Chanting Growers Group

[TrichyTrichy]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

 

[Babbabud]

Southern Girl
So Happy to see you old friend. Sorry to hear about the knee but so happy it gave you a chance to drop in and say hello. Please drop in again and let us know more about how life has been treating You and Gordy So happy for this long overdue visit
Nam myoho renge kyo!!

 

[Babbabud]

Forest that such great news !!!
Nam myoho renge kyo

 

[PassTheDoobie]

SG, your Dad is still in my prayers every single day. It's good have you stop in. You've missed a lot in the last six hundred pages or so. We hope Gordy has a chance to say hello soon too. Please tell him we said hello!~

Good luck with your knee!

Thomas

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Forest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are so awesome dude!

WAY TO SHOW ACTUAL PROOF AND KICK SOME DEVIL ASS!

KEEP GROWING AND KEEP GOING!

WE ARE ALL SO DAMNED PROUD OF YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Much love and deepest respect,

T

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Therefore, those who become Nichiren's disciples and lay believers should realise the profound karmic relationship they share with him and spread the Lotus Sutra as he does."

(Letter to Jakunichi-bo - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 994) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, Feb. 25th, 2010

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Nothing is nobler than taking the initiative for kosen-rufu. Nothing is stronger than earnest commitment. Nothing is more profound than painstaking effort. Such resolve is certain to open the way forwards."

SGI Newsletter No. 7940, OUR BRILLIANT PATH TO VICTORY, Our Warm Soka Family--Part 1 [of 2], translated Feb. 24th, 2010

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Nichiren Buddhism and Empowerment

Yoichi Kawada, director of The Institute of Oriental Philosophy, Tokyo

(August 26, 1999, at the American Psychological Association Convention, Boston, USA)

Nichiren is the 13th-century Japanese Buddhist teacher whose teachings inspire the activities of the SGI. In this paper I would like to explore areas of contact between Nichiren Buddhism and the idea of self-empowerment.

Nichiren himself was thoroughly versed in the intellectual history of Buddhism. His understanding was rooted in the Sutras recording the teachings of Shakyamuni, and drew from the theories and exegeses of the Indian scholars Nagarjuna (c. 2-3 century C.E.), Vasubandhu (5th-century C.E.), the Chinese Buddhist T'ien T'ai School, and Japan's Saicho (8th-century C.E.). Thus, in discussing empowerment, I will start by exploring points of contact between modern Western psychology and the "eight consciousness" theories developed by Nagarjuna and Vasubandhu, and adopted and developed by T'ien T'ai and Nichiren.

It was the historian Arnold Toynbee who said that the two great discoveries of this century were the theory of relativity in the realm of physics and the work of uncovering the unconscious in the realm of psychology. He further remarked that the discovery of the unconscious revealed that each individual is in fact a cosmos, a universe.

Credit for the discovery of the unconscious in Western psychology goes to Freud, whose work was followed by Adler, Jung, Maslow and others, who have dramatically extended our exploration of the psychic cosmos.

In the East some 2,500 years ago, Shakyamuni, widely known as the Buddha, creatively adapted and recast the ancient philosophy of the Upanishads as he developed his own philosophy. His awakening as he meditated beneath the bodhi tree may be considered a seminal event, a critical moment, in Eastern psychology. This awakening started with his insights into his own unconscious and expanded to illuminate a vast psychic cosmos.

His exploration of his inner world, this inner cosmos, moved beyond the individual level, deepening eventually to include all humankind. He continued to explore the bounds of selfhood, from commonality of all living things, to those depth realms where the self is fused with the Earth, the solar system and the entire universe. He finally awakened to the fundamental wisdom of life, the life of the universe itself, which gives rise to all phenomena as they evolve in harmonious unity with the psychic cosmos.

Later practitioners would refer to the cosmic life-force to which Shakyamuni awakened as the Buddha-nature. They would explore means and methods of practice by which all people can manifest the vast energy, dignity and wisdom of this life-state; methods, in other words , of self-empowerment.

A Three-Layered Structure of Consciousness

Here I would like to give a brief outline of the eight consciousness teaching that forms an important basis of Buddhist psychology.

The word that is translated as consciousness is the Sanskrit vijñana, which indicates a wide range of activities include sensation, cognition, affect and conscious thought. Vijñana can be thought of referring to the entire psychic cosmos.

According to the Yogacara School, vijñana comprises three layers: 1) the five senses and waking consciousness; 2) the mano consciousness; and 3) the alaya consciousness, with the alaya being regarded as the most core, or fundamental site of psychological activity. In other words, the content of the alaya layer makes it self known, and becomes manifest, in the activities of the mano layer, as well as in the five senses and the waking consciousness. Conversely, the activities of the more superficial layers are inscribed in the depths of the alaya consciousness. There is thus a constant and intimate interaction between the different layers of consciousness.

It should also be clarified at this point that the alaya consciousness should not simply be understood in an ontological sense, as existing, but as embracing a cognitive and even an ethical dimension.

The mano and alaya layers of consciousness in many senses correspond to the individual and collective unconscious in Jungian psychology.

