Chanting Growers Group

[PassTheDoobie]

myo
[妙] ( Jpn)

Wonderful, mystic, without peer, or beyond conception. This term is used to describe the Buddhist Law, which is wonderful and beyond ordinary understanding. In The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra, T'ient'ai (538-597) interprets the word myo (wonderful) of the title Myoho-renge-kyo, or the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law, from two perspectives to show the profundity of the sutra. The first is the relative myo, also referred to as the comparative myo. The relative myo means that the Lotus Sutra is wonderful or mystic because, when compared with all other teachings, it is superior. Myo does not merely mean that the Lotus Sutra is superior to all other teachings, however. Hence the second interpretation, the absolute myo. This means that the Lotus Sutra cannot be compared with any other teaching because it encompasses and integrates all other teachings; no teaching exists outside it, and thus none can be called superior or inferior to it. From this viewpoint, all teachings when based on the Lotus Sutra express various aspects of the ultimate truth. Nichiren (1222-1282) interpreted myo as referring to Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which he deemed the essence of the Lotus Sutra. In The Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra, he explains three meanings of the character myo: to open, to be fully endowed, and to revive. "To open" means to open up the darkness of illusion and reveal the Buddha nature. "To be fully endowed" means to possess all Ten Worlds and three thousand realms, while permeating and integrating the whole of the phenomenal world. It can also mean possessing the practices and resulting virtues of all Buddhas. "To revive" means enabling one to attain Buddhahood. For example, women, evil men, and those of the two vehicles (voice-hearers and cause-awakened ones), who were denied the possibility of enlightenment in the provisional teachings, can all attain Buddhahood through the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra. "To revive" also means that all teachings and doctrines, when based upon the Mystic Law, assume their correct perspective and fulfill their intrinsic purpose.
See also Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
[南無妙法蓮華経] Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

The ultimate Law or truth of the universe, according to Nichiren's teaching. Nichiren first taught the invocation of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to a small group of people at Seicho-ji temple in his native province of Awa, Japan, on the twenty-eighth day of the fourth month in 1253. It literally means devotion to Myoho-renge-kyo. Myoho-renge-kyo is the Japanese title of the Lotus Sutra, which Nichiren regards as the sutra's essence, and appending nam (a phonetic change of namu ) to that phrase indicates devotion to the title and essence of the Lotus Sutra. Nichiren identifies it with the universal Law or principle implicit in the meaning of the sutra's text.

The meaning of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is explained in the opening section of The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, the record of Nichiren's lectures on the Lotus Sutra compiled by his disciple and successor, Nikko. It states that namu derives from the Sanskrit word namas and is translated as devotion, or as "dedicating one's life." What one should dedicate one's life to, he says, are the Person and the Law. The Person signifies "Shakyamuni," which means the eternal Buddha, and the Law is "the Lotus Sutra," which means the ultimate truth, or Myoho-renge-kyo. According to Orally Transmitted Teachings, the act of devotion (namu) has two aspects: One is to devote oneself to, or fuse one's life with, the eternal and unchanging truth; the other is that, through this fusion of one's life with the ultimate truth, one simultaneously draws forth inexhaustible wisdom that functions in accordance with changing circumstances.

Orally Transmitted Teachings further states: "We may also note that the nam of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is a Sanskrit word, while Myoho-renge-kyo are Chinese words. Sanskrit and Chinese join in a single moment to form Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. If we express the title [of the Lotus Sutra] in Sanskrit, it will be Saddharma-pundarika-sutra. This is Myoho-renge-kyo. Sad (a phonetic change of sat ) means myo, or wonderful. Dharma means ho, Law or phenomena. Pundarika means renge, or lotus blossom. Sutra means kyo, or sutra. The nine Chinese characters [that represent the Sanskrit title] are the Buddha bodies of the nine honored ones. This expresses the idea that the nine worlds are none other than the Buddha world."

