Chanting Growers Group

[EasyMyohoDisco]

Woke up today feeling amazing the quality of daimoku I was just pumping out was very strong. I feel great and have lots to do today! I'm back!!!
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!



The Soka Gakkai's goal is kosen-rufu-realizing human happiness and world peace by widely spreading the philosophy and ideals of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism. We will continue to strive earnestly for this goal, undaunted by criticism, slander or malicious attempts to hinder our progress. That is because what we are doing is the will and decree of the original Buddha, Nichiren Daishonin. I proclaim that all who energetically exert themselves for the cause of kosen-rufu are genuine disciples of the Daishonin and genuine members of the SGI.

The innate power of humanity is the driving force that breaks down all barriers of discrimination. The ultimate expression of this humanity is Buddhahood; it is the power of the Mystic Law. Daimoku is therefore the fundamental energy for realizing victory in the struggle for human rights.

Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda






"In this age, it is as natural for a woman to change her fixed karma by practicing the Lotus Sutra as it is for rice to ripen in fall or chrysanthemums to bloom in winter. When I prayed for my mother, not only was her illness cured, but her life was prolonged by four years. Now you too have fallen ill, and as a woman, it is all the more timely for you to establish steadfast faith in the Lotus Sutra and see what it will do for you."
Reference:

WND Page 955
Page 954 On Prolonging One's Life Span
Written to Myojo in 1279 from Minobu

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

YES, WE DID IT!

YES, WE DID IT!

Christopher is going to receive Gohonzon!!! He called me to tell me he is moving out of state and immediately I offered him Gohonzon again and he wants to receive Gohonzon before he leaves, when he arrives at his destination I'll help him order his Butsudan!! I am thrilled, and going to chant some grateful daimoku, this is a huge benefit for me, not so unexpected but kinda surprising and really exciting.

I made a strong determination last week after getting some really appreciated encouragement from a personal mentor and the motive I have been focusing on has been to do my best to spread The Mystic Law of Cause and Effect and my devotion to it from within my life extending throughout the world.

I'm back in rhythm and feeling great,

"XXXX YOU DEVIL OF THE SIXTH HEAVEN!"

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"...It is written that Sakyamuni said "Heed the Law, not persons".
This is the greatest guidance that buddhism has to offer to the
advancement of humankind. Here we are shown the way up from
dependence to true freedom, from living in obedience to charismatic
power figures to living in unison with the universal order...to follow
blindly the will of others or even of oneself is a form of
personality worship. We are self-sold into bondage. ....There is no
chance to rise above the life of person dependence. Just like the
lover who has no eyes for anyone but his love, the devotee of a
personality cult has not the least inclination to to assume an
objective scientific stance to calmly compare the various religions,
hail the greater similarities, and reject the trivial differences."

(Makiguchi, 1930)]Education for Creative Living, p.84

 

[SoCal Hippy]

The same is true of your attaining Buddhahood. No matter what grave
offenses you might have committed, because you did not turn against
the Lotus Sutra, but showed your devotion by accompanying me, you will
surely become a Buddha. Yours is like the case of King Possessor of
Virtue, who gave his life to save the monk Realization of Virtue and
became Shakyamuni Buddha. Faith in the Lotus Sutra acts as a prayer
[to attain Buddhahood]. Strengthen your resolve to seek the way all
the more and achieve Buddhahood in this lifetime.

(WND, 946)
The Receipt of New Fiefs
Written to Shijo Kingo in October 1278

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Only if you challenge your human revolution in a manner that is true
to yourself will the people around you naturally begin to trust and
respect you. That in itself is the greatest way of laying the
groundwork for the spread of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism.


Daisaku Ikeda

 

[Babbabud]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Great to see everyone posting up!!. SoCal so glad your back Sleepy your attendance is inspiring Rock the shakabuku Easy !! woop!!
Our toso went wonderful. Chanted 5 hours without hardly blinking. Thanks to Georgialouwho for hosting such a great event. Had an awesome light come through the clouds and illuminate the Gohonzon right when starting Gongyo and it was a totally cloudy/foggy day. So beautiful woooooooop!! Thanks to you all for being here and your great encourgement!!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"There is a wise saying in the East: 'Where there is unseen virtue, there will be visible reward' (WND-1, 907). Actions taken for the sake of good, though they may go unnoticed, are certain to benefit their doers. This is a very important philosophy for our lives."

