Chanting Growers Group

[Payaso]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

I do watch from afar and offer my apologies for not catching the intrusively rude post above...sooner. But it is gone. Pointless...

Other than that I have been chanting a LOT, and many surprises have been coming at me for the last few days...all good news, from rainwater in the lake, to the 16 foot sailboat that appeared in my driveway all by itself. Well it is on a trailer...so it's not by itself entirely...but it is a gift. Amazing. Didn't even know I needed a sailboat as a hobby, but it makes sense now.

Chanting and sailing on the lake. Can't wait.

Meanwhile...all is wonderful and even if I am too dumbstruck to concisely comment upon the writings of Nichiren, doesn't mean that I am not reading all of this regularly, because I am!

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

 

[TrichyTrichy]

Peace and light to all


Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Peace and light to you too TrichyTrichy!

Thanks to Bud and Chris for looking over us again, as always. Thanks for your PM and thanks for your post. One cannot deny the reality that somehow the Universe always takes care of those things here through our efforts and the protection of those supporting our dialog.

Deepest love, repect, and appreciation,

Thomas

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"There is no Buddhist organisation comparable to ours in all the world, none with a network so vast and far-reaching and so dedicated to spreading the light of peace, culture, and education for the happiness of all humankind. Many leading figures around the globe are observing the activities of the SGI with the highest hopes. All of you have a much bigger mission than you think. We have entered an amazing age.

"I was able to build the Soka Gakkai into the organisation it is today because I devoted myself to its construction with unceasing effort and selfless resolve, braving every storm along the way. I hope that our younger members will not take for granted the fortunate circumstances our organisation enjoys today.

"Please do not become foolish people who are arrogant and self-conceited or who are lazy and remiss, leaving all the hard work to others."

SGI Newsletter No. 7723, 26th SOKA GAKKAI HEADQUARTERS LEADERS MEETING--PART 2 [OF 2], Sound a New Bell of Victory, from the Feb. 17th, 2009, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, translated Feb. 26th, 2009

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Bonz and SoCal,

I miss you guys and am chanting for you!

T

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"As the great champion of Indian independence Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) once observed: 'A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.'"

SGI Newsletter No. 7724, The New Human Revolution--Vol. 22: Chap. 2, Currents 1, translated Feb. 26th, 2009

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Or again we may say that our head corresponds to myo, our throat to ho, our chest to ren, our stomach to ge, and our legs to kyo. Hence this five-foot body of ours constitutes the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo."

(Ongi kuden - Gosho Zenshu, 716, The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, page 28) Selection source: Soka Gakkai Young Women's Division Leader, Miss Kumazawa' encouragement, Seikyo Shimbun, February 28th, 2009

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"This passage refers to the great joy that one experiences when one understands for the first time that one's mind from the very beginning has been the Buddha. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the greatest of all joys."

(Ongi kuden - Gosho Zenshu, page 788, The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, page 212) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, January 29th, 2009

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"The places where
you are striving tirelessly
as worthy emissaries of the Buddha
are pure lands,
Buddha lands.

"As African environmental activist and Nobel Peace laureate Wangari Maathai notes: 'A tree has roots in the soil yet reaches to the sky.' A tree that sends its roots deep into the earth can grow in size and strength. The same is true of both individuals and organisations. Those who drift around like rootless plants are swept away by the current of the times. In order to withstand even the most powerful storms, we must sink down solid roots into the earth of our immediate communities.

"My mentor, second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda, often said: 'What matters is being firmly grounded. If your feet aren't planted firmly on the ground, it's all empty theory. Never lose your grounding in reality! Raise the banner of the Mystic Law and keep your feet solidly planted in the community. Those with strong community ties will be the victors.'"

SGI Newsletter No. 7696, Be the Shining Stars of a Renaissance in Your Communities, from the February 2009 issue of Daibyakurenge, translated Jan 27th, 2009

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"And now the place where Nichiren and his followers chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, 'whether... in mountain valleys or the wide wilderness' (chapter twenty-one, Supernatural Powers), these places are all the Land of Eternally Tranquil Light."

