Chanting Growers Group

[PassTheDoobie]

I've got to disagree with you on that one puff.

I've got to disagree with you on that one puff.

Where does it say that? The dharma-kaya is the Dharma body. The Dharma body means the essence of Buddhahood, the ultimate truth or Law, and the true nature of the Buddha's life. It also means a Buddha per se, whose body is the Law itself.

I have just posted a whole lot of stuff that would refute your assertion that all words echo equally. That just isn't true, unless you can point to a sutra that says so, I have to disagree. The Lotus Sutra says that is specifically not the case.

But have fun going beyond. Thanks for stopping in on your way by.

T

 

[chiefpuffpuff]

the point iam trying to make is that words are hollow and have no meaning other than the meaning we give to them ..The Dharmakaya is that vehicle which can transmute all sounds and all words into bliss or enlightenment ...Puff Puff included=)
Cheifem iusemyownwordstodescribemyexperience

 

[SoCal Hippy]

A passage from the Lotus Sutra reads that it is "the most difficult
to believe and the most difficult to understand." Many hear about
and accept this sutra, but when great obstacles arise, just as they
were told would happen, few remember it and bear it firmly in mind.
To accept is easy; to continue is difficult. But Buddhahood lies in
continuing faith.

(WND, 471)
The Difficulty of Sustaining Faith
Written to Shijo Kingo on March 6, 1275

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Thank you for the clarification

Thank you for the clarification

I agree that words are hollow, some more than others. As I am sure all must agree, the truth in life is that knowing words has no intrinsic value unless utilized. Knowing what the Dharma body is, what it means, or what it provides is hardly enough to satisfy those seeking to acquire it. The big question is how does one acquire the Dharma body or achieve anuttara-samyak-sambodhi in their present form?

The point of it all, as far as I am concerned, is that the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha are supposed to be true and never false. However, Shakyamuni used many similes and parables as expedient means throughout his lifetime of teaching. Nowhere does he declare the supremacy of a particular teaching other than the Lotus Sutra, and no other Sutra declares that the Lotus Sutra is not the highest teaching of Shakyamuni. Shakyamuni himself declares the Lotus Sutra to be his highest teaching within the text of this Sutra. Up to this point he has been teaching based on the Three Vehicles. This is the point that he declares the Three Vehicles as expedient means and reveals the One Vehicle, True Law, so profound and difficult to believe that he had never revealed it before.

We talk about the Lotus Sutra in this thread a lot, so I posted an introductory lecture by the person I believe to be the foremost Votary of the Lotus Sutra alive today. I then posted the Hoben, or Expedient Means, chapter as a point of reference for everyone to see what the hell a Sutra reads like. Burton Watson is a present-day Kumarajiva, and what he has done for all of us to translate this teaching into a version that can be understood in English, is a debt that we may never be able to fully repay. This way, no one has to take our word for the content of this sutra. It can be reviewed by anyone.

I believe we need some help in assimilating this text, however. I generally only borrow the words of Buddhas. I do not post from any other source than my heart unless I am sharing the words of Buddhas. That the reader may not recognize the truths revealed is an inherent obstacle due to the complexity and depth of these documents. The Lotus Sutra was so complex as to have been deemed beyond the grasp on an ordinary person by many Buddhist scholars for many, many, centuries. People like T'ien-t'ai spent their whole lives mediatating on its texts, in order to understand the depths of the truths it revealed. I am not capable at this time on the path to communicate these things with the clarity and authority that they can. This is no shortcoming of my own, as I make no claim of enlightenment and am only sharing my seeking of it.

My hope is that by sharing these words of Buddhas, that the Buddha within all of us is somehow stimulated. Unless someone posts objections, I would like to share the wisdom of Daisaku Ikeda’s lectures on what Nichiren deemed the most important two chapters of the twenty-eight chapters Lotus Sutra, the Hoben and Juryo chapters. I am sure you will enjoy it. Would anyone object? Please say so now.

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Doobie said, "My hope is that by sharing these words of Buddhas, that the Buddha within all of us is somehow stimulated. Unless someone posts objections, I would like to share the wisdom of Daisaku Ikeda’s lectures on what Nichiren deemed the most important two chapters of the twenty-eight chapters Lotus Sutra, the Hoben and Juryo chapters. I am sure you will enjoy it. Would anyone object? Please say so now."

