Chanting Growers Group

[SoCal Hippy]

"What kinds of causes am I making right now?" "What actions am I taking?" The
answers to these questions are what will determine our future -- in this life
and throughout the three existences. Herein lies the foundation of faith. True
glory and victory in life lie in basing oneself on this fundamental principle.


Daisaku Ikeda

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Hey all4one! If the views expressd in this thread don't conform to your own, then don't read it. You have a right to your own views and if you want to express them then start your own thread. Certainly no one here participating is really very interested in your opinion, I'm quite sure.

I found your first post to be very objectionable, but let it pass. The one above just indicates further that you'd rather be a bit of a troll and not really read the thread to understand the context of what we are discussing here. It seems a lot of new members to ICmag have the same problem, as almost a hundred percent of the time that someone comes in here posting as you have, they are new to the site and have less then the number of posts required to handle this via PM.

So I have no choice but to say what I have to say here in the thread.

Please understand that the thread is about Nichiren Buddhism and chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. It is not a forum for individuals to use as a means to express their conflicting perceptions, unless in the context of a question of how such a perception would be related to in Nichiren Buddhism. Please keep that in mind in future posts, or you will be asked to not post in the thread again.

Please understand that if you think you are smarter than the rest of us that you have absolutely zero chance of convincing any of us of that--at least based on what you have had to say so far. I have done my best to be gracious, and apologize if I have offended you. I just want to make sure neither your intentions nor our reactions are misunderstood.

Thank you!

Thomas

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Making positive causes
in our noble undertaking day after day
assures us of accumulating
boundless good fortune
that will flow on forever to our successors.

Daisaku Ikeda

"Nichiren Daishonin promises us that 'where there is unseen virtue, there will be visible reward' (WND-1, 907). All too often in the world, devious, dishonest schemes seem to prevail while sincere, honest efforts go unrewarded--a contradiction that has outraged the hearts of people of conscience in all times and places. However, the Daishonin's Buddhism, which teaches that unseen virtue draws forth visible reward, guarantees that those who have worked the hardest behind the scenes will ultimately reap the greatest benefit and blessings. This is a strict and impartial principle. Unscrupulous individuals who inflict suffering on good, decent people cannot escape the uncompromising workings of the law of cause and effect. In the end, they will be filled with misery and regret."

SGI Newsletter No. 7860, Boldly Paving the Way to Fresh Growth and Development, from the October 2009 issue of Daibyakurenge, translated Sep. 24th, 2009

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Muster your faith, and pray to this Gohonzon. Then what is there that cannot be achieved?"

(Reply to Kyo'o - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin,Vol.1, page 412) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, September 26th, 2009

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"The 'great vow' refers to the propagation of the Lotus Sutra."*
A life that is dedicated to achieving such a great and wonderful
purpose is absolutely indestructible. Let's all advance proudly and boldly along the noble path of kosen-rufu.

Daisaku Ikeda

*"Ongi-kuden" - Gosho Zenshu, page 736, The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, page 82

** A vow in Buddhism could be described as the power to sever the chains of karma, to free oneself from the fetters of the past, and to forge a self that can look with hope to a new future. In other words, the power of a vow enables us to develop ourselves through the Buddha's teachings, to take charge of our own future direction based on a solid sense of self, and to keep on making efforts towards that end. It could be said that making a vow is the fundamental principle of change. (Lectures on The Opening of the Eyes by Daisaku Ikeda)

 

[SoCal Hippy]

I would hope that with the recent disgusting posts by all4nicator that it would be enough to ban him from Icmag for life.

Isn't there a policy to adhere to and can't the mods do this?

I pity the bad karma you decided to put upon yourself all4one1forall. Good luck!

 

[Babbabud]

takin care of

takin care of

I would hope that with the recent disgusting posts by all4nicator that it would be enough to ban him from Icmag for life.

Isn't there a policy to adhere to and can't the mods do this?

I pity the bad karma you decided to put upon yourself all4one1forall. Good luck!

Sorry I was away and couldnt have gotten here sooner. Anytime any of you see anything like this please do not hesitate to message me asap. Its what im here for . If I dont answer, Payoso is always here to take care of business also.
Nam myoho renge kyo

 

[SoCal Hippy]

thanks Bud

thanks Bud

I wasn't sure how the procedure worked. But now I know and will let you and/or Payoso know ASAP if/when this happens again.

