Chanting Growers Group

[Babbabud]

Missing Bog

Missing Bog

No reason to miss posting here Bog. You are always welcome here and we would love to see more post. We really all do need each other .
Nam myoho renge kyo !

 

[SoCal Hippy]

The House the Rising Sun

The House the Rising Sun

The devestation caused by Katrina and now the suffering thereafter from those affected really shows we can't rely on our govt to protect us from any natural or terrorist disaster.
My prayers go out to all those in need of help and assistance and to relieve their suffering.

There is a house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun.
It's been the ruin of many a poor girl,
And me, O God, for one.

If I had listened what Mamma said,
I'd 'a' been at home today.
Being so young and foolish, poor boy,
Let a rambler lead me astray.

Go tell my baby sister
Never do like I have done
To shun that house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun.

My mother she's a tailor;
She sold those new blue jeans.
My sweetheart, he's a drunkard, Lord, Lord,
Drinks down in New Orleans.

The only thing a drunkard needs
Is a suitcase and a trunk.
The only time he's satisfied
Is when he's on a drunk.

Fills his glasses to the brim,
Passes them around
Only pleasure he gets out of life
Is hoboin' from town to town.

One foot is on the platform
And the other one on the train.
I'm going back to New Orleans
To wear that ball and chain.

Going back to New Orleans,
My race is almost run.
Going back to spend the rest of my days
Beneath that Rising Sun.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_House_of_the_Rising_Sun#Origin

 

[Babbabud]

A great song ... best remembered by me is the Animals rendition.
So nice to see you my brother SoCal

 

[Purpleseed]

Nice thread people!
Warms a light in my heart!
On the same note as people singing togheter,I'm part of a Sophrology group.
We reunite every first of the month to create an energy circle and embrace the planet in light.Main teaching of sophrology is to understand ourselfs(liberating our fears,understanding our habits,etc.)and use our imagination to create many beneficial things on ourselfs and around ourselfs.
It's a journey to your subconscious mind wich is closely related to karma cause you surrounding is a reflect of yourself.
I've browsed on the net for some sophrology course(curiousity)and there is many different 'form' wich leads me to think the key of the course is the teacher.The women who tought me and still is,is a very exceptionnal lady.
It's not really a course at end,mostly a philosophy to put in practice(mind games,exemples,scenario,lots of fun!) but interesting enough,backed by some physical facts like using the encephalograph to see in what state the mind exactly is while "getting down to our levels".
It is the expression used as when we are putting ourselfs in a "state".
Here a site I found eplaning a bit about the brain waves.
http://www.brainsync.com/about/4states.asp
The mind usally works at 21 vibration/sec.Also called Beta.
While on pot,alcohol and narcotics,the mind's vibration gets down to 17V/sec.(V=vibration)
Using sophrology,the first we get into is at 14V/sec.Also called Alpha.This is the level of subconscious mind and memory just to name a few.It is also where you can get some "sleep"without even sleeping,you recharge.This is not possible on drugs tough,cause the drug is actually draining the energy.
I stoped smoking 7 years ago.As this was really more precious to me then being on pot 24/7,for me,it was not good.People who stop smoking pot for a while,I think you'll agree with me,start making lots of dreams.Wich shows the activity going in your brain that was actually'dormant' being on pot.Don't wanna be a party pooper about weed,I'm a grower and I like the plant but I beleive it was created for it's medecinal value,and long term consommation can have various effect on your mind mainly caused by the way you use your brain while on pot and not physical damage.When I stoped smoking I noticed I had 'stoner habits' just a tought people,remember I love you.
Just as an exemple,3 years after I stopped smoking,I ran across a friend's mother.I had the good reputation amongst my friend's parents to be THE most drug consumming friend they had.The trip to the hospital on acid overdose did'nt help.Anyway,the lady was so sure that I was stoned when she saw me,that my jaw was stucked!Like I had smoke this big blunt and was stone again!So I had trouble speaking as my mouth was becoming thick,no more saliva suddenly!Wow!I was stupified at what was happening to me!By being obsereved as a stoner,my mind accepted the suggestion and suddenly I had all the physical symptoms of somebody high on weed!

Further,deeper,still using sophrology,you will get down to 7V/sec.
This a state were you effectively heal yourself,controlling your heartbeats,pain,etc.It is the state found on Fakirs wich explain why they don't feel pain and they don't bleed when peircing themselfs with nails and needles,it's a scientific fact basically.
Sophrology was a founded by Alphonse Caycedo in the 60's,a well known psychologist.
It is a wonderfull wedding between science and spirituality wich I beleive will lead people to great understanding of themselfs BY themselfs.
This is not a religion and is very suited for everybody.It's a course that has beem taking by many good poker players to develop their intuition to a further level.This is just one the many exemples where sophrology can be applicated and of course,practice makes perfect!