No objections here PTD, Go for it.

From Burton Watson's edition of the Lotus Sutra: (copied/pasted)

from the 2nd Chapter: "Shariputra, ever since I attained Buddhahood I have through various causes and various similes widely expounded my teachings and have used countless expedient means to guide living beings and cause them to renounce attachments. Why is this? Because the Thus Come One is fully possessed by both expedient means and the paramita of wisdom.

"Shariputra, the wisdom of the Thus Come One is expansive and profound. He has immeasurable [mercy], unlimited [eloquence], power, fearlessness, concentration, emancipation, and samadhis, and has deeply entered the boundless and awakened to the Law never before attained.

"Shariputra, the Thus Come One knows how to make various kinds of distinctions and to expound the teachings skillfully. His words are soft and gentle and delight the hearts of the assembly.

"Shariputra, to sum it up: the Buddha has fully realized the Law that is limitless, boundless, never attained before.

and then later:

"Shariputra, the Buddhas preach the Law in accordance with what is appropriate, but the meaning is difficult to understand. Why is this? Because we employ countless expedient means, discussing causes and conditions and using words of simile and parable to expound the teachings. This Law is not something that can be understood through pondering or analysis. Only those who are Buddhas can understand it. Why is this? Because the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, appear in the world for one great reason alone. Shariputra, what does it mean to say that the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, appear in the world for one great reason alone?

"The Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones , wish to open the door of Buddha wisdom to all living beings, to allow them to attain purity. That is why they appear in the world.

and from the 16 Chapter: "Always I am aware of which living beings
practice the way, and which do not, and in response to their needs for salvation I preach various doctrines for them. At all times I think to myself:
How can I cause living beings to gain entry into the unsurpassed way
and quickly acquire the body of a Buddha?"

 

[chiefpuffpuff]

you were born with a heart and a brain .. so the Dharmakaya is already here .. however it has been muddied up and made coarse.. so you dont have the complete awareness of the more subtle/spiritual aspects of the human/buddha body ..this may sound simple but to achieve the purified body starts with the mastering of winds or breathing ..Fire needs wind to stoke it up ...so jusst breathe..deep....sound too simple but its the only way to ride with the Garudas

 

[BushyOldGrower]

As I read this suddenly I was reading aloud with tears rolling down my face...

Why does reading these passages affect me so emotionally? It seems like deja vu like I am seeing something I must have forgotten. As I read this part it seems so central to everything I have come to realize. Each day my understand seems to be returning and my faith is stronger.

Tom says I'm cool but I wonder what being cool really is sometimes. When I say, "Peace and Love" it doesn't feel like a hippy saying to me it feels like its right.

To bring peace and to relieve sufferring? To make people feel joy? So why fuss and fight or debate the truth. The truth when fully realized leaves words behind believe me. So to have faith in oneself and to care as much about everyone else as the self goes hand in hand. Jesus was a buddha too.

As a teen ager I tried to make people see the similarities between eastern and christian precepts when Jesus stated things. But, now I know where to go right to the source in writing and this passage is one of the big ones. Thanks Tom.

The Lotus Sutra
Translated by Burton Watson
Chapter Two: Expedient Means

"At that time the World-Honored One, wishing to state his meaning once more, spoke in verse form, saying:

