Chanting Growers Group

[Desiderata]

From the beginning of Time to the End....

From the beginning of Time to the End....

.....a Big Shout Out for a better and smarter life, to improve on all the little nagging angers and hates that have clouded my mind from further advancement in my Daily Life. I strive to be happy and be part of others happiness. Happy New Year to all the beloved "Chanting Growers!"

Respect,

Desi

 

[TrichyTrichy]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[Babbabud]

Happy New Year To You All

Happy New Year To You All

There is no true happiness for human beings other than chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. The sutra reads, “... where living beings enjoy themselves at ease.” How could this passage mean anything but the boundless joy of the Law? Surely you are included among the “living beings.” “Where” means Jambudvipa and Japan lies within Jambudvipa. Could “enjoy themselves at ease” mean anything but that both our bodies and minds, lives and environments, are entities of three thousand realms in a single moment of life and Buddhas of limitless joy? There is no true happiness other than upholding faith in the Lotus Sutra. This is what is meant by “peace and security in their present existence and good circumstances in future existences.” Though worldly troubles may arise, never let them disturb you. No one can avoid problems, not even sages or worthies. Drink sake only at home with your wife, and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Suffer what there is to suffer, enjoy what there is to enjoy. Regard both suffering and joy as facts of life, and continue chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, no matter what happens.
How could this be anything other than the boundless joy of the Law? Strengthen your power of faith more than ever.
With my deep respect,
Nichiren
The twenty-seventh day of the sixth month in the second year of
Kenji (1276), cyclical sign hinoe-ne
Reply to Shijo Kingo

 

[AfroSheep]

Nam myoho renge kyo

Happy new year to all, i hope all are well and doing good at the start of this lovely new year,

gotta be honest havn't chanted in a long time, just havn't found the time to get into it,pretty hectic during christmas week at work, but anyways i no i shoudnm't give up
back on the high horse again soon and all will be looking up .

Nam myoho renge kyo
peace n pot

 

[SoCal Hippy]

THE GIFT OF RICE

The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin - Page 1125 (http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=1125&m=1&q=gift of rice)

I HAVE received the sack of polished rice, the sack of yams, and the basket of river laver that you took the trouble to send me by messenger.

Human beings have two kinds of treasure. One is clothing and the other is food. A sutra states, “Sentient beings live in dependence on food.”1 This passage means that living beings dwell in this world owing to food and clothing. Fish dwell in water and regard water as their treasure. Trees grow on the earth and regard the earth as their treasure. Human beings have life owing to food, and regard food as their treasure.

Life is the foremost of all treasures. It is expounded that even the treasures of the entire major world system cannot equal the value of one’s body and life.2 Even the treasures that fill the major world system are no substitute for life. Life is like a lamp, and food is like oil. When the oil is exhausted, the lamp goes out, and without food, life will cease.

In worshiping all the deities and Buddhas, the word namu is put ahead of their names. To explain exactly what namu means, namu is a word from India. In China and Japan it is translated as “dedicating one’s life.” “Dedicating one’s life” means to offer one’s life to the Buddha. In accordance with their status, some have wives and children, relatives, fiefs, and gold and silver, while others have no treasure. Whether one has wealth or not, no treasure exceeds the one called life. This is why those known as the sages and worthies of ancient times offered their lives to the Buddha and then became Buddhas.

The boy Snow Mountains offered his body to a demon to receive a teaching composed of eight characters.3 Bodhisattva Medicine King burned his arms as an offering to the Lotus Sutra. In our own country too, Prince Shotoku peeled off the skin of his hand and copied the Lotus Sutra on it, and the sovereign known as Emperor Tenji4 burned his third finger as an offering to Shakyamuni Buddha. Because these things are the affairs of worthies and sages, they are impossible for us to do.