I would like first to look at the mano consciousness, which is described as emerging from the alaya consciousness and as being focused in its "attention" on the alaya consciousness.

In this sense, the mano layer can be understood as the seat of the most basic consciousness of self. The Sanskrit verb from which this derives is manas, meaning to think or to consider. Thus the mano consciousness is always thinking about, considering, and in fact reifying the alaya consciousness of the individual, which it perceives as something unique and isolated from other things. It is from this strong attachment, or clinging, to a reified alaya consciousness that mano consciousness generates the sense of a limited, isolated self referred to in Buddhism as the lesser self.

When the mano consciousness functions in this manner it gives rise to a series of powerful delusions that manifest in the other, more immediate layers of perception and consciousness as attachment to and pride in this proscribed sense of selfhood. The delusion that the reified alaya conscious is one's true self is identified with fundamental ignorance, a turning away from the truth of the interconnectedness of all being. It is this sense of one's self as separate and isolated from others that gives rise to discrimination against others, to destructive arrogance and acquisitiveness.

The lesser self is deeply insecure, and vacillates between feelings of superiority and inferiority with regard to others; in the pursuit of its own fulfillment, the lesser self will unthinkingly harm or wound others. When the mano consciousness is filled with these delusions about the nature of the self, they give rise to a whole series of delusions that the early Buddhist took great pains to name, number and classify, but which I will omit here in the interest of time. Suffice it to say that the mano consciousness functions to create a strong sense of disjunction between self and others and to generate discriminatory attitudes towards those we experience as "other."

Characteristics of the Alaya Consciousness.

In the Trimsika-vijnapti, Vasubandhu ascribes the following characteristics to the alaya consciousness. First, it is not obscured by delusion and is morally neutral, that is, it is equally receptive to the karmic imprint of both negative and positive causes. Next, it is extremely dynamic; its flow is compared to that of a raging torrent. In Sanskrit the word alaya means to store, and it is in this consciousness that the latent causes, often described metaphorically as seeds, are retained.

Karma is, of course, a basic concept in Buddhism. It posits that our thoughts, words and deeds (whether conscious or in the unconscious realm of the mano layer) invariably exert an influence that is impressed or imprinted into the deepest layers of life, the alaya consciousness. When they encounter the right enabling conditions, these latent causes, or karmic seeds, become manifest as the functions of the mano or other more superficial layers of consciousness.

These karmic seeds can be either positive or negative. Positive latent causes become manifest in positive psychological functions such as trust, non-violence, self-control, compassion and wisdom. Negative latent causes become manifest as various forms of delusion and destructive behavior. In this sense the functioning of the alaya consciousness can be understood as prior to that of delusions; it is not stained or influenced by them. It remains neutral and equally receptive to either type of karmic imprinting.

As mentioned, the alaya consciousness interacts constantly and intimately with other layers of consciousness such as the mano consciousness, waking consciousness and the sensory functions. It is not a separate, independent thing or entity. It is better thought of as a fluid and vitally evolving flow. It is this lack of fixity, this fluidity, that opens the possibility to transforming the content of the alaya consciousness, and thus the functioning of the other layers of consciousness.

Transforming Consciousness and Gaining Wisdom

The idea of transforming consciousness and gaining wisdom is central to Buddhist psychology and perhaps represents Buddhism's most direct contribution to the idea of self-empowerment.

The Indian Yogacara School elucidated the eight-layered structure of the consciousness outlined above. It was the T'ien T'ai and Hua-yen (Kegon) schools in China that uncovered a ninth consciousness, an undefiled amala consciousness underlying, supporting and embracing the functioning of the alaya consciousness.

Taking up the thread of the nine consciousness teaching, Nichiren describes different types of wisdom that manifest in each layer of consciousness. The amala consciousness manifests the wisdom to understand that we are one with the cosmic life-force. This is the fundamental wisdom of the living universe, and it is by manifesting this most fundamental wisdom that we are able to transform the workings of the other layers of consciousness, including that of the alaya consciousness, where profound karmic causes reside. This transformation is the objective of Buddhist psychology and of Buddhist practice, including the pursuit of the altruistic bodhisattva way.

Buddhist practice impresses the seeds of positive causes in the alaya consciousness. The more and the stronger these causes, the more fully the content of the alaya consciousness is transformed. As the alaya consciousness is transformed, it shines with the light of a wisdom that can be likened to a great mirror, perfectly reflecting all phenomena in their true aspect. This is the wisdom of interdependence, the wisdom to perceive and understanding that, at the most profound level, we are all interconnected and interdependent.

When the alaya consciousness is transformed in this manner, it stimulates the arising in the mano consciousness of the wisdom to perceive the equality of all things. In other words, the mano consciousness no longer functions as the site of a fundamentally discriminatory consciousness, but can perceive its "own" alaya consciousness as equally part of a creatively evolving cosmic life-force. In other words, the mano consciousness ceases to generate a falsely proscribed sense of "self" in profound ontological conflict with others.