(Ongi kuden - Gosho Zenshu, page 781, The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, page 192) Selection source: SGI President Ikeda's essay, Seikyo Shimbun, March 1st, 2009

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Though having been regarded as something of an underachiever during his school days at Harrow, Winston Churchill (1874–1965), the wartime British prime minister, later returned to his alma mater as the nation's prime minister during World War II and appealed to its students: 'Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never.' I have imparted these words to my beloved students of the Soka schools in the past. And the quote continues as follows: 'In nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense.'"

SGI Newsletter No. 7725, MY IMPRESSIONS OF GREAT FIGURES IN HISTORY <NEW SERIES>, Sir Winston Churchill, from the Jan. 29th, 2009, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, translated Feb. 27th, 2009

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"I am praying that, no matter how troubled the times may become, the Lotus Sutra and the ten demon daughters will protect all of you, praying as earnestly as though to
produce fire from damp wood, or to obtain water from parched ground."

(On Rebuking Slander of the Law and Eradicating Sins - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 444) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, March 2nd, 2009

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

THE DRAGON GATE

THE DRAGON GATE

A WATERFALL called the Dragon Gate exists in China. Its waters plunge a hundred feet, swifter than an arrow shot by a strong warrior. It is said that a great many carp gather in the basin below, hoping to climb the falls, and that any that succeeds will turn into a dragon. Not a single carp, however, out of a hundred, a thousand, or even ten thousand, can climb the falls, not even after ten or twenty years. Some are swept away by the strong currents, some fall prey to eagles, hawks, kites, and owls, and others are netted, scooped up, or even shot with arrows by fishermen who line both banks of the falls ten cho wide. Such is the difficulty a carp faces in becoming a dragon.

There were once two major warrior clans in Japan, the Minamoto and the Taira. They were like two faithful watchdogs at the gates of the imperial palace. They were as eager to guard the emperor as humble mountain folk are to admire the full moon on the fifteenth night of the eighth month as it rises from behind the mountains. They marveled at the elegant parties of the court nobles and their ladies, just as monkeys in the trees are enraptured by the sight of the moon and the stars glittering in the sky. Though of low rank, they longed to find some way to mingle in court circles. But even though Sadamori of the Taira clan1 crushed the rebellion of Masakado, he was still not admitted to court. Nor were any of his descendants, including Masamori. Not until the time of Masamori’s son, Tadamori, were any of the Taira clan granted permission to enter the court. The next in line, Kiyomori, and his son Shigemori, not only enjoyed life among court nobles, but saw the moon rise when Kiyomori’s daughter became the emperor’s consort, and the sun appear when his grandson became emperor.

Attaining Buddhahood is no easier than for men of low status to enter court circles, or for carp to climb the Dragon Gate. Shariputra, for example, practiced bodhisattva austerities for sixty kalpas in order to attain Buddhahood, but finally could persevere no longer and slipped back into the paths of the two vehicles.2 Even some of those who formed ties with the Lotus Sutra in the days of the Buddha Great Universal Wisdom Excellence sank into the sufferings of birth and death for the duration of major world system dust particle kalpas. Some others who received the seeds of Buddhahood in the even more remote past suffered for the length of numberless major world system dust particle kalpas. All these people practiced the Lotus Sutra, but when harassed in one way or another by the devil king of the sixth heaven, who had taken possession of their rulers and other authorities, they backslid and forsook their faith, and thus wandered among the six paths for countless kalpas.

Until recently these events seemed to have had no bearing on us, but now we find ourselves facing the same kind of ordeal. My wish is that all my disciples make a great vow.3 We are very fortunate to be alive after the widespread epidemics that occurred last year and the year before. But now with the impending Mongol invasion it appears that few will survive. In the end, no one can escape death. The sufferings at that time will be exactly like what we are experiencing now. Since death is the same in either case, you should be willing to offer your life for the Lotus Sutra. Think of this offering as a drop of dew rejoining the ocean, or a speck of dust returning to the earth. A passage from the third volume of the Lotus Sutra reads, “We beg that the merit gained through these gifts may be spread far and wide to everyone, so that we and other living beings all together may attain the Buddha way.”4

With my deep respect,
Nichiren

The sixth day of the eleventh month
Reply to Ueno the Worthy I write this letter in deep gratitude for your dedication throughout the events at Atsuhara.



