Chanting Growers Group

[Guest]

To NattyNattyGurl

To NattyNattyGurl

Hey Natty!
I have never seen you in here before. I very much enjoyed what you wrote on the thread and felt a need to respond! Discussing spirituality can be difficult in this society and I understand that. I was raised Southern Baptist in the South and there is nothing more so closed minded and prejudice against others. And I continue to work thru a great deal with it so maybe I can share something that will help put a little perspective on it.
We are all born into a particular society, culture, religion of people and it is just understood that that is who we are. But we are all our own individual self and come into this place with our own missions. I studied many many religions before I came to this Buddhism. In the beginning, I was very ecclectic. I thought we are so diverse and different that God couldn't touch everyone with the same path so there were many to get to him. If you study them, you will see that they all have common threads. You are suppose to be kind to others, do the right thing etc etc. I even have a book where one side of the page is a parable from Jesus and the other side a parable from Buddhism and they say the very exact thing. Thru studying all of that you at the very least learn a respect and appreciation for all's belief system. It is not for any of us to question another spirituality. The fact that you have a seeking spirit to know or understand one is half the battle and you will find it. But with all of that in mind, I will tell you that chanting NamMyohoRengeKyo has a power for your life that is unlike any I have experienced. It is the ONLY thing that I have done that has made a significant difference in who I am and how I treat others. My biggest challenge is not with others but how I treat myself and what I feel I deserve to have in my life. The mysticism that occurs, even as simple as pulling people together from all walks of life into this forum and it be bright enough to attract someone like yourself into the conversation. What we have you to can have. And KNOW that there is a reason for your life to respond to it. So Love & LIght to you in your search
Cindy

 

[Guest]

Expedient Means

Expedient Means

A most interesting concept the Buddha developed in expounding the One Great Truth of Life.

The Buddha used his life as an expedient means; a manner to show others how to develop deep faith; in order to lead others to understanding the One Great truth of Life.

In expressing an expediency, the Buddha was considered to have contradicted himself in expounding the One Great Truth of Life and Death to his disciples and followers.

The Buddha realized the capacity of each individual to grasp and understand Myoho Renge Kyo was unique. The Buddha than used an expediancy; or a teaching leading to a deeper understanding; in order to lead his disciples to yet a deeper understanding, to his ultimate teaching.

The Buddha continued in this manner expounding the Wonderful Law of cause and Effect in various flavours and colours. But in the end shows everyone that he has alwaya taught only the One truth of The simultaneous Law of Cause and Effect.

As each of us deepens our faith, our understanding deepens as well. This is what the Buddha refers to as the beneficient rain of wisdom, whch is activitaed through "faith alone!"

Nichiren Daishonin says, "To accept is easy, to continue is difficult!"

All the teachings of peace and love, equality for all humanity, and the individual happiness and the responisbility of the individual happiness of others, are all the Buddha's teachings. An expediancy leading to deeper faith and understanding. All the teachings fall within the Ten Worlds of our own understanding.

It is just as Boddhisattva Never Disparaging says, "I would never disparage you or treat you with arrogance, as you are all practicing the Boddhisattva Way!"

This applies to all those that work for the happiness of others.

VegasBuddha

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Darling Gurrl,

You could never hijack this thread! This is a forum for all who respect the dignity and equality of all living things. WE SO MUCH APPRECIATE YOUR CONTRIBUTION! This is all about what we have in common. You have made the Rasta base line of belief more clear to all, I am sure. This is where we should have such dialog! So your sister is a Buddhist? See, we do have common threads linking all of us in this world. Continue to participate! I used to live in Evanston, so ya know I know about Bahai. As I said in that PM, I had no idea why I was attracted so strongly to your love and life. I have a better idea now! Thank you for sharing and please stay with us here. Your contribution is valued. UNITY! We call this Itai Doshin in Buddhism. It is the Key to our quest for World Peace (Kosen Rufu). In the Bahai concept of all great philosphies having the same root, we never disparage other religions or beliefs. We are more opinionated about what we perceive as distortions of Buddhism than of the beliefs of the other great philosophies. We hope you will try chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and put it to the test. See if it doesn't astound you that the power of your own life is actually this root base of the Bahai tradition. Chanting this phrase IS being good to yourself, as you try and help others see the equality and dignity inherent in ALL of our brothers and sisters. As for me, Thank you for the kind words, but what you percieve is my Buddha nature awakened by the chanting of the Daimoku, but responding to the Buddha nature inherent in YOUR LIFE. It is your phenonenal kindness that attracts the same. As I said, cause and effect is absolute! Love ya Gurrl!

