T
TrichyTrichy
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!!!!!
Thank you for returning
Thank you for returning
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Chanting Growers Group
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E
EasyMyohoDisco
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!!!!!
Thank you for returning
Same to you Trichy!
What a pleasure to see T and Trichy on the same page! Now its Babba's turn... Cuban Strain
Member
Thank you PTD, but I humbly bow to you. All I know is that Karma is real. It is the Mystic Law! We need not understand how it works, just know that it works. Chant as Nichiren describes it to us and you shall tap into this infinite wisdom within us all. We all don't know how electricity works (Well maybe some of the handy guys around here do...lol,) yet we flip the switch everyday positive that the light will turn on. Just know that your thoughts are the causes. Once you believe in these thoughts your subconscious mind will manifest them; in fact, this to me signifies Karma. That is the simultaneity of Karma, cause and effect, and the Lotus flower seeding and blooming at the same time. It is all the same.Your post is truly POWERFUL stuff!! Thank you Cuban!
Bowing in humble obeisance,
T
And to clarify a part of a post a few days back:
IMHO this is why we aren't all born Buddhas. We all have that buddhahood within us, but each and everyone of us must walk the walk that Nichiren explains. He can only show us his path. We must take action and walk it for ourselves. If you walk the walk with determined conviction of your reaching buddhahood...So shall it be!!!!
If Nichiren would've been able to make us all Buddhas then he would've done that; however, only you can change your life. You may only be shown a path which you have the choice to walk out of your own volition. This is what them mean by you must chant then take action...
Be very careful and please only use this for good! Because we all have seen how this can be used in the wrong way... Many examples come to mind, but the Temple Issue stands out for me in this moment.
I just want to thank you all for manifesting this thread! I am truly grateful to all of you for its existence.
"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."
(Happiness in This World - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 681) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, Feb. 19th, 2011
(Happiness in This World - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 681) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, Feb. 19th, 2011
"Let us always advance with an indomitable and youthful spirit! No matter what may have happened yesterday, a new day of fresh possibility dawns.
"We are not the same person today as we were yesterday. The Soka Gakkai is not the same organisation as it was yesterday. With that determination, let's usher in a new dawn from today. Let us create a new dawn of value creation once again in our lives.
"Yasuzaemon Matsunaga (1875-1971), a Japanese electrical industry pioneer, was a student of Japanese author Yukichi Fukuzawa (1835-1901) and a dear friend of British historian Arnold J. Toynbee (1889-1975). He once said: 'A person who lives this day well has lived well in the past and will live well in the future.'"
SGI Newsletter No. 8164, OUR BRILLIANT PATH TO VICTORY, The Hope-filled Dawn of a New Age--Part 1 [of 2], translated Feb. 17th, 2011
"We are not the same person today as we were yesterday. The Soka Gakkai is not the same organisation as it was yesterday. With that determination, let's usher in a new dawn from today. Let us create a new dawn of value creation once again in our lives.
"Yasuzaemon Matsunaga (1875-1971), a Japanese electrical industry pioneer, was a student of Japanese author Yukichi Fukuzawa (1835-1901) and a dear friend of British historian Arnold J. Toynbee (1889-1975). He once said: 'A person who lives this day well has lived well in the past and will live well in the future.'"
SGI Newsletter No. 8164, OUR BRILLIANT PATH TO VICTORY, The Hope-filled Dawn of a New Age--Part 1 [of 2], translated Feb. 17th, 2011
"Winter always turns to spring."
(Winter Always Turns to Spring - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 536) Selection source: SGI President Ikeda's poem, Seikyo Shimbun, March 27th, 2011
(Winter Always Turns to Spring - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 536) Selection source: SGI President Ikeda's poem, Seikyo Shimbun, March 27th, 2011
"In a letter to the lay nun Ueno, mother of the young Nanjo Tokimitsu, Nichiren Daishonin writes: 'Neither the pure land nor hell exists outside oneself, both lie only within one's own heart....One who embraces the Lotus Sutra will realise that hell is itself the Land of Tranquil Light' (WND-1, 456).
"When we are consumed by the sufferings of our small lesser self, our heart is trapped in the restrictive, confining state of hell. But deep within each of our lives, we possess the free and untrammelled world of Buddhahood, which is vaster than the ocean and wider than the sky. Courage derived from faith in the Daishonin's Buddhism enables us to manifest this expansive state of Buddhahood and build a 'Land of Tranquil Light' right here, in the world in which we live.
"My mentor, second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda, said: 'The courage of the Buddha can withstand all misfortune. It can prompt even the most negative and devilish forces to support the cause of Buddhism. If we intrepidly take action, a strength we never knew we had will emerge from within, allowing us to overcome every obstacle.'"
