Chanting Growers Group

[PassTheDoobie]

and I don't think anyone has attitude, just because they have conviction. It seems someone would need to stay a stranger to something that is nameless. If you don't even know what it is called, how much could you know about what it actually is?

These are just questions. Pat has just been giving answers.

T

 

[Guest]

PTB,
As Nivchiren Daishonin says, "It is the heart that is most important!"

As long as were are seeking the truth the Buddha will emerge from within our own life and allow us to manifest the truth from within our own loife to be manifest into action.

The purpose of the Buddha's appearance is his behavior. It is the Buddha's deepest desire to open the way for all living beings, just as it is for him. It is through our actions the Budddha appears and does not enter extinction.

As long as we manifest the compassion and wisdom of the Buddha we have entered the Buddha's Room, placed the Buddha's Robe upon our shoulders, and have taken a seat upon emptiness to expound this one great truth of life. Just as Shakyamuni Buddha did in Deer Park in 500 BC.

VegasBuddha

 

[Guest]

Seeking The Truth

Seeking The Truth

A few months ago, our SGI-USA study group was studying about how to "seek the truth", from tjhe Gosho, "On Attaining Buddhaood." IN this Gosho Niciren encourages each of us to seek the truth within our own lives.

So the question was posed how do we seek the truth?

I mean we can't just go up to the grocery clerk and ask the grocery clerk to reveal to us the truth we are seeking. So we talked about the process of seeking the truth.

To seek the truth would have to be an internal function manifested externally. In order to manifest our inner desires we have only two options, our words and or actions.

Our words and our actions reflect all of our innermost thoughts, whether we want them to or not. Our words and our actions can reflect our truthful nature or it can reflect non-truthful nature, such as arrogance, hatred, and fear. All the later functions will drive our life-state into a negative direction; seeking the non-truth; if you will, while the former drives our life-state into a positive direction; seeking the truth; if you will.

Just some thoughts we shared at one of our SGI-USA Gosho study meetings regarding teh Gosho, "On Attaining Buddhahood"

VegasBuddha

 

[PassTheDoobie]

the truth lies inside you

the truth lies inside you

Hi everyone! It was a long weekend. I have been trying to think of something to add to VB's last post. I just spied it a few moments ago; It is the bi-line of the Basics of Buddhism by Pat Allright.

"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" Nichiren Daishonin

The Truth is that we each have the potential of enlightenment / Buddhahood within our lives. This Buddha state, the highest of the ten states, is characterized by boundless wisdom and infinite compassion. It is achieved through the Bodhisattva practice, the ninth of the ten states. This state is characterized by compassion in which one dedicates oneself to saving others.

In the current time of mappo, the Latter Day of the Law, the correct practice to achieve enlightenment as Bodhisattvas of the Earth, is teaching to all that will listen, the great law of Myoho Renge Kyo. As the Daishonin further states:

"While deluded one is called a common mortal. but once enlightened he is called a Buddha....Nam Myoho Renge Kyo."

Thomas

 

[Guest]

PTD,
Yes. The real struggle is how to we take this understanding of Buddhaood; one of the ten realms of existence; and manifest this greatness throughout the other nine world or realms of existence.

These ten worlds consist of Hell from the Lowest and Buddhaood to the Highest. The first four worlds are referred to as the Lower Worlds, they are Hell, Hunger, Anger, Animality. The other six worlds are referred to as the Noble Worlds They are Humanity. Realization, Rapture Learning, Absorption, Bohdisattva, and Buddhahood. These worlds or ralms are not linear in any fashion, but are all inter-connected constantly yhrough our thoughts, words, and actions.

Our individual struggle is how do we manifest our Buddhaood through our thoughts, words, and deeds all the same and coherently. The later two are quite easy. Practice for Others, as PTD pointed out. But the former is much more difficult.

In my opinion, if one is to seek, one must seek the truth the truth from within their own life, that means to me to be brutually honest with oneself about oneself. Our own successes and failures, taking full responsibility, observing exactly where the fauilure lay to be corrected and manifest into success within our own life. Not others lives.

I personally accomplish this through my thoughts of others. I constantly observe my own thoughts about others, as well as my thoughts about myself. I constantly ask myself, Am I being to hard on myself or others or too easy? Could I have done more or done better both for myself and others? Am I doing enough by my own standards of humanity for both myself and others?

I constantly ask myself these and many more questions, as well as cautioning myself against poor judgemental thoughts of others and myself; i.e. weight, looks, appearance, life-style and so forth.

