the Latter Day of the Law, while we certainly experience conspicuous benefit, it is ‘inconspicuous benefit’ that is central to our faith. Just as a seed will grow into a great tree with the passage of time, the branches of good fortune and benefit in our lives will thicken and produce flowers and fruit as we continue to practise. This is inconspicuous benefit. A ‘tree of good fortune and benefit’ that is thus rooted in the earth of life will not fall over. It stands firm even when buffeted by a fierce storm.
…[This] can be interpreted as the great benefit of attaining Buddhahood. President Toda characterized the state of Buddhahood as ‘absolute happiness’ and as ‘powerful life force’. To reiterate, when we practise Buddhism, we absolutely experience conspicuous benefit of the kinds earlier mentioned. We particularly gain wonderful benefit when we first embrace faith and see our immediate sufferings resolved without fail. When we then advance further in faith with confidence gained from this initial experience, we can receive immense benefit, to which this earlier benefit pales by comparison. This is the benefit of absolutely flourishing vitality.[7]
ii) Purification of the six senses
Another way to view inconspicuous benefit is to say that practising Buddhism enables us to ‘purify’ our six senses – the five commonly recognised senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch, and ‘mind’, our ability to integrate the information received by our five senses into coherent objects and patterns. ‘Purify’ in this context means to develop the ability to perceive things as they really are, rather than as we would like – or fear - them to be.
Buddhism teaches that our six senses are purified by our efforts to spread the Law. As Daisaku Ikeda explains:
'Accepting and upholding' means practicing faith with selfless dedication. It means wholeheartedly embracing the Gohonzon and thoroughly striving for kosen-rufu. This is 'constant exertion'. It is to work for kosen-rufu each day and over the course of one's life. Through such faith, the six sense organs are purified.[8]
Fundamentally, to purify the six senses means to base our perception of the world on the condition of Buddhahood, rather than the nine worlds, and then to act accordingly. In its complete sense, it means to make Buddhahood the dominant condition of our lives, to always relate to the world around us with wisdom, courage and compassion, and devote ourselves to the spread of Nichiren Daishonin’s teachings (kosen-rufu).
Through our practice, we harmonize our life with the rhythm, the wavelength, of the Mystic Law. We are then endowed with the power to advance confidently and without any hindrance, and the freedom to live our lives in sync with the universe. This is what it means to attain Buddhahood in one's present form, to do one's human revolution, and to purify the six sense organs.[9]
iii) Punishment (bachi)
The concepts of ‘benefit’ and ‘punishment’ both appear on the Gohonzon. Just inside the large characters in the top left hand corner are characters that state, ‘One who makes offerings[10] will attract good fortune surpassing the [Buddha’s] ten honourable titles.’ By contrast, just inside the large characters in the top right hand corner are characters that state, ‘Those who slander [the practitioners of the Law] will have their heads broken into seven pieces.’ This admonition is based on a passage in the Dharani (twenty-sixth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, which says of those who ‘trouble and disrupt the preachers of the Law’:
their heads will split into seven pieces like the branches of the arjaka tree.[11]
This alludes to the fundamentally confused and deluded state of mind that results from opposing or disregarding the Law: the opposite of the purification of the six senses.
Buddhism teaches that the worst cause one can make, which will bring the greatest punishment, is consciously to disrupt the flow of kosen-rufu, the spread of Nichiren Daishonin’s teachings. This is because to act in this way is to deny other people their fundamental human right to discover within themselves – and actualise - the potential to attain the supreme happiness of eternal enlightenment within this lifetime.
In short, neither benefit nor punishment is visited upon us by some outside force or supreme deity; rather, both are effects stemming of our own actions. In simple terms, as Josei Toda explains, ‘Benefit and punishment are…gain and loss in daily life.’[12]
4. Faith equals daily life (shinjin soku seikatsu)
There is a tendency in many religions to consider the ultimate reality of life to exist somewhere above, beyond or behind the mundane facts of daily living. God or gods, and the heaven they inhabit, are usually far off and unattainable in this life, while religion is seen as a bridge between ordinary people and this greater reality. The spiritual realm and the secular realm are fundamentally separate; thus, however hard we pray and however close we may come to the ultimate reality, we cannot become a god or attain heaven here on earth.
By contrast, the ‘Expedient Means’ (second) chapter of the Lotus Sutra teaches the concept of the true aspect of all phenomena. Briefly, this implies that all aspects of life contain the potential to reveal Buddhahood and that there is no fundamental difference between an ordinary person and a Buddha. In the words of Nichiren Daishonin:
When deluded one is called an ordinary being, but when enlightened, one is called a Buddha. This is similar to a tarnished mirror that that will shine like a jewel when polished. A mind now clouded by the illusions of the innate darkness of life is like a tarnished mirror, but when polished, it is sure to become like a clear mirror, reflecting the essential nature of all phenomena and the true aspect of reality.[13]
It follows from this that there is no ‘heaven’ separate from the here and now. Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism teaches that the Buddha’s land – where the Buddha lives – is nowhere other than the saha world; that is, contemporary society, where ordinary people live and work and, sadly, often suffer. So unlike in other forms of Buddhism, practising as Nichiren Daishonin taught does not involve withdrawing from society to a life of quiet contemplation in a monastery. Rather, it requires us to confront the negative realities of our individual lives, and our society, head on, and to challenge and transform them. The Daishonin states:
The true path lies in the affairs of this world. The Golden Light Sutra states, ‘To have a profound knowledge of this world is itself Buddhism.’ The Nirvana Sutra states, ‘All of the non-Buddhist scriptures and writings are themselves Buddhist teachings, not non-Buddhist teachings.’… [These sutras] relate secular matters in terms of Buddhism, whereas the Lotus Sutra explains that in the end secular matters are the entirety of Buddhism.[14]
Accordingly, the principle that ‘faith equals daily life’ means that as disciples of Nichiren Daishonin we reveal the wisdom, courage and compassion of our Buddha nature as ordinary people, living alongside our neighbours, colleagues and family members. Our struggle to create value is waged in the real world, and the fruits of our victories - our benefits - are enjoyed in the real world, by ourselves and others. As President Ikeda notes:
Buddhism exists nowhere but in our daily existence, in the realities of life and society. In other words, only through our actions in society and in our daily lives can we demonstrate proof of the validity of Buddhism. This is Nichiren Daishonin’s teaching and the traditional spirit of the Soka Gakkai.[15]
5. Fundamental darkness (Gampon no mumyo)
Fundamental darkness, or primal ignorance, is seen in Buddhism as innate in all life and the source of all illusions and desires. Since we are unable to perceive life clearly as it truly is, our tendency as human beings is to think, speak and act in ways that cause unhappiness for ourselves and others. Fundamental darkness is thus the fundamental source of all suffering. Nichiren Daishonin equates fundamental darkness with the workings of the devil king of the sixth heaven, which he describes as follows:
This world is the domain of the devil king of the sixth heaven. All of its people have been under the rule of this devil king since time without beginning. Not only has he built the prison of the twenty-five realms of existence[16] within the six paths and confined all humankind within it, but also he has made wives and children into shackles, and parents and sovereigns into nets that block off the skies. To deceive the true mind of the Buddha nature, he causes the people to drink the wine of greed, anger and foolishness, and feeds them nothing but dishes of evil that leave them prostrate on the ground of the three evil paths. When he happens on persons who have turned their hearts to goodness, he acts to obstruct them.[17]
The Lotus Sutra, however, also teaches the innate enlightenment of life (gampon no hossho). On this basis, Nichiren Daishonin further defined fundamental darkness as ignorance of one’s own Buddha nature, which can be dispelled by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. He says:
When deluded, one is called an ordinary being, but when enlightened, one is called a Buddha. This is similar to a tarnished mirror that will shine like a jewel when polished. A mind now clouded by the illusions of the innate darkness of life is like a tarnished mirror, but when polished, it is sure to become like a clear mirror, reflecting the essential nature of all phenomena and the true aspect of reality. Arose deep faith, and diligently polish your mirror night and day. How should you polish it? Only by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.[18]
In other words, through carrying out the consistent and continual practice of Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism, we can dispel the illusions that are the fundamental source of our suffering, and transform our desires so that, more and more, they create value for ourselves and others. Even so, the fundamental darkness remains in our lives, as Nichiren Daishonin explains:
According to the provisional teachings and the schools based on them, both good and evil remain in one’s life through all the stages of the bodhisattva practice up to the stage of near-perfect enlightenment. Hence people at the stage of near-perfect enlightenment or below have faults of some kind, [but not those at the highest stage]. In contrast, the heart of the Lotus school is the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life, which reveals that both good and evil are inherent even in those at the stage of perfect enlightenment. The fundamental nature of enlightenment manifests itself as Brahma and Shakra, whereas the fundamental darkness manifests itself as the devil king of the sixth heaven.[19]
It follows from this that by continually struggling against the devil king of the sixth heaven without - as he appears in society in the form of abusive power and opposition to the movement for kosen-rufu - we also subdue the fundamental darkness within, in our own lives. President Ikeda notes:
The Buddha … is a person of supreme good. But this is not to say that there is no evil in the life of the Buddha. It exists, of course, as a potential. But because the Buddha aims for the ultimate good and relentlessly struggles against evil, good is what manifests from his life.[20]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] The Human Revolution, Preface.