SGI Newsletter No. 8184, Editorial from the April 2011 issue of Daibyakurenge, The Invincible Courage of Soka, translated March 18th, 2011
"When we are consumed by the sufferings of our small lesser self, our heart is trapped in the restrictive, confining state of hell. But deep within each of our lives, we possess the free and untrammelled world of Buddhahood, which is vaster than the ocean and wider than the sky. Courage derived from faith in the Daishonin's Buddhism enables us to manifest this expansive state of Buddhahood and build a 'Land of Tranquil Light' right here, in the world in which we live.
"My mentor, second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda, said: 'The courage of the Buddha can withstand all misfortune. It can prompt even the most negative and devilish forces to support the cause of Buddhism. If we intrepidly take action, a strength we never knew we had will emerge from within, allowing us to overcome every obstacle.'"
SGI Newsletter No. 8184, Editorial from the April 2011 issue of Daibyakurenge, The Invincible Courage of Soka, translated March 18th, 2011
Nam myoho renge kyo
Nam myoho renge kyo
We are always here Afro no worries. Always have at least one eye over this way !
Nam myoho renge kyo
Nam myoho renge kyo
Nam myoho renge kyo
Nam myoho renge kyo
We are always here Afro
no worries. Always have at least one eye over this way !Nam myoho renge kyo
Nam myoho renge kyo
Nam myoho renge kyo
Woa! Did I miss something? One of the main reasons I'm posting is the email I got from Bud and MrsB. Are they not here?
Brother and Sister! All my love and respect to both of you!
Is everything OK?
Bowing in humble obeisance,
'
Thomas
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!Nevermind!!!
The True Entity of Life (The True Aspect of All Phenomena) continued
The True Entity of Life (The True Aspect of All Phenomena) continued
The True Envoys
No one but Nichiren has ever revealed these teachings. T'ien-t'ai, Miao-lo and Dengyo knew in their hearts but did not declare them aloud. There was reason for their silence: The Buddha had not entrusted them with this mission, the time had not yet come, and they had not been the Buddha's disciples from ages past. No one but Jogyo, Muhengyo and the other leaders of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth can appear during the first five hundred years of the Latter Day to spread the Law of Myoho-renge-kyo. Only they are qualified to inscribe the object of worship which physically manifests the ceremony of the two Buddhas seated together in the Treasure Tower. This is because both the Law and the object of worship are the reality of ichinen sanzen revealed in the Juryo chapter of the essential teaching.
Nichiren Daishonin was the first person ever to reveal that "the true entity of all phenomena" taught in the Hoben chapter and the ceremony in the air that takes place in the essential teaching both express Myoho-renge-kyo. However, since the true aim of the Lotus Sutra is to reveal Myoho-renge-kyo, T'ien-t'ai, Miao-lo and Dengyo, who so thoroughly mastered the Lotus Sutra, must have known this truth in their hearts. This is why the Daishonin was able to say, "T'ien-t'ai, Miao-lo and Dengyo knew in their hearts but did not declare them aloud."
"Declare them aloud" of course means to teach what they knew to others, but why didn't T'ien-t'ai, Miao-lo and Dengyo teach anyone else what they had realized within their own hearts? The Daishonin gives us three reasons: One is that the Buddha did not direct them to carry out the mission. During the ceremony of the Lotus Sutra Shakyamuni Buddha singled out his original disciples, the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, for the mission of propagating the sutra's most important teaching. In comparison, T'ien-t'ai, Miao-lo and Dengyo were bodhisattvas of the theoretical teaching, whom the Buddha had excluded from this mission.
The second reason is that the time was not yet right. For in the Yakuo (23rd) chapter of the Lotus Sutra it is stated, "In the fifth five hundred years after my death, accomplish worldwide kosen-rufu." The time to commence propagation of the ultimate teaching of the Lotus Sutra, he said, would be the fifth half-millennium after Shakyamuni's death --- the first five hundred years of the Latter Day of the Law. "The time" is the most important condition for the spreading of the Law. Only a Buddha who thoroughly understands the three existences of life can know when the time is right for propagation. That is why the Buddha himself clearly set the time for the teaching of the Mystic Law. The age when T'ien-t'ai, Miao-lo and Dengyo made their advent in this world fell in the fourth half-millennium, and that is why they did not "declare aloud" the Mystic Law to the people of their day.
The third reason is that they were not among the original disciples of the Buddha. The original disciples of the Buddha are those totally in one mind with the Buddha and sharing his enlightenment. The Bodhisattvas of the Earth are the disciples of the original Buddha himself. They temporarily appeared in the ceremony of the sutra to receive the mission of propagating the Mystic Law. Only those who have attained the same level of enlightenment as the Buddha and are in every way equal to the Buddha can teach and propagate the Mystic Law. To propagate the Mystic Law is, as the sutra states, "to carry out the Buddha's work as the envoy of the Buddha."
