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Chanting Growers Group
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One Buddhist 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."
Buddhism explains karma in order to reveal how to transform it. Put another way, to hold the doctrine of karma over people without fully clarifying the means for changing it is to wrongly interpret Buddhism. Such teachings only cause people to remain bound by the shackles of fate.
Present effects are due to karmic causes from the past. However, future effects arise from the causes we make in the present. It is always the present that counts. It is what we do in the present moment that decides our future; our past causes do not govern our future as well. Nichiren Buddhism emphasizes that no matter what kind of karmic causes we have made in the past, through the causes we make in the present we can achieve a brilliant future.
Buddhism stresses the importance of the present and the future. There is little point in dwelling on the past. Far more constructive is looking to the future and moving forward. What is vital is that we achieve a bright and glorious future through our efforts and perseverance today.
What is the purpose of our lives? What becomes of our life when we die? ... No matter how much power and authority one might wield now, these become meaningless in the face of death. In the end, the only thing that is important is how one has lived one's life. We alone must face the consequences of our actions and decisions. When one understands the strict law of cause and effect at work in life, one will inevitably come to correct one's way of living.
Ultimately, we are responsible for our own destiny. It may seem to us that our fate is predetermined, whether by our genes or by our environment. What really matters, however, is how we can improve ourselves from this moment forward, how we can change the circumstances that we find ourselves in. This enormous transformative force is what Buddhism is all about. In this struggle lies the source of never-ending youth and vitality.
Inconspicuous virtue brings conspicuous reward. From the perspective of Buddhism, we never fail to receive the effect of our actions, whether good or bad; therefore, it's meaningless to be two-faced or to pretend to be something we're not.
Quotes - Daisaku Ikeda
Buddhism explains karma in order to reveal how to transform it. Put another way, to hold the doctrine of karma over people without fully clarifying the means for changing it is to wrongly interpret Buddhism. Such teachings only cause people to remain bound by the shackles of fate.
Present effects are due to karmic causes from the past. However, future effects arise from the causes we make in the present. It is always the present that counts. It is what we do in the present moment that decides our future; our past causes do not govern our future as well. Nichiren Buddhism emphasizes that no matter what kind of karmic causes we have made in the past, through the causes we make in the present we can achieve a brilliant future.
Buddhism stresses the importance of the present and the future. There is little point in dwelling on the past. Far more constructive is looking to the future and moving forward. What is vital is that we achieve a bright and glorious future through our efforts and perseverance today.
What is the purpose of our lives? What becomes of our life when we die? ... No matter how much power and authority one might wield now, these become meaningless in the face of death. In the end, the only thing that is important is how one has lived one's life. We alone must face the consequences of our actions and decisions. When one understands the strict law of cause and effect at work in life, one will inevitably come to correct one's way of living.
Ultimately, we are responsible for our own destiny. It may seem to us that our fate is predetermined, whether by our genes or by our environment. What really matters, however, is how we can improve ourselves from this moment forward, how we can change the circumstances that we find ourselves in. This enormous transformative force is what Buddhism is all about. In this struggle lies the source of never-ending youth and vitality.
Inconspicuous virtue brings conspicuous reward. From the perspective of Buddhism, we never fail to receive the effect of our actions, whether good or bad; therefore, it's meaningless to be two-faced or to pretend to be something we're not.
Quotes - Daisaku Ikeda
"When we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with the same great spirit and great desire for kosen-rufu as the Daishonin, we can experience birth and death in the realm of Buddhahood and tap the fundamental life-force that resides within us. The Lotus Sutra (Nam-myoho-renge-kyo) has the power to rejuvenate and revitalise our lives. Through its power, in life, we can grow younger and accumulate good fortune, while in death, we can merge with the vast realm of Buddhahood of the universe as a whole and recharge our vital life-force.
"We, the members of the SGI who are striving for kosen-rufu, carrying on the spirit of the Lotus Sutra and directly connected to Nichiren Daishonin, are noble individuals who are in no way different or separate from 'Shakyamuni Buddha who attained enlightenment countless kalpas ago' and 'the Lotus Sutra that leads all people to Buddhahood.'
