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Chanting Growers Group
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Nam myoho renge kyo
Nam myoho renge kyo
This is one of my favorites from "On the Treasure Tower", in The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 299.
At present the entire body of the Honorable Abutsu is composed of the five elements of earth, water, fire, wind, and space. These five elements are also the five characters of the daimoku. Abutsu-bo is therefore the treasure tower itself, and the treasure tower is Abutsu-bo himself. No other knowledge is purposeful. It is the treasure tower adorned with the seven kinds of treasures— hearing the correct teaching, believing it, keeping the precepts, engaging in meditation, practicing assiduously, renouncing one’s attachments, and reflecting on oneself. You may think you offered gifts to the treasure tower of the Thus Come One Many Treasures, but that is not so. You offered them to yourself.
Nam myoho renge kyo
Nam myoho renge kyo
This is one of my favorites from "On the Treasure Tower", in The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 299.
At present the entire body of the Honorable Abutsu is composed of the five elements of earth, water, fire, wind, and space. These five elements are also the five characters of the daimoku. Abutsu-bo is therefore the treasure tower itself, and the treasure tower is Abutsu-bo himself. No other knowledge is purposeful. It is the treasure tower adorned with the seven kinds of treasures— hearing the correct teaching, believing it, keeping the precepts, engaging in meditation, practicing assiduously, renouncing one’s attachments, and reflecting on oneself. You may think you offered gifts to the treasure tower of the Thus Come One Many Treasures, but that is not so. You offered them to yourself.
Nam myoho renge kyo
Buddhism is, in a sense, an eternal struggle between the Buddha and demons; in
other words, a contest between positive and negative forces. If we are never
assailed by negative influences, we cannot be said to be truly practicing
Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism. Buddhist practice lies in bravely facing and
overcoming adversity.
Daisaku Ikeda
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
other words, a contest between positive and negative forces. If we are never
assailed by negative influences, we cannot be said to be truly practicing
Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism. Buddhist practice lies in bravely facing and
overcoming adversity.
Daisaku Ikeda
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Gosho Passage for today Wednesday, September 15th, 2010
Gosho Passage for today Wednesday, September 15th, 2010
Daily Wisdom
From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
Wednesday, September 15, 2010:
"The deeper the roots, the more luxuriant the branches. The farther the source, the longer the stream. All sutras other than the Lotus Sutra have shallow roots and short streams, while the Lotus Sutra has deep roots and a distant source. That is why the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai stated that the Lotus Sutra would survive and spread even in the evil latter age."
Passage from: "The Farther the Source, the Longer the Stream"
Written to Shijo Kingo on September 15, 1278
Background from the WND p. 942,943
This letter was written at Minobu in the ninth month, 1278, to Shijo Kingo, a staunch follower who was well versed in both medicine and the martial arts. In this letter, Nichiren Daishonin states, “Even though you have been forced to relinquish your fief time and again, in your letter you said that he
[Lord Ema] has now conferred an estate upon you.” In a letter addressed to Kingo the next month, the Daishonin states, “So your lord has granted you new fiefs! I cannot think it to be true; it is so marvelous that I wonder if it is a dream” (p. 945). It is reasonable to assume, then, that Shijo Kingo first reported to the Daishonin an informal notice from his lord Ema and next conveyed the official announcement. This is why the Daishonin expresses his unreserved joy in the letter of the tenth month.
Lord Ema had for several years disapproved of Kingo’s belief and, prompted by false accusations made against Kingo by jealous colleagues, eventually ordered him either to abandon his faith in the Daishonin’s teaching or move to a remote province. In 1277, however, Ema fell ill, and Kingo’s treatment effected a cure. Ema renewed his trust in him and, the next year, bestowed upon him a far larger fief than the one he already had.Delighted with Kingo’s victory, Nichiren Daishonin says that unseen virtue brings about visible reward, meaning that Kingo’s sincere faith and effort to lead his lord to faith in the Lotus Sutra were rewarded in this manner. He also describes the merit of the Lotus Sutra with the words, “The farther the source, the longer the stream.” Hence the title of this letter.
He says, “In the future, I will doubtless proceed to the place of enlightenment, and those who have sustained me will also dwell together in the pure land of Eagle Peak.” The Daishonin implies that he is “the envoy of the Thus Come One” referred to in the Lotus Sutra, and that those who support him will attain Buddhahood.
My understanding of the passage:
It is the Gohonzon of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo that ultimately Nichiren reveals to be hidden in the Lotus Suta, the ultimate source of attaining enlightenment together with Nichiren which Nichiren made it possible for all of us to realize. The Gohonzon source and origin goes back to an unimaginable past time and space. The Gohonzon of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is boundless and limitless depiction of the infinite life of the Buddha from the infinite past. Ask yourself, how can we perceive the infinite life of the Buddha and the infinite past when we chant and gaze at the Gohnzon today?
The infinite past and the infinite life of the Buddha in reality, is the present moment, therefore right here in front of our eyes, is the land of eternal tranquil light and the Buddha's life. It is none other than it is with-in our own lives of the eternal Buddha units us with Nichiren the eternal Buddha. It is through faith that we can become one with our eternal teacher, be they men or women. Let us be convinced of it.
pb
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Link to the page:
The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 940
I HAVE received one thousand coins and respectfully reported in the presence of the Lotus Sutra that this is an offering from Yorimoto.1 I believe that, from afar, Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, Many Treasures Buddha, and the Buddhas of the ten directions, and, close at hand, the gods of the sun and moon in their heavenly palaces will certainly watch over you.
If someone excels in this world, then even those who are regarded as worthies and sages, to say nothing of ordinary people, will all become jealous and bear grudges against that person. Three thousand court ladies harbored jealousy against Wang Chao-chün, the favorite of the emperor of the Han dynasty. Shakra’s consorts, who numbered ninety-nine million nayuta, all envied Kaushika.2 Minister Fujiwara no Saneyori bore a grudge against Imperial Prince Kaneakira, and Fujiwara no Tokihira, jealous of Sugawara no Michizane, spoke falsely of him to the emperor, causing him to be exiled.3
Consider your own situation in light of these examples. [Your lord] the lay priest Ema’s domain used to be vast, but has now diminished. He has many sons who could succeed him, and there are also many retainers who have long served him. His retainers must be possessed by growing envy, just as fish become agitated when the water of their pond decreases, or as birds vie with one another to secure branches when autumn winds begin to blow. Moreover, since you have disobeyed your lord and gone against his wishes from time to time, the calumnies made to him against you must have been all the more numerous.
However, even though you have been forced to relinquish your fief time and again, in your letter you said that he has now conferred an estate upon you. This is indeed wondrous. This is precisely what is meant by the statement that unseen virtue brings about visible reward. It must have happened because of your profound sincerity in trying to lead your lord to faith in the Lotus Sutra.
King Ajatashatru, though once the Buddha’s enemy, came to take faith in the Lotus Sutra at the urging of his minister Jivaka, so that he was able to prolong his life and continue his rule. King Wonderful Adornment corrected his mistaken views at the exhortation of his two sons.4 The same is true in your case. Lord Ema has now softened probably as a result of your admonishment. This is solely because of your deep faith in the Lotus Sutra.