At this point, let me say a few words about the relationship between the original Buddha's disciples, the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, and the bodhisattvas of the theoretical teaching. As to where the Bodhisattvas of the Earth live, the Lotus Sutra says it is "the space below the earth," and T'ien-t'ai, "the ultimate depth of life, that being the absolute reality." Nichiren Daishonin defined it simply as "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo." It is Bodhisattvas of the Earth who realize Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as their very life and take on the propagation of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as their mission and life's work.
In contrast, the bodhisattvas of the theoretical teaching work to benefit the people through their various capacities --- Kannon with the ability to recognize the trends of society, Myo'on by soothing people with beautiful music, Miroku with a merciful heart, and Yakuo by relieving people of their illness with medicine. Using their special skills, these bodhisattvas contribute to the welfare of the people. Those today who serve others and contribute to society with all the talents at their command and a truly benevolent heart are considered to correspond to these bodhisattvas. However, we are the only ones in the world who devote their lives to the people by propagating the supreme law, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Only we are Bodhisattvas of the Earth.
According to the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni did not allow the transient bodhisattvas to propagate the teaching after his death. He said, "Desist, men of good faith!" and then pointedly summoned clouds of bodhisattvas from under the ground. He entrusted these Bodhisattvas of the Earth with the task of spreading the ultimate teaching. Only the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, disciples of the original Buddha, can devote their lives to benefiting the people and society of our day by propagating the supreme teaching of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. And that is the fundamental practice in the Latter Day of the Law.
We know our religious activities befit bodhisattvas who fulfill the Buddha's mission, but what about our secular activities? Although our social activities are just like those of transient bodhisattvas, who use their skills for the people, when we understand that it is our life's work to live only by Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and propagate it to society, we are truly Bodhisattvas of the Earth. To put it another way, we are Bodhisattvas of the Earth who contribute to society in two ways: religious or essential, and secular or phenomenal. But if we forget that our mission is to propagate and live by the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we will be unable to carry out the benevolent acts of transient bodhisattvas. We would become too involved in the pursuit of fame or power, lose control of ourselves in daily life, and finally fall into the four evil paths (Hell, Hunger, Animality and Anger). Those who devote themselves to kosen-rufu, be they students, housewives, scholars or working men, are all Bodhisattvas of the Earth, which is what we must all strive to become. If a housewife or a student thinks of faith only as something to help in overcoming personal troubles, that person will be lost in a very shallow view of his or her mission. We must get to the core of our true identity as Bodhisattvas of the Earth and root our entire being in the Gohonzon, the Soka Gakkai, and work for kosen-rufu.
Because T'ien-t'ai, Miao-lo and Dengyo lacked the three requirements that were specified for propagation, they were unable to spread the ultimate teaching of the Lotus Sutra. Only the Bodhisattvas of the Earth --- the original Buddha, Nichiren Daishonin, and his disciples --- can propagate this teaching. 'No one but Jogyo, Muhengyo and the other leaders of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth can . . . spread the Law of Myoho-renge-kyo" corresponds to the words: "the Buddha had not entrusted them [T'ien-t'ai, Miao-lo and Dengyo] with this mission." Further, the Buddha's statement in the Yujutsu (15th) chapter, "I have taught these people [the Bodhisattvas of the Earth] since the remotest past" verifies the passage in the Gosho, "[T'ien-t'ai, Miao-lo and Dengyo] had not been the Buddha's disciples from ages past." Certainly, "No one but Jogyo . . . can appear during the first five hundred years of the Latter Day" states very clearly the meaning of "the time had not yet come." Nichiren Daishonin is the very person who fulfills all of the above mentioned three conditions.
"No one but Jogyo . . . can appear . . . to spread the Law of Myoho-renge-kyo" is saying that the Daishonin first propagated the daimoku of true Buddhism. "No one but Jogyo . . . are qualified to inscribe the object of worship which physically manifests the ceremony of the two Buddhas seated together in the Treasure Tower" signifies that the Daishonin established the object of worship of true Buddhism. If the only purpose of the Daishonin's advent was to propagate the daimoku, he would not have stated that he would also embody the ceremony of the Treasure Tower. Therefore, there can be no question that the purpose of Nichiren Daishonin's advent was to inscribe the Dai-Gohonzon.
Why is it that no one but the leaders of Bodhisattvas of the Earth can spread the daimoku and inscribe the Gohonzon? The Gosho says, "This is because both the Law and the object of worship are the reality of ichinen sanzen revealed in the Juryo chapter of the essential teaching." As you know, ichinen sanzen was explained by T'ien-t'ai in his perfect analysis of life. But a theory is not enough to help all people make the truth of life their-own. This is why Nichiren Daishonin embodied his own life of ichinen sanzen in the form of Gohonzon to enable everyone to attain enlightenment by chanting daimoku to the Gohonzon. The four leaders of those bodhisattvas --- Jogyo, Muhengyo, Jyogyo and Anryugyo --- represent the four virtues of the original Buddha, the integrity, freedom, purity and happiness of Nichiren Daishonin's life. Then, "Jogyo and the other leaders of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth" indicates a single person, Nichiren Daishonin, who possesses all their virtues in his own life. The original Buddha is the object of worship as the Person, and ichinen sanzen the object of worship as the Law. Because the original Buddha's life is ichinen sanzen itself, they are not two different things but one. That is the oneness of the Person and the Law. Whereas the Bodhisattvas of the Earth can propagate the teaching, the other bodhisattvas cannot; they spread only the theoretical teaching in the former half of the Lotus Sutra.
