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, page 217) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, October 20th, 2005

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Fostering capable people requires painstaking, persevering efforts. The only way is to meet with individuals one-to-one, talk with them, encourage them, and struggle together with them to overcome problems and challenges. The intense commitment and concentrated effort that fostering capable people demands are the reasons this challenge is also such an effective means of polishing our own character and humanity. Those who help to raise and train capable people will enjoy the support and respect of many people into the eternal future.

"Please keep up the good work!"

SGI Newsletter No. 6609, 53RD SOKA GAKKAI HEADQUARTERS LEADERS MEETING, Nothing Compares to the Radiance of Youth, October 13th, 2005, translated October 21st, 2005

 

[Marley]

peom

peom

Heres a peom my mum sent to me, real nice make u think
IF I KNEW

If I knew it would be the last time
That I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly
and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.

If I knew it would be the last time
that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
and call you back for one more.

If I knew it would be the last time
I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word,
so I could play them back day after day.

If I knew it would be the last time,
I could spare an extra minute
to stop and say "I love you,"
instead of assuming you would KNOW I do.

If I knew it would be the last time
I would be there to share your day,
Well I'm sure you'll have so many more,
so I can let just this one slip away.

For surely there's always tomorrow
to make up for an oversight,
and we always get a second chance
to make everything just right.

There will always be another day
to say "I love you,"
And certainly there's another chance
to say our "Anything I can do?"

But just in case I might be wrong,
and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you
and I hope we never forget.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance
you get to hold your loved one tight.

So if you're waiting for tomorrow,
why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
you'll surely regret the day,

That you didn't take that extra time
for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone,
what turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today,
and whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them
and that you'll always hold them dear

Take time to say "I'm sorry,"
"Please forgive me," "Thank you," or "It's okay."
And if tomorrow never comes,
you'll have no regrets about today.


Pecae

 

[Babbabud]

Thanks for the great poem Marley . Made for a great wake up read this morning. Great to see you stop in and post friend. Thanks so much for sharing.
Nam myoho renge kyo!!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Great Poem! It's always good to see you, Marley, my friend!

Great Poem! It's always good to see you, Marley, my friend!

"Victory in life is not decided halfway through our journey, but in the final few years. The purpose of our faith is to enable us to shine at that time with the brilliant golden light of a magnificently setting sun. Let us devote ourselves to kosen-rufu to the very end so that we can adorn the closing chapters of our existence in this world with the courage, confidence, and freedom of true champions of life. Let’s do our best!"

SGI Newsletter No. 6609, 53RD SOKA GAKKAI HEADQUARTERS LEADERS MEETING, Nothing Compares to the Radiance of Youth, October 13th, 2005, translated October 21st, 2005

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Flowering and Bearing Grain / WND pg. 909

Flowering and Bearing Grain / WND pg. 909

I have not heard from either of you since that time. But I was very pleased to learn that you had read at (1) Kasagamori the two documents I wrote in the Kenji era in memory of the late Sage Dozen-bo.

If a tree is deeply rooted, its branches and leaves will never wither. If the spring is inexhaustible, the stream will never run dry. Without wood, a fire will burn out. Without earth, plants will not grow. I, Nichiren, am indebted solely to my late teacher, Dozen-bo, for my having become the votary of the Lotus Sutra and my being widely talked about now, in both a good and bad sense. Nichiren is like the plant, and my teacher, the earth.

The Bodhisattvas of the Earth have four leaders. The sutra says, "The first was called Superior Practices . . . and the fourth was called Bodhisattva Firmly (2) Established Practices." If Bodhisattva Superior Practices appears in the Latter Day of the Law, so must Bodhisattva Firmly Established Practices.

The rice plant flowers and bears grain, but its spirit remains in the soil. This is the reason the stalk sprouts to flower and bear grain once again. The blessings that Nichiren obtains from propagating the Lotus Sutra will always return to Dozen-bo. How sublime! It is said that, if a teacher has a good disciple, both will gain the fruit of Buddhahood, but if a teacher fosters a bad disciple, both will fall into hell.

If teacher and disciple are of different minds, they will never accomplish anything. I will elaborate on this point later.

You should always talk with each other to free yourselves from the sufferings of birth and death and attain the pure land of Eagle Peak, where you will nod to each other and speak in one mind.

The sutra reads, "Before the multitude they seem possessed of the three poisons or manifest the signs of distorted views. My disciples in this manner use expedient means to save living (3) beings."

Understand these matters in the light of what I have stated thus far.

Respectfully,

Nichiren

The fourth month in the first year of Koan (1278), cyclical sign tsuchinoe-tora

To Joken-bo and Gijo-bo

Background

Nichiren Daishonin sent this message from Minobu in the fourth month of 1278 for the second memorial service for Dozen-bo. Dozen-bo had been a senior priest at Seicho-ji temple, where the Daishonin entered the priesthood. The Daishonin studied under him from the age of twelve. The letter was addressed to his former seniors at Seicho-ji, Joken-bo and Gijo-bo.

When Nichiren Daishonin first declared the teaching of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo at Seicho-ji in 1253, he strongly refuted the dominant Pure Land school. Tojo Kagenobu, the steward of the village and an ardent Pure Land believer, became enraged and ordered his arrest. Dozen-bo helped the Daishonin escape. However, fearing the others, Dozen-bo remained a priest of Seicho-ji to the end of his life, but the Daishonin never forgot his former teacher.

In the seventh month of 1276, having learned of Dozen-bo's death, the Daishonin wrote On Repaying Debts of Gratitude in honor of his memory and sent it to Joken-bo and Gijo-bo.

Notes

1. "Two documents" here refers to the work On Repaying Debts of Gratitude, written in the second year of Kenji (1276), and its cover letter.
2. Lotus Sutra, chap. 15.
3. Ibid., chap. 8. In quoting this passage, the Daishonin encourages Joken-bo and Gijo-bo, who had become his disciples but remained at Seicho-ji temple, to convert the people there.

 

[SoCal Hippy]

nice gosho quote

nice gosho quote

The function of fire is to burn and give light. The function of water
is to wash away filth. The winds blow away dust and breathe life into
plants, animals, and human beings. The earth produces the grasses and
trees, and heaven provides nourishing moisture. The five characters of
Myoho-renge-kyo are also like that. They are the cluster of blessings
brought by the bodhisattvas of the Earth, disciples of the Buddha in
his true identity.