Thomas

 

[Hitman]

Happy Men's Division Day! AAO

Happy Men's Division Day! AAO

President Ikeda's 57th Gohonzon Birthday Today!

Aug 24, Daily Guidance Vol. 4

President Toda once said, "Because I went through more hardships than anybody else, I became president of the Soka Gakkai." I hope that you will take President Toda's statement to heart, whatever position you may hold. It is my sincere hope that you will seek to challenge hardships twice as diligently as others and deepen your life-condition of faith by experiencing many difficulties.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Thank you Bazeado! What a wonderful thing to say!

Thank you Bazeado! What a wonderful thing to say!

Inspired by the love and light of da gurrl's good wishes to us all...

Everyone's born,
Everyone dies,
Everyone laughs,
Everyone cries.

All we need is love!
We all need to try
To learn to love all others
It is the highest high.

Life is what we make it
Faith to never let go
Learn the Mystic Law of Life
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

Thomas

 

[Guest]

Happy Men's Division Day Hittman!

Happy Men's Division Day Hittman!

Hey Hittman,
You brought a memory to mind with what you wrote. On May 3,1996 I was appointed Women Division Chief of Pioneer District. One of my Senior Leaders, Ms Clark, who had the same birthday as I, gave me a purple scarf, that had been given to her mother by Pres Toda. It was in the time, when he went from house to house in the beginning and her mother had hosted alot of the meetings at that time. The Japanese character meant slow, steady and consistent progress.
It was a wonderful thing to have remembered. Something from the past that I needed to remember. I chant appreciation for all of you. Love & Blessings of Light to you Cindy

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Love versus Respect for the Dignity of Life

Love versus Respect for the Dignity of Life

I don't want to be a downer, but I think it important to stress one major difference between Buddhism and most Western philosophies. This is the issue of love versus respect for the dignity of life and the Buddha Nature inherent in all things. A lot of love comes from that respect, as has been genuinely expressed here.

But the emphasis in Buddhism is not love. Love is a very fragile thing to base your connection to other living things on. As any one who has ever been in love knows, love can be easily replaced by hate and other emotions. It can change very easily. However respect is a bit more stable and frankly IMO, a more correct basis to connect with other people. Some might say one should love all people, even an enemy. But if you truly loved an enemy, they would no longer be one.

However, you can respect much more thuthfully and profoundly. Respect leads to compassion, and compassion leads to wisdom. Most often we are our own worst enemy, and that can lead to self loathing. It can be hard to love yourself sometimes. However if you respect the Buddha Nature inherent in all things then you can respect yourself, no matter what you are going through. Each of our happiness is so important, because without our own happiness, it is very difficult to bring happiness to others.

I throw this to the Abbot for something more profound, but those are just a few brief thoughts that occurred to me this morning while I was chanting (and thinking of all of you!) I wish I had more time, but this is a busy morning, so I have to run. I hope I haven't left anyone with the wrong impression, and I will add more later, if that is the case.

See ya!

T

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Hey Hitman!

Hey Hitman!

Thanks for those daily guidances!

 

[Guest]

Appreciation

Appreciation

PTD,
It is so myoho how you brought out this topic, myoho meaning mystical
.
At an sgi group meeting I attended last night, a guest was asking about how she could "make" another person happy. She offered all of these clinical and phychological theories as well as psychic theories regarding understanding the mind of another person, in order to "make another person happy"

I offered to her, before you can make, hope for, or even desir for another to be happy, you must focus on self first. Our first real responsibilty in life is to face ourself naked and gain appreciation for ourself first, just as we are. Not how we think we would be or should be, b ut just as we are. In this manner we are able to appreciate others in the same manner.

I offered that she might consider chanting nam myoho renge kyo for the happiness of others, and herself first!

In this understanding we realize the path to another's happiness is through our own happiness. We must know what happiness is for ourself, before we can hope to know what happiness is for another. We have to face those things in our own life that make us unhappy and ask ourself WHY? Sometimes the unhappiness of other's is our responsibility, but we can not see it for our own unhappiness.

reminds me of a Sutra Story about how life is interconnected.

In describing how life works, Shakyamuni Buddha took a fishing net and tossed it into the air. Shakyamuni Buddha indicated when the fishing net was fully open, think of the net as enompassing the entire heavans. Life was this way!

At each juncture, consider a precious jewel. Each precious jewel represents a single life. Each precious jewel glows in response to all the other precious jewels on the fishing net.

Each jewel represents a single life. The glowing of each jewel represents therelative happiness of each life. Each jewel reflects light upon the other precious jewels causing them to glow and reflect upon other jewels in response to the previous precious jewel. In this manner until all the jewels are glowing in response to one another.