I think you can see that ichinen sanzen as used in the passage quoted does not indicate the theory T'ien-t'ai expounded. Rather, seen in the light of the Daishonin's enlightenment, it refers to the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the core of the Juryo chapter in the latter half (essential teaching) of Lotus Sutra.
Shakyamuni, T'ien-t'ai and Dengyo all attained Buddhahood by realizing the Mystic Law. They appeared among people to prepare the way for Nichiren Daishonin. The Law which they sought for their entire lives is embodied in the Gohonzon. We embrace the Daishonin's philosophy --- the supreme philosophy of life. Let us renew our determination to carry out our great mission in this world.
(to be continued...)
The True Entity of Life (The True Aspect of All Phenomena) continued
The True Envoys
No one but Nichiren has ever revealed these teachings. T'ien-t'ai, Miao-lo and Dengyo knew in their hearts but did not declare them aloud. There was reason for their silence: The Buddha had not entrusted them with this mission, the time had not yet come, and they had not been the Buddha's disciples from ages past. No one but Jogyo, Muhengyo and the other leaders of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth can appear during the first five hundred years of the Latter Day to spread the Law of Myoho-renge-kyo. Only they are qualified to inscribe the object of worship which physically manifests the ceremony of the two Buddhas seated together in the Treasure Tower. This is because both the Law and the object of worship are the reality of ichinen sanzen revealed in the Juryo chapter of the essential teaching.
Nichiren Daishonin was the first person ever to reveal that "the true entity of all phenomena" taught in the Hoben chapter and the ceremony in the air that takes place in the essential teaching both express Myoho-renge-kyo. However, since the true aim of the Lotus Sutra is to reveal Myoho-renge-kyo, T'ien-t'ai, Miao-lo and Dengyo, who so thoroughly mastered the Lotus Sutra, must have known this truth in their hearts. This is why the Daishonin was able to say, "T'ien-t'ai, Miao-lo and Dengyo knew in their hearts but did not declare them aloud."
"Declare them aloud" of course means to teach what they knew to others, but why didn't T'ien-t'ai, Miao-lo and Dengyo teach anyone else what they had realized within their own hearts? The Daishonin gives us three reasons: One is that the Buddha did not direct them to carry out the mission. During the ceremony of the Lotus Sutra Shakyamuni Buddha singled out his original disciples, the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, for the mission of propagating the sutra's most important teaching. In comparison, T'ien-t'ai, Miao-lo and Dengyo were bodhisattvas of the theoretical teaching, whom the Buddha had excluded from this mission.
The second reason is that the time was not yet right. For in the Yakuo (23rd) chapter of the Lotus Sutra it is stated, "In the fifth five hundred years after my death, accomplish worldwide kosen-rufu." The time to commence propagation of the ultimate teaching of the Lotus Sutra, he said, would be the fifth half-millennium after Shakyamuni's death --- the first five hundred years of the Latter Day of the Law. "The time" is the most important condition for the spreading of the Law. Only a Buddha who thoroughly understands the three existences of life can know when the time is right for propagation. That is why the Buddha himself clearly set the time for the teaching of the Mystic Law. The age when T'ien-t'ai, Miao-lo and Dengyo made their advent in this world fell in the fourth half-millennium, and that is why they did not "declare aloud" the Mystic Law to the people of their day.
The third reason is that they were not among the original disciples of the Buddha. The original disciples of the Buddha are those totally in one mind with the Buddha and sharing his enlightenment. The Bodhisattvas of the Earth are the disciples of the original Buddha himself. They temporarily appeared in the ceremony of the sutra to receive the mission of propagating the Mystic Law. Only those who have attained the same level of enlightenment as the Buddha and are in every way equal to the Buddha can teach and propagate the Mystic Law. To propagate the Mystic Law is, as the sutra states, "to carry out the Buddha's work as the envoy of the Buddha."
At this point, let me say a few words about the relationship between the original Buddha's disciples, the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, and the bodhisattvas of the theoretical teaching. As to where the Bodhisattvas of the Earth live, the Lotus Sutra says it is "the space below the earth," and T'ien-t'ai, "the ultimate depth of life, that being the absolute reality." Nichiren Daishonin defined it simply as "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo." It is Bodhisattvas of the Earth who realize Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as their very life and take on the propagation of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as their mission and life's work.
