Chanting Growers Group
- Thread starter PassTheDoobie
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Dude! Rest assurred, I am resting. Things are progressing! This is just an obstacle that I have to overcome, and I will. Though it may seem otherwise, the entire battle has nothing to do with my back and everything to do with my mind.
T
T
"To discard the shallow and seek the profound is the way of a person of courage."
(On the Buddha's Prophecy - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 402) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, October 8th, 2007
(On the Buddha's Prophecy - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 402) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, October 8th, 2007
E
EasyMyohoDisco
"I knew from the outset that, if I set aside my fears and declared things exactly as they are, I would be sentenced to death. And even if I should escape the death penalty, I would surely be condemned to exile. So great is the debt of gratitude I owe the Buddha, however, that I have not let others intimidate me, but have spoken out."
Reference:
WND Page 529
Page 526 Letter to the Lay Priest Ichinosawa
Written to Ichinosawa Nyudo's Wife on 8 May 1275 from Minobu
I'm chanting everyday despite any obstacle, trying my best to stay positive and go forward. Human Revolution is tough when you wrap yourself up in the 'media, o.p.p, and anything else that may slow you down', but I'm keeping my head up too. On Sunday I brought a new shakubuku to the culture center for the monthly world peace meeting, we arrived a bit late but afterwards chanted an hour of daimoku in one of the bigger Gohonzon rooms with my girl and a couple older ladies. At first the pace was my usual lightspeed daimoku but after a lady left and the other took a break around 45 minutes in, I slowed the pace down considerably and my friend Chris finally started chanting and he sounded great!
Chanting + Shakubuku = what I've been up to and trying my best to introduce more to the practice as well everyday.
Welcome Hen! I have an alter ego named HenDokuYaku, we must be kindred spirits, enjoy the thread I read it daily (faith, practice and study!). A big hello to Socal, Bonzo, Babba, Georgia and Tom. Nice seeing sleepy post and a hug to sceggers and Mrs.Babba. Peace yall, be good.
Reference:
WND Page 529
Page 526 Letter to the Lay Priest Ichinosawa
Written to Ichinosawa Nyudo's Wife on 8 May 1275 from Minobu
I'm chanting everyday despite any obstacle, trying my best to stay positive and go forward. Human Revolution is tough when you wrap yourself up in the 'media, o.p.p, and anything else that may slow you down', but I'm keeping my head up too. On Sunday I brought a new shakubuku to the culture center for the monthly world peace meeting, we arrived a bit late but afterwards chanted an hour of daimoku in one of the bigger Gohonzon rooms with my girl and a couple older ladies. At first the pace was my usual lightspeed daimoku but after a lady left and the other took a break around 45 minutes in, I slowed the pace down considerably and my friend Chris finally started chanting and he sounded great!
Chanting + Shakubuku = what I've been up to and trying my best to introduce more to the practice as well everyday.
Welcome Hen! I have an alter ego named HenDokuYaku, we must be kindred spirits, enjoy the thread I read it daily (faith, practice and study!). A big hello to Socal, Bonzo, Babba, Georgia and Tom. Nice seeing sleepy post and a hug to sceggers and Mrs.Babba. Peace yall, be good.
"The Buddhist teachings that have been disseminated by others are in all cases those that have been learned and received from their respective teachers."
(The Blessings of the Lotus Sutra - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 671) Selection source: "Suntetsu", Seikyo Shimbun, October 14th, 2007
(The Blessings of the Lotus Sutra - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 671) Selection source: "Suntetsu", Seikyo Shimbun, October 14th, 2007
"Having good friends is all the Buddhist way."*
Now, let's strenghten our great solidarity of good friends
and cheerfully and joyfully advance together
in a grand journey toward achieving kosen-rufu!
Daisaku Ikeda
* Ananda, one of Shakyamuni Buddha's closest disciples, once asked him: "It seems to me that by having good friends and advancing together with them, one has already halfway attained the Buddha way. Is this way of thinking correct?" Shakyamuni replied, "Ananda, this way of thinking is not correct. Having good friends and advancing together with them is not half the Buddhist way but all the Buddhist way."
(Good Friends -
http://www.sgi.org/buddhism/daily-life/list/goodfriends.html)
Now, let's strenghten our great solidarity of good friends
and cheerfully and joyfully advance together
in a grand journey toward achieving kosen-rufu!