SGI Newsletter No. 7402, The New Human Revolution--Vol. 20: Chap. 2, Bridge Building 72, translated Nov. 15th, 2007

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Thus Come One
[如来] (Skt, Pali tathagata; Jpn nyorai )

One of the ten honorable titles of a Buddha, meaning one who has come from the realm of truth. This title indicates that a Buddha embodies the fundamental truth of all phenomena and has grasped the law of causality spanning past, present, and future. There are two opinions about the Sanskrit and Pali word tathagata. One view interprets it as a compound of tatha and agata, meaning "thus come one" and indicating one who has arrived from the realm of truth. This is the interpretation generally used in Chinese translations. The other interprets the word tathagata as the compound of tatha and gata, meaning "thus gone one" and indicating one who has gone to the world of enlightenment.


three bodies
[三身] (Skt trikaya; Jpn san-jin )

Three kinds of body a Buddha may possess. A concept set forth in Mahayana Buddhism to organize different views of the Buddha appearing in the sutras. The three bodies are as follows: (1) The Dharma body, or body of the Law (Skt dharma-kaya ). This is the fundamental truth, or Law, to which a Buddha is enlightened. (2) The reward body (sambhoga-kaya), obtained as the reward of completing bodhisattva practices and acquiring the Buddha wisdom. Unlike the Dharma body, which is immaterial, the reward body is thought of as an actual body, although one that is transcendent and imperceptible to ordinary people. (3) The manifested body (nirmana-kaya), or the physical form that a Buddha assumes in this world in order to save the people. Generally, a Buddha was held to possess one of the three bodies. In other words, the three bodies represented three different types of Buddhas—the Buddha of the Dharma body, the Buddha of the reward body, and the Buddha of the manifested body. On the basis of the Lotus Sutra and the principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life derived from it, T'ient'ai (538-597) maintained that the three bodies are not separate entities but three integral aspects of a single Buddha. From this point of view, the Dharma body indicates the essential property of a Buddha, which is the truth or Law to which the Buddha is enlightened. The reward body indicates the wisdom, or the spiritual property of a Buddha, which enables the Buddha to perceive the truth. It is called reward body because a Buddha's wisdom is considered the reward derived from ceaseless effort and discipline. The manifested body indicates compassionate actions, or the physical property of a Buddha. It is the body with which a Buddha carries out compassionate actions to lead people to enlightenment, or those actions themselves. In discussing the passage in the "Life Span" (sixteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra that reads, "You must listen carefully and hear of the Thus Come One's secret and his transcendental powers," T'ient'ai, in The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra, interpreted "secret" to mean that a single Buddha possesses all three bodies and that all three bodies are found within a single Buddha.


ten factors of life
[十如是] (Jpn ju-nyoze )

Also, ten suchnesses. Ten factors common to all life in any of the Ten Worlds. They are listed in the "Expedient Means" (second) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, which reads: "The true aspect of all phenomena can only be understood and shared between Buddhas. This reality consists of the appearance, nature, entity, power, influence, internal cause, relation, latent effect, manifest effect, and their consistency from beginning to end." This passage provides a theoretical basis for the principle of the replacement of the three vehicles with the one vehicle taught in the theoretical teaching (first half) of the Lotus Sutra. Since the ten factors are common to all life and phenomena, there can be no fundamental distinction between a Buddha and an ordinary person. On this basis, T'ient'ai (538-597) established the philosophical system of three thousand realms in a single moment of life, of which the principle of the ten factors is a component. While the Ten Worlds express differences among phenomena, the ten factors describe the pattern of existence common to all phenomena. For example, both the state of hell and the state of Buddhahood, different as they are, have the ten factors in common. Briefly, the ten factors are as follows: (1) Appearance: attributes of things discernible from the outside, such as color, form, shape, and behavior. (2) Nature: the inherent disposition or quality of a thing or being that cannot be discerned from the outside. T'ient'ai characterizes it as unchanging and irreplaceable. The nature of fire, for instance, is unchanging and cannot be replaced by that of water. He also refers to the "true nature," which he regards as the ultimate truth, or Buddha nature. (3) Entity: the essence of life that permeates and integrates appearance and nature. These first three factors describe the reality of life itself. The next six factors, from the fourth, power, through the ninth, manifest effect, explain the functions and workings of life. (4) Power: life's potential energy. (5) Influence: the action or movement produced when life's inherent power is activated. (6) Internal cause: the cause latent in life that produces an effect of the same quality as itself, i.e., good, evil, or neutral. (7) Relation: the relationship of indirect causes to the internal cause. Indirect causes are various conditions, both internal and external, that help the internal cause produce an effect. (8) Latent effect: the effect produced in life when an internal cause is activated through its relationship with various conditions. (9) Manifest effect: the tangible, perceivable result that emerges in time as an expression of a latent effect and therefore of an internal cause, again through its relationship with various conditions. Miao-lo (711-782) regarded the Buddhist law of causality described by the four factors from internal cause to manifest effect as the distinctive characteristic of the ten factors. It concerns the cause and effect for attaining Buddhahood. (10) Consistency from beginning to end: the unifying factor among the ten factors. It indicates that all of the other nine factors from the beginning (appearance) to the end (manifest effect) are consistently and harmoniously interrelated. All nine factors thus consistently and harmoniously express the same condition of existence at any given moment.


