Chanting Growers Group

[Guest]

BOG, Faith starts with believing and believeing leads to true happiness. However, misplacing faith is like loosing your bank book and forgetting what bank you left your money in. Even though the account accumulates interest, it is not your interest to gain.

Nichiren wrote a nice gosho about that called, The Rich Man Suddartha." check it out when you get a chance, not a long letter, but siginficant, I feel.

BAbbabud, I am glad you are already thinking ahead and having a butsudan for the next member. That is the spirit of practice for oneself and others, I think. Congratulations.

Tom, Congratulations for the great break through in your life as well. The Body and Shadow, Each a reflection of one another, The Person and The Environment. I think the life-state of ourself is reflected in our environment moment by moment.

In other words, if we are winners, everyone in our environment is a winner too! However, as the Mystic Law is strict, If we are defeated everyone in our environment is defeated, as well. Life is Victory or Defeat. We decide each moment the outcome. Congratulations again!

Avid

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Never too late

Never too late

Aeric, never to late to join in our discussion and a sincere welcome to you. Many on this thread practice Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism and you will find most topics are generally related to this and the basis of the practice which is chanting the phrase: Nam myoho renge kyo.

Again, welcome and I hope you enjoy your time here.

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Buddhist apology: Zange

Buddhist apology: Zange

I am reprinting an article written by Richard Causton from 1985 but it describes this Buddhist term quite well. I am studying and chanting about this important concept in my practice. Sometimes, or I should say, Many times I just don't get it!

On Zange

"Sincere repentance will eradicate even immutable karma, to say nothing of karma which is mutable" ('On prolonging life', M.W. Vol. 1, p.229)

What does Zange really mean? Most people would answer, "It means apologizing to the Gohonzon". "But apologizing to whom and to what?" we reasonably reply. "After all, Gohonzon isn't God, so why should I have to apologize, especially if it is for something I did in a past life which I don't even know about? Sounds like confession!"

Yet the Gosho persists: "Even with small slanders, the Konichibo Gosho reads "if you do not do zange you cannot avoid falling into the evil paths. But even if you committed heavy slander, if you do zange then you can expiate your sins". (Gosho Zenshu p.926) Whilst the Gosho Reply to Ota Nyudo declares: "The Nirvana Sutra, referring to the Lotus Sutra states, 'Even slander of the True Law will be eradicated if one repents and professes faith in the True Law… He should devote himself to the True Law, because no other teaching can save and protect him'." (M.W. Vol.2, p.250)

What then, does zange truly mean and how can we actually do it, deep in our lives?

Those who have felt that zange sounds like confession can certainly be fully excused for their misconceptions, for zange, a word used in ancient Buddhist scriptures, was adopted much later in history by Christian missionaries in Japan as meaning "to regret past sins and confess them to a priest or God". It is not surprising therefore, that for us born into the Christian tradition in the West, zange can easily be misinterpreted. The original Buddhist definition of this word however, is totally different. It is contained in the "Bodhisattva Fugen Sutra" and reads as follows: "If you wish to do zange sit upright and meditate on the true entity of life". This is further defined in Buddhist terms as "pondering the cause of your past slander and sin due to your ignorance and illusions about life. Thus by realizing the true aspect of your life and revealing your Buddha wisdom, you can then do zange".

In other words, rather than apology, zange is to recognize with your whole heart and with inevitable regret, that your present suffering is due to an inherent cause in your life, which not only led you to slander the Gohonzon in your past lives but also continues to cause you to do so in this life. In this context, to understand the true meaning of zange it is necessary to appreciate three important points:

A. That Buddhism explains in the Ten Factors of Life that the Law of Cause and Effect manifests itself in four different ways. They are Nyoze-in, Nyoze-en, Nyoze-ka and Nyoze-ho - the inherent cause, the external cause, the latent effect and the manifest effect.

As an example of this, if you stir what looks like a glass of pure water with a spoon and it becomes murky, the cause of its murkiness is not the spoon (which is the external cause) but the fact that there is dirt in the water (inherent cause). Thus what Buddhism is concerned with is not the spoon but the dirt in the water, which is our unhappy karma. From this it becomes clear, that it doesn't matter in the least what we actually did in the past, i.e., the external cause - hating someone or stopping someone from practising; what matters is the inherent cause which made us behave like this, because this same inherent cause may still exist deep in our life and therefore is causing us suffering now.