"President Toda said:
"'You could describe the life-state of Buddhahood as that of always being reborn brimming with powerful life-force and working to your heart's content for the mission you were born for, of achieving all your desired goals and accumulating indestructible benefits. How much more fortunate it would be, then, if we could enjoy such lives many tens, hundreds, thousands, and billions of times? Not desiring such happy lives, but greedily seeking only your own tiny happiness, is truly pitiful.'
"Because we, as practitioners of the Daishonin's Buddhism, live our lives in direct accord with the essential way of life of Buddhas, we overflow with innate life-force. Because we carry out efforts that embody the workings of compassion of time without beginning, we can remain basically joyful and positive, no matter what happens. And because we, who uphold the Soka spirit of mentor and disciple, follow the path of birth and death in the realm of Buddhahood, our lives are strong and invincible. As SGI members, who possess a sound and undistorted view of life and death, we are people of wisdom and true philosophy, people of courage and genuine commitment.
"In our practice of compassion based on the Mystic Law, we find a view of life and death that can serve as a model for all humanity and a pioneering example of ordinary individuals positively transforming the inner realm of their lives."
SGI Newsletter No. 7105, SGI President Ikeda’s Study Lecture Series, LECTURES ON 'THE HERITAGE OF THE ULTIMATE LAW OF LIFE,' [5] Embracing Myoho-renge-kyo--Striving to Fulfil the Great Vow for Kosen--rufu Is the Key to Birth and Death in the Realm of Buddhahood, translated from the December 2006 issue of the Daibyakurenge, the Soka Gakkai study journal, Feb 7th, 2007.
"We, the members of the SGI who are striving for kosen-rufu, carrying on the spirit of the Lotus Sutra and directly connected to Nichiren Daishonin, are noble individuals who are in no way different or separate from 'Shakyamuni Buddha who attained enlightenment countless kalpas ago' and 'the Lotus Sutra that leads all people to Buddhahood.'
"President Toda said:
"'You could describe the life-state of Buddhahood as that of always being reborn brimming with powerful life-force and working to your heart's content for the mission you were born for, of achieving all your desired goals and accumulating indestructible benefits. How much more fortunate it would be, then, if we could enjoy such lives many tens, hundreds, thousands, and billions of times? Not desiring such happy lives, but greedily seeking only your own tiny happiness, is truly pitiful.'
"Because we, as practitioners of the Daishonin's Buddhism, live our lives in direct accord with the essential way of life of Buddhas, we overflow with innate life-force. Because we carry out efforts that embody the workings of compassion of time without beginning, we can remain basically joyful and positive, no matter what happens. And because we, who uphold the Soka spirit of mentor and disciple, follow the path of birth and death in the realm of Buddhahood, our lives are strong and invincible. As SGI members, who possess a sound and undistorted view of life and death, we are people of wisdom and true philosophy, people of courage and genuine commitment.
"In our practice of compassion based on the Mystic Law, we find a view of life and death that can serve as a model for all humanity and a pioneering example of ordinary individuals positively transforming the inner realm of their lives."
SGI Newsletter No. 7105, SGI President Ikeda’s Study Lecture Series, LECTURES ON 'THE HERITAGE OF THE ULTIMATE LAW OF LIFE,' [5] Embracing Myoho-renge-kyo--Striving to Fulfil the Great Vow for Kosen--rufu Is the Key to Birth and Death in the Realm of Buddhahood, translated from the December 2006 issue of the Daibyakurenge, the Soka Gakkai study journal, Feb 7th, 2007.
"To accept is easy; to continue is difficult. But Buddhahood lies in continuing faith."