Daisaku Ikeda
* Ananda, one of Shakyamuni Buddha's closest disciples, once asked him: "It seems to me that by having good friends and advancing together with them, one has already halfway attained the Buddha way. Is this way of thinking correct?" Shakyamuni replied, "Ananda, this way of thinking is not correct. Having good friends and advancing together with them is not half the Buddhist way but all the Buddhist way."
(Good Friends -
http://www.sgi.org/buddhism/daily-life/list/goodfriends.html)
Good Friends
Good Friends
Ananda, one of Shakyamuni Buddha's closest disciples, once asked him: "It seems to me that by having good friends and advancing together with them, one has already halfway attained the Buddha way. Is this way of thinking correct?"
Shakyamuni replied, "Ananda, this way of thinking is not correct. Having good friends and advancing together with them is not half the Buddhist way but all the Buddhist way."
This may seem surprising, as Buddhism is often viewed as a solitary discipline in which other people might be seen as more of a hindrance than a help. However, to polish and improve our lives ultimately means to develop the quality of our interpersonal relationships--a far more challenging task than any solitary discipline. Our practice of Buddhism only finds meaning within the context of these relationships.
From another perspective, given that Buddhist practice of polishing and aiming to improve our lives from within is a constant challenge and a difficult process, it is only natural that we need support from others also dedicated to walking a correct path in life, trying also to create value in their lives.
SGI President Daisaku Ikeda has written, "Having good friends is like being equipped with a powerful auxiliary engine. When we encounter a steep hill or an obstacle, we can encourage each other and find the strength to keep pressing forward." And as Nichiren (1222--1282) wrote: "Even a feeble person will not stumble if those supporting him are strong, but a person of considerable strength, when alone, may lose his footing on an uneven path..."
In Nichiren Buddhism, good friends are known as zenchishiki or good influences, while akuchishiki refers to bad influences. People affect each other in subtle and complex ways, and it is important to develop the ability to discern the nature of that influence. According to Buddhism, "bad" friends are those who encourage our weaknesses. In Nichiren's words: "Evil friends are those who, speaking sweetly, deceiving, flattering and making skillful use of words, win the hearts of the ignorant and destroy their goodness of mind."
Even when intentions are good, the degree of our positive influence on each other will vary. Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, founder of the Soka Gakkai, used the following illustration. Say you have a friend who needs a certain amount of money. Giving your friend the money they need is an act of small good, while helping them find a job is an act of medium good. However, if your friend is really suffering because of a basic tendency toward laziness, then constantly helping him or her out may only perpetuate negative habits. In this case, true friendship is helping that person change the lazy nature that is the deep cause of their suffering.
A truly good friend is someone with the compassion and courage to tell us even those things we would prefer not to hear, which we must confront if we are to develop and grow in our lives.
Ultimately, however, whether people are good or evil influences in our lives is up to us. In Buddhist terms, the best kind of zenchishiki is one who leads us to strengthen our own faith and practice in order to thoroughly transform our karma. To quote Nichiren again, "the best way to attain Buddhahood is to encounter a zenchishiki, or good friend." Further, Nichiren comments that Devadatta, the cousin of Shakyamuni who tried to kill him and divide the Buddhist order, was "the foremost good friend to Thus Come One Shakyamuni. In this age as well, it is not one's allies, but one's powerful enemies who assist one's progress."
This expresses a key concept in Buddhism. Due to the immense transformative powers of Buddhist practice, even "bad" friends can have a good influence if we make our relationships with them into opportunities to examine, reform and strengthen our lives. The ideal is ultimately to develop the kind of all-encompassing compassion expressed by Nichiren when he wrote that his first desire was to lead to enlightenment the sovereign who had persecuted him, repeatedly exiling and even attempting to behead him.
[ Courtesy January 2004 SGI Quarterly ]
Good Friends
Ananda, one of Shakyamuni Buddha's closest disciples, once asked him: "It seems to me that by having good friends and advancing together with them, one has already halfway attained the Buddha way. Is this way of thinking correct?"
Shakyamuni replied, "Ananda, this way of thinking is not correct. Having good friends and advancing together with them is not half the Buddhist way but all the Buddhist way."
This may seem surprising, as Buddhism is often viewed as a solitary discipline in which other people might be seen as more of a hindrance than a help. However, to polish and improve our lives ultimately means to develop the quality of our interpersonal relationships--a far more challenging task than any solitary discipline. Our practice of Buddhism only finds meaning within the context of these relationships.