Overcoming the deep-rooted tendency to reify and cling to the alaya consciousness enables the individual to overcome feelings of fear and dread toward physical death. This is replaced by a profound awareness that the alaya consciousness is a flow of life, repeatedly undergoing cycles of life and death, supported and embraced by the fundamental vitality and wisdom inherent in the universe, that is, the amala, or ninth, consciousness). Death comes to be understood as the cyclical waning of the ability to support the active functioning of the mano consciousness, the waking consciousness and the sensory organs. These functions become latent within the alaya consciousness upon death, but the alaya consciousness does not undergo extinction when an individual dies, but maintains the continuity of the life-flow over the course of cycles of life and death.

When deep-seated delusions regarding the nature of the self and its existence are overcome, the mano consciousness can now function as the site of positive characteristics such as trust, self-control, and compassion.

The transformation of the deepest layers of consciousness impacts the functioning of cognition and perception, located in waking consciousness and the sensory apparatus. These become imbued with their own forms of wisdom, including the wisdom to freely control the functions of the senses and to act in a manner that most effectively advances one's own life and the lives of others.

A person who constantly strives to effect this kind of profound transformation of all layers of consciousness, and who seeks to inspire and aid others in this quest, is referred to as a bodhisattva.

The SGI Movement and the Way of the Bodhisattva

In Nichiren Buddhism, the fundamental practice is that of reciting the mantra Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the mandala inscribed by Nichiren for the purpose of enabling people to manifest the wisdom of the ninth or amala consciousness. In this manner, we seek to transform consciousness and gain wisdom, awaken the Buddha nature that is one with the cosmic life-force and to establish a boddhisattvic self.

Nichiren identifies four virtues of the bodhisattva as true self, eternity, purity and joy.

The virtue of true self might be understood as the experience of expansive freedom and hope that is rooted in a sense of unity with the life-force of the cosmos. Eternity indicates the creativity inherent in the life of the universe that drives constant renewal and rejuvenation; the vitality to surmount any obstacle. Purity is the function of the cosmic life to cleanse the restrictive egotism that stains and distorts the self. Finally, the virtue of joy is the quality of self-realization, a life-state of utter confidence and serenity based on one's identification with the universal life.

Nichiren asserts that a genuine bodhisattva manifests the entire spectrum of these four virtues. And it is these virtues, true self, eternity, purity and joy, that enable the bodhisattva to transform negative circumstances into the occasion for growth and the creation of value. It is for this reason that the bodhisattva does not avoid or retreat from the difficulties and challenges of life, but rather places her- or himself in their very midst, acknowledging and confronting them head-on.

Nichiren describes the benefit of the reciting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as that of transforming the inevitable sufferings of living--what Buddhism terms the "four sufferings" of birth, aging, illness and death--into the four virtues of true self, eternity, purity and joy. The bodhisattva, by transforming those experiences that are so often the cause of great suffering into the opportunity for development and advancement, inspires others to pursue a path of "transforming consciousness and gaining wisdom."

Through active engagement with others, we can continually strengthen and deepen this bodhisattvic self, in an endeavor that is not limited to the pursuit of personal happiness, but involves a commitment to the realization of peace, both for humankind and for the entire biosphere.

The work of the Soka Gakkai International to promote a contemporary movement of the Bodhisattva Way is rooted in the efforts of individuals to transform their inner, psychic cosmos. By manifesting wisdom in all layers of consciousness, and encouraging the development of this wisdom in our families, communities and societies, we seek to overcome the delusions that give rise to a host of well-rehearsed personal and social ills: from the sense of disempowerment that plagues so many people, to intra- and intersocietal conflicts, to ecological destruction. While the path of the bodhisattva may represent a gradualist approach, we are confident that it represents a fundamental transformation, with the power to change for the better the lives both of individuals and of all humankind.

(from: http://www.iop.or.jp/kawada2.htm )

 

[Dutchgrown]

Absolutely awesome Forest!

Much love to you all!

Have been really busy lately, but make a point to stop in here daily (even if I don't post)...and I chant many times throughout the day (or night).
There's been times that I have missed chanting a couple of consecutive days and all of a sudden feel like something isn't right...lacking.

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

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Enough is enough!

Enough is enough!

The Birth of Tsukimaro

How happy you, her parents, must be! In celebration, you have kindly sent me rice cakes, sake, and one thousand coins. [No.20, Page 188, col 1, paragraph 2, Content]

The Origin of the Service for Deceased Ancestors

You went to the trouble to send me by messenger a donation for the service for your deceased ancestors of one to of polished rice as white as snow, a bamboo container of oil like well-aged sake, and one thousand coins. [No.21, Page 190, col 1, paragraph 1, Content]

Letter from Teradomari

I HAVE received the string of coins that you sent. [No.27, Page 206, col 1, paragraph 1, Content]

On the Treasure Tower

I have also received your offering to the treasure tower of one thousand coins, polished rice, and other articles. [No.31, Page 299, col 1, paragraph 1, Content]

On Recommending This Teaching to Your Lord and Avoiding the Offense of Complicity in Slander

I HAVE received the two thousand coins. [No.53, Page 460, col 1, paragraph 1, Content]

The Royal Palace

I HAVE received your fifteen hundred coins. [No.59, Page 488, col 1, paragraph 1, Content]

