Chanting Growers Group

[PassTheDoobie]

"If you want to understand the causes that existed in the past, look at the results as they are manifested in the present. And if you want to understand what results will be manifested in the future, look at the causes that exist in the present."

(The Opening of the Eyes - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 279) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, November 29th, 2007

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Good faith is manifested through action; it is a matter of deeds, not words."

SGI Newsletter No. 7415, The New Human Revolution--Vol. 20: Chap. 3, Ties of Trust 3, translated Nov. 28th, 2007

 

[Babbabud]

New Years Gosho

New Years Gosho

I HAVE received a hundred slabs of steamed rice cake and a basket of fruit. New Year’s Day marks the first day, the first month, the beginning of the year, and the start of spring.1 A person who celebrates this day will accumulate virtue and be loved by all, just as the moon becomes full gradually, moving from west to east,2 and as the sun shines more brightly, traveling from east to west.

First of all, as to the question of where exactly hell and the Buddha exist, one sutra states that hell exists underground, and another sutra says that the Buddha is in the west. Closer examination, however, reveals that both exist in our five-foot body. This must be true because hell is in the heart of a person who inwardly despises his father and disregards his mother. It is like the lotus seed, which contains both blossom and fruit. In the same way, the Buddha dwells within our hearts. For example, flint has the potential to produce fire, and gems have intrinsic value. We ordinary people can see neither our own eyelashes, which are so close, nor the heavens in the distance. Likewise, we do not see that the Buddha exists in our own hearts. You may question how it is that the Buddha can reside within us when our bodies, originating from our parents’ sperm and blood, are the source of the three poisons and the seat of carnal desires. But repeated consideration assures us of the truth of this matter. The pure lotus flower blooms out of the muddy pond, the fragrant sandalwood grows from the soil, the graceful cherry blossoms come forth from trees, the beautiful Yang Kuei-fei was born of a woman of low station, and the moon rises from behind the mountains to shed light on them. Misfortune comes from one’s mouth and ruins one, but fortune comes from one’s heart and makes one worthy of respect.

The sincerity of making offerings to the Lotus Sutra at the beginning of the New Year is like cherry blossoms blooming from trees, a lotus unfolding in a pond, sandalwood leaves unfurling on the Snow Mountains, or the moon beginning to rise. Now Japan, in becoming an enemy of the Lotus Sutra, has invited misfortune from a thousand miles away. In light of this, it is clear that those who now believe in the Lotus Sutra will gather fortune from ten thousand miles away. The shadow is cast by the form, and just as the shadow follows the form, misfortune will befall the country whose people are hostile to the Lotus Sutra. The believers in the Lotus Sutra, on the other hand, are like the sandalwood with its fragrance. I will write you again.

Nichiren

The fifth day of the first month

Reply to the wife of Omosu

WND Page 1137

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!

 

[Hitman]

Happy New Year All! TAKI NO GOTOKU HAGESHIKU! Like the Waterfall -Fierce!

 

[Hitman]

Wow!

Wow!

"If you want to understand the causes that existed in the past, look at the results as they are manifested in the present. And if you want to understand what results will be manifested in the future, look at the causes that exist in the present."

(The Opening of the Eyes - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 279) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, November 29th, 2007

So true it's so awesome!

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

My friends,

I have a great experience to share... This thrusday my mom (gf's mom) was rushed to the hospital. On Saturday afternoon she had still not received her daignosis and I feared she was ok and should be released or at the very least given a determination on her condition. While I was able to finally reach a doctor and have her discharged, the person in the next bed asked "Can you tell me more about the Buddhism you mentioned, I don't mean to be nosy."

I was soo happy I spent an hour discussing Buddhism with Jennifer a 30something young lady and her mother agreed on every point I shared with them, then I suggested "would you like to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! with me?" I whipped out a card and she said "I've heard this before, my uncle practices this chant in california, his life is amazing!" We chanted and it got really hot really fast but we kept chanting for 15-20 minutes and then at the end exchanged numbers and more smiles and hugs and well wishes and she is going to join our local group since she is in my district's area! I WAS BLOWN AWAY at the easiness of this shakubuku! She is interested in seeing Gohonzon and I'm so very excited about this.