Life is the same way. When we withold our own happiness we are witholding the happiness of others. This is the concept of dependenant Origination and being responsible for that same understanding. We are all interconnected with our happiness to one another, just as we are all connected with our sadness.

"Both joy and sorrow, are entities of the mystic law!" Nichiren Daishonin

The hardest task of all is having the courage to gain appreciation for oneself, just as we are.

VegasBuddha

 

[Babbabud]

A poem from the Tao Te Ching

A poem from the Tao Te Ching

The Heart Chakra

Can you float through the universe of your body and not lose your way ?
Flow with fire-blood
Through each tissued corridor?

Can you let your heart
pump down red tunnels
stream into cell chambers?

Can you center on this
Heart-fire of love?

Can you let your heart
pulse for all love
beat for all sorrow
throb for all pain
thud for all joy
swell for all mankind?

Can you let it flow
With compassion
For all life?




I hope you all enjoyed this poem as much as I do

this poem is taken from the Tao Te Ching..... {book of change}

 

[Guest]

Love vs Respect

Love vs Respect

Hello Chanting Growers,
Well PTD, I read what you wrote before I went to work and actually contemplated that most of the day. I'm afraid that my take is somewhat different and a little mix of VB.
To me respect is something that is earned, not demanded. It is gained through observation of behavior, a status that someone may hold in your life, does that always mean that who you respect you love? Not really.
To truly love someone is to love them unconditionally. It is not something that happens in time. It is not after they change certain attributes of themselves. It is a life connection, a bond, an acceptance into your heart that no matter what they do, how they do it or do to you the love never changes. Loving with your heart and not your mind. If there is no behavior that they must perform in order for you to love them, no expected behavior. That is where disappointment and hate etc manifests. Unconditional love of another human being is the greatest Human Revolution that you can partake in. Do you know how many negative attributes a person must lose to have unconditional love? manipulation, jealousy, control, no expectations. And yes, you must be happy first to attract happiness to yourself.
I pick love first, the respect comes from their behavior, not yours. Cindy

 

[PassTheDoobie]

SG-

The issue is not respect versus love. As I put on the header of my post it is "Love versus Respect for the Dignity of Life". I then clarified it further by saying, "This is the issue of love versus respect for the dignity of life and the Buddha Nature inherent in all things." I think you have confused the point I was making but I expected I would have to make a further clarification. This is not about specific relationships between individuals. This is about your perception of mankind, or more correctly your perception of the environment in which you live and your relationship to all living things within it. One can no more demand respect then one can demand love. It is all about the eye of the beholder, because the source of all of your preceptions is you. When you suggest that this is something gated by another persons actions, then you cut yourself off from being able to recognize the consistent Buddha Nature within all things. You may be understanding that they have a Buddha Nature from a theoretical perspective, but you are acknowledging that there are tasks or tests they must pass or fail to deserve your recognition of their Buddha Nature. This is the entire premise of the parable of Bodhisattva Never Disparaging, that VB discussed earlier. To be hit with sticks and staves and verbally denigrated are not the kinds of actions you have associated with respectworthiness. However the purpose of the parable is to indicate the correct thinking of perceiving these individuals as respectworthy regardless of their actions based on their inherent Buddha Nature. The bottom line is that Buddhism is a philosophy based on this respect for the dignity of life and the Buddha Nature inherent in all things. You do not hear Shakyamuni Buddha or and of the subsequent Buddha's, or Nichiren Daishonin, trying to focus practitioners on achieving love for all things, but that they respect and recognize the Budda Nature within all things. Deep and profound love may be manifest regardless of an embracing of this concept, just as respect may be earned or lost based on one's actions. But neither of those issues were at the core of the point I was making. As I said, "A lot of love comes (or more clearly stated, 'can come') from that respect, as has been genuinely expressed here. But the emphasis in Buddhism is not love." I hope this makes what I was trying to express more clear.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Babbabud!

Babbabud!

Dude! Thank you for posting another one of those great poems! Don't be a stranger!

Thomas

 

[Guest]

Love vs. Respect

Love vs. Respect

This reminds me of the story Nichiren Daishonin relates regarding how he expects his practitioners to act. From a post by PTD regarding the woman and her child. p.282 WND.

Nichiren uses the example of the love betrween the mother and her child as an example of how to embrace others or apprceiate others as they are.

The causes the mother makes protecting the child; Nichiren considers proetction as chanting nam myoho renge kyo for another's happiness; creates the causes for her next life.