Letter to the Lay Nun of Ko

I HAVE received three hundred coins from the wife of Abutsu-bo. [No.67, Page 595, col 1, paragraph 1, Content]

Many in Body, One in Mind

I RECEIVED the white quilted robe and the thick-quilted cotton one, as well as one thousand coins, through the good offices of Hokibo. [No.71, Page 618, col 1, paragraph 1, Content]

The Problem to Be Pondered Night and Day

To TokiI have received one string of coins. [No.72, Page 622, col 2, paragraph 12, ]

The Bow and Arrow

I HAVE received one thousand coins and a bamboo container. [No.82, Page 656, col 1, paragraph 1, Content]

The Blessings of the Lotus Sutra

I HAVE received the five thousand blue-duck coins you sent. [No.84, Page 667, col 1, paragraph 1, Content]

The Blessings of the Lotus Sutra

In view of all this, your sincerity in sending a gift of five strings of blueduck coins whenever the opportunity arises truly entitles you to be known as one who propagates the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra in Japan. [No.84, Page 672, col 2, paragraph 44, Content]

The Blessings of the Lotus Sutra

At this time, coins had square holes in the center and were usually strung together in hundreds or thousands to form larger monetary units. Blue-duck coins were copper coins imported from Sung dynasty China, with a square hole in the center that caused them to be likened to a duck’s eye. [No.84, Page 674, col 1, paragraph 57, Footnotes]

The Fourteen Slanders

I HAVE received the string of coins, the horseload of polished rice, and the white quilted robe that you sent. [No.92, Page 755, col 1, paragraph 1, Content]

On the Four Stages of Faith and the Five Stages of Practice

I HAVE received the string of blueduck coins that you sent. [No.94, Page 783, col 1, paragraph 1, Content]

On the Four Stages of Faith and the Five Stages of Practice
Blue-duck coins were copper coins imported from Sung-dynasty China, with a square hole in the center that made them look like a duck’s eye. [No.94, Page 791, col 1, paragraph 57, Footnotes]

The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon

I HAVE received your offerings to the Gohonzon of five thousand coins, one horseload of polished rice, and fruit. [No.101, Page 831, col 1, paragraph 1, Content]

Reply to Matsuno

I HAVE received one thousand coins, one sho of oil, one robe, and ten writing brushes. [No.104, Page 843, col 1, paragraph 1, Content]

The Three Kinds of Treasure

I HAVE received various articles from your messenger, including a white quilted robe and a string of coins, and the goods mentioned in Toki’s letter. [No.106, Page 848, col 1, paragraph 1, Content]

“This Is What I Heard”

I HAVE received the scroll of the entire Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law that you copied in small characters, as well as two quilted robes, ten thousand coins, and a hundred folding fans as offerings for consecrating the scroll. [No.108, Page 859, col 1, paragraph 1, Content]

An Outline of the “Entrustment” and Other Chapters
I HAVE received your offering of seven thousand coins. [No.119, Page 911, col 1, paragraph 1, Content]

The Sutra of True Requital
You also note that you are enclosing an offering of one thousand coins. [No.123, Page 933, col 2, paragraph 39, Content]

The Farther the Source, the Longer the Stream

I HAVE received one thousand coins and respectfully reported in the presence of the Lotus Sutra that this is an offering from Yorimoto. [No.125, Page 940, col 1, paragraph 1, Content]

The Receipt of New Fiefs

I HAVE received your one thousand coins. [No.126, Page 945, col 1, paragraph 1, Content]

The Drum at the Gate of Thunder

I HAVE received one thousand blueduck coins, one to of dried rice, and other articles. [No.127, Page 948, col 1, paragraph 1, Content]

General Stone Tiger

ON the twenty-second of this month I received all that you sent me from Shinano—three thousand coins, a sack of polished rice, fifty slabs of rice cake, one large and one small bamboo container of sake, five strings of dried persimmons, and ten pomegranates, as well as the list of items you enclosed with these offerings. [No.128, Page 952, col 1, paragraph 1, Content]

On Establishing the Four Bodhisattvas as the Object of Devotion

I HAVE received one white quilted robe, one gray priest’s robe, one surplice of the same color, and one thousand coins. [No.134, Page 976, col 1, paragraph 1, Content]

King Rinda

In the memorial service held this last third month, you donated numerous strings of coins. [No.136, Page 990, col 1, paragraph 48, Content]

Letter to the Lay Priest Nakaoki

I HAVE received the one thousand coins that you sent me and respectfully reported it in the presence of the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law. [No.141, Page 1005, col 1, paragraph 1, Content]

“This Person Advances through the World”

In addition, I have received a quilted robe with a blue lining, a hat, a sash, one thousand coins, and a basket of chestnuts. [No.142, Page 1011, col 1, paragraph 1, Content]

The Treasure of a Filial Child

I have received your various gifts of fifteen hundred coins, laver, seaweed, and dried rice, and have respectfully reported this in the presence of the Lotus Sutra. [No.149, Page 1041, col 1, paragraph 2, Content]

