Chanting Growers Group

[Dutchgrown]

Happy Birthday Tom!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for all that you do. You are truly one of the most altruistic people I've EVER
had the pleasure of knowing!!!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

AND LOTS OF LOVE TO MY SISTER DUTCHGROWN! Ha! MORE SMILES!

Let's keep supporting one another in the very difficult process of growing forward!

We can do it together!

Much love and deepest respect!

T

 

[scegy]

Happy birthday and existance day my friend Tom, thank you for always being here and encouraging, teaching and entertaining me, stay positive and practice even more to build your happiness inside and around you!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo with all my heart

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Middle Way

The Middle Way

The Middle Way is a Buddhist term with rich connotations. Most simply, it implies a balanced approach to life and the regulation of one's impulses and behavior, close to Aristotle's idea of the "golden mean" whereby "every virtue is a mean between two extremes, each of which is a vice."

While the word middle denotes balance, however, the Middle Way should not be confused with passivity or a kind of middle-of-the-road compromise. To tread the Middle Way rather implies ongoing effort.

In the broadest sense, the Middle Way refers to the correct view of life that the Buddha teaches, and to the actions or attitudes that will create happiness for oneself and others. Thus, Buddhism itself is sometimes referred to as "the Middle Way," indicating a transcendence and reconciliation of the extremes of opposing views.

All these ideas are exemplified by Shakyamuni's own life, as conveyed to us by legend. Born a prince, Shakyamuni enjoyed every physical comfort and pleasure. However, dissatisfied with the pursuit of fleeting pleasures, he set out in search of a deeper, more enduring truth. He entered a period of extreme ascetic practice, depriving himself of food and sleep, bringing himself to the verge of physical collapse. Sensing the futility of this path, however, he began meditating with the profound determination to realize the truth of human existence, which had eluded him as much in a life of asceticism as in a life of luxury. It was then that Shakyamuni awakened to the true nature of life--its eternity, its deep wellspring of unbounded vitality and wisdom.

Later, in order to guide his followers toward this same Middle Way, he taught the eightfold path: eight principles, such as right conduct, right speech, etc., by which individuals can govern their behavior and develop true self-knowledge.

Since then, at various points in the history of Buddhism, Buddhist scholars have attempted to clarify and define the true nature of life. Around the third century, Nagarjuna's theory of the non-substantial nature of the universe explained that there is no permanent "thing" behind the constantly changing phenomena of life, no fixed basis to reality. For Nagarjuna, this view was the Middle Way, the ultimate perspective on life.

Nagarjuna's ideas were further developed by T'ien-t'ai (Chi-i) in sixth-century China. All phenomena, he stated, are the manifestations of a single entity--life itself. This entity of life, which T'ien-t'ai called the Middle Way, exhibits two aspects--a physical aspect and a non-substantial aspect. Ignoring or emphasizing either gives us a distorted picture of life. We cannot, for example, realistically conceptualize a person lacking either a physical or a mental/spiritual aspect. T'ien-t'ai thus clarified the indivisible interrelationship between the physical and the spiritual. From this viewpoint stem the Buddhist principles of the inseparability of the body and the mind and of the self and the environment.

Nichiren (1222-1282), in turn, gave concrete, practical form to these often quite abstract arguments. Based on the teachings of the Lotus Sutra, Nichiren defined the Middle Way as Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and taught that by reciting this phrase one can harmonize and energize the physical and spiritual aspects of one's life, and awaken to the deepest truth of one's existence.

From this perspective, life--the vital energy and wisdom that permeates the cosmos and manifests as all phenomena--is an entity that transcends and harmonizes apparent contradictions between the physical and the mental, even between life and death. SGI President Daisaku Ikeda takes the same view when he states that it is life that gives rise to DNA, not the other way around.

According to Buddhism, individuals and societies as a whole have a tendency toward either a predominantly material or spiritual view of life. The negative effects of the materialism that pervades the modern industrialized world are apparent at every level of society, from environmental destruction to spiritual impoverishment. Simply rejecting materialism out of hand, however, amounts to idealism or escapism and undermines our ability to respond constructively to life's challenges.

The historian Eric Hobsbawm titled his volume on the 20th century "The Age of Extremes." Indeed, the violence and grotesque imbalances of that era drive home the need to find new ways of peacefully reconciling apparent opposites. What is most essential, if humanity is to find a middle way toward a creative global society in the 21st century, is a new appreciation and reverence for the inviolable sanctity of life.

[Courtesy, July 2001 SGI Quarterly]

 

[Forest20]

Happy B-day Tom.. and everyone else Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

 

[Payaso]

"While the word middle denotes balance, however, the Middle Way should not be confused with passivity or a kind of middle-of-the-road compromise. To tread the Middle Way rather implies ongoing effort."

Living in the middle way is the best way!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

 

[Wilson!]

HiYa PTD,

Happiest Beee Day.

 

[Caille]

I am also a chanting grower. Good to see such positivity and strength here.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo


Love,
Alexis
*smiles*

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Thanks for the sincere Birthday wishes everyone! Good to see you Forest!

Welcome Caille! The positivity and strength come from supporting each other! I'm so happy to have you join us!

Bud, Hit, DG, Scegy, Chris! Keep strong all the way through the New Year! Thank you!

SoCal, where are ya buddy? Is everything OK? Please check in!

It's that time of the year folks!

Keep chanting for Lapides!

Flo, I'm thinking of you! Thoughts words and deeds!

SD, you too! Don't get swept off track! Stick with it!

Desi, you and Bonz are contantly on my mind and in my prayers!

MyohoD, enjoy your vacation and get your shinylife back here asap!

Much love and deepest respect to all,

Thomas

 

[PassTheDoobie]

In judging the relative merit of Buddhist doctrines, I, Nichiren, believe that the best standards are those of reason and documentary proof. And even more valuable than reason and documentary proof is the proof of actual fact.

[Three Tripitaka Masters Pray for Rain / WND pg. 598]

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The life experiences of us Chanting Growers is the proof of actual fact!

 

[Sleepy]

happy belated birthdat, PTD!!

happy new year to all the chanters!!!

still missing bONZO...

 

[PassTheDoobie]

THANKS SLEEPY! It is always so good to know that you are still with us after all of these years! I mean that for everybody! We deserve a lot of credit for having kept together and we owe a huge thanks forever to Gypsy and DG for letting this blossom into the connection between so many people from all around the world for embracing one another!

Thanks G! Thanks DG! Thanks Bud! Thanks MrsB! Thanks Chris! Thanks Sleepy!

Thanks to everyone that keep this thread safe and allow it to continue!

Much love and deepest respect to all!

Thomas

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Even more valuable than reason and documentary proof is the proof of actual fact."

(Three Tripitaka Masters Pray for Rain - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 599)

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Some people cause their own downfall through arrogance, while some are defeated by fear or cowardice. True success and victory in life belongs to those who maintain an unflagging seeking spirit and invincible courage to the very end."

SGI Newsletter No. 7898, REGION LEADERS CONFERENCE--PART 1 [OF 3], Growth Begins with Human Revolution, from the Oct. 5th, 2009, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, translated Dec. 22nd, 2009

 

[Payaso]

Three cheers for Chanting Growers!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[Hitman]

Welcome. You'll like it here. Even when you are feeling sub-par it's great to clock in and feel better. Like right now, I'm trying to get motivated to chant. I'm tired and frustrated and it's probably because the food situation. The never ending hunger cramp just keeps coming back and the bitter cold weather isn't helping very much. Peace. This Hits for you and yours. Carameliscious! MMMmmmmm, mmmmm good. Nice to meet you and everyone else. Pleased to meet you all- Let's succeed!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

Happy Birthday Bud! Happy Birthday T! We got back from our excellent Vacation and send boku love from sunny San D! Goooooo Chanting Growers! I'm so excited to see new members, great support, old(er) members and long lost members in sync rejoicing each other's Buddhahood and Buddhanatures! This awesome assembly of Buddha's is where "it's at" on the net! I missed all of you and sent tons of daimoku from the ocean to all! When the dolphins came out last wednesday I knew we were all breaking through alot of shit to finish the year up strong! I felt it!

The Lotus Sutra (- Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!) is in full effect through our causes for shakubuku and deep respect for Gohonzon (pardon the redundancy I'm tipsy on my 15th different wine in 9 days) which we continue to emulate via every post! The great fortune awaiting all of us in 2010 cannot surmount our Chanting Growers gathering! This thread and it's participants are living the Buddha of Beginingless Time's Will and I am so please to have caught up on the great posts!

Please allow me another 5-6 days, but I'll be here as always in spirit to keep sending powerful victory laced daimoku to you and yours! All my buddha and bodhisattva buddies checked in how cool is that! WOOOOHOOO! PARTY ON CHANTING GROWERS!

GREAT F'NING POSTS! WOOOOOOT! :smile:

 

[Dutchgrown]

Love to you all!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!

 

[Forest20]

"Flint has the potential to produce fire, and gems have intrinsic value. We ordinary people can see neither our own eyelashes, which are so close, nor the heavens in the distance. Likewise, we do not see that the Buddha exists in our own hearts."
quote by Nichiren.
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo to everyone and lets start the New Year with a Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!