From another perspective, given that Buddhist practice of polishing and aiming to improve our lives from within is a constant challenge and a difficult process, it is only natural that we need support from others also dedicated to walking a correct path in life, trying also to create value in their lives.
SGI President Daisaku Ikeda has written, "Having good friends is like being equipped with a powerful auxiliary engine. When we encounter a steep hill or an obstacle, we can encourage each other and find the strength to keep pressing forward." And as Nichiren (1222--1282) wrote: "Even a feeble person will not stumble if those supporting him are strong, but a person of considerable strength, when alone, may lose his footing on an uneven path..."
In Nichiren Buddhism, good friends are known as zenchishiki or good influences, while akuchishiki refers to bad influences. People affect each other in subtle and complex ways, and it is important to develop the ability to discern the nature of that influence. According to Buddhism, "bad" friends are those who encourage our weaknesses. In Nichiren's words: "Evil friends are those who, speaking sweetly, deceiving, flattering and making skillful use of words, win the hearts of the ignorant and destroy their goodness of mind."
Even when intentions are good, the degree of our positive influence on each other will vary. Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, founder of the Soka Gakkai, used the following illustration. Say you have a friend who needs a certain amount of money. Giving your friend the money they need is an act of small good, while helping them find a job is an act of medium good. However, if your friend is really suffering because of a basic tendency toward laziness, then constantly helping him or her out may only perpetuate negative habits. In this case, true friendship is helping that person change the lazy nature that is the deep cause of their suffering.
A truly good friend is someone with the compassion and courage to tell us even those things we would prefer not to hear, which we must confront if we are to develop and grow in our lives.
Ultimately, however, whether people are good or evil influences in our lives is up to us. In Buddhist terms, the best kind of zenchishiki is one who leads us to strengthen our own faith and practice in order to thoroughly transform our karma. To quote Nichiren again, "the best way to attain Buddhahood is to encounter a zenchishiki, or good friend." Further, Nichiren comments that Devadatta, the cousin of Shakyamuni who tried to kill him and divide the Buddhist order, was "the foremost good friend to Thus Come One Shakyamuni. In this age as well, it is not one's allies, but one's powerful enemies who assist one's progress."
This expresses a key concept in Buddhism. Due to the immense transformative powers of Buddhist practice, even "bad" friends can have a good influence if we make our relationships with them into opportunities to examine, reform and strengthen our lives. The ideal is ultimately to develop the kind of all-encompassing compassion expressed by Nichiren when he wrote that his first desire was to lead to enlightenment the sovereign who had persecuted him, repeatedly exiling and even attempting to behead him.
[ Courtesy January 2004 SGI Quarterly ]
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"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, November 7th, 2007
(Ongi kuden - Gosho Zenshu, page 748, The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, page 111) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, November 7th, 2007
Let's advance cheerfully, joyfully and courageously!
Those (who strive to achieve kosen-rufu) with such a spirit and attitude
will be embraced with immeasurable good fortune and benefit and will definitely be assisted and protected by the functions of the universe.
Daisaku Ikeda
* "The macrocosm of the universe is an expression of the five characters of the Mystic Law, as is the microcosm of our lives and the protection dharani described in the 'Dharani' chapter. This means that we, as votaries of the Mystic Law, will receive the universe's protection depending on how vibrant our lives are. The universe protects those whose lives burn with faith...... The Buddhist deities will work hardest to protect those striving most diligently for kosen-rufu."(The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, Vol. 6, page 164)
Those (who strive to achieve kosen-rufu) with such a spirit and attitude
will be embraced with immeasurable good fortune and benefit and will definitely be assisted and protected by the functions of the universe.
Daisaku Ikeda
* "The macrocosm of the universe is an expression of the five characters of the Mystic Law, as is the microcosm of our lives and the protection dharani described in the 'Dharani' chapter. This means that we, as votaries of the Mystic Law, will receive the universe's protection depending on how vibrant our lives are. The universe protects those whose lives burn with faith...... The Buddhist deities will work hardest to protect those striving most diligently for kosen-rufu."(The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, Vol. 6, page 164)
"Mahatma Gandhi declared: 'Prayer from the heart can achieve what nothing else can in the world.'