B. Slandering the Law is not only speaking against Buddhism, hating someone, preventing
someone from practising or causing disunity amongst members, even though these may be some of the most evil forms. Slander is in fact any action which involves disrespect for life.
Thus pollution, injustice, misusing another person's possessions or money and of course, murder or other criminal acts, are all slander. Even to misuse one's body by eating and drinking too much is slander. Because we all possess the six lower worlds, especially the Three Evil Paths in our lives, we cannot, in fact, help committing small slanders even when we are practising, which is one of the main reasons why 'practice like flowing water' is so important; thereby we continually make great causes which offset our inadvertent slander.

C. Whereas there can be a myriad different forms of external causes of slandering the Law
and it is usually quite impossible and indeed, truly unnecessary and undesirable to try to imagine which particular ones we committed in the past, the inherent cause is in fact, unbelievably simple and fundamental. It is one of the Three Poisons which beset our lives and every other human life in this world.
In other words, it is either greed, anger or ignorance of the true meaning and nature of life itself; that ignorance which breeds not only blind stupidity but fear - especially fear for the unknown.

Why should we suffer from greed or anger or fear? There is only one answer isn't there? We are greedy and try to grab all we can in this life; we manifest anger in the form of arrogance or contempt because we wish to wield power; we are fearful and lack confidence in ourselves erecting barriers and screens to hide our true nature - only because we doubt (in other words, slander) the unlimited power of the Gohonzon and especially that it exists nowhere else but in ourselves.

If we knew without a shadow of a doubt that the Gohonzon - the Buddha state, source of all courage, wisdom, compassion and good fortune - shone within us, anger, greed and ignorance or fear would naturally be overcome and with them, the sufferings we are undergoing because of them.
This is exactly as the Lotus Sutra declared: "If you wish to do zange, sit upright and meditate on the true entity of life, and all your offenses will vanish like frost and dewdrops in the sunlight of enlightened wisdom". The true entity of life is of course, the Gohonzon or Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

Perhaps it is now becoming clear that deep zange is the process of:

- "Pondering the true aspect of our lives" in our daimoku, realizing that the only possible cause which can have the effect of preventing us from seeing our Buddha nature at work must always be past slander.

- Realizing that this same inherent cause still exists in our life today because we were born with it as part of our karma having failed to overcome it in our previous lives, thus perpetuating this suffering.

- Recognizing that the only way to overcome the effects of this poison is to struggle to fully trust the Gohonzon and bring ourselves to realize above all, that the Buddha nature actually exists in us. In other words to understand what is meant by the words in the Gosho: "Abutsubo is the Treasure Tower itself and the Treasure Tower is Abutsubo himself". (M.W. Vol.1, p.30)

- Through this recognition of the true cause of our sufferings, to regret our arrogance and ignorance with our whole hearts. This very act of deeply regretting is a quite natural and spontaneous reaction to our discovery that our sufferings are due to nothing else but slandering the Gohonzon and the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin.

- Determining with a deep sense of gratitude for the good fortune which has led us to the Gohonzon in this life, to work for kosenrufu wholeheartedly exactly as the Buddha taught from now on, in order to feel and realize the full power of the Gohonzon; at the same time, asking for actual proof of the Buddha nature working in us where previously we slandered and doubted.

- Through this actual proof, freeing our Buddha nature from the awful constrictions of our slander and doubts thereby finding true and lasting joy in life and in the limitless power of the Gohozon.
This is the process often described as "reflection, repentance, appreciation, determination and devoted practice which is called zange".

Thus true Buddhism with its brilliant light, penetrates beyond the surface matters and external causes, to the depths of life - to the very source of our agony - turning sufferings into enlightenment and poison into good medicine - as we determinedly chant daimoku, not with lingering guilt but with the resolve that we should at least feel and realize that the Buddha state is actively working in our lives. As we do so the ignorance on which greed, anger and fear have fed themselves for so long, disappears as our faith grows stronger and we become free.

"If the Japanese repent, they will be like King Ajatashatru who became a devout follower of Buddhism, thereby curing his own leprosy and prolonging his life by forty years. Like Ajatashatru, they will profess faith in spite of their earlier disbelief, and awaken to the eternity of life". (M.W. Vol.1, p.154)

It is of course, valuable to do a form of zange every day during gongyo, expressing our sincere regret for any slander we have committed, knowingly or unknowingly, in the past. Needless to say, this should be heartfelt, not automatic and should always be followed by our fresh determinations to fulfil the Buddha's will for kosen rufu.