A warm Hello to everybody!
Love and sharing,Purplessed.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

It's my signature karyoki song. I got Eric Burton down. Actually quite good. Really!

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"RISSHO ANKOKU RON"

"RISSHO ANKOKU RON"

TWO LECTURES BY SGI PRESIDENT DAISAKU IKEDA

The following was adapted by the SGI-USA Study Department from and essay by SGI-USA Vice Study Department Chief Greg Martin that appeared in the Seikyo Times (October-December 1993) and other sources.


BACKGROUND

The "Rissho Ankoku Ron" (On Securing the Peace of the Land Through the Propagation of True Buddhism) is considered one of Nichiren Daishonin's three most important writings. The other two are "The Opening of the Eyes" and "The True Object of Worship." The Daishonin submitted it when he was 39 to Hojo Tokiyori, the most influential figure in the Kamakura government, on July 16, 1260. In it he set forth, in the light of Buddhism, the underlying cause of various calamities then ravaging Japan, and he also pointed the way to their solution.

Though disasters had been frequent in Japan for decades, the year 1256, and every year for sometime after, saw unusually violent earthquakes, storms, droughts, fires and cold spells. For example, on August 6, 1256, a torrential rainstorm in Kamakura caused floods and landslides, destroying crops and taking many lives. In September, an epidemic broke out, claiming the lives of the regent and other high officials. On May 18 the following year, in the middle of the night, a major earthquake struck, followed by an even greater tremor on August 1. Drought continued in June and July.

Most frightful of all was an earthquake of unprecedented scale that struck on the evening of August 23. Massive landslides occurred, buildings crumbled, yawning fissures opened in the ground and fires broke out. Many people perished. Temblors continued to shake the city throughout the remainder of the year. There was no lessening of calamities in 1259. A fire in January destroyed Jufuku-ji, the head temple of the Renzai Zen sect, and left the Tsurugaoka Hachiman shrine in ashes. A rainstorm in August wiped out the crops and led to widespread famine. Disease and hunger stalked the city, eventually resulting in plagues throughout the country. The best efforts of both leading priests and government officials proved totally ineffective in alleviating the people's misery.

When Nichiren Daishonin saw the population afflicted with such deep suffering, he resolved to clarify the underlying cause of these disasters and the manner of their solution in the light of the Buddhist Law. He went to Jisso-ji in Iwamoto of Suruga province, a major temple of the Tendai sect in eastern Japan with a library that contained a complete collection of all Buddhist sutras. For two years, from 1258 to 1260, he pored over these texts. (A young priest of Jisso-ji assigned to him as a research assistant later became his foremost disciple and successor, Nikko Shonin.)

As a result of his studies, the Daishonin could pinpoint the exact textual passages clarifying the root cause of the recent calamities and the inefficacy of the prayers being offered. He presented his conclusions in a formal treatise of remonstration, composed in highly polished classical Chinese characters, which, like Latin in Europe until recent centuries, was widely employed in Japan for works of history, philosophy and religious doctrine. This was the "Rissho Ankoku Ron." The Daishonin presented it to Hojo Tokiyori, the retired regent who was most influential at that time, through the offices of the government official Yadoya Mitsunori.

Though Tokiyori had at this time officially renounced the world and was living at a temple called Saimyo-ji, he was only in his early 30s and in fact continued to wield the actual authority of government. He, rather than the regent, made the important decisions. In addressing the "Rissho Ankoku Ron" to Hojo Tokiyori, the Daishonin had accurately assessed where the true power behind the Kamakura government lay.

This treatise reflects the Daishonin's unique and timeless insight, based on Buddhist teachings, into the interrelation ship between the individual and his or her environment. In it, he cites various sutras to point out that when the True Law is ignored and faith in it is lost, various disasters will arise. Thus he attributed the source of the nation's suffering to rejection of the True Law and adherence to misleading interpretations of Buddhism, which run contrary to the Buddha's intent. In particular, he criticized the influential Pure Land sect, which stresses the inherent evil of this world and teaches believers to aspire to rebirth after death in Arnida Buddha's western paradise. On the basis of his thorough understanding of the sutras, he warned that if the country's leaders did not cease their support of misleading teachings as Japan's spiritual base, two further disasters, internal strife and foreign invasion, would occur, plunging the people into deeper misery. Faith in the Mystic Law, on the other hand, would provide the basis for establishing a peaceful land. This in essence is the message of the "Rissho Ankoku Ron."

