Chanting Growers Group

[EasyMyohoDisco]

I'm going to SGI center in Trets in august! We had a nice Tozo Daimoku for about 2 hours yesterday with our local chanters and i was leading the ceremony. It was quite a challange although it seems a pretty easy thing to do from a spectator view, after half an hour of chanting i became really tired but i remembered how much encouragement comes from a human chanting infront of you and pulling you aside, so i gathered my forces for another 40 mins + Gongyo and it was awsome to be kind off "naked" like that infront off a group of people. Haven't done that untill yesterday, and i'm glad i was given the oppurtunity!

something that Sensei Ikeda said popped in my head in that half an hour barrier, he said in some interview or something in a response to why does SGI have just one president or something like that, sorry for inaccurate statements-bad memmory. Anyway Ikeda's response was that he believes that every SGI member could become-take a role as SGI president, because he trusts his members. And i felt that trust yesterday.

Have a good and enlightened day!

I knew it was just a matter of time Scegy! You're making it happen as I knew you would and the inspiration I get from you is phenomenal! I'm chanting right now at the happiness your words make me feel! THANK YOU!

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

One of the past posts directed to me, I believe it was MyohoD, said I was like the rock of Gibraltor but I have to admit at that time my life condition was like a pebble being tossed about within the waves of delusion. Luckily for me I didn't drop off the face of the planet and made it back here. I truly believe it was from all of you and our connection that made it happen and for that I am eternally grateful. Thank you all very much!

Nice to see Hitman and Bonz checking in since my time away. And all the new posters too. Damn, it's good to be back and my daimoku of gratitude is with you all. Let's all do some fundamental darkness ass 'kickin!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

You are also the Gorilla Glue that kept us together and safe just as you recently reappeared just in time to protect the thread yet again! So that also makes you Shoten-zenjin, an ass-kicking Uber Buddha, and most importantly my good friend. Socal, truly an honor to catch up once again. I am really relishing reading your words and realizing how during similar time frames we have felt such similar things!

You my brother are my brother! Thank you so much!

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

Well I did it again today! Damn! This a hard pony to get off of! Five hours of Daimoku on Monday, five hours Tuesday, six hours Wednesday, and I'll be damned if I didn't chant another five hours today.

Ha! And to be honest, I really have no pressing problems or concerns right now! I have just felt like chanting. I am so full of appreciation for the life I have! I am so concerned for so many friends who are struggling right now. I so want my kids to grow up safely and wholely, and that they end up being kick-ass human beings of the highest order! I am so lucky to be married to someone who shares my faith and chants hours each day as well!

I know my life is going to be challenged, but it already has been. That's why I chant so much Daimoku. I've once again left the Devil of the Sixth Heaven no place to hide and I feel really good about that.

I hope you all will try the experience of living life full of Daimoku. Its not that hard. The Daishonin says one must learn to be the Master of their Mind rather than let their Mind be their Master. I think what that is talking about is the ability to chant Daimoku--when you need to; as much as you need to.

You're all Buddhas! Never be intimidated and you can never be defeated. Kick some Devil Ass and express your True Nature!

I bow in humble obeisance,

Thomas

Yes! Yes! Yes! Thank you so much I'm with you 100000% all the way!

High - Five to you and a big hug!

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

High Everyone!

Just a quick update. An old school chum recieved Gohonzon yesterday at WPP. Years since I've seen him. He has MS and is in very rough shape. Tim is his name. Hope you'll add him to your lists.

The Pumpkin man got a bite on the rumpas by a neighbors dog..unfortunately they put him down. Sad. At least the damages will go into his Soka U $fund!

The queen of hearts, my betrothed, had a breast lump scare that diamoku melted! Cool.

And I have 2 lawsuits in the works. One with the school district, discrimination, and the dog bite. My landlords are going to get a piece soon. They are nuts with intrusions, trespasssing and don't follow through. The whole thing is odd.


And a dadblang male spuwed its jizz in the tent and gave me a seriously seeded Santa Maria. Anyone know how long seeds take to mature? I have not been able to find an answer. 09 is my 1st grow yr.

And another cool bene is that the company I send biz to is flying us down to LA free. Get to see my grandaughter for the 1st time and take pumpkinman to DINNYland.