(WND, 218)
The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life
Written to Sairen-bo Nichijo on February 11, 1272

from "Daily Wisdom - from the writings of Nichiren Daishonin"

 

[Babbabud]

nice quote SoCal nice to see you brother.
nam myoho renge kyo!!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Letter to Horen / WND pg. 505

Letter to Horen / WND pg. 505

The "Teacher of the Law" chapter in the fourth volume of the Lotus Sutra states: "If there should be an evil person who, his mind destitute of goodness, should for the space of a kalpa appear in the presence of the Buddha and constantly curse and revile the Buddha, that person's offense would still be rather light. But if there were a person who spoke only one evil word to curse or defame the lay persons or monks or nuns who read and recite the Lotus Sutra, then his offense would be very grave."

The Great Teacher Miao-lo commented on this: "The benefits conferred by this sutra are lofty, and its principles are the highest. Therefore, this statement is made with regard to it. Nothing like this is said about any (1) other sutra."

With regard to the meaning of this sutra passage, the definition of a kalpa is as follows. Suppose that the span of human life is eighty thousand years, and that it decreases one year every hundred years, or ten years every thousand years. Let us suppose that it decreases at this rate until the life span has reached ten years.

At this point, a person ten years old would be like an eighty-year-old man of today. Then the process would reverse, and after a hundred years, the life span would increase to eleven years, and after another hundred years, to twelve years. After a thousand years it would have increased to twenty years, and this would continue until it once more reached eighty thousand years. The time required to complete this combined process of decrease and increase is called a kalpa. There are various other definitions of a kalpa, but for the time being I will use the word kalpa in the sense defined above.

There are persons who, throughout this period of a kalpa, manifest hatred toward the Buddha by carrying out various activities in the three categories of body, mouth, and mind. Such a person was Devadatta.

The Buddha was the son and heir of King Shuddhodana, and Devadatta was a son of King Dronodana. These two kings were brothers, so Devadatta was a cousin of the Buddha.

In the present as in the past, among sages as among ordinary men, trouble arising over a woman has been one of the prime causes of enmity. When Shakyamuni Thus Come One was still known as Prince Siddhartha, and Devadatta had been designated prince and heir to his father, it happened that a high minister named Yasha had a daughter named Yashodhara. She was the most beautiful woman in all of the five regions of India, a veritable goddess whose fame was known throughout the four seas. Siddhartha and Devadatta vied with each other to win her hand in marriage; hence discord arose between them.

Later, Siddhartha left his family and became a Buddha, and Devadatta, taking the monk Sudaya as his teacher, left his family to become a monk.

The Buddha observed the two hundred and fifty precepts and abided by the three thousand rules of conduct, so that all heavenly and human beings looked up to him with admiration, and the four kinds of believers honored and revered him. Devadatta, however, did not command such respect from others, so he began to consider whether there was not some way he could gain worldly fame that would surpass that of the Buddha. He came across five criteria by which he might surpass the Buddha and gain recognition from society. As noted in The Fourfold Rules of Discipline, they were: (1) to wear robes of rags; (2) to seek food only by begging; (3) to eat only one meal a day; (4) to sit out always in the open; and (5) to take neither salt nor the five flavors (2) The Buddha would accept robes given to him by others, but Devadatta wore only robes made of rags. The Buddha would accept meals that were served to him, but Devadatta lived on alms alone. The Buddha would eat once, twice, or three times a day, but Devadatta would eat only once. The Buddha would take shelter in graveyards or under trees, but Devadatta sat out in the open all day long. The Buddha would on occasion consent to take salt or the five flavors, but Devadatta accepted none of them. And because Devadatta observed these rules, people came to believe that he was far superior to the Buddha, and that they were as far apart as clouds and mud.

In this way Devadatta sought to deprive the Buddha of his standing. The Buddha was supported by the lay believer King Bimbisara. Every day the king supplied five hundred cartloads of alms to the Buddha as well as to his disciples, doing so over a period of years without missing a single day. Devadatta, jealous of such devotion and hoping to secure it for himself, won Prince (3) Enemy Before Birth over to his side and persuaded him to kill his father, King Bimbisara.

He himself set out to kill the Buddha, hurling a rock and striking the Buddha with it; such was the deed he carried out with his body. In addition, he slandered and cursed the Buddha, calling him a liar and a deceiver; such was the deed he committed with his mouth. And, in his heart, he thought of the Buddha as a foe from his previous lifetime; such was the deed he engaged in with his mind. The great evil of these three interacting deeds has never been surpassed.

Suppose that a terribly evil man like Devadatta were to engage in these three types of deeds, and for an entire medium kalpa, curse and revile Shakyamuni Buddha, striking him with staves and behaving toward him with jealousy and envy. The enormous guilt he would incur would be weighty indeed.

This great earth of ours is 168,000 yojanas thick, and therefore it is capable of supporting the waters of the four great seas, the dirt and stones of the nine mountains, every kind of plant and tree, and all living beings, without ever collapsing, tipping, or breaking apart. And yet, when Devadatta, a human being whose body measured five feet, committed no more than three cardinal sins, the great earth broke open and he fell into hell; the hole through which he fell still exists in India. The Tripitaka Master Hsüan-tsang stated in the text known as The Record of the Western Regions that when he journeyed from China to India for the sake of his practice he saw it there.

However, it is said that if one neither at heart thinks ill of the votary of the Lotus Sutra in the latter age nor in one's bearing shows envy toward him, but merely reviles him in a joking manner, then the consequences will be even worse than those brought about by Devadatta when, by committing the three types of deeds, he cursed and reviled the Buddha for an entire medium kalpa. How much worse, then, would the consequences be if the people of the present age were to set about conducting themselves like Devadatta, carrying out these three types of deeds with truly evil hearts over a period of many years - cursing and reviling the votary of the Lotus Sutra, subjecting him to defamation and insult, envying and feeling jealous of him, beating and striking him, putting him to death under false charges and murdering him.

Question: When someone displays animosity toward the votary of the Lotus Sutra in this latter age, what hell will that person fall into?

Answer: The second volume of the Lotus Sutra states: "If this person [should slander a sutra such as this], or on seeing those who read, recite, copy, and uphold this sutra, should despise, hate, envy, or bear grudges against them . . . . When his life comes to an end he will enter the Avichi hell, be confined there for a whole kalpa, and when the kalpa ends, die there again. He will keep repeating this cycle for a (4) countless number of kalpas."

Five hundred yojanas beneath the surface of the earth is the palace of King Yama. And fifteen hundred yojanas beneath the palace of King Yama are the eight great hells and the rest of the 136 hells. Of these 136 hells, 128 are for the consignment of persons who have committed minor offenses; the eight great hells are for those who have committed grave offenses. Of the eight great hells, seven are for people who have committed the ten evil acts. The eighth hell - the hell of incessant suffering - is for the consignment of three types of persons: those who have committed the five cardinal sins, those who (5) have been unfilial, and those who have slandered the Law. The passage I have just quoted makes it clear that people who curse, revile, or slander the votary of the Lotus Sutra in this latter age, even if they do so merely in jest, will fall into this hell.

