Chanting Growers Group

[PassTheDoobie]

"G33 or Golden Pineapple? G33 or Golden Pineapple? G33 or Golden Pineapple?

hmmmm..."

See? We all have decisions to make. Let's do our best to make the right ones. Since we lack the wisdom to correctly percieve the three-thousand worlds in our momentary state of existence, the FORTUNE to be in RHYTHEM to make the right choices comes from chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and substituting faith for that lacking wisdom.

Thomas

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Conversation between a Sage and an Unenlightened Man (II) / WND, pgs.131-134

Conversation between a Sage and an Unenlightened Man (II) / WND, pgs.131-134

"The 'Dharani' chapter in the eighth volume of the Lotus Sutra says, 'If you can shield and guard those who accept and uphold the mere name of the Lotus Sutra, your merit will be immeasurable.' In this passage, the Buddha is praising the Mother of Demon Children and the ten demon daughters for their vow to protect the votaries of the Lotus Sutra, and saying that the blessings from their vow to protect those who embrace the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra are beyond even the Buddha wisdom, which completely comprehends the three existences, to fathom. While by rights nothing should be beyond the grasp of the Buddha wisdom, the Buddha says here that the blessings that accrue from accepting and embracing the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra are the one thing that wisdom cannot measure.

"The blessings of the entire Lotus Sutra are all contained solely within the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo. While the words in the eight volumes of the Lotus Sutra differ according to the contents of the twenty-eight chapters, the five characters of the daimoku remain the same throughout. To illustrate, within the two characters for Japan are included the more than sixty provinces and the two islands. Are there any districts or provinces that are not contained within this name?

"If one uses the term 'birds,' people know that one is talking about creatures that fly in the sky; if one says 'beasts,' people understand that one is referring to animals that run over the ground. In all things, names are of great importance precisely because they can convey general meanings in this way. This is what the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai meant when he said that names convey the basic nature of a thing while phrases describe how it differs from other things, or when he said that names designate the fundamental character of a thing.

"In addition, names have the virtue of being able to summon the things to which they refer, and things as a matter of function respond to the name that refers to them. In similar fashion, the name, or daimoku, of the Lotus Sutra has the power [to summon the Buddha nature to which it refers]."

The unenlightened man said: "If it is as you say, then the blessings of the daimoku are very great indeed. But these blessings must differ according to whether or not one understands the significance of the daimoku. I am a man who carries a bow and arrows and devotes himself to the profession of arms. I have no understanding of the true nature of the Buddhist teachings. How could a person such as I gain any great amount of good fortune?"

The sage replied: "According to the principle of the perfect and immediate enlightenment, there is no essential difference between the earlier and later stages of practice, and the blessings of the advanced stages are inherent in the initial stages as well. To carry out one practice is to carry out all practices, and there is no blessing that is not included therein.

"If the situation were as you say and one could not obtain good fortune until after one had understood the truth of Buddhism, then no one, from the bodhisattvas at the stage of near-perfect enlightenment on down to those at the stage of hearing the name and words of the truth, would be able to obtain any good fortune at all. This is because, as the Lotus Sutra says, the truth can only be understood 'between Buddhas.'(96)

"In the 'Simile and Parable' chapter of the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha declares, 'Even you, Shariputra, in the case of this sutra were able to gain entrance through faith alone. How much more so, then, the other voice-hearers!'

"This passage is saying that even Shariputra, who was known for his great wisdom, was, with respect to the Lotus Sutra, able to gain entrance through faith and not through the power of his wisdom. How much more so, therefore, does this hold true with the other voice-hearers!

"Thus, with the preaching of the Lotus Sutra, Shariputra, because he had faith, was able to rid himself of the name of one who could never attain Buddhahood and was told that he would in time become the Thus Come One Flower Glow.

"It is like the case of a baby being given milk to drink. Even though the baby may not understand the flavor of milk, the milk naturally nurtures the baby's growth. Similarly, if a physician gives medicine to a sick person, even though the sick person may not know the origin and nature of the medicine, if he takes it, then in the natural course of events his illness will be cured. But if he objects that he does not know the origin of the medicine that the physician gives him and for that reason declines to take it, do you think his illness will ever be cured? Whether he understands the medicine or not, so long as he takes it, he will in either case be cured.