It was not a document that one could read indifferently. The Confucian scholar Daigaku Saburo is said to have converted to the Daishonin's teaching after simply reading a draft of it at the Daishonin's request. Hojo Tokiyori never deigned to reply directly, but a month later, a mob attacked the Daishonin's dwelling at Matsubagayatsu, and the Daishonin had to flee for his life. No sooner did he venture back to Kamakura in 1261 than he was arraigned on false charges and exiled to the Izu Peninsula. But within fifteen years, no one could deny that everything he had predicted in his treatise had come true.

Today we still have no lack of suffering and injustice. We may not see corpses in the street, as people did in thirteenth century Kamakura, but the world is not what any thinking person would want it to be, and the presence of nuclear stockpiles threatens us with a horror inconceivable in the Daishonin's day. In this respect, the conclusions of his "Rissho Ankoku Ron" are as valid now as they were 700 years ago. Nichikan, the twenty sixth high priest of Nichiren Shoshu, states in his commentary on this treatise, "Its words speak of Japan and the present, but its meaning encompasses the whole world and the future."

Now, let us briefly consider the title of this treatise. Rissho literally means "to establish righteousness," that is, to establish faith in the True Law of Buddhism. This also implies refuting erroneous interpretations of Buddhism, as the Daishonin does in this writing. Ultimately, however, the place where righteousness must be established is in the minds of people. Because the true teaching must be spread to individuals, rissho also includes the concept of propagation. That is why the title is translated as "On Securing the Peace of the Land Through the Propagation of True Buddhism." It defines a process rather than a finite event.

Ankoku means "the security of the nation or land." The word land here has two implications. One is the realm of society, and the other, the realm of nature. Thus, "securing the peace of the land" implies both bringing order to society and restoring harmony to the natural world. Interpreting the title from another angle, rissho, or establishing faith in the true teaching of Buddhism, can indicate our religious activity, while ankoku, or securing the peace of the land, can indicate our secular activity. But what is the connection between the two? Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism prescribes no particular lifestyle or social structure, nor does it dictate behavior or morals. These are things people themselves must decide. What the Daishonin's Buddhism aims at doing is enabling people to elevate their life conditions, purifying their lives from within. Buddhism and society are connected by individuals, and the benefits or effects of Buddhist practice appear within individual human beings, who in turn make an impact upon the world around them, be it in their families, their communities or their nations.

Thus our work as Buddhists lies not only in spreading our religion. We must make further efforts in the secular realm to contribute to the welfare and happiness of society. But the basis of these efforts must be our manifesting the Buddha nature from within. Without this, our efforts in society will not come to full fruition. Before we can truly change anything else, we must reform ourselves through Buddhist practice. This, too, is implied in the phrase rissho ankoku.

High Priest Nichikan wrote that the Daishonin's lifetime teachings begin and end with the "Rissho Ankoku Ron." Nichiren Daishonin formally began his propagation effort with the submission of this writing, an effort that we, as his disciples, strive to carry on today. Also, it is said that the Daishonin lectured on the "Rissho Ankoku Ron" to engrave his spirit and goal in the lives of his disciples just before he passed away at the Ikegami family's residence in 1282. For these reasons, Nichikan stressed the "Rissho Ankoku Ron" as being both the beginning and conclusion of the Daishonin's teachings.

The treatise was written in the form of a dialogue between a traveler and his host, at whose house the traveler is stopping. The traveler or guest represents Hojo Tokiyori. the recipient of the Gosho, and the host represents Nichiren Daishonin.

The text consists of nine questions posed by the guest, . nine answers expressed by the host, and a conclusion or 8 determination voiced by the guest. The complete text of the "Rissho Ankoku Ron" appears in The Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 2, pp. 3- 46.

http://www.sgi-usa.org/buddhism/library/SokaGakkai/Study/Intermediate/Text2.htm

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Love and sharing Purpleseed! We people invite you to try chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as well.

Is that the thing where they used to, and maybe still do, put the little wave receptor thinga majig like a headband on your head and then you concentrate to change the sound that you are making the thing emite until you can tune it in to do different wave lengths or whatever from a sort of meditative state?

I know about that one. I think you'll get more form chanting, but only you will be able to know if that is the case by doing it. My teacher is a little bit different than yours, I'll bet. If it's what I think it is, at least I now know what it is called. Thank you!