(The Difficulty of Sustaining Faith - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 471) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, February 8th, 2007
(The Difficulty of Sustaining Faith - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 471) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, February 8th, 2007
Though this mandala has but five or seven characters, it is the teacher of all Buddhas throughout the three existences and the seal that guarantees the enlightenment of all women. It will be a lamp in the darkness of the road to the next world and a fine horse to carry you over the mountains of death. It is like the sun and moon in the heavens or Mount Sumeru on earth. It is a ship to ferry people over the sea of the sufferings of birth and death. It is the teacher who leads all people to Buddhahood and enlightenment.
[ On Offering Prayers to the Mandala of the Mystic Law, WND Page 414 ]
[ On Offering Prayers to the Mandala of the Mystic Law, WND Page 414 ]
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"What can we do as individuals? We can do our best. We can strive with all our might, challenge ourselves wholeheartedly, just as we are, in our present circumstances, and in our own way, unfazed by the vagaries of praise or blame. We can advance in high spirits, proud that we're giving our all. If we can keep this up throughout our lives, we are certain to be victorious in the end."
SGI Newsletter No. 7102, EXECUTIVE LEADERS CONFERENCE--PART 2 [OF 2], Fostering the Youth Is Fostering the Future, Nov. 18th 2006, translated Feb 5th 2007
SGI Newsletter No. 7102, EXECUTIVE LEADERS CONFERENCE--PART 2 [OF 2], Fostering the Youth Is Fostering the Future, Nov. 18th 2006, translated Feb 5th 2007
"The voice carries out the work of the Buddha."
(Ongi kuden - Gosho Zenshu, page 708, The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, page 4) Selection source: Living Buddhism, Seikyo Shimbun, February 11th, 2007
(Ongi kuden - Gosho Zenshu, page 708, The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, page 4) Selection source: Living Buddhism, Seikyo Shimbun, February 11th, 2007
"When the eminent British historian Arnold Toynbee (1889-1975) was a student and feeling very heavy pressures to succeed academically, his parents told him: 'Just do your best. None of us can do more than that.' In a later autobiographical account, he recalls how much these words lifted a great weight from his shoulders.
"And during my meeting with former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, she shared with me that her father imparted an important lesson to her that sustained her all her life: 'Do your best. If you should fail, try again.'"
SGI Newsletter No. 7102, EXECUTIVE LEADERS CONFERENCE--PART 2 [OF 2], Fostering the Youth Is Fostering the Future, Nov. 18th 2006, translated Feb 5th 2007
"And during my meeting with former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, she shared with me that her father imparted an important lesson to her that sustained her all her life: 'Do your best. If you should fail, try again.'"
SGI Newsletter No. 7102, EXECUTIVE LEADERS CONFERENCE--PART 2 [OF 2], Fostering the Youth Is Fostering the Future, Nov. 18th 2006, translated Feb 5th 2007
E
EasyMyohoDisco
Been very busy this week, more than usual, but I just wanted to check in and share some good news, I found a new shakubuku! Her name is Beth Ann and she is coming to our district meeting on Sunday. I am chanting every morning to introduce someone new to this practice everyday, and to help someone receive Gohonzon everyday. One hour of daimoku before work everyday and morning and evening gongyo, is helping me keep my eye on the prize.
Its a strict regimine for me but essential to my faith nonetheless. I feel I gotta give a little to get some in return, in this case I want to dedicate more and more each day to kosen-rufu, because in chanting daimoku and helping others sustain and begin their practice, therein lies happiness.
I have not really encountered real happiness in my life, I always thought it meant having unlimited supply of meds (pot), or constant fulfillment of my sexual fantasies, or a great night dancing with some new company, and I am convinced that others may find happiness within those parameters, but I sincerely am trying to be a responsible Bodhisattva and do my best for kosen-rufu.
Thanks for the uplifting posts Socal, your on a roll brother! Much love to Thomas and his crew out there including the SGI brothers and sisters practicing with you and your immediate family.