There are monks and nuns
who behave with overbearing arrogance,
laymen full of self-esteem,
laywomen who are lacking in faith.
Among the four kinds of believers, the likes of these
number five thousand.
They fail to see their own errors,
are heedless and remiss with regard to the precepts,
clinging to their shortcomings, unwilling to change.
But these persons of small wisdom have already left;
the chaff among this assembly
has departed in the face of the Buddha's authority.
These persons were of paltry merit and virtue,
incapable of receiving this Law.
This assembly is now free of branches and leaves,
made up only of those steadfast and truthful.
Shariputra, listen carefully,
for the Law which the Buddhas have attained,
through the power of countless expedient means
they preach for the benefit of living beings.
The thoughts that are in the minds of living beings,
the different types of paths they follow,
their various desires and natures,
the good and bad deeds they have done in previous existences--
all these the Buddha takes cognizance of,
and then he employs causes, similes and parables,
words that embody the power of expedient means,
in order to gladden and please them all.
Sometimes he preaches sutras,
verses, stories of the previous lives of disciples,
stories of the previous lives of the Buddha, of unheard-of things.
At other times he preaches regarding causes and conditions,
uses similes, parables, passages of poetry
or discourses.
For those of dull capacities who delight in a little Law,
who greedily cling to birth and death,
who, despite the innumerable Buddhas,
fail to practice the profound and wonderful way
but are perplexed and confused by a host of troubles--
for these I preach nirvana.
I devise these expedient means
and so cause them to enter into the Buddha wisdom.
Up to now I have never told you
that you were certain to attain the Buddha way.
The reason I never preached in that manner
was that the time to preach so had not yet come.
But now is the very time
when I must decisively preach the Great Vehicle.
I use these nine devices,
adapting them to the living beings when I preach
my basic aim being to lead them into the Great Vehicle,
and that is why I preach this sutra.
There are sons of the Buddha who minds are pure,
who are gentle and of acute capacities,
who under innumerable Buddhas
have practiced the profound and wonderful way.
For these sons of the Buddha
I preach this sutra of the Great Vehicle.
And I predict that these persons
in a future existence will attain the Buddha way.
Because deep in their minds they think of the Buddha
and practice and uphold the pure percepts,
they are assured they will attain Buddhahood,
and hearing this, their whole bodies are filled with great joy.
The Buddha knows their minds and their practices
and therefore preaches for them the Great Vehicle.
When the voice-hearers and bodhisattvas
hear this Law that I preach,
as soon as they have heard one verse
they will all without doubt be certain of attaining Buddhahood.
In the Buddha lands of the ten directions
there is only the Law of the one vehicle,
there are not two, there are not three,
except when the Buddha preaches so as an expedient means,
merely employing provisional names and terms
in order to conduct and guide living beings
and preach to them the Buddha wisdom.
The Buddhas appear in the world
solely for this one reason, which is true;
the other two are not the truth.
Never do they use a lesser vehicle
to save living beings and ferry them across.
The Buddha himself dwells in this Great Vehicle,
and adorned with the power of meditation and wisdom
that go with the Law he has attained,
he uses it to save living beings.
He himself testifies to the unsurpassed way,
the Great Vehicle, the Law in which all things are equal.
If I used a lesser vehicle
to convert even one person,
I would be guilty of stinginess and greed,
but such a thing would be impossible.
If a person will believe and take refuge in the Buddha,
the Thus Come One will never deceive him,
nor will he ever show greed or jealousy,
for he has rooted out evil from among the phenomena.
Therefore throughout the ten directions
the Buddha alone is without fear.
I adorn my body with the special characteristics
and shine my light upon the world.
I am honored by numberless multitudes
and for them I preach the emblem of the reality of things.
Shariputra, you should know
that at the start I took a vow,
hoping to make all persons
equal to me, without any distinction between us,
and what I long ago hoped for
has now been fulfilled.
I have converted all living beings
and caused them all to enter the Buddha way.
If when I encounter living beings
I were in all cases to teach them the Buddha way,
those without wisdom would become confused
and in their bewilderment would fail to accept my teachings.
I know that such living beings have never in the past cultivated good roots
but have stubbornly clung to the five desires,
and their folly and craving have given rise to affliction.
Their desires are the cause
whereby they fall into the three evil paths,
revolving wheel-like through the six realms of existence
and undergoing every sort of suffering and pain.
Having received a tiny form in the womb,
in existence after existence they constantly grow to maturity.
Persons of meager virtue and small merit,
they are troubled and beset by manifold sufferings.
They stray into the dense forest of mistaken views,
debating as to what exists and what does not,
and in the end cling to such views,
embracing all sixty-two of them 2 .
They are profoundly committed to false and empty doctrines,
holding firmly to them, unable to set them aside.
Arrogant and puffed up with self-importance,
fawning and envious, insincere in mind,
for a thousand, ten thousand, a million kalpas
they will not hear the Buddha's name,
nor will they hear the correct Law--
such people are difficult to save.
For these reasons, Shariputra,
I have for their sake established expedient means,
preaching the way that ends all suffering.
And showing them nirvana.
But although I preach nirvana,
this is not a true extinction.
I could chant this over and over to everyone... BOG

 

[PassTheDoobie]

BOG: "Why does reading these passages affect me so emotionally? It seems like deja vu like I am seeing something I must have forgotten."

My Brother, I feel I can guarantee you that this is not the first time you have heard this.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

And PS: Who ever did that, thank you.