However, as for the matter of becoming a Buddha, ordinary people keep in mind the words “earnest resolve” and thereby become Buddhas. When we carefully consider what exactly earnest resolve refers to, it is the doctrine of observing the mind. When we inquire into what exactly the doctrine of observing the mind refers to, it means that offering one’s only robe to the Lotus Sutra is equivalent to peeling off one’s skin; and that in a time of famine, offering the food that is the only means for sustaining one’s life that day to the Buddha is offering one’s life to the Buddha.

The blessings from this are in no way inferior to those Bodhisattva Medicine King gained by burning his arms, or the boy Snow Mountains gained by offering his body to a demon. Thus, what is appropriate for sages is offering in actuality [offering one’s life itself for the Law]. What is appropriate for ordinary people is offering in principle [sincerely offering what is important to one’s own life]. This is the teaching called the paramita of almsgiving5 for the observation of the mind that is set forth in the seventh volume of Great Concentration and Insight.

The true path lies in the affairs of this world. The Golden Light Sutra states, “To have a profound knowledge of this world is itself Buddhism.” The Nirvana Sutra states, “All of the non- Buddhist scriptures and writings in society are themselves Buddhist teachings, not non-Buddhist teachings.”

When the Great Teacher Miao-lo compared these passages with the one from the sixth volume of the Lotus Sutra that reads, “No worldly affairs of life or work are ever contrary to the true reality,”6 he revealed their meaning and pointed out that although the first two sutras are profound, since their meaning is still shallow and fails to approach that of the Lotus Sutra, they relate secular matters in terms of Buddhism, whereas the Lotus Sutra explains that in the end secular matters are the entirety of Buddhism.

The essence of the sutras preached before the Lotus Sutra is that all phenomena arise from the mind. To illustrate, they say that the mind is like the great earth, while the grasses and trees are like all phenomena. But it is not so with the Lotus Sutra. It teaches that the mind itself is the great earth, and that the great earth itself is the grasses and trees. The meaning of the earlier sutras is that clarity of mind is like the moon, and that purity of mind is like a flower. But it is not so with the Lotus Sutra. It is the teaching that the moon itself is mind, and the flower itself is mind. You should realize from this that polished rice is not polished rice; it is life itself.


Background


This letter is missing the name of its addressee and the date of composition. The title, The Gift of Rice, derives from the opening passage of the letter, in which Nichiren Daishonin gives thanks for the offerings made. It also indicates the theme for this letter, which addresses the spirit of offering in Buddhism. While sages of old practiced “offering in actuality,” giving their very lives for Buddhism, ordinary people in the present age practice “offering in principle,” giving what sustains or is of value to their lives. Ultimately, the Daishonin says, “earnest resolve” is what makes offering, or almsgiving, in Buddhism.a meaningful act. The Daishonin thus equates the polished rice he has received to life itself.

Life at Mount Minobu was harsh, and the Daishonin and his disciples were often in need of food and other provisions. Fortunately, he had a loyal group of lay supporters who helped provide him with necessities.

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"To possess both wisdom and compassion is the heart of our human revolution. If you have wisdom alone and lack compassion, it will be a cold, perverse wisdom. If you have compassion alone and lack wisdom, you cannot give happiness to others. You are even likely to lead them in the wrong direction, and you won't be able to achieve your own happiness."

Daisaku Ikeda

 

[Weird]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[AfroSheep]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

I am waiting for all of you to start reporting about your local chanting meetings!!

I am waiting for all of you to start reporting about your local chanting meetings!!

broken boiler obstacle got you down? Fix it up right away with:

NAM-MYOHO-RENGE-KYO!
NAM-MYOHO-RENGE-KYO!
NAM-MYOHO-RENGE-KYO!

Financial burdens holding you back? Put yourself back on track with:

NAM-MYOHO-RENGE-KYO!
NAM-MYOHO-RENGE-KYO!
NAM-MYOHO-RENGE-KYO!

Chanting daimoku sure works for me!!!