However, it is important we realize that this is not deep zange as described in this article. This is a most profound experience in that it is directed towards a particular aspect of our karma and brings about a radical change in our lives, through the actual proof of our Buddha nature at work in an area in which we have never seen it in action before. Indeed it is this actual proof living vividly in our minds that will prevent this tendency to slander from taking control of our minds again.

We may need to do such a deep zange again to change our karma in some other area of our lives but it is unlikely to be something we could achieve every day. For to achieve such a deep and specific zange is usually a struggle over a period of time to bring the reality of the fact that one is a slanderer from just a passing thought or theory in our minds, to a reality which fills our whole lives with deep regret, gratitude for having the Gohonzon and determination to work for kosen rufu as we have never worked before. Once achieved it is as if the bars of a prison in which we have been incarcerated for as long as we can remember, have suddenly fallen away.

Mr. Satorno Izumi, vice-president of the Soka Gakkai, who wrote Guidelines in Faith and has practiced for over fifty years, once said, as an example, that if you stole a watch twenty years ago, you are bound at some point to feel really sorry for this when you are in front of the Gohonzon and express your sincere regret whilst chanting daimoku. However this is not necessarily a deep and specific zange aimed at rooting out the inherent cause for stealing. Such a deep zange is a total realization of the way in which you have hurt that person's life as well as your own, followed by an overwhelming desire to give him ten thousand gold watches if you could only do so, in order to overcome the sufferings which you now realize the inherent cause for this action has brought to you in this and many other different ways throughout your life.

Richard Causton, July 1985

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Weirdest F'ing Dream Last nite

Weirdest F'ing Dream Last nite

Woke up in a sweat as I had the strangest dream that scared the livin sh*t outa me. I was kidnapped by some al quaida dudes with automatic weapons. I was laying on my side on the floor while this guy put his rifle into my ear yelling in his foreign language while clicking the weapon. I thought it was over but all I could do was chant shouting loudly over an over - "Nam myoho renge kyo"
What seemed like eternity but probably less than a minute of that, these dudes turned and ran out of the room and never came back. I awoke in a sweat but felt like Nichiren Daishonin on the beach @ Tatsunokuchi ordering the shoten zinjin (protective forces in nature) for protection at such a crucial moment.

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Tatsunokuchi Persecution

Tatsunokuchi Persecution

Tatsunokuchi Persecution
[竜の口の法難] (Jpn.: Tatsunokuchi-no-honan)

1.

An unsuccessful attempt to execute Nichiren at Tatsunokuchi on the western outskirts of Kamakura in Japan in the ninth month of 1271. It is described in Nichiren's works The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra and The Letter of Petition from Yorimoto. From early in 1271 Japan had been suffering a drought, and the shogunate ordered the priest Ryokan of Gokuraku-ji temple to pray for rain. Nichiren sent him a challenge, stating that if Ryokan's prayers could produce rain in seven days he would become Ryokan's disciple, but if Ryokan failed he should become Nichiren's disciple. Ryokan accepted the challenge, but failed to produce rain even after fourteen days of prayer he offered with several hundreds of priests; instead, fierce gales arose. Humiliated, he ignored his promise and began using his influence among the wives and widows of top shogunate officials to make accusations against Nichiren. As a result, Nichiren was summoned for interrogation by the deputy chief of the Office of Military and Police Affairs, Hei no Saemon, on the tenth day of the ninth month, 1271. Nichiren took the opportunity to remonstrate with Hei no Saemon, predicting the outbreak of internal strife and foreign invasion if the rulers punished him unlawfully.

On the twelfth day of the ninth month, two days later, Hei no Saemon and a group of warriors rushed to Nichiren's dwelling at Matsubagayatsu and arrested him. Around midnight, Nichiren was taken by Hei no Saemon's men to the execution grounds on the beach at Tatsunokuchi.