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"Rissho Ankoku Ron" (cont'd)

"Rissho Ankoku Ron" (cont'd)

(Exerpts from a thesis on "Rissho Ankoku Ron" by psychologist and SGI-USA member Kathleen M. Olesky, Boston, Mass.)

PEOPLE TURN THEIR BACKS UPON WHAT IS RIGHT: THIS IS THE CAUSE FOR DISASTER

I have pondered the matter carefully with what limited resources I possess, and have searched rather widely in the scriptures for an answer. The people of today all turn their backs upon what is right; to a man, they give their allegiance to evil. That is the reason why the benevolent deities have abandoned the nation, why sages leave and do not return. And in their stead come devils and demons, disasters and calamities that arise one after another. I cannot keep silent on this matter. I cannot suppress my fears. (MW-2, 5-6)

This passage is taken from the host's first reply, and voices the Daishonin's initial conclusion about the underlying reason for the disasters visiting the nation. To deepen our understanding of it, let us first consider the famous opening lines of the "Rissho Ankoku Ron," which are spoken by the guest.

Once there was a traveler who spoke these words in sorrow to his host:

In recent years, there are unusual disturbances in the heavens, strange occurrences on earth, famine and pestilence, all affecting every corner of the empire and spreading throughout the land. Oxen and horses lie dead in the streets, the bones of the stricken crowd the highways. Over half the population has already been carried off by death, and in every family someone grieves. (MW-2, 3)

This was no exaggeration but an accurate description of the misery ravaging Japan at that time.

After lamenting in this fashion, the guest then proceeds to recount all that the authorities had done in an attempt to alleviate the situation. They had asked temples and shrines to pray for the cessation of disasters, and they had sought to ensure that both local and national governments were administered in a benevolent way. "But despite all these efforts,' he concludes, "they merely exhaust themselves in vain. Famine and disease rage more fiercely than ever, beggars are everywhere in sight and scenes of death fill our eyes.... What is wrong? What error has been committed?" (MW-2, 4-5).

In reply, the host says, "I have been brooding alone upon this matter, indignant in my heart, but now that you have come, we can lament together" (MW-2, 5) He proposes that they discuss the issue at length and proceeds to give his general conclusion. The host's conclusion is the passage cited at the beginning of this section.

First, the host states that he has "searched rather widely in the scriptures for an answer." Here we see the Daishonin's consideration in providing proper documentary proof. From first to last, he based himself on the teachings recorded in the Buddhist sutras, rather than on anyone's personal interpretation or on popular opinion.

His subsequent answer contains three elements. First, the people "turn their backs upon what is right" and instead "give their allegiance to evil." In other words, they reject the True Law and embrace mistaken interpretations. Second, as a result sages and benevolent deities, helpful and protective influences, leave the country. Third, because the people cherish mistaken beliefs and therefore act in ways that are at variance with the Law of life, the positive workings inherent in life and the environment no longer manifest themselves, and negative workings "devils and demons" come to the fore. In short, the Daishonin asserts that errors in the realm of religion invite disaster in the external world.

In the above passage, Nichiren Daishonin states that the people of his day "turn their backs upon what is right; to a man, they give their allegiance to evil." In other words, he attributes the suffering of the Japanese in his day to slander of the True Law. The "Rissho Ankoku Ron" discusses slander in the very specific sense of erroneous Buddhist teachings that reject the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha's highest teaching of the universal and direct attainment of Buddhahood. In particular, the Daishonin in this treatise criticizes the Pure Land teaching of Honen (1133-1212), who taught people to discard the Lotus Sutra and other sutras not related to Pure Land beliefs and place their hopes in rebirth after death in the western paradise of the Buddha Amida. In applying the spirit of the "Rissho Ankoku Ron" to our own age, we can also understand slander of the True Law in a broader sense.

A more general interpretation of this kind can be found in High Priest Nichikan's commentary on the "Rissho Ankoku Ron." In this work, the twenty-sixth high priest gives three causes of disasters: (1) the evil karma of the people, (2) unjust government and (3) slander of the True Law.

However, he goes on to point out that all three ultimately boil down to slander: "For, in considering the origin of the people's evil karma, who can say that it may not stem from slander of the True Law in the distant past? And as for the second reason, to violate the just principles of society is in itself to go against Buddhism, and to go against the principles of Buddhism is to commit slander."

