Chanting Growers Group

[PassTheDoobie]

"To live is to be engaged in constant struggle. The cells in our body, the blood flowing through our veins, are all engaged in unending struggle. Life is a struggle both on the individual and social levels. In a poem, the German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) cried out: 'For I was a human being, / and that means to be a fighter.'

"For what purpose do we struggle? To become happy. To build a strong self that can never be defeated. To carry out our human revolution. We also struggle for the sake of the happiness of others and for the peace and prosperity of society. The American thinker Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-82) wrote that the wish to serve, to add somewhat to the well-being of humankind, is one of the essentials of life.

"We are Bodhisattvas of the Earth who have appeared in order to spread the Mystic Law and lead people everywhere to enlightenment. Our mission is the realization of the happiness of all humanity, the true aim of kosen-rufu. As long as we have taken up this struggle, we must win. We must fight until the very end, determined to triumph no matter what.

"The key to winning in any endeavour is to first win over oneself. How we perceive our obstacles depends on our inner life-state. We must win--over cowardice, over the tendency to give up, over laziness. When we triumph over our own limitations, we will make great strides in our lives and shine with the brilliant light of victory."

SGI Newsletter No. 7098, The New Human Revolution—Vol. 19: Chap. 3, Sunlight 1, translated Jan 31st, 2007

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Let's become the type of person who is beyond compare,
someone who is absolutely essential
both at work and in our local community!
Great determination is indeed
what will cause great good fortune!

Daisaku Ikeda

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"The fact that her prayers have gone unanswered is like a strong bow with a weak bowstring, or a fine sword in the hands of a coward. It is in no sense the fault of the Lotus Sutra."

(The Royal Palace - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 489) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, February 1st, 2007

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Iron, when heated in the flames and pounded, becomes a fine sword."

(Letter from Sado - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 303) Selection source: SGI President Ikeda's speech, Seikyo Shimbun, February 2nd, 2007

 

[PassTheDoobie]

six stages of practice
[六即] (Jpn.: roku-soku)

Also, six identities. Six stages in the practice of the Lotus Sutra formulated by T'ien-t'ai (538-597) in Great Concentration and Insight. They are as follows: (1) The stage of being a Buddha in theory. At this stage one has not yet heard the correct teaching and is ignorant of Buddhism. Nevertheless, a single moment of life is in itself identical to the truth of the matrix of the Thus Come One; in other words, one is a potential Buddha. (2) The stage of hearing the name and words of the truth. At this stage through the spoken or written word one comes to an intellectual understanding that one has the Buddha nature and that all phenomena are manifestations of the Buddhist Law. This may take place through reading or hearing the words of the sutras. (3) The stage of perception and action. Here one perceives the truth [of the Buddha nature] within oneself through practice, the truth and the wisdom to perceive it are in accord with each other, and one's words match one's actions. (4) The stage of resemblance to enlightenment. At this stage, one eliminates the first two of the three categories of illusion and attains purification of the six sense organs. Having advanced this far, one's wisdom resembles that of a Buddha. In terms of the fifty-two stages of practice, this stage corresponds to the first ten stages, the ten stages of faith. (5) The stage of progressive awakening. This is the stage at which one eradicates all illusions except fundamental darkness and awakens progressively to the truth of one's Buddha nature. In terms of the fifty-two stages, it corresponds to the eleventh (the first stage of security) through the fifty-first (the stage of near-perfect enlightenment). (6) The stage of ultimate enlightenment, or the highest stage of practice. At this stage, one finally eliminates fundamental darkness and fully manifests the Buddha nature. This corresponds to the stage of perfect enlightenment, the last of the fifty-two stages.

T'ien-t'ai taught that all people at whatever stage of practice are equally endowed with the potential for Buddhahood. In this way he prevented his disciples from falling into the error of self-deprecation or becoming discouraged. On the other hand, possessing the Buddha nature is not the same as attaining Buddhahood. T'ien-t'ai therefore divided practice into six progressive stages to prevent his disciples from falling into the error of arrogance and relaxing their efforts. In Great Concentration and Insight, he states: "If one lacks faith, one will object that it pertains to the lofty realm of the sages, something far beyond the capacity of one's own wisdom to understand. If one lacks wisdom, one will become puffed up with arrogance and will claim to be the equal of the Buddha."