I find it difficult to expect someone to like others when they do not like themself. I believe we have to learn to appreciate and love ourselves, before we can even begin to appreciate and love others. We can say so with perhaps our words, and maybe and actions, but can we do so with all three,;our thoughts, words, and actions? All three working together as one function called a Caused Awakened One or a Buddha or revealing our own Buddhahood within the nine worlds of reality called life!

This is what Nichhiren Daishonin did. He states, "It is the heart that is most important!" WND

vegasBuddha

 

[PassTheDoobie]

I admire your correct thinking!

I admire your correct thinking!

VB,

Sometimes you come up with such profound shit and it comes out as easily as if you are just shaking water off of your body after an invigorating shower! You are constantly a hard act to follow. Sometimes I am speechless. I don't know what to say next. I read what you say and it cuts to the core of my life and practice.

Do you want to get into a presentation of Ichinen Sanzen yet? Or at least the Ten Worlds, as you touched on before. Sometimes I think yo must be reading the Maka-shikan or something. I have told you this privately, but I feel very fortunate to know you! You constantly make me think on a deeper level. Thank you!

You ARE my brother!

Thomas

 

[Guest]

Maka Shikan

Maka Shikan

PTD,
I try to read the Lotus Sutra with my life. I also try to live for just this moment. It seems it is most important to understand the Ten Worlds if we are to understand anything about ourelves.

President Ikeda, says, "Self Mastery is most important in our own personal growth."

VegasBuddha

 

[Hitman]

Greetings Buddhas!

 

[Babbabud]

a poem from the Tao Te Ching

a poem from the Tao Te Ching

Walk Carefully When You Are Among

"Holy men"and
"Righteous deeds"
Distract from the internal

"Learned men "
Distract from natural wisdom

Professional know-how "
Addicts people to the contrived and external

Be respectful and compassionate
But walk carefully when you are among-

learned men

holy men

doctors

government officials

reporters

publishers

professors

religious leaders

psychologists

rich people

social scientist

women with beautiful faces

artists and writers

people who charge fees

city men

movie makers

people who want to help you

Christians and Jew

For such as these , however well meaning
Place you on their chessboard
Addict you to their external
Distract you from the Tao within

The lesson of the Tao is more likely to be found among------

gardeners

hermits

eccentrics

people who build their own homes

children

parents who learn from their children

amateur musicians

serene psychotics

animals

those who look at sunsets

whose who walk in the woods

beautiful women

cooks

people who sit by the fire

wanderers

bakers of bread

couples who have been in love for years

smiling men with bad reputations



Hope you enjoyed this poem ..... I think it fits our family well here.

for those that dont understand the word "Tao" ... just replace it with "God"

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Hitman!

Hitman!

So how are you Buddhas, as well? Thanks for sending the bright rays of warm sunshine that you so graciously relinquish to us out here further west each day! It's a good thing you guys aren't Bogarts with those precious rays! Thanks for sharing!

T

 

[Guest]

The Ten Worlds

The Ten Worlds

The Buddha's of the Ten Directions are all fine. Ecellent! Excellent!

I was thinkoing about how to best express the Ten Worlds in a fashion that is easy to understand and use in our daily life.

To start with I think the Ten Worlds by their name are quite explicit in what feelings and emotions are encompassed within each of the ten worlds.

BTW, The World of Rapature is also called the World of Heaven. It is in this world, I believe we can identify with all of the teachings; non-buddhist; that revolve around the concept of heaven and hell as two opposites not resising in the here and now, or reality.

Nichiren Daishonin states, "Just like in a dream, we see ourerslves doing both good and evil, than we awaken and realize it is just a dream. Life is the same way!"

With this basic understanding, we can look at any of the ten worlds and simply saw, we make a choice at every moment of our life, in whatever world we are residing in, at that given moment; and manifest either good or evil. These are the causes we make with our thoughts, words, and actions.

Within each of these ten worlds exists The Buddha, or our nature to manifest compassion and wisdom for ourselves and others. Devedatta; the most evil person in the Buddha's lifetime; also exists within all of the ten worlds. If these two life-states exist, Buddhahood and Hell, than so do the other eight. Buddhism is reason. If one world exists within the other nine than all ten must exist within all the other nine worlds as well.

What is most inportant to understand, is no matter what world, or life-state we are in at that very moment, we possess the ability to create either good or evil; manifest the Buddha or Devedatta. If we observe our mind as Chi-i taught in the great insight and consetration, we can accomplish this task.

However, it was learned, Observing the mind is most dificult. Nichiren Daishonin teaches, "My practcie is merely embracing the five characters of the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra as the essential practice."