Background


This letter was written at Minobu in the eleventh month of the second year of Koan (1279) to young Nanjo Tokimitsu, the steward of Ueno Village in Suruga Province. Tokimitsu embraced the Daishonin’s teaching quite early in life and revered Nikko Shonin as his personal teacher.

It is a reply to a report by Tokimitsu about his role in protecting the Daishonin’s followers in the Atsuhara area, who were being persecuted by authorities associated with the Kamakura government. Tokimitsu used his influence to protect other believers, sheltering some in his own home and negotiating for the release of others who had been imprisoned. The Daishonin honored him for his courage by calling him “Ueno the Worthy.” In the ninth month of 1279, the government arrested on false charges twenty farmer believers, who all refused to recant their allegiance to the Daishonin, and on the fifteenth of the tenth month three of these farmers were beheaded.
The last paragraph of this letter hints at the anxiety gripping Japan in the wake of epidemics and rumors of war. The Daishonin emphasizes that, since death is inevitable, life should be devoted only to the loftiest ambition— enlightenment.

The Dragon Gate mentioned in this letter appears in Chinese folklore and, though it has not been conclusively identified, is thought to refer to a waterfall or rapids on the middle reaches of the Yellow River.

Notes
1. The lineage of the Taira clan:
2. This story is found in The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom. Once when Shariputra was practicing the bodhisattva way, a Brahman begged him for his eye. Shariputra gave it to him, but the Brahman was so revolted by its smell that he dropped and crushed it. Seeing this, Shariputra discontinued his bodhisattva practice, fell back to the Hinayana practice, and therefore was unable to attain Buddhahood.
3. This means the vow to attain Buddhahood oneself and at the same time to lead others to Buddhahood.
4. Lotus Sutra, chap. 7. . Sadamori (10th century) . Masamori (11th century) . Tadamori (1096–1153) . Kiyomori (1118–1181) Shigemori Tokuko Emperor Takakura (1138–1179) (daughter)0 (1155–1213) (1161–1181)0 Emperor Antoku (1178–1185)

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

The Dragon Gate (Volume 1, Pages 1002-1003) Above Reference

The Dragon Gate (Volume 1, Pages 1002-1003) Above Reference

Learning from The Writings
The Hope-Filled Teachings of Nichiren Daishonin
Living Buddhism Jan-Feb 2009, pages 70-87

So I recently gave a study lecture which was my understanding of what I learned from a great study lecture by a more senior member that gives monthly lecture preparations for those willing to give the local study meeting lectures. I just wanted to say that I think a study meeting should involve more than one person and should be always open to questions and open dialog. So please don't assume this is a one-way lecture from me to you. As you already know the Practice of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism is very dynamic and works with Faith, Practice and Study. Enjoy!

Please begin by reading The Gosho above.

Background
This Gosho was written to Nanjo Tokimitsu (referred to by the Daishonin as Ueno the Worthy).

Nanjo Tokimitsu was the 21 year-old son of devout followers (equivalent to a a YD "fortune baby"). His father Nanjo Hyoe Shichiro received one (1) letter from Nichiren titled "Encouragement to a A Sick Person", and his mother, the lay nun Ueno recieved seven (7) from the Daishonin one of which is "Hell is the Land of Tranquil Light". When Nanjo Tokimitsu's father recieved his letter from Nichiren he was 1 year away from dying and in this letter Nichiren urged him to renounce his faith in Nembetsu and practice with faith in Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! After the death of Nanjo's father Nichiren continued to encourage his young disciple throughout his youth.

Nanjo struggled to protect fellow believers (even offering them shelter in his own home) during the Atsuhara Persecution. Below please find the definition of the Atsuhara Persecution from the SGI Dictionary.