hundred worlds and thousand factors
[百界千如] (Jpn hyakkai-sennyo )

Component principles of "three thousand realms in a single moment of life," a philosophical system established by T'ient'ai (538-597) on the basis of the Lotus Sutra. "Hundred worlds" means the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds—the principle that each of the Ten Worlds from the world of hell through that of Buddhahood possesses the potential for all ten within itself, thus making one hundred possible worlds. Each of the hundred worlds in turn encompasses the ten factors of appearance, nature, entity, power, influence, internal cause, relation, latent effect, manifest effect, and their consistency from beginning to end, thus constituting a "thousand factors." In contrast with "three thousand realms in a single moment of life," which includes all things in the universe, both sentient and insentient, the "hundred worlds and thousand factors" refers to sentient beings alone because it does not include the realm of the environment, or that of insentient beings.


three thousand realms in a single moment of life
[一念三千] (Jpn ichinen-sanzen )

Also, the principle of a single moment of life comprising three thousand realms. "A single moment of life" (ichinen) is also translated as one mind, one thought, or one thought-moment. A philosophical system established by T'ient'ai (538-597) in his Great Concentration and Insight on the basis of the phrase "the true aspect of all phenomena" from the "Expedient Means" (second) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. The three thousand realms, or the entire phenomenal world, exist in a single moment of life. The number three thousand here comes from the following calculation: 10 (Ten Worlds) 10 (Ten Worlds) 10 (ten factors) 3 (three realms of existence). Life at any moment manifests one of the Ten Worlds. Each of these worlds possesses the potential for all ten within itself, and this "mutual possession," or mutual inclusion, of the Ten Worlds is represented as 10 squared, or a hundred, possible worlds. Each of these hundred worlds possesses the ten factors, making one thousand factors or potentials, and these operate within each of the three realms of existence, thus making three thousand realms. The theoretical teaching (first half) of the Lotus Sutra expounds the ten factors of life. It also sets forth the attainment of Buddhahood by persons of the two vehicles (voice-hearers and cause-awakened ones), which signifies the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds. The essential teaching (latter half) of the sutra reveals the true cause (the eternal nine worlds), the true effect (eternal Buddhahood), and the true land (the eternal land or realm of the environment). T'ient'ai unified all these concepts in one system, three thousand realms in a single moment of life. Volume five of Great Concentration and Insight reads: "Life at each moment is endowed with the Ten Worlds. At the same time, each of the Ten Worlds is endowed with all Ten Worlds, so that an entity of life actu-ally possesses one hundred worlds. Each of these worlds in turn possesses thirty realms, which means that in the one hundred worlds there are three thousand realms. The three thousand realms of existence are all possessed by life in a single moment. If there is no life, that is the end of the matter. But if there is the slightest bit of life, it contains all the three thousand realms.... This is what we mean when we speak of the 'region of the unfathomable.'" "Life at each moment" means life as an indivisible whole that includes body and mind, cause and effect, and sentient and insentient things. A single moment of life is endowed, as stated above, with the three thousand realms. The relationship of these two elements is not such that one precedes the other, or that they are simultaneous in the sense that one is included in the other. Actually they are non-dual or, as T'ient'ai put it, "two [in phenomena] but not two [in essence]." The provisional teachings stated that all phenomena arise from the mind, or that they are subordinate to the mind. The Lotus Sutra clarifies that the true aspect is inseparable from all phenomena, and that all phenomena, just as they are, are in themselves the true aspect. When T'ient'ai stated, "The three thousand realms of existence are all possessed by life in a single moment.... But if there is the slightest bit of life, it contains all the three thousand realms," he is referring to the non-duality of "a single moment of life" and the "three thousand realms." "The three thousand realms in a single moment of life" is classified into two as the theoretical principle and the actual embodiment of this principle. These are respectively termed the "theoretical three thousand realms in a single moment of life" and the "actual three thousand realms in a single moment of life." The theoretical principle is based on the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra, which expounds the equality of Buddhahood and the nine worlds. Both, it points out, are manifestations of the true aspect. The theoretical teaching also reveals the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds based on the principle that persons of the two vehicles, who were denied Buddhahood in the provisional teachings, also possess innate Buddhahood and can attain it. Strictly speaking, however, the theoretical teaching reveals only the hundred worlds and, multiplying by the ten factors of life, the thousand factors, and