[2] Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, 39
[3] Traditionally, various external signs denoting a Buddha.
[4] LS2,
[5] WND, p. 1030.
[6] The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, 8
[7] Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, 48
[8] Ibid, 39
[9] Ibid.
[10] ‘Makes offerings’ here has the broad meaning of to respect and praise.
[11] LS26, p. 310.
[12] Lecture on the Sutra
[13] WND, p. 4.
[14] Ibid., p. 1126.
[15] Buddhism in Action, Vol. 5, p. 251.
[16] Subdivisions of the threefold world – fourteen realms in the world of desire, seven in the world of form, and four in the world of formlessness. All twenty-five fall into the category of the six paths or lower worlds.
[17] WND, pp. 495-6
[18] WND, p. 4.
[19] Ibid., p. 1113
[20] Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, 19.
(to be continued)
Human Revolution (part 1 of 3)
B. Human Revolution
‘Human revolution’ is the term coined by Josei Toda, the second president of the Soka Gakkai, to describe the process by which each individual attains Buddhahood through the practice of Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism. Moreover, the human revolution of one person will set in motion that of another so that, in time, society as a whole will experience a human revolution, as described in this famous passage from Daisaku Ikeda’s novel of the same name:
A great revolution of character in just a single person will help achieve a change in the destiny of a nation and, further, will cause a change in the destiny of all humankind.[1]
The concepts and principles discussed in the following sections all relate in one way or another to this central theme.
1. Relative and absolute happiness
The Soka Gakkai teaches the concept of relative and absolute happiness as a means to clarify the fundamental purpose of our Buddhist practice.
Relative happiness depends on circumstances; more precisely, on our relationships – to the people around us, to our physical and social environment, and to our possessions and talents. All of these things can bring us a certain degree of happiness and are not to be denigrated. The problem, however, is that when our circumstances change our happiness can quickly disappear, to be replaced with misery. Our partner might leave us, or even die; our bank balance can decline; our health worsen – and as a result suddenly life can seem less worthwhile, even totally empty. Or we ourselves might change – human desire is both fickle and theoretically limitless, so what made us happy yesterday might not make us happy today. And ultimately, of course, all aspects of relative happiness are ended by death – all our relationships, however happy; all our achievements, our wealth and possessions, and so on.
By contrast, absolute happiness is a state of life that is not dependent on our changing circumstances. Rather, it is the state where our life itself is happy. This is achieved through the steady practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, based on the solid foundation of faith in the eternity of life. Absolute happiness does not mean that we will live in perpetual bliss, free of problems or any suffering. Rather, it is a condition dominated by the confidence that, whatever problems or suffering we might encounter, by chanting to the Gohonzon we can win through, using any troubles to achieve an even greater life. For example, climbing a mountain when we are unfit can be an agonising experience; if we are fit the same climb can be a source of joy, and leave us feeling even fitter than before. In other words, in the state of absolute happiness everything can be used to create benefit, even suffering. In this sense, absolute happiness is another way of describing the life state of Buddhahood. In the words of Daisaku Ikeda:
A strong person is happy. At the same time, strength is relative; it depends on the relationship between one's life force and the environment. If your life force is weak and frail, then even minor problems will cause you to fret and become overwhelmed, ending you in deadlock. This will only make you miserable…
The Lotus Sutra enables us to tap into the life force of the universe, so that no matter what happens, we are never bound by our difficulties. The Daishonin's Buddhism is the teaching that gives all people the power to experience incredible energy welling forth in their lives. A person who has solid faith in the Mystic Law, therefore, is the strongest and happiest of all.[2]
2. Attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime (issho-jobutsu)
Attaining Buddhahood in this (or a single) lifetime means to reveal the world of Buddhahood from within our lives by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the Gohonzon. It means to reveal Buddhahood here and now as we are, ordinary human beings.
This is in contrast to other Buddhist teachings that view Buddhahood as a state of life – often known as nirvana - that is above, beyond or somehow cut off from the mundane realities of everyday existence, and is attained only as a reward for lifetime after lifetime of spiritual effort.
Shakyamuni overturned this view of Buddhahood when he preached his ultimate teaching, the Lotus Sutra. The ‘Life Span’ (sixteenth) chapter in particular teaches that Buddhahood exists eternally as a potential within all of us: enlightenment therefore means becoming aware of this potential and turning it into reality. But Shakyamuni did not reveal exactly how ordinary people could do this. Moreover, despite the doctrines taught by the Lotus Sutra, over the centuries Shakyamuni himself became increasingly elevated by his followers, so that eventually he came to represent a virtual god, whose life condition is totally out of the reach of ordinary people.
It was Nichiren Daishonin who brought Buddhism back to the people. In the Gosho ‘Letter to Niike’, for example, he states:
Becoming a Buddha is nothing extraordinary. If you chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with your whole heart, you will naturally become endowed with the Buddha’s thirty-two features and eighty characteristics.[3] As the sutra says, ‘hoping to make all persons equal to me, without any distinction between us’,[4] you can readily become as noble a Buddha as Shakyamuni.[5]
Elaborating on this sentiment from the viewpoint of our daily lives and practice, President Ikeda says:
The world of Buddhahood is found nowhere but in the strong mind of faith that seeks always to advance from the state of suffering to the state of Buddhahood, and then to proceed from that state of Buddhahood to transform reality. It is the strength and determination of faith to keep on fighting.[6]
It follows from this that attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime is not a condition that we simply reach and then stop. Rather, it lies in continuing to take action to spread the Law – in chanting and struggling for the happiness of ourselves and others - until the last moment of our lives.
3. The benefits of Buddhism
We practise Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism in order to experience its beneficial effect in our lives, and to extend that benefit to the lives of others. Benefit in Japanese is called kudoku, which can be translated as ‘happiness’. More specifically, ku of kudoku means to eradicate evil, while doku means to bring forth good. Essentially, therefore, this indicates that the true benefit of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo lies in the fundamental reformation of our own lives: from misery to happiness; from evil to good; and from delusion to enlightenment. As Nichiren Daishonin states:
Benefit is happiness. It is the effect of eradicating evil and producing good. Benefit is the attainment of Buddhahood in one’s present form. It is the purification of the six sense organs (Gosho Zenshu, p. 762).
i) Conspicuous and inconspicuous benefit
This fundamental reformation of our lives is a gradual process that may go unnoticed from day to day: as a result it is called inconspicuous benefit (myoyaku) With the passing of time, however, we definitely notice that we have changed for the better. In the same way, a tree grows a little each day but its accumulated growth is only obvious after a number of years. By contrast, conspicuous benefit (kenyaku) refers to the visible and obvious changes in our circumstances that occur as a result of our practice – better relationships, financial security, improved health, and so on. These conspicuous appear as a result of the inconspicuous benefit accumulating in our lives. As President Ikeda explains:
…it must be stressed that in this time of the Latter Day of the Law, while we certainly experience conspicuous benefit, it is ‘inconspicuous benefit’ that is central to our faith. Just as a seed will grow into a great tree with the passage of time, the branches of good fortune and benefit in our lives will thicken and produce flowers and fruit as we continue to practise. This is inconspicuous benefit. A ‘tree of good fortune and benefit’ that is thus rooted in the earth of life will not fall over. It stands firm even when buffeted by a fierce storm.
…[This] can be interpreted as the great benefit of attaining Buddhahood. President Toda characterized the state of Buddhahood as ‘absolute happiness’ and as ‘powerful life force’. To reiterate, when we practise Buddhism, we absolutely experience conspicuous benefit of the kinds earlier mentioned. We particularly gain wonderful benefit when we first embrace faith and see our immediate sufferings resolved without fail. When we then advance further in faith with confidence gained from this initial experience, we can receive immense benefit, to which this earlier benefit pales by comparison. This is the benefit of absolutely flourishing vitality.[7]
ii) Purification of the six senses
Another way to view inconspicuous benefit is to say that practising Buddhism enables us to ‘purify’ our six senses – the five commonly recognised senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch, and ‘mind’, our ability to integrate the information received by our five senses into coherent objects and patterns. ‘Purify’ in this context means to develop the ability to perceive things as they really are, rather than as we would like – or fear - them to be.
Buddhism teaches that our six senses are purified by our efforts to spread the Law. As Daisaku Ikeda explains:
'Accepting and upholding' means practicing faith with selfless dedication. It means wholeheartedly embracing the Gohonzon and thoroughly striving for kosen-rufu. This is 'constant exertion'. It is to work for kosen-rufu each day and over the course of one's life. Through such faith, the six sense organs are purified.[8]
Fundamentally, to purify the six senses means to base our perception of the world on the condition of Buddhahood, rather than the nine worlds, and then to act accordingly. In its complete sense, it means to make Buddhahood the dominant condition of our lives, to always relate to the world around us with wisdom, courage and compassion, and devote ourselves to the spread of Nichiren Daishonin’s teachings (kosen-rufu).
