Chanting Growers Group

[Babbabud]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

By Danny Nagashima

Chant with the expectation that every one of your wildest dreams will be fulfilled beyond your wildest imagination. Chant to believe in your Buddhahood. Trust in the greatness of your life. In 'On Attaining Buddhahood', Nicheren Daishonin made a primary point....to free ourselves from the sufferings of virth and death we have endured in lifetime after lifetime, and to attain absolute happiness, we need to awaken to the mystic truth that has always been within our lives...that truth is Nam Myoho Rengue Kyo. That truth is that I AM A BUDDHA. Trust that you have everything you need for your happiness.


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

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Happy thanksgiving everyone!!!! especially T, the Babba's, Easy, Bonz and all who are posting and reading this 'Myoho' internet thread...and thanks so much GeorgiaL for posting that awesome encouragement of Danny's. I sense a very kinzoku connection with you and your path from your posts.

Keep on rockin......in NoCal visitingmy wife's family for this holiday.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

1,000,000 Chanting Growers to 0 Devil of the 6th Heaven GOO CHANTING GROWERS!!!!

1,000,000 Chanting Growers to 0 Devil of the 6th Heaven GOO CHANTING GROWERS!!!!

Last night me and Ms.MyohoDisco were both Sponsors for two chanting tokers who received Gohonzon YESTERDAY! WOOOOOHOOOOO! WELCOME JEANIE B. and Chris M. to the SGI! WOOOHOOO! We had dinner afterwards at a nice thai restaurant then watched movies and smoked til 1am! Very awesome!

I also at the same time attained a short term goal of securing my current financial goal, MYSTIC INDEED!


Happy Thanksgiving everyone, much love and keep chanting, thats the happiest refreshment!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

First, with regard to appearance, this refers to the appearance manifested by the form and shape of our bodies. This corresponds to the manifested body of the Thus Come One. It also corresponds to emancipation, and also to temporary existence.

Next, with regard to nature, this refers to the nature of our minds. This corresponds to the reward body of the Thus Come One. It also corresponds to wisdom, and the truth of non-substantiality.

The third factor is entity, which corresponds to the Dharma body of the Thus Come One. It also corresponds to the truth of the Middle Way, to the essential nature of phenomena, and to tranquil extinction.

.....

These three truths may be also called the Thus Come One of the three bodies. Outside of our own minds and bodies, there does not exist the tiniest trace of anything pertaining either to good or evil. Therefore we know that we ourselves are in fact Thus Come Ones of original enlightenment, possessors of the three bodies within a single body. On the Ten Factors / WND2 pg. 78-79

 

[PassTheDoobie]

As Bodhisattvas of the Earth we all share the same Dharma body.

 

[GeorgialouWho]

Greetings all.....Happy Thanksgiving; hope everyone faired well with family and friends! Just wanted to pop in with some love and gratitude
Big Big Congratulations to easy and his major victories! Keep Rockin it!
Love when the ole kenzoku thing happens SoCal perhaps we have crossed paths before? Only happy to share great encouragement since I receive so much from here; and for me it's alot about timing and those words came by email at the most appropriate time as it usually does! :smile:
I will leave you all with this little diddy:
The Spiritual Warrior
~Author Unknown~

Life offers us the opportunity to become a spiritual warrior. A warrior is one who bravely goes into those dark areas within themselves to ferret out the truth of their being. It takes great courage, stamina and endurance.

The path is narrow, the terrain rough and rocky. You will walk alone through dark caves, up steep climbs and through the dense thick forest. You will meet your dark side. The faces of fear, deceit and sadness all await your arrival. No one can take this journey but you.

There comes a time in each of our lives, when we are given the choice to follow this path. Should we decide to embark on this journey, we can never turn back. Our lives are changed forever on this journey. There are many different places we can choose to slip into and hide, but the path goes on.

The spiritual warrior stays the course, wounded at times, exhausted and out of energy. Many times, the warrior will struggle back to their feet to take only a few steps before falling again. Rested, they forge on...continuing the treacherous path. The journey continues. The spiritual warrior stays the course. Weakened, but never broken. One day, the battle, loneliness and desperate fights are over. The sun breaks through the clouds.

The birds begin to sing their sweet melodies. There is a change in the energy. A deep change within the self. The warrior has fought the courageous fight. The battle of the dark night of the soul is won. New energy fills the warrior. A new path is laid before them. A gentler path, filled with inner knowing of one who has personal empowerment.