The "Teacher of the Law" chapter in the fourth volume of the Lotus Sutra states: "If there is someone who seeks the Buddha way and for the space of a kalpa [presses palms together in my presence and recites numberless verses of praise, because of these praises of the Buddha he will gain immeasurable blessings]. And if one lauds and extols those who uphold this sutra, one's good fortune will be even greater."

The Great Teacher Miao-lo remarked: "Those who vex or trouble [the practitioners of the Lotus Sutra] will have their heads split into seven pieces, but those who give alms to them will enjoy good fortune surpassing(6) the ten honorable titles."

Among human beings, the foremost is the ruler known as a wheel-turning king. When a wheel-turning king is about to appear in the world, an omen precedes him, a huge tree known as an udumbara growing up in the midst of the ocean, bearing flowers and fruit.

When a gold-wheel-turning king appears, the mountains and seas of the four continents become level, the great earth becomes soft as cotton, the seas become sweet as amrita, the mountains become mountains of gold, and the plants and trees turn into the seven kinds of treasures.

The wheel-turning king can travel throughout the entirety of the four continents in an instant; therefore, the heavenly gods guard and protect him, the spirits gather about and serve him, and the dragon kings cause rain to fall at the proper time. If ordinary people of inferior capacity follow such a ruler, then they, too, can travel throughout the four continents in an instant. All of these things come about solely because the wheel-turning king abides by the ten good precepts; these are the rewards that result from that observance.

Incomparably superior to the wheel-turning kings are Vaishravana and the rest of the four heavenly kings. These are the great kings who preside freely over the four continents.

Shakra is the lord of the heaven of the thirty-three gods. The devil king of the sixth heaven dwells at the summit of the world of desire and rules over the threefold world. These beings were able to obtain their positions because they observed the highest class of the ten good precepts and carried out the highly virtuous act of making impartial offerings.

The great heavenly king Brahma is the most highly honored among the heavenly beings in the threefold world. He dwells at the summit of the world of form, is attended by the devil king of the sixth heaven and Shakra, and holds a major world system in his hand. In addition to having practiced the kind of meditation that is still accompanied by illusions, he has cultivated the four infinite virtues - pity, compassion, joy, and impartiality.

The voice-hearer is one like Shariputra or Mahakashyapa who, in addition to observing the two hundred and fifty precepts and practicing meditation without illusions, has concentrated his attention on the concepts of suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self. He has cut off all the illusions of thought and desire arising in the three-fold world and can move entirely at liberty through water or fire. For these reasons, he has Brahma and Shakra as his attendants.

The cause-awakened one is one who is incomparably superior to the voice-hearer, one whose advent in the world rivals that of a Buddha. Long ago there was a hunter who lived in an age of famine. At that time he gave a bowl of food consisting of millet as an offering to a pratyekabuddha named Rida. As a result, this hunter was reborn as a rich man in the human and heavenly realms for a period of ninety-one kalpas. In our present world, he was called Aniruddha, and was known as the foremost in divine insight among the Buddha's (7) disciples.

The Great Teacher Miao-lo commented on this as follows: "A meal of millet is a trifling thing. But because the donor gave all that he possessed, and because the recipient was a superior being, the donor was able to obtain (8) marvelous recompense."

The meaning of this passage of commentary is that, though a meal of millet may be insignificant, because it was given as an offering to a pratyekabuddha, a person of great worth, the donor was reborn again and again with wonderful rewards.

Next are those known as bodhisattvas, represented by Manjushri and Maitreya. These great bodhisattvas are remarkable beings who are incomparably superior to the pratyekabuddhas. Buddhas are beings who have completely dispelled the darkness associated with the forty-two levels of ignorance and have attained the stage of perfect enlightenment; they are like the full moon on the fifteenth night of the eighth month. These bodhisattvas have dispelled the darkness of forty-one levels of ignorance, thus reaching the mountain summit of near-perfect enlightenment, the next to the last stage; they are like the moon on the fourteenth night.

The Buddha is a hundred, thousand, ten thousand, million times superior to the various beings described above. A Buddha is invariably distinguished by thirty-two features. Among these features are a pure and far-reaching voice, an unseen crown of the head, a knot of flesh on the head like a topknot, a tuftof white hair between the eyebrows, and markings of the thousand-spoked wheel on the sole of each foot. Of these thirty-two features, each one was acquired as the result of a hundred blessings.

What do we mean by a hundred blessings? Let us suppose that all the people in Japan, in China, and in the sixteen great states, the five hundred middle-sized states, and the ten thousand small states that make up the five regions of India are blind, indeed, that all living beings throughout the continent of Jambudvipa, the four continents, the six heavens of the world of desire, and throughout the entire major world system become blind. And let us suppose that there is a great physician who is capable of bestowing a splendid benefit by restoring sight to, in one instant, the eyes of all these beings. That act would count as the bestowal of a single blessing. When a hundred such blessings are accumulated, it leads to the appearance of one of the thirty-two features.

From this it is apparent that the benefits represented by merely one of these features are greater in number than all the plants and trees within a major world system, or all the drops of rain that fall upon the four continents.

In the time of the kalpa of decline, a great wind known as samghata arises, uprooting Mount Sumeru, lifting it to the highest heaven in the world of (9) form, and then reducing it to particles of dust. But despite all that, not a single hair on the body of the Buddha so much as stirs.

In the breast of the Buddha is a great fire, made up of the great wisdom of equality, the shining light of great knowledge, and the fire pit of meditation (10). When the Buddha enters nirvana, this great fire blazes forth from his breast and consumes his body. Though the heavenly deities and the dragons and other beings of the six heavens of the world of desire and the four seas, distressed at the thought of losing the Buddha, gather round and cause torrential rains to fall, until the earth of the entire major world system is under water and Mount Sumeru is about to be washed away, still they cannot put out this huge fire.

The Buddha is thus a person of great virtue. But King Ajatashatru, gathering together evil men from the sixteen great states of India, plotting with non-Buddhists from all around, and acknowledging Devadatta as his teacher, turned numberless hordes of evil people loose, causing them to curse, attack, and kill the Buddha's disciples. Not only that, but he turned against his father, a worthy ruler who was guilty of no fault, pinning him down in seven places with foot-long spikes. He also approached the queen consort - the mother who gave him birth - snatched away her jeweled hairpins, and held a sword to her head. Because of these terrible crimes, his body broke out in virulent sores in seven places.