"The Buddha has already been called a skilled physician, and the Law has been likened to good medicine and all living beings to people suffering from illness.(97)

The Buddha took the teachings that he had preached in the course of his lifetime, ground and sifted them, blended them together, and compounded an excellent medicine, the pill of the Mystic Law. Regardless of whether one understands it or not, so long as one takes the pill, can one fail to be cured of the illness of delusion? Even though the sick person may not understand the medicine or even know the nature of the disease from which he suffers, if he takes the medicine, he is bound to recover.

"It is the same way with the practitioners of the Lotus Sutra. Though they may not understand the principles of Buddhism and may not know that they are suffering from delusion, if only they have faith, then without a doubt they will be able to free themselves simultaneously from the illnesses of the three categories of illusion -illusions of thought and desire, illusions innumerable as particles of dust and sand, and illusions about the true nature of existence. They will reach the lands of Actual Reward and Tranquil Light, and cause the three bodies of a Thus Come One that they inherently possess to shine.

"Therefore, the Great Teacher Dengyo says: 'Neither teacher nor disciples need undergo countless kalpas of austere practice in order to attain Buddhahood. Through the power of the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law they can do so in their present form.'(98) This means that both the teacher who expounds the principles of the Lotus Sutra and the disciple who receives his teachings will, in no long time, together become Buddhas through the power of the Lotus Sutra.

"The Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai produced The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra, The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra, and Great Concentration and Insight, thirty volumes of commentary on the Lotus Sutra. And the Great Teacher Miao-lo in addition produced the thirty volumes of The Annotations on 'The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra,' The Annotations on 'The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra,' and The Annotations on 'Great Concentration and Insight' to comment on T'ien-t'ai's works. Together these works are known as 'the sixty volumes of the T'ien-t'ai school.'

"In Profound Meaning, T'ien-t'ai established the five major principles of name, entity, quality, function, and teaching, and in their light explained the power and efficacy of the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo. In the section on the third of the five major principles, that dealing with the quality of the Lotus Sutra, he writes, 'When one pulls on the main cord of a net, there are no meshes that do not move, and when one raises a single corner of a robe, there are no threads in the robe that are not lifted up.' The meaning of this passage is that, when one carries out the single practice of exercising faith in Myoho-renge-kyo, there are no blessings that fail to come to one, and no good karma that does not begin to work on one's behalf. It is like the case of a fishing net: though the net is composed of innumerable small meshes, when one pulls on the main cord of the net, there are no meshes that do not move. Or it is like a garment: though the garment is composed of countless tiny threads, when one pulls on a corner of the garment, there are no threads that are not drawn along.

"In Words and Phrases, T'ien-t'ai explains the various words and phrases in the Lotus Sutra, from the opening words 'This is what I heard' to the final words 'they bowed in obeisance and departed.' He explains them in terms of four categories, namely, causes and conditions, correlated teachings, the theoretical and essential teachings, and the observation of the mind. (99)

"Next, in Great Concentration and Insight, he expounds the meditation on the region of the unfathomable, namely, on the three thousand realms in a single moment of life, based on his thorough understanding of the Lotus Sutra. This is a practice that derives from the Buddha's original enlightenment and represents a principle of truth inherent in one's being. I will not go into it in detail here.

"What an occasion for rejoicing! Though born into an evil age that is stained with the five impurities, we have been able to see and hear the true words of the one vehicle. We read that a person who has planted roots of good fortune [under Buddhas] equal in number to the sands of the Hiranyavati or the Ganges River is able to encounter this sutra and take faith in it.(100) Now you have aroused the mind that rejoices in faith. Thus without a doubt, just as a box and its lid fit together, so will your own faith evoke the Buddha's compassionate response, and the two will unite as one."