The deeper the roots, the more luxuriant the branches. The farther the source, the longer the stream. All sutras other than the Lotus Sutra have shallow roots and short streams, while the Lotus Sutra has deep roots and a distant source. That is why the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai stated that the Lotus Sutra would survive and spread even in the evil latter age.
Many people have taken faith in this teaching. But because great persecutions, both official and otherwise, have repeatedly befallen me, though they followed me for a year or two, all of them later either abandoned their faith or turned against the Lotus Sutra. Or if they have not given way in their practice, they have done so in their heart. Or if they have not given way in their heart, they have done so in their practice.
Shakyamuni Buddha, the heir to King Shuddhodana, was a great king who reigned over Jambudvipa’s 84,210 countries. All kings of this land bowed to him, and he had a hundred thousand million servants. Nevertheless, he left the palace of King Shuddhodana at the age of nineteen and entered Mount Dandaka, where he was to carry out ascetic practices for twelve years. At that time he was attended by five men:5 Ajnata Kaundinya, Ashvajit, Bhadrika, Dashabala Kashyapa, and Prince Kolita. Of these five, however, two left Shakyamuni during the sixth year, while the remaining three deserted him in the next six years. Alone, Shakyamuni continued his practice and became the Buddha.
The Lotus Sutra is even more difficult to believe in than Shakyamuni, and therefore the sutra itself states that it is “the most difficult to believe and the most difficult to understand.”6 Moreover, in the Latter Day of the Law, persecutions are far more frequent and intense than in the lifetime of Shakyamuni Buddha. The sutra states that a votary who perseveres despite these adversities will gain benefits greater than those obtained by offering alms to the Buddha for the space of an entire kalpa.
It is now some 2,230 years since the Buddha’s passing. Those who spread Buddhism in India for more than a thousand years thereafter are recorded in history without omission, and those who disseminated Buddhism in China for a thousand years and in Japan for seven hundred are also clearly listed. Very few of them, however, met persecutions as terrible as those of the Buddha.
Many described themselves as sages or worthies, but not one has ever experienced the sutra’s prediction: “[Since hatred and jealousy toward this sutra abound even when the Thus Come One is in the world], how much more will this be so after his passing?”7 Bodhisattva Nagarjuna, T’ien-t’ai, and Dengyo met great persecutions for the sake of Buddhism, but none as great as those the Buddha describes in the sutra. This is because they were born before the time when the Lotus Sutra is to be spread.
We have now already entered “the last five-hundred-year period,” or the beginning of the Latter Day of the Law. This time period is like the sun at the summer solstice on the fifteenth day of the fifth month, or the harvest moon on the fifteenth day of the eighth month. T’ien-t’ai and Dengyo were born too early to see it; those born after will regret that they came too late.
The main force of the enemy8 has already been defeated, and the remainder is no match for me.
Now is the very time that the Buddha predicted: “the last five-hundred-year period,” or the beginning of the Latter Day of the Law, and the age indicated by the passage, “How much more will this be so after his passing?” If the Buddha’s words are not false, a sage must certainly have appeared in the land of Jambudvipa. According to the sutras, the greatest war the land has ever seen will break out as a sign of this sage’s advent, and since such a war9 has already occurred, the sage must already have appeared in Jambudvipa.
The appearance of a legendary beast called ch’i-lin told Chinese contemporaries that Confucius was a sage, and there is no doubt that the resounding of a village shrine heralds a sage’s coming. When the Buddha made his advent in this world, the growth of sandalwood trees informed his contemporaries that he was a sage. Lao Tzu was recognized as a sage because at birth the sole of one foot was marked with the Chinese character “two” and the other with the character “five.”10
Then how does one recognize the sage of the Lotus Sutra in this latter age? The sutra states that one who “can preach this sutra”11 or who “can uphold this sutra”12 is “the envoy of the Thus Come One.”13 In other words, one who embraces the eight volumes, or a single volume, chapter, or verse, of the Lotus Sutra, or who chants the daimoku, is the Thus Come One’s emissary. Also, one who perseveres through great persecutions and embraces the sutra from beginning to end is the Thus Come One’s emissary.
Since I am but a common mortal, my mind may not be that of the Thus Come One’s envoy. However, since I have incurred the hatred of the three powerful enemies and been exiled twice, I am like the Thus Come One’s envoy. Though my mind is steeped in the three poisons and my body is that of a common mortal, because my mouth chants Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, I am like the Thus Come One’s envoy. If I seek an example in the past, I may be likened to Bodhisattva Never Disparaging.
If I look at the present, I have been living the sutra’s description of persecution “with swords and staves, tiles and stones.”14 In the future, I will doubtless proceed to the place of enlightenment, and those who have sustained me will also dwell together in the pure land of Eagle Peak. I have many other things to tell you, but I will stop here and leave the rest for you to conclude.
The ailing acolyte has recovered, which makes me very happy. Acharya Daishin15 died exactly as you foresaw. Everyone here praises you, saying that even a latter-day Jivaka would be no match for you. I think they may well be right. We have been telling each other that your predictions about Sammi- bo and Soshiro16 have come true exactly, just as two tallies match precisely. I entrust my life to you and will consult no other physician.
Nichiren,
The fifteenth day of the ninth month in the first year of Koan (1278), cyclical sign tsuchinoe-tora
To Shijo Kingo
Gosho Passage for today Wednesday, September 15th, 2010
Daily Wisdom
From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
Wednesday, September 15, 2010:
"The deeper the roots, the more luxuriant the branches. The farther the source, the longer the stream. All sutras other than the Lotus Sutra have shallow roots and short streams, while the Lotus Sutra has deep roots and a distant source. That is why the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai stated that the Lotus Sutra would survive and spread even in the evil latter age."
Passage from: "The Farther the Source, the Longer the Stream"
Written to Shijo Kingo on September 15, 1278
Background from the WND p. 942,943
This letter was written at Minobu in the ninth month, 1278, to Shijo Kingo, a staunch follower who was well versed in both medicine and the martial arts. In this letter, Nichiren Daishonin states, “Even though you have been forced to relinquish your fief time and again, in your letter you said that he
[Lord Ema] has now conferred an estate upon you.” In a letter addressed to Kingo the next month, the Daishonin states, “So your lord has granted you new fiefs! I cannot think it to be true; it is so marvelous that I wonder if it is a dream” (p. 945). It is reasonable to assume, then, that Shijo Kingo first reported to the Daishonin an informal notice from his lord Ema and next conveyed the official announcement. This is why the Daishonin expresses his unreserved joy in the letter of the tenth month.
Lord Ema had for several years disapproved of Kingo’s belief and, prompted by false accusations made against Kingo by jealous colleagues, eventually ordered him either to abandon his faith in the Daishonin’s teaching or move to a remote province. In 1277, however, Ema fell ill, and Kingo’s treatment effected a cure. Ema renewed his trust in him and, the next year, bestowed upon him a far larger fief than the one he already had.Delighted with Kingo’s victory, Nichiren Daishonin says that unseen virtue brings about visible reward, meaning that Kingo’s sincere faith and effort to lead his lord to faith in the Lotus Sutra were rewarded in this manner. He also describes the merit of the Lotus Sutra with the words, “The farther the source, the longer the stream.” Hence the title of this letter.