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings gives Nichiren's (1222-1282) interpretation of the six stages of practice: "Speaking in terms of the six stages of practice, the Thus Come One in this ['Life Span'] chapter is an ordinary mortal who is in the first stage, that of being a Buddha in theory. When one reverently accepts Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, one is in the next stage, that of hearing the name and words of the truth. That is, one has for the first time heard the daimoku. When, having heard the daimoku, one proceeds to put it into practice, this is the third stage, that of perception and action. In this stage, one perceives the object of devotion that embodies the three thousand realms in a single moment of life. When one succeeds in overcoming various illusions and obstacles, this is the fourth stage, that of resemblance to enlightenment. When one sets out to convert others, this is the fifth stage, that of progressive awakening. And when one comes at last to the realization that one is a Buddha eternally endowed with the three bodies, then one is a Buddha of the sixth and highest stage, that of ultimate enlightenment.

"Speaking of the chapter as a whole, the idea of gradually overcoming delusions is not the ultimate meaning of the 'Life Span' chapter. You should understand that the ultimate meaning of this chapter is that ordinary mortals, just as they are in their original state of being, are Buddhas.

"And if you ask what is the action or practice carried out by the Buddha eternally endowed with the three bodies, it is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo."

From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Because I chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with my own mouth, I have been reviled, struck, exiled, and had my life threatened. However, in spite of all this, I have continued to exhort others to do likewise. Am I not then a votary of the Lotus Sutra?

[ No Safety in the Threefold World, WND Page 892 ]

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"A Venezuelan proverb holds that one cannot cross the ocean without first jumping in. Similarly, we can't attain our goals without taking the first step. Action is vital. Take that brave first step. Progress is victory.

"My mentor Josei Toda offered this stern but compassionate guidance: 'Faith is not a matter of formalities. It is living each moment to the fullest.' He also said: 'At each moment, what is your intention, what action do you take, what action do you not take? Whether or not one attains Buddhahood is determined by the accumulated balance of all of these various thoughts and actions.' What we do right now, at this moment, is what counts. By making the most of each moment and each day, we set ourselves on course to enjoy unsurpassed victory, fulfilment, and value each day of the year."

SGI Newsletter No. 7094, NEW YEAR'S REPRESENTATIVES CONFERENCE—PART 1 [OF
2], Working for the Peace and Happiness of All Humanity, Jan 2nd, 2007, translated Jan 29th, 2007

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"The first shi of the word shishi, or 'lion' [which means 'teacher'], is the Wonderful Law that is passed on by the teacher. The second shi [which means 'child'] is the Wonderful Law as it is received by the disciples. The 'roar' is the sound of the teacher and the disciples chanting in unison."

(Ongi kuden - Gosho Zenshu, page 748, The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, page 111) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, February 3rd, 2007

 

[Babbabud]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"True love should be transformative, a process that amplifies our capacity to cherish not just one person but all people. It can make us stronger, lift us higher and deepen us as individuals. Yet, in the end, we can only partner with those befitting ourselves. The same is true of friendship. Only to the extent that one polishes oneself now can one hope to develop wonderful bonds of the heart in the future."

Daisaku Ikeda, president of SGI

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"Strength is happiness. Strength is itself victory. In weakness and cowardice there is no happiness. When you wage a struggle, you might win or you might lose. But regardless of the short-term outcome, the very fact of your continuous struggle is proof of your victory as a human being. A strong spirit, strong faith and strong prayer - developing these is victory and the world of Buddhahood."

- Daisaku Ikeda -

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Life is full of unexpected suffering. Even so, as Eleanor Roosevelt said: "If you can live through that [a difficult situation] you can live through anything. You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' " That's exactly right. Struggling against great difficulty enables us to develop ourselves tremendously. We can call forth and manifest those abilities lying dormant within us. Difficulty can be a source of dynamic growth and positive progress.