Myo stands for the Dharma nature, or enlightenment, while ho represents darkness, or ignorance. Together as myoho, they express the idea that ignorance and the Dharma nature are a single entity, or one in essence. Renge stands for the two elements of cause and effect. Cause and effect are also a single entity."

Kyo represents the words and voices of all living beings. A commentary says, 'The voice carries out the work of the Buddha, and it is called kyo.' Kyo may also be defined as that which is constant and unchanging in the three existences of past, present, and future. The Dharma realm is myoho, the wonderful Law; the Dharma realm is renge, the lotus blossom; the Dharma realm is kyo, the sutra."

As Nichiren states, namu derives from Sanskrit, and Myoho-renge-kyo comes from Chinese. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is, therefore, not simply a Japanese phrase, but a Japanese reading of a Sanskrit and Chinese phrase. In this sense, it contains aspects of the languages of three countries in which Mahayana Buddhism spread. According to Nichiren's treatise The Entity of the Mystic Law, Nan-yüeh and T'ient'ai of China and Dengyo of Japan recited the invocation meaning devotion to the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law, or Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, as their private practice, but they did not spread this practice to others.

In On the Three Great Secret Laws, Nichiren states that the daimoku Nichiren chants today in the Latter Day of the Law is different from that of the previous ages—the daimoku T'ient'ai and others chanted in the Former Day and Middle Day of the Law—because the practice of daimoku in the Latter Day of the Law involves chanting it oneself and teaching others to do so as well. Nichiren not only established the invocation (daimoku) of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo but embodied it as a mandala, making it the object of devotion called Gohonzon. In Reply to Kyo'o, he states, "I, Nichiren, have inscribed my life in sumi ink, so believe in the Gohonzon with your whole heart. The Buddha's will is the Lotus Sutra, but the soul of Nichiren is nothing other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" (WND/412).

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Diagram of the Gohonzon

http://www.sgi-usa.org/memberresources/resources/gohonzon/diagramofgohonzon.php

Look Up What You Don't Know

http://www.sgilibrary.org/dict.html

 

[Bhodi_22]

OM

OM

om mani peme hung om mani peme hung om mani peme hung om mani peme hung om mani peme hung

you folks may chant in a different language but I still like to harvest a little dharma from yer thread now and again...last time I posted here I wondered if my tibetan had offended you all or something but never the less I still return from time to time...were both mahayana anyway yo!

"All that we are arises with our thoughts and with our thoughts we create the world" opening lines of the Dhammapa (my personal favorite text)
If you've never read it, I suggest giving some straight up words from the buddha a read. Sutras and Commentaries are great but sometimes nothing beats the straightforwardness of the aphorisms or "sayings" in the Dhammapada.
In my humble opinion

Although "Om Mani Peme Hung" is the most heard tibetan mantra I always teach non buddhists (or non tibetan buddhists in your case ?) this one....

"Om Tare Tu Tare Ture Sowha" This is Tara's (universal mother type boddisatva) mantra and she is so compassionate and hellbent on helping everyone that she will show up to help anyone anytime anywere.

just say her mantra once and she'll be by your side regardless of your beliefs (or even lack thereof)

 

[PassTheDoobie]

You really should read more of Nichiren's teachings!

You really should read more of Nichiren's teachings!

om mani peme hung om mani peme hung om mani peme hung om mani peme hung om mani peme hung

you folks may chant in a different language but I still like to harvest a little dharma from yer thread now and again...last time I posted here I wondered if my tibetan had offended you all or something but never the less I still return from time to time...were both mahayana anyway yo!

"All that we are arises with our thoughts and with our thoughts we create the world" opening lines of the Dhammapa (my personal favorite text)
If you've never read it, I suggest giving some straight up words from the buddha a read. Sutras and Commentaries are great but sometimes nothing beats the straightforwardness of the aphorisms or "sayings" in the Dhammapada.
In my humble opinion

Although "Om Mani Peme Hung" is the most heard tibetan mantra I always teach non buddhists (or non tibetan buddhists in your case ?) this one....