 

[BushyOldGrower]

Demons and angels...there are many out there in both worlds.

Demons and angels...there are many out there in both worlds.

I got rid of the nuisance easily Tom with just a word so don't let things bother you. Just remember that you have a friend in low place who also has friends higher up the feeding chain.

I know I have lived before and in fact Jesus stated that John the Baptist had lived before so those who believe the bible should look closely before they write off reincarnation.

Google x Google to the Google power...nam myoho renge kyo !!!

May my friend Soma live to meet me again? BOG

 

[Babbabud]

Buddhahood

Buddhahood

Maintain your faith and attain Buddhahood in this lifetime.
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Personal note on Daisaku Ikeda and SGI

Personal note on Daisaku Ikeda and SGI

I just want everyone to understand before I start that this lecture by Soka Gakai International President Daisaku Ikeda is not created for purely academic purposes and its presentation was more for the members of that lay organization. It is long and will be offered in installments. Anyone wanting to read ahead can do so by visiting the SGI website.

I am an SGI member. So are SoCal, Avid, Hitman, and Southern Girl that I am aware of. We all have Gohonzon’s. Some of us practice vigorously within the organization, some of us don’t. Whatever predication of practice we have, we all owe to SGI. All of us know about Nam-myoho-renge-kyo only because of the SGI (and our connections to the Law from the past).

Wherever there are True Votaries of the Law, they will be attacked. This is the case for both Daisaku Ikeda and for the lay organization that he leads. If you don’t know about the slanderers (and the SGI does take them to court and always wins), you can become confused by the bullshit that is now hung all over the internet under the disguise of many, many different names. Be careful. Believe it or not there are actually people out there with the purposeful intent of tricking you.

The SGI is committed to propagating Nichiren’s teachings throughout the world in the quest to achieve Kosen Rufu (world peace). They have a definite agenda and they actively plan their progress and have been growing continuously under the leadership of President Ikeda who made the organization international in scope. He is recognized by the UN for his initiatives pertaining to international nuclear disarmament, has established several schools, universities, and museums and is engaged in an active dialogue with many of the top minds, in various fields, spanning the globe.

However, he does put his pants on, one leg at a time.

The thing I like about him is he knows his shit. Be prepared to be encouraged to devote your life for the sake of the Law. Be prepared to hear “grand’ and “glorious” and the like. The dude has a major buzz on for life. I think he’ll make some of you tingle. No one has yet objected, so let us begin.

Thomas

 

[chiefpuffpuff]

KRING KRING KRING
HRING KRING KRING DAKSHINE KALIKE
KRING KRING KRING HRING
HRING
HUNG HUNG SWAHA


I want come here and share some of the knoweldge ive been gaining while contemplating the subtle Elemental Air aspects , which break up the coarse blockages of the subtle etheric body ,which is turn will break up the pains of the ego and physical body .
I figured since Air playse such a great roll in growing , this might be the time and place to share . BUt first i want to get permission to stream my ideas before being flamed by those that are scared of differening opinions and ideas .WHICH i have seen take place in this thread .If this is
strictly an SGI thread with only SGIs opinions spoke of Let me KNow .
Chief

And if this is the case ,maybe you should change the title to SGIs growers Chant group

 

[BushyOldGrower]

So, he is one of your teachers Tom?

I do visit the site and we are benefiting from the things the site provides and it seems so full of goodness to me. Lead on Teacher Tom and damn the torpedoes!

nam myoho renge kyo rings through our mountains now...you should hear me bellow and the echoes they produce. My voice has great power and this morning the geese answered me from somewhere not too far away and I realized something...

They didn't do it in unison but they were saying, "myoho renge kyo". BOG

Nature in balance.

 

[Gypsy Nirvana]

....OOOOOOooooooo...mmmmmmmm.....mmmmmmmm......

.*give me a break guys ....I'm trying to chant here!

 

[Babbabud]

Love from the Babba's

Love from the Babba's

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

 

[PassTheDoobie]

OOOOOOooooooo...mmmmmmmm.....mmmmmmmmy God! Gypsy!