Sensi is so funny these days. I can't remember a time when he seemed so lighthearted. And he's giving noogies quite often.

The CGG is my favorite group. I feel as connected here as I do in my district, maybe more.

Never give up or you'll never know if your dreams are real.

cheers,

Well said Wilson, congrats on the shakubuku! That is a great honor, what a great friend you are! Keep it going and keep on posting!

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

hello,i recently was introduced to nichiren buddism back in december and received my gohonzon back in april.unfortunately i haven't been chanting as of late.alot of it has to do with inner group drama,but some of it has defiantly been due to the fact this plant is such a big part of my life and constantly growing (pardon the pun),but it was here first and i owe my sanity to it.but it's very encouraging to see this group here and will make the dedication to chant more.thank you for being open.

Welcome Egonemo, I'm kinda like you too in the sense that I joined this thread like nemo from the movie finding Nemo and still feel like I'm "sharkbait" to the plant that got me to this forum from overgrow and kept me here long enough to get closer to Babba and PasstheDoobie and Socal and then fast forward through a few years of dedicating myself to chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! and I got so much benefit from just chanting and applying the basic principles behind living with common sense and compassion (at the same time) and look, I can make super long sentences! HAHA!

Welcome, and please use your chanting in your earlier stages to fight those tougher obstacles and negative aspects that appear from time to time in our lives. This practice will help you focus on what you're looking for or trying to maintain and improve upon it consistently and beyond any limits you previously envisioned. I continue to surprise myself by objectively keeping this aspect of chanting (saying repeatedly) the words "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!" WITHOUT FEAR AND FROM MY HEART in my everyday life. It never fails me, whereas now if I fail myself, the spring that bounces me back to where I want to be going is 10 out of 10 times just simply chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

I'm glad you posted from the heart and I hope you continue to follow your heart... because I know as I once did.... I took that impulse beat that my heart made that day in my living room to just say Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! a few times after I heard Babba tell me on the phone. I couldn't really pronounce the words or felt comfortable saying them until I heard them... but I swear upon hearing myself say what Babba was saying made sense... I needed a mantra Egonemo! I found my title and then that leads me to continue to encourage myself and other dedicated to this to continue no matter what and just win in life! Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is my strength during the stormy and similarly glorious days, no matter what!

THANKS FOR HELPING ME SEE AND REAFFIRM MY REALITY! Hope to see you around as well! Thanks again!

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

Thank you guys for this chant.
Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo
I can feel its vibration

THANK Nichiren Daishonin! We're just continuing where he left off.....

Sure is an awesome vibration isn't it?! Wait until you do this with other people, those awesome vibes are incredible!!

Keep it up and keep on keeping on Labtec! My friend is a labrat and she also chants, we love her so much and love all our chanting buddies! Just make sure you remember one thing, as long as you honor your life your chanting will be more effective, I'm speaking from the experience I've accumulated in life and feel that honoring your life and others, which is a form of gratitude, is invariably an essential element to happiness! Who's with me on that one

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

Words of Wisdom, by President Ikeda, on Happiness. www.ikedaquotes.org
Happiness doesn't exist on the far side of distant mountains. It is within you, yourself. Not you, however, sitting in idle passivity. It is to be found in the vibrant dynamism of your own life as you struggle to challenge and overcome one obstacle after another, as you clamber up a perilous ridge in pursuit of that which lies beyond.

Nam myoho renge kyo

MUGI WASSHIN BUDDY! Next time you guys are around here I can't wait to show you the view from the balcony All my best to Mrs.B and You. Thanks for always supporting me and keeping me encouraged and on your side!

I with you for life brother, you can count on it!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Thus Come One EasyMyohoDisco!!!

Thus Come One EasyMyohoDisco!!!

This is so WONDERFUL! I swear to all that, out of concern for you and in light of your continuing absence, I tried calling you last night and got your machine but your mailbox was full! It's so good to see you that I could cry!

Thank you Gohonzon! Now bring back Bonz!

Desi, keep keeping your chin up! Scegy, time to say hi again. EMD has returned at last and now SoCal is hanging and we're all jamming again. Sleepy! I hope you are doing Daimoku Brother! Hitman, lay it on us! Trichy I am still thinking about you! Hey Forest! Nice Reggae!

Yesterday, the wife chanted six and I chanted three. I supported her by watching the kids so she could finish her first million Daimoku chart, and it is now proudly hanging on the wall. In all my years of practice, I never ever expected my life could be as wonderful as it is!

I hope you are all taking advantage of the opportunity to attain enlightenment in your present form! It is a promise that cannot be broken! I guarantee, if you do what you are supposed to do, it cannot fail to be achieved.

It's up to each of us. (It's your karma!)

I bow in humble obeisance,

Thomas

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Mr. Toda said:

"'Firmly believing that there is no distinction between the Gohonzon, the Daishonin, and ourselves, we should chant daimoku with deep appreciation and gratitude for this in our hearts. When we do so, the rhythm of our lives aligns itself with the rhythm of the universe and our lives connect with the great life of the universe, thereby enabling us to bring forth incredible life-force.'

"Accordingly, there are no hardships or sufferings in life that we cannot overcome, and no way that we will fail to become happy. Mr. Toda also said that if we exert ourselves assiduously in faith, practice, and study, we would not remain forever deluded, unenlightened people at the mercy of various sufferings. All of the members of the SGI can bring their lives to shine with the same brilliant life-state of the Buddha."

SGI Newsletter No. 7819, THE WRITINGS OF NICHIREN DAISHONIN AND THE MENTOR-DISCIPLE RELATIONSHIP [8] Enabling All People to Attain the Same Life-State as the Buddha, from the March 7th, 2009, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, translated July 15th, 2009

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Suffer what there is to suffer, enjoy what there is to enjoy. Regard both suffering and joy as facts of life, and continue chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, no matter what happens."

(Happiness in This World - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 681) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, July 18th, 2009

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

Congrats StoneGirl! I'm still working on my 1st documented million over here...

Congrats StoneGirl! I'm still working on my 1st documented million over here...

"Those who believe in the Lotus Sutra should beware of and guard themselves against the sutra's enemies. . . . If you do not know your enemies, you will be deceived by them."

The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 664 (Letter to Konichi-bo)

Great job StoneGirl and Great job PTD! My lady has been really keeping me going back to Gohonzon and these causes we make to introduce others open up so many new doors in life; that those same results are truly amazing! I'm very very happy to read such great news!

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Earthly Desires Are Enlightenment / WND Pg. 317

Earthly Desires Are Enlightenment / WND Pg. 317

I deeply appreciate your visit here and your constant concern over the numerous persecutions that have befallen me. I do not regret meeting with such great persecutions as the votary of the Lotus Sutra. However many times I were to repeat the cycle of birth and death, no life could be as fortunate as this. [If not for these troubles,] I might have remained in the three or four evil paths. But now, to my great joy, I am sure to sever the cycle of the sufferings of birth and death, and attain the fruit of Buddhahood.

Even for spreading the teaching of the theoretical "three thousand realms in a single moment of life" from the first half of the Lotus Sutra, T'ien-t'ai and Dengyo met with hatred and jealousy. In Japan it was transmitted from Dengyo to Gishin, Encho, Jikaku, and others, and spread. The eighteenth chief priest of the Tendai school was the Great Teacher Jie, and he had many disciples. Among them there were four named Danna, Eshin, Soga, and Zen'yu. The teaching also was divided into two: the Administrator of Priests Danna transmitted the doctrinal studies, while the Supervisor of Priests Eshin studied the meditative practices. Thus the doctrinal studies and meditative practices are like the sun and moon; doctrinal studies are shallow, while meditative practices are deep. Thus the teaching expounded by Danna is broad but shallow, while the teaching of Eshin is limited but deep.

Though the teaching I am now propagating seems limited, it is extremely profound. That is because it goes deeper than the teaching expounded by T'ien-t'ai, Dengyo, and others. (1) It is the three important matters in the "Life Span" chapter of the essential teaching. Practicing only the seven characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo seems limited, but since they are the master of all the Buddhas of the three existences, the teacher of all the bodhisattvas in the ten directions, and the guide that enables all living beings to attain the Buddha way, it is profound.

The sutra states, "The wisdom of the Buddhas is infinitely profound and (2) immeasurable." It refers to "the Buddhas" here in the sense of all Buddhas throughout the ten directions in the three existences, from the Thus Come One Mahavairochana of the True Word school and Amida of the Pure Land school to the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of all schools and all sutras, all Buddhas of the past, future, and present, and the present Thus Come One Shakyamuni. And the sutra speaks of the wisdom of all those Buddhas.

What is meant by this "wisdom"? It is the entity of the true aspect of all phenomena, and of the ten factors of life that lead all beings to Buddhahood. What then is that entity? It is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. A commentary states that the profound principle of the true aspect is the originally (3) inherent Myoho-renge-kyo. We learn that that true aspect of all phenomena is also the two Buddhas Shakyamuni and Many Treasures [seated together in the treasure tower]. "All phenomena" corresponds to Many Treasures, and "the true aspect" corresponds to Shakyamuni. These are also the two elements of reality and wisdom. Many Treasures is reality; Shakyamuni is wisdom. It is the enlightenment that reality and wisdom are two, and yet they are not two.

These are teachings of prime importance. These are also what is called "earthly desires are enlightenment," and "the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana." Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo during the physical union of man and woman is indeed what is called "earthly desires are enlightenment," and "the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana." "The sufferings of birth and death are nirvana" exists only in realizing that the entity of life throughout its cycle of birth and death is neither born nor destroyed. The Universal Worthy Sutra states, "Without either cutting off earthly desires or separating themselves from the five desires, they can purify all their senses and wipe away all their offenses." Great Concentration and Insight says, "The ignorance and dust of desires are enlightenment, and the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana." The "Life Span" chapter of the Lotus Sutra says, "At all times I think to myself: How can I cause living beings to gain entry into the unsurpassed way and quickly acquire the body of a Buddha?" The "Expedient Means" chapter says, "The characteristics of the world are constantly abiding." Surely such statements refer to these principles. Thus what is called the entity is none other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

It was such an august and precious Lotus Sutra that in past existences I put under my knees, despised, scowled upon in disgust, and failed to believe in. In one way or another, I maliciously ridiculed those who, studying the teachings of the Lotus Sutra, taught them to even one person, and carried on the life of the Law. In addition, I did everything I could to hinder people from embracing the sutra by asserting that they should set it aside for a while because, though it might be suitable for practice in their next lifetime, it would be too difficult to practice in this one. Slanderous acts such as these have brought on the many severe persecutions I have suffered in my lifetime. Because I once disparaged the Lotus Sutra, the highest of all sutras, I am now looked down on, and my words go unheeded. The "Simile and Parable" chapter states that other people will neither concern themselves with one nor have sympathy for one, even though one sincerely tries to be friendly with them.

Nevertheless, you became a votary of the Lotus Sutra, and as a result, you suffered severe persecutions, and you came to my assistance. In the "Teacher of the Law" chapter, the Buddha states that he will magically conjure and send the four kinds of believers - monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen [- for the sake of the teachers of the Law]. If the "laymen" mentioned here does not mean you, who does it refer to? You have not only heard the Law, but have taken faith in it and since then have followed it without turning aside. How wondrous! How extraordinary! If that is the case, then can there be any doubt that I am the teacher of the Law of the Lotus Sutra? Perhaps I also resemble "the envoy of the Thus Come One," for I am carrying out "the Thus Come (4) One's work." I have nearly spread the five characters of the daimoku that were entrusted to Bodhisattva Superior Practices when the two Buddhas were seated together within the treasure tower. Does this not mean that I am an envoy of Bodhisattva Superior Practices? Moreover, following me, you, as a votary of the Lotus Sutra, have told others of this Law. What else could this be but the transmission of the Law?

Carry through with your faith in the Lotus Sutra. You cannot strike fire from flint if you stop halfway. Bring forth the great power of faith, and be spoken of by all the people of Kamakura, both high and low, or by all the people of Japan, as "Shijo Kingo, Shijo Kingo (5) of the Lotus school!" Even a bad reputation will spread far and wide. A good reputation will spread even farther, particularly if it is a reputation for devotion to the Lotus Sutra.

Explain all this to your wife too, and work together like the sun and moon, a pair of eyes, or the two wings of a bird. With the sun and moon, could there be a path of darkness? With a pair of eyes, no doubt you will see the faces of Shakyamuni, Many Treasures, and the Buddhas of the ten directions. With a pair of wings, you will surely fly in an instant to the treasure land of Tranquil Light. I will write in more detail on another occasion.

With my deep respect,

Nichiren

The second day of the fifth month.

Reply to Shijo Kingo


Background

In the fourth month of the ninth year of Bun'ei (1272), Shijo Kingo traveled from Kamakura to Sado Island to visit Nichiren Daishonin. Kingo was a samurai who served the Ema family, a branch of the ruling Hojo clan. The journey to Sado was a long, arduous one, involving a boat trip across the Sea of Japan, and required that he absent himself from his duties in Kamakura for more than a month.

In the fifth month of the same year, soon after Shijo Kingo returned to Kamakura, Nichiren Daishonin sent him this letter. It was written in gratitude for the samurai's visit.

In the letter, the Daishonin explains the power of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo in terms of such profound Buddhist principles as the fusion of reality and wisdom, and earthly desires are enlightenment. Although Hinayana Buddhism teaches that earthly desires must be eliminated to attain enlightenment, Mahayana, and particularly the Lotus Sutra, teaches that earthly desires are one with and inseparable from enlightenment. The reason is that both are the workings, or expression, of life itself, and thus are the same in their source.

Nichiren Daishonin teaches that, when one bases one's life on Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, earthly desires work naturally for one's own and others' happiness. The great power of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which is inherently positive and creative, directs the great energy of one's earthly desires toward happiness and value for all. Thus, when one chants the daimoku, "earthly desires are enlightenment."

Until his near-execution at Tatsunokuchi in the ninth month of 1271, the Daishonin had assumed the role of Bodhisattva Superior Practices, the votary whose appearance is predicted in the Lotus Sutra. He had spent all his time teaching the essence of the sutra and propagating the faith. After Tatsunokuchi, he revealed his true identity as the Buddha who is one with the supreme Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. In this letter, the Daishonin teaches the significance of the daimoku from the standpoint of the Buddha who opens the way to Buddhahood for all humankind.

He first states that it is his great joy to meet persecutions as the votary of the Lotus Sutra, because it is the sure way to attain Buddhahood. "Though the teaching I am now propagating seems limited, it is extremely profound. That is because it goes deeper than the teaching expounded by T'ien-t'ai, Dengyo, and others." He reveals that the ultimate Law of all Buddhas is none other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

Notes

1. The "three important matters" refers to the Three Great Secret Laws: the object of devotion, the invocation of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, or the daimoku, and the sanctuary, or the place where one chants daimoku before the object of devotion.
2. Lotus Sutra, chap. 2.
3. This statement has been attributed to T'ien-t'ai, but there is no documentary proof to support this.
4. Based on the "Teacher of the Law" chapter of the Lotus Sutra. This particular section reads: "If one of these good men orgood women in the time after I have passed into extinction is able to secretly expound the Lotus Sutra to one person, even one phrase of it, then you should know that he or she is the envoy of the Thus Come One. He has been dispatched by the Thus Come One and carries out the Thus Come One's work."
5. The Lotus school was originally another name for the Tendai school, which based itself on the Lotus Sutra. Later the term came to mean the Buddhism established by Nichiren Daishonin.

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

"To speak out without fearing others and without flinching before society?this is what the sutra means when it says, "We care nothing for our bodies or lives but are anxious only for the unsurpassed way." It is not that one does not recall the calumny, the staves and stones that were suffered by Bodhisattva Never Disparaging. It is not that one is unafraid of the world. It is just that the censure of the Lotus Sutra is even more severe."

Letter to Akimoto (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 1017)

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

Desi, I hope you're okay and battling through your issues valiantly. It is the heart that is the most important thing and if you woulda called yourself "Heart or KindHearted or HeartofGold" instead of Desiderata on this site, it would be the same for me considering I know you have a Heart of Gold. Thanks for braving the world and making it here to the thread to let me know what's up. You know I got your back with Daimoku just like I do with Mrs.Babba, Babba, Socal, PTD, Bonzo, Sceggy, AlwaystotheLeft, Leonardodavinci, Stonegirl, Wilson (& lil Wilson), Forest, TrichyTrichy and Payaso. We have a tight group and I'm very pleased you put yourself out there for us to share in your life what you're going through.

I must admit slacking in my Buddhist study recently and letting work and the move west get the best of me more often than not. But we don't give up on this thread! We fucking persevere through everything and end up stronger and closer to our goal of really taking full advantage of every moment by our collective utilization of The Mystic Law. I think it was very mystic that stonegirl and ptd were chanting for us recently and I swear I really needed it during the time ptd was documenting that specific diamoku for us.

I chant with honor and respect for my life, which means I respect your life just as much as mine. Together we are really an unstoppable force, separated and alone we are just ordinary folks. So lets keep chanting everyday together, and sometimes we'll end up chanting in unison and setting the path towards more of what we really want in life! What I'm trying to say is my experience since wholeheartidly joining this thread in 2005 has been that when yall chant with me for stuff I get that stuff quicker and really do a better job overall at kosen-rufu during that time.

Going to meetings, letting people come over, sharing our appreciation with others, chanting in front of Gohonzon, encouraging people that don't know about this Buddhism but clearly need it to really give it a shot is where we are headed on this thread and that path is the middle way towards Buddhahood. I myself am a student and leader in this thread and feel that the actual proof I have created of my Buddhist practice has been tangible although my prayer is based on faith! So essentially this thread is just preparation for the real world that we are in while we post here.

A sanctuary if you will for Gohonzon, is what this thread clearly is. Consider your chants and prayers connected to mine and soon you will See in your Gohonzon that Nichiren's words are the lantern that guide through the darkness in our lives and universe. Nichiren left us the Gohonzon so that ordinairy folks like us can tap into that refreshment of the soul that washes away the transient and reveals the true! I love reveling in the truest Buddhist philosophy and also the most simple to understand (yet difficult to uphold) while actually practicing what I'm saying!

That's why I'm here Desi, I'm here to be the best possible friend I could be living many many miles away yet standing right beside you whenever you are tapping into our Buddhanature. Same goes for each of you! This connection we have with the Gohonzon that brings us together is something that must continue in our next lives and must have existed prior to the electronic age we are currently in!

My best wishes you and Ann, Desi! Well Wishes To ALL!

Love,
Myohodisco (Feeling easy!)

 

[PassTheDoobie]

'Fostering others leads to one's own growth. As Mr. Toda taught: 'You have to be on the lookout for talent, and then develop it. As you strive for kosen-rufu together, you help each other grow.'

SGI Newsletter No. 7821, The New Human Revolution--Vol. 22: Chap. 3, High Seas 50, translated July 17th, 2009

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"For those who have faith in the Lotus Sutra, but whose faith is not deep, it is as though a half moon were lighting the darkness. But for those who have profound faith, it is as though a full moon were illuminating the night."

(The Essence of the "Medicine King" Chapter - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 94) Selection source: Editorial, Seikyo Shimbun, July 20th, 2009

 

[PassTheDoobie]

repentance
[懺悔] (Skt kshama or deshana; Jpn sange)

Also, apology. An act of acknowledging one's faults, shortcomings, or past misdeeds, and seeking to correct or make amends for them. In Indian monasteries, a gathering called uposhadha was held every half month, at which members of the Buddhist Order who had violated the precepts apologized before the Buddha or before the other monks with the aim of purifying their minds. In addition, an annual ceremony called pravarana was performed at the end of the rainy-season retreat (three-month retreat). At the ceremony held on the last day of the retreat, monks publicly repented the errors they had committed during that three-month period. In the Buddhist community, various rules concerning the practice and ceremony of repentance were set forth as the vinaya, or rules of monastic discipline. With the rise of Mahayana, however, less emphasis was placed on monastic rules, and the meaning of repentance changed accordingly. The Universal Worthy Sutra, regarded as the epilogue to the Lotus Sutra, states, "If one wishes to carry out repentance, sit upright and ponder the true aspect. Then the host of sins, like frost or dew, can be wiped out by the sun of wisdom." In short, since one's wrong acts ultimately stem from ignorance of the true nature of life, to awaken to that nature, or the true aspect of all phenomena, and bring forth one's inherent Buddha wisdom, thereby purifying one's life, is the ultimate act of repentance.


reverse relationship
[逆縁] (Jpn gyaku-en)

Another term for poison-drum relationship. Also translated as reverse relation, relationship of rejection, or connection through rejection. A bond formed with the correct teaching by opposing or slandering it. When the correct teaching is preached to the people, some may reject and slander it and fall into hell as a consequence. Because of the relationship formed with the correct teaching in the process, however, they will eventually attain Buddhahood. That is, the act of rejecting and slandering the correct teaching is a cause to establish a connection with it and receive the seeds of Buddhahood. Miao-lo's (711-782) work The Annotations on "The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra" says: "Even if one reviles the correct teaching and falls into the evil paths, one can create causes for the eventual attainment of benefit. It is like the case of a person who falls to the ground, but who then pushes himself up from the ground and rises to his feet again. Thus, even though one may slander the correct teaching, one will eventually be saved from the evil paths." The reverse relationship contrasts with a relationship of acceptance ( Jpn jun-en), which is formed by those who put their faith in the correct teaching on hearing about it, without slandering or opposing it. See also poison-drum relationship.


poison-drum relationship
[毒鼓の縁] (Jpn dokku-no-en )

A reverse relationship, or relationship formed through rejection. A bond formed with the Lotus Sutra by opposing or slandering it. One who opposes the Lotus Sutra when it is preached will still form a relationship with the sutra by virtue of opposition, and will thereby attain Buddhahood eventually. A "poison drum" is a mythical drum daubed with poison; this is a reference to a statement in the Nirvana Sutra that once the poison drum is beaten, all those who hear it will die, even if they are not of the mind to listen to it. Similarly, when the correct teaching is preached, both those who embrace it and those who oppose it will equally receive the seeds of Buddhahood, and even those who oppose it will attain Buddhahood eventually. See also reverse relationship.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Now is the time for us to tap into the great power of faith and practice that each one of us possesses within our own lives and draw forth the power of the Buddha and the Law.* By chanting vibrant daimoku with strong faith, let's rouse all the Buddhist gods, the protective forces of the universe, into action!

Daisaku Ikeda

*four powers -
http://www.sgilibrary.org/search_dict.php?id=795

 

[PassTheDoobie]

four powers
[四力] (Jpn shi-riki )

(1) The power of the Buddha, the power of the Law, the power of faith, and the power of practice. In Nichiren's teachings, the four powers are known as the four powers of the Mystic Law, whose interaction enables one to have one's prayers answered and attain Buddhahood. The power of the Buddha is the Buddha's compassion in saving all people. The power of the Law indicates the boundless capacity of the Mystic Law to lead all people to enlightenment. The power of faith is to believe in the Gohonzon, the object of devotion that embodies the power of the Buddha and the power of the Law, and the power of practice is to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo oneself and teach others to do the same. To the extent that one brings forth one's powers of faith and practice, one can manifest the powers of the Buddha and the Law within one's own life.
(2) The power of self, the power of another, the power of good karma, and the power of expedient means. The four powers expounded in the Upholding the Bodhisattva Stage Sutra that enable one to arouse the aspiration for enlightenment. The power of self means arousing the aspiration for enlightenment through one's own devoted effort in practice. The power of another means arousing the aspiration for enlightenment through being taught and inspired by another. The power of good karma means that, because of one's practice of the great vehicle teaching in past existences and because of good causes accumulated thereby, one encounters a Buddha or bodhisattva in this lifetime and so conceives the aspiration for enlightenment. The power of expedient means indicates that one seeks a good friend or teacher who skillfully expounds the Buddha's teaching in the way best suited to one's capacity, thus awakening in one the desire for enlightenment.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"It is rare to be born a human being. The number of those endowed with human life is as small as the amount of earth one can place on a fingernail. Life as a human being is hard to sustain--as hard as it is for the dew to remain on the grass."

(The Three Kinds of Treasure - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 851) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, July 22nd, 2009