does not reveal their eternal nature. Only when supported by the essential teaching (the latter half) of the Lotus Sutra, can the theoretical teaching be said to expound theoretically, as a possibility, the three thousand realms in a single moment of life. On the other hand, the essential teaching reveals Shakyamuni's enlightenment in the remote past (the true effect, eternal Buddhahood), the eternal life of his disciples, the Bodhisattvas of the Earth (the true cause, the eternal nine worlds), and the eternity of the saha world (the true land). These explain the eternal Ten Worlds and the eternal three realms of existence, and thus "the actual three thousand realms in a single moment of life." Despite its comprehensive view, the essential teaching does not go on to reveal the practice that enables one to embody directly this principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life. Though the sutra says, "If there are those who hear the Law, then not a one will fail to attain Buddhahood," it does not identify what the Law is. That is why Nichiren (1222-1282) defined the entire Lotus Sutra—both the theoretical and the essential teachings—as representing "the theoretical three thousand realms in a single moment of life." In contrast, Nichiren embodied his life embracing the three thousand realms in a single moment, or the life of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, in the mandala known as the Gohonzon and established the practice for attaining Buddhahood. That practice is to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with faith in the Gohonzon. In Nichiren's teaching, this is the practice for "observing the mind," i.e., observing one's own mind and seeing Buddhahood in it. For this reason, his teaching is summarized in the phrase "embracing the Gohonzon is in itself observing one's mind" or "embracing the Gohonzon is in itself attaining Buddhahood." He states in a 1273 letter known as Reply to Kyo'o, "I, Nichiren, have inscribed my life in sumi ink, so believe in the Gohonzon with your whole heart. The Buddha's will is the Lotus Sutra, but the soul of Nichiren is nothing other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" (412), and in his 1273 treatise The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind: "Showing profound compassion for those unable to comprehend the gem of the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life, the Buddha wrapped it within the five characters [of Myoho-renge-kyo], with which he then adorned the necks of the ignorant people of the latter age" (376).Nichikan (1665-1726), the twenty-sixth chief priest of Taiseki-ji temple, interpreted the above passage of volume five of Great Concentration and Insight from the viewpoint of Nichiren's teaching. Nichikan defined "life at each moment" as the life of the eternal Buddha, or Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which is inscribed down the center of the Gohonzon; he further interpreted "endowed with the Ten Worlds" as the Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and other figures inscribed on both sides of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo in the Gohonzon. These represent the principles of the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds, the hundred worlds and the thousand factors, and the three thousand realms. According to Nichikan, the sentence "The three thousand realms of existence are all possessed by life in a single moment" refers to the "region of the unfathomable," which he interprets as the object of devotion that embodies the principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life. This is not to be viewed simply as an external object but as something that exists in the life of a person with faith in the object of devotion. Without faith, the object of devotion endowed with the three thousand realms does not exist within one's life. This, Nichikan stated, is the ultimate meaning of T'ient'ai's doctrine.


three truths
[三諦] (Jpn san-tai )

Also, threefold truth, triple truth, or three perceptions of the truth. The truth of non-substantiality, the truth of temporary existence, and the truth of the Middle Way. The three integral aspects of the truth, or ultimate reality, formulated by T'ient'ai (538-597) in The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra and Great Concentration and Insight. The truth of non-substantiality means that phenomena have no existence of their own; their true nature is non-substantial, indefinable in terms of existence or nonexistence. The truth of temporary existence means that, although non-substantial, all things possess a temporary reality that is in constant flux. The truth of the Middle Way means that the true nature of phenomena is that they are neither non-substantial nor temporary, though they display attributes of both. The Middle Way is the essence of things that continues either in a manifest or a latent state. According to T'ient'ai's explanation, the Tripitaka teaching and the connecting teaching do not reveal the truth of the Middle Way and therefore lack the three truths. The specific teaching reveals the three truths but shows them as being separate from and independent of one another; that is, it does not teach that these three are inseparable aspects of all phenomena. This view is called the separation of the three truths. The perfect teaching views the three as an integral whole, each possessing all three within itself. This is called the unification of the three truths.