White Horses and White Swans

IN the letter you wrote from Utsubusa you say that the ninth day of the eighth month will mark the hundredthday anniversary of your father’s passing, and that, as an offering, you present ten thousand coins with deep respect. [No.152, Page 1061, col 1, paragraph 1, Content]

White Horses and White Swans

Judging from the fact that she sent the Daishonin ten thousand coins, a fairly large sum of money, and from the contents of her personal vow, it is quite likely that she was a woman of some means. [No.152, Page 1066, col 1, paragraph 42, Background]

Reply to the Mother of Ueno

As noted on the list, they consist of two strings of coins, one horseload of polished rice, one horseload of yams, pounded bean curd, konnyaku,1 one basket of persimmons, fifty citrons, and other items. [No.154, Page 1072, col 1, paragraph 1, Content]

Reply to the Lay Nun Nichigon

I PLACED the written petition, dated the eighth day of the eleventh month in the third year of Koan (1280), in which you expressed your prayer, along with your offerings of one thousand coins and an unlined robe made of thread spun from bark fiber, before the Lotus Sutra, and I spoke to the gods of the sun and moon about it.
[No.155, Page 1079, col 1, paragraph 1, Content]

The Wealthy Man Sudatta

I HAVE received your offering of one thousand coins. [No.157, Page 1086, col 1, paragraph 1, Content]

The Wealthy Man Sudatta

Your feeling anxious that the votary of the Lotus Sutra was probably being assailed by snow amidst the mountains and in want of food, and sending me one thousand coins even in such circumstances, is exactly like the poor woman giving a begging monk the single garment that she and her husband wore, or like Rida giving the millet in his jar to a pratyekabuddha. [No.157, Page 1087, col 2, paragraph 5, Content]

The Wealthy Man Sudatta

Despite his own destitution, however, Tokimitsu’s first concern was for the Daishonin, and he somehow managed to send him one thousand coins. [No.157, Page 1087, col 2, paragraph 10, Background]

Reply to Onichi-nyo

I HAD already received the three hundred coins that you sent by the hand of the priest Ben-bo,1 and now you have again sent me two hundred coins. [No.158, Page 1089, col 1, paragraph 1, Content

Reply to Onichi-nyo

Accordingly, your offerings of two and three strings of coins are far greater even than those of the ruler of Japan, who may offer the nation and build a pagoda adorned with the seven kinds of treasures that reaches to the heaven of the thirty-three gods. [No.158, Page 1089, col 1, paragraph 2, Content]



Above are 34 different Gosho—not counting what may be evidenced in Volume Two of the WND—in which the Daishonin acknowledges receiving money, for himself, from his followers. In fact, based on these above Gosho, where the number is given, the amount received was in excess of 65,000 coins! The point is that all of these offerings were legitimate and sincere gifts to support the work that the Daishonin was doing.

There is nothing wrong with that at all! No one can live for free! To say that priests in the time of the Daishonin, including the Daishonin, “worked for free” is more bullshit from the king of bullshit, Dr. Mark Rogow, the Fawning, Flattering, Ignorant, Deceitful High Senior Leader of the Kempon Hokke sect in the U.S. and his Foolish Followers, great slanderers of the Buddha Nature of millions of the Daishonin’s disciples who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo everyday.

If donations to support the full time efforts of propagating Nam-myoho-renge-kyo were OK then, what would make it different now?!? Does Rev. Shame-on-you “work for free”??? We all know he doesn’t. What a hypocrite! What a bullshitter! No wonder Lamont split! If one were to need an example of an evil friend, Mark is a living example of one. He is the Glen Beck of Nichiren Buddhism.

My life is a perfect example of everything he says, not being true. Yes Rogow, my pudding is very tasty! And I know lots and lots of fellow chanters that have very tasty pudding too!

Once again he has deleted his inaccurate information. It happens all the time…what you read one day is gone the next. Be aware of the fact that this guy is all smoke and mirrors. In the past I have busted Mark’s ass for his lies here, calling him “Asita.” Not long ago he mistakenly asserted that the principle of nimpo-ikka, the oneness of the Person and the Law, didn’t apply to Nichiren. When I corrected his mistake he declared me to be ignorant and deluded. But poof! He deleted his inaccurate information once more, after somehow realizing that the ignorant one was, in fact, him!

He says I want to discredit him. Not true! He is my good friend, and all I want him to do is quit lying and stop slandering fellow believers of the eternal Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! He calls us Chanting Growers “misfits”, and attacks us personally! He calls our Daimoku, “mindless!” He asked Easy if everyone got stoned before his meetings and if he kept a picture of Cheech and Chong on his Butsudan! Such arrogant slander has nothing to do with differences in doctrine! He demeans. His “shakubuku” is not borne of compassion, but instead of animality. He is a great discredit to the beautiful humanism of the Daishonin’s teachings. I really don’t want to waste my time taking a stand against this guy, but somebody has to. I HOPE NONE OF YOU EVER TAKE THIS SLANDERER SERIOUSLY!

