Chanting Growers Group

[Guest]

thanks PTD, we all need those posts.

Chanting to your gohonzon will help you overcome certain "plateaus" as you apply yourself to practice.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!

[Transcendence]

Power of Mind



Scientific studies have recently shown that groups of meditating people have actually slowed down crime rates in major cities in various parts of the world This article appeared in the Sunday Star Newspaper in Johannesburg - Gauteng Province South Africa.



"Now you can meditate your way to a safer Gauteng" (written by Kurt Swart) All we need to reduce Gauteng's crime rate is for 200 people to sit together quietly with their eyes closed, twice a day for 20 minutes. Absurd? Maybe not. This is what Transcendental Meditation (TM) advocates for successfully combating crime. The organisation has impressive scientific findings to back its seemingly outlandish claim - including a nod from eminent scientists in the field of quantum physics, no less. According to Maharishi Vedic Institute President Richard Peycke, a safer Gauteng is within easier reach if 200 people meditate daily in the same place. Said Peycke: 'TM is renowned for its ability to reduce stress and anxiety, increase intelligence quotients and creativity, and enhance memory and health. Yes it can do all those things but can also bring down the crime rate.' How? Through the Maharishi effect.



The theory is that human consciousness is like an electromagnetic field radiating human thought waves. Quantum physics describes nature as a unified field in which every tiny particle of matter exerts an influence on every other particle - even if they are light years apart. Thus, say scientists, it is not implausible that the human mind can generate similar field effects. The effect of a large group of transcendental meditators is a spread of coherence throughout the unified field, or collective consciousness, and the result is reduced stress and violence, and improved harmony in society -the Maharishi effect. According to TM theorists, the number of meditators needed to produce this effect is the square root of one percent of the population. For Gauteng's 8.5 million inhabitants, the number of meditators needed is 200; for the country 1000.



The Maharishi effect has impressed scientists because of it's repeatability in research surveys. Whenever group meditation is practised and its effects measured, statistically, with all variables taken into account, crime and violence have dropped significantly. Said Peycke: ' TM is a very ancient programme. It's been working for thousands of years and there has been more scientific research on this programme than on any other.' More than 500 studies at 200 universities by independent panels of scientists have been conducted on TM during the past thirty years and the results published in 100 academic journals. One of these, the Journal of Conflict Resolution, published results of a two-month study on a coherence group in Israel. While the group was meditating there was a 76% drop in the number of war deaths in Lebanon, a 68% drop in war injuries and a 66% increase in co-operation among the protagonists. The journal's editor, Yale political science professor Bruce Russett published the study 'although the theory seems impossible, the study met the stringent scientific standards needed for inclusion in the journal.'



From the British Psychological Society comes evidence that the crime rate in Merseyside dropped 60% in 1988 when meditators reached the required square root of one percent attendance. Merseyside had the third-highest crime rate in England and Wales in 1987. By 1992 it had the lowest. In a similar study in Washington DC, from the American Institute of Science, Technology and Public Policy, police figures showed a sharp decrease in violent crime when the meditating group reached the required attendance level. The institute described the findings as 'statistically significant'. Research surveys conducted in Zimbabwe, Nicaragua, Canada and several other countries show the same phenomenon. Said Peycke:' When the attendance of meditating groups reaches the square root of one percent, there is an immediate growth in positive aspects of society - fewer incidents of crime, smoother relationships, a lower disease rate, improved economic circumstances and more jobs created'."

The inclusion of this article does NOT constitute a recommendation for TM. It is reproduced to publish this empirical evidence of meditation's effects.

[PassTheDoobie]

Power of Mind

The inclusion of this article does NOT constitute a recommendation for TM. It is reproduced to publish this empirical evidence of meditation's effects.

That said, Transcendance, welcome to the conversation!

[PassTheDoobie]

"... it is not one's allies but one's powerful enemies who assist one's progress."

(The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 770) Selection source: SGI President Ikeda's speech, Seikyo Shimbun, April 25th, 2006

[PassTheDoobie]

On Repaying Debts of Gratitude / WND pg. 690 (continued)

Question: Within the eight volumes and twenty-eight chapters that constitute the entirety of the Lotus Sutra, what part represents the true heart of the work?