"Om Tare Tu Tare Ture Sowha" This is Tara's (universal mother type boddisatva) mantra and she is so compassionate and hellbent on helping everyone that she will show up to help anyone anytime anywere.

just say her mantra once and she'll be by your side regardless of your beliefs (or even lack thereof)

Hey dude!~

Ya we're both Mahayana, but we consider yours to be what we refer to as provisional Mahayana, and not an appropriate practice for the Latter Day of the Law. You obviously didn't read the letter from Nichiren that proceeds your post! Tibetan Buddhists are always welcome here so long as they aren't trying to teach or spread Tibetan Buddhism. We prefer not to contribute to what we consider to be your slander.

And by the way, the meaning of the sanskrit word sutra, is "teaching of the Buddha", so your opinion that the sutras don't actually reflect the words of the Buddha tells me alot about how much you correctly know about what you are doing. Tibetan Buddhism appeared around six hundred years after Mahayana first appeared How long have you been studying and practicing what you think you're doing?

Come here and read anytime! But come here and share Tibetan Buddhism? You just did enough of that. Nichiren Buddhists consider Tantric Buddhism to be absolutely inappropriate for the time of the Latter Day of the Law, which we are in now. Please don't come back if that's the real reason you're here.

(And I say that without prejudice, just as I would ask anyone to refrain from smoking cigars in my house.)

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Tibetan Buddhism
[チベット仏教] ( Jpn Chibetto-bukkyo)

A distinctive form of Buddhism that developed in Tibet around the seventh century and later in Mongolia and other regions. It is a tradition that derives from Indian Mahayana Buddhism, especially the doctrine of non-substantiality (Skt shunyata ) of the Madhyamika school, and incorporates the doctrine of the Yogachara (Consciousness-Only) school as well as the esoteric rituals of Vajrayana (Tantric, or Esoteric, Buddhism). Tibetan Buddhism is also monastic, having adopted the vinaya, or monastic rules, of early Buddhism. It has traditionally involved a large number of monks and nuns. Tibetan Buddhism is sometimes (incorrectly) referred to as Lamaism, due to its system of "reincarnating" lamas. The title lama means a venerable teacher. Some lamas of certain Tibetan monasteries are believed to be successively reincarnated, each head lama being considered a reincarnation of the last in the lineage. In these traditions, sets of instructions are handed down that lead to the identification of a child believed to be the reincarnation of a previous lama. When signs point to a certain child (always a boy), he is tested, and upon passing the tests, is recognized as the reincarnated lama. He then receives monastic training and education and takes on full responsibilities as a lama at a specified age.

Buddhism evolved in Tibet in the early seventh century during the reign of King Songtsen Gampo (581-649). A series of religious kings contributed to its adoption and eventual institution as a state religion. Song-tsen Gampo took as his wives a Nepalese princess and a Chinese princess, both of whom were devout Buddhists. They influenced the king to take faith in Buddhism and build the first Buddhist temples in Tibet. Song-tsen Gampo also sent Thonmi Sambhota to study Buddhism in India. When he returned, he developed a Tibetan writing system based upon the Indian scripts he had studied (Tibet until that time had no set writing system). With this Tibetan script, translation of Sanskrit Buddhist texts into Tibetan began.