Through our practice, we harmonize our life with the rhythm, the wavelength, of the Mystic Law. We are then endowed with the power to advance confidently and without any hindrance, and the freedom to live our lives in sync with the universe. This is what it means to attain Buddhahood in one's present form, to do one's human revolution, and to purify the six sense organs.[9]
iii) Punishment (bachi)
The concepts of ‘benefit’ and ‘punishment’ both appear on the Gohonzon. Just inside the large characters in the top left hand corner are characters that state, ‘One who makes offerings[10] will attract good fortune surpassing the [Buddha’s] ten honourable titles.’ By contrast, just inside the large characters in the top right hand corner are characters that state, ‘Those who slander [the practitioners of the Law] will have their heads broken into seven pieces.’ This admonition is based on a passage in the Dharani (twenty-sixth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, which says of those who ‘trouble and disrupt the preachers of the Law’:
their heads will split into seven pieces like the branches of the arjaka tree.[11]
This alludes to the fundamentally confused and deluded state of mind that results from opposing or disregarding the Law: the opposite of the purification of the six senses.
Buddhism teaches that the worst cause one can make, which will bring the greatest punishment, is consciously to disrupt the flow of kosen-rufu, the spread of Nichiren Daishonin’s teachings. This is because to act in this way is to deny other people their fundamental human right to discover within themselves – and actualise - the potential to attain the supreme happiness of eternal enlightenment within this lifetime.
In short, neither benefit nor punishment is visited upon us by some outside force or supreme deity; rather, both are effects stemming of our own actions. In simple terms, as Josei Toda explains, ‘Benefit and punishment are…gain and loss in daily life.’[12]
4. Faith equals daily life (shinjin soku seikatsu)
There is a tendency in many religions to consider the ultimate reality of life to exist somewhere above, beyond or behind the mundane facts of daily living. God or gods, and the heaven they inhabit, are usually far off and unattainable in this life, while religion is seen as a bridge between ordinary people and this greater reality. The spiritual realm and the secular realm are fundamentally separate; thus, however hard we pray and however close we may come to the ultimate reality, we cannot become a god or attain heaven here on earth.
By contrast, the ‘Expedient Means’ (second) chapter of the Lotus Sutra teaches the concept of the true aspect of all phenomena. Briefly, this implies that all aspects of life contain the potential to reveal Buddhahood and that there is no fundamental difference between an ordinary person and a Buddha. In the words of Nichiren Daishonin:
When deluded one is called an ordinary being, but when enlightened, one is called a Buddha. This is similar to a tarnished mirror that that will shine like a jewel when polished. A mind now clouded by the illusions of the innate darkness of life is like a tarnished mirror, but when polished, it is sure to become like a clear mirror, reflecting the essential nature of all phenomena and the true aspect of reality.[13]
It follows from this that there is no ‘heaven’ separate from the here and now. Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism teaches that the Buddha’s land – where the Buddha lives – is nowhere other than the saha world; that is, contemporary society, where ordinary people live and work and, sadly, often suffer. So unlike in other forms of Buddhism, practising as Nichiren Daishonin taught does not involve withdrawing from society to a life of quiet contemplation in a monastery. Rather, it requires us to confront the negative realities of our individual lives, and our society, head on, and to challenge and transform them. The Daishonin states:
The true path lies in the affairs of this world. The Golden Light Sutra states, ‘To have a profound knowledge of this world is itself Buddhism.’ The Nirvana Sutra states, ‘All of the non-Buddhist scriptures and writings are themselves Buddhist teachings, not non-Buddhist teachings.’… [These sutras] relate secular matters in terms of Buddhism, whereas the Lotus Sutra explains that in the end secular matters are the entirety of Buddhism.[14]
Accordingly, the principle that ‘faith equals daily life’ means that as disciples of Nichiren Daishonin we reveal the wisdom, courage and compassion of our Buddha nature as ordinary people, living alongside our neighbours, colleagues and family members. Our struggle to create value is waged in the real world, and the fruits of our victories - our benefits - are enjoyed in the real world, by ourselves and others. As President Ikeda notes:
Buddhism exists nowhere but in our daily existence, in the realities of life and society. In other words, only through our actions in society and in our daily lives can we demonstrate proof of the validity of Buddhism. This is Nichiren Daishonin’s teaching and the traditional spirit of the Soka Gakkai.[15]
5. Fundamental darkness (Gampon no mumyo)
Fundamental darkness, or primal ignorance, is seen in Buddhism as innate in all life and the source of all illusions and desires. Since we are unable to perceive life clearly as it truly is, our tendency as human beings is to think, speak and act in ways that cause unhappiness for ourselves and others. Fundamental darkness is thus the fundamental source of all suffering. Nichiren Daishonin equates fundamental darkness with the workings of the devil king of the sixth heaven, which he describes as follows:
This world is the domain of the devil king of the sixth heaven. All of its people have been under the rule of this devil king since time without beginning. Not only has he built the prison of the twenty-five realms of existence[16] within the six paths and confined all humankind within it, but also he has made wives and children into shackles, and parents and sovereigns into nets that block off the skies. To deceive the true mind of the Buddha nature, he causes the people to drink the wine of greed, anger and foolishness, and feeds them nothing but dishes of evil that leave them prostrate on the ground of the three evil paths. When he happens on persons who have turned their hearts to goodness, he acts to obstruct them.[17]
The Lotus Sutra, however, also teaches the innate enlightenment of life (gampon no hossho). On this basis, Nichiren Daishonin further defined fundamental darkness as ignorance of one’s own Buddha nature, which can be dispelled by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. He says:
When deluded, one is called an ordinary being, but when enlightened, one is called a Buddha. This is similar to a tarnished mirror that will shine like a jewel when polished. A mind now clouded by the illusions of the innate darkness of life is like a tarnished mirror, but when polished, it is sure to become like a clear mirror, reflecting the essential nature of all phenomena and the true aspect of reality. Arose deep faith, and diligently polish your mirror night and day. How should you polish it? Only by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.[18]
In other words, through carrying out the consistent and continual practice of Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism, we can dispel the illusions that are the fundamental source of our suffering, and transform our desires so that, more and more, they create value for ourselves and others. Even so, the fundamental darkness remains in our lives, as Nichiren Daishonin explains:
According to the provisional teachings and the schools based on them, both good and evil remain in one’s life through all the stages of the bodhisattva practice up to the stage of near-perfect enlightenment. Hence people at the stage of near-perfect enlightenment or below have faults of some kind, [but not those at the highest stage]. In contrast, the heart of the Lotus school is the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life, which reveals that both good and evil are inherent even in those at the stage of perfect enlightenment. The fundamental nature of enlightenment manifests itself as Brahma and Shakra, whereas the fundamental darkness manifests itself as the devil king of the sixth heaven.[19]
It follows from this that by continually struggling against the devil king of the sixth heaven without - as he appears in society in the form of abusive power and opposition to the movement for kosen-rufu - we also subdue the fundamental darkness within, in our own lives. President Ikeda notes:
The Buddha … is a person of supreme good. But this is not to say that there is no evil in the life of the Buddha. It exists, of course, as a potential. But because the Buddha aims for the ultimate good and relentlessly struggles against evil, good is what manifests from his life.[20]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] The Human Revolution, Preface.
[2] Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, 39
[3] Traditionally, various external signs denoting a Buddha.
[4] LS2,
[5] WND, p. 1030.
[6] The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, 8
[7] Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, 48
[8] Ibid, 39
[9] Ibid.
[10] ‘Makes offerings’ here has the broad meaning of to respect and praise.
[11] LS26, p. 310.
[12] Lecture on the Sutra
[13] WND, p. 4.
[14] Ibid., p. 1126.
[15] Buddhism in Action, Vol. 5, p. 251.
[16] Subdivisions of the threefold world – fourteen realms in the world of desire, seven in the world of form, and four in the world of formlessness. All twenty-five fall into the category of the six paths or lower worlds.
[17] WND, pp. 495-6
[18] WND, p. 4.
[19] Ibid., p. 1113
[20] Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, 19.
(to be continued)
I cannot see the sun in the daytime or the moon at night. In winter there is deep snow, and in summer the grass grows thick. Because so few people come to see me, the trail is very hard to travel. This year, especially, the snow is so deep that I have no visitors at all. Knowing that my life may end at any time, I put all my trust in the Lotus Sutra.
[ The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra, WND Page 779 ]
[ The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra, WND Page 779 ]
G
Guest
PassTheDoobie said:
And further Put my trust in Nichiren and my beloved Mentor! I am truly free Master and embracing The Law has mercifully granted me much benefit with respect to Buddhawisdom and changing from within to really rev up the Human Revolution! Thanks for that great post above! Its there for the taking!
NAM-MYOHO-RENGE-KYO!!!!
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G
Guest
No wonder Tom and President Ikeda are dedicating so much emphasis on this! On Attaining Buddhahood in this Lifetime, is such a treasure Gosho, it really adds a lovely dimension to my life! I re-read the entire gosho today after reviewing this last exchange of posts this week again and gathering the essence behind the words and I must say, if you can please read On Attaining Buddhahood in this Life again, its here in the thread and paraphrased multiple times. *here's another chance!*
http://sgi-usa.org/buddhism/library/Nichiren/Gosho/OnAttainingBuddhahood.htm
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.
Life at each moment encompasses both body and spirit and both self and environment of all sentient beings in every condition of life1, as well as insentient beings -- plants, sky and earth, on down to the most minute particles of dust. Life at each moment permeates the universe and is revealed in all phenomena. One awakened to this truth himself embodies this relationship. However, even though you chant and believe in Myoho-renge-kyo, if you think the Law is outside yourself, you are embracing not the Mystic Law but some inferior teaching. "Inferior teachings" means those other than this sutra, which are all provisional and transient. No provisional teaching leads directly to enlightenment, and without the direct path to enlightenment you cannot attain Buddhahood, even if you practice lifetime after lifetime for countless aeons. Attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime is then impossible. Therefore, when you chant the Mystic Law and recite the Lotus Sutra, you must summon up deep conviction that Myoho-renge-kyo is your life itself.