Atsuhara Persecution
[熱原の法難] ( Jpn Atsuhara-no-honan)

A series of threats and acts of violence against followers of Nichiren in Atsuhara Village, in Fuji District of Suruga Province, Japan, over a period of three years, beginning in earnest in 1278. Around 1275, after Nichiren had taken up residence at Mount Minobu, propagation efforts in the Fuji area began under the leadership of Nichiren's disciple Nikko. At Ryusen-ji, a temple of the Tendai school in Atsuhara, Nikkoconverted several of the younger priests, who in turn converted a number of local farmers.Alarmed at the defection of priests and lay supporters, Gyochi, a lay priest and a member of the ruling Hojoclan who acted as the deputy chief priest of the temple, demanded that the priests Nisshu, Nichiben, and Nichizen, who had converted and been renamed, discard their belief in Nichiren's teachings. When they refused, Gyochi ordered them to leave the temple. Nichizen returned to his home, but the other two remained and redoubled their propagation efforts. Having failed to shake the conviction of these priests, Gyochi turned his attention to the lay believers. He enticed the samurai Ota Chikamasa and Nagasaki Tokitsuna as well as other followers of Nichiren to renounce their faith and join forces with him in intimidating Nichiren's believers among the peasantry. In the fourth month of 1279, Shiro, a lay follower of Nichiren, was attacked and wounded during an archery contest at a local shrine, and in the eighth month another believer named Yashirowas beheaded. Gyochi's group tried to attribute the offenses to Nichiren's followers, including Nisshuand Nichiben.On the twenty-first day of the ninth month, twenty farmers, all believers, were helping to harvest the rice crop from Nisshu's private fields when they were arrested for allegedly stealing rice from the fields of Ryusen-ji. During the arrest the farmers resisted, and Daishin-bowas thrown from his horse and died. Ota Chikamasa and Nagasaki Toki-tsuna who joined the attack also lost their lives. Gyochi filed charges with the Kamakura shogunate against the arrested believers, and their case was presided over by Hei no Saemon, the deputy chief of the Office of Mil-itary and Police Affairs. Ignoring a joint petition from Nisshuand others, drafted on their behalf by Nichiren and Nikko, the officer had them imprisoned and tortured at his private residence, urging them to recant. Not one of them yielded. Eventually he had three of them executed— the brothers Jinshiro, Yagoro, and Yarokuro. The date of their execution was the fifteenth day of the tenth month (the eighth day of the fourth month, 1280, according to another account). The other seventeen were banished from Atsuhara. This incident marked the first time that official persecution of this magnitude had been directly leveled at Nichiren's followers rather than Nichiren himself. It is believed that their steadfast faith in the face of this persecution inspired Nichiren to inscribe the Dai-Gohonzon, the great mandala he later transferred to Nikko, his succes-sor, which he intended as the object of devotion for the enlightenment of humankind.


I. Buddhahood is attained though surmounting difficulties (p.75-76)

A. Nanjo Tokimitsu's protection of fellow believers during the period of the Atsuhara Persecution led to increased pressure by government.

B. Nichiren sincerely expresses his praise and appreciation for the young disciple's steadfast vow and courageous actions.

C. This writing praises the selfless efforts of successors and teaches that the great vow of shared commitment of mentor and disciple pulses in this way of practice. Where people do not protect the Mentor, the Mentor goes away. When we protect the mentor we protect the practice and each other. Fighting Slander and correctly sharing and spreading The Mystic Law of Cause and Effect is a great way to protect the Mentor, The Law, and our Practice.

II. The Tale of the Dragon Gate (p.77-78)

A. The Story illustrates the difficulty of attaining Buddhahood

Nichiren highlights for Tokimitsu that remain steadfast in one's Buddhist practice to the very end is an undertaking fraught with as many difficulties as a carp faces in climbing the Dragon Gate and turn into a dragon. The Daishonin uses the carp's quest to become the Dragon to illustrate overcoming the 3 obstacles and 4 devils.

three obstacles and four devils
[三障四魔] (Jpn sansho-shima )