He says, “In the future, I will doubtless proceed to the place of enlightenment, and those who have sustained me will also dwell together in the pure land of Eagle Peak.” The Daishonin implies that he is “the envoy of the Thus Come One” referred to in the Lotus Sutra, and that those who support him will attain Buddhahood.
My understanding of the passage:
It is the Gohonzon of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo that ultimately Nichiren reveals to be hidden in the Lotus Suta, the ultimate source of attaining enlightenment together with Nichiren which Nichiren made it possible for all of us to realize. The Gohonzon source and origin goes back to an unimaginable past time and space. The Gohonzon of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is boundless and limitless depiction of the infinite life of the Buddha from the infinite past. Ask yourself, how can we perceive the infinite life of the Buddha and the infinite past when we chant and gaze at the Gohnzon today?
The infinite past and the infinite life of the Buddha in reality, is the present moment, therefore right here in front of our eyes, is the land of eternal tranquil light and the Buddha's life. It is none other than it is with-in our own lives of the eternal Buddha units us with Nichiren the eternal Buddha. It is through faith that we can become one with our eternal teacher, be they men or women. Let us be convinced of it.
pb
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Link to the page:
The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 940
I HAVE received one thousand coins and respectfully reported in the presence of the Lotus Sutra that this is an offering from Yorimoto.1 I believe that, from afar, Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, Many Treasures Buddha, and the Buddhas of the ten directions, and, close at hand, the gods of the sun and moon in their heavenly palaces will certainly watch over you.
If someone excels in this world, then even those who are regarded as worthies and sages, to say nothing of ordinary people, will all become jealous and bear grudges against that person. Three thousand court ladies harbored jealousy against Wang Chao-chün, the favorite of the emperor of the Han dynasty. Shakra’s consorts, who numbered ninety-nine million nayuta, all envied Kaushika.2 Minister Fujiwara no Saneyori bore a grudge against Imperial Prince Kaneakira, and Fujiwara no Tokihira, jealous of Sugawara no Michizane, spoke falsely of him to the emperor, causing him to be exiled.3
Consider your own situation in light of these examples. [Your lord] the lay priest Ema’s domain used to be vast, but has now diminished. He has many sons who could succeed him, and there are also many retainers who have long served him. His retainers must be possessed by growing envy, just as fish become agitated when the water of their pond decreases, or as birds vie with one another to secure branches when autumn winds begin to blow. Moreover, since you have disobeyed your lord and gone against his wishes from time to time, the calumnies made to him against you must have been all the more numerous.
However, even though you have been forced to relinquish your fief time and again, in your letter you said that he has now conferred an estate upon you. This is indeed wondrous. This is precisely what is meant by the statement that unseen virtue brings about visible reward. It must have happened because of your profound sincerity in trying to lead your lord to faith in the Lotus Sutra.
King Ajatashatru, though once the Buddha’s enemy, came to take faith in the Lotus Sutra at the urging of his minister Jivaka, so that he was able to prolong his life and continue his rule. King Wonderful Adornment corrected his mistaken views at the exhortation of his two sons.4 The same is true in your case. Lord Ema has now softened probably as a result of your admonishment. This is solely because of your deep faith in the Lotus Sutra.
The deeper the roots, the more luxuriant the branches. The farther the source, the longer the stream. All sutras other than the Lotus Sutra have shallow roots and short streams, while the Lotus Sutra has deep roots and a distant source. That is why the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai stated that the Lotus Sutra would survive and spread even in the evil latter age.
Many people have taken faith in this teaching. But because great persecutions, both official and otherwise, have repeatedly befallen me, though they followed me for a year or two, all of them later either abandoned their faith or turned against the Lotus Sutra. Or if they have not given way in their practice, they have done so in their heart. Or if they have not given way in their heart, they have done so in their practice.
Shakyamuni Buddha, the heir to King Shuddhodana, was a great king who reigned over Jambudvipa’s 84,210 countries. All kings of this land bowed to him, and he had a hundred thousand million servants. Nevertheless, he left the palace of King Shuddhodana at the age of nineteen and entered Mount Dandaka, where he was to carry out ascetic practices for twelve years. At that time he was attended by five men:5 Ajnata Kaundinya, Ashvajit, Bhadrika, Dashabala Kashyapa, and Prince Kolita. Of these five, however, two left Shakyamuni during the sixth year, while the remaining three deserted him in the next six years. Alone, Shakyamuni continued his practice and became the Buddha.
The Lotus Sutra is even more difficult to believe in than Shakyamuni, and therefore the sutra itself states that it is “the most difficult to believe and the most difficult to understand.”6 Moreover, in the Latter Day of the Law, persecutions are far more frequent and intense than in the lifetime of Shakyamuni Buddha. The sutra states that a votary who perseveres despite these adversities will gain benefits greater than those obtained by offering alms to the Buddha for the space of an entire kalpa.
It is now some 2,230 years since the Buddha’s passing. Those who spread Buddhism in India for more than a thousand years thereafter are recorded in history without omission, and those who disseminated Buddhism in China for a thousand years and in Japan for seven hundred are also clearly listed. Very few of them, however, met persecutions as terrible as those of the Buddha.
Many described themselves as sages or worthies, but not one has ever experienced the sutra’s prediction: “[Since hatred and jealousy toward this sutra abound even when the Thus Come One is in the world], how much more will this be so after his passing?”7 Bodhisattva Nagarjuna, T’ien-t’ai, and Dengyo met great persecutions for the sake of Buddhism, but none as great as those the Buddha describes in the sutra. This is because they were born before the time when the Lotus Sutra is to be spread.
We have now already entered “the last five-hundred-year period,” or the beginning of the Latter Day of the Law. This time period is like the sun at the summer solstice on the fifteenth day of the fifth month, or the harvest moon on the fifteenth day of the eighth month. T’ien-t’ai and Dengyo were born too early to see it; those born after will regret that they came too late.
The main force of the enemy8 has already been defeated, and the remainder is no match for me.
Now is the very time that the Buddha predicted: “the last five-hundred-year period,” or the beginning of the Latter Day of the Law, and the age indicated by the passage, “How much more will this be so after his passing?” If the Buddha’s words are not false, a sage must certainly have appeared in the land of Jambudvipa. According to the sutras, the greatest war the land has ever seen will break out as a sign of this sage’s advent, and since such a war9 has already occurred, the sage must already have appeared in Jambudvipa.
The appearance of a legendary beast called ch’i-lin told Chinese contemporaries that Confucius was a sage, and there is no doubt that the resounding of a village shrine heralds a sage’s coming. When the Buddha made his advent in this world, the growth of sandalwood trees informed his contemporaries that he was a sage. Lao Tzu was recognized as a sage because at birth the sole of one foot was marked with the Chinese character “two” and the other with the character “five.”10
Then how does one recognize the sage of the Lotus Sutra in this latter age? The sutra states that one who “can preach this sutra”11 or who “can uphold this sutra”12 is “the envoy of the Thus Come One.”13 In other words, one who embraces the eight volumes, or a single volume, chapter, or verse, of the Lotus Sutra, or who chants the daimoku, is the Thus Come One’s emissary. Also, one who perseveres through great persecutions and embraces the sutra from beginning to end is the Thus Come One’s emissary.