Later King Thisong Detsen (742-797) further established Buddhism in Tibet against strong opposition from practitioners of the native religion called Bon. He invited Shantarakshita, a noted Indian monk of the Madhyamika school, to come to Tibet to teach Buddhism. On Shan-tarakshita's advice, the king also invited the Indian Tantric master Padmasambhava. Padmasambhava is credited with "converting" the Bon deities to Buddhism (incorporating them into the Buddhist teachings) and quelling Bon opposition. Shantarakshita and Padmasambhava together established Tibet's first monastery at Samye in 779. The Nyingma, one of today's four major Tibetan Buddhist schools, claims to preserve the teachings of Padmasambhava. King Thisong Detsen also sponsored a religious debate between Kamalashila, an Indian monk, and Mo-ho-yen, a Chinese priest of the Zen (Ch'an) school, held at the Samye monastery in 794. The king decided in favor of the Indian teacher and thus officially adopted the teachings of Indian Buddhism, or more specifically, the Mahayana teachings founded on Nagarjuna's philosophy of the Madhyamika school and the bodhisattva ideal. He rejected the introspective doctrines of Zen that claimed to ensure sudden enlightenment through meditation.King Thitsug Detsen (806-841), a grandson of King Thisong Detsen, built temples and monasteries and contributed greatly to the translation of Sanskrit Buddhist scriptures into Tibetan as well as to Buddhist art and culture. According to one account, in 841 Bon followers had him assassinated, and his brother, Langdarma, succeeded him. The new king opposed Buddhism. He destroyed temples and monasteries, oppressed Buddhist monks, and abolished Buddhism as an institution; it was not restored until two centuries later. According to another account, the death of King Langdarma led to a power struggle that resulted in the division of the nation and a collapse of the Buddhist Order. In either case, after a period of political and religious turmoil, the ruler of western Tibet invited Atisha, an Indian Buddhist teacher of the Madhyamika school, to the region in 1042 to help restore Buddhism.

Atisha propagated Buddhist teachings, reformed Tantric practices that had involved overt sexual activity, and brought about a revival of Buddhism. Atisha's teachings were inherited by his disciple Domton, who founded the Kadam school of Tibetan Buddhism. (Later this school was absorbed by the Gelug school, also known as the Yellow Hat school, which was founded in the late fourteenth century by Tsongkapa, a Buddhist reformer.) In the same century, Marpa returned to Tibet from his journey to India to study Buddhism and, with his disciple Milarepa, founded the Kagyu school. By the fourteenth century, Buddhism was well established in Tibet, and most of the available Indian scriptures had been translated into Tibetan. A number of lost Sanskrit scriptures have been preserved until today through their Tibetan translations.

Tibetan Buddhism also spread outside of Tibet, most notably in Mongolia and the Mongol Empire. In the mid-thirteenth century, Sakya Pandita, an eminent scholar of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism, journeyed to Mongolia with his nephew and student, Phagpa. Deeply impressed by them, Mongol officials converted to Buddhism. Later Phagpa was appointed imperial teacher and became an adviser to Kublai Khan, the ruler of the Mongol Empire. He was also appointed the temporal ruler of Tibet. In 1578 the Mongolian ruler Altan Khan hosted the renowned Sonam Gyatso, the leader of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, and conferred upon him the honorific title "Dalai Lama." Dalai is a Mongolian word for ocean. The title was also applied to his two predecessors.

With the aid of the Mongols, the Gelug school and its lineage of Dalai Lamas became the most prominent and powerful in Tibet. The Dalai Lama came to be regarded as the country's spiritual leader and temporal ruler, and each was believed to be a successive incarnation of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, Perceiver of the World's Sounds. Since the popular uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet in 1959 and the resulting exile of the fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (b. 1935), and his followers, interest in Tibetan Buddhism has grown in the West. The Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug are the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the Gelug being the most prominent.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Tantric Buddhism
[タントラ仏教] ( Jpn Tantora-bukkyo)

Also, Vajrayana, Mantrayana, or Esoteric Buddhism. A stream of Buddhist thought and practice that became formalized in India and flourished from the seventh to the eleventh century. Tantric Esotericism became a part of the broader Mahayana movement and represents an infusion of popular magic, mysticism, and ritual into the Indian schools of Buddhism. The Sanskrit word tantra means loom or warp of cloth, essential part, or doctrine.