Lets attend more meetings, support our districts! Within the district level we can really create cohesiveness and progress to help out with our shakubuku efforts. Visit members and welcome members into your home if you can (I started growing again so no meetings anytime soon at my place, for the time being). Try and check in on the thread everyday and get some guidance and encouragement to keep ourselves grounded and focused.
deep respect,
myohodisco
I'll catch up with everyone soon. Bye
Its a strict regimine for me but essential to my faith nonetheless. I feel I gotta give a little to get some in return, in this case I want to dedicate more and more each day to kosen-rufu, because in chanting daimoku and helping others sustain and begin their practice, therein lies happiness.
I have not really encountered real happiness in my life, I always thought it meant having unlimited supply of meds (pot), or constant fulfillment of my sexual fantasies, or a great night dancing with some new company, and I am convinced that others may find happiness within those parameters, but I sincerely am trying to be a responsible Bodhisattva and do my best for kosen-rufu.
Thanks for the uplifting posts Socal, your on a roll brother! Much love to Thomas and his crew out there including the SGI brothers and sisters practicing with you and your immediate family.
Lets attend more meetings, support our districts! Within the district level we can really create cohesiveness and progress to help out with our shakubuku efforts. Visit members and welcome members into your home if you can (I started growing again so no meetings anytime soon at my place, for the time being). Try and check in on the thread everyday and get some guidance and encouragement to keep ourselves grounded and focused.
deep respect,
myohodisco
I'll catch up with everyone soon. Bye
Makiguchi in Action Project in Brazil Report
Makiguchi in Action Project in Brazil Report
Makiguchi in Action Project in Brazil Report
Soka Educators International... - http://sein2007.blogspot.com/index.html
This is really encouraging seeing the 1st president of SGI, Mr Makiguchi's education philosophy taking action around the world.
(From its website)
The SOKA EDUCATORS INTERNATIONAL NETWORK is a volunteer project and created to inspire educators who are implementing Soka Education in different ways. This Blog site's goal is to create a strong network of Soka Educators who can support the growing development of humanistic education.
Makiguchi in Action Project in Brazil Report
Makiguchi in Action Project in Brazil Report
Soka Educators International... - http://sein2007.blogspot.com/index.html
This is really encouraging seeing the 1st president of SGI, Mr Makiguchi's education philosophy taking action around the world.
(From its website)
The SOKA EDUCATORS INTERNATIONAL NETWORK is a volunteer project and created to inspire educators who are implementing Soka Education in different ways. This Blog site's goal is to create a strong network of Soka Educators who can support the growing development of humanistic education.
Bullying reflects problems in adult society
By Daisaku Ikeda
For The Straits Times (Singapore)
17th February 2007
Disturbing incidents of bullying continue to make the news. We hear daily of the tragedy of children who, unable to endure the harassment and violence inflicted on them by peers and classmates, are driven to suicide.
It is heartbreaking to think of the pain and despair that would cause a child to take his or her life, the devastating grief and regret of their families.
Bullying is not a sickness unique to Japan. But the kinds of extreme bullying that can lead even to suicide have as their background the closed and insular nature of Japanese society. People of strong individuality, who have some quality that shines or stands out, are often the target of jealousy, branded as different and strange.
As such, they may be subjected to an organized effort to ignore and ostracize them, leaving them feeling as if their very existence has been denied. Such isolation can be accompanied by threats, extortion and physical violence. Some children may become active supporters of the bullying while others, fearful that they will be targeted next, remain passive bystanders.
This dynamic reflects a deep-rooted pathology within Japanese society. It is rare for parents and teachers to muster the courage and solidarity to confront such bullying.
What would also appear to be unique to Japan is a particular quickness to blame the victim. There is a widely if unconsciously held notion that the victims of bullying are themselves at least partly responsible for their plight. This way of thinking acts to justify bullying as well as the indifference that allows it to continue.
How could anyone imagine there are people in the world who deserve to be bullied? Bullying is a base and vicious act that can never and must never be legitimated.
People are not bullied because they are weak. Rather, bullying reflects the inner weakness of the perpetrators, their inability to resist their own ugliest impulses. As Mahatma Gandhi pointed out, violence is ultimately born of cowardice.
The first step in dealing with bullying is to transform the cultural attitudes that permit it. This requires that we state clearly that the blame for bullying rests 100 percent with those who bully.