In contrast, the bodhisattvas of the theoretical teaching work to benefit the people through their various capacities --- Kannon with the ability to recognize the trends of society, Myo'on by soothing people with beautiful music, Miroku with a merciful heart, and Yakuo by relieving people of their illness with medicine. Using their special skills, these bodhisattvas contribute to the welfare of the people. Those today who serve others and contribute to society with all the talents at their command and a truly benevolent heart are considered to correspond to these bodhisattvas. However, we are the only ones in the world who devote their lives to the people by propagating the supreme law, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Only we are Bodhisattvas of the Earth.
According to the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni did not allow the transient bodhisattvas to propagate the teaching after his death. He said, "Desist, men of good faith!" and then pointedly summoned clouds of bodhisattvas from under the ground. He entrusted these Bodhisattvas of the Earth with the task of spreading the ultimate teaching. Only the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, disciples of the original Buddha, can devote their lives to benefiting the people and society of our day by propagating the supreme teaching of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. And that is the fundamental practice in the Latter Day of the Law.
We know our religious activities befit bodhisattvas who fulfill the Buddha's mission, but what about our secular activities? Although our social activities are just like those of transient bodhisattvas, who use their skills for the people, when we understand that it is our life's work to live only by Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and propagate it to society, we are truly Bodhisattvas of the Earth. To put it another way, we are Bodhisattvas of the Earth who contribute to society in two ways: religious or essential, and secular or phenomenal. But if we forget that our mission is to propagate and live by the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we will be unable to carry out the benevolent acts of transient bodhisattvas. We would become too involved in the pursuit of fame or power, lose control of ourselves in daily life, and finally fall into the four evil paths (Hell, Hunger, Animality and Anger). Those who devote themselves to kosen-rufu, be they students, housewives, scholars or working men, are all Bodhisattvas of the Earth, which is what we must all strive to become. If a housewife or a student thinks of faith only as something to help in overcoming personal troubles, that person will be lost in a very shallow view of his or her mission. We must get to the core of our true identity as Bodhisattvas of the Earth and root our entire being in the Gohonzon, the Soka Gakkai, and work for kosen-rufu.
Because T'ien-t'ai, Miao-lo and Dengyo lacked the three requirements that were specified for propagation, they were unable to spread the ultimate teaching of the Lotus Sutra. Only the Bodhisattvas of the Earth --- the original Buddha, Nichiren Daishonin, and his disciples --- can propagate this teaching. 'No one but Jogyo, Muhengyo and the other leaders of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth can . . . spread the Law of Myoho-renge-kyo" corresponds to the words: "the Buddha had not entrusted them [T'ien-t'ai, Miao-lo and Dengyo] with this mission." Further, the Buddha's statement in the Yujutsu (15th) chapter, "I have taught these people [the Bodhisattvas of the Earth] since the remotest past" verifies the passage in the Gosho, "[T'ien-t'ai, Miao-lo and Dengyo] had not been the Buddha's disciples from ages past." Certainly, "No one but Jogyo . . . can appear during the first five hundred years of the Latter Day" states very clearly the meaning of "the time had not yet come." Nichiren Daishonin is the very person who fulfills all of the above mentioned three conditions.
"No one but Jogyo . . . can appear . . . to spread the Law of Myoho-renge-kyo" is saying that the Daishonin first propagated the daimoku of true Buddhism. "No one but Jogyo . . . are qualified to inscribe the object of worship which physically manifests the ceremony of the two Buddhas seated together in the Treasure Tower" signifies that the Daishonin established the object of worship of true Buddhism. If the only purpose of the Daishonin's advent was to propagate the daimoku, he would not have stated that he would also embody the ceremony of the Treasure Tower. Therefore, there can be no question that the purpose of Nichiren Daishonin's advent was to inscribe the Dai-Gohonzon.
Why is it that no one but the leaders of Bodhisattvas of the Earth can spread the daimoku and inscribe the Gohonzon? The Gosho says, "This is because both the Law and the object of worship are the reality of ichinen sanzen revealed in the Juryo chapter of the essential teaching." As you know, ichinen sanzen was explained by T'ien-t'ai in his perfect analysis of life. But a theory is not enough to help all people make the truth of life their-own. This is why Nichiren Daishonin embodied his own life of ichinen sanzen in the form of Gohonzon to enable everyone to attain enlightenment by chanting daimoku to the Gohonzon. The four leaders of those bodhisattvas --- Jogyo, Muhengyo, Jyogyo and Anryugyo --- represent the four virtues of the original Buddha, the integrity, freedom, purity and happiness of Nichiren Daishonin's life. Then, "Jogyo and the other leaders of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth" indicates a single person, Nichiren Daishonin, who possesses all their virtues in his own life. The original Buddha is the object of worship as the Person, and ichinen sanzen the object of worship as the Law. Because the original Buddha's life is ichinen sanzen itself, they are not two different things but one. That is the oneness of the Person and the Law. Whereas the Bodhisattvas of the Earth can propagate the teaching, the other bodhisattvas cannot; they spread only the theoretical teaching in the former half of the Lotus Sutra.