Vari-ous obstacles and hindrances to the practice of Buddhism. They are listed in the Nirvana Sutra and The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom. The three obstacles are (1) the obstacle of earthly desires, or obstacles arising from the three poisons of greed, anger, and foolishness; (2) the ob-stacle of karma, obstacles due to bad karma created by committing any of the five cardinal sins or ten evil acts; and (3) the obstacle of retribu-tion, obstacles caused by the negative karmic effects of actions in the three evil paths. In a letter he addressed to the Ikegami brothers in 1275, Nichiren states, "The obstacle of earthly desires is the impediments to one's practice that arise from greed, anger, foolishness, and the like; the obstacle of karma is the hindrances presented by one's wife or children; and the obstacle of retribution is the hindrances caused by one's sovereign or parents" (501).The four devils are (1) the hindrance of the five components, obstructions caused by one's physical and mental functions; (2) the hindrance of earthly desires, obstructions arising from the three poisons; (3) the hin-drance of death, meaning one's own untimely death obstructing one's practice of Buddhism, or the premature death of another practitioner causing one to doubt; and (4) the hindrance of the devil king, who is said to assume various forms or take possession of others in order to cause one to discard one's Buddhist practice. This hindrance is regarded as the most difficult to overcome. T'ient'ai (538-597) states in Great Concen-tration and Insight: "As practice progresses and understanding grows, the three obstacles and four devils emerge in confusing form, vying with one another to interfere.... One should be neither influenced nor fright-ened by them. If one falls under their influence, one will be led into the paths of evil. If one is frightened by them, one will be prevented from practicing the correct teaching."

Strong currents: likened to the five impurities

five impurities
[五濁] (Jpn go-joku )

Also, five defilements. Impurity of the age, of desire, of living beings, of thought (or view), and of life span. The "Expedient Means" (second) chapter of the Lotus Sutra says, "The Buddhas appear in evil worlds of five impurities.... In this evil world of the five impurities those who merely delight in and are attached to the desires, living beings such as this in the end will never seek the Buddha way." (1) Impurity of the age includes repeated disruptions of the social or natural environment. (2) Impurity of desire is the tendency to be ruled by the five delusive inclinations, i.e, greed, anger, foolishness, arrogance, and doubt. (3) Impurity of living beings is the physical and spiritual decline of human beings. (4) Impurity of thought, or impurity of view, is the prevalence of wrong views such as the five false views. (5) Impurity of life span is the shortening of the life spans of living beings. According to The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra, the most fundamental of these five are the impurities of thought and desire, which result in the impurity of living beings and the impurity of life span. These in turn give rise to the impurity of the age.

Birds of prey and fishermen: likened to the three obstacles and four devils and the three powerful enemies

three powerful enemies
[三類の強敵] (Jpn sanrui-no-goteki )

Also, three types of enemies. Three types of arrogant people who persecute those who propagate the Lotus Sutra in the evil age after Shakyamuni Buddha's death. Miao-lo (711-782) defines them in his work The Annotations on "The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra" on the basis of descriptions in the concluding verse section of the "Encouraging Devotion" (thirteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. In the sutra text, the first type is described as follows: "There will be many ignorant people / who will curse and speak ill of us / and will attack us with swords and staves." The second type: "In that evil age there will be monks / with perverse wisdom and hearts that are fawning and crooked / who will suppose they have attained what they have not attained, / being proud and boastful in heart." And the third type: "Or there will be forest-dwelling monks / wearing clothing of patched rags and living in retirement, / who will claim they are practicing the true way, / despising and looking down on all humankind. / Greedy for profit and support, / they will preach the Law to white-robed laymen / and will be respected and revered by the world / as though they were arhats who possess the six transcendental powers...." Miao-lo summarizes these three as follows: (1) "The arrogance and pre-sumption of lay people" or arrogant lay people; a reference to those ignorant of Buddhism who curse and speak ill of the practitioners of the Lotus Sutra and attack them with swords and staves. (2) "The arrogance and presumption of members of the Buddhist clergy" or arrogant priests.These are priests with perverse wisdom and hearts that are fawning and crooked who, though failing to understand Buddhism, boast they have attained the Buddhist truth and slander the sutra's practitioners. (3) "The arrogance and presumption of those who pretend to be sages" or arrogant false sages. This third category is described as priests who pretend to be sages and who are revered as such, but when encountering the practitioners of the Lotus Sutra become fearful of losing fame or profit and induce secular authorities to persecute them. In On "The Words and Phrases," Miao-lo sates, "Of these three, the first can be endured. The second exceeds the first, and the third is the most formidable of all. This is because the second and third ones are increasingly harder to recognize for what they really are." Nichiren (1222-1282) called them the "three powerful enemies" and identified himself as the votary, or true practitioner, of the Lotus Sutra because he was subjected to slander, attacked with swords and staves, and sent into exile twice by the authorities, just as prophesied in the sutra.In his treatise The Opening of the Eyes, he says: "At such a time, if the three powerful enemies predicted in the Lotus Sutra did not appear, then who would believe in the words of the Buddha? If it were not for Nichiren, who could fulfill the Buddha's prophecies concerning the votary of the Lotus Sutra?" (243).