Here, to "go against Buddhism" means not only to slander a specific teaching but to disregard the equality and dignity of every human being, the sanctity of human life and the ultimate reality permeating all life. By this definition, not all "heretical teachings" are to be found in the churches. Militant nationalism, racism, ethnic prejudice, unreasonable attachment to material possessions, etc., might all be classed as "heretical views" in that they place something external and transient above the inherent dignity of individual human beings.

In this expanded sense, to value anything above the inherent dignity of life is a grave error and breeds the ultimate consequences of unhappiness for the individual, injustice in society and disharmony in the natural world. It is this grave distortion of priorities that Nichiren Daishonin attacks in his treatise. Daisaku Ikeda, president of the Soka Gakkai International, writes:

It would be no exaggeration to say that though up until now the human race has cultivated the external world, it has allowed the barbarian within to rampage unchecked. Though systems of ethics and morality have been developed to control human emotions and desires, they have proven powerless against the forces that reside in the subconscious depths of the human heart. The only way to truly and fully overcome the great difficulties that humanity faces is to root out the many impurities and defilements that arise from those depths, and to activate within the hearts and minds of us all a pure and strong compassion and wisdom. There can be, in other words no external peace without internal peace, and in fact external peace only becomes possible when internal peace is firmly established.

Aurelio Peccei (1908-1984), founder of The Club of Rome, said:

Peace is an intangible value, a cultural state of soul and mind, that must be clear and strong within each individual and so widely shared as a vital necessity by other people that it becomes the common patrimony of society at large. Peace will thus come only when all, or a great majority, of the citizens come to treasure it as something precious and worth committing themselves to. Whereas war is the distilled gall of arrogance, egoism, mutual distrust and fear and is almost invariably brewed up by the wielders of power, peace is the natural outcome of mutual comprehension, tolerance, respect and solidarity among people, and can spring only from the heart of the people themselves....The time has come to say bluntly that what we are doing today actually boils down to little more than dealing with the symptoms and manifestations of our predicament rather than with its causes and that therefore by staying the course we will probably end up being drawn deeper and deeper into a vicious vortex of decline. The gravest consequence of our fallacious belief that our current dealings, policies and strategies will eventually bail us out of all crisis is that this belief detracts our attention from the real core problem by masking something else at the root of our crisis, something intangible and still undefined, yet fundamental, which is within ourselves and is so great as to generate the otherwise incomprehensible ills that possess us. This is our state of inner disorder.

Seven hundred years ago, Nichiren Daishonin pondered societal concerns remarkably similar to those that we face today. In the phrase, "The people of today turn their backs upon what is right,' what is the "right" that Nichiren Daishonin refers to? He specifically means that the people are ignoring the true teaching of Buddhism, which is the Lotus Sutra. From the viewpoint of human behavior, by "right," the Daishonin means a life of courage, compassion and wisdom derived from faith in the fundamental Law of the universe.

On the other hand, if the basis of our lives runs contrary to the fundamental Law or principle of the universe, we will naturally create only unhappiness for ourselves and those around us.

For example, gravity is a physical law. It is absolute and works for everyone, every time. There is no place or time in human experience where gravity does not operate. The universality of gravity is what makes it a law as opposed to a theory. Based on our faith in the law of gravity and other; physical laws, we live our lives with confidence that the sun will rise tomorrow, that night will follow day, that things will remain where they are placed and objects dropped will naturally fall.

Imagine, however, if one were to declare, "I refuse to accept and believe in the law of gravity, I turn my back on this law." By doing so this individual chooses to believe that objects dropped will not fall; rather they will remain suspended, or even rise up. We can easily predict that such a person, whose mind is obviously distorted, will meet disasters and calamities one after another. For example, the next time this individual attempts to negotiate a flight of stairs with the false belief that objects do not naturally go down he may find himself falling down the stairs. Thus, living a life ignorant and contrary to the law of gravity will inevitably lead to misery and suffering.

Living life ignorant or contrary to the laws of society will also lead to misery and suffering (in the form of imprisonment, for example).

There also exists a Law of life. It is applicable to all people all the time. A person who attempts to live a happy and satisfactory life while remaining ignorant or contrary to the Law of life will inevitably be unhappy. "Right" therefore means the right or correct understanding about the true nature of life. It is not a particular religion in the sense of being one of many, the rest being "wrong."

We can also predict that an individual whose mind is clouded by ignorance and arrogance and who chooses to turn his or her back on this Law will inevitably meet disaster and calamity as well. This is what Nichiren Daishonin means when he states, "The people of today all turn their backs upon what is right...disasters and calamities that arise one after another."