Every monday night, come on down! This coming Monday we will chant for Sunny who is facing 3-5 because the DEA caught this super peaceful medical patient with 50 plants and some clones and claims he actually had 350 plants going with a potential street value of over 5 million dollars. My boy is a peaceful man with no criminal record and is facing all this shit because his partner had previous charges and was being followed! On tuesday is the trial date, Let's send Sunny daimoku just as we have been chanting for Lapides to overcome his obstacle too. Nothing is impossible with the power of the Gohonzon! When you take up this faith, you become the hero of the world!

With love,
MyohoDisco

 

[mrwags]

If You Ever Have A Need

If You Ever Have A Need

Ok group I have a bit of a deli-ma and felt since it involved our hobby I might ask the group.

MY little one is my life,heart mind body and soul. We have a connection most parents would die for. She(knock on wood)has yet to lie to me or even goes as far as to stretch the truth.

BUT

There's always a but isn't there.? I have also instilled in her the understanding of NEVER going at anything half-ass. Go hard or go home so to speak. She is in her LAST year of Private Christian school where she has gone since the start. She asked me months back about what I thought about Buddhism and I said to her I felt it was a way of life and a lot of their beliefs do coincide with Christianity that it gives you a way of looking outside the box and seeing the good in things as compared to the bad that folks living in a box see all to often.

Simple enough answer,or so I thought.lol

Later today my wife is going to her school and having a conference with her teacher to explain our daughter is not going to convert to Buddhism but simply is going to use it as a way of having a better life. WHY you ask?

These christian box living sheep who over the last 7 years have given over 40,000 told my daughter to be careful because the devil works in mysterious ways.

She is going because she felt it best I not.

If you ask my daughter what she thinks about having a black president she will not bat an eye and say "he could be purple for all I care as long as he does a good job".

You would think my daughter who has won COUNTLESS awards for being BEST PERSONALITY IN SCHOOL my have found something in her teachings that could possibly help others correct? BUT OH NO you can't worship the fat man lol lol lol.

FEW times in my life have I EVER been so disgusted with the world today. To be so ignorant and walk around like sheep and think we should always think this way or that way is utterly sad. We send our kids to school to LEARN plain and simple. Some of the best life lessons I have ever gotten came from when I was doing something BAD so I guess there is the conundrum.

Her and Mrs B have been buddys forever now and she has been kind enough to assist in helping her through this tough time. Even her best friend for over a decade now freaked out when she even mentioned it and it bothered my daughter because everything I have told her about it and how you can live it she has seen FIRST HAND.

Cause and Effect Keep It Simple Have An Open Mind and Always Try To Learn.

I've tried hard to find fault in those words and for the life of me I cannot. So with that in mind I will simply pray for those who lead a life of following not knowing what they could achieve by simply looking outside the box.


I Fell Better Now TY
Mr.Wags

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

Hey Brother Wags,

Great post my man. I just graduated from the biggest Christian University in the Country and I'm Buddhist too! Go on and take your daughter to a meeting like the ones that Babbabud, Mrs.Babba, Socal, and PasstheDoobie goto by visiting this link to find the closest community center: http://www.sgi-usa.org/sgilocations/

When I was interested in this Buddhism 6 years ago off posts from this same thread, I got that link above from Thomas and I made it to a meeting and met other young people also interested in this Buddhism. All different backgrounds and many christians too that still goto church or prayer groups. Buddhism is a practice and shouldn't be labelled until you try the type of Buddhism we embrace here which is open to everyone and you will never be asked to do anything besides chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo when you want to. Its really great and they have many youth oriented activities.

I graduated with my associates degree two years ago Magna Cum Laude on the Dean's list and just graduated from my bachelor's Cum Laude with Honors and on the Dean's List again. I'm also a high school dropout that was forced to goto catholic schools all my life and had a hard time adjusting to the stuff that comes with that.