Chang-an interprests this story as follows:

"The Great Teacher Chang-an intreprets this story from the Nirvana Sutra in terms of the three obstacles. Observe how he does this. The fact that the woman is called poor indicates that the person does not have the treasure of the Law. The fact that she is identified as a wooman indicates that the person has a measure of tenderness. The "inn" signifies the impure land. The child she bears is the heart that has faith in the Lotus Sutra, or the wisdom that perceives the inherent Buddhanature. Being driven out of the the inn by its master signifies that the person is exiled. The fact the baby has just been born means that very little time has passed since the person began to have faith in the Lotus Sutra. The fierce wind the woman encounters is the implied decree sentencing the person to exile. The mosquitoes, gadflies, and other insects are the many ignorant people who will curse and speak ill of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra. The fact that both mother and child are drowned indictes that though in the end the person had his head cut off, he never renounced his faith in the Lotus Sutra. Being reborn in the Brahama heaven means being reborn in the realm of Buddhahood." Nichiren Daishonin p.282

Nichiren uses the relaqtionship of love to show as example how a practioner should practice his Buddhism. Nichiren indicates to embrace ALL people no matter how "good" or "evil" As both possess the ability to manifest Buddhahood, as Shakyamuni Bufdha expounded in the Devedatt Chapter. The most evil person in the Buddha's lifetime; Devedatta; was guaranteed to gain enlightenment as all people possess inherent Buddhahood.

The womna in the story shows an example how we should view others, especially those of new or renwed faith. Love is an emothion that is fleeting at best, but motivated by the Wonderful Lawof Cause and Effect that brings Joy to ALL life; Love can be the vehicle to "embrace" all life.

Love is an expediancy that leads to deeper faith in Life and the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra.

"Through faith alone one enters the Treasure Tower" Nichiren Daishonin.

The Treasure Tower is the Gohonzon for the Latter Day of the Law or now.

VegasBuddha

 

[Guest]

Compassion

Compassion

Nichiren Daishonin indicates, "Compasion is taking action for the sake of others."

Nichiren Daishonin also indicates, "To be born a king in the Brahma heaven of that world, one must add the spirit of compassion to one's karma that is laden with outflows and draws one to the world of humanity."

It seems to me, to take actions for the happiness of another ; chant nam myoho renge kyo for the happiness of another person; would be considered an act of compassion. Buddhist and non-buddhist alike are both capable of manifesting compassion within their own life and the lives of others, s well as their environment.

When each of us manifests compassion for another, as in the preceding story of the poor woman and her child, we can manifest the great life of Buddhaood within our own life, and awaken the Great life of Buddhahood within the lives of others.

As Shakyamuni Buddha expounds in the Lotus Sutra, "Even though I appear to enter extinction, I am always here!"

"My deepest desire is for all life to be equal as me, my deepest desire has been granted."

"Emancipation comes of itself"

VegasBuddha

 

[PassTheDoobie]

From 'The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin'

From 'The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin'

A Comparison of the Lotus and other Sutras (written in 1280)

Question: The "Teacher of the Law" chapter in the fourth volume of the Lotus Sutra reads, "[This Lotus Sutra is] the most difficult to believe and the most difficult to understand." What is the meaning of this passage?

Answer: More than two thousand years have passed since the Buddha expounded the Lotus Sutra in India. It took a little more than twelve hundred years before this sutra was introduced to China, and two hundreds more years before it was brought from China to Japan. Since then, more than seven hundred years have already passed.

After the demise of the Buddha, there were only three persons who realized the true meaning of this passage of the Lotus Sutra. In India, Bodhisattva Nagarjuna said in his 'Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom: "[The Lotus Sutra is] like a great physician who can change poison into medicine." This is the same way he explained the meaning of the passage, "the most difficult to believe and the most difficult to understand." In China, the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai Chih-che interpreted it in the light of its context: "Among all those I [Shakyamuni Buddha] have preached, now preach or will preach, this Lotus Sutra is the most difficult to believe and the most difficult to understand." And in Japan, the Great Teacher Dengyo elaborated on it as follows: "All the Sutras of the first four periods preached in the past, the Immeasurable Meanings Sutra now being preached, and the Nirvana Sutra to be preached in the future are easy to believe and easy to understand. This is because the Buddha taught these sutras in accordance with the capacity of his listeners. This Lotus Sutra is the most difficult to believe and to understand because in it the Buddha directly revealed what he had attained."

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Doobie Brothers

The Doobie Brothers

(By the way, anyone wanting to see an original photograph of the Doobie Brothers can go to my profile and click the camera icon at the top of the page!)

T

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Why the most difficult to believe and understand?

Why the most difficult to believe and understand?