This further requires that adults -- whether parents or teachers -- who become aware of bullying speak up, demonstrating a model of courage and action to children. Equally crucial is the effort to become the kind of person that a child being victimized by bullying can turn to with confidence. We need to be able to discern the often silent pleas of such children.
Bullying came to light as a serious social problem in Japan in the 1980s. The various forms of violence that had plagued schools in the 1970s had been brought under control but, it has been suggested, the forcefulness of the measures used to achieve this left the underlying issues unresolved, pushing violence underground and inward. The aggression once directed against teachers and the schools themselves was turned against classmates.
The rapid changes in society have left children exposed to intense forms of stress. The cold and unforgiving logic of the adult world is applied unmediated to the lives of children, who are subjected to excessive degrees of competition, selection, ranking and standardization.
The dysfunction so evident in school bullying today thus mirrors the state of adult society, which is replete with insidious forms of bullying -- detached cruelty stemming from cynicism and self-involvement, abuses of people's rights by the media, television programs that poke fun at the vulnerable, prejudice and discrimination in its various forms. To surround children with such realities while expecting them to adhere to idealized forms of behavior is hardly fair.
Urbanization and the collapse of the extended family have deprived children of the physical and social spaces where they are affectionately enfolded and can comfortably develop friendships. And parents are often so pressed for time and stressed by work that they cannot fully engage or interact with their children.
Many children who become violent carry a deep-rooted sense of being neglected and ignored. The healthy growth of children requires that they feel accepted and embraced for who they are. When children can feel acceptance, they develop a natural awareness of their own unique and irreplaceable value. They come to treasure and care for themselves. At the same time, this awakens feelings of trust and respect for others.
In the end, children desire but one thing -- to be loved. This is why the family must be a haven of security and protection for children.
Rosa Parks once shared with me her mother's words: "There is no law that people have to suffer." Her mother also taught her the value of self-respect, to respect both herself and others. In these childhood lessons I think we can see the deep sources of courage and dignity behind her crucial role in the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott that marked a historic turning point in the American civil rights movement.
Every child has the right to move proudly into the future, head held high. The horror of a society permeated by different forms of bullying is that it tramples children's sense of self-worth, robbing them of the light of future hope.
All young people need to be clearly assured that when we are suffering, although it may feel like the darkness will continue forever, that is absolutely not the case. Night always yields to dawn. Though the cold of winter may seem to last forever, it is always followed by spring. And those who have suffered most are best able to understand people's hearts. They have a unique and vital contribution to make.
Children are our only future, our sole, irreplaceable hope. Children are urging us -- literally at the risk and cost of their lives -- to become aware of the distortions of the adult world. Our response to their silent cries holds the key to healing the desperate illness of our times. Only by turning to directly engage with children, their feelings and their needs, will we redeem our own humanity.
Daisaku Ikeda is president of Soka Gakkai International, and founder of Soka University and the Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy Research. This article appeared in The Japan Times on 8th February 2007, and in Singapore's Straits Times on 17th February 2007 (Saturday Review section).
By Daisaku Ikeda
For The Straits Times (Singapore)
17th February 2007
Disturbing incidents of bullying continue to make the news. We hear daily of the tragedy of children who, unable to endure the harassment and violence inflicted on them by peers and classmates, are driven to suicide.
It is heartbreaking to think of the pain and despair that would cause a child to take his or her life, the devastating grief and regret of their families.
Bullying is not a sickness unique to Japan. But the kinds of extreme bullying that can lead even to suicide have as their background the closed and insular nature of Japanese society. People of strong individuality, who have some quality that shines or stands out, are often the target of jealousy, branded as different and strange.
As such, they may be subjected to an organized effort to ignore and ostracize them, leaving them feeling as if their very existence has been denied. Such isolation can be accompanied by threats, extortion and physical violence. Some children may become active supporters of the bullying while others, fearful that they will be targeted next, remain passive bystanders.