It was fated that, when twenty-one days had passed, on the seventh day of the third month, the earth would break open, and he would fall into the hell of incessant suffering, to remain there for an entire kalpa. But because he sought out the Buddha, not only did his sores heal, but he was able to escape from the pains of the hell of incessant suffering and to live forty years longer.

The high minister Jivaka was an emissary of the Buddha, and as a result he was able to step into the flames and rescue the son of the rich man of (11) Champa. From this it would appear that once one has made offerings and paid homage to the Buddha, regardless of whether one is an evildoer or a woman, one will be able without fail to attain Buddhahood and achieve the way.

Devadatta had thirty of the distinctive features, but lacked the tuft of white hair and the markings of the thousand-spoked wheel. Because he lacked two of the features that distinguish the Buddha, he was afraid that his disciples would belittle him. So he gathered fireflies and stuck them between his eyebrows to resemble the tuft of white hair. And for the markings of the thousand-spoked wheel, he had a blacksmith make pieces of iron in the shape of chrysanthemum blossoms and tried to brand them on the soles of his feet, but he succeeded only in burning his feet. As he walked on them, the injury grew worse until he was at the point of death, when he confessed to the Buddha what he had done. The Buddha then stroked the burns with his hand, and all the pain went away.

One might suppose that Devadatta would then repent and reform his ways, but instead he went about telling people that Gautama practiced petty healing tricks and that he resorted to magic.

And yet the Buddha harbored no grudges even against such enemies. How, then, could he ever cast aside anyone who had even once put faith in him?

This is how great the Buddha was. Therefore, when he was depicted in wooden statues or in paintings, his image walked about like the wooden statue carved by King Udayana, or preached the various sutras like the painted image fashioned by Matanga.

So venerable is this personage known as Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings. And yet the blessings to be obtained by honoring him not for an hour or two, not for a day or two, but for the entire space of a kalpa - pressing one's palms together, raising one's eyes to the face of the Buddha, bowing one's head, abandoning all other concerns, going about it as though attempting to put out the fire in one's own head, as though thirsty and seeking water, as though hungry and seeking a meal -the blessings to be obtained by incessantly making offerings and paying homage to the Buddha in this way cannot match those to be obtained by praising and making offerings to the votary of the Lotus Sutra in this latter age, even though it be only one word spoken in jest, the sort of unenthusiastic praise a stepmother might offer to her stepchild.

The blessings to be obtained from the latter act, it is stated, are a hundred, thousand, ten thousand, million times greater than those to be obtained by conducting oneself with a believing heart in the three categories of body, mouth, and mind, and offering alms to the living body of the Buddha for an entire kalpa. This is what the Great Teacher Miao-lo meant when he wrote that one would "enjoy good fortune surpassing the ten honorable titles."

The ten honorable titles are ten epithets that are applied to the Buddha. Miao-lo is saying that the blessings to be obtained by making offerings to the votary of the Lotus Sutra in the latter age are greater than those to be obtained by making offerings to the Buddha of the ten honorable titles. This is (12) one of the twenty ways cited by the Great Teacher Miao-lo in which the Lotus Sutra surpasses all other sutras.

The two doctrines (13) outlined above were preached by the Buddha himself, and yet they may be difficult to believe. How, you may ask, could one possibly acquire greater blessings by making offerings to an ordinary person than by making offerings to a Buddha?

However, if you declare that these doctrines are mere lies, then you call into doubt the golden words spoken by the Thus Come One Shakyamuni himself, you make light of the testimony to their truth given by Many Treasures Buddha, and you disregard the sign manifested by the Buddhas of the ten directions when they extended their (14) tongues. And if you do these things, you will fall into the Avichi hell alive. You will be as nervous and uneasy at heart as a person who tries to ride an unruly horse over a rocky slope.

On the other hand, if you believe these doctrines, you will become a Buddha of perfect enlightenment. How, then, are you to go about nurturing faith in the Lotus Sutra? For if you try to practice the teachings of the sutra without faith, it would be like trying to enter a jeweled mountain without hands [to pick up its treasures], or like trying to make a thousand-mile journey without feet. The answer is simply to examine the proof that is close at hand, and thus to take hold of faith that is far off.

On the first day of the first month of the Buddha's eightieth year, when he had finished preaching the Lotus Sutra, he made this announcement: "Ananda, Maitreya, Mahakashyapa - I came into the world in order to preach the Lotus Sutra. I have accomplished my original intention, and now there is no further reason for me to remain in the world. Three months from now, on the fifteenth day of the second month, I will (15) enter nirvana."

Everyone, both those among the Buddha's followers and outsiders, doubted this pronouncement. But since the Buddha's words are never spoken in vain, when the fifteenth day of the second month at last came, he did in fact enter nirvana. As a result, people recognized that the golden words of the Buddha were true, and they began to have a certain amount of faith in his words.

The Buddha made another prediction, saying: "A hundred years after I pass away, a ruler named Ashoka the Great will appear. He will rule over one-third of the continent of Jambudvipa, and will erect eighty-four thousand stupas and pay honor to my relics." People doubted this statement as well, but just as the Buddha had predicted, the king appeared; and from this time onward, people believed.

The Buddha also said, "Four hundred years after I pass away, there will be a great ruler named King Kanishka. He will gather together a group of five hundred arhats, and they will compile the work known as The Great Commentary on the Abhidharma." This prediction also came about just as the Buddha had stated.

As a result of these proofs, people came to believe the predictions of the Buddha. If, therefore, the two doctrines I cited earlier are nothing but lies, then everything that is in the Lotus Sutra must be a lie.

In the "Life Span" chapter the Buddha says that he became a Buddha numberless major world system dust particle kalpas in the past. We are ordinary human beings; we can hardly remember what has happened to us since our birth in this present existence, much less what happened one or two lifetimes back. How, then, can we be expected to have faith in what happened numberless major world system dust particle kalpas ago?

Moreover, the Buddha made a prediction to Shariputra, saying, "In ages to come, after a countless, boundless, inconceivable number of kalpas have passed, . . . you will be able to become a Buddha with the name Flower Glow (16) Thus Come One." He also made a prediction concerning Mahakashyapa, saying, "In future existences . . . . And in his final incarnation he will be able to become a Buddha named Light Bright (17) Thus Come One."

But these passages in the sutra concern events in the distant future, and so it is difficult to expect ordinary people like ourselves to have faith in them. It is thus difficult for ordinary people, who have no knowledge of the distant past or future, to have faith in this sutra. That being the case, even if we were to carry out its practice, what meaning could it have for us?