Hey, invite Tony Stewart to come on down to a meeting after you bring your family. I'm sure he'll love it too. We all have a little chanting grower inside of us, don't you agree

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

incredibly amazing inspiration!!!! I am set for the week! Scegy & PTD & Babba & helloSoCal!!& everyone else here and abroad THANK YOU THANK YOU for encouraging me to take advantage of now, put into action my faith in the Gohonzon and manifest my desired intentions!

Not only is my
1)Self Esteem
2)Outlook on Life
3)Passion for Positivity
4)Karma
5)Surroundings/Enviroment
6)Decision making
7)Appreciation for life
8)Harmony with the Universe
9)Physical Appearance
10)Relationships with others
11)eating habits
12)resting habits
13)dialouge with myself and others
14)goals & direction in life
15)anything else escaping me at the moment!

is improving immensly!!!

All attributed to making time twice a day for gongyo and chanting throughout the day for everyone I can think of and myself. The benefit of just dedicating time to appreciation is immense, but also working towards new&old goals and expiriencing the results first hand proves Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is universal. Devoting yourself to the mystic law or the relation between the physical and mystical perfect as the lotus flower elevating ourselves into the universe's harmony is a rough translation of my evolving growth with Nam Myoho Renge Kyo! What other school of life teaches such great inspiration to flow from oneself! I have yet to feel and be so productive in my life than I have since I quit my stance on avoiding "truth" and embraced the good within myself.

Shit, I used to think I was totally fucked because of all my "sins" I never would have a chance to go beyond my limitations, that was all bullshit plain and simple. Pardon the vulgarities but its so TRUE! I believed I was born into sinning and suffering and bound to sin and suffer eternally! What a waste of time! As such passing on this wisdom reinforces my desire for kosen-rufu and love for the universe and all the intricacies! Someone else's benefit is also my benefit!

This thread is a testament to the fruitful propagation of the The Law.

Like the roar of a lion, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

Thank you all so much! I'm one of the happiest people on the planet right now and I know in my heart its because of all the chanting I keep doing everyday. Chant first, ask questions later. Chant to win and you will never lose. Chant chant chant - Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! my friends!

 

[AfroSheep]

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

I chant for all those who are currently in need, and i also chant for your friend sunny, easy.

Its such a discrimination when coppas, do the wrong by arresting honest hardworking, everyday people, who just try to keep at peace and harmony by self medicating on the most natural herb of this earth.

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

Hope all turns out well for you and yours, and every1 else who currently needs it,

infact i need abit of hope right now myself, my sister is in hostpital with her newborn 2-3 week old baby, after it caught eumonia, and then needed heart surgery and all kinds of crap.
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!, so i send this last chant out to her and him right now, and hope all will do the same .

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

Peace n Pot.

 

[Weird]

Mr. Wags, so nice to see you pop in and thank you for sharing

for me buddhism is about (very shallow dscription but for comoparison to christianity) using faith and reason to see the unseen cause and effect in humanity while christ was the corpreal representative of the unseen chrisitan god. with that said, my interpretive of ht new testiment is christ asks us to be bodhisattva wiht him in faith and seek through that pratice a knowledge of the same cause and effect as i feel was my experience

the teachings of nichiren read as if they were written from my soul, because of the life i had led in the name of Christ so after some time i have found a very interesting similarity and synergy between them

i dont want to go in depth there because its a personal journey for eeryone and its very relative to the given philosphy of your ancestors since it influenced their karma as long as it was part of thier percption

and because so much of this experience for me is "turning posion into medicine" i have looked for the unity in the differential amoung us so we can all enjoy a deeper understanding of each other, that i t may allow us to reach our ful potentials harmoniously.

so personally for me these things come to mind in a true chistian doctrine in regards to Buddhism:

christs most sacred dcotrine and the summation of all commandments into one, love your neihgbor as you would yourself. He asked us to represent the love of god but also asked us to reserve judgment for god as well. To me this means loving your neighbor means accpeting them as they are with any sort of judgement

so how can you embrace a melting pot nation as a good christian and be zionisitic?