You must never seek any of Shakyamuni's teachings or the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the universe outside yourself. Your mastery of the Buddhist teachings will not relieve you of mortal sufferings in the least unless you perceive the nature of your own life. If you seek enlightenment outside yourself, any discipline or good deed will be meaningless. For example, a poor man cannot earn a penny just by counting his neighbor's wealth, even if he does so night and day. That is why Miao-lo states, "Unless one perceives the nature of his life, he cannot eradicate his evil karma."2 He means here that unless one perceives the nature of his life, his practice will become an endless, painful austerity. Miao-lo therefore condemns such students of Buddhism as non-Buddhist. He refers to the passage in the Maka Shikan, "Although they study Buddhism, their views revert to those of non-Buddhists."
Whether you chant the Buddha's name3, recite the sutra or merely offer flowers and incense, all your virtuous acts will implant benefits in your life. With this conviction you should put your faith into practice. For example, the Jomyo Sutra says the Buddha's enlightenment is to be found in human life, thus showing that common mortals can attain Buddhahood and that the sufferings of birth and death can be transformed into nirvana. It further states that if the minds of the people are impure, their land is also impure, but if their minds are pure, so is their land. There are not two lands, pure or impure in themselves. The difference lies solely in the good or evil of our minds.
It is the same with a Buddha and a common mortal. While deluded, one is called a common mortal, but once enlightened, he is called a Buddha. Even a tarnished mirror will shine like a jewel if it is polished. A mind which presently is clouded by illusions originating from the innate darkness of life is like a tarnished mirror, but once it is polished it will become clear, reflecting the enlightenment of immutable truth. Arouse deep faith and polish your mirror night and day. How should you polish it? Only by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
What then does myo signify? It is simply the mysterious nature of our lives from moment to moment, which the mind cannot comprehend nor words express. When you look into your own mind at any moment, you perceive neither color nor form to verify that it exists. Yet you still cannot say it does not exist, for many differing thoughts continually occur to you. Life is indeed an elusive reality that transcends both the words and concepts of existence and nonexistence. It is neither existence nor nonexistence, yet exhibits the qualities of both. It is the mystic entity of the Middle Way that is the reality of all things. Myo is the name given to the mystic nature of life, and ho to its manifestations.
Renge, the lotus flower, symbolizes the wonder of this Law. Once you realize that your own life is the Mystic Law, you will realize that so are the lives of all others. That realization is the mystic kyo, or sutra. It is the king of sutras, the direct path to enlightenment, for it explains that the entity of our minds, from which spring both good and evil, is in fact the entity of the Mystic Law. If you have deep faith in this truth and chant Myoho-renge-kyo, you are certain to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime. That is why the sutra states, "After my death, you must embrace this sutra. Those who do so shall travel the straight road to Buddhahood."4 Never doubt in the slightest, but keep your faith and attain enlightenment in this lifetime. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
Respectfully,
Nichiren
NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO!!!
http://sgi-usa.org/buddhism/library/Nichiren/Gosho/OnAttainingBuddhahood.htm
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.
Life at each moment encompasses both body and spirit and both self and environment of all sentient beings in every condition of life1, as well as insentient beings -- plants, sky and earth, on down to the most minute particles of dust. Life at each moment permeates the universe and is revealed in all phenomena. One awakened to this truth himself embodies this relationship. However, even though you chant and believe in Myoho-renge-kyo, if you think the Law is outside yourself, you are embracing not the Mystic Law but some inferior teaching. "Inferior teachings" means those other than this sutra, which are all provisional and transient. No provisional teaching leads directly to enlightenment, and without the direct path to enlightenment you cannot attain Buddhahood, even if you practice lifetime after lifetime for countless aeons. Attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime is then impossible. Therefore, when you chant the Mystic Law and recite the Lotus Sutra, you must summon up deep conviction that Myoho-renge-kyo is your life itself.
You must never seek any of Shakyamuni's teachings or the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the universe outside yourself. Your mastery of the Buddhist teachings will not relieve you of mortal sufferings in the least unless you perceive the nature of your own life. If you seek enlightenment outside yourself, any discipline or good deed will be meaningless. For example, a poor man cannot earn a penny just by counting his neighbor's wealth, even if he does so night and day. That is why Miao-lo states, "Unless one perceives the nature of his life, he cannot eradicate his evil karma."2 He means here that unless one perceives the nature of his life, his practice will become an endless, painful austerity. Miao-lo therefore condemns such students of Buddhism as non-Buddhist. He refers to the passage in the Maka Shikan, "Although they study Buddhism, their views revert to those of non-Buddhists."
Whether you chant the Buddha's name3, recite the sutra or merely offer flowers and incense, all your virtuous acts will implant benefits in your life. With this conviction you should put your faith into practice. For example, the Jomyo Sutra says the Buddha's enlightenment is to be found in human life, thus showing that common mortals can attain Buddhahood and that the sufferings of birth and death can be transformed into nirvana. It further states that if the minds of the people are impure, their land is also impure, but if their minds are pure, so is their land. There are not two lands, pure or impure in themselves. The difference lies solely in the good or evil of our minds.
It is the same with a Buddha and a common mortal. While deluded, one is called a common mortal, but once enlightened, he is called a Buddha. Even a tarnished mirror will shine like a jewel if it is polished. A mind which presently is clouded by illusions originating from the innate darkness of life is like a tarnished mirror, but once it is polished it will become clear, reflecting the enlightenment of immutable truth. Arouse deep faith and polish your mirror night and day. How should you polish it? Only by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
What then does myo signify? It is simply the mysterious nature of our lives from moment to moment, which the mind cannot comprehend nor words express. When you look into your own mind at any moment, you perceive neither color nor form to verify that it exists. Yet you still cannot say it does not exist, for many differing thoughts continually occur to you. Life is indeed an elusive reality that transcends both the words and concepts of existence and nonexistence. It is neither existence nor nonexistence, yet exhibits the qualities of both. It is the mystic entity of the Middle Way that is the reality of all things. Myo is the name given to the mystic nature of life, and ho to its manifestations.
Renge, the lotus flower, symbolizes the wonder of this Law. Once you realize that your own life is the Mystic Law, you will realize that so are the lives of all others. That realization is the mystic kyo, or sutra. It is the king of sutras, the direct path to enlightenment, for it explains that the entity of our minds, from which spring both good and evil, is in fact the entity of the Mystic Law. If you have deep faith in this truth and chant Myoho-renge-kyo, you are certain to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime. That is why the sutra states, "After my death, you must embrace this sutra. Those who do so shall travel the straight road to Buddhahood."4 Never doubt in the slightest, but keep your faith and attain enlightenment in this lifetime. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
Respectfully,
Nichiren
NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO!!!
G
Guest
Babbabud said:Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!!!!!!
BabbaBudhisattva of the Earth
I like that very much! Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!!! Been chanting alot for you and Mrs.Chimney and for Bonzo and Always and Hitman and Socal and I know everything is really going where it should be as we keep faith and apply faith to every situation! Proud to be among you Bodhisattvas of the Earth!
"Buddhism is not an abstraction. Its truth is demonstrated in real life. It enables us to achieve victory without fail."
SGI Newsletter No. No. 6964,63RD SOKA GAKKAI HEADQUARTERS LEADERS MEETING—PART 1 [OF 2]The Daishonin's Buddhism Is the Ultimate Law of the Universe (At the 63rd Headquarters Leaders Meeting, on September 7, 2006.) Translated Sep. 20th, 2006
SGI Newsletter No. No. 6964,63RD SOKA GAKKAI HEADQUARTERS LEADERS MEETING—PART 1 [OF 2]The Daishonin's Buddhism Is the Ultimate Law of the Universe (At the 63rd Headquarters Leaders Meeting, on September 7, 2006.) Translated Sep. 20th, 2006
Human Revolution (part 2 of 3)
Human Revolution (part 2 of 3)
6. The Three Obstacles & Four Devils (sansho-shima)
The ‘three obstacles and four devils’ is the name given by T’ien-t’ai to the various hindrances in our lives, internal and external, that work to block our attainment of enlightenment and the spread of Buddhist teachings throughout society (kosen-rufu). Paradoxically, not only are these hindrances to be expected, they are actually proof that we are on the correct path. Nichiren Daishonin states:
There is definitely something extraordinary in the ebb and flow of the tide, the rising and setting of the moon, and the way in which summer, autumn, winter and spring give way to each other. Something uncommon also occurs when an ordinary person attains Buddhahood. At such a time, the three obstacles and four devils will invariably appear, and the wise will rejoice while the foolish retreat.[21]
In another passage he states:
The doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life [ichinen sanzen] revealed in the fifth volume of Great Concentration and Insight is especially profound. If you propagate it, devils will arise without fail. If they did not, there would be no way of knowing that this is the correct teaching. One passage from the same volume reads: ‘As practice progresses and understanding grows, the three obstacles and four devils emerge in confusing form, vying with one another to interfere... One should be neither influenced nor frightened by them. If one falls under their influence, one will be led into the paths of evil. If one is frightened by them, one will be prevented from practicing the correct teaching.” This statement not only applies to me, but also is a guide for my followers. Reverently make this teaching your own, and transmit it as an axiom of faith for future generations.[22]
If we think about it for a moment, it is perfectly natural to meet obstacles once we set ourselves a worthwhile goal. If we want to become physically fit, for example, we must exert ourselves against the physical resistance of weights and our bodily limitations, as well as the mental resistance of our minds, which often tell us that our goal is too difficult to reach or not worth the effort. It is by challenging this physical and mental resistance that we can become stronger and fitter.