With their personal battle won, they are filled with joy. A new awareness that they are one with the spirit beams as they go forth to show others the way.

They are not permitted to walk the path for others. They can only love, guide and be a living example of the truth of the being.



I am so honored to have met you all along this path and am in deep gratitude for this being a soft place to land and a place to get a good kick in the pants when needed! OXOXOXOXOX GeorgialouWho
NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO

 

[GeorgialouWho]

Why Thank You Babba for your gracious and clever thanks! Thank you for your continued love and support and friendship it means so much OXOXOXO


GeorgiaLouWho
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Hey guys! I just wanted to report on our efforts to introduce others as well. This week we had a youth division party at my house with food and drink that attracted an attendance of 24 and included 10 guests.

We'll do it again next month and the goal is 25 guests! Washoi!!!

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

Thanks G! Helping others makes me and my girl feel GREAT!

Thanks G! Helping others makes me and my girl feel GREAT!

Hope yall had a great thanksgiving holiday. We sure did, still very excited and high in spirits from helping our friends receive Gohonzon! This week has been very magical indeed and we feel great!

Keep on Keeping on Amigos, we're on a roll again

SGI President Ikeda's Daily Encouragement for November 23

If I were to make an allegory, thought and philosophy would be like the heart or respiratory system of the human body. When the heart is sound, the whole body can maintain healthy activity. This same principle applies to both the individual and society. The SGI has a mission to serve as the heart that ensures the healthy functioning of society. Consequently, taking good care of the SGI, (the heart) allows the fresh life-giving blood of humanism to flow to and nourish all areas of society, including culture, politics and the economy.

"You absolutely must not lament over my exile. It says in the "Encouraging Devotion" chapter and in the "Never Disparaging" chapter [that the votary of the Lotus Sutra will meet with persecution]. Life is limited; we must not begrudge it. What we should ultimately aspire to is the Buddha land."
Reference:

WND Page 214
Page 213 Aspiration for the Buddha Land
Written to Toki Jonin on 23 November 1271 from Sado - Tsukihara

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Ninth is the world of bodhisattvas, those who remain among the ordinary mortals of the six paths of existence, thinking little of their own lives but much of the lives of others, aiming always to take evil upon themselves and to dole out good to other beings."

(Explaining the Causation of the Ten Worlds - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 2, page 201) Selection source: Buddhist seminar, Seikyo Shimbun, November 23rd, 2007

 

[Babbabud]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Hello friends I see a new thread just started in the tokersden and thought some of you might want to comment
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=74535
Looks like a good place for a bit of shakabuku
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[FarmerJoe]

Hello everyone, I'm sort of new around this site, but I thought I'd drop in to greet you all.

FJ

 

[Babbabud]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Welcome to the "Chanting Growers Thread" FarmerJoe. Hope you enjoy reading

This is from the World Tribune, January 29, 2007, President Ikeda's January Editorial, "Prayer is Our Driving Force."

No prayer to the Gohonzon goes unfulfilled. All struggles begin with prayer, with chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. There is no greater strategy than the Lotus Sutra. Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the sharp sword that can defeat all devilish functions. And a consistent practice of gongyo provides the momentum for carrying out the five eternal guidelines of the Soka Gakkai:

1. Faith for a harmonious family.
2. Faith for each person to become happy.
3. Faith for overcoming obstacles.
4. Faith for health and long life.
5. Faith for absolute victory.

.....Every day, I invoke the resonant sound of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, embracing each of my fellow members in my heart.


Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Hi Joe!

Hi Joe!

"There is no true happiness for human beings other than chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo."

(Happiness in This World - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 681) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, November 22nd, 2007

 

[FarmerJoe]

I'd thought I'd share this with you all since I have it always stuck in my mind.

"There are, O Monks, these four lights. What Four? The Light of the moon, the light of the sun, the light of fire, and the light of widsom. Of these four lights, the light of widsom is supreme."

(AN 4:143; II 139)

 

[PassTheDoobie]

As a request and suggestion.....

As a request and suggestion.....

I think you would benefit greatly by going back and reading at least the last ten pages:

(reprinted with permission from post #6681)

Hey Joe! You may wish to review the last ten pages as well!

Originally Posted by PassTheDoobie

... To help clarify the basis of the thread in advance of all the reading I truly hope you will follow through and do, we are in continuous dialog and study of the teachings of Nichiren (of thirteenth century Japan) based on Shakyamuni’s (Gautama/Siddhartha) Lotus Sutra.

