Chanting Growers Group

[PassTheDoobie]

"It must be ties of karma from the distant past that have destined you to become my disciple at a time like this. Shakyamuni and Many Treasures certainly realized this truth. The sutra’s statement, “Those persons who had heard the Law dwelled here and there in various Buddha lands, constantly reborn in company with their teachers,” cannot be false in any way."

(The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 217) Selection source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shimbun, December 1st, 2012

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"President Toda always warmly supported and encouraged members facing serious roblems such as financial hardship, illness, or human relations difficulties. He said: 'The greater the obstacle, the greater the victory that awaits to be achieved. You can use your present struggles and hardships as the fuel to develop an expansive state of life that enables you to help many people and to enjoy a life of eternity, happiness, true self, and purity, thousands—no, millions—of times in your future existences!'

"In the light of the Mystic Law and the eternity of life, all of our trials and tribulations in this existence are simply phenomena that manifest to enable us to attain a state of indestructible happiness ourselves and to help others do the same. There are countless members in Japan and around the world who have demonstrated the power of faith that can change poison into medicine; they are all people who are infinitely rich in the 'treasures of the heart.'"

SGI Newsletter No. 8674, Raise High the Banner of Invincible Resolve, from the December 2012 issue of Daibyakurenge, translated 16th Nov. 2012

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"... secular matters are the entirety of Buddhism."

(The Gift of Rice - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 1126) Selection source: Buddhist study for new members, Shimbun, December 2nd, 2012

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"The ancient Roman philosopher Seneca declared: 'A true king fears nothing.'[1] Aligning our lives with the Mystic Law and making our way with the dignified spirit of kings of humanity and faith, let us elevate our life conditions, enable many others to form a connection to the Daishonin’s Buddhism, and raise a new and glorious victory banner!

"With confidence
and optimism,
resolutely triumph
in this life
like kings."

SGI Newsletter No. 8674, Raise High the Banner of Invincible Resolve, from the December 2012 issue of Daibyakurenge, translated 16th Nov. 2012

[1] Seneca, Phaedra and Other Plays, translated by R. Scott Smith (London: Penguin Books, 2011), p. 213.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"But now you must build your reputation on the Lotus Sutra and give yourself up to it."

(The True Aspect of All Phenomena - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 385) Selection Source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shinbun, December 3rd, 2012

 

[Payaso]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

Thomas has returned!!!

It must be ties of karma from the distant past that have destined you to become my disciple at a time like this.

- I totally agree this is karmic and the reason for everything...

"In the light of the Mystic Law and the eternity of life, all of our trials and tribulations in this existence are simply phenomena that manifest to enable us to attain a state of indestructible happiness ourselves and to help others do the same. There are countless members in Japan and around the world who have demonstrated the power of faith that can change poison into medicine; they are all people who are infinitely rich in the 'treasures of the heart.'"

- Another cosmic truth clarified here...

But the bottom line is - as always...

"But now you must build your reputation on the Lotus Sutra and give yourself up to it."

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

 

[BushyOldGrower]

Ahh...wisdom from Thomas. Thanks and nam Myoho renge Kyo...

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Dudes! My friends! The One Mind of Buddhahood is shared by all! My wisdom is your wisdom and your wisdom is my wisdom. As we all chant together we are joined as one mind in our original state of being. We are the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, Buddhas dispatched with the mission and desire to make everyone equal to ourselves.

It's 2013! A New Year is upon us! Our business is exploding and I apologize for my absence, but I have six kids to pay for braces, and in a few years Soka High School (if I can get their grades up). After 40 years years of practice I wrote to Daisaku Ikeda and since it is personally being taken to Japan and delivered, there is a high probability he may read it.

BOG is here and so is SG! It's like a flash back to our beginnings Chanting Growers! Let's all stick around and enjoy why it is we know each other in the first place!

Happy New Year!!!

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!!!

Thomas

 

[Avinash.miles]

OM NAMAH SHIVAYA

BOOM SHIVA

OM JAY NARMADE

NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the greatest of all joys."

(Ongi kuden - Gosho Zenshu, page 788, The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, page 212) Selection source: SGI President Ikeda's essay, Seikyo Shimbun, December 29th, 2012

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Kosen-rufu is the effort to share the Mystic Law with one person after another and increase the number of people who practise the Daishonin’s Buddhism to realise their fullest inner potential. The Gohonzon exists to make this possible. Indeed, the Gohonzon exists for the happiness of humanity and the realisation of kosen-rufu.

"Therefore, when we embrace faith in the Gohonzon, it is important that we firmly believe in the justice of the Daishonin’s struggle. Unless we have the resolve to share in this struggle and participate in widely propagating the Mystic Law, then the supremely noble life-state of Buddhahood will not manifest powerfully within us. The essence of faith in Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism is for disciples to strive for kosen-rufu with the same spirit as their mentor."