"'With optimistic confidence,
chant powerful daimoku
and win again today.'"
SGI Newsletter No. 7380, SGI President Ikeda's Editorial, Daimoku--A "Lion's Roar" of Happiness and Victory, translated Oct. 30th 2007, from the November 2007 issue of the Daibyakurenge, the Soka Gakkai monthly study journal.
"'With optimistic confidence,
chant powerful daimoku
and win again today.'"
SGI Newsletter No. 7380, SGI President Ikeda's Editorial, Daimoku--A "Lion's Roar" of Happiness and Victory, translated Oct. 30th 2007, from the November 2007 issue of the Daibyakurenge, the Soka Gakkai monthly study journal.
"It is said that, if a teacher has a good disciple, both will gain the fruit of Buddhahood, but if a teacher fosters a bad disciple, both will fall into hell. If teacher and disciple are of different minds, they will never accomplish anything."
(Flowering and Bearing Grain - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 909) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, November 8th, 2007
(Flowering and Bearing Grain - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 909) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, November 8th, 2007
"Even embracing the Lotus Sutra would be useless without the heritage of faith."
(The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 218) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, October 25th, 2007
(The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 218) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, October 25th, 2007
Howdy my friends and welcome HenDokuYaku!
Mystic
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Perfect timing for me on the posting of "Poison into Medicine", i needed to read it again, right now.
Just chanted for an hour and realized (not for the first time) but anew if you will that i dont know, i have seen so many people chant and chanted with them and i guess i was just wondering about how i actually chant. I am a little interested in others views on actually chanting.
I ask this because when i chant its extremely heavy, even before i start actually chanting i can feel the energy if you will. I dont really know how to explain it, but its heavy. Tonight while chanting i really went deep into it, i dont know, hard to explain but as i said before abiut the timely posting of "Poison into Medicine" i really felt the need to solidify my faith as much as i know how. While chanting this may sound a lil nuts but i felt like i was getting pulled to and best i can describe, into my Gohonzon. My focus was extremely intense and when slightly swayed i caught it in a millisecond getting back on track. My beeds seem to help me in that area, if i find myself drifting out of focus i just rub em' till their burnin! he he he! I dont know it seems to help me but ive seen others that rarely if ever rub their beeds, more power to em'!, but i like it, i like the sound, the feel, the warmth when rubbed together, it just adds to my Daimoku. Maybe someday ill get to the point where i dont need so much of the beeds to keep me focused, but heck i love my beeds and using them! They kinda pull me back in when i need it to a degree. This didnt start off about beeds though and was really more about Chanting. I guess i just wanted to say how during this and most of my chanting, i every now and again have to move my chair backwards cause i keep moving towards my Gohonzon. To be honest its a lil spooky, but the best feeling ive ever felt deep in my heart.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just sharing my thoughts with ya'll outloud.
peace love and deepest respect to you all!
bonz
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mystic
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Perfect timing for me on the posting of "Poison into Medicine", i needed to read it again, right now.
Just chanted for an hour and realized (not for the first time) but anew if you will that i dont know, i have seen so many people chant and chanted with them and i guess i was just wondering about how i actually chant. I am a little interested in others views on actually chanting.
I ask this because when i chant its extremely heavy, even before i start actually chanting i can feel the energy if you will. I dont really know how to explain it, but its heavy. Tonight while chanting i really went deep into it, i dont know, hard to explain but as i said before abiut the timely posting of "Poison into Medicine" i really felt the need to solidify my faith as much as i know how. While chanting this may sound a lil nuts but i felt like i was getting pulled to and best i can describe, into my Gohonzon. My focus was extremely intense and when slightly swayed i caught it in a millisecond getting back on track. My beeds seem to help me in that area, if i find myself drifting out of focus i just rub em' till their burnin! he he he! I dont know it seems to help me but ive seen others that rarely if ever rub their beeds, more power to em'!, but i like it, i like the sound, the feel, the warmth when rubbed together, it just adds to my Daimoku. Maybe someday ill get to the point where i dont need so much of the beeds to keep me focused, but heck i love my beeds and using them! They kinda pull me back in when i need it to a degree. This didnt start off about beeds though and was really more about Chanting. I guess i just wanted to say how during this and most of my chanting, i every now and again have to move my chair backwards cause i keep moving towards my Gohonzon. To be honest its a lil spooky, but the best feeling ive ever felt deep in my heart.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just sharing my thoughts with ya'll outloud.