Answer: The heart of the Flower Garland Sutra is the title Great and Vast Buddha Flower Garland Sutra. The heart of the Agama Sutra is the title Medium-Length Agama Sutra, as Spoken by the Buddha. The heart of the Great Collection Sutra is the title Great Correct and Equal Great Collection Sutra. The heart of the Wisdom Sutra is the title Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra. The heart of the Two-Volumed Sutra is the title Buddha Infinite Life Sutra, as Spoken by the Buddha. The heart of the Meditation Sutra is the title Meditation on the Buddha Infinite Life Sutra, as Spoken by the Buddha. The heart of the Amida Sutra is the title Amida Sutra, as Spoken by the Buddha. The heart of the Nirvana Sutra is the title Mahaparinirvana Sutra. It is the same with all the sutras. The daimoku, or title, of the sutra, which appears before the opening words "This is what I heard," is in all cases the true heart of the sutra. This is true whether it is a Mahayana sutra or a Hinayana sutra. As for the Mahavairochana Sutra, the Diamond Crown Sutra, the Susiddhikara Sutra, and so forth - in all cases the title constitutes the heart.

The same is true of the Buddhas. The Thus Come One Mahavairochana, Sun Moon Bright Buddha, Burning Torch Buddha, Great Universal Wisdom Excellence Buddha, Cloud Thunder Sound King Buddha - in the case of all these Buddhas, the name itself contains within it all the various virtues that pertain to that particular Buddha.

The same, then, applies to the Lotus Sutra. The five characters Myoho-renge-kyo that appear before the opening words "This is what I heard" comprise the true heart of the eight volumes of the work. Moreover, they are the heart of all the sutras, as well as the correct teaching that stands above all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, the people of the two vehicles, and all the heavenly and human beings, asuras, and dragon deities.

Question: If one person should chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo without understanding its meaning, and another person should chant the words Namu daihoko butsu kegonkyo (Devotion to the Great and Vast Buddha Flower Garland Sutra) without understanding their meaning, would the merit acquired by the two persons be equal, or would one acquire greater merit than the other?

Answer: One would acquire greater merit than the other.

Question: Why do you say so?

Answer: A small river can accommodate the water flowing into it from dew, brooks, wells, ditches, and little streams, but it cannot accommodate the water from a big river. A big river can accommodate the water from a small river with its dew, brooks, and so forth, but it cannot accommodate the water from the great ocean. Now the Agama sutras are like the small river with its wells, streams, brooks, and dew, while the sutras of the Correct and Equal period, the Amida Sutra, the Mahavairochana Sutra, and the Flower Garland Sutra are like the big river that accommodates the small river. But the Lotus Sutra is like the great ocean that can hold all the water from dew, brooks, wells, streams, small rivers, big rivers, and the rains from heaven, without losing a single drop.

Suppose that a person is burning with fever. If he sits down beside a large body of cold water and stays there for a while, his fever will abate, but if he lies down beside a little body of water, he will continue to suffer as before. In the same way, if an icchantika, or person of incorrigible disbelief, who has committed the five cardinal sins and has slandered the Law, should try to cool himself beside the little bodies of water that are the Agama, Flower Garland, Meditation, and Mahavairochana sutras, the raging fever caused by his great offenses would never be dispelled. But if he should lie down on the great snowy mountain that is the Lotus Sutra, then the raging fever caused by the five cardinal sins, his slander of the Law, and his incorrigible disbelief would be dispelled instantly.

Therefore, ignorant people should by all means have faith in the Lotus Sutra. For although one may think that all the titles of the sutras are the same in effect and that it is as easy to chant one as another, in fact the merit acquired even by an ignorant person who chants the title of the Lotus Sutra is as far superior to that acquired by a wise person who chants some other title as heaven is to earth!

To illustrate, even a person with great strength cannot break a strong rope with his bare hands. But if one has a little knife, then even a person of meager strength can sever the rope with ease. Even a person with great strength cannot cut through a piece of hard stone with a dull sword. But if one has a sharp sword, then even a person of meager strength can cut the stone in two.