Tantra also refers to a class of Hindu or Buddhist scriptures on esoteric practices that developed rather late in the history of the literatures of those religions. They emphasize benefits that accrue from the recitation of mantras (magical formulas), the formation of mudras (hand gestures), the performance of rituals, the use of mandalas (ritual diagrams), and other practices. Tantric thought became a formalized stream within Mahayana Buddhism around the seventh century and spread to Central Asia, China, and Tibet. Tantric tradition is an important element of Tibetan Buddhism.

Bu-ston, a Tibetan scholar of the fourteenth century, classified Indian Buddhist tantras into four general categories: Kriya-tantra, dealing with ritual acts; Charya-tantra, which combines ritual acts with meditation; Yoga-tantra, dealing chiefly with meditation; and Anuttarayoga-tantra, or supreme yoga tantras. The fourth form, Anuttarayoga-tantra, which was not introduced to China and Japan, is the strongest in sexual symbolism, identifying prajna, or wisdom, as a female principle; upaya, or expedient means, as a male principle; and enlightenment as a union of these two. Some of its practitioners interpreted this symbolism literally and sought enlightenment in the sexual union of man and woman.

The earliest esoteric Buddhist tantras, such as the Sanskrit texts of the Mahavairochana Sutra and the Diamond Crown Sutra, were produced in India in the seventh century. In China, Esoteric Buddhism was introduced and established by the Indian monks Shanwuwei (Skt Shubhakarasimha, 637-735), Chin-kang-chih (Vajrabodhi, 671-741), Pu-k'ung (Amoghavajra, 705-774), and others. Its teachings were systematized to enable the attainment of Buddhahood in one's present body.The Sanskrit Buddhist tantras were translated into Chinese and spread as esoteric sutras and teachings featuring mudras, mantras, and mandalas.In Japan, Kobo(774-835; also known as Kukai) formulated his own systematization of these teachings, founding the True Word (Shingon) school based upon them. Esoteric Buddhism was also accepted and developed by the Tendai school in Japan.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Annotations on the Nirvana Sutra by Chang-an. The full passage reads: “One who destroys or brings confusion to the Buddha’s teachings is betraying them. If one befriends another person but lacks the mercy to correct him, one is in fact his enemy.”

Bowing in humble obeisance

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Compassion: Solidarity of the Heart

"Compassion is often thought of as akin to pity, but whereas pity may be condescending, compassion springs from a sense of the equality and interconnectedness of life. Genuine compassion is about empowering others, helping them unlock strength and courage from within their lives in order to overcome their problems."

The most basic wish of all people is to live happily. Yet human society is shaped by forces that work powerfully against this basic desire: from pervasive violence, to wanton environmental destruction, to the exploitation that structures such deep inequalities between people.

Buddhism sheds light on the inner dynamics of human life that lead us to create such an undesirable reality. One of the most pernicious and powerful desires inherent in human life, according to Buddhist thought, is the desire for power over others, the urge to subjugate other people to our will. In this condition, the ego finds its most unrestrained and destructive expression, regarding others simply as a means to satisfy its selfish objectives.

Buddhism symbolically personifies this exploitative, authoritarian impulse as the Devil King of the Sixth Heaven. Its imprint is evident everywhere in our world. Recognizing the rampancy of this impulse, Nichiren, the 13th-century founder of the Buddhism practiced by the SGI, described the world as the domain of the devil king, and all people as being under the rule of this devil.

But if human nature is the cause of our most dire global problems, it is also the source of the fundamental solution. The countervailing force to the destructive aspect to human nature and the suffering it engenders is compassion. Compassion, a sense of solidarity with others--with all life--arising from a wish for mutual happiness and growth, is the heart and origin of Buddhism.

In the original Sanskrit Buddhist texts, the concept of compassion is described by the words maitri and anukampa. Maitri indicates a sense of fellowship with others; anukampa describes a deep empathy that arises in the encounter with suffering and which gives rise to action. Buddhist compassion could be succinctly described then as the desire to relieve suffering and to give joy.