Mark’s sect refers to the Daishonin as Nichiren shonin (lower case “s”). They don’t consider him to have been a Buddha, just like Nichiren Shu, which they once were a part of. And yet here is a list of 26 Gosho (again only from WND Volume One) in which the Daishonin discusses the guarantee of the ability of anyone who chants Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with sincere faith to attain enlightenment in their present form:


Opening the Eyes of Wooden and Painted Images

This accords with the doctrine that one can in one’s present form attain the stage where one perceives the non-birth and non-extinction of the phenomenal world. [No.11, Page 87, col 2, paragraph 13, Content]

Opening the Eyes of Wooden and Painted Images

This is what the phrase “in one’s present form” means. [No.11, Page 88, col 1, paragraph 14, Content]

Opening the Eyes of Wooden and Painted Images

”In this last quotation, the first two lines indicate the realization of the non-birth and non-extinction of all phenomena, and the latter two, the attainment of Buddhahood in one’s present form. [No.11, Page 88, col 2, paragraph 15, Content]

Opening the Eyes of Wooden and Painted Images

In this context, he explains two levels of enlightenment: the realization of the non-birth and non-extinction of all phenomena and the attainment of Buddhahood in one’s present form. [No.11, Page 89, col 2, paragraph 22, Background]

The Essence of the “Medicine King” Chapter

But the Lotus Sutra’s teaching of the attainment of Buddhahood in one’s present form surpasses all of these. [No.12, Page 93, col 1, paragraph 18, Content]

The Essence of the “King” Chapter

In this manner, through the four analogies of the ocean, mountains, the moon, and the sun, the Daishonin touches upon various principles of Buddhism, asserting that the benefit of the Lotus Sutra is immeasurable, and that it is the only scripture enabling all beings to attain Buddhahood in their present form. [No.12, Page 98, col 1, paragraph 56, Background]

Conversation between a Sage and an Unenlightened Man

Through the power of the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law they can do so in their present form. [No.13, Page 133, col 1, paragraph 212, Content]

Conversation between a Sage and an Unenlightened Man
Even without profound understanding of the Buddhist teachings, one can by this practice attain Buddhahood in one’s present form. [No.13, Page 136, col 2, paragraph 229, Background]

The Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra

Through the power of the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law they can do so in their present form. [No.14, Page 150, col 2, paragraph 62, Content]

The Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra

It may seem somewhat difficult for women of the age we live in to attain Buddhahood in their present form. [No.14, Page 150, col 2, paragraph 63, Content]

The Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra

The Daishonin elsewhere teaches that faith in the Lotus Sutra will enable anyone, man or woman, to attain Buddhahood in one’s present form as an ordinary mortal. However, because the recipient of this letter was still strongly attached to the views of the Pure Land school, the Daishonin explained his teaching in a way that she could readily understand. [No.14, Page 154, col 2, paragraph 113, Footnotes]

Reply to Hoshina Goro Taro

This work says: “Only in the True Word teachings can one attain Buddhahood in one’s present form, because these teachings expound the practice of samadhi meditation. [No.15, Page 157, col 1, paragraph 11, Content]

The Tripitaka Master Shan-wu-wei

They declare that, though one may make no more than a single mudra with the hands or utter no more than a single mantra with the mouth, even the gravest offenses accumulated throughout the three existences of past, present, and future will thereby without fail be eradicated. [No.17, Page 174, col 1, paragraph 46, Content]

The Opening of the Eyes

When the sutras of the Flower Garland and True Word schools assert that their followers will enter the first stage of development in this lifetime and achieve Buddhahood in their present form, they are putting forth the teachings of the provisional sutras alone, teachings that conceal [the seeds sowed in] the past. [No.30, Page 258, col 2, paragraph 195, Content]

Letter to the Sage Nichimyo

True, the dragon king’s daughter attained enlightenment without changing her present form, and the nun Mahaprajapati received a prediction that she would become a Buddha in the future. [No.36, Page 324, col 1, paragraph 14, Content]

On Prayer

Similarly, at the gathering on Eagle Peak, the dragon king’s daughter attained Buddhahood in her present form. [No.38, Page 341, col 1, paragraph 36, Content

On Prayer

Therefore, he took the finest treasure in all the great ocean, a wish-granting jewel, and had his daughter present it as alms to the Buddha, in recognition of the fact that she had attained Buddhahood in her present form. [No.38, Page 341, col 2, paragraph 39, Content]

Reply to Hakiri Saburo

The heart of the Lotus Sutra is the revelation that one may attain supreme enlightenment in one’s present form without altering one’s status as an ordinary person. [No.44, Page 410, col 1, paragraph 37, Content]

The Entity of the Mystic Law

Furthermore, actual evidence of the entity is to be found in the examples of the three kinds of Buddhas23 described in the “Treasure Tower” chapter, the bodhisattvas who appeared from the earth, and the dragon king’s daughter who attained Buddhahood in her present form. [No.47, Page 423, col 1, paragraph 50, Content]

The Entity of the Mystic Law

A reference to the teaching that expounds the concept of attaining Buddhahood in one’s present form. But this teaches it in name only with no actual examples of its having occurred, or postulates various distinctions and exceptions. [No.47, Page 433, col 1, paragraph 129, Footnotes]