I think you can see that ichinen sanzen as used in the passage quoted does not indicate the theory T'ien-t'ai expounded. Rather, seen in the light of the Daishonin's enlightenment, it refers to the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the core of the Juryo chapter in the latter half (essential teaching) of Lotus Sutra.
Shakyamuni, T'ien-t'ai and Dengyo all attained Buddhahood by realizing the Mystic Law. They appeared among people to prepare the way for Nichiren Daishonin. The Law which they sought for their entire lives is embodied in the Gohonzon. We embrace the Daishonin's philosophy --- the supreme philosophy of life. Let us renew our determination to carry out our great mission in this world.
(to be continued...)
"Although I and my disciples may encounter various difficulties, if we do not harbour doubts in our hearts, we will as a matter of course attain Buddhahood."
(The Opening of the Eyes - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 283) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, January 20th, 2011
(The Opening of the Eyes - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 283) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, January 20th, 2011
"Iron, when heated in the flames and pounded, becomes a fine sword. Worthies and sages are tested by abuse."
(Letter from Sado - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 303) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, January 29th, 2011
(Letter from Sado - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 303) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, January 29th, 2011
E
EasyMyohoDisco
Augusta is within the Land of the Eternally Tranquil Light!
Augusta is within the Land of the Eternally Tranquil Light!
Jim Nantz will say..."Silence on the deck..."
"EasyDisco is going for birdie with this putt.... he's measuring, he's ready.... ok here comes it comes...."
"EASYDISCO JUST WON THE MASTERS! THIS IS UNPRECEDENTED FOR A NEW PROFESSIONAL GOLFER TO WIN THE MASTERS!"
I'll say "Yeah I want to thank the Gohonzon for everything. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo got me here and I owe my life to the Mystic Law and my eternal mentor Nichiren Daishonin!"
(This may happen if I chant for it and play more often!)
Augusta is within the Land of the Eternally Tranquil Light!
Jim Nantz will say..."Silence on the deck..."
"EasyDisco is going for birdie with this putt.... he's measuring, he's ready.... ok here comes it comes...."
"EASYDISCO JUST WON THE MASTERS! THIS IS UNPRECEDENTED FOR A NEW PROFESSIONAL GOLFER TO WIN THE MASTERS!"
I'll say "Yeah I want to thank the Gohonzon for everything. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo got me here and I owe my life to the Mystic Law and my eternal mentor Nichiren Daishonin!"
(This may happen if I chant for it and play more often!)
The True Entity of Life (The True Aspect of All Phenomena) continued
The True Entity of Life (The True Aspect of All Phenomena) continued
Entity and Function
The two Buddhas, Shakyamuni and Taho (Many Treasures), are merely functions of the true Buddha, while Myoho-renge-kyo actually is the true Buddha. The sutra explains this as "the Tathagata's secret and his mystic power." The "secret" refers to the entity of the Buddha's three properties and the "mystic power" to their functions. The entity is the true Buddha and the function, a provisional Buddha.
The Daishonin says here that Myoho-renge-kyo or Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the eternal and indestructible basis of the Buddha's life, and that Shakyamuni and Taho (Many Treasures) Buddhas are functions of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. The relationship between entity and function appears clearly in the Gohonzon. Written in the center of the Gohonzon is "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nichiren," while Shakyamuni and Taho Buddhas are inscribed on the left and right sides. In other words, the two Buddhas are situated in positions to express the intrinsic functions of the Mystic Law. Not only Shakyamuni and Taho but all other Buddhas in the universe as well are functions of the Mystic Law. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is Nichiren Daishonin's life itself; therefore, the Daishonin can move all other Buddhas in the universe. By embracing the Gohonzon we too can stir these Buddhas and bodhisattvas at our command. What a great ocean of life we can discover! When we really develop our powers of faith and practice, the life of the Daishonin wells up from our depths, just as stated in Nichikan Shonin's annotation of the Totaigi Sho (The Entity of the Mystic Law), "As the result of embracing and believing in the Mystic Law we can manifest ourselves as Nichiren Daishonin."
The difference between "true" and "provisional" is that the former means the actual self of our life, while the latter is the temporal reflection or image of that self. To explain in easier language, T'ien-t'ai compares the relationship between "true" and provisional to that between the moon in the sky and its reflection on the surface of a pond. The moon shining in the nocturnal sky is "true" and its reflection on the surface of a pond, "provisional."