As the party passed the shrine of the god Hachiman, Nichiren requested that he be given a moment. His request was granted, and he turned to address the deity of the shrine. Nichiren reprimanded Hachiman for failing to protect him, saying that he was the votary of the Lotus Sutra, whom hachiman had vowed to protect in the presence of Shakyamuni Buddha. He also sent a messenger to Shijo Kingo, a samurai who was a staunch believer and supporter; Kingo hurried to Nichiren's side, determined to die with him. After they reached the execution site, just before dawn on the thirteenth day, at the moment Nichiren was about to be beheaded, a luminous object shot across the sky, brightly illuminating the surroundings. Terrified, the soldiers called off the execution. Nichiren was then placed in custody at the Echi (about twenty kilometers from Tatsunokuchi) residence of Homma Shigetsura, deputy constable of the island province of Sado, for about one month. On the tenth day of the tenth month, 1271, he was sent into exile on Sado. Reflecting on the event, he wrote in The Opening of the Eyes: "On the twelfth day of the ninth month of last year ... this person named Nichiren was beheaded. It is his soul that has come to this island of Sado" (269), and later in Letter to Misawa, "As for my teachings, regard those before my exile to the province of Sado as equivalent to the Buddha's pre-Lotus Sutra teachings" (896). This is interpreted by Nichikan, the twenty-sixth chief priest of Taiseki-ji temple, to mean that the ordinary person Nichiren ceased to exist after the Tatsunokuchi Persecution, but the Buddha Nichiren went to Sado alive. Hence, Nichiren asserts, the teachings he had expounded before his exile to Sado should be regarded not as true but provisional. This process has been described as Nichiren's "casting off the transient and revealing the true" (Jpn hosshaku-kempon ), i.e., discarding his transient status and revealing his true identity.

From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism

 

[SoCal Hippy]

shoten-zenjin

shoten-zenjin

heavenly gods and benevolent deities
[諸天善神] (Jpn.: shoten-zenjin)

1.

Also, Buddhist gods, protective gods, tutelary gods, guardian deities, etc. The gods that protect the correct Buddhist teaching and its practitioners. Gods who function to protect the people and their land and bring good fortune to both. Heavenly gods and benevolent deities is a generic term for the Buddhist pantheon that includes Brahma, Shakra, the four heavenly kings, the Sun Goddess, the gods of the sun and moon, and other deities. Many of these gods and deities were traditionally revered in India, China, and Japan. They became part of Buddhist thought as Buddhism flourished in those areas. Rather than primary objects of belief or devotion, Buddhism tends to view them as functioning to support and protect the Buddha, the Law, or Buddhist teachings, and practitioners.

The "Introduction" (first) chapter of the Lotus Sutra describes a scene in which the heavenly beings or gods gather to hear the preaching of the sutra. The "Peaceful Practices" (fourteenth) chapter of the sutra says, "The heavenly beings day and night will for the sake of the Law constantly guard and protect [those who practice as the sutra teaches]." In the Lotus Sutra, the gods are regarded as the guardians of those who embrace the sutra. In The Treatment of Illness, Nichiren (1222-1282) writes, "The fundamental nature of enlightenment manifests itself as Brahma and Shakra, whereas the fundamental darkness manifests itself as the devil king of the sixth heaven" (1113). Here the gods are viewed as manifestations of the Buddha nature in one's life. The Golden Light Sutra reads: "Though this sutra exists in the nation, its ruler has never allowed it to be propagated. In his heart he turns away from it, and he takes no pleasure in hearing its teachings... . In the end, he makes it impossible for us [the four heavenly kings] and the other countless heavenly beings who are our followers to hear this profound and wonderful teaching. He deprives us of the sweet dew of its words and cuts us off from the flow of the correct teaching, so that our majesty and strength are drained away... . And once we and the others abandon and desert this nation, then many different types of disasters will occur in the country, and the ruler will fall from power." This passage may be interpreted as indicating that the gods gain their strength from the Buddhist Law, and that they are the inherent functions of nature and society that protect those who uphold that Law.

From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism

 

[SoCal Hippy]

My X-wife used to interpret dreams but I won't ever go there.

All I know that it's assuring to know that at a crucial moment I will rely on chanting daimoku at a crucial moment even if it was in a dream state.

 

[Guest]

SoCalHippy,

What was it Nichiren said, 'Life appears as if in a dream."
smile. too many intrepreatations possible. My wife used intrepeet dreams as well, until I started giving her my 'opinion' on dreams.

Life is filled with opinions.

I think our opinions are based on our individual experiences of this life, as well as our karmic past, manifest at this very moment. Our individual opinion may change as moments do, just as life changes from moment to moment.

I think our perception oif the actual truth of life; all life is no more than myoho renge kyo; effects our ability to create an opinion of value based on the ultimate truth of life.

Chanting nam myoho renge koy gives me the courage and the wisdom, to listen to, and understand the opinions of others, allowing me to expand my sphere of underdstanding of people.

Just like NIchiren said, With my own arms I can only embrace one, two, or perhaps even three people. However, with the Lotus Suttra, I have the ability to embrace a limitless number of people.

I like to call this mutual respect for all, through embracing other people's opinions.

Of course Nichiren Daishonin already did, he calls it nam myoho renge kyo.