Nichiren Daishonin'.s Buddhism teaches that we can develop a truly peaceful and humane state of life and control our egotistical impulses through faith in the Mystic Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

 

[Purpleseed]

Chanting I beleive is one of the most effective way for somebody to recognise himself and make a bond with other people as you 'create' in physical matter what is on your mind,using the 'verb'.
Not familiar with the headbanger PassTheDoobie,but it does sound like a close relative,like I said there are many course and it's content is a choice of the one giving it.I'm interested into knowing more about that singing.
For my part,I sing along with everything surrounding me.Ever got into a state where you can actually 'hear' all the sounds surrounding you on different level then your ear?
All our bodys are emitting notes some harmonious some disharmonious.It is chakra related.7 chakras,7 notes making an harmony however,by misusing the cosmic laws by creating his own,humanity got himself into various diseases and events wich were necessery for his evolution.That's why we should sing now to expend the good waves that's healing the world!
You know the ringing in your ear once in a while?
I beleive it's our note!I can now trigger whenever I want with a little practice.
This note,if you pay attention,becomes,those notes!Like voices singing...
I beleive they are a results of all the frequency surrounding us.From the sun,the stars,moon and of course,I beleive we are not alone and there are many life forms not perceivable by the eye that are emitting their notes as well.
The electronics that surround us is emmeting frequency as well.But it does'nt 'sing' on the same not we do.If you listen to your computer(or TV) closely you will come to hear the note they emit.Try to trigger your ringing eear at the same time.You will hear the distortion it makes as if you were trying to tune your guitar.This distortion,has been set there on purpose to keep people from being in touch with their true nature.If you go take a trip and sleep outside for a couple of days you will notice a difference from being surrounded by electronics and what a good sleep you have!

 

[Purpleseed]

Socal!!That's amazing!We were both writing a text on a same subject in different words at the same time!Wich leads to talk about duality an unity.
A common flaw of humanity is to look at things as if they were separate.Like for exemple:My religion is good and yours is not.While they are really both subjected to the same universal law.Therefore,as much as they try to separate themself,they really live in unity!
Peace to you brother!
Nice foundings!The last course I took was mainly oriented on peace!You just reminded me and triggers a very tastefull emotion in me that brings tears to my eyes!!Love you peeps!

 

[SoCal Hippy]

The Universal Law

The Universal Law

Peace to you to Purpleseed!

We as Nichiren Buddhists call this 'Universal Law' : Nam myoho renge kyo

Try chanting Nam myoho renge kyo in addition to your current way of finding peace and harmony in your life and you will find yourself more in unity and rhythm with your immediate environment. More than you ever imagined! That 'triggered emotion' that brought 'tears to your eyes' is something that you can experience over and over again by chanting. Try it and welcome to the 'Chanting Growers Group'

 

[Purpleseed]

I did'nt went through all the pages(I just read the first!)and did'nt quite get what was the singing about.Can you point out a post or elaborate please.
One thing I'd like to specify:
I don't chant to create something for others other than love.For exemple,I will not wish anything to anybody besides love.I you were to wish the realisation of anything in anybody's life,it's a bit like spoiling your children until he is 40 years old!I beleive one persons needs to find he's own way of creating his life.This is not about not sharing!It's about sharing what we all really need.If you were to wish somebody and that thing comes true,the person has'nt learn,and it will make it longer before the person realises the process.One of the teaching in my course.

 

[Babbabud]

Hehe purpleseed welcome to The Chanting Growers Thread Just wanted to keep things clear. Physically overdosing on LSD is not really possible .... but sometimes the ego has a tough time letting go which results in you thinking you are physically ill or thinking you are going to die. Not truely an overdose more of an ego looking for a way to get out of the body .... can be a bit hard to let go at times Best to let the ego die and avoid hospitals Havent taken it in many years but did spend a bit of time with it as a young man Just think its a good idea not to perpetuate misinformation about something that society has such a hard time understanding to begin with . Ok well enough of that
Hope you can stop in again and take a closer look at whats happening here .
Nam myoho renge kyo !!

 

[Purpleseed]

Well,actually it was'nt the little pills,it was on peice of paper.Don't know how you call those in english but in french it's 'buvard'.The name comes from the paper propriety to hold the juice.I recently heard of them being more often PCP than LSD.However this happende maybe...12-14 year ago!Haven't done any chemicals in quite a while,I stoped after that!...But I wonder...how did I end up in COMA then?
Those were really strong and I was use to this back then,I could have take double what people needed to get a decent buzz.I took 4 this time.But they were said to be double shots...that brings back memory!!yuck...tasted so bad in my mouth...I did'nt even swallow it as usual as I found them very disgusting!I would have end up on a 15th floor somewhere!!