Notes:

96. Lotus Sutra, chap. 2.
97. The Daishonin refers here to the parable of the skilled physician in the "Life Span" chapter of the Lotus Sutra.
98. Outstanding Principles.
99. T'ien-t'ai's four guidelines for interpreting the words and phrases of the Lotus Sutra. "Causes and conditions" means to interpret the words and phrases of the sutra in terms of the causes and conditions that brought the Buddha to expound them. "Correlated teachings" means to interpret the sutra's words and phrases in terms of the four teachings of doctrine and the five periods. "Theoretical and essential teachings" is to interpret them in light of the theoretical and essential teachings of the Lotus Sutra; and "the observation of the mind" is to perceive their truth within one's own life through the practice of meditation.
100. The Daishonin slightly modifies the wording of the Nirvana Sutra, which says that one who has aroused the aspiration for enlightenment under Buddhas equal in number to the sands of the Hiranyavati River will be able to embrace a sutra such as this in the evil age.

( http://www.sgi-usa.org/buddhism/library/Nichiren/wnd/concord/pages.view/131.html )

 

[Guest]

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
hello chanters, can someone please enlighten me what this phrase means?

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Welcome Krypto!

Welcome Krypto!

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
[南無妙法蓮華経]

The ultimate Law or truth of the universe, according to Nichiren's teaching. Nichiren first taught the invocation of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to a small group of people at Seicho-ji temple in his native province of Awa, Japan, on the twenty-eighth day of the fourth month in 1253. It literally means devotion to Myoho-renge-kyo. Myoho-renge-kyo is the Japanese title of the Lotus Sutra, which Nichiren regards as the sutra's essence, and appending nam (a phonetic change of namu ) to that phrase indicates devotion to the title and essence of the Lotus Sutra. Nichiren identifies it with the universal Law or principle implicit in the meaning of the sutra's text.

The meaning of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is explained in the opening section of The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, the record of Nichiren's lectures on the Lotus Sutra compiled by his disciple and successor, Nikko. It states that namu derives from the Sanskrit word namas and is translated as devotion, or as "dedicating one's life." What one should dedicate one's life to, he says, are the Person and the Law. The Person signifies "Shakyamuni," which means the eternal Buddha, and the Law is "the Lotus Sutra," which means the ultimate truth, or Myoho-renge-kyo. According to Orally Transmitted Teachings, the act of devotion (namu) has two aspects: One is to devote oneself to, or fuse one's life with, the eternal and unchanging truth; the other is that, through this fusion of one's life with the ultimate truth, one simultaneously draws forth inexhaustible wisdom that functions in accordance with changing circumstances.

Orally Transmitted Teachings further states: "We may also note that the nam of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is a Sanskrit word, while Myoho-renge-kyo are Chinese words. Sanskrit and Chinese join in a single moment to form Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. If we express the title [of the Lotus Sutra] in Sanskrit, it will be Saddharma-pundarika-sutra. This is Myoho-renge-kyo. Sad (a phonetic change of sat ) means myo, or wonderful. Dharma means ho, Law or phenomena. Pundarika means renge, or lotus blossom. Sutra means kyo, or sutra. The nine Chinese characters [that represent the Sanskrit title] are the Buddha bodies of the nine honored ones. This expresses the idea that the nine worlds are none other than the Buddha world.

"Myo stands for the Dharma nature, or enlightenment, while horepresents darkness, or ignorance. Together as myoho, they express the idea that ignorance and the Dharma nature are a single entity, or one in essence. Renge stands for the two elements of cause and effect. Cause and effect are also a single entity.

"Kyo represents the words and voices of all living beings. A commentary says, 'The voice carries out the work of the Buddha, and it is called kyo.' Kyomay also be defined as that which is constant and unchanging in the three existences of past, present, and future. The Dharma realm is myoho, the wonderful Law; the Dharma realm is renge, the lotus blossom; the Dharma realm is kyo, the sutra."

As Nichiren states, namu derives from Sanskrit, and Myoho-renge-kyo comes from Chinese. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is, therefore, not simply a Japanese phrase, but a Japanese reading of a Sanskrit and Chinese phrase. In this sense, it contains aspects of the languages of three countries in which Mahayana Buddhism spread. According to Nichiren's treatise The Entity of the Mystic Law, Nan-yüeh and T'ien-t'ai of China and Dengyo of Japan recited the invocation meaning devotion to the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law, or Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, as their private practice, but they did not spread this practice to others.