- Daisaku Ikeda -

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

I also ROAR in unison with everyone of us during my morning and evening prayers, I have been doing extra-daimoku lately and getting closer to 1 million daimoku by my 1st Buddhabirthday on March 26, I have been working hard on this. This is the year of Advancement and Victory for us, I'm going to keep upping the ante on my human revolution and work harder to be stricter and continue to avoid and be more conscious of slandering or at least make a bigger effort to correct myself and others. Its so much better this way, I see daily growth and really create more goals and oppurtunities along the way. I am very happy at a horrible job! I am doing really well in my relationship. My financial situation will improve by early summer (May 31, 2007!) keeping up my daily efforts.

Our collective daimoku and my diligent chanting to Gohonzon (polishing the mirror) has really helped sustain this breakthrough. I am really leading a much more brilliant exsistence, I FEEL IT. I AM THE HEALTHIEST I HAVE EVER BEEN, I'm EATING VERY WELL, I AM MUCH HAPPIER THAN IN THE PAST, I HAVE GREATER WISDOM WITH RESPECT TO LIVING MY DAILY LIFE. THANK YOU PRESIDENT TODA! THANK YOU PRESIDENT MAKIGUCHI THANK YOU PRESIDENT IKEDA AND THANK YOU TONY MATSUOKA THANK YOU TED OSAKI THANK YOU THOMAS!

I am writing a letter to President Ikeda on my Gohonzon birthday (it will be prepared, I will be sending it that day) and I wanted to tell him about how I was introduced to this practice on this thread initially then reinforced by PasstheDoobie, Babba, Socal, Alwaystotheleft, then Bonzo and Leonardodavinci, et al. I was going to write the entire url so that President Ikeda could check it out or have someone read it. I know it feels like a bold and risky move, but I live in a non-medical marijuana state and I'm sure many SGI members have smelled the pungent reefer aroma and are cool with it. Then again in Japan pot smoking is very taboo, I just want to be respectful so I am taking my time, but I will be writing as much as I can about President Ikeda's American Friend Ted Osaki and also Mr. Matsuoka whom mentored my Mentor Thomas and I include the three in all my prayers. I have an incredible amount of respect and pride in my teachers and I'm trying my best to emulate my understanding and the specific guidance from Nichiren Daishonin and his Writings The Goshos. So I really feel compelled to go public about this thread with President Ikeda and tell President Ikeda I hope to goto college at my age and get a valid degree as soon as possible so hopefully one day I could work in a higher capacity with organizations like the SGI, United Nations (World Governments) to create change and value in society. I believe that as our age continues going forward, my efforts for a better tomorrow should also grow accordingly. My benefits are stacking up and I hope to create more good fortune and value in my life and the lives of countless others!

Here is a great article I found on www.sgi.org

"The "Real" Revolution"
By Marco Della Fonte, Florence, Italy
Mr. Della Fonte in action
Before I started to practice Buddhism in 1983, I was arrested twice by the Italian police because I belonged to a clandestine communist revolutionary group that chose to adopt armed struggle and violence as the only way to change society. I wanted to change Italy and thought a revolutionary war would be a quick solution to social problems.

That group was linked to other similar European organizations, such as the IRA and ETA. Though very young, I had embraced completely the ideals and values of the group, becoming a violent and dangerous person.

After our arrest, I felt a great sense of emptiness, due to the loss of such an important but terrible ideal. A friend then introduced me to Nichiren Buddhism, and after six months of doubt, I started to chant, secretly at first so as not to further alarm my parents.

I immediately felt much happier and began to discover my compassion and humanity. But I was frightened of other people and wanted to be alone.

After a year I became responsible for a local group in the Italian SGI.

This group only had five people in it, but because of my shyness and lack of experience I found it very difficult to encourage them in their practice. At the same time my personal life was stagnant. I had no idea what to do with my life, which job I wanted to do. I was very anxious about my future.