 

[Purpleseed]

You guys are vegetarian?
Home made Falafel sandwich...yummy!!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"It is the heart that is important. No matter how earnestly Nichiren prays for you, if you lack faith, it will be like trying to set fire to wet tinder. Spur yourself to muster the power of faith."

(The Strategy of the Lotus Sutra - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 1000) Selection source: Soka Gakkai President Akiya's encouragement, Seikyo Shimbun, September 3rd, 2005

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"The Daishonin says:

"'Even though one may encounter a wise teacher and the true sutra and thereby embrace the correct teaching, when one resolves to break free from the sufferings of birth and death and attain Buddhahood, one will inevitably encounter seven grave matters known as the three obstacles and four devils, just as surely as a shadow follows the body and clouds accompany rain.' (WND, 894)

"It is because we strive to realize kosen-rufu that devilish functions appear to obstruct us. And their appearance is precisely our opportunity to attain Buddhahood. Struggling against the three obstacles and four devils is the path to Buddhahood. This is the formula for attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime. Hence, the Daishonin asserts: 'My resolution is now immovable. Determined to endure any hardship, I have fulfilled the Buddha’s prediction' (WND, 895). And with courage and confidence, he overcame every great persecution that assailed him.

"The essence of Nichiren Buddhism shines in upholding fearless faith that does not shrink in the face of persecution."

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Pres Ikeda's msg to Las Vegas 1/04

Pres Ikeda's msg to Las Vegas 1/04

.....Nichiren Daishonin writes, "Buddhism primarily concerns itself with victory or defeat" (WND p.835) As the Daishonin teaches here, Buddhism is a battle. We practice faith to win over ourselves, to win in society, and to win a supremely happy existence. The purpose of our faith is to enjoy life in excellent health and full of vitality; It is to fulfill all our hopes and desires.

For this reason, I ask that all of you, my friends of Las Vegas, please advance boldly and courageously no matter what may happen-with "faith for absolute victory" and "faith for health and long life" as your mottos.

Through the ironclad unity of 'many in body, one in mind', please build a Las Vegas brimming with joy and good fortune that our friends all over the world will yearn for.

Daisaku Ikeda
January 30, 2004

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Perfect in every moment of existence

Perfect in every moment of existence

These roses under my window make no reference to former roses or to
better ones; they are for what they are; they exist with God today.
There is no time to them. There is simply the rose, perfect in every
moment of its existence. In the unburst bud it has a full life. In
the bloomed flower it has no more; in the leafless root it has no
less. Its nature is satisfied, and it satisfies nature, exactly the
same in every moment. But we postpone or remember. We do not live in
the present, but with reverted eye lament the past, or, heedless of
the riches that surround us, stand on tiptoe to foresee the future.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Self-Reliance", 1841, USA

 

[SoCal Hippy]

The One Essential Phrase

The One Essential Phrase

The One Essential Phrase

First, for you to ask a question about the Lotus Sutra is a rare source of good fortune. In this age of the Latter Day of the Law, those who ask about the meaning of even one phrase or verse of the Lotus Sutra are much fewer than those who can hurl great Mount Sumeru to another land like a stone, or those who can kick the entire galaxy away like a ball. They are even fewer than those who can embrace and teach countless other sutras, thereby enabling the priests and laymen who listen to them to obtain the six mystic powers. Equally rare is a priest who can explain the meaning of the Lotus Sutra and clearly answer questions concerning it. The Hoto chapter in the fourth volume of the Lotus Sutra sets forth the important principle of six difficult and nine easy acts. Your asking a question about the Lotus Sutra is among the six difficult acts. This is a sure indication that if you embrace the Lotus Sutra, you will certainly attain Buddhahood. Since the Lotus Sutra defines our life as the Buddha's life, our mind as the Buddha's wisdom and our actions as the Buddha's behavior, all who embrace and believe in even a single phrase or verse of this sutra will be endowed with these three properties. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is only one phrase, but it contains the essence of the entire sutra. You asked whether one can attain Buddhahood only by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and this is the most important question of all. It is the heart of the entire sutra and the substance of its eight volumes.