In light of all this, it would seem that, when one who is able to show clearly visible proof in the present expounds the Lotus Sutra, there also will be persons who will believe.


(to be continued)

Notes

1. The Annotations on "The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra."
2. Sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, and salty.
3. Prince Enemy Before Birth refers to Ajatashatru, king of the state of Magadha in India. According to the Nirvana Sutra, King Bimbisara, who was impatient for the birth of an heir, ordered that the hermit who was destined to be reborn as his son be killed. It was subsequently foretold that the child would grow up to be the king's enemy. Hence the child was called Prince Enemy Before Birth.
4. Lotus Sutra, chap. 3. In this quotation, the Daishonin paraphrases the sutra passage "be born there again" as "die there again."
5. According to the Meditation on the Buddha Sutra and the Causality of Past and Present Sutra, those who are unfilial will, after their death, fall into the hell of incessant suffering.
6. On "The Words and Phrases." The ten honorable titles are epithets applied to the Buddha expressing his virtue, wisdom, and compassion.
7. This story, which appears in the Storehouse of Various Treasures Sutra, is related in greater detail in Reply to Tokimitsu (p. 925).
8. On "The Words and Phrases."
9. "The highest heaven in the world of form" refers to the Akanishtha heaven, or Summit of Being heaven, where living beings are said to possess pure bodies free from all suffering and illness.
10. These virtues represent the state and nature of Buddhahood: The great wisdom of equality indicates the Buddha wisdom that benefits all beings impartially; the shining light of great knowledge refers to the Buddha wisdom that shines universally and eliminates the darkness of illusions; and the fire pit of meditation describes a state of concentration that is free of delusions.
11. This story appears in the Nirvana Sutra. The rich man's wife died during pregnancy, but Shakyamuni nevertheless assured him that he would receive a male child. When his wife was cremated, a baby boy emerged from her body and sat up in the flames. At the Buddha's command, Jivaka entered the fire and bore the child to safety.
12. The twenty outstanding points enumerated in On "The Words and Phrases." One of them, for example, is the revelation in the "Life Span" chapter that Shakyamuni in fact attained Buddhahood in the remote past.
13. The two doctrines refer to the doctrines explaining the offense incurred by those who oppose the votaries of the Lotus Sutra and the blessings obtained by those who support them.
14. In the "Treasure Tower" chapter of the Lotus Sutra, Many Treasures Buddha appears to bear witness to the truth of the sutra. In the "Supernatural Powers" chapter, the Buddhas of the ten directions, testifying to the truth of the sutra, extend their long broad tongues until they reach the Brahma heaven.
15. In the Universal Worthy Sutra, the epilogue to the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha says, "Three months from now I will enter nirvana." He makes the same announcement in a Pali scripture called the Mahaparinibbana-suttanta (Sutra of the Great Nirvana). The Daishonin may have added the information about the date of the Buddha's passing because Buddhist tradition related that the Buddha passed away on this particular day.
16. Lotus Sutra, chap. 3.
17. Ibid., chap. 6. In this passage the expression "final incarnation" indicates the existence in which one frees oneself from illusions, thus liberating oneself from the sufferings of birth and death.

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"Buddhism is the Mirror that Perfectly Reflects our Lives"

"Buddhism is the Mirror that Perfectly Reflects our Lives"

"When you joyfully do gongyo and carry out activities with the determination to accumulate more good fortune in your life, the heavenly deities will be delighted and will valiantly perform their duty."

SGI President Ikeda’s guidance at the first NSA women’s division training session, held at the Soka University, Los Angeles, campus on February 27, 1990

(He was speaking to all women but it applies to all I believe)


I sincerely thank all of you for gathering here from distant places throughout the United States. My sole desire for the members of the women’s division is that they become the happiest people in the world.

What is the purpose of life? It is happiness. But there are two kinds of happiness: relative and absolute. Relative happiness comes in a wide variety of forms. The purpose of Buddhism is to attain Buddhahood. In modern terms, this could be explained as realizing absolute happiness — a state of happiness that can never be destroyed or defeated.

Nichiren Daishonin states in the Gosho, "There is no greater happiness for human beings than chanting Nam-Myoho-renge-kyo" (The Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, p. 161). So long as you maintain strong faith, resolutely chanting daimoku to the Gohonzon no matter what happens, then you will without fail be able to lead a life of complete fulfillment. This is in accordance with the principle that earthly desires are enlightenment (bonno soku bodai).

True happiness lies only in establishing such a supreme state of life. By so doing, you are able to change all sufferings into causes for joy and contentment and to live with composure and jubilation.

Our organization for kosen-rufu exists so that each member can attain absolute happiness. Let me make it perfectly clear that the objective of this organization is your happiness.

Society and daily life are the "great earth" for our faith and practice of the True Law. The steady development of kosen-rufu can be ensured only when, based on faith, we carefully attend to the affairs of society, our daily life and our families. "Faith manifests itself in daily life" — this is our eternal guideline.

I hope that all of you will be cultured and graceful. Intelligent and kind people are beautiful. They inspire trust and a sense of reassurance in those around them. As you continue to deepen your faith in Buddhism, you can broaden your sphere of knowledge. Without wisdom and sagacity, leaders cannot fulfill their mission, that is, convince others of the power of this Buddhism and help those attain true happiness. In this sense, I would like to speak about the correct attitude in faith through the analogy of mirrors.

A Japanese proverb has it that the mirror is a woman’s soul. It is said that, just as warriors will never part with their swords, women will never part with their mirrors. There would seem to be some truth to this saying, in that mirrors are prized by women the world over.

In Buddhism, the mirror is used to explain various doctrines. In one place, Nichiren Daishonin states, "There are profound teachings transmitted secretly with regard to mirrors" (Gosho Zenshu, p. 724).

Buddhism Is the Mirror That Perfectly Reflects Our Lives
Another Gosho states: "A bronze mirror may reflect the body but not the mind. The mirror of the Lotus Sutra reflects not only our physical form but our inner being as well. Furthermore, the sutra mirrors, with complete clarity, one’s past karma and its future effect" (Gosho Zenshu, p. 1521).

Mirrors reflect our outward form. The mirror of Buddhism, however, reveals the intangible aspect of our lives. Mirrors, which function by virtue of the laws of light and reflection, are a product of human wisdom. On the other hand, the Gohonzon, based on the Law of the universe and life itself, is the culmination of the Buddha’s wisdom and makes it possible for us to attain Buddhahood by providing us with a means of perceiving the true aspect of our life.

Just as a mirror is indispensable for putting your face and hair in order, you need a mirror that reveals the depths of your life if you are to lead a happier and more beautiful existence.