Mom is doing fine, and Jennifer really encouraged me so much that last night we had the best night ever out on the town and I really felt alot of it should have been attributed to this Bodhisattva of the Earth emerging in a hospital Bed! I love being me, and am praying to avoid slander and expiate my culmulative slander because I slander alot, and suffer for it, but I manage to overcome that shit and grow in faith.

I learned this year:

President Makiguchi created a Teaching Society, President Toda established the Soka Gakkai, President Ikeda made the Soka Gakkai go international, Thomas created the Chanting Growers Group, and I have a mission to establish American kosen-rufu and continue to evolve our young organization here in America and in my area to be a more autonomous model for modern kosen-rufu within the SGI umbrella. Its my sincere wish to apply my life to the fruitful endeavor of kosen-rufu more than ever, but in my personal (evolving) opinion I believe this will be accomplished to a greater extent by approaching the Japanese & American Sociological differences with more care and not emphasizing so much the Japanese tendency to be more group oriented than the American tendency to be more independent among other things. I believe I could better approach introducing Buddhism to more people if I can show with my life that I also can be a model for a brilliant life as a successful Bodhisattva. I am not saying that I wish to create a new modus operandi but I do hope to refreshen my approach to life in the new year as I did this year with amazing success.

Stagnation is what I am avoiding my friends, and to do that I must shake things up! I'm really not a "Gakkai Joe", and lost interest many months ago in Soka Group/Gajokai activities because its not in the Goshos and does not apply to me and has caused me to feel pretty upset on some occasions. This created a schism with my leadership role in the organization and my personal sentiments within the privacy of my heart, but I stand by my convictions and am supported by the daily dose of posts by my friends here and abroad. Gaining the riches of faith, have brought countless blessings, the greatest one being a deeper connection with Gohonzon and a better understanding of my present mission.

I'm curing people with daimoku, and soon I will be a college graduate, that will be a goal we will work on completing in 2008, I will share that degree with all of you especially Thomas who is our leader here on the thread. Together we are accomplishing great things and you could count on me for support if need be.

Thanks always,
MyohoDisco

 

[GeorgialouWho]

Greetings All...
just stoppin' to show some love


NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO


Georgialouwho

 

[scegy]

sorry i didn't see that
an explanation would be fine though?
i don't know how i manage to slander with everything i say, but i guess i do, this was not my intention just me having or not having a clue, whatever you may say it.

my intentions were pure thomas, was trying to contribute and share not saying not to go to a meeting and so

now my experiences were written for simmilar minds that have trouble accepting all this, but if you feel like this doesn't belong here i'm down with you, it's your thread

thin ice?i don't wanna feel assaulted but i'm not in any way here to fight for something i agree on, if you want me to leave i will do it willingly, maybe i missunderstood so correct me if i'm wrong

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Thanks for the continuing disrespect scegy....

Thanks for the continuing disrespect scegy....

Does anyone know if I can obtain a Gohonzon from the Internet?

Yes, but my sincere and deepest wish is that no one ever do that. If you want to be assured of having an opportunity to practice throughout your life, go the route that those of us that are still here, after much trial and tribulation, have gone. Get to an SGI meeting!

If you want to ignore that advice and try to do it any other way, I don't want to be involved, nor would I appreciate anyone posting information that encourages that.

Thank you everyone!

Thomas

I really don't appreciate your assumptions that you have a clue. You don't and are really running on some thin ice in my opinion. I would appreciate an edit of the link and would appreciate you not adding just any 'ole link you think you want to, whenever you decide to share your wisdom with us here. Since I already asked that this info not be posted here, I am actually kind of pissed that you decided to do that anyway. You think you have it all figured out?