Christ also taught nothing impure that you put inside you can make you impure only that what comes out of you makes you impure. so basically buddhist

teachings can to make you impure, only what you express as a result of its influence

it goes far deeper and I coudl get granular and show volumes of evidence such as a good portion of proverbs asks us to seek knowledge, wisdom and truth in the way of the world, all things buddhism teaches

i could go into far more examples but the point is any pure christian or buddhist can enable the furthiung of faith and compassion between each other and thus the world by finding the likeness between us

i think in essence its whats its about breaking through our personal impression of humanity as projected by our egos and connecting to the like human potential that resides in all of us

i personally believe that if we were to give a picture to the unseen spontaneous law of cause and effect it would show us the macrocosm of the spit of humanity as a garden and the goodness of the human potential that drives kosen rufu as a flower and god as the eternal infinate that wished this flower to be in the first place

so i can honor Christ in faith and learn from nichiren through reason and give selfelessly and compassionately without any fear for it has all come back to me, many times in very real ways

i hope everyone can learn to take down the walls of perception that woudl keep us from seeking inside of each other that which exists in the macrocosm of our collective being, that the whole of the human potential is greater the the sum of its parts

a journey that many faithful selfless and compassionately giving others have taken before you but remember all of them suffered what seemed to be many lifetimes of pain for their doctrines and this i beleive was done to save us from the same

bodhisattva personified

unfortunately many people only get the artificial or shallow meaning of things this way, i know for that I for one have suffered many lifetimes of pain in this lifetime to emerge a bit wiser grateful and more compassionate but very few i know would be willing ot take the same journey

so dont let the defacto understanding of things by those around you or the good works you are accomplishing in your daughter

in fact teach her patience and to endure the suffering of the belligerent because the further you evolve spiritualy the greater the rifft between those who do not

 

[Weird]

id really like to see some Nichiren.chanting teachings and testimony take back the course of this thread

i need my daily doses for good living

nam myoho renge kyo

nam myoho renge kyo

nam myoho renge kyo

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

id really like to see some Nichiren.chanting teachings and testimony take back the course of this thread

i need my daily doses for good living

nam myoho renge kyo

nam myoho renge kyo

nam myoho renge kyo

There are members all across America and I'm sure you have a few near you If you would like to attend a couple meetings and get some real doses of chanting just let me know and I'll do my best to help find you something local to help you. This practice is about life to life connections, its not really so intellectual or it wouldn't work for everyone. Just by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the Gohonzon we embrace Nichiren Daishonin and reveal our Buddhanature.Doing it with other Bodhisattvas is the ticket in my humble opinion Let me know how I can help

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

I chant for all those who are currently in need, and i also chant for your friend sunny, easy.

Its such a discrimination when coppas, do the wrong by arresting honest hardworking, everyday people, who just try to keep at peace and harmony by self medicating on the most natural herb of this earth.

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

Hope all turns out well for you and yours, and every1 else who currently needs it,

infact i need abit of hope right now myself, my sister is in hostpital with her newborn 2-3 week old baby, after it caught eumonia, and then needed heart surgery and all kinds of crap.
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!, so i send this last chant out to her and him right now, and hope all will do the same .

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

Peace n Pot.

Yo Afro, I'll be at a meeting later this morning and we'll have a group of long time members chanting for you're nephews recovery. Thanks for letting me know because when we unite in prayer nothing is impossible.

Thank you also for chanting for Sunny. He is a good man and we love him, but the system in America has to change and people who needs meds shouldn't be forced into jail for medicating and helping others live a more decent life. Thank you so much!