Incidentally, as indicated in the Daishonin’s reference to a bronze mirror in the above Gosho passage, mirrors in ancient times were made of polished metal alloys such as bronze, nickel, and steel.

The oldest metallic mirrors to be unearthed were found in China and Egypt. Older still are mirrors made of polished stone surfaces and those that used water. Suffice it to say that the history of mirrors is as old as that of the human race. It is perhaps an inborn human instinct to want to look at one’s own face.

These ancient mirrors, unlike today’s mirrors that are made of glass, could only produce somewhat blurred reflections of images. Consequently, the first glance in a glass mirror caused a great sensation.

The first time the Japanese encountered a glass mirror was in 1551. Francis Xavier is credited with having brought one with him when he came to do missionary work in Japan.

But it was not until the eighteenth century — toward the latter half of the Edo period — that the average Japanese became acquainted with this kind of mirror. Perhaps because it performed its function all too well, causing people to do nothing but gaze in the mirror all day long, the glass mirror came to be known as the "vanity mirror" among the people of the day. Many ukiyo-e prints depict Japanese beauties gazing into mirrors. Still, it was not until the latter half of the nineteenth century — during the Meiji era — that glass mirrors came into wide use among the general populace.

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Buddhism is the Mirror.....(continued)

Buddhism is the Mirror.....(continued)

Polish the Mirror of Your Life
Bronze mirrors not only reflected poorly but also tarnished very quickly. Threfore, unless they were polished regularly, they became unusable. This kind of mirror was popular during the Kamakura era during which the Daishonin lived.

In the Gosho "On Attaining Buddhahood," Nichiren Daishonin writes: "Even a tarnished mirror will shine like a jewel if it is polished. A mind which presently is closed by illusions originating from the innate darkness of life is like a tarnished mirror, but once it is polished it will become clear, reflecting the enlightenment of immutable truth" (MW-1, 5). In this well-known passage, the Daishonin draws parallels between the tradition of mirror-polishing and the process of attaining Buddhahood.

Originally, every person’s life is a brilliantly shining mirror. Differences arise depending on whether or not one polishes this mirror. A polished mirror is the Buddha’s life, whereas a tarnished mirror is that of a common mortal. Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is what polishes our life. Not only do we undertake this practice ourselves, we also endeavor to teach others about the Mystic Law so that the mirror of their lives shines brightly, too. Thus, it can be said that we are masters of the art of polishing the mirror of life.

Even though people may make up their faces, they tend to neglect to polish their lives. While they quickly wash off a stain from their faces, they remain unconcerned about stains in their lives.

The Tragedy of a Handsome Youth
The British author Oscar Wilde (1856-1900) wrote a novel titled The Picture of Dorian Gray. To offer a very brief explanation, the novel’s protagonist is a youth named Dorian Gray who is so handsome that he is called a "young Adonis."

An artist who wished to preserve his beauty for eternity painted Dorian’s portrait. It was a brilliant work, an embodiment of his youthfulness and beauty. But something incredible occurred as Dorian was gradually tempted by a friend into a life of hedonism and immorality. His beauty did not fade. Although he advanced in years, he remained as youthful and radiant as ever. Miraculously, however, the portrait began to turn ugly and lusterless, reflecting the condition of Dorian’s life.

At length, making sport of a young woman’s affections, Dorian drove her to commit suicide. At that time there appeared on the face of the portrait an expression — wicked, savage and frightening. Dorian was filled with horror. This portrait of his soul would remain for aeons in this ugly form. Even if he died, the portrait would continue to eloquently tell the truth.

He determined to obliterate the portrait, believing that if only he could do away with it, he could part with his past and be free. Dorian plunged a knife into the painting. At that moment, hearing screams, his neighbors rushed over to find a portrait of the handsome and young Dorian and, collapsed before it, an aged, repulsive-looking man, Dorian, with a knife sticking in his chest.

The portrait, in other words, had expressed the semblance of his existence, the face of his soul, into which the effects of his actions were etched, without the slightest omission.

Though cosmetics can be applied to the face, one cannot gloss over the face of his soul. The law of cause and effect functioning in the depths of life is strict and impartial.

Buddhism teaches that unseen virtue brings about visible reward. In the world of Buddhism, one never fails to receive an effect for his actions — whether for good or bad; therefore, it is meaningless to be two-faced or to try to put on airs.

The "face of the soul" that is carved out by the good and evil causes one makes is to an extent reflected in ones appearance. There is also a saying, "The face is the mirror of the mind." It is, however, at the moment of death that one’s past causes show most plainly in one’s appearance.

Just as Dorian in the end revealed his own inner ugliness, so the "face of one’s life" is fully expressed at the time of one’s death. At that time there is no way to conceal the truth of your soul. We carry out our Buddhist practice now so that we will not have to experience any regret or torment on our deathbed.

Perceive the Buddha Nature Inherent in Your Life
Just as you look into a mirror when you make up your face, to beautify "the face of the soul," you need a mirror that reflects the depths of your life. This mirror is none other than the Gohonzon of "observing one’s mind," or more precisely, observing one’s life. Nichiren Daishonin explains what it means to observe one’s life in the Gosho "The True Object of Worship": "only when he looks into a clear mirror for the first time does he see that he is equipped with all six sense organs" (MW-1, 49).

Similarly, observing one’s life means to perceive that one’s life contains the Ten Worlds, and in particular, the world of Buddhahood. It was to enable people to do this that Nichiren Daishonin bestowed the Gohonzon of "observing one’s mind" upon all mankind. In his exegesis on "The True Object of Worship," Nichikan Shonin, the twenty-sixth high priest, states, "The true object of worship can be compared to a wonderful mirror."

Nichiren Daishonin states in the Ongi Kuden(Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings), "The five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo mirror all things without a single exception." The Gohonzon is the clearest of all mirrors that reflects the entire universe exactly as it is. When you chant to the Gohonzon, you are able to perceive the true entity of your life and tap the inexhaustible life force of Buddhahood.

Incidentally, the glass mirrors that we have today are said to have been invented in Venice, Italy. Sources differ as to exactly when, but their appearance is traced as far back as 1279. That was also the year when Nichiren Daishonin inscribed the Dai-Gohonzon of the high sanctuary of true Buddhism, the eternal great mirror reflecting the true aspect of all phenomena, for the benefit of all humanity.

At the time of the glass mirror’s invention, the production technique was said to have been kept a closely guarded secret in Italy. To prevent knowledge of the technology from spreading, glass craftsmen were confined to an island. But before long France and other countries learned how to produce mirrors, and today mirrors made of glass have completely replaced other types. These events might be construed as the kosen-rufu of the glass mirror.