Land of Eternally Tranquil Light
[常寂光土] (Jpn jojakko-do )

Also, Land of Tranquil Light or Land of Eternal Light. The Buddha land, which is free from impermanence and impurity. The Land of Eternally Tranquil Light is one of the four kinds of lands described in the doctrine of the T'ient'ai school, the other three being the Land of Sages and Common Mortals, the Land of Transition, and the Land of Actual Reward. In many sutras, this saha world is described as an impure land filled with delusions and sufferings, and the Buddha land as a pure land free from these and far removed from this saha world. In contrast, the Lotus Sutra reveals the saha world to be the Buddha land, or the Land of Eternally Tranquil Light, and explains that the nature of a land is determined by the minds of its inhabitants.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

On the Ten Factors / WND2 pg. 58

On the Ten Factors / WND2 pg. 58

We ourselves are none other than Thus Come Ones of original enlightenment, who possess the three bodies within a single body. This is made clear in the passage in the Lotus Sutra that speaks of “appearance, nature, entity, power, influence, internal cause, relation, latent effect, manifest effect, and their consistency from beginning to end.”(1)

First, with regard to appearance, this refers to the appearance manifested by the form and shape of our bodies. This corresponds to the manifested body of the Thus Come One. It also corresponds to emancipation, and also to temporary existence.

Next, with regard to nature, this refers to the nature of our minds. This corresponds to the reward body of the Thus Come One. It also corresponds to wisdom, and the truth of non-substantiality.

The third factor is entity, which corresponds to the Dharma body of the Thus Come One. It also corresponds to the truth of the Middle Way, to the essential nature of phenomena, and to tranquil extinction.

These three factors constitute the Thus Come One of the three bodies. That these three factors represent the Thus Come One of the three bodies may seem to be an extraneous matter, but in fact it concerns these very lives of our own. One who understands this may be said to have grasped the meaning of the Lotus Sutra.

These three factors constitute the beginning, or basis, from which emerge the other seven factors, thus forming the ten factors. These ten factors are the basis of the hundred worlds, the thousand factors, and the three thousand realms. In this way a great number of doctrines are enumerated, which are known collectively as the eighty thousand teachings. But all of these come down to one single doctrine, that of the three truths. Outside of the doctrine of the three truths, there is no other doctrine.

The hundred worlds represent the truth of temporary existence, the thousand factors represent the truth of non-substantiality, and the three thousand realms represent the truth of the Middle Way. Non-substantiality, temporary existence, and the Middle way—these are the three truths. And although they are elaborated in numerous doctrines, such as those pertaining to the hundred worlds, the thousand factors, or the three thousand realms, these are all simply the one doctrine of the three truths.

Thus the three truths expressed in the first three of the ten factors and the three truths expressed in the remaining seven factors are simply the one doctrine of the three truths. The first three factors and the remaining seven factors are the principle contained within our own lives, and are simply one thing, wonderful beyond comprehension. Hence it is stated in the sutra that they are marked by complete consistency from beginning to end. This is what is meant by the words “consistency from beginning to end.”

The first three factors are the “beginning,” and the remaining seven factors are the “end.” These make up the ten factors, which constitute the three truths contained within our own lives.

These three truths may be also called the Thus Come One of the three bodies. Outside of our own minds and bodies, there does not exist the tiniest trace of anything pertaining either to good or evil. Therefore we know that we ourselves are in fact Thus Come Ones of original enlightenment, possessors of the three bodies within a single body.

To suppose that what has been described here is something quite removed from oneself is to be what is called an ordinary human being, to be in a state of delusion, to be an ordinary mortal. But to understand that this applies to oneself is to be what is called a Thus Come One, to be in a state of enlightenment, to be a sage, to be a person of wisdom.

Once one realizes this and can visualize it clearly, then ones life, as it really is, manifests itself in one’s present existence as the Thus Come One of original enlightenment, and one achieves what is termed the attainment of Buddhahood in one’s present form.