Afro, I recently heard that when we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! we are directly tapping into the power of the entire universe. I believe this to be true and that means that there is nothing that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo cannot change, improve or help us with. I absolutely rely on the Gohonzon everyday and my life has been much happier and better as a result. When I started posting here I was depressed, sad and broke, now I'm happy, confident and not so broke

I love accumulating treasures of the heart and that's what I find everytime I come to this thread. Thanks for having the strong ichinen to keep coming back here and sharing your heart with us. If anything, I genuinely appreciate your words.

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

Friday, January 7th, 2011
-- TO MY FRIENDS by President Ikeda --
Let's be very careful not to catch a cold or the flu!
By washing our hands and gargling regularly
and making every effort to stay in good health,
let's make our health our first and foremost priority.
Constantly reminding each other to be prudent and careful,
let's always look out for each other and make great progress together!

*"It is a matter of rejoicing that your usual prudence and courage, as well as your firm faith in the Lotus Sutra, enabled you to survive unharmed."
- "The Strategy of the Lotus Sutra", WND-I, page 1000

Friday, January 7th, 2011
--- DAILY GOSHO ---
"In winter, buildings are often destroyed by fire. If we were to allow this building to be destroyed in such a way, we would not only suffer its loss, but others would view us with ridicule."

(Letter to Two Persons - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.2, page 833)
Selection source: "Suntetsu", Seikyo Shimbun, January 7th, 2011

Saturday, January 8th, 2011
---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----
"Kosen-rufu depends on how many suffering people we are able to connect with and support....

"The purpose of Buddhism is to enable all people to become happy. That is why it is so important to cherish and encourage each individual. The purpose of Buddhism is also to create world peace. That is why we must value society and strive to establish deep roots in our communities."
SGI Newsletter No. 8136, OUR BRILLIANT PATH TO VICTORY, Forging Ahead Based on the Two Ways of Practice and Study--Part 1 [of 2], from the Nov. 12th, 2010, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, translated Dec. 22nd, 2010




-- TO MY FRIENDS --
We are now at a most important juncture,
looking ahead to the dawn of a new age
that will lay the foundations of kosen-rufu for eternity!
Determined to strengthen our faith, more than ever*
let us courageously win over every single challenge ahead of us!

* Gosho, The Supremacy of the Law, WND-1, page 614, "I say this for your sake. I know your faith has always been admirable, but now you must strengthen it more than ever. Only then will the ten demon daughters lend you even greater protection. You need not seek far for an example. Everyone in Japan, from the sovereign on down to the common people, without exception has tried to do me harm, but I have survived until this day. You should realise that this is because, although I am alone, I have firm faith."

Thursday, January 6th, 2011
--- DAILY GOSHO ---
Believe in this mandala with all your heart. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is like the roar of a lion. What sickness can therefore be an obstacle?
(Reply to Kyo'o - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 412)
Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, January 6th, 2011

Friday, January 7th, 2011
---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----
"Sincerely encouraging another person can positively impact the future. In places where we see people growing and developing, the reason invariably lies in an atmosphere of warm encouragement. Encouragement is the driving force for raising capable people and spurring dynamic growth."
SGI Newsletter No. 8136, OUR BRILLIANT PATH TO VICTORY, Forging Ahead Based on the Two Ways of Practice and Study--Part 1 [of 2], from the Nov. 12th, 2010, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, translated Dec. 22nd, 2010

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

A Poem for Today

A Poem for Today

Prayer is the Foundation
Concrete Action Yields Results
Shining from within a new Dawn Arises

Prayer is the Foundation
Creating Action Yields Results
As Faith develops Happiness follows

Prayer is the Foundation
Taking Action Yields Results
Chant to Win and live a victorious life!