This dynamic reflects a deep-rooted pathology within Japanese society. It is rare for parents and teachers to muster the courage and solidarity to confront such bullying.
What would also appear to be unique to Japan is a particular quickness to blame the victim. There is a widely if unconsciously held notion that the victims of bullying are themselves at least partly responsible for their plight. This way of thinking acts to justify bullying as well as the indifference that allows it to continue.
How could anyone imagine there are people in the world who deserve to be bullied? Bullying is a base and vicious act that can never and must never be legitimated.
People are not bullied because they are weak. Rather, bullying reflects the inner weakness of the perpetrators, their inability to resist their own ugliest impulses. As Mahatma Gandhi pointed out, violence is ultimately born of cowardice.
The first step in dealing with bullying is to transform the cultural attitudes that permit it. This requires that we state clearly that the blame for bullying rests 100 percent with those who bully.
This further requires that adults -- whether parents or teachers -- who become aware of bullying speak up, demonstrating a model of courage and action to children. Equally crucial is the effort to become the kind of person that a child being victimized by bullying can turn to with confidence. We need to be able to discern the often silent pleas of such children.
Bullying came to light as a serious social problem in Japan in the 1980s. The various forms of violence that had plagued schools in the 1970s had been brought under control but, it has been suggested, the forcefulness of the measures used to achieve this left the underlying issues unresolved, pushing violence underground and inward. The aggression once directed against teachers and the schools themselves was turned against classmates.
The rapid changes in society have left children exposed to intense forms of stress. The cold and unforgiving logic of the adult world is applied unmediated to the lives of children, who are subjected to excessive degrees of competition, selection, ranking and standardization.
The dysfunction so evident in school bullying today thus mirrors the state of adult society, which is replete with insidious forms of bullying -- detached cruelty stemming from cynicism and self-involvement, abuses of people's rights by the media, television programs that poke fun at the vulnerable, prejudice and discrimination in its various forms. To surround children with such realities while expecting them to adhere to idealized forms of behavior is hardly fair.
Urbanization and the collapse of the extended family have deprived children of the physical and social spaces where they are affectionately enfolded and can comfortably develop friendships. And parents are often so pressed for time and stressed by work that they cannot fully engage or interact with their children.
Many children who become violent carry a deep-rooted sense of being neglected and ignored. The healthy growth of children requires that they feel accepted and embraced for who they are. When children can feel acceptance, they develop a natural awareness of their own unique and irreplaceable value. They come to treasure and care for themselves. At the same time, this awakens feelings of trust and respect for others.
In the end, children desire but one thing -- to be loved. This is why the family must be a haven of security and protection for children.
Rosa Parks once shared with me her mother's words: "There is no law that people have to suffer." Her mother also taught her the value of self-respect, to respect both herself and others. In these childhood lessons I think we can see the deep sources of courage and dignity behind her crucial role in the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott that marked a historic turning point in the American civil rights movement.
Every child has the right to move proudly into the future, head held high. The horror of a society permeated by different forms of bullying is that it tramples children's sense of self-worth, robbing them of the light of future hope.
All young people need to be clearly assured that when we are suffering, although it may feel like the darkness will continue forever, that is absolutely not the case. Night always yields to dawn. Though the cold of winter may seem to last forever, it is always followed by spring. And those who have suffered most are best able to understand people's hearts. They have a unique and vital contribution to make.
Children are our only future, our sole, irreplaceable hope. Children are urging us -- literally at the risk and cost of their lives -- to become aware of the distortions of the adult world. Our response to their silent cries holds the key to healing the desperate illness of our times. Only by turning to directly engage with children, their feelings and their needs, will we redeem our own humanity.
Daisaku Ikeda is president of Soka Gakkai International, and founder of Soka University and the Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy Research. This article appeared in The Japan Times on 8th February 2007, and in Singapore's Straits Times on 17th February 2007 (Saturday Review section).
The Secret
The Secret
I heard that last weak on Oprah's tv show the topic was 'The Secret'; the panel there that day talked about: Law of Attraction
As Nichiren Buddhist's we are learning this in our daily life all along. Some of the Interesting points they made.