What this means to all of us is, that when we chant, nam myoho renge kyo to the Gohonzon; The Eternal Ten Worlds and the mandalla, two yet not two; we can manifest Buddhahood in our life, no matter what world our life is in at that very moment in time.

In other words, We can be happy, no matter what obstacle is in front of us, at that very moment.

Chanting nam-myoho renge kyo with our entire life, will as Nichiren Daishonin promises, "What prayer can go unanswered when we have faiith in nam myoho renge kyo"

VegasBuddha

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Did you write it?

Did you write it?

Babbabud! That was a very cool poem. Where is it from? I think it is saying that the truth comes from within, and beware of the trap of getting your truth from any other place. It does pretty much cover everyone on this site! Thanks for sharing it.

T

 

[PassTheDoobie]

from bottom to top

from bottom to top

They are: (1) hell, (2) hungry spirits, (3) animals, (4) asuras, (5) human beings, (6) heavenly beings, (7) voice-hearers, (8) cause-awakened ones, (9) bodhisattvas, and (10) Buddhas

 

[Guest]

The Ten Worlds

The Ten Worlds

A most interesting phenomena occurs when you apply the ten worlds concept to life forms other than just human life.

After all Shakyamuni Buddha expounds in the Lotus Sutra, "It is my desire that ALL life be equal to me. Finally, My desire has been met!"

With this understanding this same concept of life-states applies to all life. Birds, trees, flowers, and weeds. All life is equal and possesses the ten worlds, and responds to the sound of TheWonderful Law of Cause and Effect; nam myoho renge kyo.

Happy lives are productive lives. I don't remember who said this but it has proven to be true over time.

If you want your garden to be happy chant nam myoho renge kyo to and for your garden to be happy. All plants desire the same as people do, whether we understand or accept it or not. It is just like the Laws of Physics, whether we undertand them , they apply to us.

Why is it some people appear to have a green thumb while others appear to kill anything green around them? Individual life-states, I believe. ALL life responds to our life force. When we smile others smile back, whether they are plants, animals, or people.

If you want to have productive MJ plants, all you have to do is chant nam myoho renge kyo to your plants for their happiness. Sit back and watch them show their appreciation to you. Cause and Effect. Renge. Chanting nam myoho renge kyo is the highest form of appreciation you can give or show for another's life.

VegasBuddha

 

[Hitman]

So true

So true

Animals gather around like a Disney movie when they hear the sound of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. There is always that person who responds by calling you as you begin or have just finished doing Gongyo.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

So SO VERY VERY TRUE!

So SO VERY VERY TRUE!

Isn't it amazing? So it isn't just me you guys? Wow! My faith has always created a special bond between me and my pets. Since I didn't have children until rather late in life, for many many years my pets were (and actually still are) a huge part of my life.

I have had them, as life eventually goes back out the door it came in from, cremated when they die. Their remains will all be buried with mine. Buddhism says nothing that you encounter in life is by chance. Not even the friends you meet here at ICmag.com!

We are all connected by our relationships from the past. We all appear because of these relationships and it is this interconnected influence that sustains this process time and time again, without end. All environments that we encounter we have a relationship with. All that we encounter in those environments, we have a relationship with. Even something as obscure as the stranger we notice as we walk by, never to see again.

As Buddhism says, if you want to the the past, look at this moment. If you want to know the future look at this moment. So when I see wildlife, for whatever reason, very naturally, I don't know why, I start chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. Whenever I see anything that has gone back through that door, I chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. I have had the most mystical encounter this way.

Those wild and innocent living creatures look you in the eye. They can sense you mean them no harm and do not threaten them in any way. They stare and listen, sometimes somewhat mesmerized, sometimes with child like curiosity. I have done this with birds, squirrels, raccons, deer, lizards, cats, dogs; you name it!

My pets have always had a natural tendenccy to gather around the butsudan and lay there while I chant or do gongyo. Even becoming aware of when I am finishing, as they begin to stir and strectch and move around as soon as they hear me doing the long sansho daimoku to end my chanting. I have always taken very seriously the fact that Buddhism states that Bodhisattvas may appear in animal form to support and be near their Masters, and the Law.

Thanks for sharing that Hitman and VB!

 

[Guest]

Ten Worlds

Ten Worlds

It is an interesting phenomena. We can always remember when our Buddhahood effects others in our environment, but we rarely remember when our other nine worlds effected others in our environemnt.

Many times we are not even aware we have effected other people with our ten worlds. A Buddha can not achieve the way without desiring for others to do the same. This is the life of the Buddha, as well as our own life. If we can appreciate life in the same way the Buddha appreciated his own life, and the lives of others, than we can understand this one fact of our lives are all intertwined.