In On the Three Great Secret Laws, Nichiren states that the daimoku Nichiren chants today in the Latter Day of the Law is different from that of the previous ages-the daimoku T'ien-t'ai and others chanted in the Former Day and Middle Day of the Law-because the practice of daimoku in the Latter Day of the Law involves chanting it oneself and teaching others to do so as well. Nichiren not only established the invocation (daimoku) of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo but embodied it as a mandala, making it the object of devotion called Gohonzon. In Reply to Kyo'o, he states, "I, Nichiren, have inscribed my life in sumi ink, so believe in the Gohonzon with your whole heart. The Buddha's will is the Lotus Sutra, but the soul of Nichiren is nothing other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" (412).

From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Quote of the Year

Quote of the Year

Watch out for slander the results can be a motherfucker! Have faith like water and let it flow.

You heard it here.

(Nothing could be more true than that statement)

T

 

[Babbabud]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Just had an interesting experience. I live in a rural area up a road with no other houses. It is not that often that someone I dont know comes up my little piece of road. Im sitting here and I hear someone pull up the road and look out the window. Its three older women and a man. Two ladies get out of the car and head up my door. I step outside and with a big happy smile say" can I help you?" Well she hands me a religious paper and I without looking at it say " Im a buddhist , I chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo". Well having just buzzed my hair yesterday I guess I must have looked the stereo typical part of the buddhist to them. Thier eyes got rather large and they just said thankyou and headed for thier car. They actually looked rather surprised or scared , which was never my intention, they didnt try to talk to me at all about Jehovah. Hope I didnt actually scare them but Im really glad that they did hear the words "Nam Myoho Renge Kyo". Much love to all you guys ... I think I might be getting cabin fever
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!

 

[Guest]

I have not added to much help around here....I seem to have recieved much more then I have given from everyone here....

Hi Babbabud,Mrs.Babba, PassTheDoobie, Bonzo, easydisco, Desiderata, personalmeds, Fallen Angel, and anyone else I missed ..Thank you all And I am chanting for the group and everyone individually today for the first time.

But once again I ask for your positive thoughts today...Just please think of me while I take on a task that I feel is very important in my life....Thank you all for your support.

Nam Myoho Rengo Kyo
Nam Myoho Rengo Kyo
Nam Myoho Rengo Kyo

 

[Guest]

Just had an interesting experience. I live in a rural area up a road with no other houses. It is not that often that someone I dont know comes up my little piece of road. Im sitting here and I hear someone pull up the road and look out the window. Its three older women and a man. Two ladies get out of the car and head up my door. I step outside and with a big happy smile say" can I help you?" Well she hands me a religious paper and I without looking at it say " Im a buddhist , I chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo". Well having just buzzed my hair yesterday I guess I must have looked the stereo typical part of the buddhist to them. Thier eyes got rather large and they just said thankyou and headed for thier car. They actually looked rather surprised or scared , which was never my intention, they didnt try to talk to me at all about Jehovah. Hope I didnt actually scare them but Im really glad that they did hear the words "Nam Myoho Renge Kyo". Much love to all you guys ... I think I might be getting cabin fever
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!

Your too silly Babba...I see what ya feelin though... hehe... I have spent most of my life being looked at like I am crazy for something or another....Lol

your almost there though buddy... a few more weeks and now more cabin fever...hehe I hope you get to another meeting soon...

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"I entrust you with the propagation of Buddhism in your province. It is stated that 'the seeds of Buddhahood sprout as a result of conditions, and for this reason they preach the single vehicle.'"

(The Properties of Rice - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 1117) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, October 18th, 2006

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Shine on Brothers and Sisters!

Shine on Brothers and Sisters!

"The Buddha has already been called a skilled physician, and the Law has been likened to good medicine and all living beings to people suffering from illness.

The Buddha took the teachings that he had preached in the course of his lifetime, ground and sifted them, blended them together, and compounded an excellent medicine, the pill of the Mystic Law. Regardless of whether one understands it or not, so long as one takes the pill, can one fail to be cured of the illness of delusion? Even though the sick person may not understand the medicine or even know the nature of the disease from which he suffers, if he takes the medicine, he is bound to recover.