Compassion is often thought of as akin to pity, but whereas pity may be condescending, compassion springs from a sense of the equality and interconnectedness of life. Compassion is rooted in respect for the inherent dignity of life--our own and others'--and a desire to see that dignity triumph. As SGI President Daisaku Ikeda writes, "True Buddhist compassion has nothing to do with sentimentality or mere pity. This is because sentimentality or mere pity cannot help the other person achieve victory in life; it cannot truly relieve suffering and impart joy."

Because genuine compassion is about empowering others, helping them unlock strength and courage from within their lives in order to overcome their problems, it may sometimes appear stern or contradictory. For example, although resolving a difficult situation for someone may seem compassionate, if this ends up making them weaker and less self-reliant, this will not contribute to their actual happiness in life. The essence of compassion is empowerment.

The effort to offer others effective encouragement for their specific circumstances is what gives rise to wisdom. Compassion and wisdom are thus closely related. Furthermore, even small acts of kindness require a degree of courage.

Nichiren established the practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as a practical means for people to bring forth the strength and rich potential of their humanity and live with confidence and joy. Sharing this practice with others is therefore the most essential act of compassion for practitioners of Nichiren Buddhism.

The transformation of society can only occur through a transformation of people's hearts. A life based on compassion means a staunch belief in the unrealized potential of others and ourselves. It is easy to give up on ourselves and others in the face of our failure and foolishness; such loss of faith in humanity is characteristic of our troubled world today. To continue to believe in and encourage the innate goodness and potential of our own and others' lives is the core of the philosophy of Nichiren Buddhism. It is also the bedrock of a firm optimism upon which all people can base their actions to bring about positive change in our world.

[Courtesy July 2010 SGI Quarterly]

 

[Weird]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Calling all Bodhisattvas of the Earth!

I never did a new thread before, but something really cool has happened as part of my experience at ICmag.com. I have found quite coincidently that there are folks here that share my philosophy of life.

So far it is me, Hitman, and VegasBuddha!

Is there anyone else?

Almost anyone reading this (I will asume) will not have a clue as to what the fuck I'm talking about. I'll cut and paste a post from another thread, and at least try and make an effort to explain it.

As always this is a forum. All comments are open, and remember most of all that we are all friends, embracing a common form of focus, participation, and expression.

Kosen Rufu is World Peace!

Thomas

It's been brought to my attention that some clarity may be needing to be made about what I have in the opening post from 2004. I believe one must be curious to find out what a Bodhisattva of the Earth is, before one can reveal themselves to be one. It's from karma--a voice in the mind, that says, "Go ahead, try this chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!" Not everyone hears that voice, and many that do don't listen. The opening line is for those that do.

Bowing in humble obeisance,

Thomas

Bodhisattvas of the Earth
[地涌の菩薩] ( Jpn jiyu-no-bosatsu )

An innumerable host of bodhisattvas who emerge from beneath the earth and to whom Shakyamuni Buddha entrusts the propagation of the Mystic Law, or the essence of the Lotus Sutra, in the Latter Day of the Law. They are described in the "Emerging from the Earth" (fifteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, the first chapter of the sutra's essential teaching (latter fourteen chapters). In this chapter, countless bodhisattvas from other worlds ask for permission to propagate the sutra in the saha world after the Buddha's death, but Shakyamuni refuses, saying that bodhisattvas who will carry out that task already exist in the saha world. At this point the earth trembles and splits open, and from within it emerges a host of bodhisattvas equal in number to the sands of sixty thousand Ganges Rivers, each with his own retinue of followers. Their bodies are golden and possess the thirty-two features that characterize a Buddha. They are led by four bodhisattvas—Superior Practices, Boundless Practices, Pure Practices, Firmly Established Practices—and Superior Practices is the leader of them all. In the "Supernatural Powers" (twenty-first) chapter, Shakyamuni transfers the essence of the Lotus Sutra to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, entrusting them with the mission of propagating it in the Latter Day of the Law.As the person who first revealed the Mystic Law, or Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which he described as the essence of the Lotus Sutra, and began its propagation in the Latter Day, Nichiren (1222-1282) identified himself with Bodhisattva Superior Practices, the leader of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. He also regarded his followers who embrace and propagate the teaching of the Mystic Law as the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. In this connection, Nichiren states in his work The True Aspect of All Phenomena: "There should be no discrimination among those who propagate the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo in the Latter Day of the Law, be they men or women. Were they not Bodhisattvas of the Earth, they could not chant the daimoku. At first only Nichiren chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, but then two, three, and a hundred followed, chanting and teaching others. Propagation will unfold this way in the future as well. Does this not signify 'emerging from the earth'?" (WND/385). See also bodhisattvas of the essential teaching.