Avid

 

[BushyOldGrower]

Jesus told a rich man that he would have to be born again to attain the kindom of heaven because it is easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven.

The truth is that riches mean nothing as far as enlightenment because possessions are nothing in reality. I wish I was rich but I'm still working on it Avid. BOG

 

[Guest]

BOG,
The treasure worth cherrishing most, are the treasure's of the heart. "It is the heart that is most important." Nichiren.

I believe Nichiren said when we chant nam myoho renge kyo we are gathering trerasures of the heart. Practice for oneself and others, I think when we chant for ourself and others happiness. We should let the other's know we are chanting for their happines or else we may not ne chanting for their happiness but our own happiness.

Every one of the ten worlds has a positive opportuniy as well as a negative opportunity. We do not have to change ourself to become Buddha's. All we have to do is reveal our 'true self' or our 'eternity, happiness, true self, and purity' The four virtrues of the Buddha and the names of the four leaders of the Boddhisatva's of the Earth, and we can creat positivity at every moment.

The power of faith in nam myoho renge kyo and the correct teachings of Nichiren Daishonin.

Avid

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Exerpt from 'Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra'

Exerpt from 'Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra'

I read this this AM and found it quite profound as most reading on the Lotus Sutra does to me!

Vol 3, pg 184

Ikeda: "The human being is the central concern of Buddhism. Buddhism focuses on the heart and on life.

From the perspective of the Buddha and the Law, there are people who, even though they are not Buddhists, manifest the state of life of a bodhisatva, On the other hand, among Buddhists there are those who qualify as 'non-Buddhists'; who on the surface appear to have faith but whose hearts are in the world of Hunger or Animality. Buddhism does not ask, 'What religion does this person follow?' but 'What is this person's state of life'?

Buddhism exists to enable all people to cultivate and manifest the world of Buddhahood in their lives. Society is a realm of discrimination and distinctions. But Buddhism transcends all superficial differences and focuses on life."

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Definition of 'Ten Worlds' in Buddhism

Definition of 'Ten Worlds' in Buddhism

Ten Worlds
[十界] (Jpn.: jikkai)

1.
Ten distinct realms or categories of beings referred to in Buddhist scriptures. From the lowest to the highest, the realms of (1) hell, (2) hungry spirits, (3) animals, (4) asuras, (5) human beings, (6) heavenly beings, (7) voice-hearers, (8) cause-awakened ones, (9) bodhisattvas, and (10) Buddhas.

The Ten Worlds were viewed originally as distinct physical locations, each with its own particular inhabitants. The Lotus Sutra, however, teaches that each of the Ten Worlds contains all ten within it, making it possible to interpret them as potential states of life inherent in each individual being. In other words, from the standpoint of the Lotus Sutra, the Ten Worlds indicates ten potential states or conditions that a person can manifest or experience. The mutual possession of the Ten Worlds is a component principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life, which T'ien-t'ai (538-597) set forth in Great Concentration and Insight.

The Ten Worlds may be described as follows:

(1) The world of hell. Nichiren's 1273 treatise The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind states, "Rage is the world of hell" (358). Hell indicates a condition in which living itself is misery and suffering, and in which, devoid of all freedom, one's anger and rage become a source of further self-destruc-tion.

(2) The world of hungry spirits. Also called the world of hunger. A condition governed by endless desire for such things as food, profit, pleasure, power, recognition, or fame, in which one is never truly satisfied. The above work reads, "Greed is the world of hungry spirits" (358).

(3) The world of animals. Also called the world of animality. It is a condition driven by instinct and lacking in reason, morality, or wisdom with which to control oneself. In this condition, one is ruled by the "law of the jungle," standing in fear of the strong, but despising and preying upon those weaker than oneself. The same work states, "Foolishness is the world of animals" (358). The worlds of hell, hungry spirits, and animals are collectively known as the three evil paths.

(4) The world of asuras. Also called the world of animosity or the world of anger. In Indian mythology, asuras are arrogant and belligerent demons. This condition is called the world of animosity because it is characterized by persistent, though not necessarily overt, aggressiveness. The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind states, "Perversity is the world of asuras" (358). It is a condition dominated by ego, in which excessive pride prevents one from revealing one's true self or seeing others as they really are. Compelled by the need to be superior to others or surpass them at any cost, one may feign politeness and even flatter others while inwardly despising them. The worlds of hell, hungry spirits, animals, and asuras are collectively called the f
our evil paths.