peace love and deepest respect to you all!
bonz
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Congrats Bonz! I believe you're achieving this state:
Congrats Bonz! I believe you're achieving this state:
fusion of reality and wisdom
[境智冥合] (Jpn kyochi-myogo )
The fusion of the objective reality or truth and the subjective wisdom to realize that truth, which is the Buddha nature inherent within one's life. Since enlightenment, or Buddhahood, is defined as the state in which one fully realizes the ultimate reality, the fusion of reality and wisdom means enlightenment. T'ient'ai (538-597) discusses this principle in The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra. In The Annotations on "The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra," Miao-lo (711-782) associates Shakyamuni Buddha and Many Treasures Buddha as they are portrayed in the "Treasure Tower" (eleventh) chapter of the Lotus Sutra with the fusion of reality and wisdom. This chapter describes Shakyamuni Buddha seated side by side with Many Treasures Buddha in the treasure tower. Miao-lo writes that these two Buddhas seated in this manner signify the fusion of reality and wisdom. Nichiren (1222-1282) identifies the Law that underlies the fusion of reality and wisdom as Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and asserts that he embodied his enlightenment to that Law—the fusion of reality and wisdom—in the form of the Gohonzon, the object of devotion he established. In terms of Buddhist practice for people in the Latter Day of the Law, Nichiren maintained that, when they chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with deep faith in the Gohonzon, they achieve the fusion of reality and wisdom within their own lives and are thus able to manifest the Buddha nature and attain Buddhahood. According to Nichiren, the Buddha nature constitutes reality, and faith in the Gohonzon, the embodiment of that nature, corresponds to wisdom. Nichiren states: "Reality means the true nature of all phenomena, and wisdom means the illuminating and manifesting of this true nature. Thus when the riverbed of reality is infinitely broad and deep, the water of wisdom will flow ceaselessly. When this reality and wisdom are fused, one attains Buddhahood in one's present form....What then are these two elements of reality and wisdom? They are simply the five characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" (746).
Congrats Bonz! I believe you're achieving this state:
fusion of reality and wisdom
[境智冥合] (Jpn kyochi-myogo )
The fusion of the objective reality or truth and the subjective wisdom to realize that truth, which is the Buddha nature inherent within one's life. Since enlightenment, or Buddhahood, is defined as the state in which one fully realizes the ultimate reality, the fusion of reality and wisdom means enlightenment. T'ient'ai (538-597) discusses this principle in The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra. In The Annotations on "The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra," Miao-lo (711-782) associates Shakyamuni Buddha and Many Treasures Buddha as they are portrayed in the "Treasure Tower" (eleventh) chapter of the Lotus Sutra with the fusion of reality and wisdom. This chapter describes Shakyamuni Buddha seated side by side with Many Treasures Buddha in the treasure tower. Miao-lo writes that these two Buddhas seated in this manner signify the fusion of reality and wisdom. Nichiren (1222-1282) identifies the Law that underlies the fusion of reality and wisdom as Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and asserts that he embodied his enlightenment to that Law—the fusion of reality and wisdom—in the form of the Gohonzon, the object of devotion he established. In terms of Buddhist practice for people in the Latter Day of the Law, Nichiren maintained that, when they chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with deep faith in the Gohonzon, they achieve the fusion of reality and wisdom within their own lives and are thus able to manifest the Buddha nature and attain Buddhahood. According to Nichiren, the Buddha nature constitutes reality, and faith in the Gohonzon, the embodiment of that nature, corresponds to wisdom. Nichiren states: "Reality means the true nature of all phenomena, and wisdom means the illuminating and manifesting of this true nature. Thus when the riverbed of reality is infinitely broad and deep, the water of wisdom will flow ceaselessly. When this reality and wisdom are fused, one attains Buddhahood in one's present form....What then are these two elements of reality and wisdom? They are simply the five characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" (746).
PS: Achieving this state of wisdom has nothing to do with intellectual capacity as many would assume. It has everything to do with faith. "In terms of Buddhist practice for people in the Latter Day of the Law, Nichiren maintained that, when they chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with deep faith in the Gohonzon, they achieve the fusion of reality and wisdom within their own lives and are thus able to manifest the Buddha nature and attain Buddhahood." To seek the Gohonzon through your Daimoku so ferverently that your chair keeps creeping closer to the Butsudan is what it's all about my Brother. When you are seeking the Gohonzon with all your mite with thoughts like, "i really felt the need to solidify my faith as much as i know how", you express kyochi-myogo with your very life. This is what a Buddha does....