It is the same with our practice of Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism. It is the inherent negativity in our lives, both within and around us, that is the fundamental bar to becoming truly happy. As long as we do not challenge ourselves this negativity can so dominate our lives that we may not even be aware of it. As Nichiren Daishonin notes:
The eighth volume of The Annotations on ‘Great Concentration and Insight’ states, ‘So long as a person does not try to depart from the sufferings of birth and death and aspire to the Buddha vehicle, the devil will watch over him like a parent.’ [23]
However, once we do ‘aspire to the Buddha vehicle’ – that is, begin to practise - this negativity is stirred up, appears in the form of resistance; and so the battle begins. The Daishonin further states:
The fundamental nature of enlightenment manifests itself as Brahma and Shakra, whereas the fundamental darkness manifests itself as the devil king of the sixth heaven.[24]
In short, our practice activates both the positive and the negative aspects of life – here characterised respectively as the protective gods Brahma and Shakra, and the devil king of the sixth heaven. Fundamentally, this is in order that the positive can be strengthened by the struggle against the negative, and so eventually defeat it. The first president of the Soka Gakkai, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, explains:
Unafraid of the devils and obstacles that will arise from within and without, we should urge them on and conquer them, thereby deepening our faith. In this way we can teach and convert others, and so receive benefit that surpasses our accumulated past debts [of negative karma]. Just like changing poison into medicine, we can change our misfortune into fortune, thus making our own the Law that afford access to supreme happiness.[25]
It follows, then, that in one sense attaining enlightenment consists of persisting in our practice ‘no matter what’, overcoming any negativity that we are guaranteed to meet along the way. Specifically, the three obstacles are:
the obstacle of earthly desires (bonno-sho) – the earthly desires of others that stimulate one’s own earthly desires, especially the emotions of greed, anger and foolishness
the obstacle of karma (go-sho) – expressed as opposition from one’s spouse or children
the obstacle of retribution (ho-sho*) – expressed as opposition from one’s superiors, including one’s parents
The four devils are:
the devil arising from the three poisons (bonno-ma) – expressed as wrong thinking, arising from shallow wisdom and delusion
the devil arising from the five components (on-ma) – the obstacle of sickness, which hinders one’s practice physically and through causing doubt
the devil of death (shi-ma) – which brings an end to one’s own practice and, through the untimely death of a fellow believer, again provokes doubts
the devil king of the sixth heaven (tenji-ma) – expressed both as the inherent negativity of life, and as oppression by those in power; the most powerful of all the three obstacles and four devils.
Broadly speaking, the three obstacles are external impediments to our practice, while the four devils are internal hindrances that seek to weaken and destroy our faith. The internal and external act in concert, however. For example, opposition from one’s spouse is external, an example of go-sho, but it arises from the karma within one’s own life; additionally, giving in to such opposition out of fear or the desire to please is also internal, an example of bonno-ma, the ‘devil’ arising from the three poisons of greed, anger and foolishness.
In general, ‘devils’ are more powerful than ‘obstacles’ because they arise within and try to destroy the Buddha way or faith in the correct teaching. For example, none of the three obstacles may destroy our practice completely, but the devil of death always does. But however strong these ‘obstacles’ and ‘devils’ might appear, once we recognise them for what they are we can definitely overcome them, and actually turn them into a springboard for our growth. As Nichiren Daishonin warns, ‘If you do not know your enemies, they will deceive you.’[26]
In the final analysis, victory or defeat depends on our seeking minds towards the Gohonzon, and our efforts to stop our practice lapsing into mere habit. Nichiren Daishonin encourages us: ‘Strengthen your faith day by day and month after month. Should you slacken in your resolve even a bit, devils will take advantage.’[27]
7. Earthly desires are enlightenment (bonno soku bodai) and the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana (shoji soku nehan)
Many people associate Buddhism with calm and self-control – statues of Shakyamuni Buddha tend to show him sitting or lying at peace, often with his eyes closed in deep meditation. These ideas and images are based on early Buddhist teachings that stressed the inevitable link between suffering and desire, and taught that enlightenment lies in breaking this link by eradicating desire – the word ‘nirvana’, which in many sutras is equated with enlightenment, is literally translated as ‘blown out’, and refers to the eradication by the Buddha of all thought, desire and illusion; indeed, of the endless cycle of birth and death itself.
Eradicating desire is easier said than done, however, since Buddhism also teaches that sufferings and desires are linked to karma in a relentless circle called the ‘three evil paths’. Earthly desires (bonno), arising from the fundamental darkness of life, inspire actions based on greed, anger and ignorance that create evil karma. The effects of this karma appear as suffering of various kinds, which aggravate one’s earthly desires, which inspire actions that create more evil karma, and so on. The three evil paths, for example, might lead us into a succession of unhappy relationships: we might be miserable that we are without a partner (suffering) and seek happiness in a relationship (desire). But through our ignorance we choose the wrong person (karma) and end up unhappy (suffering). So we look for someone else (desire) but still choose wrongly (karma). And so it goes on.
Since the three evil paths are so difficult to break, early Buddhism teaches a wide variety of physical and mental austerities aimed at controlling, subduing and eventually annihilating one’s desires altogether. However, critics of this approach pointed out that pursuing the goal of enlightenment was itself dependent on desire, as was the wish to continue living long enough to attain that goal; in other words, there is an inherent contradiction in this view of enlightenment, and logically it is attainable only in death. Indeed, its critics derided it as the teaching of ‘annihilating one’s consciousness and reducing one’s body to ashes’.
By contrast, Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism teaches that not only are desires and sufferings intrinsic to life, they are actually the source of enlightenment. This is the meaning of the phrases ‘earthly desires are enlightenment’ (bonno soku bodai) and ‘the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana’ (shoji soku nehan). This is not to say that desires and sufferings are enlightenment in themselves, but that they are raw material, so to speak, from which enlightenment arises.
To explain, it is necessary to examine the word soku that appears in the Japanese phrases bonno soku bodai and shoji soku nehan. Literally, soku means ‘the same thing’, ‘as it is’, ‘equals’, but implies the dynamic concept of transformation; that is, soku points to the fact that theoretically enlightenment is inherent within both desire and suffering. T’ien-t’ai famously clarified this by explaining how, when placed in sunlight, a sour persimmon becomes a sweet persimmon: the sourness and sweetness are both inherent in the fruit, just as it is; and, crucially, it also possesses the inherent capacity to change.
Applying this concept to human life, Nichiren Daishonin taught that there is no fundamental distinction or duality between desires, suffering and enlightenment – all arise from life itself. To become enlightened, therefore, one need not eradicate desire or fear suffering, but simply transform them. How? He explains, ‘The single word soku is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.’[28]
In other words, it is our desires and sufferings that sustain and motivate our practice, that encourage us to return continually to the Gohonzon; and it is through our repeated and regular practice to the Gohonzon, chanting about our day-to-day problems and what we desire, that we gradually grow and change. In the words of Nichiren Daishonin:
Now Nichiren and his followers who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo…burn the firewood of earthly desires and reveal the fire of enlightened wisdom.[29]
Through the spark of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the logs of earthly desires (and sufferings) are purified, transformed into the fire of enlightenment. Equally, without the logs of earthly desires there could be no fire. It is thanks to Nichiren Daishonin, who turned soku from a theoretical concept into a practical reality, that human beings are at last able to break the mutually destructive relationship of the three paths, and instead experience the joy of the Buddha of absolute freedom. As he says in the Gosho ‘The One Essential Phrase’:
We ordinary beings are fettered by evil karma, earthly desires and the sufferings of birth and death. But due to the three inherent properties of the Buddha nature – innate Buddhahood, the wisdom to perceive it and the actions to manifest it – we can without doubt reveal the Buddha’s three bodies…[30]
8. Changing karma
Karma is the name given to the accumulated effect in our lives of causes we ourselves have made in the past. Good causes, especially those arising from respect for the fundamental dignity of all life, give rise to good or positive karma. Bad causes, especially those arising from disrespect for the dignity of life, give rise to bad or negative karma. Nichiren Daishonin explains:
One who climbs a high mountain must eventually descend. One who slights another will in turn be despised. One who deprecates those of handsome appearance will be born ugly. One who robs another of food and clothing is sure to fall into the world of hungry spirits. One who mocks a person who observes the precepts and is worthy of respect will be born to an impoverished and lowly family. One who slanders a family that embraces the correct teaching will be born to a family that holds erroneous views. One who laughs at those who cherish the precepts faithfully will be born a commoner and meet with persecution from one’s sovereign. This is the general law of cause and effect.[31]
This causal law operates not only in this life; rather, we are born in circumstances appropriate to causes we have made in previous existences, and our actions in this life will create the conditions for our rebirth in the future. In other words, it is karma – the accumulation of cause and effect – that accounts for the differences in fortune that we all experience at birth. Some are born rich, others poor; some healthy, others sickly; and so on.