"It is the same way with the practitioners of the Lotus Sutra. Though they may not understand the principles of Buddhism and may not know that they are suffering from delusion, if only they have faith, then without a doubt they will be able to free themselves simultaneously from the illnesses of the three categories of illusion -illusions of thought and desire, illusions innumerable as particles of dust and sand, and illusions about the true nature of existence. They will reach the lands of Actual Reward and Tranquil Light, and cause the three bodies of a Thus Come One that they inherently possess to shine."

 

[PassTheDoobie]

three categories of illusion
[三惑] (Jpn.: san-waku)

Also, three illusions. A classification of illusions, established by T'ien-t'ai (538-597): (1) illusions of thought and desire, (2) illusions innumerable as particles of dust and sand, and (3) illusions about the true nature of existence. The illusions of thought and desire are illusions to be eradicated by persons of the two vehicles (voice-hearers and cause-awakened ones) and bodhisattvas. The other two categories of illusions are those that bodhisattvas alone go on to eliminate.

Illusions of thought and desire cause people to suffer in the six paths and the threefold world. Illusions of thought are distorted perceptions of the truth and are primarily mental and learned. They consist of the five false views and the five delusive inclinations. The five false views are as follows: (1) Though the body is nothing but a temporary union of the five components, one mistakenly thinks of the self as a separate or independent entity, and though nothing in the universe can belong to an individual, one mistakenly views that which surrounds one as one's own possession. (2) One erroneously believes either that life is totally annihilated at death without continuance in any form, or that life persists after death in some eternally unchanged form such as a soul. (3) One does not recognize the law of cause and effect. (4) One adheres to misconceptions such as regarding inferior things as superior. (5) One views erroneous precepts or practices as the true way to enlightenment. The five delusive inclinations are greed, anger, foolishness, arrogance, and doubt; they arise in relation to the five false views. Hence in the category of illusions of thought, the five false views are regarded as primary and the five delusive inclinations as secondary. In contrast to the chiefly mental illusions of thought, the illusions of desire are emotional and inborn. These include greed, anger, foolishness, and arrogance and arise in connection with the various affairs and phenomena of the threefold world, not because of distorted perceptions of the truth.

Illusions innumerable as particles of dust and sand are illusions that prevent bodhisattvas from saving others. To save others, bodhisattvas must be well versed in innumerable teachings, both religious and secular. This second category of illusions arises when the bodhisattvas try to master these teachings.

Illusions about the true nature of existence are illusions that prevent bodhisattvas from attaining enlightenment, or from awakening to the truth of the Middle Way. In the specific teaching, these illusions are divided into twelve. In the perfect teaching, they are divided into forty-two, the last and most deeply rooted of which is called fundamental darkness. By eliminating fundamental darkness, one attains Buddhahood. In Great Concentration and Insight, T'ien-t'ai states that the three categories of illusion are eliminated through meditation aimed at perceiving the unification of the three truths in a single mind. Specifically, the illusions of thought and desire are eliminated by perception of the truth of non-substantiality; illusions innumerable as particles of dust and sand are eliminated by perception of the truth of temporary existence; and illusions about the true nature of existence are eliminated by perception of the truth of the Middle Way.

From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism

 

[Bonzo]

HI MY FRIENDS!!

Once again i have no time, im in and out, busy , busy.

thats heavy stuff T, im gonna have to read it about 27 more times to really get it!!!

I love that Babba, cant wait till they come to my door again. Just to see waht kind of reaction i get since im in the city, they might be more persistant, but im gonna say exactly what you said.

The proof is in the puddin' eh fallen? Glad you got your i pod back bro!

Desi! I surfed that particular day when those 2 pics were taken for 5 hours strait, it was unreal, barrel after barrel, it was ridiculous, and there was max 6 people out!!!!

Get down witcha bad self Meds!!!!!! Have you been to any meetings yet? There so fullfilling bro, you wont regret it.

Hows it goin easy?! Missed you! Glad your back!!!!!