Or, to give another example, even though one may not know what is in the medicine, if one takes a dose of it, one's illness can be cured. But if one takes only ordinary food, one's illness will never be cured. Or, to give yet another example, an elixir can actually increase one's life span, whereas ordinary medicine, though it can cure illness, can never prolong one's life.

(to be continued)

[scegy]

hello to all Thinkers on this forum!
i started to read this forum untill i noticed that there are1 180 pages but i read the first 20 so i think i know what u'r talking here
i must say that i was touched knowing that other ppl think like me, but at the same time i felt terribly sad because i see no light here....i've had these kind of thoughts in my mind since i was little....and untill i met MJ i couldn't get out of my depression, i was effected by every single person i met, i always put other ppls infront of me...and after thinking a lot with MJ i realized that it is I that i should be worring about and taking care of in the first place then the others...i know it's a common expression but i didn't really understand it until reacently...i could go on...but let's stop
the more i live, the more i realize that most of the ppl on this planet don't like themselves and therefore they give the same respect to others.....problem? capitalism mixed with politics....and their consequences.

solution? how many ppl watches tv, reads the newspapers, goes to partys and drops dead....list goes on and on

do you see what i mean?

[Guest]

hello to all Thinkers on this forum!
i started to read this forum untill i noticed that there are1 180 pages but i read the first 20 so i think i know what u'r talking here
i must say that i was touched knowing that other ppl think like me, but at the same time i felt terribly sad because i see no light here....i've had these kind of thoughts in my mind since i was little....and untill i met MJ i couldn't get out of my depression, i was effected by every single person i met, i always put other ppls infront of me...and after thinking a lot with MJ i realized that it is I that i should be worring about and taking care of in the first place then the others...i know it's a common expression but i didn't really understand it until reacently...i could go on...but let's stop
the more i live, the more i realize that most of the ppl on this planet don't like themselves and therefore they give the same respect to others.....problem? capitalism mixed with politics....and their consequences.

solution? how many ppl watches tv, reads the newspapers, goes to partys and drops dead....list goes on and on

do you see what i mean?

Welcome!
Would you believe me if I told you we are on the same page! I too struggle within myself and externally as well! I also detest the sick effect capitalism has engrained upon society and the lack of fruitful progression in many realms of polictics actually regressing since the self distructive nature of SOME have overrun the masses in many instances, look at the "dark" continent, check out the sick and hungary in anytown in the world and realize we need to free ourselves and engage in a positive movement somewhere along the line.

That's where SGI comes into play. SGI is a buddhist organization which promotes Kosen-rufu, or world peace. It is possible once it begins with you, but believe you me it only gets tougher! Ohh i know, I jumped into SGI looking for a panacea for lifes woes and what I have found is the conduit into enlightenment! The path is long and arduous but the results are relative to your PRACTICE! in other words the more you put faith in yourselve and empower yourself the more you grow and the more benefits you will reap! Freeing yourself and propagating the fruits of your wisdom will only make you chant, NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO more vigorously! It is our mantra and the saying of sayings, omnipotent words when examined further will help you come more into touch with your Buddha nature. Its within all of us bodhisattvas of the earth! Believe in yourself and bring upon the most excellent lifeforce, laden within you!

Thanks for stopping by, your almost there!

[scegy]

<quote>Believe in yourself and bring upon the most excellent lifeforce, laden within you!</quote>

that is how i live, but i'm a minority in my generation that's the problem...i'm afraid that we've come to far in destroying nature to overcome our greed and live in harmony with nature again and ppl around u.
why is that? simple rule of harmony, give some take some, but since we are so many we can only take, and give shit the way we work.
tell me this
how many factories do you know in ur place that have all their side products recycled?
how many ppl prefere to ware more clothes instead off turning on the heat?
...

i try to live as less harmfull to nature as i can but today's lifestyle forces me to do the opposite sometimes.so you see i contradict my believes even as i speak here.
so the question follows, how can i live without harming the nature and influincing on the others to do so too?if they can not see the dillusion i see...i should move to the moon? ofcourse i do know ppl that live by the same principles as i do but they'r 1 to 10 000
i see no end to this, i once thought that weed makes me think this...i felt depressed untill i thought that.....you see, harmony is what makes this whole shit spinning around and working the way it does...it's a simple thing, yet so uncomprihensive to many!
if all ppl grew...they'd learn to be patient
probably a question pops in your head reading this, : "what do you want then?"
somthing that i'm certian that i'll never have