Since I am but a common mortal, my mind may not be that of the Thus Come One’s envoy. However, since I have incurred the hatred of the three powerful enemies and been exiled twice, I am like the Thus Come One’s envoy. Though my mind is steeped in the three poisons and my body is that of a common mortal, because my mouth chants Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, I am like the Thus Come One’s envoy. If I seek an example in the past, I may be likened to Bodhisattva Never Disparaging.
If I look at the present, I have been living the sutra’s description of persecution “with swords and staves, tiles and stones.”14 In the future, I will doubtless proceed to the place of enlightenment, and those who have sustained me will also dwell together in the pure land of Eagle Peak. I have many other things to tell you, but I will stop here and leave the rest for you to conclude.
The ailing acolyte has recovered, which makes me very happy. Acharya Daishin15 died exactly as you foresaw. Everyone here praises you, saying that even a latter-day Jivaka would be no match for you. I think they may well be right. We have been telling each other that your predictions about Sammi- bo and Soshiro16 have come true exactly, just as two tallies match precisely. I entrust my life to you and will consult no other physician.
Nichiren,
The fifteenth day of the ninth month in the first year of Koan (1278), cyclical sign tsuchinoe-tora
To Shijo Kingo
Interesting testimony
since recognizing the dynamic of the cannabis bodhisattva in myself, and really nothing more, I have drawn the real life attention of several people in an interesting diverse but amazingly fairly close knit demographic, many of whom enjoy the relief that cannabis provides
and as testimony of the dynamic of selfless giving through cannabis SEVERAL people who live the same dynamic, selfless giving through cannabis APPROACHED ME and wanted to understand more of why WE are compelled to do this (to share the testimony of cannabis medicinally saving our lives and perhaps it saving the lives of others in this demographic which has some prevalent dangerous drug abuse habits, mental illness, trama, medical issues, for which cannabis help relieve pain and suffering and allow your body to heal)
i said nam myoho renge kyo, Buddhists call it bodhisattva the dynamic of selfless giving and the rewards that come with it. I mentioned my experience with being drawn to a set of "older*" heads who explained the concepts to me
it is as if the law of cause and effect became spontaneous in being and we all were able to share a truth that encouraged us all to continue and further search the work of the bodhisattva
it was a very, very encouraging and humbling experience to say the least
the bodhisattva, are providing the necessary energies for the world to be enlightened whether we see the wonderful truth for ourselves
* (funny that im almost as old if not older than alot of people here and i cant stop thinking im the baby)
since recognizing the dynamic of the cannabis bodhisattva in myself, and really nothing more, I have drawn the real life attention of several people in an interesting diverse but amazingly fairly close knit demographic, many of whom enjoy the relief that cannabis provides
and as testimony of the dynamic of selfless giving through cannabis SEVERAL people who live the same dynamic, selfless giving through cannabis APPROACHED ME and wanted to understand more of why WE are compelled to do this (to share the testimony of cannabis medicinally saving our lives and perhaps it saving the lives of others in this demographic which has some prevalent dangerous drug abuse habits, mental illness, trama, medical issues, for which cannabis help relieve pain and suffering and allow your body to heal)
i said nam myoho renge kyo, Buddhists call it bodhisattva the dynamic of selfless giving and the rewards that come with it. I mentioned my experience with being drawn to a set of "older*" heads who explained the concepts to me
it is as if the law of cause and effect became spontaneous in being and we all were able to share a truth that encouraged us all to continue and further search the work of the bodhisattva
it was a very, very encouraging and humbling experience to say the least
the bodhisattva, are providing the necessary energies for the world to be enlightened whether we see the wonderful truth for ourselves
* (funny that im almost as old if not older than alot of people here and i cant stop thinking im the baby)
E
EasyMyohoDisco
Day 4 of caring for my lost "temple" member. Tonight will be the fourth meeting I attend with Judy. I'm exhausted, but forging ahead for the sake of world peace. She is still homeless, but chanting fighting daimoku with us every night. Tonight, I'll have some support, finally, but this is just the Beginning for kosen-rufu in our area!
Brother Weird, I'll reach out to you again soon! Between work, school, taking care of a homeless lady and chanting -I've had very little time to myself since last Saturday. However, I'm chanting for our unity and will keep sending you daimoku everyday!
PB, thanks for the posts and nice commentary. Babba and Socal, "MUGI WASSHIN IS IN FULL EFFECT OVER HERE!"
MUCH LOVE TO ALL!
Brother Weird, I'll reach out to you again soon! Between work, school, taking care of a homeless lady and chanting -I've had very little time to myself since last Saturday. However, I'm chanting for our unity and will keep sending you daimoku everyday!
PB, thanks for the posts and nice commentary. Babba and Socal, "MUGI WASSHIN IS IN FULL EFFECT OVER HERE!"
MUCH LOVE TO ALL!
T
TrichyTrichy
Please chant for PineBoy's wife. She's very ill and in the hospital
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=188952
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=188952
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!
Gosho Passage for today Thursday September 16th, 2010
Gosho Passage for today Thursday September 16th, 2010
Daily Wisdom
From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
Thursday, September 16, 2010:
"Therefore, those who become Nichiren's disciples and lay believers should realize the profound karmic relationship they share with him and spread the Lotus Sutra as he does. Being known as a votary of the Lotus Sutra is a bitter, yet unavoidable destiny."
passage from: "Letter to Jakunichi-bo"
Written to Jakunichi-bo Nikke on September 16, 1279
Background segments from the WND p. 994,996
This letter was written to a young disciple named Jakunichi-bo Nikke, the son of the lord of Okitsu, Kazusa Province. It is dated the sixteenth day of the ninth month, with no year indicated, though it is believed to be 1279...
...In this letter, the Daishonin discloses the meaning of his name, Nichiren, implying that it signifies the Buddha who will bring enlightenment to all people in the Latter Day of the Law. He declares that his disciples must also exert themselves to convey the supreme teaching of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to all humankind.
Then the Daishonin explains that the demons who, according to legend, strip one of one’s garments at the time of death symbolize death’s stripping one of all pretensions and superficial attainments, whether wealth, power, or knowledge.
In conclusion, the Daishonin encourages Jakunichi-bo, pledging to protect him in the next life since the latter protected the Daishonin in this life. Thus the Daishonin suggests the profound and timeless nature of the teacher disciple relationship.
My understanding of the passage:
We are all Nichiren's disciples who not only uphold the Gohonzon of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo of out most supreme law to rely on. Therefor, on this account, we must realize the profound relationship we share with Nichiren from the infinite fast. To propagate this teaching as Nichiren's disciple exactly as he teaches, is the proper posture to become one with Nichiren who is our eternal mentor.
No matter how great a teacher may appear today and in the future, unless this teacher bases his conviction of his own faith in the Gohonzon of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo referring to Nichiren's admonitions without even the slightest deviation and carry the spirit to lead others to such conviction, any other efforts of distorted interpretation to spread the law would bound to destroy the Lotus Sutra's intent and the outcome results would be disastrous. We must be aware of such distortions that do not matches Nichiren's spirit.
pb
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Link to the page:
The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 994
I DEEPLY appreciate your sending a letter to this distant place. It is extremely rare to be born as a human being. Not only are you endowed with human form, but you have had the rare fortune to encounter Buddhism. Moreover, out of the Buddha’s many teachings you have encountered the daimoku, or the title, of the Lotus Sutra and become its votary. Truly you are a person who has offered alms to a hundred thousand million Buddhas in his past existences!