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

Great to know the protection is in full effect, while I'm living as a chanting grower. Although I'm not growing herb (yet) I'm growing intellectually and my daimoku account is growing again. I'm doing this with Doubt-Free Faith and feeling better as a result this week.

I was happy to see a new member at a meeting today and I look forward to participating more meetings soon! I'll be doing kosen-rufu gongyo next weekend because I'll be supporting the members making sure everyone is protected, safe, comfortable and encouraged by my hard work and effort. I feel better when I volunteer to help other Bodhisattvas and I strongly encourage new members to try and participate in behind the scenes movements. Being lazy and hiding at home is no way for us to do shakubuku, it takes effort and dedication to our practice. To stay home hiding is equivalent to not practicing correctly. If you are healthy enough to go out and chant with other members or share our amazing philosophy, NOW IS THE TIME!

All good things take effort, especially a correct and diligent practice.

Thanks so all my friends here for keeping me focused on Mugi Wasshin. Doubt-Free Faith is the direction I'm going in and hope to continue inspiring others to also join us with.

Highest Regards,
MyohoDisco

 

[Payaso]

My apologies to all for sleeping soundly thru the latest fiasco with a troll. It seems the evil forces are heavily attacking us, and we need to be eternally vigilant as always!

Thank you Babbabud for cleaning up this mess.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo with much respect to T...and all the others in this group.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

For anyone else confused by this:

For anyone else confused by this:

Calling all Bodhisattvas of the Earth!

I never did a new thread before, but something really cool has happened as part of my experience at ICmag.com. I have found quite coincidently that there are folks here that share my philosophy of life.

So far it is me, Hitman, and VegasBuddha!

Is there anyone else?

Almost anyone reading this (I will asume) will not have a clue as to what the fuck I'm talking about. I'll cut and paste a post from another thread, and at least try and make an effort to explain it.

As always this is a forum. All comments are open, and remember most of all that we are all friends, embracing a common form of focus, participation, and expression.

Kosen Rufu is World Peace!

Thomas

Bodhisattvas of the Earth
[地涌の菩薩] ( Jpn jiyu-no-bosatsu )
An innumerable host of bodhisattvas who emerge from beneath the earth and to whom Shakyamuni Buddha entrusts the propagation of the Mystic Law, or the essence of the Lotus Sutra, in the Latter Day of the Law. They are described in the "Emerging from the Earth" (fifteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, the first chapter of the sutra's essential teaching (latter fourteen chapters). In this chapter, countless bodhisattvas from other worlds ask for permission to propagate the sutra in the saha world after the Buddha's death, but Shakyamuni refuses, saying that bodhisattvas who will carry out that task already exist in the saha world. At this point the earth trembles and splits open, and from within it emerges a host of bodhisattvas equal in number to the sands of sixty thousand Ganges Rivers, each with his own retinue of followers. Their bodies are golden and possess the thirty-two features that characterize a Buddha. They are led by four bodhisattvas—Superior Practices, Boundless Practices, Pure Practices, Firmly Established Practices—and Superior Practices is the leader of them all. In the "Supernatural Powers" (twenty-first) chapter, Shakyamuni transfers the essence of the Lotus Sutra to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, entrusting them with the mission of propagating it in the Latter Day of the Law. As the person who first revealed the Mystic Law, or Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which he described as the essence of the Lotus Sutra, and began its propagation in the Latter Day, Nichiren (1222-1282) identified himself with Bodhisattva Superior Practices, the leader of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. He also regarded his followers who embrace and propagate the teaching of the Mystic Law as the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. In this connection, Nichiren states in his work The True Aspect of All Phenomena: "There should be no discrimination among those who propagate the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo in the Latter Day of the Law, be they men or women. Were they not Bodhisattvas of the Earth, they could not chant the daimoku. At first only Nichiren chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, but then two, three, and a hundred followed, chanting and teaching others. Propagation will unfold this way in the future as well. Does this not signify 'emerging from the earth'?" (WND/385). See also bodhisattvas of the essential teaching.


bodhisattvas of the essential teaching
[本化の菩薩] ( Jpn honge-no-bosatsu )
Bodhisattvas taught by the true Buddha, i.e., the Buddha whose true identity is revealed in the essential teaching (latter fourteen chapters) of the Lotus Sutra. In this teaching, Shakyamuni reveals his true identity as the Buddha who attained enlightenment at a time commonly known as numberless major world system dust particle kalpas in the past. The disciples whom he had taught in this capacity since the time of his original attainment of enlightenment are the bodhisattvas of the essential teaching. They are also known as the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, and are first described in the "Emerging from the Earth" (fifteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, the first chapter of the essential teaching. Shakyamuni entrusts them with the mission of propagating the Mystic Law, or the essence of the sutra, in the Latter Day of the Law. In the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings and in the theoretical teaching (first fourteen chapters) of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni assumes a transient identity—that of the Buddha who had attained enlightenment for the first time in India after sitting in meditation under the bodhi tree. The bodhisattvas whom Shakyamuni taught in this capacity, such as Manjushri and Universal Worthy, are the bodhisattvas of the theoretical teaching. See also Bodhisattvas of the Earth.

Saying "Calling all Bodhisattvas of the Earth" is the same as saying "Calling all Those of the Same Mind as Nichiren, Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo in the Latter Day of the Law." That is not an open invitation for naysayers to come in and try and convince us of the errors of our views.

 

[Payaso]

Nam Myoho Rnege Kyo

It is like coming around full circle to the beginning. A great reminder Thomas, thank you.

It is now time to commence on my new task, reading the entirety of this thread - all 10558 posts. Seems insignificant compared to the many hours of chanting some of you have done.

Humbly...

 

[SoCal Hippy]

What the Lotus Sutra, T'ien-t'ai and Miao-lo intend to say is that the act of
accepting and upholding or protecting and embracing one verse of the Lotus Sutra
surpasses the act of making offerings to all living beings, of making offerings
to arhats, or even of filling the entire major world system with the seven kinds
of treasures as an offering to all Buddhas.

(WND, 973)
The Unmatched Blessings of the Law
Written to the lay priest Nishiyama on May 11, 1279

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Never seek this Gohonzon outside yourself. The Gohonzon exists only within the
mortal flesh of us ordinary people who embrace the Lotus Sutra and chant
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

(WND, 832)
The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon
Written to Nichinyo on August 23, 1277

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Faith means making a hundred percent effort ourselves -- in our daimoku and in
our actions. When we practice in this way, the Buddhist gods will lend us their
protection. We mustn't have a complacent, dependent attitude in faith, chanting
haphazardly without definite goals and making only halfhearted efforts in the
belief that we'll automatically be protected. Depth of determination and
unshakable character are vital. Those possessing these qualities are second to
none in faith.

Daisaku Ikeda

 

[Bush Grower]

Hi !

I ran across this thread tonight and was struck curious so I read a little bit about Nichiren Buddhism.

I consider myself agnostic but have always been interested in learning about other religions since I was a teenager questioning my own Christian faith.

Please don't mind if I stick around and learn a a little bit.

Just thought I'd say hi,

Peace

 

[PassTheDoobie]

If a person cannot manage to cross a moat ten feet wide, how can he cross one that is a hundred or two hundred feet?"

(The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 766) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, September 28th, 2009

 

[PassTheDoobie]

BG! Welcome! Read away and hang with us anytime!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

To all of our heroes and heroines of kosen-rufu throughout Japan, I put my palms together in expressing my sincere appreciation, from the bottom of my heart, for all your efforts. All of the connections to Buddhism you helped to create are indestructible treasures in your lives throughout the three existences of past, present and future.

Daisaku Ikeda

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Hey Kempon Hokke! FOR THE RECORD:

Hey Kempon Hokke! FOR THE RECORD:

After sharing our lives and encouraging one another for the last five years, I suppose we should expect to ultimately meet powerful enemies. While lies may be stated which we are not in a position to address, there is one unequivocal truth that has been stated over and over again.

THIS IS NOT AN SGI THREAD!!!

The grand total of declared SGI members actively participating in the thread at this time is the nominal number of five. While some of us may be SGI members, there are NO SGI LEADERS SERVING AS MODERATORS, and no one functions within the SGI organization at a higher level of leadership than chapter.

There are MANY medical marijuana users with chronic illnesses that have been encouraged to chant over the course of these past five years. For someone to come upon this thread and determine its content to the point that they declare they know the positions represented here, is absolute BULLSHIT!

There are over 10,500 posts covering over 700 digital pages! It would take weeks and months to actually read this thread. It’s a five year long conversation. We have long feared our private encouragement to one another would ultimately be held out to try and discredit the organization.

And for that reason we have made it clear over and over again—as one would know if they actually knew the content here—that THIS IS NOT AN SGI THREAD!

Frankly, you can kiss my ass! Judge my faith at your own peril. There is nothing but good here, unless you are evil. Then I’m sure you’ll find something to attack.

Thomas