[strain_searcher]

We have experienced something personally that has led us to believe that the ultimate Law of Life and karma is, cause and effect. There is individual karma and there is collective karma. Why do all of the people from varying backgrounds sometimes have collective fates (9/11 for example)?
T

Just wondering, did you mean the people that died in 9/11 had bad karma? And does believing in buddha help avoid dying this way. I believe in karma for sure as well as God. Just trying to understand what you mean. I have chanted before and I know Tina Turner is also big on it.

[BobCock]

scheisse diddle eckish-a-ding.

[Guest]

Had an incredible meeting today!


scegy, nice to see you again, enjoyed the post, please come back and share more you'll find many of will and can relate to you! we are all the 1 out of 10,000! welcome

SS: nice to see you!

Bob: ting tan juester doo! whats good for me is great for you! Hope you stop back in and make another profound statement!

Nam Myoho Renge KYO!

[Babbabud]

Easy so glad you enjoyed your meeting today. We also had a great group chant. Our little group has grown quickly... its getting to where I always have my eye open for a place that we can chant as we are just about outgrowing the private residence we are at. Im sure as we stretch out this summer a place will make itself known. I hope everyone is having a good positive week
PTD hope all things with the pregnancy are flowing along .... and mamma is still having an easy time of it. Please give the whole group our love.
SoCal where you been ? Hope all is well.
to everyone else that dropped in ... thanks for coming by .
Much love to everyone!!!
nam myoho renge kyo

[Guest]

bub, you reap what you sow!

Nam Myoho Renge KYO!

[PassTheDoobie]

(In reverse order

Hey Bud! Last sonogram is Monday. The twins are putting on weight daily. She's pretty sure they are bigger than the trips were at this time, which was when they came out. So the endurance test begins. You would freak to see how big she is!!! And today she noticed she had more room in her stomach after her meal which means they have started to drop, so they could come sooner than we thought. In reality they are big enough to come out now. Your message of love was received with a lot of love in return. You and MrsB have truly become close and personal friends and we cannot express enough our gratitude for your love, support, and concern. Thank you~!

Easy! You da man, dude! What fantastic posts! I can't tell you how glad I am to know you and have you contributing so constructively towards the thread. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to you Brother! YOU ARE THE ROAR OF THE LION! You have my deepest respect! Your friendship is definitely a gift from the Gohonzon. Thank you for the countinuously inspiring words so eloquently delivered. Keep up all that chanting I hear in what you have to say.

Bob: What the hell was that? German??? I assume that means something, so whatever it is, I send it right back at you! (Beware the guardians of this thread. Sometimes they lack a sense of humor. Cause and effect, as always, can be very strict.)

searcher: Dude! Where ya been? So good to see you. If you have chanted before, start chanting again! Now!!! "Just wondering, did you mean the people that died in 9/11 had bad karma? And does believing in buddha help avoid dying this way." Brother, I never labeled it. But I don't think that "good karma" or "bad karma" is the issue. To die instantaneously might be considered a good karma compared to a long drawn out suffering from injuries or illness. To experience the futility, fear, and horror of those trapped on the upper floors, or to be pumped to the max with adrenaline full of hope to save others, as many of the fire fighters must have been, are two entirely different life conditions to depart this world in. Yet the karma to die that day would have been the same. Quite often we view life as the only thing that matters, when in fact, life continues in either a manifest or latent phase eternally. Nothing is forever, even death. Believing in Buddha is not the issue. Buddha is not separate from you. You are a Buddha. EVERYTHING possesses a Buddha nature. Manifesting that Buddha nature makes you a Buddha. That happens from chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the Gohonzon. So would practicing Buddhism as Nichiren instructed save one from such an experience? I believe it would. When you chant, your Buddha nature becomes manifest and you become in rhythm with your environment. That would allow you to mitigate anything, even if it appeared not to. Again in my opinion, to die instantly, while performing an act of Bodhisattva action, trying to save others, is to have lived life to it's fullest, no matter how old you are when that happens. But don't forget, a lot more people made it out that day than didn't. The collective karma of those that did, is certainly different than the collective karma of those that didn't. People die all the time. It is not a matter of how you die, but one of what life condition you were in in your last moments. No one knows that but the person dying. Even people that chant sometimes meet untimely ends, although that is a rare occurance. Nichiren had disciples that were killed, but many many more that should have been, or could have been, that weren't. I pray not about when I will die, but that I have the fortune say Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with my last breath. Longevity is relative. This is just another lifetime out of many.