(5) The world of human beings. Also called the world of humanity. The same work reads, "Calmness is the world of human beings" (358). In this state, one tries to control one's desires and impulses with reason and act in harmony with one's surroundings and other people, while also aspiring for a higher state of life.

(6) The world of heavenly beings. Also called the world of heaven. The same work states, "Joy is the world of heaven" (358). This is a condition of contentment and joy that one feels when released from suffering or upon satisfaction of some desire. It is a temporary joy that is dependent upon and may easily change with circumstances. The six worlds from hell through the world of heavenly beings are called the six paths. Beings in the six paths, or those who tend toward these states of life, are largely controlled by the restrictions of their surroundings and are therefore extremely vulnerable to changing circumstances.

The remaining states, in which one transcends the uncertainty of the six paths, are called the four noble worlds:

(7) The world of voice-hearers, a condition in which one awakens to the impermanence of all things and the instability of the six paths. Also called the world of learning. In this state, one dedicates oneself to creating a better life through self-reformation and self-development by learning from the ideas, knowledge, and experience of one's predecessors and contemporaries. "Voicehearers" (Skt shravaka ) originally meant those who listen to the Buddha preach the four noble truths and practice the eightfold path in order to acquire emancipation from earthly desires.

(8) The world of cause-awakened ones, a condition in which one perceives the impermanence of all phenomena and strives to free oneself from the sufferings of the six paths by seeing some lasting truth through one's own observations and effort. Also called the world of realization. "Cause-awakened ones," also known as "self-awakened ones" (pratyekabuddha), originally meant those who attain a form of emancipation by perceiving the twelve-linked chain of causation or by observing natural phenomena. Persons in the worlds of voice-hearers and cause-awakened ones, which are together called persons of the two vehicles, are given more to the pursuit of self-perfection than to altruism. They are also willing to look squarely at the reality of death and seek the eternal, in contrast to those in the world of heaven, who are distracted from life's harsh realities.

(9) The world of bodhisattvas, a state of compassion in which one thinks of and works for others' happiness even before becoming happy oneself. Bodhisattva, which consists of bodhi (enlightenment) and sattva (beings), means a person who seeks enlightenment while leading others to enlightenment. Bodhisattvas find that the way to self-perfection lies only in altruism, working for the enlightenment of others even before their own enlightenment. Nichiren states in The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind: "Even a heartless villain loves his wife and children. He too has a portion of the bodhisattva world within him" (358).

(10) The world of Buddhas, or Buddhahood. This is a state of perfect and absolute freedom in which one realizes the true aspect of all phenomena or the true nature of life. One can achieve this state by manifesting the Buddha nature inherent in one's life. From the standpoint of the philosophy of the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds, Buddhahood should not be viewed as a state removed from the sufferings and imperfections of ordinary persons. Attaining Buddhahood does not mean becoming a special being. In this state, one still continues to work against and defeat the negative functions of life and transform any and all difficulty into causes for further development. It is a state of complete access to the boundless wisdom, compassion, courage, and other qualities inherent in life; with these one can create harmony with and among others and between human life and nature. In the above work, Nichiren states, "Buddhahood is the most difficult to demonstrate" (358), but he also says, "That ordinary people born in the latter age can believe in the Lotus Sutra is due to the fact that the world of Buddhahood is present in the human world" (358).

From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds

Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds

mutual possession of the Ten Worlds
[十界互具] (Jpn.: jikkai-gogu)

1.

A principle formulated by T'ien-t'ai (538-597) on the basis of the Lotus Sutra stating that each of the Ten Worlds possesses the potential for all ten within itself. One of the component principles of T'ien-t'ai's doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life. "Mutual possession" means that life is not fixed in one or another of the Ten Worlds, but can manifest any of the ten, from hell to the state of Buddhahood, at any given moment. While one of the ten is manifest, the other nine remain latent, in the state of non-substantiality. The important point of this principle is that all beings in any of the nine worlds possess the Buddha nature. This means that every person has the potential to manifest Buddhahood, while a Buddha also possesses the nine worlds and in this sense is not separate or different from ordinary people.