Similarly, for a long time, the mirror of the Gohonzon, the source of profound beauty and happiness, was known to very few people. We are now promoting the movement to spread it far and wide.

The Gohonzon is a clear mirror. It perfectly reveals our state of faith and projects this out into the universe. This demonstrates the principle of ichinen sanzen, that a single life-moment pervades the three thousand realms.

In a letter to his disciple, Abutsubo on Sado Island, Nichiren Daishonin wrote: "You may think you offered gifts to the treasure tower, but that is not so. You offered them to yourself" (MW-1, 30). Worshipping the Gohonzon graces and glorifies the treasure tower of your own life.

When people worship the Gohonzon, all Buddhas and bodhisattvas in the entire universe immediately respond to their prayers by lending their protection. If they slander the Gohonzon, the response will be exactly the opposite.

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Buddhism is the Mirror.....(continued)

Buddhism is the Mirror.....(continued)

One’s Mind of Faith Is Most Important
For this reason, one’s mind of faith is extremely important. The mind of faith has a subtle and far-reaching influence.

There may be times, for instance, when you feel reluctant to do gongyo or take part in activities for kosen-rufu. That state of mind is reflected exactly on the entire universe, as if on the surface of a clear mirror. The heavenly deities will then also feel reluctant to play their part, and they will naturally fail to exert their full power of protection.

On the other hand, when you joyfully do gongyo and carry out activities with the determination to accumulate more good fortune in your life, the heavenly deities will be delighted and will valiantly perform their duty. If you must take some action anyway, it is to your advantage that you do so spontaneously and with a feeling of joy.

If you practice reluctantly with a sense that it’s a waste of time, disbelief and complaints will erode your good fortune. If you continue to practice in this way, you will not experience remarkable benefits, and this will only serve to further convince you that your practice is in vain. This is a vicious circle.

If you practice faith while doubting its effects, you will get results that are, at best, unsatisfactory. This is the reflection of your own weak faith on the mirror of the cosmos. On the other hand, when you stand up with strong confidence, you will accrue limitless blessings.

While controlling your mind, which is at once both extremely subtle and solemnly profound, you should strive to elevate your faith with freshness and vigor. When you do so, both your life and your surroundings will open wide before you, and every action you take will become a source of benefit. Understanding the subtle workings of one’s mind is the key to faith and to attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime.

There is a Russian proverb which says, "It is no use the blame the looking glass if your face is awry." Likewise, your happiness or unhappiness is entirely the reflection of the balance of good and bad causes accumulated in your life. You cannot blame others for your misfortunes. In the world of faith, it is necessary to realize this all the more clearly.

People Who Do Not Know About Mirrors
A classical Japanese comedy tells the following story: Once there was a country village where no one had a mirror. In those days mirrors were priceless things. A man, returning from his trip to the capital, handed his wife a mirror as a souvenir. That was the first time for her to see a mirror. Looking into it, she exclaimed: "Who on earth is this woman? You must’ve brought a girl back with you from the capital." And so began a big fight.

Though this story is fictitious, many people become angry or grieve over phenomena that are actually nothing but the reflection of their own lives — their state of mind and the causes that they have created. Like the wife in the story who exclaims, "Who on earth is this woman?" they do not realize the folly of their ways.

Because they are ignorant of the "mirror of life" of Buddhism, such people are unable to see themselves as they truly are. This being the case, they cannot guide others along the correct path of life, nor can they discern the true nature of occurrences in society.

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Buddhism is the Mirror......(continued)

Buddhism is the Mirror......(continued)

The Spirit of Propagation
Human relations also function as a kind of mirror. Nichiren Daishonin states in the Ongi Kuden: "When Bodhisattva Fukyo bowed in reverence to the four categories of people, the Buddha nature inherent in the lives of these arrogant people bowed back to him. This is the same as how, when one bows facing a mirror, the reflected image bows back" (Gosho Zenshu, p. 769).

Here, the Daishonin reveals the fundamental spirit that we should have in propagating the Mystic Law. Propagation is an act to be conducted with the utmost respect for other people and out of sincere reverence for the Buddha nature inherent in their lives. Therefore, we should strictly observe courtesy and good common sense.

With the thought that we are addressing that person’s Buddha nature, we should politely and calmly carry out a dialogue — sometimes, depending on the situation, mercifully correcting that person with fatherly strictness. In the course of such human interaction, the Buddha nature in that person, reflecting our own sincerity, will bow to us in return.

When we cherish that person with the same profound reverence as we would the Buddha, the Buddha nature in his life functions to protect us. On the other hand, if we belittle or regard that person with contempt, as though gazing into our own image reflected in a mirror, we wil be disparaged in return.

In the inner realm of life, cause and effect occur simultaneously. With the passage of time, this causal relationship becomes manifest in the phenomenal world of daily life.

Mutual Respect
In general, the people around us reflect our state of life. Our personal preferences, for example, are mirrored in their attitudes. This is especially clear from the viewpoint of Buddhism, which elucidates the workings of cause and effect as if in a spotless mirror.

To the extent that you praise, respect, protect and care for SGI members, who are all children of the Buddha, you will in turn be protected by the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions and all heavenly deities. If, on the other hand, you are arrogant or condescending toward members, you will be scolded by the Buddhas and others in like measure. Leaders, in particular, should be clear on this point and take it deeply to heart.

We are a gathering of the Buddha’s children. Therefore, if we respect one another, our good fortune will multiply infinitely, like an image reflected back and forth among mirrors. A person who practices alone cannot experience this tremendous multiplication of benefit.

In short, the environment that you find yourself in, whether favorable or not, is the product of your own life. Most people, however, fail to understand this, and tend to blame others for their troubles.

The Gosho reads: "These people do not recognize their own belligerence but instead think that I, Nichiren, am belligerent. They are like a jealous woman who glares with furious eyes at a courtesan and, unaware of her own loathsome expression, complains that the courtesan’s gaze is frightening" (Gosho Zenshu, p. 1450).

Nichiren Daishonin explains human psychology in such a clear and easy-to-understand manner. There are people who, out of malice, have criticized and sought to oppress us who are the Daishonin’s disciples. But, reflected in the mirror of the world of the True Law, such people see only their own faults, ambitions, and greed, and therefore slander their own reflections.

To a person who is possessed by the lust for power, even the most selfless, benevolent actions of others will appear as cunning moves undertaken to gain power.

Similarly, to a person who has a strong desire for fame, actions based on conviction and consideration will be seen as publicity stunts. Those who have become slaves of money simply cannot believe that there are people in the world who are strangers to the desire for wealth.