Nichiren is the supreme votary of the Lotus Sutra in Japan. In this land only he has lived the twenty-line verse of the “Encouraging Devotion” chapter.1 The eight hundred thousand million nayutas of bodhisattvas pledged with this verse to propagate the Lotus Sutra, but not one of them fulfilled the pledge. The parents who gave life to this extraordinary person, Nichiren, are the most blessed of all people in Japan. It is no doubt because of karmic forces that they became my parents, and I, their child.
If Nichiren is the envoy of the Lotus Sutra and the Thus Come One Shakyamuni, then his parents must also share this relationship. They are like King Wonderful Adornment and Lady Pure Virtue with their sons, Pure Storehouse and Pure Eye. Could the two Buddhas Shakyamuni and Many Treasures have been reborn as Nichiren’s parents? Or if not, could his parents have been among the eight hundred thousand million nayutas of bodhisattvas or the four bodhisattvas led by Bodhisattva Superior Practices? It is beyond comprehension.
Names are important for all things. That is why the Great Teacher T’ient’ai placed “name” first among the five major principles. My giving myself the name Nichiren (Sun Lotus) derives from my own enlightenment regarding the Buddha vehicle. This may sound as though I think I am wise, but there are specific reasons for what I say. The sutra reads, “As the light of the sun and moon can banish all obscurity and gloom, so this person as he advances through the world can wipe out the darkness of living beings.”2 Consider carefully what this passage signifies.
“This person as he advances through the world” means that the first five hundred years of the Latter Day of the Law will witness the advent of Bodhisattva Superior Practices, who will illuminate the darkness of ignorance and earthly desires with the light of the five characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. In accordance with this passage, Nichiren, as this bodhisattva’s envoy, has urged the people of Japan to accept and uphold the Lotus Sutra. His unremitting efforts never slacken, even here on this mountain.
The sutra then goes on to say, “After I have passed into extinction, [one] should accept and uphold this sutra. Such a person assuredly and without doubt will attain the Buddha way.”3 Therefore, those who become Nichiren’s disciples and lay believers should realize the profound karmic relationship they share with him and spread the Lotus Sutra as he does. Being known as a votary of the Lotus Sutra is a bitter, yet unavoidable, destiny.
Fan K’uai, Chang Liang, Masakado, and Sumitomo never acted cowardly because they cared so deeply about their honor and abhorred disgrace. But disgrace in this life is nothing. Of far greater concern is the disgrace that appears in the next life. Proceed to the place of practice of the Lotus Sutra, bearing in mind the time when you must face the wardens of hell, and the garment-snatching demoness and the garment-suspending demon will strip off your clothes on the bank of the river of three crossings. The Lotus Sutra is the robe that will keep you from disgrace after this life. The sutra reads, “It is like a robe to one who is naked.”4
Believe in the Gohonzon with all your heart, for it is the robe to protect you in the world after death. No wife would ever leave her husband unclothed, nor could any parents fail to feel pity for their child shivering in the cold. Shakyamuni Buddha and the Lotus Sutra are like one’s wife and parents. You have helped me and thereby saved me from disgrace in this life; in return, I will protect you from disgrace in the next. What one has done for another yesterday will be done for oneself today. Blossoms turn into fruit, and brides become mothers-in-law. Chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and be always diligent in your faith.
I cannot thank you enough for your frequent letters. Jakunichi-bo, please convey all these teachings in detail to that believer.
Nichiren
The sixteenth day of the ninth month
Gosho Passage for today Thursday September 16th, 2010
Daily Wisdom
From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
Thursday, September 16, 2010:
"Therefore, those who become Nichiren's disciples and lay believers should realize the profound karmic relationship they share with him and spread the Lotus Sutra as he does. Being known as a votary of the Lotus Sutra is a bitter, yet unavoidable destiny."
passage from: "Letter to Jakunichi-bo"
Written to Jakunichi-bo Nikke on September 16, 1279
Background segments from the WND p. 994,996
This letter was written to a young disciple named Jakunichi-bo Nikke, the son of the lord of Okitsu, Kazusa Province. It is dated the sixteenth day of the ninth month, with no year indicated, though it is believed to be 1279...
...In this letter, the Daishonin discloses the meaning of his name, Nichiren, implying that it signifies the Buddha who will bring enlightenment to all people in the Latter Day of the Law. He declares that his disciples must also exert themselves to convey the supreme teaching of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to all humankind.
Then the Daishonin explains that the demons who, according to legend, strip one of one’s garments at the time of death symbolize death’s stripping one of all pretensions and superficial attainments, whether wealth, power, or knowledge.
In conclusion, the Daishonin encourages Jakunichi-bo, pledging to protect him in the next life since the latter protected the Daishonin in this life. Thus the Daishonin suggests the profound and timeless nature of the teacher disciple relationship.
My understanding of the passage:
We are all Nichiren's disciples who not only uphold the Gohonzon of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo of out most supreme law to rely on. Therefor, on this account, we must realize the profound relationship we share with Nichiren from the infinite fast. To propagate this teaching as Nichiren's disciple exactly as he teaches, is the proper posture to become one with Nichiren who is our eternal mentor.
No matter how great a teacher may appear today and in the future, unless this teacher bases his conviction of his own faith in the Gohonzon of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo referring to Nichiren's admonitions without even the slightest deviation and carry the spirit to lead others to such conviction, any other efforts of distorted interpretation to spread the law would bound to destroy the Lotus Sutra's intent and the outcome results would be disastrous. We must be aware of such distortions that do not matches Nichiren's spirit.
pb
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Link to the page:
The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 994
I DEEPLY appreciate your sending a letter to this distant place. It is extremely rare to be born as a human being. Not only are you endowed with human form, but you have had the rare fortune to encounter Buddhism. Moreover, out of the Buddha’s many teachings you have encountered the daimoku, or the title, of the Lotus Sutra and become its votary. Truly you are a person who has offered alms to a hundred thousand million Buddhas in his past existences!
Nichiren is the supreme votary of the Lotus Sutra in Japan. In this land only he has lived the twenty-line verse of the “Encouraging Devotion” chapter.1 The eight hundred thousand million nayutas of bodhisattvas pledged with this verse to propagate the Lotus Sutra, but not one of them fulfilled the pledge. The parents who gave life to this extraordinary person, Nichiren, are the most blessed of all people in Japan. It is no doubt because of karmic forces that they became my parents, and I, their child.
If Nichiren is the envoy of the Lotus Sutra and the Thus Come One Shakyamuni, then his parents must also share this relationship. They are like King Wonderful Adornment and Lady Pure Virtue with their sons, Pure Storehouse and Pure Eye. Could the two Buddhas Shakyamuni and Many Treasures have been reborn as Nichiren’s parents? Or if not, could his parents have been among the eight hundred thousand million nayutas of bodhisattvas or the four bodhisattvas led by Bodhisattva Superior Practices? It is beyond comprehension.
Names are important for all things. That is why the Great Teacher T’ient’ai placed “name” first among the five major principles. My giving myself the name Nichiren (Sun Lotus) derives from my own enlightenment regarding the Buddha vehicle. This may sound as though I think I am wise, but there are specific reasons for what I say. The sutra reads, “As the light of the sun and moon can banish all obscurity and gloom, so this person as he advances through the world can wipe out the darkness of living beings.”2 Consider carefully what this passage signifies.