1. Everything that happens to you (good or bad) you attracted to yourself.
this is karma
2. Find the positive in your current situation and don't wallow in the negative.
we chant to the Gohonzon, the mirror of our life and change our lifes 'poison into medicine'
3. Ask for what you want in life, and be specific.
we pray morning/evening - Faith, Practice & Study
Let's all embrace this new trend: The Law of Attraction and become absolutely happy here and now
The Secret
I heard that last weak on Oprah's tv show the topic was 'The Secret'; the panel there that day talked about: Law of Attraction
As Nichiren Buddhist's we are learning this in our daily life all along. Some of the Interesting points they made.
1. Everything that happens to you (good or bad) you attracted to yourself.
this is karma
2. Find the positive in your current situation and don't wallow in the negative.
we chant to the Gohonzon, the mirror of our life and change our lifes 'poison into medicine'
3. Ask for what you want in life, and be specific.
we pray morning/evening - Faith, Practice & Study
Let's all embrace this new trend: The Law of Attraction and become absolutely happy here and now
"The Italian poet Petrarch (1304-74) declared: 'Deep within the soul lies what makes us happy or wretched.' With strong faith, we can overcome the most daunting hardships; we can change poison into medicine. Strong prayer and earnest action allow us to break through any obstacle.
"In a letter, Petrarch advised a friend to live happily and persevere courageously. He also wrote: 'The thicker the difficulties are the more eagerly I face them.' The greater the hardships before us, the more we should rouse a fighting spirit to challenge them. That's the way to forge and strengthen our character as a human being."
SGI Newsletter No. 7099, NEW YEAR'S REPRESENTATIVES CONFERENCE--PART 2 [OF 2], Breaking through Obstacles with Strong Prayer, Jan. 2nd, 2007. Translated Feb. 2nd, 2007
"In a letter, Petrarch advised a friend to live happily and persevere courageously. He also wrote: 'The thicker the difficulties are the more eagerly I face them.' The greater the hardships before us, the more we should rouse a fighting spirit to challenge them. That's the way to forge and strengthen our character as a human being."
SGI Newsletter No. 7099, NEW YEAR'S REPRESENTATIVES CONFERENCE--PART 2 [OF 2], Breaking through Obstacles with Strong Prayer, Jan. 2nd, 2007. Translated Feb. 2nd, 2007
"Teaching another something is the same as oiling the wheels of a cart so that they turn even though it is heavy, or as floating a boat on water so that it moves ahead easily."
(The Wealthy Man Sudatta - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 1086) Selection source: Editorial, Seikyo Shimbun, February 12th, 2007
(The Wealthy Man Sudatta - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 1086) Selection source: Editorial, Seikyo Shimbun, February 12th, 2007
Even though one may encounter a wise teacher and the true sutra and thereby embrace the correct teaching, when one resolves to break free from the sufferings of birth and death and attain Buddhahood, one will inevitably encounter seven grave matters known as the three obstacles and four devils, just as surely as a shadow follows the body and clouds accompany rain. Even if you should manage to overcome the first six, if you are defeated by the seventh, you will not be able to become a Buddha.
[ Letter to Misawa, WND Page 894 ]
[ Letter to Misawa, WND Page 894 ]
^^^^The seventh is the Devil of the Sixth Heaven--ones own fundamental darkness^^^^
"Teaching another something is the same as oiling the wheels of a cart so that they turn even though it is heavy, or as floating a boat on water so that it moves ahead easily."
(The Wealthy Man Sudatta - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 1086) Selection source: Editorial, Seikyo Shimbun, February 12th, 2007
(The Wealthy Man Sudatta - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 1086) Selection source: Editorial, Seikyo Shimbun, February 12th, 2007
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DIY leds Discussion Thread for all your how tos and doubts and anything related
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Latest posts
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DIY leds Discussion Thread for all your how tos and doubts and anything related
- Latest: Orange's Greenhouse
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