When we effect other people with our ten worlds, we are making causes and conditions upon others lives. No different than gravity effects everyone.. Whether we underatand or ar aware of it or not, we make the causes and we reap the effects in our own life, as well as the lives of other's.

However, when we take responsibility for the effect we have on other's lives, we awaken our Boddhisattva nature, which in turn awakens our Buddha nature. The Buddha appears within our life for other's. Nichiren Daishonin states, " The voice does the Buddha's work" WND.

When we enslave other's we enslave our self. This is simply understanding Dependant Origination. The basic building block of life, as well as General Buddhist thought. All life comes and goes and is connected to all other life, never ceasing and never gaining. Like ocean tides that rise and fall within the ocean. No beginning and no perceived ending. This is called myo or mystical or " that which is understood between the minds of Buddha's" WND.

When we free other's we free oursleves. When we hurt other's we hurt our self. We we respect other's we respect our self. When we love other's we love our self, and vice versa!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is no more than a mirror that reflects what we feel and what we do to our self and other's.

The Gohonzon is the physical manifestation of the Ten Worlds and the Two Buddha's, with Nam Myoho Renge Kyo in the middle with the Ten Worlds swirling around; ever-changing just likje life;and the Wonderful Law of Cause and Effect touching all Ten Worlds bringing Nam Myoho Renge Kyo to the center of our life, which in turn brings the same to the lives of others.

Nichiren Daishonin isncribed the Gohonzon for alll mankind on October 12, 1279. Nichiren Daishonin writes, "I inscribe my life in sumi ink" Nichiren Daishonin manifested the great law of life from within his own life and revealed the Gohonzon for all mankind!

Nichiren Daishonin encourages each of us to do the same!

Just when we think no one is watching, we can see our self in the mirror called life!

VegasBuddha

 

[Guest]

Well saw you guys on the active thread list and thought I would drop by and give a hey to VegasBuddha & P-Doobie. Keep the positive vibes flowin' and I'll talk to you later. I need a nap.

Blatant

 

[PassTheDoobie]

From the Dictionary of Buddhism:

From the Dictionary of Buddhism:

The ten worlds may be described as follows:

(1) The world of hell, Nichiren's 1273 treatise 'The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind' states, "Rage is the world of hell". Hell indicates a condition in which living itself is misery and suffering, and in which, devoid of all freedom, one's anger and rage become a source of further self-destruction.

(2) The world of hungry spirits. Also called the world of hunger. A condition governed by endless desire for such things as food, profit, pleasure, power, recognition, or fame, in which one is never truly satisfied. ..."Greed is the world of hungry spirits."

(3) The world of animals. Also called the world of animality. It is a condition driven by instinct and lacking in reason, morality, or wisdom with which to control oneself. In this condition, one is ruled by the 'law of the jungle," standing in fear of the strong, but despising and preying upon those weaker than oneself ...."Foolishness is the world of animals".

The worlds of hell, hungry spirits, and animals are collectilvely known as the three evil paths.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

VB, my profound friend! How wise you are!

VB, my profound friend! How wise you are!

"We can always remember when our Buddhahood effects others in our environment, but we rarely remember when our other nine worlds effected others in our environemnt." VegasBuddha

Thank you for making me think, and seek, and see so much. Who that will read this cannot correlate this to our own lives? I know hell. And the destruction of my own life when I let this condition influence me in thought, word, or deed.

The same is true of hunger and animality. As I said in our phone call the other day, the heartfelt pursuit of the Middle Way was something that was much more theoretical in my life rather than an actual focus of my daily life. And of course that is so much more difficult to actualize than to understand as a concept.

I keep coming back to your previous post that ¡§Compassion always precedes Wisdom.¡¨ Finding compassion for your own life is the only way to achieve the wisdom to comprehend the true impact of your thoughts words and deeds.

My gratitude is heartfelt! Thanks dude! I had no idea how pissed off I really had been. It seems the veil of these last few very difficult years is gradually lifting. Lots more to do, but I know the vehicle is no longer in park, when I had thought it just in neutral.

I may still be in the lower gears, but am moving forward. Now if I can just keep going and withstand the temptation to try and floor it to get into overdrive. Maybe I can keep from blowing my engine and needing another overhaul. Instead finishing the race, happy and delighted, without the need to win it as the measure of victory.

Thanks for seeing the best in me and responding in kind!

My sincerest prayers for the happiness of all my icmag brothers and sisters!

Thomas