“This person as he advances through the world” means that the first five hundred years of the Latter Day of the Law will witness the advent of Bodhisattva Superior Practices, who will illuminate the darkness of ignorance and earthly desires with the light of the five characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. In accordance with this passage, Nichiren, as this bodhisattva’s envoy, has urged the people of Japan to accept and uphold the Lotus Sutra. His unremitting efforts never slacken, even here on this mountain.
The sutra then goes on to say, “After I have passed into extinction, [one] should accept and uphold this sutra. Such a person assuredly and without doubt will attain the Buddha way.”3 Therefore, those who become Nichiren’s disciples and lay believers should realize the profound karmic relationship they share with him and spread the Lotus Sutra as he does. Being known as a votary of the Lotus Sutra is a bitter, yet unavoidable, destiny.
Fan K’uai, Chang Liang, Masakado, and Sumitomo never acted cowardly because they cared so deeply about their honor and abhorred disgrace. But disgrace in this life is nothing. Of far greater concern is the disgrace that appears in the next life. Proceed to the place of practice of the Lotus Sutra, bearing in mind the time when you must face the wardens of hell, and the garment-snatching demoness and the garment-suspending demon will strip off your clothes on the bank of the river of three crossings. The Lotus Sutra is the robe that will keep you from disgrace after this life. The sutra reads, “It is like a robe to one who is naked.”4
Believe in the Gohonzon with all your heart, for it is the robe to protect you in the world after death. No wife would ever leave her husband unclothed, nor could any parents fail to feel pity for their child shivering in the cold. Shakyamuni Buddha and the Lotus Sutra are like one’s wife and parents. You have helped me and thereby saved me from disgrace in this life; in return, I will protect you from disgrace in the next. What one has done for another yesterday will be done for oneself today. Blossoms turn into fruit, and brides become mothers-in-law. Chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and be always diligent in your faith.
I cannot thank you enough for your frequent letters. Jakunichi-bo, please convey all these teachings in detail to that believer.
Nichiren
The sixteenth day of the ninth month
E
EasyMyohoDisco
Chanting Grower's Start Your Daimoku Engines!
Chanting Grower's Start Your Daimoku Engines!
I got your back Trichy! Have you been to a chanting meeting yet, if so, how did it go?
Chanting Grower's Start Your Daimoku Engines!
I got your back Trichy! Have you been to a chanting meeting yet, if so, how did it go?
T
TrichyTrichy
Yes, a few times but it was too political for me.
I'll give it a go some time again.
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
I'll give it a go some time again.
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
from Words of Wisdom, by President Ikeda, on "Life". www.ikedaquotes.org.
If we suppose this lifetime to be the be-all and end-all of existence, we cannot lead a truly profound life. Belief in something eternal brings out our full humanity.
Nam myoho renge kyo
If we suppose this lifetime to be the be-all and end-all of existence, we cannot lead a truly profound life. Belief in something eternal brings out our full humanity.
Nam myoho renge kyo
I love you brother
Wilson!
Member
Hi Chanting Growers!!
Pumpkin Man is playing chess and strumming the guitar every night. He even sometimes chants a bit now and then. He's off homeschooling and started 3rd grade. He's doing great. He has the Aspergers photo memory. He's amazing.
Many great challenges and victories! Got my garden back up!!!whooooo hooo!
Nam myoho renge kyo!
Pumpkin Man is playing chess and strumming the guitar every night. He even sometimes chants a bit now and then. He's off homeschooling and started 3rd grade. He's doing great. He has the Aspergers photo memory. He's amazing.
Many great challenges and victories! Got my garden back up!!!whooooo hooo!
Nam myoho renge kyo!
Last edited:
Good Morning and Good Day
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
spent the day in the 3 evil paths yesterday and I didn't always make the right decisions in regards to karma
almost trivial but disconcerting cause I know now what those types of energies those decisions cultivate
chant for me friends I need it!
thanks
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
spent the day in the 3 evil paths yesterday and I didn't always make the right decisions in regards to karma
almost trivial but disconcerting cause I know now what those types of energies those decisions cultivate
chant for me friends I need it!
thanks
Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda
Friday, September 17, 2010:
Buddhism teaches, through the example of Bodhisattva Never Disparaging, to never look down on anyone. This is the essence of Buddhism. Nichiren Daishonin states that the "ultimate transmission" of Buddhism is to accord friends and fellow believers who are striving for kosen-rufu the same respect and reverence one would a Buddha.
Friday, September 17, 2010:
Buddhism teaches, through the example of Bodhisattva Never Disparaging, to never look down on anyone. This is the essence of Buddhism. Nichiren Daishonin states that the "ultimate transmission" of Buddhism is to accord friends and fellow believers who are striving for kosen-rufu the same respect and reverence one would a Buddha.
Gosho Passage for today Friday September 17th, 2010
Gosho Passage for today Friday September 17th, 2010
Daily Wisdom
From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
Friday, September 17, 2010:
Even a word or a phrase of the correct teaching will enable one to gain the way, if it suits the time and the capacity of the people. But though one studies a thousand sutras and ten thousand treatises, one will not attain Buddhahood if these teachings are unsuitable for the time and the people's capacity.
passage from: "Letter from Sado"
Written to Toki Jonin on March 20, 1272
Background Segments from the WND p. 306,307
This letter was written on the twentieth day of the third month, 1272, some five months after Nichiren Daishonin had arrived on the island of Sado to begin his exile there. He addressed it to Toki Jonin, a samurai serving as a leading retainer to Lord Chiba, the constable of Shimosa Province, to Saburo Saemon (Shijo Kingo) in Kamakura, and to other staunch followers.
Nichiren Daishonin had been banished on the tenth day of the tenth month, 1271. Charges of treason had been brought against him by Ryokan, the chief priest of Gokuraku-ji temple in Kamakura, and by Hei no Saemon, deputy chief of the Office of Military and Police Affairs. Hei no Saemon was resolved to execute the Daishonin at Tatsunokuchi before he was to be delivered to the custody of Homma Shigetsura, the deputy constable of Sado. The attempt at execution was unsuccessful, however, and after a delay of almost a month Homma’s warriors escorted the Daishonin to the coast of the Sea of Japan. After a delay there caused by bad weather, the Daishonin finally arrived on Sado on the twentyeighth day of the tenth month...
...In this writing the Daishonin first states that the only way to attain Buddhahood is to be willing to offer one’s life, one’s most precious possession, to Buddhism. Next, he says that the method of propagation known as shakubuku is appropriate to this age, and that one can attain Buddhahood only by dedicating oneself to it. He then declares that he is the “pillar, sun, moon, mirror, and eyes” of and “father and mother” to the country; these are symbolic references to the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law, who is perfectly endowed with the three virtues of parent, teacher, and sovereign...
...Lastly, he gives an elaborate explanation of karma or destiny, stating that his present difficulties arise from the fact that he slandered the Lotus Sutra in a past existence. Using himself as an example, he elucidates to his disciples the kind of spirit and practice by which they can alter their karma. He adds that persons who try to propagate the correct teaching of Buddhism vigorously will invariably face opposition, and that such opposition in reality presents an opportunity for them to change their karma. Those who have given up their faith and instead criticize are admonished that their actions bear the heaviest consequences. He compares their lack of vision to fireflies who laugh at the sun.