SGI Newsletter No. 8691, Learning from the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin: The Teachings for Victory, [43] “Reply to Niiama.” The Gohonzon Opens the Way to Happiness for All People, from the August 2012 issue of the Daibyakurenge, translated 25th Dec. 2012

 

[PassTheDoobie]

" 'Great joy [is what] one experiences when one understands for the first time that one’s mind from the very beginning has been the Buddha. Nam-myoho- renge-kyo is the greatest of all joys.' - From “The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings,” pp. 211–12.

"When we lead our lives with a vigorous challenging spirit, we can break through all hardship and adversity and gain a state of immense joy. Through chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and dedicating ourselves to the realisation of the great vow for kosen-rufu, our lives will be imbued with unsurpassed happiness and delight.

"This year, we again exerted ourselves heroically and won! Our joy lies in limitlessly revealing the power of the Buddha, which no trial or tribulation can vanquish; it lies in striving earnestly for people’s happiness and the welfare of society, triumphantly paving the way for the eternal and indestructible happiness for ourselves and others.

"Together, let’s confidently and cheerfully take on fresh challenges so that we can achieve fresh victories in the new year ahead!"

SGI NewsletterNo. 8692, Living the Gosho: Words of Encouragement from SGI President Ikeda, (100) Adorning Our Lives with Great Joy, from the 27th Dec., 2012, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, translated 27th Dec. 2012

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Seasonal greetings to our neighbours and friends
are especially important at this time of the year.
Even just a few words showing our care and concern for them
can create heart-to-heart bonds.
By constantly making such a sincere effort
to cultivate good relationships with others,
let's help as many people as possible to form a connection
with Buddhism and its philosophy!

Daisaku Ikeda

 

[PassTheDoobie]

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!

And sincere thanks for the many birthday wishes! Thank you so much for remembering!

Bowing in humble obeisance,

Thomas

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Exert yourself in the two ways of practice and study. Without practice and study, there can be no Buddhism. You must not only persevere yourself; you must also teach others. Both practice and study arise from faith. Teach others to the best of your ability, even if it is only a single sentence or phrase."

(The True Aspect of All Phenomena - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 386)
Selection source: "Myoji no Gen", Seikyo Shimbun, Decemeber 3rd, 2012

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Even if someone gains position and wealth, it does not necessarily guarantee that they’ll be happy. At the same time, even if someone seems to be happy, there’s no telling how long that happiness will last. True happiness is something we create for ourselves from this present moment and where we are right now, irrespective of our circumstances."

SGI Newsletter No. 8681, Encouragement for Soka Educators (2) Creating a New Age of Education Where Teacher and Student Grow Together—Part 2 [of 3], from the 2nd Feb., 2012, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, translated 30th Nov. 2012

 

[PassTheDoobie]

HI FOREST!!!

 

[Bonzo]

WOW!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR MY FRIENDS!!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Hey Bonz!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

New Year's Gosho

New Year's Gosho

I have received a hundred slabs of steamed rice cake and a basket of fruit. New Year's Day marks the first day, the first month, the beginning of (1) the year, and the start of spring. A person who celebrates this day will accumulate virtue and be loved by all, just as the moon becomes full gradually, (2) moving from west to east, and as the sun shines more brightly, traveling from east to west.

First of all, as to the question of where exactly hell and the Buddha exist, one sutra states that hell exists underground, and another sutra says that the Buddha is in the west. Closer examination, however, reveals that both exist in our five-foot body. This must be true because hell is in the heart of a person who inwardly despises his father and disregards his mother. It is like the lotus seed, which contains both blossom and fruit. In the same way, the Buddha dwells within our hearts. For example, flint has the potential to produce fire, and gems have intrinsic value. We ordinary people can see neither our own eyelashes, which are so close, nor the heavens in the distance. Likewise, we do not see that the Buddha exists in our own hearts. You may question how it is that the Buddha can reside within us when our bodies, originating from our parents' sperm and blood, are the source of the three poisons and the seat of carnal desires. But repeated consideration assures us of the truth of this matter. The pure lotus flower blooms out of the muddy pond, the fragrant sandalwood grows from the soil, the graceful cherry blossoms come forth from trees, the beautiful Yang Kuei-fei was born of a woman of low station, and the moon rises from behind the mountains to shed light on them. Misfortune comes from one's mouth and ruins one, but fortune comes from one's heart and makes one worthy of respect.

The sincerity of making offerings to the Lotus Sutra at the beginning of the New Year is like cherry blossoms blooming from trees, a lotus unfolding in a pond, sandalwood leaves unfurling on the Snow Mountains, or the moon beginning to rise. Now Japan, in becoming an enemy of the Lotus Sutra, has invited misfortune from a thousand miles away. In light of this, it is clear that those who now believe in the Lotus Sutra will gather fortune from ten thousand miles away. The shadow is cast by the form, and just as the shadow follows the form, misfortune will befall the country whose people are hostile to the Lotus Sutra. The believers in the Lotus Sutra, on the other hand, are like the sandalwood with its fragrance. I will write you again.

Nichiren