Happy New Year from all of us already in 2008!

Thomas

 

[Babbabud]

SGI members carry out their daily practice at home and meet at regular local discussion meetings to study Buddhist principles and how to apply them in everyday life. At these gatherings, members also exchange ideas, hopes, challenges and experiences of their Buddhist faith and practice. These small group meetings are a place of mutual encouragement as well as for sharing Buddhist faith with friends.
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[Babbabud]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Happy New Year and Happy 80th Birthday to Sensei!


From the bottom of my heart, I express my most humble gratitude for your dedicated efforts toward development of the kosen-rufu movement in SGI-USA this past year. Thank you so much!!

With your sincere care and support, in 2007, more than 7000 Bodhisattvas of the Earth have joined our struggle, for the happiness of our planet, and for the sake of humanity, from our very own soil of America. We have made joyful progress with our youth leading the way, of course, with the men, women and pioneers doing the hard work behind the scenes, supporting and encouraging the youth. We have been able to see so many new capable people emerge from this joint effort. What a great cause for our future!

Both Sensei and Mrs. Ikeda are extremely happy about what you have created with your determination, prayer, and action this past year. Congratulations!!

Also, because of your many unseen efforts, our mentor is being honored and congratulated in American society as we celebrate an important hallmark this January 2, President Ikeda's 80th birthday.

We have received messages from US President Bush, many governors, congressional representatives including the State of Texas, which, by the way, will have an American flag flown over their capital on January 2 in honor of President Ikeda. We have also received from the mayors of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Tallahassee messages including invitations for Sensei and Mrs. Ikeda to visit the US. Many other mayors, university representatives and community leaders have also sent wonderful messages congratulating President Ikeda. How truly fortunate we are to have such a mentor!!

The SGI Theme for 2008, The Year of Capable People and Development, begins with each one of us starting with our own development as the first step. With this as the basis of our expansion, let's strengthen our hearts and prayer to welcome Sensei and Mrs. Ikeda to SUA!

President Ikeda writes in his New Year's message, "It is important that we strive for kosen-rufu with the strong and determined spirit to make even greater efforts with every passing year of our Buddhist practice. When we advance with faith based on this spirit of 'true cause' - the spirit of always moving forward from this moment on - capable people will appear and grow and kosen-rufu will develop exponentially."

Sensei is sharing with us how to advance in 2008. Let's respond to our mentor's call and grow exponentially!!! Congratulations once again & Happy New Year!!

Danny Nagashima
SGI-USA General Director


Thought I would share this letter from Danny Nagashima
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[Bonzo]

HAPPY NEW YEAR MY FRIEND'S I hope some of you are chanting right now cause im gonna be chanting wjen the clock hits midnight, i love this!!!

peace my friends!!

bonz







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

 

[Babbabud]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
You got it Bonzo!! Just got home from a great New Years toso at Georgialouwhos!!. Second year in a row for our little group. Was a wonderful group chant, a great way to send off the old year and bring in the new.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[Hitman]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6nQwR3b5wI

Song of Waterfall


Taki no gotoku hageshiku
Taki no gotoku tayumazu
Taki no gotoku osoreszu
Taki no gotoku hogarakani
Taki no gotoku doho doho to

Otoko wa ojya no
Fuukaku wo mote.

(Translation)
Like the waterfall fierce
Like the waterfall unflagging
Like the waterfall unfearing
Like the waterfall merrily
Like the waterfall proudly-

A man should have
The bearing of a king


Make 2008 Great!

We love you Scegy! I'm an introvert too, I thought the same question. You make such great cause to chant and with others and share their experiences! You can do it - we're all with you.

PTD- You're are the man- you are a leader- you must reach down real deep for patience and understanding- We love you! The reigns are in your hands and we all look for guidance from you. It's like Scegy was censored and exiled! You are so passionate that the negative forces are all around you when you lose your patience.
Your powerful positivity cannot be held back. Today when I sing I will have you and everyone else in my heart. I will try to imagine your voices in unison! Our Voices.