B.Importance of remaining steadfast in faith

This is not an easy process in the Latter Day of The Law (right now!!)
"... in the Latter Day of the Law, when even seemingly remarkable human wisdom and ingenuity can be inundated by ...the three poisons of greed, anger, and foolishness." (p.78) Nichiren Daishonin strictly encourages us to avoid con-men and falling victim to our fundamental darkness and avoid getting swayed by greed anger and foolishness. This practice is open to everyone yet keeping faith in it's teaching is a life long vow and the ultimate "Dragon Gate". The Daishonin uses a fairy tale about a carp (fish) to explain to a young Nanjo Tokimitsu that if that carp can overcome the incredible force of the waterfall, being hunted and persecuted by birds and fishermen then that carp can become a dragon which is a metaphor for us human's attaining Buddhahood.

(STILL MORE TO GO! I will continue as soon as I can! Please continue to chant for me to find the most meaningful employment which I think I may be in the process of receiving after a brilliant interview late last week. I'm very pleased to be chanting so much lately and have also been practicing yoga at home after downloading some interesting dvd's. It's pretty cool to already have a mantra with Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! and be able to apply it to a full body workout and meditation. But I must admit as energized as I feel after some yoga, nothing beats good ole DAIMOKU! Been chanting more than ever in the last month and this month will mark my third Gohonzon birthday! Much love to all, Easy)

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

DON'T BE SHALLOW!

“Fish want to survive; they deplore their pond’s shallowness and dig holes in the bottom to hide in, yet tricked by bait, they take the hook. Birds in a tree fear that they are too low and perch in the top branches, yet bewitched by bait, they too are caught in snares. Human beings are equally vulnerable. They give their lives for shallow, worldly matters but rarely for the Buddha’s precious teachings. Small wonder they do not attain Buddhahood.”

"Letter from Sado" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin page 301)


DON'T WASTE TIME!

"How swiftly the days pass! It makes us realize how few are the years we have left. Friends enjoy the cherry blossoms together on spring mornings, and then they are gone, carried away like the blossoms by the winds of impermanence, leaving nothing but their names. Although the blossoms have scattered, the cherry trees will bloom again with the coming of spring, but when will those people be reborn? The companions with whom we enjoyed composing poems praising the moon on autumn evenings have vanished with the moon behind the shifting clouds. Only their mute images remain in our hearts. Though the moon has set behind the western mountains, we will compose poetry under it again next autumn. But where are our companions who have passed away? Even when the approaching tiger of death3 roars, we do not hear and are not startled. How many more days are left to the sheep bound for slaughter?"

“Deep in the Snow Mountains lives a bird called the cold-suffering bird that, tortured by the numbing cold, cries that it will build a nest in the morning. Yet when day breaks, it sleeps away the hours in the warm light of the morning sun without building its nest. So it continues to cry vainly throughout its life. The same is true of human beings. When they fall into hell and gasp in its flames, they long to be reborn as humans and vow to put everything else aside and serve the three treasures in order to gain enlightenment in their next life. But even on the rare occasions when they happen to be reborn in human form, the winds of fame and profit blow violently, and the lamp of Buddhist practice is easily extinguished. Without a qualm they squander their wealth on meaningless trifles, but begrudge even the smallest contribution to the Buddha, the Law, and the Buddhist Order. This is very serious, for then they are being hindered by messengers from hell. This is the meaning of “good by the inch and evil by the foot.”

"Letter to Niike" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin p. 1027)



STICK WITH YOUR GOOD FRIENDS!