From another viewpoint, the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds can be seen as indicating "the world of Buddhahood inherent in the nine worlds," or "inclusion of Buddhahood in the nine worlds," and "the nine worlds inherent in Buddhahood," or "inclusion of the nine worlds in Buddhahood." In his treatise The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind, Nichiren (1222-1282) writes: "The 'Expedient Means' chapter in volume one of the Lotus Sutra states, 'The Buddhas wish to open the door of Buddha wisdom to all living beings.' This refers to the world of Buddhahood inherent in the nine worlds. The 'Life Span' chapter states: 'Thus, since I attained Buddhahood, an extremely long period of time has passed. My life span is an immeasurable number of asamkhya kalpas, and during that time I have constantly abided here without entering extinction. Good men, originally I practiced the bodhisattva way, and the life span that I acquired then has yet to come to an end but will last twice the number of years that have already passed.' Here the sutra refers to the nine worlds inherent in Buddhahood" (356-57).

From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism

 

[Guest]

SoCalHippy,
It is like Nichiren said, in the same gosho, "Even a villian loves his wife and children, the state of Boddhisattva exists in all people, as do the other Noble Worlds, including Buddhahood. You must believe this!"

Avid

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Babba, did you make it to your chanting mtg last nite? I am heading to California tomorrow to see family and friends. May be out of touch for awhile.

Nam myoho renge kyo Nam myoho renge kyo Nam myoho renge kyo Nam myoho renge kyo Nam myoho renge kyo Nam myoho renge kyo Nam myoho renge kyo Nam myoho renge kyo Nam myoho renge kyo...........

 

[BushyOldGrower]

It also says in the bible that same thing about even an evil man loving his own family and that this isn't enough. That we must love everyone including our enemies.

Isn't that a certaintly? If we understand our sameness how else can we be? BOG

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is Life Itself...

 

[Babbabud]

Hey guys Heya So Cal yup I sure did make it too the meeting last nite. Was a great time with new ppl in attendance. Our area leader just called me and said that he just got a phone call that my Gohonzon is in the hands of the district leader. Im hoping that i will recieve it on this coming wed. nite as it is the anniversary of the Gohonzon. Ive mentioned this date a cpl times at meetings and also that I now have a butsudan.
A new SGI center has opened in Sacramento and ppl from here went down to the opening , which was so big it was by reservation only, sounds like a beautiful place.
Wow SoCal im planning a trip to see family in So. Cal but not till november sometime..... too bad our timing isnt better
So nice to see you all dropping in .. makes my heart warm.
Lots of good things going on in the Babba camp... as of late we have been spending our extra time trimming .... makes the waiting part easier. Should have our first grandbaby here in the next couple weeks.... lots of great stuph happening this month.
Ok well thats the babba ramble for today ... much love everyone
nam myoho renge kyo

 

[Guest]

Babbabud, Congratulations!
It looks like you may well reciee your gohonzon on the date you have chosen.

BOG, Recognizing that even a villian has the capability to learn to have compassion for others beyond their family is the spirit of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, put into action daily by people that call themselves Boddhisatva of the Earth; as well as many other names, depending on our current path of understanding; which is a reflection of our current state of learning achieved, 'through faith alone!" as Nichiren would say in the Letter to Kyo'O.

SoCal, enjoy your travels and be safe as well.

Wondering where PTD is keeping himself lately.. grin.

Avid

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Oct 12! that would be so cool Babba. Congratulations and someday we'll connect physically; allready we are connected as the Bodhisatvas emerging from the earth with a significant and all important mission. "I have a mission, mine alone; you too have a mission only you can fulfill".....(paraphrased quote from an SGI president; I think Ikeda but might be Toda)

Just saw we are getting close to 20,000 views on this thread. Lots of shakabuku happening here. Gotta love that!

Nam myoho renge kyo

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Letter to Jakunichi-bo / WND pg. 993

Letter to Jakunichi-bo / WND pg. 993

L E T T E R TO J A K U N I C H I - B O

I deeply appreciate your sending a letter to this distant place. It is extremely rare to be born as a human being. Not only are you endowed with human form, but you have had the rare fortune to encounter Buddhism. More-over, out of the Buddha's many teachings you have encountered the daimoku, or the title, of the Lotus Sutra and become its votary. Truly you are a person who has offered alms to a hundred thousand million Buddhas in his past existences!

Nichiren is the supreme votary of the Lotus Sutra in Japan. In this land only he has lived the twenty-line verse of the "Encouraging Devotion" chapter. (1) The eight hundred thousand million nayutas of bodhisattvas pledged with this verse to propagate the Lotus Sutra, but not one of them fulfilled the pledge. The parents who gave life to this extraordinary person, Nichiren, are the most blessed of all people in Japan. It is no doubt because of karmic forces that they became my parents, and I, their child. If Nichiren is the envoy of the Lotus Sutra and the Thus Come One Shakyamuni, then his parents must also share this relationship. They are like King Wonderful Adornment and Lady Pure Virtue with their sons, Pure Storehouse and Pure Eye. Could the two Buddhas Shakyamuni and Many Treasures have been reborn as Nichiren's parents? Or if not, could his parents have been among the eight hundred thousand million nayutas of bodhisattvas or the four bodhisattvas led by Bodhisattva Superior Practices? It is beyond comprehension.