The thread is not about Buddhism in general, chanting any mantra other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, or new age thinking. Several of us chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo are Soka Gakkai International members (which is a Nichiren Buddhism lay organization), and follow a practice that includes daily sutra recitation, and the attendance of SGI activities to promote a process we believe will facilitate the future development of world peace.

We welcome your questions. Many of Nichiren Daishonin’s teachings are contained in the 400 plus pages of reading you have ahead of you. However, ... we really hope you can understand that the purpose of the thread is not to provide a forum for debate. This will become quite clear as you read.

.....

We hope you will try chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo before judging it on the basis of what you already know from your journey thus far, but know that will be very difficult. Good luck and sincere best wishes! Please try chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as you compare these teaching with those that you are already familiar with.

Deep respect,

Thomas

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Kosen-rufu

Kosen-rufu

The Japanese phrase kosen-rufu expresses a centrally important concept for members of the SGI. It is often used synonymously with world peace, and has been informally defined as "world peace through individual happiness." More broadly, it could be understood as a vision of social peace brought about by the widespread acceptance of core values such as unfailing respect for the dignity of human life.

The phrase itself is of ancient origin and appears in the 23rd chapter of the Lotus Sutra, which states, "In the fifth five hundred years after my death, accomplish worldwide kosen-rufu and never allow its flow to cease." Here, the phrase kosen-rufu is written with four Chinese characters that could be rendered, respectively, as "widely," "declare," "flow" and "promulgate," and in its most literal sense it means the widespread flow and spreading--and application--of the teachings contained in the Lotus Sutra. Kosen-rufu implies an approach to Buddhist practice that is deeply engaged with the affairs of society and the world.

Nichiren (1222--1282) was distinguished from the Buddhists of his time by his frequent use of this term. The stress placed by Nichiren on kosen-rufu typifies his approach to Buddhist practice; that our personal happiness--enlightenment--is inextricably linked with the peace and happiness of our fellow humans and of society as a whole. He rejected the idea that enlightenment is something to be cultivated as a private, inner virtue. He also rejected the idea that the proper goal of Buddhism is to garner reward in the afterlife. What these two ideas have in common is resignation regarding our ability to overcome suffering and positively transform society. For Nichiren, this represented an unacceptable turning away from the core Buddhist tenet that people are capable of realizing genuine happiness in this world. Both approaches were the target of his critique.

In Nichiren's view, enlightenment is not so much a goal or end in itself, as a basis for altruistic action. The life-state of Buddhahood--a condition of limitless vitality, wisdom and compassion--is one which is expressed, maintained and strengthened through committed action to contribute to the well-being and happiness of other people.

Nichiren's emphasis on kosen-rufu also reflected his understanding of the nature of the times in which he lived. It was widely believed that history had entered the period of the "Latter Day of the Law" (Jp. mappo). Said to start 2,000 years after Shakyamuni Buddha's passing (thus the injunction "in the fifth five hundred years after my death"), it was predicted that this would be a period of degeneracy, in which the Buddha's teachings would lose their power to save people. Calculations by Japanese Buddhists had put the start of the Latter Day of the Law at 1052, and the arrival of this dread age was greeted with widespread anxiety.

The degenerate nature of the age and the failure of the Buddhist law seemed to be confirmed by events. In 1221, for example, a year before Nichiren's birth, a cloistered emperor had tried to overthrow the samurai-dominated government, enlisting the established Buddhist sects to pray for victory. He was easily defeated and spent the rest of his life in exile. In the popular imagination, this represented an unthinkable defeat for the secular authority of the emperor and the religious authority of official Buddhism. Violent natural disasters, political unrest, famine and plague continued to occur throughout Nichiren's life, providing a backdrop to the development of his thinking.

However, unlike many of his contemporaries, Nichiren did not regard the Latter Day as a time of resignation to inevitable suffering. He focused instead on those passages in the sutras predicting that the Latter Day would be the time when Buddhism would be revived in new form, and would spread widely to benefit the people. In practical terms, he saw the Latter Day as an age in which happiness solely for oneself was no longer a viable option. The only path to happiness, in his view, was one of actively challenging the root causes of unhappiness afflicting all people and the whole of society.

In our day, globalization, the deepening interaction and interdependence among the world's peoples, is making it increasingly clear that peace and prosperity cannot be enjoyed only by a limited group or by the inhabitants of any country in isolation. The simple truth that humankind will all stand or fall together, is gaining widespread acceptance.

A Vision of World Peace

Nichiren's vision was not limited to Japan. From around 1273, the phrase "the western return of Buddhism" starts appearing in his writings. This phrase, closely linked to the idea of kosen-rufu, indicates that Buddhism, having spread east to Japan, would eventually spread (return) to India and countries to the west, reaching the entire world.

In 1274, Mongol forces first attempted to invade Japan. In 1279, the Mongols defeated the Southern Song on the Asian mainland, bringing an end to that dynasty. Many Buddhist priests fled to Japan as refugees, and their graphic reports of the invasion heightened the sense of dread gripping Japan. For the first time in its history, Japan was caught in the vortex of world history, and this formed the background for Nichiren's call for propagation of his teachings far beyond the confines of Japan.

While Nichiren may stand out among Japanese Buddhists for seeking the global acceptance of his ideas, in the history of the world's religions, this is far from unique. Over the course of history, many religions have arisen with a message of universal salvation, which they have sought to actualize through universal propagation.

In this sense, it is important to clarify what kosen-rufu is not. It does not mean the conversion of all Earth's inhabitants, without exception, to Nichiren Buddhism. While the members of the SGI, deeply confident in the validity of Nichiren Buddhism, are eager to share its benefits with family and friends, faith is not seen as a stark demarcation between those who are "saved" and those who are not. Because the lives of all people are interconnected at the most profound level, a fundamental change in the life of one individual will have a positive influence on all the people with whom that person has contact, especially those sharing an intimate connection. Just as the light of a single beacon can guide many ships to safety, the example of a single person shining with confidence and joy can help many people find direction in life.

In our world today, the darkness that most requires dispelling is the entrenched inability to recognize the dignity of life. Ideologies teaching that certain people are without worth, that certain lives are expendable, undermine the common basis of human dignity. The failure to recognize one's own true potential and worth is always linked with the denial of these qualities in others. Violence has its wellsprings in a gnawing lack of self-confidence.

Thus, for the members of the SGI, kosen-rufu means the ceaseless effort to enhance the value of human dignity, to awaken all people to a sense of their limitless worth and potential. It is for this reason that efforts in the fields of peace, humanitarian aid, educational and cultural exchange are all seen as vital aspects of the movement for kosen-rufu. For these promote the values that are integral to human happiness.

Finally, it should be understood that kosen-rufu does not represent a static end point. As SGI President Daisaku Ikeda noted in 1970, "Kosen-rufu does not mean the end point or terminus of a flow, but it is the flow itself, the very pulse of living Buddhism within society."

In this sense, the "attainment" of kosen-rufu does not suggest the end of history or of the inevitable conflicts and contradictions that drive history. Rather, it could be thought of as building a world in which a deeply and widely held respect for human life would serve as the basis on which these can be worked out in a peaceful, creative manner. This is not something, however, which we must passively wait for.

Buddhism teaches that it is something that we can begin to implement right now, wherever we are.

The Buddhist term "kosen-rufu"
signifies lasting, eternal peace.
It points to those dynamic realms
where individual happiness
and the flourishing of society
come together in perfect accord;
where all people,
--the living,
breathing whole of humankind--
savor genuine happiness;
where songs
that praise and glorify
life's innermost essence
are shared in conditions
of security and contentment.

(From Fighting for Peace by Daisaku Ikeda)

[ Courtesy October 2003 SGI Quarterly ]

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Wisdom

Wisdom

A Buddha is characterized as a person of profound wisdom. The idea of wisdom is core to Buddhism. But wisdom can be a vague and elusive concept, hard to define and harder to find. How does one become wise? Is wisdom something that we can actively develop, or must we merely wait to grow wiser as we grow older? Perhaps it is because wisdom is such an indistinct concept that it has lost value as a relevant ideal in modern society, which has instead come to place great store in information and the attainment of knowledge.

Josei Toda, second president of the Soka Gakkai, characterized the confusion between knowledge and wisdom as one of the major failings of modern society.

His critique is starkly demonstrated in the astonishing progress of technology in the last century. While scientific and technological development has shown only a mixed record of alleviating human suffering, it has triumphed remarkably in its ability and efficiency in unleashing death and destruction.

Toda likened the relationship between knowledge and wisdom to that between a pump and water. A pump that does not bring forth water (knowledge without wisdom) is of little use.

This is not to deny the importance of knowledge. But knowledge can be utilized to generate both extreme destructiveness and profound good.

Wisdom is that which directs knowledge toward good--toward the creation of value.

Buddhist teachings, such as the concept of the five kinds of wisdom, describe and analyze in detail the dynamics of wisdom and how it manifests at different levels of our consciousness.

When wisdom is functioning in our life, it has the effect of enabling us to overcome the ingrained perspectives of our habitual thinking and arrive at a fresh and holistic view of a given situation. We are able to make a broad assessment of facts, perceive the essence of an issue and steer a sure course toward happiness.

Buddhism also likens wisdom to a clear mirror that perfectly reflects reality as it is. What is reflected in this mirror of wisdom is the interrelatedness and interdependence of our life with all other life. This wisdom dispels our delusions of separateness and awakens in us a sense of empathetic equality with all living things.

The term "Buddha" describes a person who freely manifests this inherent wisdom. And what causes this wisdom to well forth in our lives is compassion.

Buddhism sees the universe, and life itself, as an embodiment of compassion--the interweaving of the "threads" of interdependent phenomena, giving rise to and nurturing life in all its wonderful and varied manifestations.

It teaches that the purpose of human life is to be an active participant in the compassionate workings of the universe, enriching and enhancing life's creative dynamism.

Therefore, it is when we act with compassion that our life is brought into accord with the universal life force and we manifest our inherent wisdom. The action of encouraging and sharing hope with others awakens us to a larger, freer identity beyond the narrow confines of our ego. Wisdom and compassion are thus inseparable.

Central to Buddhist practice is self-mastery, the effort to "become the master of one's mind." This idea implies that the more profoundly we strive to develop an altruistic spirit, the more the wisdom of the Buddha is aroused within us and the more powerfully we can, in turn, direct all things--our knowledge, our talents and the unique particularities of our character--to the end of creating happiness for ourselves and others.

Speaking at Tribhuvan University in Nepal in 1995, SGI President Daisaku Ikeda commented, "To be master of one's mind means to cultivate the wisdom that resides in the inner recesses of our lives, and which wells forth in inexhaustible profusion only when we are moved by a compassionate determination to serve humankind, to serve people."

If human history is to change and be redirected from division and conflict toward peace and an underlying ethic of respect for the sanctity of all life, it is human beings themselves who must change. The Buddhist understanding of compassionate wisdom can serve as a powerful basis for such a transformation.

[ Courtesy January 2003 SGI Quarterly ]

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Rissho Ankoku--Securing Peace for the People

Rissho Ankoku--Securing Peace for the People

Buddhism takes a fundamentally positive view of human life. Its core message is that every individual has infinite dignity and potential.

In the Lotus Sutra, the scripture which is recognized in the Nichiren tradition as the highest, most complete teaching of Shakyamuni, the image of a massive jewel-decked treasure tower is used to illustrate the beauty, dignity and preciousness of life.

If we truly understand that human life is the most precious of all treasures, we will value our own lives and those of others. From this perspective it is clear that war, as the ultimate abuse and cruelty to human beings, is to be absolutely and totally rejected, and peace should be our constant goal.

If society embraced this view of life's value, preventing violence and addressing all forms of suffering would become the highest priorities of humankind, as opposed to the accumulation of material wealth and power. Those who nurture and care for life--parents, nurses, doctors and teachers--would be treated with the greatest respect.

But humanity's common curse is an inability to fully believe in or appreciate the value of our own lives and those of others. And even if we do accept this in theory, to act on it on a day-to-day basis is extremely difficult. When faced with a bitter interpersonal conflict we may still experience poisonous thoughts of jealousy and hatred, and wish to harm another person or wish that they could somehow be "got out of the way."

Inner Transformation

The UNESCO Constitution states that "since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed." Likewise, Buddhism stresses that only an inner transformation of our lives, from the deepest level, can make our compassion stronger than our egotistical desire to win over or use others. It offers us teachings and tools which enable us to effect this kind of core transformation.

Buddhism views life as a struggle between the forces of good and evil. Good is defined as the creative, compassionate nature inherent in people, the desire to be happy oneself and aid others in their quest for happiness. Evil is defined as that which divides and breaks down our sense of connection, propelling us into a fear-driven competition to use and dominate others before they can do this to us.

During the lifetime of Nichiren, 13th-century Japan, a series of natural disasters--earthquakes, floods, pestilence and fire--had devastated the country. The sufferings of ordinary people were enormous. Nichiren's determination to uncover the fundamental cause of this misery drove him to study and analyze the underlying belief structures of society. Specifically, he was aware that although the country was filled with Buddhist temples and priests, somehow their prayers and actions were failing to produce results in the form of peace or security for the people.

He felt that the disorder evident in the world reflected disorder within human beings. As he wrote, "In a country where the three poisons [of greed, anger and foolishness] prevail to such a degree, how can there be peace and stability? ...Famine occurs as a result of greed, pestilence as a result of foolishness, and warfare as a result of anger." He was convinced that only Buddhism could give people the strength to overcome these spiritual poisons in their lives, but as a result of wide-ranging study, he concluded that Buddhism as it was being practiced in his time was encouraging a passivity that left people vulnerable to the sway of these poisons rather than empowering them to overcome them.

Happiness Now

Nichiren specifically rejected the prevailing belief that all Buddhism could offer was the hope of comfort after death, and that the best attitude to take toward life was one of patient enduring. He passionately believed that Buddhism as originally taught had something much better to offer: the possibility of happiness and fulfillment in this present life, and that it could give people the strength to transform human society itself into an ideal and peaceful land.

Nichiren's most important treatise, entitled "Rissho Ankoku Ron," literally "On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land," presented to the political ruler of the day in July 1260, was a passionate cry for a return to the original purpose of Buddhism--securing the peace and happiness of the people. A key function of Buddhist priests at that time was to pray for the protection of the rulers of the nation. In contrast, Nichiren's focus was the ordinary citizens. In the "Rissho Ankoku Ron," for instance, the Chinese character he chose when he wrote "land" has at its center the character for "common people," rather than more frequently used characters that show the king within his domain or armed protection of the domain.

In a sense Nichiren's concern can be said to be what is now defined as "human security." As SGI President Ikeda said in a recent discussion on this treatise, "In the past, 'security' has solely implied national security... But what kind of security is it if, while the state is protected, the lives and dignity of each citizen are threatened? Currently, the prevailing view of security is steadily being altered from one that focuses on the state to one that focuses on the human being."

Nichiren starts his treatise by describing the turmoil he saw around him. "Over half the population has already been carried off by death, and there is hardly a single person who does not grieve." His prime motivation was a wrenching sense of empathy for the people's plight. He had taken a vow to lead himself and others to happiness, and this meant struggling to awaken and empower people to challenge their own destiny. His outspoken determination earned him a controversial reputation which persists to this day. "I cannot keep silent on this matter," he wrote. "I cannot suppress my fears."

In terms of concrete action, Nichiren urged the political leaders of the day to cease official patronage of favored sects and for open public debate on the merits of the different schools of Buddhism. On a personal level, he called on the leaders to "reform the tenets that you hold in your heart." In today's terms this means transforming ourselves and our most deeply held beliefs about the nature of life.

Philosophy of Peace

Commenting on the nature of that transformation, SGI President Daisaku Ikeda says, "What matters is that the spirit of the great philosophy of peace expounded in the Lotus Sutra [with its teaching that all people are Buddhas] be given full play in society as a whole. On a societal level, 'establishing the correct teaching' means establishing the concepts of human dignity and the sanctity of life as principles that support and move society."

Many people today live with a sense of confusion, emptiness and despair. They feel powerless to effect change either within their own lives or society as a whole. Idealism is equated with naïveté and cynicism serves a cover for the failure of hope. Disrespect for human life fuels violence and exploitation.

The function of any religion or philosophy should be to give people the courage and hope needed to transform their sufferings. We need to develop the strength to engage successfully in a struggle against the forces of division and destruction within our own lives and the larger social realm. Unless empowerment for ourselves and others is our goal, we will be unable to resist and overcome the negative influences within our own lives and their environment.

To create an age of peace, one in which life is given supreme value, it is vital for us to have a philosophy that reveals the wonder, dignity and infinite potential of life. When we base our actions on this belief and take action out of compassion for others, the result is a pure joy which in turn motivates us to further action. Empowering ourselves from within, our sphere of compassion becomes wider and wider, encompassing not only ourselves, our own families and nations, but the whole of humanity. We develop the wisdom and compassion to reject and resist all acts that harm or denigrate life. In this way, both an inner sense of security and a peaceful society which prioritizes protection for the vulnerable can be assured.

[ Courtesy July 2003 SGI Quarterly ]

 

[FarmerJoe]

PassTheDoobie, thank you so much for posting that up, that was very informative.