To offer an analogy, if in spring and summer one plows the field and plants it with seed, then in autumn and winter one may reap and store away the harvest, and all will proceed as one wishes it to. It may seem like a long wait from spring to autumn, and yet within the space of a single year one’s wishes will be fulfilled. And in like manner, it may seem a long time to wait in order to enter the state of enlightenment and manifest our Buddhahood. And yet such a manifestation may be accomplished within the space of a single lifetime, and we ourselves can become Buddhas who possess the three bodies within a single body.

Among those who follow the Buddha way, we may distinguish three degrees of capacity, namely superior, middling, and inferior, though all alike succeed in manifesting the Buddha nature within a single lifetime.

Persons of superior capacity, as soon as they hear the teaching, become thoroughly enlightened and manifest the Buddha nature.

Persons of middling capacity may require perhaps a day, perhaps a month, or perhaps a year in order to manifest it.

Persons of inferior capacity seem to make little progress but to be stuck in one place. As they are certain, however, to reach enlightenment within a single lifetime, when they are on the point of death, just as all one’s dreams vanish when one returns to a waking state, so all erroneous views and mistaken ideas they have up till entertained with regard to the realm of birth and death and of delusion disappear without a trace, and they return to the waking state of original enlightenment and see the entire realm of phenomena as it really is. Then they realize that all this is the blissful land, the Land of Eternally Tranquil Light, and that they themselves, whom up to now they have looked on as mean and lowly, are in fact Thus Come Ones of original enlightenment, who possess the three bodies within a single body.

In the case of rice plants, there are three types, those that ripen early in autumn, those that ripen in a middling time, and those that ripen late, and yet all are ready to be harvested within a single year. In the same way, although persons fall into three different categories of superior, middling, and inferior, all alike, within the space of a single lifetime, can come to the realization that they themselves are identical and in no way at variance with all the Buddhas, the Thus Come Ones.

The entity of Myoho-renge-kyo in all its splendor—just what is this entity? If we hope to answer this, we must say that it is the eight-petaled white lotus that is the true nature of our own lives. Since this is so, then the essential nature of our lives is Myoho-renge-kyo. And once we come to understand that Myoho-renge-kyo is not the name of a sutra but is the entity of our own lives, then we will see that our own lives are in fact the Lotus Sutra, and the Lotus Sutra is none other than the sacred word preached by the Buddha in order to make manifest the entities that are our lives. And seeing that, we will know that we ourselves are Thus Come Ones of original enlightenment, who possess the three bodies within a single body.

Once we have become enlightened to this, then all the delusions of mistake habits and thought that we have entertained from the beginningless past until the present will be swept away like yesterday’s dreams and will vanish without a trace.

When we have faith such as this, then it is taught that one chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is equivalent to one recitation of the entire Lotus Sutra carried out just as the sutra prescribes and with correct understanding of its meaning, that ten chantings are equivalent to ten recitations of the sutra, a hundred chantings are equivalent to a hundred recitations, a thousand chantings are equivalent to a thousand recitations, all carried out just as the sutra prescribes. And one who has such faith may be said to be a person who carries out religious practice just as the sutra prescribes. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.



Background

On the Ten Factors is one of several works related to the principal of three thousand realms in a single moment of life that Nichiren Daishonin wrote in 1258.

He begins with the conclusive statement that the lives of all people are one and identical with the Buddha, or Thus Come One, of original enlightenment. To make this point, he cites the ten factors of life from the “Expedient Means” (2nd) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, and defines the first three of the ten factors in terms of their correspondence with the three bodies of the Buddha and with the three truths. Thus we have, (1) the factor of appearance, the manifested body, the truth of temporary existence; (2) the factor of nature, the reward body, the truth of non-substantiality; and (3) the factor of entity, the Dharma body, the truth of the Middle Way. One who realizes that this applies to oneself, he states, is a Buddha and one who does not is an ordinary person.

The Daishonin indicates that those who believe that their lives are one with the Buddha, and consistently carry out Buddhist practice, regardless of differences in individual capacity, will in this present lifetime definitely achieve Buddhahood. The Daishonin refers to the splendor of the entity of Myoho-renge-kyo, describing it as “the eight-petaled white lotus that is the true nature of our own lives.” Each single recitation of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, he says, is equivalent to reciting the entire Lotus Sutra in accordance with the sutra’s teachings. He closes by stating that a person who believes in this principal and chants the Daimoku is practicing exactly as the sutra teaches.