bodhisattvas of the essential teaching
[本化の菩薩] ( Jpn honge-no-bosatsu )

Bodhisattvas taught by the true Buddha, i.e., the Buddha whose true identity is revealed in the essential teaching (latter fourteen chapters) of the Lotus Sutra. In this teaching, Shakyamuni reveals his true identity as the Buddha who attained enlightenment at a time commonly known as numberless major world system dust particle kalpas in the past. The disciples whom he had taught in this capacity since the time of his original attainment of enlightenment are the bodhisattvas of the essential teaching. They are also known as the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, and are first described in the "Emerging from the Earth" (fifteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, the first chapter of the essential teaching. Shakyamuni entrusts them with the mission of propagating the Mystic Law, or the essence of the sutra, in the Latter Day of the Law. In the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings and in the theoretical teaching (first fourteen chapters) of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni assumes a transient identity—that of the Buddha who had attained enlightenment for the first time in India after sitting in meditation under the bodhi tree. The bodhisattvas whom Shakyamuni taught in this capacity, such as Manjushri and Universal Worthy, are the bodhisattvas of the theoretical teaching. See also Bodhisattvas of the Earth.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Kuon means something that was not worked for, that was not improved upon, but that exists just as it always has."

(Ongi kuden - Gosho Zenshu, page 759, The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, page 141) Selection source: Soka Gakkai member's experience, Seikyo Shimbun, July 15th , 2011

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"To earnestly continue chanting and taking action for the happiness of others, even if no one else sees our efforts—such unseen virtue will definitely bring clearly visible reward in the form of wonderful victory."

SGI Newsletter No. 8273, LIVING THE GOSHO: WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FROM SGI PRESIDENT IKEDA. Translated from the July 2, 2011, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"When we revere Myoho-renge- kyo inherent in our own life as the object of devotion, the Buddha nature within us is summoned forth and manifested by our chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. This is what is meant by 'Buddha.'"

(How Those Initially Aspiring to the Way Can Attain Buddhahood through the Lotus Sutra - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 887) Selection source: "YWD Gosho Study for May", Seikyo Online, May 2011

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Be tenacious. Win through making persistent efforts.

"The Japanese historian and renowned Yale professor Kan'ichi Asakawa (1873-1948), who hailed from Tohoku's Fukushima Prefecture, wrote: 'People are not so weak as to be controlled by their circumstances,' and 'I hope you will rise above sorrow rather than be crushed beneath it.' These words echo my own sentiments.

"Human beings have the strength to rise above all sorrow and suffering. All of us without exception were born in this world to become happy. There is no hardship that we cannot overcome. The greater the difficulty, the more tenaciously we must continue to tackle it. This is how we can bring forth the fundamental strength for achieving ultimate victory. This is a rule seen throughout history, applying both to the lives of individuals and the rise of civilisations. Persistence is the mother of success, the wellspring of happiness, and the light of victory."