Names are important for all things. That is why the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai placed "name" first among the five major principles. My giving myself the name Nichiren (Sun Lotus) derives from my own enlightenment regarding the Buddha vehicle. This may sound as though I think I am wise, but there are specific reasons for what I say. The sutra reads, "As the light of the sun and moon can banish all obscurity and gloom, so this person as he advances through the world can wipe out the (2) darkness of living beings." Consider carefully what this passage signifies. "This person as he advances through the world" means that the first five hundred years of the Latter Day of the Law will witness the advent of Bodhisattva Superior Practices, who will illuminate the darkness of ignorance and earthly desires with the light of the five characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. In accordance with this passage, Nichiren, as this bodhisattva's envoy, has urged the people of Japan to accept and uphold the Lotus Sutra. His unremitting efforts never slacken, even here on this mountain.

The sutra then goes on to say, "After I have passed into extinction, [one] should accept and uphold this sutra. Such a person assuredly and without (3) doubt will attain the Buddha way." Therefore, those who become Nichiren's disciples and lay believers should realize the profound karmic relationship they share with him and spread the Lotus Sutra as he does. Being known as a votary of the Lotus Sutra is a bitter, yet unavoidable, destiny.

Fan K'uai, Chang Liang, Masakado, and Sumitomo never acted cowardly because they cared so deeply about their honor and abhorred disgrace. But disgrace in this life is nothing. Of far greater concern is the disgrace that appears in the next life. Proceed to the place of practice of the Lotus Sutra, bearing in mind the time when you must face the wardens of hell, and the garment-snatching demoness and the garment-suspending demon will strip off your clothes on the bank of the river of three crossings. The Lotus Sutra is the robe that will keep you from disgrace after this life. The sutra reads, "It (4) is like a robe to one who is naked."

Believe in the Gohonzon with all your heart, for it is the robe to protect you in the world after death. No wife would ever leave her husband unclothed, nor could any parents fail to feel pity for their child shivering in the cold. Shakyamuni Buddha and the Lotus Sutra are like one's wife and parents. You have helped me and thereby saved me from disgrace in this life; in return, I will protect you from disgrace in the next. What one has done for another yesterday will be done for oneself today. Blossoms turn into fruit, and brides become mothers-in-law. Chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and be always diligent in your faith.

I cannot thank you enough for your frequent letters. Jakunichi-bo, please convey all these teachings in detail to that believer.

Nichiren
The sixteenth day of the ninth month

Background

This letter was written to a young disciple named Jakunichi-bo Nikke, the son of the lord of Okitsu, Kazusa Province. It is dated the sixteenth day of the ninth month, with no year indicated, though it is believed to be 1279. Early in the Bun'ei era (1264-1275) Jakunichi-bo and his family had become followers of the Daishonin, who was then propagating his teachings in their area. Jakunichi-bo became a priest and later founded Tanjo-ji temple in Kominato to commemorate the place of the Daishonin's birth. It is also thought that this letter may have been addressed, through Jakunichi-bo, to a woman believer who lived in Kazusa Province.

In this letter, the Daishonin discloses the meaning of his name, Nichiren, implying that it signifies the Buddha who will bring enlightenment to all people in the Latter Day of the Law. He declares that his disciples must also exert themselves to convey the supreme teaching of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to all humankind. Then the Daishonin explains that the demons who, according to legend, strip one of one's garments at the time of death symbolize death's stripping one of all pretensions and superficial attainments, whether wealth, power, or knowledge.

In conclusion, the Daishonin encourages Jakunichi-bo, pledging to protect him in the next life since the latter protected the Daishonin in this life. Thus the Daishonin suggests the profound and timeless nature of the teacher-disciple relationship.

Notes

1. The twenty-line verse of the "Encouraging Devotion" chapter of the Lotus Sutra enumerates the types of persecutions that will be met when the Lotus Sutra is propagated in the fearful latter age after Shakyamuni's death. These persecutors were later defined by Miao-lo of China as the three powerful enemies (see Glossary).
2. Lotus Sutra, chap. 21.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid., chap. 23.