The concept of karma is central to a number of Eastern religions, but they differ on the key question of whether and how karma can be changed. Some are totally fatalistic, teaching that our fundamental destiny is determined by causes made in past lives, and that we can do little to alter the basic direction of our lives in the present. These religions therefore tend to teach a passive or stoical acceptance of one’s circumstances in this life. Other religions – including the pre-Lotus Sutra doctrines of Buddhism - teach that we can change our destiny, but only over many lifetimes. Through adhering to a complex set of rules of daily living that help us avoid making bad causes, or by following strict bodhisattva practices in which we sacrifice our needs to the demands of others, we can gradually rise through a hierarchy of life states until, finally, we attain enlightenment and are freed from suffering.
By contrast, Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism teaches that we can change our karma here and now, in a single lifetime, whatever causes for good or evil we may have made in this or previous lifetimes. Rather than viewing the present as the result of past causes, it emphasises that through making the correct causes now, our present reality can be transformed and our future happiness created.
In particular, this teaching focuses on changing the inherent cause that gives rise to the actions that produce karma. This inherent cause is our dominant life condition. A person dominated by the life condition of Anger, for example, will tend to think angry thoughts, speak angry words and take angry actions: these causes made in the world of Anger will inevitably produce effects in the world of Anger. As a result the individual will create the karma to live in conflict with the world around him. A person dominated by the world of Tranquillity, however, will make causes appropriate to that life condition and therefore enjoy (or suffer) the corresponding effects. His life will be much more peaceful but, on the other hand, it might also be dull and uneventful.
To change our karma, then, Nichiren Daishonin teaches that we have to transform our dominant life condition by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, so that it reveals its inherently positive aspect. Thus, our Anger will erupt at injustice, say, and not simply when we feel our ego to be threatened; while our Tranquillity will enable us to stay calm at times of stress, but not so laid back that we are completely detached from and indifferent to the suffering of those around us.
What’s more, by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo all of the life states that we possess change to reveal their positive qualities. As Nichiren Daishonin explains, ‘Illuminated by the light of the five characters of the Mystic Law, they display the dignified attributes that they inherently possess.’[32] Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo therefore enables us to reveal the qualities of our greater or higher self – Buddhahood – in all areas of our lives, and increasingly to think, speak and act with the Buddha’s wisdom, courage and compassion. As a result, our lives increasingly come to reflect the effects of causes based on the world of Buddhahood, especially causes made to support kosen-rufu and the movement to spread Nam-myoho-renge-kyo throughout our respective societies.
In short, practising the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin assiduously, throughout our lives, is the sure way to change our karma for the better. As he says, ‘The wonderful means of truly putting an end to the physical and spiritual obstacles of all living beings is none other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.’[33]
There is, however, an even more profound level from which to view our karma – as a means of proving the power of the Gohonzon to others. President Ikeda explains:
President Toda often said: ‘Someone who is too exemplary from the outset cannot go among the people. In order to spread Buddhism we intentionally chose to be born as people who are poor or sick.’ ‘Life is like appearing in a play,’ he would say.
He also said, ‘I lost my wife and my daughter died. My business failed. Because I have known such suffering, I could become President of the Soka Gakkai. People who have not experienced painful struggles or suffering cannot understand the hearts of others. Only if one has tasted life’s bitterness can one lead people to happiness.
To simply view your sufferings as ‘karma’ is backward-looking. We should have the attitude: ‘These are sufferings I took on for the sake of my mission. I vowed to overcome these problems through faith.’
When we understand the this principle of ‘deliberately creating the appropriate karma’, our frame of mind is transformed; what we had previously viewed as destiny, we come to see as mission. There is absolutely no way we cannot overcome sufferings that are the result of a vow that we ourselves made.[34]
9. Lessening One's Karmic Retribution (tenju-kyoju)
Karma, from the Sanskrit word meaning ‘action’, is the concept that we create our own destiny through each thought, word and deed, for lifetime after lifetime. As the Contemplation of the Mind-Ground Sutra states, ‘If you want to understand the causes that existed in the past, look at the results as they are manifested in the present. And if you want to understand what results will be manifested in the future, look at the causes that exist in the present.’[35] In other words, any good fortune we might presently enjoy, or any misfortune we might suffer, is a result of causes we ourselves have made in this or previous lives.
Buddhism teaches that this law of cause and effect is simultaneous, strict and inescapable. If we cause another person to suffer, for example, at that very instant the effect of suffering is planted deep in our own lives, and will definitely emerge in the future in response to the appropriate cause. Causes made in the lower worlds, especially those dominated by greed, anger and foolishness, will inevitably lodge negative effects in our lives that will at some point become manifest as our suffering.
The principle of lessening one’s karmic retribution states that while we cannot escape the consequences of bad causes we have made, through the practice of Buddhism we can lessen their impact. As the Parinirvana Sutra states, ‘It is due to the blessings obtained by protecting the Law that one can diminish in this lifetime his suffering and retribution.’
In practical terms, this might mean that although we might have made the cause to have a road accident, say, thanks to the protection and good fortune resulting from our practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we might escape without a serious injury; or be injured but still alive.
Indeed, the very fact that we are able to go to the Gohonzon and chant when we have a problem in itself alleviates the suffering we might be facing. When a serious illness appears in our lives, for example, we are able to generate wisdom, courage, life force and hope through our practice. Without knowing about chanting, the same illness might condemn us simply to a period of anxiety and misery, one that drains our life force and contributes to a slower recovery – or none at all.
Furthermore, through chanting this very experience of struggling to overcome our suffering will contribute to our human revolution: we will deepen our faith in the Gohonzon and emerge a stronger, more confident individual, who is more capable of encouraging others.
[21] WND, p. 637.
[22] WND, p. 501.
[23] Ibid., p. 770.
[24] Ibid., p. 1113.
[25] Quoted in Buddhism in Action, vol. 6, p. 298.
[26] WND, p. 664.
[27] WND, p. 997.
[28] Ongi Kuden.
[29] Ibid.
[30] WND, p. 923
[31] WND p. 305.
[32] WND, p. 832.
[33] Ibid., p. 842.
[34] ‘Conversations on the Lotus Sutra’, 16.
[35] Quoted in WND, p. 279.
(to be continued)
Human Revolution (part 2 of 3)
6. The Three Obstacles & Four Devils (sansho-shima)
The ‘three obstacles and four devils’ is the name given by T’ien-t’ai to the various hindrances in our lives, internal and external, that work to block our attainment of enlightenment and the spread of Buddhist teachings throughout society (kosen-rufu). Paradoxically, not only are these hindrances to be expected, they are actually proof that we are on the correct path. Nichiren Daishonin states:
There is definitely something extraordinary in the ebb and flow of the tide, the rising and setting of the moon, and the way in which summer, autumn, winter and spring give way to each other. Something uncommon also occurs when an ordinary person attains Buddhahood. At such a time, the three obstacles and four devils will invariably appear, and the wise will rejoice while the foolish retreat.[21]
In another passage he states:
The doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life [ichinen sanzen] revealed in the fifth volume of Great Concentration and Insight is especially profound. If you propagate it, devils will arise without fail. If they did not, there would be no way of knowing that this is the correct teaching. One passage from the same volume reads: ‘As practice progresses and understanding grows, the three obstacles and four devils emerge in confusing form, vying with one another to interfere... One should be neither influenced nor frightened by them. If one falls under their influence, one will be led into the paths of evil. If one is frightened by them, one will be prevented from practicing the correct teaching.” This statement not only applies to me, but also is a guide for my followers. Reverently make this teaching your own, and transmit it as an axiom of faith for future generations.[22]
If we think about it for a moment, it is perfectly natural to meet obstacles once we set ourselves a worthwhile goal. If we want to become physically fit, for example, we must exert ourselves against the physical resistance of weights and our bodily limitations, as well as the mental resistance of our minds, which often tell us that our goal is too difficult to reach or not worth the effort. It is by challenging this physical and mental resistance that we can become stronger and fitter.
It is the same with our practice of Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism. It is the inherent negativity in our lives, both within and around us, that is the fundamental bar to becoming truly happy. As long as we do not challenge ourselves this negativity can so dominate our lives that we may not even be aware of it. As Nichiren Daishonin notes:
The eighth volume of The Annotations on ‘Great Concentration and Insight’ states, ‘So long as a person does not try to depart from the sufferings of birth and death and aspire to the Buddha vehicle, the devil will watch over him like a parent.’ [23]
However, once we do ‘aspire to the Buddha vehicle’ – that is, begin to practise - this negativity is stirred up, appears in the form of resistance; and so the battle begins. The Daishonin further states:
The fundamental nature of enlightenment manifests itself as Brahma and Shakra, whereas the fundamental darkness manifests itself as the devil king of the sixth heaven.[24]
In short, our practice activates both the positive and the negative aspects of life – here characterised respectively as the protective gods Brahma and Shakra, and the devil king of the sixth heaven. Fundamentally, this is in order that the positive can be strengthened by the struggle against the negative, and so eventually defeat it. The first president of the Soka Gakkai, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, explains:
Unafraid of the devils and obstacles that will arise from within and without, we should urge them on and conquer them, thereby deepening our faith. In this way we can teach and convert others, and so receive benefit that surpasses our accumulated past debts [of negative karma]. Just like changing poison into medicine, we can change our misfortune into fortune, thus making our own the Law that afford access to supreme happiness.[25]
It follows, then, that in one sense attaining enlightenment consists of persisting in our practice ‘no matter what’, overcoming any negativity that we are guaranteed to meet along the way. Specifically, the three obstacles are:
the obstacle of earthly desires (bonno-sho) – the earthly desires of others that stimulate one’s own earthly desires, especially the emotions of greed, anger and foolishness
the obstacle of karma (go-sho) – expressed as opposition from one’s spouse or children
the obstacle of retribution (ho-sho*) – expressed as opposition from one’s superiors, including one’s parents
The four devils are:
the devil arising from the three poisons (bonno-ma) – expressed as wrong thinking, arising from shallow wisdom and delusion
the devil arising from the five components (on-ma) – the obstacle of sickness, which hinders one’s practice physically and through causing doubt
the devil of death (shi-ma) – which brings an end to one’s own practice and, through the untimely death of a fellow believer, again provokes doubts
the devil king of the sixth heaven (tenji-ma) – expressed both as the inherent negativity of life, and as oppression by those in power; the most powerful of all the three obstacles and four devils.