“Over and over I recall the moment, unforgettable even now, when I was about to be beheaded and you accompanied me, holding the reins of my horse and weeping tears of grief.7 Nor could I ever forget it in any lifetime to come. If you should fall into hell for some grave offense, no matter how Shakyamuni Buddha might urge me to become a Buddha, I would refuse; I would rather go to hell with you. For if you and I should fall into hell together, we would find Shakyamuni Buddha and the Lotus Sutra there. It would be as if the moon were illuminating the darkness, as if cold water were pouring into hot, as if fire were melting ice, or as if the sun were dispelling the darkness. But if you depart from my advice even slightly, do not blame me for what may happen.”

"The Three Kinds of Treasure" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin p.850)


DON'T BE COWARDLY!

“None of you who declare yourselves to be my disciples should ever give way to cowardice. Neither should you allow concern for your parents, wife, or children to hold you back, or be worried about your property. Since countless kalpas in the past you have thrown away your life more times than the number of dust particles of the land for the sake of your parents, your children, or your lands. But not once have you given up your life for the Lotus Sutra. You may have tried to practice its teachings to some extent, but whenever you were persecuted, you backslid and ceased to live by the sutra. That is like boiling water only to pour it into cold water, or like trying to strike fire but giving up halfway. Each and every one of you should be certain deep in your heart that sacrificing your life for the Lotus Sutra is like exchanging rocks for gold or dung for rice. ….. If, while calling yourselves the Buddha’s messengers, you give way to fear, you will be the most despicable of persons!”

"The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin pages 764-765)


Please enjoy these Gosho passages that backup the study outline so far.

III. President Makiguchi's efforts to provide personal encouragement (p.78-80)

The Great Vow of Buddhism is actualized through member care & shakubuku!

"Propagation is the essence of religion. A life devoted to benefiting others represents great good." (p.79)

Makiguchi traveled extensively to enable others to form a connectino with Buddhism, as did Presidentst Toda and Ikeda ( and more recently the founder of this thread PasstheDoobie! ).

One to One dialogue emphasized by each of the Three Presidents and PasstheDoobie throughout the last three years of my practice. I have continued this tradition with my friends and those I support directly with their practice by providing a venue for chanting, study and also listening as best I can so that other carp (people like me) can become dragons (Buddhas) in this lifetime. One to One Dialogue is the way to encourage someone effectively. The Mentor is the tough guy setting the "standards" but as Bodhisattvas of the Earth we realize that everyone's unlimited potential makes for a lovely life. Learning to better our lives through experiences, study and application of our abundant daimoku is essential to success on a day to day basis. Let's continue to really chant more each day and challenge ourselves to climb and run together (like a bullet train with each car pushing equivalently and powerfully blazing up the waterfall of the dragon gate)! So, SPEND THE EFFORT TO VISIT OTHERS AND FORGE BONDS OF UNITY. I know it is not easy but as Bodhisattvas of the Earth we can! As the Buddha nothing is impossible!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Thanks for your efforts for Kosen Rufu Mr. Disco!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Let's turn what seems to be the impossible into the possible!
The "drama" of victory always unfolds from the deep inner resolve we have.
Let's summon forth the great power of our faith* to take on all that lies ahead
and shine as the champions of the indomitable spirit to challenge!

Daisaku Ikeda

* (Gosho - "Therefore, you must summon up the great power of faith more than ever...Spur yourself to muster the power of faith...Employ the strategy of the Lotus Sutra before any other.", The Strategy of the Lotus Sutra, WND-1, Page 1000)

* (Gosho - "Be resolved to summon forth the great power of faith, and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with the prayer that your faith will be steadfast and correct at the moment of death." The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life - WND-1, page 218)

 

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"A sword is useless in the hands of a coward. The mighty sword of the Lotus Sutra must be wielded by one courageous in faith. Then one will be as strong as a demon armed with an iron staff."

(Reply to Kyo'o - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 412) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, March 3rd, 2009

 

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Three Poisons--the Source of the Problem

Three Poisons--the Source of the Problem

As the problems of our planet grow deeper and more complex, the possibility of humanity untangling the destructive web that we have woven can seem less and less easy to believe in. The hope that Buddhism offers to this pervasive sense of uncertainty is the perspective that since the ills of our world have been created by human beings, it is within our power to solve them. Both the problem and the solution lie with us.