scegy: I almost don't know where to begin. First of all, we aren't "Thinkers". We are people who practice the Buddhism of Nichiren and are attempting to share it with others, encouraging them to also try chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as we are. This Buddhism is based on action rather than contemplation. If you think you caught the gist in the first 20 pages, it wasn't revealed in your salutation or any of the posts you've made so far. This whole thread is about chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. In the absence of trying that as a prerequisite to any real understanding, I suggest you review the last twenty pages to gain more clarity of what we are talking about here. According to the teachings of Nichiren, whether you see any light is a reflection of you--of YOUR LIFE CONDITION. That is not necessarily a reflection of your intellect or the reality experienced by others. Personally, I see light everywhere! However, I am in agreement with your perception that it is just as important to take care of oneself as it is to committing oneself to the care of others. The more I read what you have to say, the more I am convinced you would get a tremendous amount of benefit from reading more of the thread. Easydisco has already addressed some of the things you said from the perspective of our Buddhist practice. I perceive all the things you point out, but they don't make me sad or unhappy. And that doesn't mean that I care less about them than you. I have already embraced a vehicle that allows me to change my own circumstance and in doing so change the circumstances (environment) surrounding me. I chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and practice the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin. That empowerment has been something completely transferrable to others, as you will find by trying it yourself. Please do and keep reading! Thank you for taking the time to express yourself! (I'll respond to your PM via PM)

Have a great day everyone!

Thomas

[PassTheDoobie]

enlightenment
[悟] (Jpn.: satori)

See also: attainment of Buddhahood

attainment of Buddhahood
[成仏] (Jpn.: jobutsu)

To become a Buddha. Several principles concerning the attainment of Buddhahood or enlightenment have been expounded on the basis of the sutras:

(1) Attaining Buddhahood in one's present form. This means to attain Buddha-hood just as one is, without discarding the body of a common mortal. Also referred to as attaining Buddhahood as a common mortal, this principle was formulated by the T'ien-t'ai school on the basis of the Lotus Sutra. According to many of the teachings other than the Lotus Sutra, one can attain Buddhahood only after having discarded the body of a common mortal that gives rise to earthly desires and illusions.

In contrast, the Lotus Sutra teaches that one can attain Buddhahood in one's present form, or as an ordinary person. This principle is often illustrated by the example of the dragon king's daughter who, according to the "Devadatta" (twelfth) chapter, attained Buddhahood in a single moment without changing her dragon form. The concept of attaining Buddhahood in one's present form contrasts with that of attaining Buddhahood through transformation of sex and character. The latter means, for example, that a woman must be reborn as a man in order to attain enlightenment.

(2) Attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime or in a single lifetime. This concept contradicts the idea that one must practice over a period of many kalpas in order to attain Buddhahood. This concept is essentially the same as attaining Buddhahood in one's present form.

Other principles concern the attainment of Buddhahood by certain categories of people and derive from the Lotus Sutra per se:

(1) Attainment of Buddhahood by persons of the two vehicles. In the first half of the Lotus Sutra, persons of the two vehicles-voice-hearers and cause-awakened ones-receive a prophecy from Shakyamuni Buddha that they will attain Buddhahood in future ages. This prophecy refutes the view of the provisional Mahayana teachings, which deny persons of the two vehicles the attainment of Buddhahood, for they seek only personal salvation and do not strive to save others. The Lotus Sutra says that they will practice the bodhisattva way and attain Buddhahood.