Broadly speaking, the three obstacles are external impediments to our practice, while the four devils are internal hindrances that seek to weaken and destroy our faith. The internal and external act in concert, however. For example, opposition from one’s spouse is external, an example of go-sho, but it arises from the karma within one’s own life; additionally, giving in to such opposition out of fear or the desire to please is also internal, an example of bonno-ma, the ‘devil’ arising from the three poisons of greed, anger and foolishness.
In general, ‘devils’ are more powerful than ‘obstacles’ because they arise within and try to destroy the Buddha way or faith in the correct teaching. For example, none of the three obstacles may destroy our practice completely, but the devil of death always does. But however strong these ‘obstacles’ and ‘devils’ might appear, once we recognise them for what they are we can definitely overcome them, and actually turn them into a springboard for our growth. As Nichiren Daishonin warns, ‘If you do not know your enemies, they will deceive you.’[26]
In the final analysis, victory or defeat depends on our seeking minds towards the Gohonzon, and our efforts to stop our practice lapsing into mere habit. Nichiren Daishonin encourages us: ‘Strengthen your faith day by day and month after month. Should you slacken in your resolve even a bit, devils will take advantage.’[27]
7. Earthly desires are enlightenment (bonno soku bodai) and the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana (shoji soku nehan)
Many people associate Buddhism with calm and self-control – statues of Shakyamuni Buddha tend to show him sitting or lying at peace, often with his eyes closed in deep meditation. These ideas and images are based on early Buddhist teachings that stressed the inevitable link between suffering and desire, and taught that enlightenment lies in breaking this link by eradicating desire – the word ‘nirvana’, which in many sutras is equated with enlightenment, is literally translated as ‘blown out’, and refers to the eradication by the Buddha of all thought, desire and illusion; indeed, of the endless cycle of birth and death itself.
Eradicating desire is easier said than done, however, since Buddhism also teaches that sufferings and desires are linked to karma in a relentless circle called the ‘three evil paths’. Earthly desires (bonno), arising from the fundamental darkness of life, inspire actions based on greed, anger and ignorance that create evil karma. The effects of this karma appear as suffering of various kinds, which aggravate one’s earthly desires, which inspire actions that create more evil karma, and so on. The three evil paths, for example, might lead us into a succession of unhappy relationships: we might be miserable that we are without a partner (suffering) and seek happiness in a relationship (desire). But through our ignorance we choose the wrong person (karma) and end up unhappy (suffering). So we look for someone else (desire) but still choose wrongly (karma). And so it goes on.
Since the three evil paths are so difficult to break, early Buddhism teaches a wide variety of physical and mental austerities aimed at controlling, subduing and eventually annihilating one’s desires altogether. However, critics of this approach pointed out that pursuing the goal of enlightenment was itself dependent on desire, as was the wish to continue living long enough to attain that goal; in other words, there is an inherent contradiction in this view of enlightenment, and logically it is attainable only in death. Indeed, its critics derided it as the teaching of ‘annihilating one’s consciousness and reducing one’s body to ashes’.
By contrast, Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism teaches that not only are desires and sufferings intrinsic to life, they are actually the source of enlightenment. This is the meaning of the phrases ‘earthly desires are enlightenment’ (bonno soku bodai) and ‘the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana’ (shoji soku nehan). This is not to say that desires and sufferings are enlightenment in themselves, but that they are raw material, so to speak, from which enlightenment arises.
To explain, it is necessary to examine the word soku that appears in the Japanese phrases bonno soku bodai and shoji soku nehan. Literally, soku means ‘the same thing’, ‘as it is’, ‘equals’, but implies the dynamic concept of transformation; that is, soku points to the fact that theoretically enlightenment is inherent within both desire and suffering. T’ien-t’ai famously clarified this by explaining how, when placed in sunlight, a sour persimmon becomes a sweet persimmon: the sourness and sweetness are both inherent in the fruit, just as it is; and, crucially, it also possesses the inherent capacity to change.
Applying this concept to human life, Nichiren Daishonin taught that there is no fundamental distinction or duality between desires, suffering and enlightenment – all arise from life itself. To become enlightened, therefore, one need not eradicate desire or fear suffering, but simply transform them. How? He explains, ‘The single word soku is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.’[28]
In other words, it is our desires and sufferings that sustain and motivate our practice, that encourage us to return continually to the Gohonzon; and it is through our repeated and regular practice to the Gohonzon, chanting about our day-to-day problems and what we desire, that we gradually grow and change. In the words of Nichiren Daishonin:
Now Nichiren and his followers who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo…burn the firewood of earthly desires and reveal the fire of enlightened wisdom.[29]
Through the spark of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the logs of earthly desires (and sufferings) are purified, transformed into the fire of enlightenment. Equally, without the logs of earthly desires there could be no fire. It is thanks to Nichiren Daishonin, who turned soku from a theoretical concept into a practical reality, that human beings are at last able to break the mutually destructive relationship of the three paths, and instead experience the joy of the Buddha of absolute freedom. As he says in the Gosho ‘The One Essential Phrase’:
We ordinary beings are fettered by evil karma, earthly desires and the sufferings of birth and death. But due to the three inherent properties of the Buddha nature – innate Buddhahood, the wisdom to perceive it and the actions to manifest it – we can without doubt reveal the Buddha’s three bodies…[30]
8. Changing karma
Karma is the name given to the accumulated effect in our lives of causes we ourselves have made in the past. Good causes, especially those arising from respect for the fundamental dignity of all life, give rise to good or positive karma. Bad causes, especially those arising from disrespect for the dignity of life, give rise to bad or negative karma. Nichiren Daishonin explains:
One who climbs a high mountain must eventually descend. One who slights another will in turn be despised. One who deprecates those of handsome appearance will be born ugly. One who robs another of food and clothing is sure to fall into the world of hungry spirits. One who mocks a person who observes the precepts and is worthy of respect will be born to an impoverished and lowly family. One who slanders a family that embraces the correct teaching will be born to a family that holds erroneous views. One who laughs at those who cherish the precepts faithfully will be born a commoner and meet with persecution from one’s sovereign. This is the general law of cause and effect.[31]
This causal law operates not only in this life; rather, we are born in circumstances appropriate to causes we have made in previous existences, and our actions in this life will create the conditions for our rebirth in the future. In other words, it is karma – the accumulation of cause and effect – that accounts for the differences in fortune that we all experience at birth. Some are born rich, others poor; some healthy, others sickly; and so on.
The concept of karma is central to a number of Eastern religions, but they differ on the key question of whether and how karma can be changed. Some are totally fatalistic, teaching that our fundamental destiny is determined by causes made in past lives, and that we can do little to alter the basic direction of our lives in the present. These religions therefore tend to teach a passive or stoical acceptance of one’s circumstances in this life. Other religions – including the pre-Lotus Sutra doctrines of Buddhism - teach that we can change our destiny, but only over many lifetimes. Through adhering to a complex set of rules of daily living that help us avoid making bad causes, or by following strict bodhisattva practices in which we sacrifice our needs to the demands of others, we can gradually rise through a hierarchy of life states until, finally, we attain enlightenment and are freed from suffering.
By contrast, Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism teaches that we can change our karma here and now, in a single lifetime, whatever causes for good or evil we may have made in this or previous lifetimes. Rather than viewing the present as the result of past causes, it emphasises that through making the correct causes now, our present reality can be transformed and our future happiness created.
In particular, this teaching focuses on changing the inherent cause that gives rise to the actions that produce karma. This inherent cause is our dominant life condition. A person dominated by the life condition of Anger, for example, will tend to think angry thoughts, speak angry words and take angry actions: these causes made in the world of Anger will inevitably produce effects in the world of Anger. As a result the individual will create the karma to live in conflict with the world around him. A person dominated by the world of Tranquillity, however, will make causes appropriate to that life condition and therefore enjoy (or suffer) the corresponding effects. His life will be much more peaceful but, on the other hand, it might also be dull and uneventful.
To change our karma, then, Nichiren Daishonin teaches that we have to transform our dominant life condition by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, so that it reveals its inherently positive aspect. Thus, our Anger will erupt at injustice, say, and not simply when we feel our ego to be threatened; while our Tranquillity will enable us to stay calm at times of stress, but not so laid back that we are completely detached from and indifferent to the suffering of those around us.