My understanding of the passage:
What is the one phrase from the Lotus Sutra that is suited for the time and age we live in today to be propagated so we can gain the way?
It is none other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo depicted on the Gohonzon revealed by Nichiren the Buddha of the Later Day of the Law, who is perfectly endowed with the three virtues of parent, teacher, and sovereign. It is the heritage of Faith and the heritage of all Nichiren's disciples from past to present, be they priests or lay believers, who to this day, have been perpetuating, preserving, protecting, maintaining and handing down the correct teaching and spirit so we may distinguish for what purpose we propagate this great Gohonzon of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and how we can re-shakubuku and lead those who went astray to the correct heritage which started with Nichiren and Nikko, Nichiren's immediate disciple and successor.
A teacher who maintains his discipleship with Nichiren by referring to the Gohonzon and Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, being the corner stone of his own faith to attain the way, and do not forgets when and where it was originated, and leads others to such origination and perpetuation, and has gratitude to all who brought about the possibility for all of us to encounter it today, is a GREAT DISCIPLE and TEACHER.
A teacher who claims to be a disciple and perpetuates the relationship he has(d) with his teacher so his disciples may achieve success and recognition in society as he did, being the corner stone of his faith, and leads others to such relationship to insinuate to his disciples to have with him as a teacher, while forgetting that the Gohonzon and Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the actual corner stone of our faith and belief to attain the way, is leading his disciples astray and a slanderer, according to Nichiren.
To awake others to see the true purpose of faith in the Gohonzon of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo by steering them back to the correct way, is the true meaning of shakubuku and the correct practice for today. This is what Nichiren teaches us!
pb
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Link to the page:
The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 302
Segment...
Buddhism should be spread by the method of either shoju or shakubuku, depending on the age. These are analogous to the two worldly ways of the literary and the military. The great sages of old practiced the Buddhist teachings as befitted the times. The boy Snow Mountains and Prince Sattva offered their bodies when urged that by doing so they would hear the teaching in return, and that giving one’s life constitutes Bodhisattva practice. But should one sacrifice one’s life at a time when it is not required?
In an age when there is no paper, one should use one’s own skin. In an age when there are no writing brushes, one should use one’s own bones. In an age when people honor the observers of the precepts and the practitioners of the correct teaching while they denounce those who break or ignore the precepts, one should strictly follow the precepts. In an age when Confucianism or Taoism is used to suppress Shakyamuni’s teachings, one should risk one’s life to remonstrate with the emperor, as did the Dharma teachers Tao-an and Hui-yüan and the Tripitaka Master Fa-tao. In an age when people confuse Hinayana and Mahayana teachings, provisional and true teachings, or exoteric and esoteric doctrines, as though unable to distinguish gems from tiles and stones or cow’s milk from donkey’s milk,2 one should strictly differentiate between them, following the example of the great teachers T’ien-t’ai and Dengyo.
It is the nature of beasts to threaten the weak and fear the strong. Our contemporary scholars of the various schools are just like them. They despise a wise man without power, but fear evil rulers. They are no more than fawning retainers. Only by defeating a powerful enemy can one prove one’s real strength. When an evil ruler in consort with priests of erroneous teachings tries to destroy the correct teaching and do away with a man of wisdom, those with the heart of a lion king are sure to attain Buddhahood. Like Nichiren, for example. I say this not out of arrogance, but because I am deeply committed to the correct teaching.
An arrogant person will always be overcome with fear when meeting a strong enemy, as was the haughty asura who shrank in size and hid himself in a lotus blossom in Heat-Free Lake when reproached by Shakra. Even a word or a phrase of the correct teaching will enable one to gain the way, if it suits the time and the capacity of the people. But though one studies a thousand sutras and ten thousand treatises, one will not attain Buddhahood if these teachings are unsuitable for the time and the people’s capacity.
Twenty-six years have passed since the battle of Hoji,3 and fighting4 has already broken out twice, on the eleventh and the seventeenth days of the second month of this year. Neither nonBuddhists nor the enemies of Buddhism can destroy the correct teaching of the Thus Come One, but the Buddha’s disciples definitely can. As a sutra says, only worms born of the lion’s body feed on the lion.5 A person of great fortune will never be ruined by enemies, but may be ruined by those who are close. The current battle is what the Medicine Master Sutra means by “the calamity of revolt within one’s own domain.”
The Benevolent Kings Sutra states, “Once the sages have departed, then the seven disasters are certain to arise.” The Golden Light Sutra states, “The thirty-three heavenly gods become furious because the king permits evil to run rampant and fails to subdue it.” Although I, Nichiren, am not a sage, I am equal to one, for I uphold the Lotus Sutra exactly as it teaches. Furthermore, since I have long understood the ways of the world, the prophecies I have made in this life have all come true. Therefore, you must never doubt what I have told you concerning future existences.
On the twelfth day of the ninth month of last year, when I was arrested, I called out in a loud voice, “I, Nichiren, am the pillar, sun, moon, mirror, and eyes of the ruling clan of Kanto.6 If the country abandons me, the seven disasters will occur without fail.” Did not this prophecy come true just 60 days and then 150 days later? And those battles were only the first signs.
What lamenting there will be when the full effect appears!
Ignorant people wonder why Nichiren is persecuted by the rulers if he is truly a wise man. Yet it is all just as I expected. King Ajatashatru tormented his father and mother, for which he was hailed by the six royal ministers. When Devadatta killed an arhat and caused the Buddha to bleed, Kokalika and others were delighted. Nichiren is father and mother to the ruling house and is like a Buddha or an arhat to this age. The sovereign and his subjects who rejoice at my exile are truly the most shameless and pitiable of all. Those slanderous priests who have been bewailing the exposure of their errors may be overjoyed for the moment, but eventually they will suffer no less than myself and my followers...
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
Nichiren
The twentieth day of the third month in the ninth year of Bun’ei (1272), cyclical sign mizunoe-saru
Gosho Passage for today Friday September 17th, 2010
Daily Wisdom
From the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
Friday, September 17, 2010:
Even a word or a phrase of the correct teaching will enable one to gain the way, if it suits the time and the capacity of the people. But though one studies a thousand sutras and ten thousand treatises, one will not attain Buddhahood if these teachings are unsuitable for the time and the people's capacity.
passage from: "Letter from Sado"
Written to Toki Jonin on March 20, 1272
Background Segments from the WND p. 306,307
This letter was written on the twentieth day of the third month, 1272, some five months after Nichiren Daishonin had arrived on the island of Sado to begin his exile there. He addressed it to Toki Jonin, a samurai serving as a leading retainer to Lord Chiba, the constable of Shimosa Province, to Saburo Saemon (Shijo Kingo) in Kamakura, and to other staunch followers.