The moon is of course reflected in many surfaces --- the sea, a pond or even a glass of water. Reflections appear in any smooth reflective surface. A movie screen is also a good surface for reflecting light. In the latter half, or essential teaching, of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni revealed that he had attained enlightenment in the distant past. When the Buddha taught he had attained enlightenment long ago in gohyaku-jintengo, he revealed his true identity, but in all the earlier teachings when he taught that his enlightenment came for the first time in India, he was only revealing the image projected on the screen of ancient Indian society. The same can be said of Bodhisattvas of the Earth. Their true identity is the original Buddha. Therefore, it follows that they are images which the original Buddha projected on the screen of the ceremony of the Lotus Sutra. In addition, Shakyamuni and Taho Buddhas are also images which Nam-myoho-renge-kyo or the entity of the original Buddha projected on the screen of the ceremony in the air.
Let us apply this to our life. We project our various images on the screens of society: the image of father on the screen of the family; a director on the screen of the company; a block chief on the screen of the Soka Gakkai organization; a Japanese on the screen of international society; and a human being on the screen of the biological world. When these screens shake, their images also shake. Some images disappear, even though the screens themselves do not change. The image as a student disappears with graduation. Students sometimes seem to want to erase their images on the screen of school as soon as possible and project a new image on the screen of society, but find themselves in a bind because they cannot graduate.
What then is the "true" and unchangeable thing that produces and transcends these ever-changing images? It is the eternal source, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. People tend to regard their fleeting images projected on various screens of endeavor as being "true" and constant, and herein lies the main source of human misery. Each of us is a human being, which is an image relatively close to this "true" and eternal thing. As long as we live and breathe, this should not be forgotten, but even life as a human being is a "provisional" existence which is eventually subject to death. That is why Buddhism always stresses the continual flux of human existence --- birth, old age, sickness and death --- piercing into the eternal unchanging entity that goes beyond life and death. Buddhism arrived at the truth that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo itself is eternal and indestructible, the true entity of our life and all things in the universe. Thus the Daishonin declares that Myoho-renge-kyo is the true Buddha and that Shakyamuni and Taho are its function, or provisional Buddhas.
The Daishonin next cites a passage in the Juryo chapter, "the Tathagata's secret and his mystic power." He defines the Tathagata's secret as the entity of the three properties of life, or the true Buddha. Furthermore, he defines "the Tathagata's mystic power" as the function, or a provisional Buddha. T'ien-t'ai defines the "secret" as the truth that the Buddha's life manifests the three enlightened properties, and that these are always inherent in the Buddha's life. The Daishonin used the term "the Buddha's three properties" in that sense. On the deepest level, "the Tathagata" in the sutra is the Buddha of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and the word "secret" is not just something that the Buddha keeps to himself. Here, as in On the Three Great Secret Laws, it indicates the Dai-Gohonzon which is hidden in the depths of the Juryo chapter. The "mystic power" is the function of the Gohonzon --- the Buddha of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. T'ien-t'ai defines the "mystic power" as the function of the entity of the three properties of life. He says in the Hokke Mongu (Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra), "Jinzu shi riki (the mystic power) indicates the function of the three properties of life. Jin indicates the unchangeable law in the universe and corresponds to hosshin or the body of the Law. Zu indicates the boundless mystic wisdom or hoshin, the body of wisdom. Riki means unlimited power or ojin, the physical body." Jinzu shi riki then indicates the function of all three properties of life.
(to be continued...)
The True Entity of Life (The True Aspect of All Phenomena) continued
Entity and Function
The two Buddhas, Shakyamuni and Taho (Many Treasures), are merely functions of the true Buddha, while Myoho-renge-kyo actually is the true Buddha. The sutra explains this as "the Tathagata's secret and his mystic power." The "secret" refers to the entity of the Buddha's three properties and the "mystic power" to their functions. The entity is the true Buddha and the function, a provisional Buddha.
The Daishonin says here that Myoho-renge-kyo or Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the eternal and indestructible basis of the Buddha's life, and that Shakyamuni and Taho (Many Treasures) Buddhas are functions of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. The relationship between entity and function appears clearly in the Gohonzon. Written in the center of the Gohonzon is "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nichiren," while Shakyamuni and Taho Buddhas are inscribed on the left and right sides. In other words, the two Buddhas are situated in positions to express the intrinsic functions of the Mystic Law. Not only Shakyamuni and Taho but all other Buddhas in the universe as well are functions of the Mystic Law. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is Nichiren Daishonin's life itself; therefore, the Daishonin can move all other Buddhas in the universe. By embracing the Gohonzon we too can stir these Buddhas and bodhisattvas at our command. What a great ocean of life we can discover! When we really develop our powers of faith and practice, the life of the Daishonin wells up from our depths, just as stated in Nichikan Shonin's annotation of the Totaigi Sho (The Entity of the Mystic Law), "As the result of embracing and believing in the Mystic Law we can manifest ourselves as Nichiren Daishonin."