Notes

1. Lotus Sutra, chap. 2.

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

Big thanks to Socal, Bud and PTD!

are you ready for this.....

The other shakubuku Genie whom we have been recently been encouraging to accept Gohonzon, received a call from my girlfriend (after I was begging her to call for the last two days) and she was told about Christopher receiving Gohonzon and she has chanted only about 5 times with us and she is going to receive one in the same meeting this WEDNESDAY, tomorrow! Congrats to Genie and my girlfriend, I am so pleased for both of them. Genie has been chanting at home without a Gohonzon and wants to get a very pretty Butsudan! YAY!

I was able this time to utilize a very powerful tool with respect to shakubuku and that is to have others help you because by including others wider propagation becomes more dynamic among other amazing benefits. Tom told me about this over a year ago and I have done same with others and am very pleased, very very pleased. Include everyone in your practice and remember strangers are "Guests" too!

Huge benefits my friends, I'm thrilled. I'm chanting for all of you as well, the quality of daimoku over here as been the best ever, peace!

 

[GeorgialouWho]

Greetings to all! I made it back!! WOOHOO I have missed much I see and am still catching up on; glad to read that everyone is meeting all of their challenges with such open hearts and vulneralbility; it has been quite the challenging year hasn't it?! T big love to you and fam and glad that you are on the mend; that must've been quite the scare but always the ever present buddha that you are knew exactly what that was all about and now are being showered with all of the treasures for laughing at that ole devil of the sixth heaven right in the face; not with righteous indignation but with all of the buddhas and protective gods right besides you and in a foundation firm in faith! You ROCK as does everyone on this thread! I am sure for you the bigger benefit is seeing your wifes faith deepen; what a beautiful gift huh.
As Babba said we had once again a truly profound and magical daimoku toso; the illumination of the gohonzon was one of those myoho moments that indicate you are doing what you are supposed to be doing! Beautiful!

I wanted to share this from Danny Nagashima from 2005:

You can analyze your situation all you want. You have to get to the root of why "I don't believe in the greatness of my life." You have to grab it by the roots and yank it out of your life. You must chant to awaken your own greatness. Chant to appreciate and value your life. The answer is probably so simple, but since we tend to over-analyze, it gets complicated and the solution seems far away. Your mission as a Buddhist is to become happy--not to master suffering. We have the negative and positive parts of us--one says 'who are you kidding', the other 'you can do it'. You have to fight to not give into your negativity. This is not about being a writer, artist, actor, etc., it's about becoming the man/woman you always wanted to become, a man/woman who really values his/her life.

THE OBSTACLES YOU FACE ARE THE ANSWER TO YOUR PRAYER

Those feelinsg of self-doubt, those feelings that 'I'm a failure' those are the feelings that I have to face and address. How you feel about yourself, that feeling of self-loathing of not being good enough, of being a sham... Those are the feelings that you have to face. Your talent is not being questioned; It's about how you feel about yourself. That is the karma. You have to value your own life, to appreciate that it has NOTHING to do with some one else validating you. Follow your heart, follow your Buddhahood, and the effect from that, the benefit from that, will be MASSIVE.

You need to follow your heart, truly treasure your life. When Nicheren Daishonin inscribed the Dai-Gohonzon, he was already chanting daimoku and out of the greatness of his life his Buddhahood, his enlightened state, he inscribed the Dai-Gohonzon for all humanity so that everyone could relieve his or her suffering. When you sit in front of the Gohonzon, and chant, you have to have the most reverence for your life. The gohonzon is the embodiment of your enlightened life, the same as his, therefore your life deserves that kind of reverence.

If you chant for two weeks, to really be a man/woman of unimited self-esteem and to really, truly appreciate your life including your flaws, your accomplishments, your defeats, your losses, your victories, all you have created and truly APPRECIATE YOUR TALENT as (whatever you are) for two weeks, then EVERYTHING WILL CHANGE.