If the shoe fits, wear it, Buddha-dude!
Much love and deepest respect!
T
If the shoe fits, wear it, Buddha-dude!
Much love and deepest respect!
T
Whoa T Bone! Thats HEAVY!! I like it!! I feel better, i feel good! But really i cant describe how i feel, its defenitely good: good,good, good!!! Buts its a more deep rooted feeling that i cant quite seem to put into words. All ya'll know by know how i say "From the bottom of my heart" alot, well i aint lyin' I guess im one of those heart people, i feel and seem to get hit so deep i cant describe the feeling. Sometimes i wish it werent there, but i think someday maybe as i grow and learn it will be an asset to me, i dont know, time will tell i guess.
I do want to say that when i first started chanting, at one point i chanted for the ability for me to see me as others see me, i dont know, i guess i figured that if i could achieve that then i would be able to spot some of my screwed up behavioral patterns that i was'nt aware of, or was but just denied it and it worked, i started to realize when i was being a prick and needed to make amends ASAP, not letting my bad attitude fester in my heart but mainly the person(s) i had treated wrongly. Oh boy, tryin to word this the best i can. What im saying is leading to the fact that nowadays when i chant, my Gohonzon just shoots these things right at me before i act like a prick, for example: My mom recently took care of some things that were very important and i was/am so proud of her for her efforts and getting some heavy sh!t done of extreme importance to the both of us. SO! While chanting, i dont know how to put it, um, best i can describe it, automatically it was clear as a bell, allmost like a picture, or a scene, that i need to tell my mom how tremendously proud i am of her. This is now a regular occurance while chanting, getting bombarded with things i need to address and people i need to chant for. Once again its kinda heavy, like a Vulcan mind meld or somethin. But, and i cant stress this enough how GRATEFUL i am for it. Blows me away man.
I guess im just expounding on my previous post and T's response but i really wanted to relay a bit more of how my chanting works for me, well part of it anyway.....
just throwin it out there
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peace, love and deepest respect
bonz
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I do want to say that when i first started chanting, at one point i chanted for the ability for me to see me as others see me, i dont know, i guess i figured that if i could achieve that then i would be able to spot some of my screwed up behavioral patterns that i was'nt aware of, or was but just denied it and it worked, i started to realize when i was being a prick and needed to make amends ASAP, not letting my bad attitude fester in my heart but mainly the person(s) i had treated wrongly. Oh boy, tryin to word this the best i can. What im saying is leading to the fact that nowadays when i chant, my Gohonzon just shoots these things right at me before i act like a prick, for example: My mom recently took care of some things that were very important and i was/am so proud of her for her efforts and getting some heavy sh!t done of extreme importance to the both of us. SO! While chanting, i dont know how to put it, um, best i can describe it, automatically it was clear as a bell, allmost like a picture, or a scene, that i need to tell my mom how tremendously proud i am of her. This is now a regular occurance while chanting, getting bombarded with things i need to address and people i need to chant for. Once again its kinda heavy, like a Vulcan mind meld or somethin. But, and i cant stress this enough how GRATEFUL i am for it. Blows me away man.
I guess im just expounding on my previous post and T's response but i really wanted to relay a bit more of how my chanting works for me, well part of it anyway.....
just throwin it out there
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peace, love and deepest respect
bonz
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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"You cannot strike fire from flint if you stop halfway."
(Earthly Desires Are Enlightenment - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 319) Selection source: The New Human Revolution, Seikyo Shimbun, October 27th, 2007
(Earthly Desires Are Enlightenment - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 319) Selection source: The New Human Revolution, Seikyo Shimbun, October 27th, 2007
PassTheDoobie said:
HAHAAAAAAA!! How true T!! and thank you by the way.