MyohoDisco- What a wonderful experience to share - you shakabuku like no other.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo! Scegy is going to receive a Gohonzon in 2008! It's great! He will meet many more people and together we will win!

 

[Bonzo]

Now that sounds awesome Babba!!! Wooooooooo Hoooooooo!!!, i hope ya'll had an awesome time, one thing ive figured out about the big city City SGI is that not everyone has all the facts strait or should i say is on the same page. All day at work i was thinkin' for sure there would be somethin' like you went to goin on within our group/district. Now i was just assuming that something woud be going on like you guys had. So at noon or so i called one of my district friend's completely expecting to hear about something going on at the stroke of midnite. He had no plans of chanting into the New Year, so i got home early enough to check the Friendship Center's Calender of events and to my surprise not only was there nothing planned but that the Center was closed all day! So i called a couple more people and nothing. So i called my ace in the hole, James and his wife Jilll (who worked at the Center library) and i came up empty, as a matter of fact she told me the Center was open for chanting but i could here Jimmy in the back ground saying that the center was closed just as the calender had said. Now if Jimmy didnt know of any thing going on at Midnite and knew that the Center was closed i pretty much knew that i was on my own. He did however now of and tell me of a celebration today, on New Years Day at the big World Peace Ikeda Auditorium at 2:00 pm.

So at that point i realized i would be chanting at the stroke of midnite, at home with just me, my Gohonzon and Bella, my cat, she actually likes chanting most of the time, she will sit between me and my butsudan with a very content look on her face, sounds crazy i know but ya'll gotta meet my cat, he he he!!!

So last nite was awesome allthough different than i had planned and today is going to be unreal.

It was. in a sense very heavy cause it was just me and my Gohonzon so it got pretty heavy, and i like that! But am really looking forward to this afternoon.

Well i hope you all had a great New Years Eve Celebration!!!

I know i did =

peace love and deepest respect

bonz










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

 

[PassTheDoobie]

sorry i didn't see that
an explanation would be fine though?
i don't know how i manage to slander with everything i say, but i guess i do, this was not my intention just me having or not having a clue, whatever you may say it.

my intentions were pure thomas, was trying to contribute and share not saying not to go to a meeting and so

now my experiences were written for simmilar minds that have trouble accepting all this, but if you feel like this doesn't belong here i'm down with you, it's your thread

thin ice?i don't wanna feel assaulted but i'm not in any way here to fight for something i agree on, if you want me to leave i will do it willingly, maybe i missunderstood so correct me if i'm wrong

Sorry scegy. I didn't see your edit until now, but I want to tell you that I really appreciate you doing that! To a great degree, I reacted because I should have taken the time to compose this response some time ago and right now I am really enjoying my life and have just been a shit and too selfish to sit down and take the time to explain myself.

You forced the issue. When you post the way you did, you are in fact potentially influencing other people to do what you did. Are you sure you want that karma? Are you sure? Have you tried going this route long enough that you have confidence in its long term outcome? Has anyone done so that you know personally?

Nichiren Daishonin described the Gohonzon as, “The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind Established in the Fifth Five Hundred Year Period after the Thus Come One’s Passing.” Yet some individuals have reduced its significance to that of something that can just be downloaded and printed out. You said something about the Daishonin’s teaching being clear on this. Where the hell is that in the teachings? Do you really consider yourself qualified to make that assurance?

Then you say you could compose your own Gohonzon yourself? Now brother, in my opinion you are definitely assuming to know what you absofreakinglutely don’t know. The source you have now posted here twice (but thank you again for the last edit) is a total joke. The dude who slapped together the site and I assume his self-published book is an idiot. “Everything you need to know to attain enlightenment” in seventy five pages including the liturgy of gongyo? Scegy are you buying into his shit? Then you’re both nuts!

The key is you can do anything you want to do scegy. Just don’t come here to espouse doing something that almost certainly creates or at least risks serious bad karma. No matter what anyone’s opinion is, the Gohonzon most certainly has a very real potential to be what the Daishonin said it was and should be revered in the tradition of Nichiren Shoshu which is what in fact the SGI continues to do.

If it weren’t any big deal to fabricate a Gohonzon, the SGI wouldn’t have gone without being able to confer one for all those years. This Nichikan Shonin Gohonzon we have now was made available by a Mystic intervention, in that it only became available because it was an archive relic of a local temple that split away from Nichiren Shoshu as part of a group of chief priests that decided that the High Priest had gone against the true intent of the Daishonin’s teachings.

The SGI didn’t steal this image, but the person that supplied it to you on the internet sure did. Do you want to support the worship of stolen Gohonzon images? Maybe with your faith it won’t ultimately matter, but how about others that may not share your same connection to the Law? Will they slander in the absence of life to life mentoring on what is up? Do you want to take the chance of being part of that--especially if it’s completely avoidable?

Remember that the SGI is the body of believers that have never broken unity, just as the Daishonin directed. The Nichiren Shoshu priesthood broke unity, not SGI. And the same goes for these former SGI members who have decided that they already know it all.

They are all idiots as far as I’m concerned. None of them have any base that extends to original teachings. “Oh do your own thing, but if you need to know anything about the teachings, refer to SGI doctrinal resources.” None of them have a clue what the original Japanese actually says—they have no archives. They are straw houses built on sandy shores. None refer to any Gosho other than those from volume one of WND, and never anything from the OTT. The only people they could fool are the ignorant, and to entice the ignorant to slander through their ignorance is slander.

Any image of the Gohonzon is to be revered as, “The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind Established in the fifth Five Hundred Year Period after the Thus Come One’s Passing.” That’s why we are supposed to be careful about enshrining it around mirrors, and why it isn’t supposed to be photographed. Have you seen how reverently SGI members treat the Gohonzon? Is someone just downloading its image from the internet going to understand that? Do you want to encourage someone to do something that might result in their slander from ignorance? Unfortunately, ignorance is no excuse.

SGI members take a vow to protect and cherish the Gohonzon when we receive ours, which are on dowels and matted and made to last a lifetime. Are you going to revere that piece of paper you printed out for the rest of your life? Do you have any idea what kind of karma it is to throw away or destroy a Gohonzon? Do you want to encourage others to access the Gohonzon in a way that minimizes its inherent greatness by trivializing it to the point of saying in effect, “Hey, the Gohonzon is no big deal. You can just download it and print it out on a sheet of A4.”

To me, based on 35 years of practice, that’s what I call "thin ice."

Good luck with what you've decided to do there Scegy. I mean that sincerely! I do love you Bro! Thanks for that edit!!!!! It really bothered me to have a portal to influence people the wrong way sitting here. REMEMBER TO TAKE GOOD CARE OF THAT PIECE OF PAPER!

Much love and deep respect,

T

 

[Babbabud]

PTD your BuddhaNature is awesome !! Thankyou !!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[PassTheDoobie]

And scegy, you can see why I am always so concerned about references that can confuse or influence others by the very conversation we are now having. You wouldn't have found that site if you hadn't googled about the CGT reference from Easy's post. Everything we say here influences someone else, somewhere else. Think about how I responded to you, obviously effected Hitman? Thank you for being you scegy. I mean that sincerely. I'm sorry if I was obtuse in my initial response.

I was actually expressing shock, regret and guilt that I hadn't said what I just said, sooner. But thanks to you I now have!

Thank you!