Hell Is the Land of Tranquil Light

This is what is meant by that most important doctrine called attaining Buddhahood in one’s present form. [No.52, Page 456, col 1, paragraph 2, Content]

Hell Is the Land of Tranquil Light

This teaching is of prime importance, but I will impart it to you just as Bodhisattva Manjushri explained the secret teaching of the attainment of Buddhahood in one’s present form to the dragon king’s daughter. [No.52, Page 457, col 1, paragraph 6, Content]

Hell Is the Land of Tranquil Light
Both attaining Buddhahood in one’s present form and “opening the door of Buddha wisdom”7 refer to realizing this and to awakening to it. [No.52, Page 457, col 2, paragraph 8, Content]

Hell Is the Land of Tranquil Light

”Since it is the way of the world that birth and death are eternally unchanging characteristics of life in the three existences of past, present, and future, there is no need to grieve or to be surprised. [No.52, Page 458, col 1, paragraph 10, Content]

The Teaching, Practice, and Proof

Only through the Lotus Sutra was Buddhahood opened to the people of the two vehicles, and the lowly dragon king’s daughter enabled to attain enlightenment in her present form. [No.57, Page 479, col 2, paragraph 20, Content]

Reply to the Lay Priest Soya

Therefore, to uphold and recite this sutra is to uphold the body of the Buddha— that is, to attain Buddhahood in one’s present form.
[No.58, Page 487, col 2, paragraph 8, Background]

Winter Always Turns to Spring

One theory maintains that the lay nun is the same person as a believer named Myoichi-nyo who received the letter The Doctrine of Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Present Form. [No.65, Page 537, col 1, paragraph 14, Background]

The Selection of the Time

The dragon deities and the eight kinds of nonhuman beings pressed their palms together, the ordinary people of superior capacity bent their ears to listen, and the bodhisattvas who in their present bodies have attained the stage where they perceive the non-birth and non-extinction of the phenomenal world, along with Bodhisattva Moon of Deliverance, all begged the Buddha to preach. [No.66, Page 538, col 1, paragraph 4, Content]

The Selection of the Time

To begin with, a vital passage, the one asserting that “only in the True Word teachings [can one attain Buddhahood in one’s present form],” is in error, since it denies the fact that the Lotus Sutra enables one to attain Buddhahood in one’s present form, a fact well attested by both scriptural passages and actual events. [No.66, Page 554, col 1, paragraph 106, Content]

On Consecrating an Image of Shakyamuni Buddha Made by Shijo Kingo

In the case of living beings, this doctrine is known as attaining Buddhahood in one’s present form; in the case of painted and wooden images, it is known as the enlightenment of plants and trees. [No.87, Page 684, col 1, paragraph 8, Content]

On Repaying Debts of Gratitude

But many of them had doubts about the True Word doctrine of the attaining of Buddhahood in one’s present form. [No.88, Page 722, col 2, paragraph 236, Content]

The Essentials for Attaining Buddhahood

When this reality and wisdom are fused, one attains Buddhahood in one’s present form. [No.89, Page 746, col 1, paragraph 2, Content]

How Those Initially Aspiring to the Way Can Attain Buddhahood through the Lotus Sutra

Question: If ignorant persons put faith in the Lotus Sutra, can even they attain Buddhahood in their present form? And in what pure land will they be reborn?. [No.110, Page 882, col 2, paragraph 64, Content]

How Those Initially Aspiring to the Way Can Attain Buddhahood through the Lotus Sutra

Answer: In upholding the Lotus Sutra, of those who profoundly grasp the sutra’s meaning, practice the seated meditation described in Great Concentration and Insight, and concentrate on the meditative disciplines pertaining to the three thousand realms in a single moment of life, the ten objects, and the ten meditations, there may be some who indeed attain Buddhahood in their present form and achieve enlightenment. [No.110, Page 883, col 2, paragraph 65, Content]

The One Essential Phrase

This is a sure indication that, if you embrace the Lotus Sutra, you will become a Buddha in your present form. [No.121, Page 922, col 1, paragraph 1, Content]

The One Essential Phrase

The sutra teaches that women, evil men, and those in the realms of animals and hell— in fact, all the beings of the Ten Worlds— can attain Buddhahood in their present form. [No.121, Page 923, col 2, paragraph 5, Content]

The One Essential Phrase

The Outstanding Principles of the Lotus Sutra. The full passage reads, “Neither teacher nor disciples need undergo countless kalpas of austere practice in order to attain Buddhahood. Through the power of the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law they can do so in their present form.” [No.121, Page 924, col 2, paragraph 17, Footnotes]

The Sutra of True Requital

For all those who wished to believe the Lotus Sutra and yet could not do so with complete certainty, the fifth volume presents what is the heart and core of the entire sutra, the doctrine of attaining Buddhahood in one’s present form. [No.123, Page 930, col 1, paragraph 16, Content]

The Sutra of True Requital

Through the power of the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law they can do so in their present form. [No.123, Page 930, col 2, paragraph 17, Content]