Respect, you are contributing your seeking spirit, and watcing someone progress and forge stronger and deeper faith just gives me the willies i tell ya! So keep chanting!!! Faith ,Practice, Study my brotha!!

Believe me, im just a beginner, that just cant get enough of how this has changed and is constantly changing my life.

This morning for instance when i woke up all shitty and pissy, i chanted a bit, and while in the shower this whole scenario hit me like flash of light.

Not too long ago i would have fed off that shitty , pissy mood and put everone around me in a similar mood, so i realized what could be the scope of that. If i would have let that mood dominate me i would have leaft my mom in a shitty mood which as soon as i left the house i would have been riddled with giult and would have taken that with me to work. How would that have affected my day at work not to mention my co workers? Also leaving my mom in a shitty mood would have affected my grandfather as well, and who knows, my mom might have run into a neighbor and spread the shitty mood her way as well and she would have taken that negativaty with her to work. The thing that really hits me is i realize i used to do that kinda shit not realize it. My poor mom, she deserves the best in life, and i used to take her for granted, and basically just let my shitty mood out on her. Man that hurts just to think about, she did not deserve that, nowone does.

Trying to make sense here. One of the things i have recently benn chanting for is to be able to realize and see myself as through someone elses eyes, in other words, awareness of my actions and moods who i am really, Somethin like that. This morning i realized it imediatly and changed it. I guess what im getting at is the smallest thing that we say to someone or mood we convey to someone can have a profound ripple effect that we may not even consider, well i didnt anyway and maybe im taking this way too far but it seems very real to me.

Totally fuckin rambling, long story short Nam myoho renge kyo turned my frown upside down this morning, and more important made me AWARE that i needed to change my tune and not be an asshole.

shit, i hope that made some sort of sense, hard puttin this one into words.

does this make any sense to ya'll?, again im throwin it out there for your input and feedback, cause to me it was a heavy thing.

peace and love to all

bonz





>>>>>>>>>>> Nam myoho renge kyo>>>>>>>>>>

 

[Guest]

yuppers Bonzo it makes sense ....Your already doing it.....Keep working on it the way you are.........and thanks again for sharing and thanks for the support.

Well my day went better then I could have ever expected.....I thank everyone for being here to look to for support.

I hope everyone is doing GOOD!....


Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!

 

[personalmeds]

Bonz: Makes perfect sense to me, man. I think you've hit upon a real truth here, and everyone would be better to try to be aware of the ripples we cause, both intentionally and unintentionally. Thanks for sharing, bro

Haven't been to any meetings yet as I just haven't had any free time unfortunately, but that will be changing drastically after Halloween. There's one very close to my house, and then the one in LA isn't super far either I suppose. I hope to chant with you someday, Bonz, you're an awesome guy. Keep it up!

Babba: That's funny, bud! It's too bad the people who are often the most aggressive about converting you to their faith are the ones who are least receptive to any other ideas or concepts. Jehovah's Witnesses are a bit strange anyhow. I don't mean that in a slanderous way, I just don't understand a faith that seems to never celebrate life or any of life's moments.

Respect: My daimoku will be backing you up! You are in my thoughts, just like the rest of the chanters here.

Hello to T, Disco, Desi, DG, Gypsy, and whoever else may be reading this.

Oh and welcome to the thread, Krypto!


I had a very long and tiring day, but Nam-myoho-renge-kyo got me through it and helped me complete some daunting tasks. I think I need to go relax with my friend Sour Diesel


Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Damn it dude, you're NOT rambling!!!

Damn it dude, you're NOT rambling!!!

does this make any sense to ya'll?, again im throwin it out there for your input and feedback, cause to me it was a heavy thing.

peace and love to all

bonz

>>>>>>>>>>> Nam myoho renge kyo>>>>>>>>>>

Once again, what I read are the words of a Buddha. Did the passages I just posted not acknowledge that no matter what stage of practice you are in, the Buddha nature becomes manifest when you chant? Again, please note:

"The sage replied: "According to the principle of the perfect and immediate enlightenment, there is no essential difference between the earlier and later stages of practice, and the blessings of the advanced stages are inherent in the initial stages as well. To carry out one practice is to carry out all practices, and there is no blessing that is not included therein.