At two consecutive meetings of our group nobody at all came, and I realized that my life was very small--I couldn't even manage to attract those few people. From that moment on I understood that in order to change my destiny I had to do something for others.

I tried to talk sincerely about Buddhism to one of my friends. A few days later she decided to come to our group meeting and brought eight other people. Imagine, this shy person in front of eight people all keenly listening to what I had to say!

However, they all began to practice Buddhism and see results from their practice, and within one year my group counted 65 people. Eventually I was looking after 100 people.

Central to Buddhism is the idea of opening up our life to others. Thanks to that dedication to others, my own life became much brighter and more clearly defined. I then saw clearly what I wanted to do: I decided to become a film director and to give hope and a sense of meaning to others through my films. After all, faith in Buddhism means making the impossible possible.

After working at a whole range of jobs, I noticed that the more my Buddhist group flourished, the more opportunities arose to make my dream come true.

Soon I began to work on films in Milan. After working in a company producing commercials, I started directing music videos. I directed videos for more than 70 Italian and foreign bands and, in 1996, won an MTV award. I also won awards at the Venice and Florence Film Festivals. In 2001 a commercial I directed was selected for the Cannes Advertising Festival. So now I am finally able to create my own feature films, and I am working on two such projects in London.

I now realize that living as a Buddhist and merely saying, "I am a Buddhist," are very different things. I have a strong desire to do something for others. Without this "action" I am unhappy and the purpose of my life becomes distant and confused.

Helping others is also the only way to change from a "war ideology" to an age of peace. Now people want to hear about peace and humanity, but the media supports a culture of violence. I don't want to follow that. I talk to others every day, encouraging them to have hope. I want to show that it is possible for everyone to become happy by realizing their dreams, and to achieve my own great dream of having my own family.

In the SGI I feel I have discovered the "real" revolution: human revolution--a revolution that begins with me looking first at my own life and becoming a protagonist who contributes to changing the world.

[ Courtesy January 2002 SGI Quarterly ]

"Within the core of our struggles lies HOPE and as practioners of The Lotus Sutra JUSTICE shall pervail in the HEARTS of the FAITHFUL living each moment to your fullest capacity! If your working for kosen-rufu continue to do so, we are making a difference everyday!", MyohoDisco

 

[Dutchgrown]

Feeling better today....sending love and positive thoughts to you ALL.

Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo!!!!!!!!

What a positive source of inspiration this thread is, and that's because of ALL of you who contribute, whether daily or whenever you are able to post. Thank you to everyone for spending so much time in bringing writings here...that takes alot of time to search, copy, paste, post...especially when one is busy, but ya'll always make the time to see that we receive some daily enlightenment and 'food for thought'. Thank you for that!

The trip to SE Asia was absolutely an eye-opener! As soon as I'm better and up to organizing all the pics will post them. There are some stunning shots I'd like to share...and most appropriate in this thread.

Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo!

Love to you all,
DG

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

Thank you DG!

A HUGE THANKS TO CHASE FOR INTRODUCING KYLE to the practice. KYLE chanted last night for the first time and was very into it, chanted very well and kept up, was very energetic and spoke very well! I'm so happy for Chase and Kyle!

A huge benefit before I even completed my 1 million Daimoku! Lets keep introducing others to the practice everyday!

 

[Bonzo]

!!!!!!NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO!!!!!

peace. love and deepest respect to you all my friends!!!!

me and my cat just finished a little 1/2 hour of Daimoku (i wanna try doing 1 hour in the mornings) and i feel like running a marathon! It really seems like my cat gets into it! I dunno she gets into alot of things!!!

just very powerfull right now!

bonz

hey is it not right to wear your beeds around your neck?

HI DG! Allways a pleasure to see ya!






!!!!!!!!!!!!Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

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.

From The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin

"The Opening of the Eyes"

 

[paq]

Compassion

Compassion

Om Mani Pedme Hung

 

[fallenangel]

hi all .... nam myoho renge kyo

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"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 will retreat."

(The Three Obstacles and Four Devils - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 637) Selection source: SGI President Ikeda's essay, Seikyo Shimbun, February 4th, 2007