Next time you're on one of the long flights for another international adventure, read the book I gave you~! Thank you for stopping in! Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Lectures on the Hoben and Juryo Chapters of the Lotus Sutra (2)

Lectures on the Hoben and Juryo Chapters of the Lotus Sutra (2)

Lectures on the Hoben and Juryo Chapters of the Lotus Sutra
by SGI President Daisaku Ikeda

Behold the Sun of Buddhahood in Your Heart

On the "Hoben" Chapter

Practicing the Lotus Sutra causes the sun to rise in our hearts.

No matter how stormy our situation, when the sun blazes in the depths of our lives, a clear, bright sky - like the blue sky of May - opens in our hearts. And when we possess in our hearts the four virtues of eternity, happiness, true self and purity, then the land - the place where we are - shines as the land of eternally tranquil light.

While everyone has a sun in his or her heart, all too few are aware it exists. The Lotus Sutra is the scripture that reveals the brilliant sun of Buddhahood inherent in our lives.

"You, yourself, are a Buddha." "Revere the sun of Buddhahood in your own life." This is the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra, the message of the "Hoben" chapter.

Shakyamuni perceived that everyone possesses the Buddhahood that is the same as his. And he made it possible for anyone to advance along the path that led to his enlightenment. Based on the irrefutable reason of the proposition that all human beings are respectable, and that there is no human being who is better than anyone else, Shakyamuni went out among the people and began expounding the Law continuously.

Buddhism Is the Path of Limitless Self-improvement

In the latter half of "Hoben," Shakyamuni explains that the reason Buddhas appear in the world is to "open the door of," "show," "cause living beings to awaken to" and "induce them to enter the path of" the Buddha wisdom that inherently exists in human life. He further states that all people can equally develop the Buddha's state of life; and that by expounding the Lotus Sutra that enables them to do so, he has fulfilled a vow he made long ago.

I think the spirit of the "Hoben" chapter, as expressed in these passages, is a profound form of humanistic education. The reason for this is that Buddhism starts from the recognition of each person's infinite potential. And it teaches the means whereby people can awaken to, and draw forth, the supreme treasure of Buddhahood in their lives.

When people become aware of this treasure in their own lives, they also come to recognize it in others, and so will treat their fellow human beings with heartfelt respect. At the same time, they naturally take action to spark the same awareness in others.

When we make such efforts, the treasure in our own lives is polished, and this in turn enables us to develop still more confidence in our innate potential and dignity. Buddhist practice is thus the path of limitless self-improvement.

After hearing the Buddha expound "Hoben," Shariputra and the other voice-hearers (men of learning) attain enlightenment. Vowing to take action among the people, they become "voice-hearers who devote themselves to the people"; they emerge as true disciples of the Buddha.

Shariputra and the others no doubt were moved by the profound compassion of their mentor, Shakyamuni. The great light of the Buddha wisdom suddenly illuminated the darkness of their formerly self-centered and tightly closed hearts. Their hearts opened and expanded widely.

They understood it had been the Buddha's intention all along to guide them to Buddhahood, the vast and boundless state of life. They realized that attaining the two vehicles (the worlds of Learning and Realization) or the three vehicles (the worlds of Learning, Realization and Bodhisattva) was not the true aim of the Buddha's teaching.

This teaching that guides people to aspire to the Buddha's state of life rather than the three vehicles is called "the replacement of the three vehicles with the one vehicle" (Jpn kaisan ken'ichi). The replacement of the three vehicles with the one supreme vehicle is the central teaching of the first half, or theoretical teaching, of the Lotus Sutra. And of the fourteen chapters that make up the theoretical teaching, "Hoben," which reveals the framework of the replacement of the three vehicles with the one supreme vehicle, is the central pillar.

In Buddhism, the term hoben refers to the skillful means or methods Buddhas employ to guide people to enlightenment. The "Hoben" chapter extols the wisdom of the Buddhas to thus instruct the people. Later, I will elaborate further on the profound meaning of the term hoben.

(to be continued)

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Lectures on the Hoben and Juryo Chapters of the Lotus Sutra (2)

Lectures on the Hoben and Juryo Chapters of the Lotus Sutra (2)

(continued)

The Essence of the Entire "Hoben" Chapter

In our daily practice of gongyo, we recite the opening portion of "Hoben." This is the most important part of the entire chapter.