The spirit within one's body may appear in just his face, and the spirit within his face may appear in just his eyes. Included within the word Japan is all that is within the country's sixty-six provinces: all of the people and animals, the rice paddies and other fields, those of high and low status, the nobles and the commoners, the seven kinds of gems and all other treasures. Similarly, included within the title, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, is the entire sutra consisting of all eight volumes, twenty-eight chapters and 69,384 characters without exception. Concerning this, Po Chu-i stated that the title is to the sutra as eyes are to the Buddha. In the eighth volume of his Hokke Mongu Ki, Miao-lo stated that T'ien-t'ai's Hokke Gengi explains only the title, but that the entire sutra is thereby included. By this he meant that, although the text was omitted, the entire sutra was contained in the title alone. Everything has its essential point, and the heart of the Lotus Sutra is its title, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Truly, if you chant this in the morning and evening, you are correctly reading the entire Lotus Sutra. Chanting daimoku twice is the same as reading the entire sutra twice, one hundred daimoku equal one hundred readings of the sutra, and a thousand daimoku, a thousand readings of the sutra. Thus if you ceaselessly chant daimoku, you will be continually reading the Lotus Sutra. The sixty volumes of the T'ien-t'ai doctrine present exactly the same interpretation. A law this easy to embrace and this easy to practice was taught for the sake of all mankind in this evil age of the Latter Day of the Law. A passage from the Lotus Sutra reads, "During the Latter Day of the Law, if one wishes to teach this sutra, he should employ the mild way of propagation." Another reads, "In the Latter Day when the Law is about to perish, a person who embraces, reads and recites this sutra must abandon feelings of envy and deceit." A third states, "In the Latter Day of the Law, one who embraces this sutra will be carrying out all forms of service to the Buddha." A fourth reads, "In the fifth five hundred years after my death, accomplish worldwide kosen-rufu and never allow its flow to cease." The intent of all these teachings is the admonition to embrace and believe in the Lotus Sutra in this Latter Day of the Law. The heretical priests in Japan, China and India have all failed to comprehend this obvious meaning. The Nembutsu, Shingon, Zen and Ritsu sects follow either the Hinayana or the provisional Mahayana teachings but have discarded the Lotus Sutra. They misunderstand Buddhism, but they do not realize their mistakes. Because they appear to be true priests, the people trust them without the slightest doubt. Therefore, without realizing it, both these priests and the people who follow them have become enemies of the Lotus Sutra and foes of Shakyamuni Buddha. From the viewpoint of the sutra, it is certain that not only will all their wishes remain unfulfilled, but their lives will be short and, after this life, they will be doomed to the hell of incessant suffering.

Even though one neither reads nor studies the sutra, chanting the title alone is the source of tremendous good fortune. The sutra teaches that women, evil men, and those in the realms of Animality and Hell--in fact, all the people of the Ten Worlds--can attain Buddhahood. We can comprehend this when we remember that fire can be produced by a stone taken from the bottom of a river, and a candle can light up a place that has been dark for billions of years. If even the most ordinary things of this world are such wonders, then how much more wondrous is the power of the Mystic Law. The lives of human beings are fettered by evil karma, earthly desires and the inborn sufferings of life and death. But due to the three inherent potentials of Buddha nature--innate Buddhahood, the wisdom to become aware of it, and the action to manifest it--our lives can without doubt come to reveal the Buddha's three properties. The Great Teacher Dengyo declared that the power of the Lotus Sutra enables anyone to manifest Buddhahood. He stated this because even the Dragon King's daughter was able to attain Buddhahood through the power of the Lotus Sutra. Do not doubt this in the least. Let your husband know that I will explain this in detail when I see him.

Nichiren

The third day of the seventh month in the first year of Koan (1278).

BACKGROUND:

One year before Nichiren Daishonin inscribed the Dai-Gohonzon, Myoho-ama asked whether one could attain enlightenment only by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. His reply, dated July 3, 1278, is called "The One Essential Phrase."

Very little is known about Myoho-ama. She lived in Okamiya in the province of Suruga. A letter written to her just eleven days after this one speaks of her husband's recent death, so we must assume that the husband must have been very ill when Myoho-ama first wrote. She probably asked the question on behalf of her sick husband, as is also suggested by the final sentence of this letter. Whatever the case, she survived her husband and brother, and was evidently a sincere believer who fully enjoyed her master's confidence.

The Daishonin praises her for asking the question and declares that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the heart of the entire sutra and that it leads all people to enlightenment. He concludes by saying that even if one does not have the wisdom to penetrate the sutra's profound meaning, he or she can still gain tremendous good fortune and attain Buddhahood by chanting its title, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.