Forget about all the past 'garbage', put it away, that will only make you feel impotent. From today on really chant about being that man/woman of unlimited self-esteem. Really appreciate everything about your life; all the things about you that make you incredibly unique and wonderful. All your sufferings, problems, heartaches, will be the stuff you need, in order to share your experience, to encourage and inspire others with. Focus on really, truly awakening to your greatness. This is the opportunity (suffering, obstacles, lack of self-esteem) you needed to go through in order to become outrageously successful--so you can fulfill your dream. If you focus on this-really valuing your life now, then everything will fall into place and in a much bigger way. This is something no one can give you; the universe is showing you what you need to tackle. When you first chant this way, a lot of 'garbage' may come out of your life, a lot of negativity, awful feelings may surface, let it pass through you like flu, and transform the darkness. See the enlightened side of your fear. We always bring into our lives what matches our life condition. Chant to feel incredible joy about your worth. You will feel and know your self worth and greatness.
Your not being able to do whatever you determined to do is a manifestation deep down of your feeling of fear, that you are not good enough, that you do not have it in you. You must get yourself to a place where there is the greatness of your life, then everything will be transformed. We have to believe in our Buddhahood. When we face the Gohonzon, we should say, 'I'm going to praise my wonderful life.' It is important to awaken to your own greatness, your life is the Gohonzon, now is the time for you to start over.

When you pray to a deity, your prayer becomes passive, our life is the MYSTIC LAW. This law is not outside you. When you get a benefit, it was you who created it. You must awaken to your greatness, appreciate and value your own life. It is no different to the enlightened life of Nicheren Daishonin, embodied in the Gohonzon.


That's all I got for now; being thankgiving coming up I want to give a proper thanks to you T and all of you for your continued love support and encouragement; and that I am so thankful for this site and this thread and with that being said ~special love and props to Babbabud and Mrs. B I am ever so grateful that we caught up too each other in this life and for being the beautiful and compassionate beings that you are; thanks for sharing what you have shared with us and taking us under those wings of yours OOXX

NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO

GeorgialouWho

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Good to see ya Georgia! THANKS FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT FROM MR. NAGASHIMA! It's onward to anuttara-samyak-sambodhi for us all!



Give my best to everyone, please!

Much love and deep respect,

Thomas

 

[PassTheDoobie]

It is indeed our inner determination, our change in attitude, that enables us to change both ourselves and the world around us. Let's broaden our lives by developing a greater life condition. "It is the heart that is important."*

Daisaku Ikeda

* "The Strategy of the Lotus Sutra" - WND, page 1000

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"This is what I have taught my disciples morning and evening, and yet they begin to harbour doubts and abandon their faith. Foolish men are likely to forget the promises they have made when the crucial moment comes."

(The Opening of the Eyes - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 283) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, October 31st, 2007

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The entity of Myoho-renge-kyo in all its splendor—just what is this entity? If we hope to answer this, we must say that it is the eight-petaled white lotus that is the true nature of our own lives. Since this is so, then the essential nature of our lives is Myoho-renge-kyo. And once we come to understand that Myoho-renge-kyo is not the name of a sutra but is the entity of our own lives, then we will see that our own lives are in fact the Lotus Sutra, and the Lotus Sutra is none other than the sacred word preached by the Buddha in order to make manifest the entities that are our lives. And seeing that, we will know that we ourselves are Thus Come Ones of original enlightenment, who possess the three bodies within a single body. On the Ten Factors / WND2 pg. 80

 

[th3gr33ncur3]

some deep shit

 

[Babbabud]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Great to see you post up Georgialou!! Its wednesday already and time for another group chant. We are so fortunate to have such a nice group to chant with. Thanksgiving = thanksforgiving us a place to chant as a group Georgialou.
Hope you all enjoy some time with your love ones over the next few days Much love to you all !! Happy Thanksgiving!!

Lets get some Daimoku in over the next few days while we have some free time.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Persons of inferior capacity seem to make little progress but to be stuck in one place. As they are certain, however, to reach enlightenment within a single lifetime, when they are on the point of death, just as all one’s dreams vanish when one returns to a waking state, so all erroneous views and mistaken ideas they have up till entertained with regard to the realm of birth and death and of delusion disappear without a trace, and they return to the waking state of original enlightenment and see the entire realm of phenomena as it really is. Then they realize that all this is the blissful land, the Land of Eternally Tranquil Light, and that they themselves, whom up to now they have looked on as mean and lowly, are in fact Thus Come Ones of original enlightenment, who possess the three bodies within a single body. On the Ten Factors / WND2 pg. 79

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Welcome 3's! Deep shit indeed!

Thomas

 

[Bonzo]

Took the words right out of my mouth T, welcome gr33ncur3! Read on, its defenitly deep shit indeed, deeper than you can imagine yet simple at the same time, its heavy man!! =

Happy Thanksgiving my friends!!!

peace

bonz














~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~