 

[scegy]

hey

i had all that concernes in mind, and i was counting on u to point them out if i missed some, not using the tone u did

about writing gohonzon for myself, i ment that in a way that each of us is equal, is boddisatva, is budda, jesus, alah, whatever, if one takes time for that

as nichiren took time to listen to budda and carry on his message, i bet he didn't have a family to take care with his own hands and mind. he did it for us, that's why our respect towards him is even greater, he looked beyond his needs for a steady life

now if i took time to listen, meditate and study all aspects off life, maybe and probably would have come to the same conclusions, you know what i mean?

and yes this is what i wanted from you -->
I was actually expressing shock, regret and guilt that I hadn't said what I just said, sooner. But thanks to you I now have!

you KNOW i'm deliberately "pissing you off", and by that link i gave i wanted your comment, not SGI comment, that is the difference, i hate ppl being polite or let's say "objective" when they don't need to, it's a sign off calculating minds ---> priests that want more slaves under them

that is the problem with rankings that occur on forums, karma status etc. it's not a state off reality, it's filtered and this is what i was saying before that is happening everywhere on internet
so when someone sees someone with less karma saying something to someone with more carma, he's in a slave position in the eyes that want to see that kind off relation, for me we are all equal and i always try hard to really start from that point.....

and this is one thing that really bothers me with SGI, no one, i mean no one, asked questions that i'm asking, even at the meetings, although everyone needs to hear it to be able to trust more profoundly, not "the right" answear, but an answear from a thinking man, not a man that has his bible in his head head to toes.

Gohonzon,
hm, let's put it in another way, what if one can't reach gohonzon for some(personal or external) reason, and a printed copy would help him to progress towards the long lasting Gohonzon that he would charish even more?

i don't know who makes gohonzons but, i guess they don't copy each one by hand, must be a machine behind this that does the work, or at least helps with it

i thought to print my gohonzon on a nice yellow card paper(covered with plastic foil) and make a butsudan(right?) around that. I know i would charish that gohonzon the same or even more because i took the "effort" to print it and make it look good etc.

and that still doesn't mean i don't want to attend or host meetings, on the contrary
i know i affect ppl thomas, that's why you gotta correct me, but the fact was that you were doing the same thing to me as i think you know according to your words now

so ice is thin for both of us, we'r walking on the same ice just have different paths that have holes in different places, that is how i see it

i respect you thomas, but respect ends with me when you put urself above me, maybe just something that we have in common

i know very little about your life and what are your daily burdenings, how you actually react to something that is put infront of you and so, but so do you about my life so it's hard to say and draw the line in any point of any conversation untill we know eachother better

why i'm saying all this, because i actually care about what you say, all of you here, smore more others less, it doesn't matter

now if you knew me, just saying what i did to piss you off., would mean that i'm really into argumenting, conversation and figuring it out ASAP

lot of ppl missunderstand what i say, but some do and i'm here for those, and they'r here for me---->still we stay on the same track with EVERYONE and i'm happy to learn from you

religion is hard i say, being atheist was so much easier

p.s.

i understand your point in what we'r doing here with our conversation, but i somehow always felt that if i try to solve things with ppl i'll get lots of ideas and views good and bad and the solution will be more universal that just the one produced by my own head

maybe i'm missing the point, i don't know nichiren teachings as well as you do thomas i'm sure about that, but my gut tells me that this is my way, specially when i chant, my guts go crazy

 

[Hitman]

Scegy- Happy New Year!
I wouldn't print a Gohonzon myself, I think that would be disrespectable. You have to get a real Gohonzon from the SGI Organization and you'll also receive a World Tribune to study. I thought you were trying to get a Gohonzon from SGI, I didn't know you were going to construct your own or reproduce it. Gohonzons come all rolled up-untouched. You are not even supposed to have anyone pay for your Gohonzon. It's your cause to make as an individual. The Gohonzon is a mirror image, it is your buddha nature. My Gohonzon is finer than a Ferrari and sweeter than honeydew melon. I hope you are able to receive Gohonzon! Best Wishes!

It is the New Year- 2008- The of the Capable Individual!

We're brothers in arms. Kosen Rufu is our mission. Thomas keep striving to create a force of Supreme Happiness for us and all of our families. Thank you for your awesome work!