Buddhism began as a bold, humane confrontation with the fact of suffering. Its original impulse is not one of retreat or escape from life's challenges and contradictions. Rather, Buddhist practice could be broadly characterized as the struggle to draw forth and shine the light of human wisdom on life and society. A thorough understanding of the causes of human misery is a departure point for this philosophy. Thus Nichiren writes, "One who is thoroughly awakened to the nature of good and evil from their roots to their branches and leaves is called a Buddha."

At the root of human misery, Buddhism sees three destructive impulses: greed, anger and foolishness, which it terms the "three poisons." These are the essence of all the delusions and negative workings of life that impede the realization of our full potential for happiness and creativity.

Of the three, foolishness is most fundamental, as it facilitates greed and anger. Foolishness here means ignorance (passive or willful) of the true nature of life. It is blindness to the reality of our interrelatedness--not merely our connectedness to and dependence on each other, but the connectedness of the unfolding of each of our lives to the unfolding of the very life of the universe; the fact that each of us is a vital component of life itself and a nexus of immense possibilities. Because it obscures life's true, enlightened nature, this ignorance is also referred to as "fundamental darkness."

Our deepest sense of fulfillment lies in the experience of this connectedness and in actions that uphold it. Under the influence of such ignorance, however, we look for fulfillment through acquisition and possession (of objects, fame, power, and so on). Greed is the uncontrolled impulse to fulfill these desires, even at the cost of the unhappiness of others. Inevitably, such pursuits lead only to a sense of frustration.

Anger is the violent impulses that spring from the same egocentric orientation. It is not only explosive rage, but also resentment, envy-all the insidious, ultimately self-destructive emotions of the wounded ego.

These poisons thus undermine our individual happiness, impede our relationships and hinder the unfolding of our unique creative potential. Their influence, however, goes beyond this. On a social level they well forth from the inner lives of individuals and become the cause of conflict, oppression, environmental destruction and gross inequalities among people. One Buddhist text expresses it this way: "Because anger increases in intensity, armed strife occurs. Because greed increases in intensity, famine arises. Because foolishness increases in intensity, pestilence breaks out. And because these three calamities occur, earthly desires [delusions] grow more numerous and powerful than ever, and false views increasingly flourish."

From the perspective of Nichiren Buddhism, the three poisons are an inherent aspect of life and can never be completely eradicated. In fact, a religious approach based on eliminating these poisons from one's life may simply breed hypocrisy. Buddhist practice in the Nichiren tradition can be described as a process of continually transforming the energy of these deluded impulses and redirecting it toward the creation of value. In a more general sense it is through the spiritual struggle to continually orient our lives toward respecting others and working for the broader good of all that we are able to transcend and transform these poisons. In this process, the destructive energy of anger, for example, is sublimated into a protective force that can counteract injustice, preventing us and others from merely being swept along by outside forces or being taken advantage of by those with ill intent.

Dialogue based on a will to genuinely connect with people in an attitude of respect and mutual encouragement is a powerful key in this transformative process.

Ultimately, establishing peace and security on our planet relies on an inner transformation within the lives of individuals. As the UNESCO constitution states, "Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed." The sense of responsibility to continually seek to develop our potential for creative good is the crux of personal empowerment and beginning of the broader transformation of the planet.

[ Courtesy October 2005 SGI Quarterly ]

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"At that critical moment in history, Churchill became his nation's prime minister in May 1940. With powerfully inspiring rhetoric, he rallied the people: 'You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory,' and 'The morning will come. Brightly will it shine on the brave and true.'

"Voices have power, and they are vital. Nothing is stronger than a voice resonating with conviction in a time of crisis. In his visits to the cities and towns that had been devastated by Nazi bombs, Churchill's display of uncommon bravery inspired the British people.

"What quality does a leader need in order to succeed in a time of trial? According to Dr. Toynbee, it is the ability to rouse the spirit of courage and self-confidence in both oneself and others. Such was Churchill's leadership. In addition, he exhibited a dogged patience and perseverance. Always on the alert, ever vigilant, he continually pressed forwards, until at last he emerged triumphant and his country achieved victory."

SGI Newsletter No. 7725, MY IMPRESSIONS OF GREAT FIGURES IN HISTORY <NEW SERIES>, Sir Winston Churchill, from the Jan. 29th, 2009, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, translated Feb. 27th, 2009