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Buddhism is the Mirror...(continued)

Buddhism is the Mirror...(continued)

In contrast, an unusually kind and good-natured person will tend to believe that all others are the same. To a greater or lesser extent, all people tend to see their own reflection in others.

In SGI-USA there are a great number of people who are full of goodwill and intentions. In a sense, some might even be too good-natured and trusting, to the extent that I fear they could be deceived by deceitful people.

In Le Pere Goriot, the Franch author Balzac writes, "Whatever evil you hear of society, believe it...." So full of evil was the world that he perceived. He adds: "And then you will find out what the world is, a gathering of dupes and rogues. Be of neither party."

We must gain decisive victory over the harsh realities of society and lead a correct and vibrant life. This is the purpose of our faith. We have to become wise and strong.

Also, in the organization for kosen-rufu, we have to clearly say what must be said. The purpose of Buddhism is not to produce dupes who blindly follow their leader. It is to produce people of wisdom who can judge right or wrong on their own in the clear mirror of Buddhism.

I hope that you, the members of the women’s division, learn the correct way to practice Buddhism; so that, in the event that a leader or a male does something that goes against reason, you will be able to clearly point out the error and identify the correct path or the correct standard to follow. Nichiren Daishonin compares men to an arrow and women to the bow. An arrow flies in the direction that the bow points it.

I would like to tell you that when the members of the women’s division freely devote themselves to activities, and provide a confident and strong lead for men, that will mark the dawn of the new SGI-USA.

To commemorate today’s training session, I would like to dedicate the following poem to the SGI-USA women’s division:
Let the flowers of the Law
Bloom with beauty and purity
Throughout this land of America.

I would like to close my speech by offering my sincere prayers for the happiness of you and your families, and for the further development of SGI-USA.

(from: http://www.gakkaionline.net/ST390/Mirror.html)

 

[BushyOldGrower]

Wow, the mirror is a heavy simile to a mirror that reflects only the skin deep view interpreted by our eyes and mind to the mirror effect I feel when doing Gongyo or just chanting. But doing the Gongyo as prescribed does make you change rather than just reflecting to you your nature it seems to change your nature toward that which is better.

Perhaps I am wrong but it seems the fastest way to improve myself. Even more so than study. Am I wrong or is this some kind of magic I feel.

You cant do it when in a low mood but doing it raises the mood. I remember working with very depressed people and I would ask them to try and smile. To show me their happy face but they couldnt when too depressed. Our face is a reflection of our soul just as the eyes communicate the face reflects our inner emotions.

Did you know that smiling makes you feel happy? Try it. Really make yourself smile broadly for awhile and then see of your mood has changed?

A mirror effect? I feel perhaps I have a point but the sour bubble is making it blur a bit this morning. Perhaps cannabis helps people simulate happiness but there is a saying called, "fake it until you make it" and it sounds funny but Soma is of the belief that cannabis makes people kinder.

Anyways reflections work both ways don't they? BOG

nam myoho renge kyo that my inner self become full of goodness. Smile...

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Hey! While chanting seven hours yesterday, I saw something...

Hey! While chanting seven hours yesterday, I saw something...

And it was myself, as others might see me!

How is everyone? My deepest respect to you all! "I have profound reverence for you, I would never dare treat you with disparagement or arrogance.” And if I do, I pray to change my nature and dissipate my slander with sincere prayer to manifest compassion. I can be an arrogant son of a bitch! I am so very sorry! I don’t mean to be. I have never intended to discourage ANYONE! But after all, I am just a common mortal. I’ll just have to keep trying to do better! MORE CHANTING!

My deepest thanks to SoCal, BOG and Babbabud! My brothers shall hear from me soon, I promise.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

So venerable is this personage known as Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings. And yet the blessings to be obtained by honoring him not for an hour or two, not for a day or two, but for the entire space of a kalpa - pressing one's palms together, raising one's eyes to the face of the Buddha, bowing one's head, abandoning all other concerns, going about it as though attempting to put out the fire in one's own head, as though thirsty and seeking water, as though hungry and seeking a meal -the blessings to be obtained by incessantly making offerings and paying homage to the Buddha in this way cannot match those to be obtained by praising and making offerings to the votary of the Lotus Sutra in this latter age, even though it be only one word spoken in jest, the sort of unenthusiastic praise a stepmother might offer to her stepchild.

The blessings to be obtained from the latter act, it is stated, are a hundred, thousand, ten thousand, million times greater than those to be obtained by conducting oneself with a believing heart in the three categories of body, mouth, and mind, and offering alms to the living body of the Buddha for an entire kalpa. This is what the Great Teacher Miao-lo meant when he wrote that one would "enjoy good fortune surpassing the ten honorable titles."

 

[PassTheDoobie]

ten honorable titles
[十号] (Jpn.: ju-go)

Ten epithets for a Buddha, expressing such qualities as power, wisdom, virtue, and compassion. Among the several versions of the ten honorable titles, one lists them as follows: (1) Thus Come One (Skt tathagata ). One who has come from the world of truth. A Buddha embodies the fundamental truth of all phenomena and grasps the law of causality that permeates past, present, and future. (2) Worthy of Offerings (arhat). One who is qualified to receive offerings from human and heavenly beings. (3) Right and Universal Knowledge (samyak-sambuddha). One with a correct and perfect understanding of all phenomena. (4) Perfect Clarity and Conduct (vidya-cha-rana-sampanna). One who understands eternity, or the past, present, and future existences, and who is a perfect performer of good deeds. (5) Well Attained (sugata), also Well Gone. One who has gone over to the world of enlightenment. (6) Understanding the World (lokavid). One who understands all secular and religious affairs by grasping the law of causality. (7) Unexcelled Worthy (anuttara). One who stands supreme among all living beings. (8) Trainer of People (purusha-damya-sarathi). One who trains and leads all people to enlightenment. (9) Teacher of Heavenly and Human Beings (shasta-deva-manushyanam). One who can teach and educate all human and heavenly beings. (10) Buddha, the World-Hon-ored One (Buddha-bhagavat). An awakened one, endowed with perfect wisdom and virtue, who wins the respect of all people. Other versions list Buddha and World-Honored One as two separate titles, in which cases either Understanding the World and Unexcelled Worthy, or Unexcelled Worthy and Trainer of People, are combined as one title, or Thus Come One is excluded.

From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Employ the strategy of the Lotus Sutra before any other. 'All others who bear you enmity or malice will likewise be wiped out.' These golden words will never prove false."

(The Strategy of the Lotus Sutra - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 1001) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, November 1st, 2005

 

[Babbabud]

Got my head down working hard .... enjoying the post morning and evening thanks so much for the encouragement all ...its what keeps me going
nam myoho renge kyo !!