I stopped typing last night cause i was feelin like i coulda blabbered on forever. In a nutshell, the other part of my chanting is i hav'nt figured out how to chant for myself, well thats kind of a loaded comment cause chanting for my faith to deepen and my Buddha Nature to come forward IS chanting for myself i would think. Like you said T your back was all in your head and i imagine a few other things are as well and through some serious Daimoku they come to pass, just my guess mind you. Do you know that in the Silent Prayers i get completely stuck on my wish for the present, my wish for the future is clearer. Ya know i have an aquaintance that i sorta Shakabukued, any way apparently through a mutual friend this guy picked up the practice and let me tell ya, this guy cheats on his wife, will go after his friends women if given half a chance so to me anyway i can only be an aquaintance, i just cant get behind and be around his energy, theres more that i cant say so ill leave it at that. POINT! This guy is now chanting or last i heard he was and supposedly went right into chanting for himself, hes a struggling actor, and all of the sudden hes getting calls and landing some roles, just like that. So im i lil confused. Because when i used to tell him about chanting he would just blow it off, by the way he has no financial worries, family money, and lots of it. We refer to him as Liesure Man and he likes the nick! I dont know i guess im a lil envious of his never having to work and never having to worry about if the rent is gettin' paid. I think those thoughts may be holding me back. He is who he is and i am who i am, the envy has to go!!
Tried to make that quick and to the point.
peace love and deepest reaspect to you all!!!
bonz
One more thing, SoCal, SoCal!!! WHERE ARE YOU!! Your missed Brother, and im chantin' for you everyday that your OK and safe and healthy, dont know what else to say, i miss you!! Well i know eveyone misses you and is chanting for you as well.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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lessening one's karmic retribution
[転重軽受] (Jpn tenju-kyoju )
The principle that one can experience the effects of bad karma from the past to a lesser degree because of Buddhist faith and practice. In general, Buddhism attributes one's present sufferings to one's past actions or causes that remain in one's life as karma, asserting that one must suffer the effect of every negative cause made in the past. The Mahaparinirvana Sutra, Fa-hsien's Chinese translation of the Nirvana Sutra, states, however, "It is due to the blessings obtained by protecting the Law that they can diminish in this lifetime their suffering and retribution." This passage suggests that, due to the benefits accumulated through faith and practice, one can diminish in terms of both time and intensity negative karmic retribution that would otherwise torment one harshly over a longer period, even several lifetimes. Nichiren (1222-1282) states in his writing Lessening One's Karmic Retribution: "If one's heavy karma from the past is not expiated within this lifetime, one must undergo the sufferings of hell in the future, but if one experiences extreme hardship in this life [because of the Lotus Sutra], the sufferings of hell will vanish instantly. And when one dies, one will obtain the blessings of the human and heavenly worlds, as well as those of the three vehicles and the one vehicle" (WND/199). According to this principle, Buddhist faith and practice may cause one suffering and hardship, but will relieve one of the hellish suffering that is one's due.
[転重軽受] (Jpn tenju-kyoju )
The principle that one can experience the effects of bad karma from the past to a lesser degree because of Buddhist faith and practice. In general, Buddhism attributes one's present sufferings to one's past actions or causes that remain in one's life as karma, asserting that one must suffer the effect of every negative cause made in the past. The Mahaparinirvana Sutra, Fa-hsien's Chinese translation of the Nirvana Sutra, states, however, "It is due to the blessings obtained by protecting the Law that they can diminish in this lifetime their suffering and retribution." This passage suggests that, due to the benefits accumulated through faith and practice, one can diminish in terms of both time and intensity negative karmic retribution that would otherwise torment one harshly over a longer period, even several lifetimes. Nichiren (1222-1282) states in his writing Lessening One's Karmic Retribution: "If one's heavy karma from the past is not expiated within this lifetime, one must undergo the sufferings of hell in the future, but if one experiences extreme hardship in this life [because of the Lotus Sutra], the sufferings of hell will vanish instantly. And when one dies, one will obtain the blessings of the human and heavenly worlds, as well as those of the three vehicles and the one vehicle" (WND/199). According to this principle, Buddhist faith and practice may cause one suffering and hardship, but will relieve one of the hellish suffering that is one's due.
"The sutra's statement, 'Those persons who had heard the Law dwelled here and there in various Buddha lands, constantly reborn in company with their teachers,' cannot be false in any way."
(The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life - The Writings of Nichiren
Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 217) Selection source: SGI-South Africa member's experience, Seikyo Shimbun, October 28th, 2007
(The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life - The Writings of Nichiren
Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 217) Selection source: SGI-South Africa member's experience, Seikyo Shimbun, October 28th, 2007
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