SGI Newsletter No. 8239, You Have an Unfathomably Profound Mission. SGI President Ikeda, founder of Soka University, sent the following message to the 37th class of Soka University and the 25th class of Soka Women’s College upon their graduation in March 2011. From the March 21st, 2011, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, translated May 24th, 2011

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"The history of our movement is one of embarking on new challenges based on first earnestly chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with fresh determination. Everything begins with daimoku. With our best wisdom and effort based on steadfastly chanting daimoku, we have triumphed over all manner of great obstacles. By regarding adversity as an opportunity to deepen our faith, bring forth the beneficial power of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and gain brilliant personal experiences of spiritual rebirth and revitalisation, we have pressed forward tirelessly to open the way for kosen-rufu."

SGI Newsletter No. 8272, LEARNING FROM THE WRITINGS OF NICHIREN DAISHONIN: THE
TEACHINGS FOR VICTORY, [28] 'How Those Initially Aspiring to the Way Can Attain Buddhahood Through the Lotus Sutra', Chanting Vibrant Daimoku Is the Driving Force for Limitless Progress-- Everything Starts with Our Own Inner Transformation, translated July 6th, 2011

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"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. Do not have doubts simply because heaven does not lend you protection. Do not be discouraged because you do not enjoy an easy and secure existence in this life."

(The Opening of the Eyes - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 283) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", July 13th, 2011

 

[easyDaimoku]

Today is one of the best days of my life! I achieved something extraordinary and incredible! I did it with Daimoku, super concentrated prayers to the Gohonzon! I did it with the wisdom that comes from that daimoku. I had to report this huge victory because Tom is also doing superb and he also credits everything to that amazing Daimoku! My Gohonzon is shining from all the exhaling I've been doing in front of it! I'm going to go encourage my chanting toker friend and chant with him I am so happy, YES! Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

 

[Honmon]

Lose one friend and gain another.

Honmon

 

[Bhodi_22]

wowie zowi

wowie zowi

{quote=PassTheDoobie;4583190]Hey dude!~
Ya we're both Mahayana, but we consider yours to be what we refer to as provisional Mahayana, and not an appropriate practice for the Latter Day of the Law. You obviously didn't read the letter from Nichiren that proceeds your post! Tibetan Buddhists are always welcome here so long as they aren't trying to teach or spread Tibetan Buddhism. We prefer not to contribute to what we consider to be your slander.

And by the way, the meaning of the sanskrit word sutra, is "teaching of the Buddha", so your opinion that the sutras don't actually reflect the words of the Buddha tells me alot about how much you correctly know about what you are doing. Tibetan Buddhism appeared around six hundred years after Mahayana first appeared How long have you been studying and practicing what you think you're doing?

Come here and read anytime! But come here and share Tibetan Buddhism? You just did enough of that. Nichiren Buddhists consider Tantric Buddhism to be absolutely inappropriate for the time of the Latter Day of the Law, which we are in now. Please don't come back if that's the real reason you're here.

(And I say that without prejudice, just as I would ask anyone to refrain from smoking cigars in my house.)[/quote]

Ouch! - no offense yo!!

I tend to have a bit of a multi faith approach, and try to be open to receiving Dharma from any source...but since you asked I did take refuge with a living Rimpoche over a dozen years ago, but I discovered that I was a Buddhist as a teenager much before that. I'm sorry to see any faith think it better than another. I believe there are as many ways towards enlightenment as their are different types of beings.

Of course I've been taught not to discuss particular beliefs with those of other religions to avoid the negative karma we both could accumulate by potentially thinking negatively of each others Dharma...so I apologize for not keeping this in mind...I suppose I didn't think I needed to speaking to other Buddhists!!

oh and by the way I intentionally refrained from mentioning vajrayana in my post and I did read the letter you mentioned...I was trying to focus on our similarities...both being bodhisatva's working for the benefit of all...the Tara bit just tends to come out sometimes as it's something I am allowed to share and can help anyone...and opening with the om mani peme hungs's was my way of sending you all compassion, and thanking you for the teachings...sorry again if I offended

HAPPY CHANTING!!!