Nichiren Daishonin had been banished on the tenth day of the tenth month, 1271. Charges of treason had been brought against him by Ryokan, the chief priest of Gokuraku-ji temple in Kamakura, and by Hei no Saemon, deputy chief of the Office of Military and Police Affairs. Hei no Saemon was resolved to execute the Daishonin at Tatsunokuchi before he was to be delivered to the custody of Homma Shigetsura, the deputy constable of Sado. The attempt at execution was unsuccessful, however, and after a delay of almost a month Homma’s warriors escorted the Daishonin to the coast of the Sea of Japan. After a delay there caused by bad weather, the Daishonin finally arrived on Sado on the twentyeighth day of the tenth month...
...In this writing the Daishonin first states that the only way to attain Buddhahood is to be willing to offer one’s life, one’s most precious possession, to Buddhism. Next, he says that the method of propagation known as shakubuku is appropriate to this age, and that one can attain Buddhahood only by dedicating oneself to it. He then declares that he is the “pillar, sun, moon, mirror, and eyes” of and “father and mother” to the country; these are symbolic references to the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law, who is perfectly endowed with the three virtues of parent, teacher, and sovereign...
...Lastly, he gives an elaborate explanation of karma or destiny, stating that his present difficulties arise from the fact that he slandered the Lotus Sutra in a past existence. Using himself as an example, he elucidates to his disciples the kind of spirit and practice by which they can alter their karma. He adds that persons who try to propagate the correct teaching of Buddhism vigorously will invariably face opposition, and that such opposition in reality presents an opportunity for them to change their karma. Those who have given up their faith and instead criticize are admonished that their actions bear the heaviest consequences. He compares their lack of vision to fireflies who laugh at the sun.
My understanding of the passage:
What is the one phrase from the Lotus Sutra that is suited for the time and age we live in today to be propagated so we can gain the way?
It is none other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo depicted on the Gohonzon revealed by Nichiren the Buddha of the Later Day of the Law, who is perfectly endowed with the three virtues of parent, teacher, and sovereign. It is the heritage of Faith and the heritage of all Nichiren's disciples from past to present, be they priests or lay believers, who to this day, have been perpetuating, preserving, protecting, maintaining and handing down the correct teaching and spirit so we may distinguish for what purpose we propagate this great Gohonzon of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and how we can re-shakubuku and lead those who went astray to the correct heritage which started with Nichiren and Nikko, Nichiren's immediate disciple and successor.
A teacher who maintains his discipleship with Nichiren by referring to the Gohonzon and Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, being the corner stone of his own faith to attain the way, and do not forgets when and where it was originated, and leads others to such origination and perpetuation, and has gratitude to all who brought about the possibility for all of us to encounter it today, is a GREAT DISCIPLE and TEACHER.
A teacher who claims to be a disciple and perpetuates the relationship he has(d) with his teacher so his disciples may achieve success and recognition in society as he did, being the corner stone of his faith, and leads others to such relationship to insinuate to his disciples to have with him as a teacher, while forgetting that the Gohonzon and Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the actual corner stone of our faith and belief to attain the way, is leading his disciples astray and a slanderer, according to Nichiren.
To awake others to see the true purpose of faith in the Gohonzon of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo by steering them back to the correct way, is the true meaning of shakubuku and the correct practice for today. This is what Nichiren teaches us!
pb
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Link to the page:
The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 302
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Buddhism should be spread by the method of either shoju or shakubuku, depending on the age. These are analogous to the two worldly ways of the literary and the military. The great sages of old practiced the Buddhist teachings as befitted the times. The boy Snow Mountains and Prince Sattva offered their bodies when urged that by doing so they would hear the teaching in return, and that giving one’s life constitutes Bodhisattva practice. But should one sacrifice one’s life at a time when it is not required?
In an age when there is no paper, one should use one’s own skin. In an age when there are no writing brushes, one should use one’s own bones. In an age when people honor the observers of the precepts and the practitioners of the correct teaching while they denounce those who break or ignore the precepts, one should strictly follow the precepts. In an age when Confucianism or Taoism is used to suppress Shakyamuni’s teachings, one should risk one’s life to remonstrate with the emperor, as did the Dharma teachers Tao-an and Hui-yüan and the Tripitaka Master Fa-tao. In an age when people confuse Hinayana and Mahayana teachings, provisional and true teachings, or exoteric and esoteric doctrines, as though unable to distinguish gems from tiles and stones or cow’s milk from donkey’s milk,2 one should strictly differentiate between them, following the example of the great teachers T’ien-t’ai and Dengyo.
It is the nature of beasts to threaten the weak and fear the strong. Our contemporary scholars of the various schools are just like them. They despise a wise man without power, but fear evil rulers. They are no more than fawning retainers. Only by defeating a powerful enemy can one prove one’s real strength. When an evil ruler in consort with priests of erroneous teachings tries to destroy the correct teaching and do away with a man of wisdom, those with the heart of a lion king are sure to attain Buddhahood. Like Nichiren, for example. I say this not out of arrogance, but because I am deeply committed to the correct teaching.
An arrogant person will always be overcome with fear when meeting a strong enemy, as was the haughty asura who shrank in size and hid himself in a lotus blossom in Heat-Free Lake when reproached by Shakra. Even a word or a phrase of the correct teaching will enable one to gain the way, if it suits the time and the capacity of the people. But though one studies a thousand sutras and ten thousand treatises, one will not attain Buddhahood if these teachings are unsuitable for the time and the people’s capacity.
Twenty-six years have passed since the battle of Hoji,3 and fighting4 has already broken out twice, on the eleventh and the seventeenth days of the second month of this year. Neither nonBuddhists nor the enemies of Buddhism can destroy the correct teaching of the Thus Come One, but the Buddha’s disciples definitely can. As a sutra says, only worms born of the lion’s body feed on the lion.5 A person of great fortune will never be ruined by enemies, but may be ruined by those who are close. The current battle is what the Medicine Master Sutra means by “the calamity of revolt within one’s own domain.”
The Benevolent Kings Sutra states, “Once the sages have departed, then the seven disasters are certain to arise.” The Golden Light Sutra states, “The thirty-three heavenly gods become furious because the king permits evil to run rampant and fails to subdue it.” Although I, Nichiren, am not a sage, I am equal to one, for I uphold the Lotus Sutra exactly as it teaches. Furthermore, since I have long understood the ways of the world, the prophecies I have made in this life have all come true. Therefore, you must never doubt what I have told you concerning future existences.
On the twelfth day of the ninth month of last year, when I was arrested, I called out in a loud voice, “I, Nichiren, am the pillar, sun, moon, mirror, and eyes of the ruling clan of Kanto.6 If the country abandons me, the seven disasters will occur without fail.” Did not this prophecy come true just 60 days and then 150 days later? And those battles were only the first signs.
What lamenting there will be when the full effect appears!
Ignorant people wonder why Nichiren is persecuted by the rulers if he is truly a wise man. Yet it is all just as I expected. King Ajatashatru tormented his father and mother, for which he was hailed by the six royal ministers. When Devadatta killed an arhat and caused the Buddha to bleed, Kokalika and others were delighted. Nichiren is father and mother to the ruling house and is like a Buddha or an arhat to this age. The sovereign and his subjects who rejoice at my exile are truly the most shameless and pitiable of all. Those slanderous priests who have been bewailing the exposure of their errors may be overjoyed for the moment, but eventually they will suffer no less than myself and my followers...
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
Nichiren
The twentieth day of the third month in the ninth year of Bun’ei (1272), cyclical sign mizunoe-saru
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