(2) Attainment of Buddhahood by women. In the first half of the sutra, the dragon king's daughter attains Buddhahood, and Yashodhara, Mahaprajapati, and other women receive Shakyamuni's prophecy of their future enlightenment. Almost all sutras deny women the capacity for attaining Buddhahood and insist that they must be reborn as men in order to attain enlightenment. The Lotus Sutra, however, teaches that both women and men are equally endowed with the potential for Buddhahood, based on the teaching of the true aspect of all phenomena.

(3) Attainment of Buddhahood by evil persons. Even those who oppose and slander the correct teaching of Buddhism, such as icchantikas, or persons of incorrigible disbelief, can attain Buddhahood through a reverse relationship. That is, because they establish a connection with the correct teaching by opposing it, though they receive the negative effect, eventually they profess faith in it and attain Buddhahood. In the Lotus Sutra, this idea is illustrated by the examples of Devadatta and those who ridiculed and attacked Bodhisattva Never Disparaging.

See also: Buddhahood

Buddhahood
[仏界] (Jpn.: bukkai)

The state of awakening that a Buddha has attained. The ultimate goal of Buddhist practice and the highest of the Ten Worlds. The word enlightenment is often used synonymously with Buddhahood. Buddhahood is regarded as a state of perfect freedom, in which one is awakened to the eternal and ultimate truth that is the reality of all things. This supreme state of life is characterized by boundless wisdom and infinite compassion. The Lotus Sutra reveals that Buddhahood is a potential in the lives of all beings.

enlightenment of plants
[草木成仏] (Jpn.: somoku-jobutsu)

Also, enlightenment of insentient beings. The enlightenment of grass, trees, rocks, the land itself, or anything else that has neither emotion nor consciousness. The doctrine that insentient beings can attain Buddhahood derives from T'ien-t'ai's doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life. One of the component principles of this doctrine is the realm of the environment, or the insentient objective world. The doctrine teaches the mutually inclusive relationship of living beings and their environments, or that of sentient and insentient beings, thereby revealing that both manifest the same state of life. Therefore, when living beings manifest the state of Buddhahood, their environment simultaneously manifests the state of Buddhahood as well. In The Diamond Scalpel, Miao-lo (711-782) refuted the arguments of Ch'eng-kuan, the fourth patriarch of the Chinese Flower Garland (Hua-yen) school, who asserted that insentient beings do not possess the Buddha nature. Miao-lo wrote, "A plant, a tree, a pebble, a speck of dust-each has the Buddha nature, and each is endowed with cause and effect and with the function to manifest and the wisdom to realize its Buddha nature."

anuttara (Skt, Pali)
[阿耨多羅・無上] (Jpn.: anokutara or mujo)

Unsurpassed, unexcelled, supreme, highest, peerless, or incomparably excellent. Anuttara is a component of various Buddhist terms. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi means the supreme and perfect enlightenment of a Buddha. Anuttara-dharma-chakra means the wheel of the unsurpassed Law. Anuttara is also one of the ten honorable titles of a Buddha and in this context is rendered as "unexcelled worthy." This title signifies that a Buddha stands supreme among all living beings.

unsurpassed enlightenment
[無上菩提] (Jpn.: mujo-bodai; Skt.: anuttara-sambodhi)

Also, supreme enlightenment or supreme perfect enlightenment. The enlightenment of a Buddha. The Sanskrit anuttara means "unsurpassed." A Buddha's enlightenment is so called because it is the highest and supreme among all levels of awakening gained through Buddhist practice. Bodhisattvas make four vows when they first resolve to embark upon the Buddhist practice. These four vows are known as the four universal vows, one of which is to attain unsurpassed enlightenment.

anuttara-samyak-sambodhi (Skt)
[阿耨多羅三藐三菩提・無上正等正覚] (Jpn.: anokutara-sammyaku-sambodai or mujo-shoto-shogaku)
Supreme perfect enlightenment, the unsurpassed enlightenment of a Buddha. Anuttara means supreme, highest, incomparable, unsurpassed, or peerless. Samyak means right, correct, true, accurate, complete, or perfect, and sambodhi means enlightenment. The expression samyak-sam-bodhi by itself is also used to mean perfect enlightenment. Bodhi and sambodhi also mean wisdom or perfect wisdom. In this sense, anuttara-samyak-sambodhi means supreme perfect wisdom.

From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism