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Chanting Growers Group

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PassTheDoobie

Bodhisattva of the Earth
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"When the bodhisattva Never Disparaging makes his bow of obeisance to the four kinds of believers, the Buddha nature inherent in the four kinds of believers of overbearing arrogance is bowing in obeisance to the bodhisattva Never Disparaging. It is like the situation when one faces a mirror and makes a bow of obeisance: the image in the mirror likewise makes a bow of obeisance to oneself."

(Ongi kuden - Gosho Zenshu, page 769, The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, page 165) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, September 14th, 2009
 

PassTheDoobie

Bodhisattva of the Earth
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Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

I sure miss Trichy, and also want to know what happened! Said there was a bad vibe here lately, and wonder what? Hear she also disappeared from another site...sadly.

She was like our little sister spreading joy everywhere.

Meanwhile, chanting continues.

I sure hope the "here" wasn't this thread?!! I feel like I let her down. As Chris said, Daimoku continues!

I bow in humble obeisance to all,

Thomas
 

PassTheDoobie

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Let's make every effort to talk about justice and truth with others. Let's earnestly chant the type of daimoku that will defeat erroneous teachings! The endeavour to share Nichiren Buddhism with others is certain to cause a great transformation in people's way of thinking and actions and in the society in which we live in.

Daisaku Ikeda

* "The heart of shakubuku is compassion; it is also the spirit to refute error because of the suffering it causes--a spirit that transforms our compassion into the courage to fight against that which is wrong."

"Hypocrisy is the exact opposite of compassion--specifically, the hypocrisy of knowing when wrong is being committed in the realm of Buddhism but doing nothing to address it. If such hypocrisy prevails, lies and pretence will become the norm and no one will speak the truth. This will ultimately lead to the spiritual and moral decay of society. Without a sound spiritual underpinning like that provided by a humanistic religion, the fabric of society will crumble. If erroneous teachings spread and seek to enslave the exploit people, they will exert a harmful and poisonous effect on people's hearts and minds. That is why Daishonin stresses the importance of steadfastly and resolutely battling the 'enemies of the Lotus Sutra.'"

"Shakubuku, an act of supreme compassion, is a lion's roar directed towards the goal of reviving the goodness in people's hearts and bringing dynamic vitality and creativity to society for the benefit of all."
(Lectures on The Opening of the Eyes by Daisaku Ikeda published by Soka Gakkai Malaysia)
 

PassTheDoobie

Bodhisattva of the Earth
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"At first only Nichiren chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, but then two, three, and a hundred followed, chanting and teaching others."

(The True Aspect of All Phenomena - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 385) Selection source: "Myoji no Gen", Seikyo Shimbun, September 13th, 2009
 

PassTheDoobie

Bodhisattva of the Earth
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"Buddhism is a teaching that enriches our lives and helps us develop outstanding character and humanity. Employing the profound wisdom of Buddhism that is the starting point of human revolution, we can make a great contribution towards the happiness of ourselves and others, which is the original purpose of all religion. Any religious tradition that forgets to put people first invariably grows self-righteous and dogmatic.

"Ideally, the adherents of the various religions of the world should strive in a spirit of friendly competition to lead others to happiness. As members of the Soka Gakkai, we need to ponder how best to convey to people everywhere the true value of Nichiren Daishonin's humanistic Buddhism, which is based on the Lotus Sutra's lofty ideal of universal enlightenment. Today, as global pioneers of an age of humanistic competition, we are working hard to develop ourselves and also foster others. We are noble trailblazers spreading a religion for all humankind in the 21st century. Let's advance confidently with this pride."


SGI Newsletter No. 7851, LEARNING FROM THE WRITINGS OF NICHIREN DAISHONIN: THE TEACHINGS FOR VICTORY, [7] "The Supremacy of the Law"--Part 1 [of 3], The Lotus Sutra Is the "Great Ship" for the Enlightenment of All People, from the July 2009 issue of the Daibyakurenge, translated Sep. 9th, 2009
 
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LolaGal

Trichy brings me here to you chanting growers!

Do not feel that you have failed her, she does not want you to feel badly.

Chanting growers was her favorite thread she told me.

Payaso holds the answers you seek. I do not know if he may enlighten you or not.



Please PM an answer to my question.

I have performed many acts of shakubuku, yet my karma continues to be bad.

I have saved many lives, brightened and healed the sick with nursing, yet I have no insurance, no salve for my wounds, etc.

why is this? Please PM answers of enlightenment to me. :)
 
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EasyMyohoDisco

"Therefore, those who become Nichiren's disciples and lay believers should realize the profound karmic relationship they share with him and spread the Lotus Sutra as he does. Being known as a votary of the Lotus Sutra is a bitter, yet unavoidable destiny."

Letter to Jakunichi-bo
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 994)
{source: http://www.sgi-usa.org/encouragement/dw.php }
 

PassTheDoobie

Bodhisattva of the Earth
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Trichy brings me here to you chanting growers!

Do not feel that you have failed her, she does not want you to feel badly.

Chanting growers was her favorite thread she told me.



Please PM an answer to my question.

:)

Lola thank you so much! I am very busy at the moment, and would never answer a question like yours without thought, consideration and Daimoku. Give me a day or so. I'm sure my reply won't be your only one.

Tell Trichy to get a new nic and hang out here just with us then!

From the bottom of my heart, deepest thanks and respect in letting us know she is OK and that you have questions that you need to get answered!

Thomas
 
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EasyMyohoDisco

Three Kinds of Hokekyo

When we speak of the Hokekyo, people think of Shakyainuni’s Myoho-renge-kyo which comprises twenty-eight chapters. However, in actuality, there are three kinds of Hokekyo according to the periods of Shoho, Zoho and Mappo.

Time is an indispensable factor of Buddhism. The first millennium after Shakyamuni’s death is Shoho, the second millennium, Zoho and the period which follows is Mappo which lasts for 10,000 years and more.

People in Shoho were closely related to Shakyamuni and people in Zoho were but slightly related to him. However, people in Mappo have no connection whatsoever with Shakyamuni. During Shoho and Zoho, Shakyamuni’s Buddhism benefitted the people, but in Mappo, even the Hokekyo which fulfilled the purpose of Shakyamuni’s advent in this world has lost its validity, retaining only its formality.

Today, only the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin who is the True Buddha of Mappo provides mankind with divine blessings. Many Buddhist sects such as Jodo (Pure Land); Zen and Shingon (True Word) are based on the provisional teachings which should be displaced by the Hokekyo. Therefore, they are extremely heretical sects which poison their believers.

The Hokekyo of Shoho is the twenty-eight-chapter Hokekyo revealed by Shakyamuni and that of Zoho is Tendai’s Maka-Shikan (T’ien-t’ai’s Mo-ho-chih-kuan). The Hokekyo of Mappo is the Nam-myoho-renge kyo of the Three Great Secret Laws (San-dai-hi ho) established by Nichiren Daishonin.

(From: Lecture on the Lotus Sutra by Josei Toda)
 

PassTheDoobie

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"Health is not simply the absence of illness. Nor is it simply physical well being. Genuine health is the state in which both body and mind are vigorously and soundly engaged in the process of creation. Real health is the ability to overcome every form of adversity and use even the worst of circumstances as a springboard for new growth and development.

"Simply put, the essence of health is the constant renewal and rejuvenation of life. The fundamental entity that makes this renewal of life possible can be perceived within us as the world of Buddhahood, or the life-state of the Buddha. And I believe that Buddhism, which opens the way to this renewal of life in the real world, teaches the way to keep health at the most fundamental level."


SGI Newsletter No. 7854, The New Human Revolution--Vol. 22: Chap. 4, The Treasure of Life 29, translated Sep 15th, 2009
 
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PassTheDoobie

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"Although I and my disciples may encounter various difficulties, if we do not harbour doubts in our hearts, we will as a matter of course attain Buddhahood."

(The Opening of the Eyes - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 283) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, September 18th, 2009
 

PassTheDoobie

Bodhisattva of the Earth
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"It was in May last year (2008) that Argentine human rights activist and Nobel Peace laureate Adolfo Pérez Esquivel and his wife Amanda Guerreño came to Japan....

"I first met Dr. Pérez Esquivel in December 1995 (in Tokyo). He had at that time expressed a desire to continue our dialogue through correspondence or other means. On the day of his return to Argentina, he sent me a message to the following effect: 'When someone I trust is being attacked, insulted or persecuted, I will say nothing to that person. But when that person stops being criticized, I express my dissatisfaction to them because it means they have given up their fight.' He also shared a wonderful quote from the great novel Don Quixote by Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616): 'The dogs are barking. That means we are riding forth.' Interestingly enough, this same quote has been cited to me by many of my friends from around the world, including Club of Rome Honourary President Ricardo Díez-Hochleitner, Brazilian pianist and composer Amaral Vieira, and former Chilean Ambassador to Japan Demetrio Infante Figueroa. Hearts that share the same convictions resonate.

"The Daishonin writes: 'The three obstacles and four devils will invariably appear, and the wise will rejoice while the foolish will retreat.' (WND-1, 637). In the modern age, we who uphold the Mystic Law are the wise who, undaunted by obstacles, are putting this passage into practise."


SGI Newsletter No. 7857, THE LIGHT OF THE CENTURY OF HUMANITY, Saluting the Women's Division--Part 2 [of 2], from the June 13th, 2009, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, translated Sep. 17th, 2009
 

PassTheDoobie

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The Daishonin encourages us,
"Now you must strengthen your faith more than ever."*
Those who possess courage and tenacity to win and advance will definitely be protected by Buddhist gods.**


Daisaku Ikeda

*"I say this for your sake. I know your faith has always been admirable, but now you must strengthen it more than ever." - "The Supremacy of the Law", WND-I, page 614

** heavenly gods and benevolent deities (shoten-zenjin) -
http://www.sgilibrary.org/search_dict.php?id=975
 

PassTheDoobie

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Veteran
heavenly gods and benevolent deities

heavenly gods and benevolent deities

[諸天善神] (Jpn shoten-zenjin )

Also, Buddhist gods, protective gods, tutelary gods, guardian deities, etc. The gods that protect the correct Buddhist teaching and its practitioners. Gods who function to protect the people and their land and bring good fortune to both. Heavenly gods and benevolent deities is a generic term for the Buddhist pantheon that includes Brahma, Shakra, the four heavenly kings, the Sun Goddess, the gods of the sun and moon, and other deities. Many of these gods and deities were traditionally revered in India, China, and Japan. They became part of Buddhist thought as Buddhism flourished in those areas. Rather than primary objects of belief or devotion, Buddhism tends to view them as functioning to support and protect the Buddha, the Law, or Buddhist teachings, and practitioners. The "Introduction" (first) chapter of the Lotus Sutra describes a scene in which the heavenly beings or gods gather to hear the preaching of the sutra. The "Peaceful Practices" (fourteenth) chapter of the sutra says, "The heavenly beings day and night will for the sake of the Law constantly guard and protect [those who practice as the sutra teaches]." In the Lotus Sutra, the gods are regarded as the guardians of those who embrace the sutra. In The Treatment of Illness, Nichiren (1222-1282) writes, "The fundamental nature of enlightenment manifests itself as Brahma and Shakra, whereas the fundamental darkness manifests itself as the devil king of the sixth heaven" (1113). Here the gods are viewed as manifestations of the Buddha nature in one's life. The Golden Light Sutra reads: "Though this sutra exists in the nation, its ruler has never allowed it to be propagated. In his heart he turns away from it, and he takes no pleasure in hearing its teachings.... In the end, he makes it impossible for us [the four heavenly kings] and the other countless heavenly beings who are our followers to hear this profound and wonderful teaching. He deprives us of the sweet dew of its words and cuts us off from the flow of the correct teaching, so that our majesty and strength are drained away.... And once we and the others abandon and desert this nation, then many different types of disasters will occur in the country, and the ruler will fall from power." This passage may be interpreted as indicating that the gods gain their strength from the Buddhist Law, and that they are the inherent functions of nature and society that protect those who uphold that Law.
 

PassTheDoobie

Bodhisattva of the Earth
ICMag Donor
Veteran
"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. But it is better to live a single day with honor than to live to 120 and die in disgrace."

(The Three Kinds of Treasure - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 851) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, August 21st, 2009
 

Desiderata

Bodhisattva of the Earth
Veteran
.....and everyday!

.....and everyday!

Happy smiles to everyone today :) ;)

Happiness is what life is all about striving for; chanting helps to keep the good efforts of all at the surface. It ain't easy, but it sure is fun!

Love You All.....desi!
 
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EasyMyohoDisco

Happiness is what life is all about striving for; chanting helps to keep the good efforts of all at the surface. It ain't easy, but it sure is fun!

Love You All.....desi!


Been living a life full of regrets lately. I sure wish at least one of you chanting growers was close by so I could come over and chant. I haven't been chanting much lately and last week I fucked up quite a bit at work. Too much work at school and too much regret in my heart.

I signed a fucking lease this summer for a place I realize now I could barely afford and for the first time since before I started chanting I haven't been growing anything. I can't grow at this place and it is terrible so I finally ran out of stash yesterday and I quit pot entirely. I can't afford to buy pot and need to make sure I pay off the debt I just accumulated to goto school because I put it on my credit cards.

When I started chanting I didn't even have one credit card. Since I started my practice I developed my credit very well and for the first time I actually have four figure debt and it sucks so much. What's even worse is I've told my girlfriend that if I knew she was pretending to go to school last semester as she did before I moved in here, I wouldn't have moved into this place. I'm sure she feels terrible and I feel worse because I don't even have enough to pay-off the rest of the year I signed up for at this place.

So we're stuck together. I called off the wedding a few weeks ago, I got into a bad argument that turned in a nasty fight was a co-worker at my job this week and all I've been doing is a sansho here and a sansho there.

Anyway, I hope everyone is ok and doing better than me. Keep up your chanting my friends because when you slacken your faith THE THREE OBSTACLES AND THE FOUR DEVILS MIGHT JUST BEAT THE LIVING PISS OUTTA YOU. Please forgive the negative tone of my message, I hope this cloud over my head goes away and I know it will take more daimoku than ever before.

Have a good week and I hope this message finds you well and doesn't discourage you. If I made you feel bad that wasn't my intention, I'm genuinely suffering over here.

Be good,
MyohoDisco
 
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