I am not a buddhist scholar, but will at least venture forth the issues that I understand to be some of the basis of these statements by subsequent Buddhas to Shakyamuni. First of all, please understand that 'Buddha' means 'Enlightened One'. Yes Shakyamuni is the first Buddha to reveal this enlightenment in the saha world (this world in which we live as common mortals), but it is in the Lotus Sutra that he reveals that he is not the Original or First Buddha. So probably the biggest issue of difficulty to believe and understand, is the issue of sanzen-jintengo and gohyaku-jintengo. It is in the Lotus Sutra that Shakyamuni clarifies that he did not attain enlightenment for the first time under the Bodhi tree, but rather had been enlightened for the first time in the remotest past (sanzen-jintengo) to the Law which existed from time without beginning (gohyku-jintengo). This is the first time he mentions life as being without beginning or end. Thousand of years before we as mankind had conceptualized and discovered scientifically that the Universe is infinite, Shakyamuni had revealed that in the Lotus Sutra. He also revealed that there were other places in the Universe where life exists, beyond earth (something only now being corroberated by modern science). Buddhism never has dwelled upon Humans as being the end all of life. Life is manifest as form, perception, conception, volition, and consciousness; the temporary gathering of the five components. Life is neither created nor extinguished.
He also threw a huge one out there that western philosophy is still just beginning to grasp! MEN AND WOMEN ARE EQUALS!!! He also reveals that everything he has said before, in his teachings has been preparatory to what he is revealing in the Lotus Sutra, and admonishes the listener to understand that this is his enlightment being revealed specifically and exactly, and that only sutras that are complete should be utilized for the correct persuit of enlightenment. He reveals that there are countless followers of this Law (of cause and effect) Myoho Renge Kyo, that will uphold, teach, and protect it in the times after his death. He reveals that the the source of the enlightened wisdom of Buddhahood, will make it's advent in the form of a teacher to be born in a certain place, under certain circumstances, enduring certain travails, but establishing the correct practice for all people in the saha world to achieve enlightenment in their present form (their lifetime). He reveals the concept of 'expedient means', in which the truth of Buddhahood is delivered in processes in scale to the capacity of the practioner to grasp it. He reveals that through this process, earthly desires equal enlightenment. He reveals the ten worlds, the fact that each of the ten worlds contains the ten worlds, the ten factors of life, and the three realms of existence (ichinen sanzen). And he reveals that the only difference between him, as a Buddha, and a common mortal, is the awakening to this Law of Life (later clarified as the essence of the Lotus Sutra by Nichiren Daishonin) Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.

He basically blows everyones mind. He definitely blows mine. Lots more that I left out. He taught the Lotus Sutra at Eagle Peak for a period of years. Difficult to believe and difficult to understand? <smile>...........

Thomas

 

[PassTheDoobie]

I just gotta add this!

I just gotta add this!

Earthly desires are enlightenment (bonno-soku-bodai)

A Mahayana principal based on the view that earthly desires cannot exist independently on their own; therefore one can attain enlightenment without eliminating earthly desires. This contrasts with the Hinayana view that extinguishing earthly desires is a prerequisite for enlightenment. According to the Hinayana teachings, earthly desires and enlightenment are two independent and opposing factors, and the two cannot coexist; while Mahayana teachings reveal that earthly desires are one with and inseparale from enlightenment. This is because all things, even earthly desires and enlightenment, are manifestations of the unchanging reality or truth- and thus are non-dual at their source.

The Universal Worthy Sutra, an epilogue to the Lotus Sutra, states, "Without either cutting off earthly desires or separating themselves from the five desires, they can purify all their senses and wipe away all their offenses." T'ien-t'ai says in 'Great Concentration and Insight', "The ignorance and dust of desires are enlightenment, and the suffering of birth and death are nirvana." In 'The record of Orally transmitted Teachings, Nichiren states: " The idea of gradually overcoming delusions is not the ultimate meaning of the 'Life Span' chapter [of the Lotus Sutra]. You should understand that the ultimate meaning of this chapter is that ordinary mortals, just as they are in their original state of being, are Buddhas." and, "Today, when Nichiren and his followers recite the words Nam-moho-renge-kyo, they are burning the firewood of earthly desires, summoning up the wisdom-fire of enlightenment."

(from the Dictionary of Buddhism)

 

[Babbabud]

He Who Knows The Center Endures

He Who Knows The Center Endures

Who knows the outside is clever
Who knows the center endures
Who masters others gains robot power
Who comes to the center has flowering strength

Faith of consciousness is freedom
Hope of consciousness is strength
Love of conciousness evokes the same in return

Faith of seed frees
Hope of seed flowers
Love of seed grows



taken from the Tao Te Ching