Briefly, the contents of this part of the chapter are as follows. First, Shakyamuni clarifies that the wisdom to which all Buddhas are enlightened is "infinitely profound and immeasurable"; and that it is well beyond the capacity of Shariputra and the other voice-hearers to comprehend. Shakyamuni then says he has employed similes and various other means to expound skillfully the Buddha wisdom to the people. Finally, he reveals that the wisdom of all Buddhas is none other than the comprehension of the "true entity of all phenomena" (shoho jisso). This concludes the portion of "Hoben" we recite each day
.
In a nutshell, the "true entity of all phenomena" represents the principle that all people have the potential to be Buddhas. In other words, this passage reveals in theoretical terms the path whereby all people can attain Buddhahood. The portion we recite during gongyo is thus the very essence of the entire "Hoben" chapter.

Let us now proceed to the contents of the "Hoben" chapter.

"Hoben" (Expedient Means), the second chapter of Myoho-renge-kyo
Niji seson. Ju sanmai. Anjo ni ki. Go sharihotsu. Sho-but^chi-e. Jinjin muryo. Go chi-e mon. Nange nannyu. Issai sho-mon. Hyaku-shi-butsu. Sho fu no chi.

At that time the World-Honored One calmly arose from his samadhi and addressed Shariputra, saying: "The wisdom of the Buddhas is infinitely profound and immeasurable. The door to this wisdom is difficult to understand and difficult to enter. Not one of the voice-hearers or pratyekabuddhas is able to comprehend it....

Shakyamuni at last begins to expound the teaching of the Lotus Sutra. At the beginning of "Hoben," Shakyamuni, having arisen, from samadhi, or deep meditation, on the truth that immeasurable meanings come from the one Law, straight away tells Shariputra: "The wisdom of the Buddhas is infinitely profound and immeasurable.... [None of you] is able to comprehend it." The teaching thus opens with a scene of considerable tension.

Regarding the phrase at that time, which opens the chapter, let us first consider just what kind of time" is being indicated? President Toda explained:

"At that time" refers to the concept of time as employed in Buddhism. This is different from time in the sense that we ordinarily use it to indicate some particular time such as two o'clock or three o'clock, or in the sense of "spring- time."

Neither is "at that time" comparable to the typical nursery tale opening, "Once upon a time..... Time, in the sense signified here, refers to when a Buddha, perceiving the people's longing for him, appears in order to expound his teaching.

Four conditions must be met for a Buddha to expound the Law. These are time, response, capacity and Law. Time, in terms of Buddhism, indicates the time when the Buddha appears in order to expound the Law in response to the capacity of people who seek his teaching. In other words, it is the time when a Buddha and human beings encounter one another.

Shakyamuni's Disciples Were Awaiting a Great Teaching

While Shakyamuni is engaged in meditation in the "Introduction" chapter of the Lotus Sutra, the seeking spirit for the Way of his disciples, including Shariputra and the other people of the two vehicles, no doubt reached a climax.

They probably thought to themselves: "I wonder what kind of teaching the World Honored One will expound?" "I don't want to miss a single word." "I will engrave his teaching in my heart." While containing their blazing enthusiasm, they all strained their ears to listen. And, focusing every nerve in their bodies, they fixed their gaze on their mentor.

And so the time became ripe. Shakyamuni finally broke his long silence and began to expound the Lotus Sutra - the ultimate teaching that enables all living beings to attain Buddhahood. This is the meaning of "at that time," which begins the "Hoben" chapter.

In other words, it indicates the time when a Buddha stands up to guide the people to enlightenment, and the time when the disciples have established a single-minded seeking spirit for the Buddha's teaching. It signifies a profound concordance of the hearts of the disciples with the heart of the mentor. This scene in the Lotus Sutra represents the opening of the grand drama of mentor and disciple who dedicate themselves to the happiness of humankind.

The Buddha is the one who most keenly "comprehends the time." The Buddha awaits the proper time, discerns the nature of the time, creates the time and expounds the Law that accords with the time. Such is the Buddha's wisdom and compassion.

"Why do the people suffer?" "For what do the people yearn?" "What teaching enables the people to become happy? And when should it be taught?" The Buddha ponders these matters constantly and expounds the Law freely in accordance with the time.

In this sense, to "know the time" is also to understand the hearts of the people. The Buddha is a leader who is a master at understanding the others' hearts. The Buddha is an "instructor of the spirit" and an expert on human nature.

From the Buddha's standpoint, "that time" is the time when the Buddha initiates the struggle to enable all people to attain enlightenment. And for the disciples, it is the time when they directly grasp and become powerfully aware of the Buddha's spirit.

Regarding the importance of the time, Nichiren Daishonin says, "One who wishes to study the teachings of Buddhism must first learn to understand the time" (MW-3, 79). Thus he indicates that Buddhism is expounded based on the time, and that the teaching that should be propagated is the one that accords with the time.

Proclaiming this period of the Latter Day of the Law to be the time when the Great Pure Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo should be spread, the Daishonin initiated the struggle to propagate the Mystic Law and enable all people of the Latter Day to attain enlightenment.

One's "Fighting Ichinen" Opens the Way to a Great Future

In other words, from the standpoint of the "Buddhism hidden in the depths;' we can interpret "that time" as indicating the time when the original Buddha, Nichiren Daishonin, commenced his great struggle to save all humankind. And it can also be said that "that time" indicates the time when the Daishonin's disciples stand up in concert with the mentor to realize kosen-rufu.

In terms of our practice, therefore, I would like to stress that "that time" exists only when we pray to the Gohonzon and manifest determination and awareness of our mission for kosen-rufu. We have to make a determination, pray and take action. Unless we do so, our environment will not change in the least; though five or ten years may pass, "that time" will never arrive.

It is our single-minded determination for kosen-rufu, and that alone, that creates the "time." "That time" is when we set our life in motion, when we stand up of our own volition and by our own will and strength. "That time" is when we summon forth strong faith and take our place on the grand stage of kosen-rufu.

Goethe writes, "The moment alone is decisive; Fixes the life of man, and his future destiny settles." "That time" is the moment you resolve from the depths of your heart: "Now I will stand up and fight!" From that instant your destiny changes. Your life develops. History begins.

This is the spirit of the mystic principle of the True Cause (hon'in myo). This is the principle of ichinen sanzen. The moment you autonomously determine to accomplish something - not when you do it because you are told to - is "that time," the "time" of mission.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Lectures on the Hoben and Juryo Chapters of the Lotus Sutra (3)

Lectures on the Hoben and Juryo Chapters of the Lotus Sutra (3)

Lectures on the Hoben and Juryo Chapters of the Lotus Sutra
by SGI President Daisaku Ikeda

Immeasurable Meanings Derive From the One Law

Niji seson. Ju sanmai. Anjo ni ki. Go sharihotsu. Sho-but^chi-e. Jinjin muryo. Go chi-e mon. Nange nannyu. Issai sho-mon. Hyaku-shi-butsu. Sho fu no chi.

At that time the World-Honored One calmly arose from his samadhi and addressed Shariputra, saying: "The wisdom of the Buddhas is infinitely profound and immeasurable. The door to this wisdom is difficult to understand and difficult to enter. Not one of the voice-hearers or pratyekabuddhas is able to comprehend it....

At the outset of the "Hoben" chapter, Shakyamuni arises serenely from samadhi and begins expounding the teaching of the Lotus Sutra. Samadhi, or meditative concentration, means to focus one's mind on one point so that it becomes perfectly tranquil and still like a clear mirror, and thereby enter a state of inner serenity. Shakyamuni enters samadhi early in the "Introduction," the first chapter of the sutra, and continues meditating throughout the chapter.

Even though the sutra speaks of Shakyamuni entering samadhi, or meditative concentration, this does not mean that in the Latter Day of the Law people should seclude themselves in mountains and forests and practice sitting meditation or contemplation. Nichiren Daishonin, who struggled in the very midst of society to enable all people to attain supreme enlightenment, rejects such practices as not suited to the time.

Needless to say, in the present age samadhi or "meditative concentration" means doing gongyo and chanting daimoku. We do not, however, carry out this practice of "meditative concentration" secluded in mountains and forests. Rather, on the foundation of our practice of gongyo and daimoku, each day we polish our lives, draw forth infinite wisdom and courage, and go out into society. This is the discipline we are carrying out.

Contemplation or meditation for its own sake is absurd. In the Vimalakirti Sutra, Shakyamuni clearly explains that true meditation is not solitary contemplation beneath a tree but playing an active role in society while embracing the truth.

Mahatma Gandhi, to someone who urged that he pursue a life of meditation, is said to have remarked that he felt no need to withdraw to a cave for that purpose. He carried the cave with him, he said, wherever he went. This episode is characteristic of Gandhi, who devoted his life to taking action and practicing among the people.

Buddhism is not a religion that closes its eyes to people's suffering; it is a teaching that opens people's eyes. Therefore, Buddhism is the path that enables people to become happy. To turn away our eyes from the contradictions of society and rid ourselves of all worldly thoughts is not the way of Buddhist practice.

The true spirit of meditation lies in manifesting our innate wisdom in society and resolutely struggling for the happiness of ourselves and others, and to construct a better society.

The Daishonin Stood Up for All Humankind

The specific type of samadhi Shakyamuni entered is termed "meditation on the truth that immeasurable meanings derive from the one Law." This Law from which immeasurable meanings derive is the foundation of all teachings. Thus the Muryogi Sutra reads, "Immeasurable meanings are born from a single Law." Shakyamuni expounded the Lotus Sutra from the standpoint of this great truth to which he had become enlightened.

Nichiren Daishonin clarified that this "single Law" is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. He revealed this fundamental Law of the universe for all people and expressed it so that anyone can practice it. He expounded it for the sake of the entire world and for all humanity.
Nichiren Daishonin stood up to expound the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo for the happiness of all people. This is what the phrase "calmly arose from his samadhi" signifies in terms of its implicit meaning.

In practical terms from our own standpoint, the phrase "immeasurable meanings are born from a single Law" means precisely that by believing in and embracing the Mystic Law, we can acquire the Buddha's infinite wisdom. By doing gongyo and chanting daimoku, we cause our lives to shine with supreme wisdom and advance along the path of genuine victory in life. Each day, we are able to make a vigorous departure from life's prime point.

Therefore, please be confident that SGI members who pray with the determination, "I will fight again today," "I will do my best tomorrow, too" and who stand up for kosen-rufu in society are themselves practicing the phrase "calmly arising from samadhi" each morning and evening.

The 'Unsolicited and Spontaneous Teaching'

Shakyamuni, having arisen from samadhi, spontaneously begins to expound the Lotus Sutra without anyone first requesting him to do so. This manner of preaching, where the Buddha expounds the Law on his own initiative without any question having been put to him, is termed the "unsolicited and spontaneous teaching."

The doctrine Shakyamuni spontaneously and serenely begins to expound is so profound that his disciples could not have imagined it, let alone have asked him to teach it. In this, we see the outpouring of wisdom and compassion that impelled Shakyamuni to expound the Lotus Sutra.

It is of profound significance that Shakyamuni employs the "unsolicited and spontaneous teaching" format as he begins to expound the Lotus Sutra. All sutras other than the Lotus are provisional teachings expounded "according to others' minds" (Jpn. zuitai), that is, according to the capacity of his listeners; and as such do not represent the Buddha's true intention. By contrast, the Lotus Sutra is described as "according with [the Buddha's] own mind" (Jpn. zuijii), because in this sutra Shakyamuni reveals the truth directly, in accordance with his own enlightenment.

The Daishonin's declaration of the establishment of the Buddhism of the Latter Day of the Law is another instance of "unsolicited and spontaneous teaching." With regard to establishing his teaching, the Daishonin says: "If I speak out, I am fully aware that I will have to contend with the three obstacles and the four devils" (MW-2, 113). He knew, in other words, that if he spread the Mystic Law, he was certain to encounter persecution.

Nonetheless, without being asked by anyone, he began to expound the teaching of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. In his struggles throughout his lifetime, the Daishonin was carrying out the practice of zuijii.

In terms of our own practice, zuijii indicates the spontaneous spirit to praise the Mystic Law out of profound recognition of its greatness, no matter what anyone might say. Such admiration for the Mystic Law is the essential reason that we recite the sutra during gongyo.

Zuijii also indicates the attitude of "propagating the Law to the full extent of one's ability," the irrepressible desire to teach and explain to others even a single word or phrase. By contrast, if you talk about the Mystic Law because you have been told to do so, or in the belief that it will make others think highly of you, then you are following the practice of zuitai, or acting "according to others' minds."

Broadly speaking, "the unsolicited and spontaneous teaching" and the practice of zuijii indicate autonomous and self-motivated action. It does not matter if your words are plain, or if you are not a talented speaker; what is important is to pray earnestly with the determination for others to become happy and to tell others candidly about the greatness of Buddhism --- with conviction and in your own words. This is the spirit of the Lotus Sutra, and the spirit of the Soka Gakkai.

(to be continued)