The difference between "true" and "provisional" is that the former means the actual self of our life, while the latter is the temporal reflection or image of that self. To explain in easier language, T'ien-t'ai compares the relationship between "true" and provisional to that between the moon in the sky and its reflection on the surface of a pond. The moon shining in the nocturnal sky is "true" and its reflection on the surface of a pond, "provisional."
The moon is of course reflected in many surfaces --- the sea, a pond or even a glass of water. Reflections appear in any smooth reflective surface. A movie screen is also a good surface for reflecting light. In the latter half, or essential teaching, of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni revealed that he had attained enlightenment in the distant past. When the Buddha taught he had attained enlightenment long ago in gohyaku-jintengo, he revealed his true identity, but in all the earlier teachings when he taught that his enlightenment came for the first time in India, he was only revealing the image projected on the screen of ancient Indian society. The same can be said of Bodhisattvas of the Earth. Their true identity is the original Buddha. Therefore, it follows that they are images which the original Buddha projected on the screen of the ceremony of the Lotus Sutra. In addition, Shakyamuni and Taho Buddhas are also images which Nam-myoho-renge-kyo or the entity of the original Buddha projected on the screen of the ceremony in the air.
Let us apply this to our life. We project our various images on the screens of society: the image of father on the screen of the family; a director on the screen of the company; a block chief on the screen of the Soka Gakkai organization; a Japanese on the screen of international society; and a human being on the screen of the biological world. When these screens shake, their images also shake. Some images disappear, even though the screens themselves do not change. The image as a student disappears with graduation. Students sometimes seem to want to erase their images on the screen of school as soon as possible and project a new image on the screen of society, but find themselves in a bind because they cannot graduate.
What then is the "true" and unchangeable thing that produces and transcends these ever-changing images? It is the eternal source, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. People tend to regard their fleeting images projected on various screens of endeavor as being "true" and constant, and herein lies the main source of human misery. Each of us is a human being, which is an image relatively close to this "true" and eternal thing. As long as we live and breathe, this should not be forgotten, but even life as a human being is a "provisional" existence which is eventually subject to death. That is why Buddhism always stresses the continual flux of human existence --- birth, old age, sickness and death --- piercing into the eternal unchanging entity that goes beyond life and death. Buddhism arrived at the truth that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo itself is eternal and indestructible, the true entity of our life and all things in the universe. Thus the Daishonin declares that Myoho-renge-kyo is the true Buddha and that Shakyamuni and Taho are its function, or provisional Buddhas.
The Daishonin next cites a passage in the Juryo chapter, "the Tathagata's secret and his mystic power." He defines the Tathagata's secret as the entity of the three properties of life, or the true Buddha. Furthermore, he defines "the Tathagata's mystic power" as the function, or a provisional Buddha. T'ien-t'ai defines the "secret" as the truth that the Buddha's life manifests the three enlightened properties, and that these are always inherent in the Buddha's life. The Daishonin used the term "the Buddha's three properties" in that sense. On the deepest level, "the Tathagata" in the sutra is the Buddha of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and the word "secret" is not just something that the Buddha keeps to himself. Here, as in On the Three Great Secret Laws, it indicates the Dai-Gohonzon which is hidden in the depths of the Juryo chapter. The "mystic power" is the function of the Gohonzon --- the Buddha of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. T'ien-t'ai defines the "mystic power" as the function of the entity of the three properties of life. He says in the Hokke Mongu (Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra), "Jinzu shi riki (the mystic power) indicates the function of the three properties of life. Jin indicates the unchangeable law in the universe and corresponds to hosshin or the body of the Law. Zu indicates the boundless mystic wisdom or hoshin, the body of wisdom. Riki means unlimited power or ojin, the physical body." Jinzu shi riki then indicates the function of all three properties of life.
(to be continued...)
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TrichyTrichy
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!
I don't think I need to say only but;
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!
E
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President Ikeda's To my friends and the Words of the Week (for last week)
President Ikeda's To my friends and the Words of the Week (for last week)
Saturday, April 9, 2011
You yourself must stand in the vanguard for the sake of kosen-rufu and resolutely open the way. Those who strongly determine to win will emerge the victors in their struggles.
Words Of The Week
Week of April 5, 2011
The unity of many in body, one in mind is the strongest force for victory. Uniting in solidarity with our fellow members, let's surmount all obstacles and achieve victory for the sake of kosen-rufu.
President Ikeda's To my friends and the Words of the Week (for last week)
Saturday, April 9, 2011
You yourself must stand in the vanguard for the sake of kosen-rufu and resolutely open the way. Those who strongly determine to win will emerge the victors in their struggles.
Words Of The Week
Week of April 5, 2011
The unity of many in body, one in mind is the strongest force for victory. Uniting in solidarity with our fellow members, let's surmount all obstacles and achieve victory for the sake of kosen-rufu.
- Status