"If the situation were as you say and one could not obtain good fortune until after one had understood the truth of Buddhism, then no one, from the bodhisattvas at the stage of near-perfect enlightenment on down to those at the stage of hearing the name and words of the truth, would be able to obtain any good fortune at all. This is because, as the Lotus Sutra says, the truth can only be understood 'between Buddhas.'

"In the 'Simile and Parable' chapter of the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha declares, 'Even you, Shariputra, in the case of this sutra were able to gain entrance through faith alone. How much more so, then, the other voice-hearers!'

"This passage is saying that even Shariputra, who was known for his great wisdom, was, with respect to the Lotus Sutra, able to gain entrance through faith and not through the power of his wisdom. How much more so, therefore, does this hold true with the other voice-hearers!

"Thus, with the preaching of the Lotus Sutra, Shariputra, because he had faith, was able to rid himself of the name of one who could never attain Buddhahood and was told that he would in time become the Thus Come One Flower Glow."

So it's all about faith, Bonz. And you are one of the unique individuals I have ever met that made the development of their faith, the first thing that they sincerely chanted for. That's the kind of thing a Buddha does when he manifests as a Bodhistattva out of compassion for the sufferings of those that surround him. He first prepares the armor of faith before going out to do battle and lead others in the defeat of fundamental darkness.

So based on your FAITH, not knowledge or wisdom, Bonz, when speaking from your heart, I hear you say nothing but Buddha wisdom. You never try and say more than you know. You always apply what you are saying to your daily life. And you constantly, constantly, praise the Law. To see you rise above your immediate circumstance every day--to do your best no matter what--is a source of encouragement that is more important for me then you could ever know.

Thank you for proving with your life, the power and greatness of the Law!

Deep respect,

T

(Hey Babbas, good luck with those tough decisions! Respect, I did send some your way. Glad to know you had a better than expected day. Meds, it is so wonderful to have you here! Seek the Gohonzon as soon as you can!)

 

[PassTheDoobie]

It is the passion and the power of youth
that will change the world for the better.*
To all of our young people,
live out your lives with the firm resolve
to fulfil your great noble missions to the very end!

Daisaku Ikeda

* "A new century will be created by the passion and power of youth." ("Precepts for Youth" by President Toda, The Human Revolution, Volume 5, "Three Steps Forward--One Step Back")

 

[Bonzo]

Thank you all and i love you all from the bottom of my heart. Your support brings tears to my eyes. I know i have to stop saying IM RAMBLING, cause i know deep down that im not, im just relaying my little daily awakenings and they are strait from my heart and raw and unscripted. I still chant for the removal of self doubt and it is coming slowly but surely, one foot in front of the other.

Thank you T for pointing things out for me in black and white, i need it sometimes.

Holy crap, late nite Daimoku, now its bedtime for bonz, lol!

peace, love and goodnite my friends.

It seems to me im realizing more and more how really precious each and everyday truly is, we must make every moment count.

bonz





>>>>>>>>>> Nam myoho renge kyo >>>>>>>>>>>

 

[PassTheDoobie]

See???

See???

It seems to me im realizing more and more how really precious each and everyday truly is, we must make every moment count.

bonz

>>>>>>>>>> Nam myoho renge kyo >>>>>>>>>>>

More Buddha wisdom! Let's hope we can all remember that truth each and every day. It is a very very difficult thing to do.

Much love and deep respect,

Thomas

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Though the moon is forty thousand yojanas high in the heavens, its reflection appears instantly in a pond on the earth; and the sound of the drum at the Gate of Thunder is immediately heard a thousand, ten thousand ri in the distance. Though you remain in Sado, your heart has come to this province. The way of attaining Buddhahood is just like this. Though we live in the impure land, our hearts reside in the pure land of Eagle Peak. Merely seeing each other's face would in itself be insignificant. It is the heart that is important.

[ The Drum at the Gate of Thunder, WND Page 949 ]

 

[Babbabud]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

The glimpses into the hearts of all that come here are what keep me coming back
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo