Chanting Growers Group

[Hitman]

Hey everybody!

Just got back from an excellent meeting. I Chanted diamoku and gongyo. I read from the Gosho and it just feels great. All the good cause has been made. The negativity is going to bite me and I expect and accept it. I have decided to receive Gohonzon on Saturday-the soonest time. I can't walk on eggs until New Year's Day. Sansho Shima wants me bad. With Nam Myoho Renge Kyo we shall prevail!

Peace!

I'm going to be singing a Song for NSA! MD!

 

[Bonzo]

Right on hitman!!! To heck with that nagativaty! Faith my friend, i know where your coming from believe me, sometimes i chant in my car on the way to meetings and events and i actually start laughing outloud, negativaty does'nt stand a chance against your Daimoku!! Woooooooooooo Hoooooooooooooooo!!!! Your own Gohonzon!! Rock on Hit, Faith, Faith, Faith, Victory is yours!!! Yesss!!!

peace

bonz










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

 

[Babbabud]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Hitman !!! Great News my friend!!! Saturday is just a cpl more days away. Im so happy for you. Awesome news!!!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[GeorgialouWho]

undefinedundefinedCONGRATULATIONS HITMAN!
undefinedSo freakin awesome! Roar of the Lion...Roar of the Lion...do not walk on egg shells around that sanshoshima; you stand tall look that devil of the sixth heaven square in the ole eyes and in your best Clint Eastwood voice and staredown....."do you feel lucky punk; well do ya?" expect great joy, expect all of the heavenly beings to bow as you take stage and receive their highest honor, expect to open your heart even more, expect the ancestors to weep for joy as you pick up the sword of faith and start to hack at those karmic binds of suffering, to heal those wounds for the past seven generations and to pave the way for the next seven; expect their to be rejoicing not only in your environment but deep in your life, in your heart, in your spirit. Whoa I think I just channeled an ole japanese pioneer women's division.....ahhhh talk about warrior women! Wow hitman seriously don't know where that came from but just went with it if cause and effect is strict and law of attraction and when we have these thoughts then the universe responds in kind; if you have inner obstacles that come up that day then sit with them for a bit and find out exactly where it's coming from because that is also the benefit of your practice showing through...showing you where your suffering is coming from then you know exactly how to chant about it. For example if some anger or rage come up from out of nowhere; if you stop for a moment then you will know why, because you are making this great cause for your life and that this base life condition is what is causing your suffering then you know that's the poison you need to turn into medicine.
I don't know if any of this is making any sense at all and I suppose i should put a quote or something but I am taking a cue from my sensei and speaking from the heart, my experience from practicing for so long, from study and from what I have learned from others. May you be blessed in a mighty way!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo Nam Myoho Renge Kyo Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
GeorgialouWho
I expect that we all will be supporting you on that day even from all the miles away.....it's a beautiful thing!

 

[Hitman]

Thank you GeorgialouWho, Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!

I can't hold back the tears of joy. Oh my.

Hit

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Hey Young Man! No one could be prouder than me! I have thought of you and chanted about you and your mom so often over these last three and a half years! And now for you to be receiving your own Gohonzon brings tears to MY eyes! Thanks for coming back in time for all of us to share this with you Brother!

We got the family viral thing goin' on over here. Everybody's sick with the Croup! Sorry to have not gotten a shout out sooner, but I haven't been able to get to the keyboard without pain. We're a little better, but with so many people sick at the same time, our hands are full!

Warmest regards and deepest respect to all!

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Hitman! That is so awesome and makes me so happy for you and your family. Congratulations! What a way to end 2007!!! Your Gohonzon birthday will be now 2 days earlier than mine. Georgialou, great encouragement from you heart. That blows me away and says it all. T, praying for you and your family to all get well soon and be able to celebrate the NewYear in great physical spirits. ( I have no doubts about your spiritual side no matter what you are going thru)

I will be going back to SoCal this Xmas; benefit was my new company allowed me to take off Monday to do it and I have been here less than 2 months. Will be able to spend time with my ailing 87 yr old mother and kids all who I haven't seen for 1 1/2 yrs.

Best wishes and the Happiest New Year to all. I have such deep appreciation and owe so much to everyone here on the Chanting Growers Thread.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"It must be ties of karma from the distant past that have destined you to
become my disciple at a time like this. Shakyamuni and Many Treasures
certainly realised this truth. 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: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo
Shimbun, December 19th, 2007

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"With exuberance and vigour, please join me in running at full speed for the
great vow of kosen-rufu, and so put the finishing touches on this year.

"Though we may be many times busier than others, we will also experience
many times more fulfilment and satisfaction. Such a life is victorious. Such
a person is admirable."

Daisaku Ikeda

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Ha~

Ha~

Roar of the Lion...Roar of the Lion...do not walk on egg shells around that sanshoshima; you stand tall look that devil of the sixth heaven square in the ole eyes and in your best Clint Eastwood voice and staredown....."do you feel lucky punk; well do ya?" expect great joy, expect all of the heavenly beings to bow as you take stage and receive their highest honor, expect to open your heart even more, expect the ancestors to weep for joy as you pick up the sword of faith and start to hack at those karmic binds of suffering, to heal those wounds for the past seven generations and to pave the way for the next seven; expect their to be rejoicing not only in your environment but deep in your life, in your heart, in your spirit. Whoa I think I just channeled an ole japanese pioneer women's division.....ahhhh talk about warrior women! Wow hitman seriously don't know where that came from but just went with it

Gotta give ya grins and nods Sister! That was a good one!!!

 

[GeorgialouWho]

"What is defeat in life? It is not merely making a mistake; defeat means giving up on yourself in the midst of difficulty. What is true success in life? True success means winning in your battle with yourself. Those who persist in the pursuit of of their dreams, no matter what the hurdles, are winners in life; for they have won over their weaknesses." D. Ikeda

Will be thinking of you and sending you daimoku Hitman and am humbled by your heart! T, hope you all are fairing well and as always thank you for your encouraging words Socal enjoy your time with your family! What an awesome benefit! Thank you for sharing And as always thank you for your encouraging words too...this thread rocks and I have the utmost and deepest appreciation to the Babba's who shared this with me and to ALL that take their time out to encourage and continue this thread of Kosen Rufu! Happy Holidays to all and the happiest, healthiest, and most abundant of new years!

With much daimoku....Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Georgialouwho

 

[GeorgialouWho]

Gotta give ya grins and nods Sister! That was a good one!!!

(hand over heart, bowing in humbleness)

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Georgialouwho

 

[Babbabud]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

When you can deepen the conviction that your life itself is the entity of Buddha just as you are now .......not when you become some perfect being.... then when something comes up, you can feel no fear or anxiety . It is just another opportunity to transform it into a greater benefit and transform suffering into joy. Supreme optimist, he/she has no fear of the future, no regret of the past. Your Life is Buddha. You can transform anything and make any situation manifest its latent Buddhahood. So , even in a situation of hell, because you have this deep conviction that your life itself is a Buddha, you manifest that conviction and the Buddhahood innate within that phenomena or situation rises up to match that.

Encouragement from VP Tsuji

Nam myoho renge kyo !! Be the Buddha

Wow going back and reviewing this thread is heavy stuph
PTD hope the family is feeling better> Much love to you all
Hitman saturday is right around the corner woooooop !!
Much love to everyone that views this thread !! If your not chanting yet .... lets get started!!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo !!

 

[Hitman]

Thank you all so very very very much!

All my life I've been chanting - But I've never had my own Gohonzon! Wow!
The energy, and fear at the same time. IC GT- Your support is incredible- You are all the reason I have ventured forward.

Get well DooB, You are the driving force behind this thread and beyond! thanks.

SoCal- that is fantastic to have such a close birthday date with you, wow. hope to one day shake your hand.

Bubba- Your encouragement is incredible, it's truly an honor to have you in my thoughts. Have to remember not to fear! Force myself not to be sad.

Georgia- You made me cry when I read what you wrote this morning. You have a really great life force. Thank you - you boddhisatva!

Imagine a meeting where all of us together, everyone in this thread chanting- now that's power!

This sight makes practicing fun!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

This Hits for you!

 

[Babbabud]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[SoCal Hippy]

from the 'New Human Revolution'......

from the 'New Human Revolution'......

(Note: Shin'ichi = Daisaku Ikeda's pen name in this book)

........"These teachings represent the pinnacle of human philosophy and
thought, covering a broad spectrum of principles concerning religion,
life, human happiness, the universe and society, in terms of both
faith and daily living."

When Shin'ichi had given the students a basic overview of the
writing's structure, he said: "Now let's begin our study of
the `Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings,' exploring it
together both in principle and in practice!"

He then asked for a volunteer to read its opening lines aloud.

For a moment, no one raised a hand. Then, slowly, a few hands went
up. Shin'ichi picked one student, who stood and began to read, his
voice weak and hesitant:

Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
The Orally Transmitted Teachings state, "Namu derives from Sanskrit
and here [in Japan] it means devotion...." (Gosho Zenshu, p. 708)

When the reader finished, Shin'ichi said with some severity: "What
lackluster reading! When we read the Gosho, we should do so with the
profound conviction that we are reading the truth, the absolute
truth — that this is exactly how it is. In other words, we should
read with faith, seek with faith and understand with faith.

"Western philosophy may begin from doubt, but when we are studying
Buddhism, we must begin with faith. Even Shariputra, who was said to
be foremost in wisdom among Shakyamuni's disciples, attained
enlightenment not through his knowledge or intellectual powers but
through faith."

The more Shin'ichi Yamamoto spoke, the more passion infused his
words. "Also, when carrying out Soka Gakkai activities or facing the
Gohonzon, our inner state of life, our attitude, is important," he
said. "If we allow ourselves to become lazy and lapse into practicing
Buddhism merely out of habit, or if we practice reluctantly or
halfheartedly, we will never discover true joy or happiness. Nor will
we attain Buddhahood. "But if we are genuinely committed and
dedicated to faith, our Soka Gakkai activities will bring us joy,
we'll glow with health, and we'll bring greater wisdom and creativity
to our work. Even though we may encounter obstacles or sufferings in
life, we will confidently transform them into good — turning poison
into medicine — and attain Buddhahood in this lifetime.

"And though things may be going well at the moment, if you lose your
faith, ultimately your life will end in sad defeat. Success in life
is apparent in how we live our last years, in whether we can face
death with joy, dignity and peace of mind. That also determines
whether we are on a course toward eternal happiness.

"While Christianity teaches of a `last judgment,' Buddhism expounds
that no omnipotent being judges humanity — rather, our future is
determined by the law of cause and effect inherent in life itself.
Heaven and hell are right here in our own lives. The Daishonin said
of the sufferings of the state of Hell: `Once one falls into such an
evil state, even a throne or the title of general means nothing. He
is no different from a monkey on a string, tormented by the guards of
hell" (The Major Writings of Nichiren aishonin vol. 1, p. 254).

"When confronted with the enormous suffering and pain of the state of
Hell, rank, privilege and social position mean nothing. Subject to
the tortures of this life state, one is indeed a monkey on a string.

"From the perspective of the eternity of life as well, whether our
final years are marked by triumph is an important concern. That is
why it is important to walk the supreme path of faith to the end."

On another occasion at one of the lecture sessions, Takao Harayama, a
Waseda University student and son of Soka Gakkai General Director
Koichi Harayama, asked, "What kind of life does Devadatta represent?"
[Devadatta was a disciple of Shakyamuni who turned against him.]

Looking deeply into Harayama's eyes, Shin'ichi replied: "Mr. Toda
used to say that Devadatta is a symbol of envy, particularly of the
kind often seen in men. Envy or jealously is at the root of all
attempts to block the advance of the Soka Gakkai and stop kosen-rufu.

"Every human being has some of Devadatta inside. Buddhist practice is
the way we fight against the Devadatta within. Faith is a struggle
between the Buddha and our inner negative forces. You must not lose."....

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Therefore, one should by all means persist in preaching the Lotus Sutra and causing them to hear it. Those who put their faith in it will surely attain Buddhahood, while those who slander it will establish a 'poison-drum relationship' with it and will likewise attain Buddhahood."

(How Those Initially Aspiring to the Way Can Attain Buddhahood through the Lotus Sutra - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 882) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, November 21st, 2007

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Happy Birthday Babbabud!!!

 

[Bonzo]

Babba!!!! Woooooooooooo Hoooooooo!!!!!! Happy Birthday Bud











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

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

Happy Birthday Bud!

After a long Hiatus, I finished this semester and we're hosting a meeting this afternoon. Day before yesterday we enshrined my girlfriend's friend (shakubuku) Gohonzon and it was a splendid occasion, and last night was her christmas party so I'm really pooped today but stronger in spirit and happy in the heart. My friends its important to remember no matter what your struggles are, winter will turn to spring and a great evil is gonna be the catapult towards your brilliant future.

I'm realizing that it doesn't matter if we're young or old, bored or interested, hungry or thirsty, but that you recognize that living as a Bodhisattva provides a basis for a stable high life condition and a very fruitful experience everywhere you go. I didn't post this but this week I had a few new people chanting at my job (during our office afternoon prayers which I was asked to lead) and it solidified in my mind that this Chanting Growers Mission is getting better by the moment.

With that intrepid spirit in mind, please know I'm with you if you choose to take action and make things happen in your life, that determination is the essence of my faith and the fuel of Champions of the Heart. I'm very proud of all of you, we are really roaring into the new year!

Keep it up!