-EasyMyohoDisco

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

The Joy of Faith Based on the Principle of "Voluntarily Assuming the
Appropriate Karma"

"With this body of mine, I have fulfilled the prophecies of the sutra.
The more the government authorities rage against me, the greater is my
joy. For instance, there are certain Hinayana bodhisattvas, not yet
freed from delusion, who draw evil karma to themselves by their own
compassionate vow. If they see that their father and mother have
fallen into hell and are suffering greatly, they will deliberately
create the appropriate karma in hopes that they too may fall into hell
and share in and take their suffering upon themselves. Thus suffering
is a joy to them. It is the same with me [in fulfilling the
prophecies]. Though at present I must face trials that I can scarcely
endure, I rejoice when I think that in the future I will escape being
born into the evil paths"
(WND, 243).

Compassion is the driving force behind perseverance, while
perseverance is proof of deep compassion. To explain this, the
Daishonin discusses the principle of "voluntarily assuming the
appropriate karma."

Here, the Daishonin states that his experiencing great persecutions
corresponds with the principle of bodhisattvas voluntarily assuming
karma and choosing to take on suffering out of a desire to lead living
beings to enlightenment. And just as bodhisattvas regard undergoing
suffering on behalf of living beings as a source of joy, Nichiren says
he also views experiencing pain and hardship as a result of these
present persecutions as a cause for rejoicing, because it will enable
him to escape falling into the evil paths in future existences.

The Daishonin's assertion that voluntarily assuming the appropriate
karma is a source of joy echoes the final lines of "The Opening of the
Eyes," where he states: "For what I have done, I have been condemned
to exile, but it is a small suffering to undergo in this present life
and not one worth lamenting. In future lives I will enjoy immense
happiness, a thought that gives me great joy" (WND, 287).

The principle of "voluntarily assuming the appropriate karma" is the
logical conclusion of the Buddhist concept of transforming one's
karma. Simply put, it represents a way of life in which we change
karma into mission.

Everything that happens in our lives has meaning. Moreover, the
Buddhist way of life is to find and discover meaning in all things.
Nothing is futile or meaningless. Whatever a person's karma may be, it
definitely has some profound significance.

This is not just a matter of mere outlook. Changing the world starts
by changing our fundamental state of mind, this is a key Buddhist
principle. A powerful determination to transform even negative karma
into mission can dramatically transform the real world. By changing
our inner state of mind, we can change any suffering or hardship into
a source of joy, regarding it as a means for forging and developing
our lives. To turn even sorrow into a source of creativity — that is
the way of life of a Buddhist. Nichiren Daishonin teaches us this
essential path through his own life and actions as the votary of the
Lotus Sutra.

Having a fighting spirit is itself the direct path to happiness. Only
through struggles and challenges can we develop inner strength and
construct truly creative lives. Also, by maintaining unwavering faith
in the correct teaching no matter what obstacles or hardships arise,
we can enter the orbit of happiness for all eternity. Attaining
Buddhahood in this lifetime means securing this orbit in our daily
lives during our present existence.

The practitioner of the correct teaching who ceaselessly struggles to
spread the Law may be interpreted as the ultimate paragon of humanity
that Nichiren sets forth based on the Lotus Sutra.

Viewed from such a lofty state of life, all difficulties become the
genuine foundation for our personal development and growth.
Practitioners of the correct teaching who endure obstacles with the
awareness, "[If devils did not arise], there would be no way of
knowing that this is the correct teaching" ("Letter to the Brothers,"
WND, 501), come to embody the Mystic Law without fail. They attain the
expansive state of life in which they can regard all difficulties as
"peace and comfort,"6 and rejoice at them with the spirit conveyed
when Nichiren writes: "The greater the hardships befalling him, the
greater the delight he feels, because of his strong faith" ("A Ship to
Cross the Sea of Sufferings," WND, 33).

By clearly revealing this state of life to his followers and everyone
throughout the land in "The Opening of the Eyes," Nichiren Daishonin
sought to open the eyes of all people shrouded in fundamental
darkness. He also strove to convey the quintessential joy experienced
by the votary of the Lotus Sutra.

Living Buddhism 6/1/2005: SGI President Ikeda's address at a
divisional representative leaders conference, held at the Shinano
Culture Center, Tokyo, June 29.

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