What’s more, by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo all of the life states that we possess change to reveal their positive qualities. As Nichiren Daishonin explains, ‘Illuminated by the light of the five characters of the Mystic Law, they display the dignified attributes that they inherently possess.’[32] Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo therefore enables us to reveal the qualities of our greater or higher self – Buddhahood – in all areas of our lives, and increasingly to think, speak and act with the Buddha’s wisdom, courage and compassion. As a result, our lives increasingly come to reflect the effects of causes based on the world of Buddhahood, especially causes made to support kosen-rufu and the movement to spread Nam-myoho-renge-kyo throughout our respective societies.
In short, practising the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin assiduously, throughout our lives, is the sure way to change our karma for the better. As he says, ‘The wonderful means of truly putting an end to the physical and spiritual obstacles of all living beings is none other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.’[33]
There is, however, an even more profound level from which to view our karma – as a means of proving the power of the Gohonzon to others. President Ikeda explains:
President Toda often said: ‘Someone who is too exemplary from the outset cannot go among the people. In order to spread Buddhism we intentionally chose to be born as people who are poor or sick.’ ‘Life is like appearing in a play,’ he would say.
He also said, ‘I lost my wife and my daughter died. My business failed. Because I have known such suffering, I could become President of the Soka Gakkai. People who have not experienced painful struggles or suffering cannot understand the hearts of others. Only if one has tasted life’s bitterness can one lead people to happiness.
To simply view your sufferings as ‘karma’ is backward-looking. We should have the attitude: ‘These are sufferings I took on for the sake of my mission. I vowed to overcome these problems through faith.’
When we understand the this principle of ‘deliberately creating the appropriate karma’, our frame of mind is transformed; what we had previously viewed as destiny, we come to see as mission. There is absolutely no way we cannot overcome sufferings that are the result of a vow that we ourselves made.[34]
9. Lessening One's Karmic Retribution (tenju-kyoju)
Karma, from the Sanskrit word meaning ‘action’, is the concept that we create our own destiny through each thought, word and deed, for lifetime after lifetime. As the Contemplation of the Mind-Ground Sutra states, ‘If you want to understand the causes that existed in the past, look at the results as they are manifested in the present. And if you want to understand what results will be manifested in the future, look at the causes that exist in the present.’[35] In other words, any good fortune we might presently enjoy, or any misfortune we might suffer, is a result of causes we ourselves have made in this or previous lives.
Buddhism teaches that this law of cause and effect is simultaneous, strict and inescapable. If we cause another person to suffer, for example, at that very instant the effect of suffering is planted deep in our own lives, and will definitely emerge in the future in response to the appropriate cause. Causes made in the lower worlds, especially those dominated by greed, anger and foolishness, will inevitably lodge negative effects in our lives that will at some point become manifest as our suffering.
The principle of lessening one’s karmic retribution states that while we cannot escape the consequences of bad causes we have made, through the practice of Buddhism we can lessen their impact. As the Parinirvana Sutra states, ‘It is due to the blessings obtained by protecting the Law that one can diminish in this lifetime his suffering and retribution.’
In practical terms, this might mean that although we might have made the cause to have a road accident, say, thanks to the protection and good fortune resulting from our practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we might escape without a serious injury; or be injured but still alive.
Indeed, the very fact that we are able to go to the Gohonzon and chant when we have a problem in itself alleviates the suffering we might be facing. When a serious illness appears in our lives, for example, we are able to generate wisdom, courage, life force and hope through our practice. Without knowing about chanting, the same illness might condemn us simply to a period of anxiety and misery, one that drains our life force and contributes to a slower recovery – or none at all.
Furthermore, through chanting this very experience of struggling to overcome our suffering will contribute to our human revolution: we will deepen our faith in the Gohonzon and emerge a stronger, more confident individual, who is more capable of encouraging others.
[21] WND, p. 637.
[22] WND, p. 501.
[23] Ibid., p. 770.
[24] Ibid., p. 1113.
[25] Quoted in Buddhism in Action, vol. 6, p. 298.
[26] WND, p. 664.
[27] WND, p. 997.
[28] Ongi Kuden.
[29] Ibid.
[30] WND, p. 923
[31] WND p. 305.
[32] WND, p. 832.
[33] Ibid., p. 842.
[34] ‘Conversations on the Lotus Sutra’, 16.
[35] Quoted in WND, p. 279.
(to be continued)
>>>>>>>>>nam myoho renge kyo>>>>>>>>>> 
G
Guest
Gosho Excerpt:
"Miao-lo said, "Wise men can perceive the cause of things, as snakes know the way of snakes." The present epidemics are like the virulent boils of King Ajatashatru that could not be cured by anyone but the Buddha. They can only be eliminated by the Lotus Sutra."
The two kinds of illness,
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, pg# 920)
Written to Shijo Kingo on 26 June 1278 from Minobu
http://sgi-usa.org/buddhism/library/Nichiren/wnd/concord/pages.view/920.html
Daily Encouragement:
Winning in life is not a matter of form or appearances. It has nothing to do with vanity. Victory in life ultimately hinges on whether one has truly fought, whether one has truly advanced.
Lectures and articles about Nichiren Buddhism: http://sgi-usa.org/buddhism/
*been very ill last couple of days, will write more later, about to drag myself to my saturday meeting since there were not any during the week here, i need to go chant within the group dynamic. peace*
"Miao-lo said, "Wise men can perceive the cause of things, as snakes know the way of snakes." The present epidemics are like the virulent boils of King Ajatashatru that could not be cured by anyone but the Buddha. They can only be eliminated by the Lotus Sutra."
The two kinds of illness,
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, pg# 920)
Written to Shijo Kingo on 26 June 1278 from Minobu
http://sgi-usa.org/buddhism/library/Nichiren/wnd/concord/pages.view/920.html
Daily Encouragement:
Winning in life is not a matter of form or appearances. It has nothing to do with vanity. Victory in life ultimately hinges on whether one has truly fought, whether one has truly advanced.
Lectures and articles about Nichiren Buddhism: http://sgi-usa.org/buddhism/
*been very ill last couple of days, will write more later, about to drag myself to my saturday meeting since there were not any during the week here, i need to go chant within the group dynamic. peace*
Just breaking in folks, for a real big hug to you all! This thread is my "life food", and I'm full...........heck, overfilling the brim with all the wisdom, reality, and love that flows from each and everyone's posts.
You guys blow me away, everyday with your combined strength and energies=life force you share so equally.
Thomas, thankyou for your PM's and encouragement. I love you bro!
Bonzo you are true inspiration as Easy has delivered with every post.
Babba, you warm my heart and soul......
It's endless here.........on this thread.....scegy you are great, hitman you are deep, the Gratefuls are the kinDest (sp) people I know........
Everyone here R O C K S! Yes I'm still chanting and it still increases may daily efforts for good, peace, and compassion!
I Love You All!..........Desi
You guys blow me away, everyday with your combined strength and energies=life force you share so equally.
Thomas, thankyou for your PM's and encouragement. I love you bro!
Bonzo you are true inspiration as Easy has delivered with every post.
Babba, you warm my heart and soul......
It's endless here.........on this thread.....scegy you are great, hitman you are deep, the Gratefuls are the kinDest (sp) people I know........
Everyone here R O C K S! Yes I'm still chanting and it still increases may daily efforts for good, peace, and compassion!
I Love You All!..........Desi
"You also are a practitioner of the Lotus Sutra, and your faith is like the waxing moon or the rising tide. Be deeply convinced, then, that your illness cannot possibly persist, and that your life cannot fail to be extended! Take care of yourself, and do not burden your mind with grief."
(The Bow and Arrow - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 656) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, September 21st, 2006
(The Bow and Arrow - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 656) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, September 21st, 2006
G
Guest
today Mrs.Myohodisco gave her most recent expiriences at the meeting and really inspired everyone so much, she never spoke up in a meeting yet and I am so proud of her! Thanks bud, i'm going to bed after chanting away my illness today, I do feel much better after having to purchase 80 dollars worth of antibiotics for this bacterial sinus infection but we are so grateful for Gohonzon and our Mentor Thomas and my fellow comrades the Chanting Growing Bodhisattvas of the Earth that I must say, "Thus Come One PasstheDoobie I look forward to climbing every mountain with you in this life and every other life, you have been tough with me Like Toda and Ikeda and once again I express my gratitude for helping spark my Buddhist Practice, I am so grateful to have Gohonzon in my sanctuary again!", we are making kosen-rufu reach greater fruition every day! Thank you bud for the encouragement very much, thank you desi and thank you Bonzo. I will speak to you all soon, good night dear family.
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
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Though muddy water has no mind, it can catch the moon's reflection and so naturally become clear. When plants and trees receive the rainfall, they can hardly be aware of what they are doing, and yet do they not proceed to put forth blossoms? The five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo do not represent the sutra text, nor are they its meaning. They are nothing other than the intent of the entire sutra. So, even though the beginners in Buddhist practice may not understand their significance, by practicing these five characters, they will naturally conform to the sutra's intent.
[ On the Four Stages of Faith and the Five Stages of Practice, WND Page 788 ]
[ On the Four Stages of Faith and the Five Stages of Practice, WND Page 788 ]
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