The Sutra of True Requital

The Daishonin declares that the enlightenment of women as taught in the Lotus Sutra shows that all living beings can attain Buddhahood in their present form. [No.123, Page 935, col 2, paragraph 49, Background]

Persecution by Sword and Staff

The fifth scroll contains the very heart of the Lotus Sutra, for it reveals that the dragon king’s daughter attained Buddhahood in her present form. [No.131, Page 963, col 1, paragraph 4, Content]

Persecution by Sword and Staff

”Many Treasures Buddha affirmed that only the Lotus Sutra enables one to attain Buddhahood in one’s present form when he said, “All that you have expounded [in the Lotus Sutra] is the truth!”11 No matter how firmly the sutras preached before the Lotus Sutra guarantee the attainment of Buddhahood, and no matter how much the believers in these provisional doctrines may wildly insist that this is so, it is as easy to refute these assertions as it is to smash a thousand earthen cooking dishes with a single hammer. [No.131, Page 963, col 1, paragraph 5, Content]

Persecution by Sword and Staff

The Daishonin attributes this error to the translation of The Treatise on the Mind Aspiring for Enlightenment done by Pu-k’ung of the True Word school. In The Doctrine of Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Present Form, the Daishonin asks if rejecting the above treatise does not amount to rejecting its author, Nagarjuna, and answers, “It is more likely that the translator distorted the meaning according to his personal views” (p. 1056). Obviously Nagarjuna could not have missed the Lotus Sutra’s description of the dragon king’s daughter attaining Buddhahood in her present form. [No.131, Page 966, col 2, paragraph 27, Footnotes]

The Teaching That Accords with the Buddha’s Mind

If one puts sincere faith in each character and brushstroke in it, then one will become a Buddha in one’s present form. [No.132, Page 969, col 2, paragraph 15, Content]

King Rinda

“Opening up and incorporating the expedient means” indicates incorporating the provisional teachings in the one vehicle teaching of Buddhahood. This teaching is contained in the Lotus Sutra. The perfect teaching, which sets forth the concept of attaining Buddhahood in one’s present form, appears in both the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings and the Lotus Sutra. The pre- Lotus Sutra teachings, however, introduce this concept without providing the principle required for its realization, while the Lotus Sutra not only provides this principle, but also offers examples of those who attain Buddhahood through its practice. [No.136, Page 991, col 1, paragraph 61, Footnotes]

The Treasure of a Filial Child

Thus he found his present lot very difficult to bear. [No.149, Page 1044, col 2, paragraph 24, Content]

The Doctrine of Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Present Form

Among these, which school teaches the attainment of Buddhahood in one’s present form?. [No.151, Page 1052, col 1, paragraph 1, Content]

Doctrine of Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Present Form

Answer: The Great Teacher Dengyo states in his Outstanding Principles of the Lotus Sutra: “You should understand that, among the sutras that the other schools rely upon, there are none that teach the doctrine of entering [Buddhahood] in one’s present form. [No.151, Page 1052, col 1, paragraph 4, Content]

The Doctrine of Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Present Form

Through the power of the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law they can do so in their present form. [No.151, Page 1052, col 1, paragraph 5, Content]

The Doctrine of Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Present Form

The purpose of these passages of commentary is to clarify that the attainment of Buddhahood in one’s present form is limited to the Lotus Sutra alone. [No.151, Page 1052, col 2, paragraph 7, Content]

The Doctrine of Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Present Form

Answer: In his Comparison of Exoteric and Esoteric Buddhism, the Great Teacher Kobo states, “The Treatise on the Mind Aspiring for Enlightenment says: ‘Only in the True Word teachings can one attain Buddhahood in one’s present form, because these teachings expound the practice of samadhi meditation. [No.151, Page 1052, col 2, paragraph 9, Content]

The Doctrine of Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Present Form

Question: When the Great Teacher Kobo says that the doctrine of attaining Buddhahood in one’s present form is found only in the True Word teachings, on what sutras or treatises is he relying?. [No.151, Page 1053, col 2, paragraph 13, Content]

The Doctrine of Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Present Form

Answer: In his Exoteric and Esoteric, the Great Teacher Kobo cites the passage from Mind Aspiring for Enlightenment that reads, “Only in the True Word teachings [can one attain Buddhahood in one’s present form] . [No.151, Page 1053, col 2, paragraph 16, Content]

Doctrine of Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Present Form

Answer: In his Doctrine of Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Present Form, the Great Teacher Kobo states: “The six great elements5 interpenetrate without obstruction and are always united. [No.151, Page 1053, col 2, paragraph 18, Content]

The Doctrine of Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Present Form

But one refers to the Thus Come One Mahavairochana’s attainment of enlightenment; another asserts that the True Word practitioner can acquire the five transcendental powers12 in his present body; and another describes how a bodhisattva in the ten stages of devotion may in his present body move on to the next stage, the stage of joy. [No.151, Page 1054, col 1, paragraph 23, Content]

The Doctrine of Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Present Form

You have not yet reached the state of realizing the non-birth and non-extinction of all phenomena in your present form, while the Great Teacher Kobo attained Buddhahood in his present form before the emperor’s very eyes. [No.151, Page 1054, col 1, paragraph 25, Content]

The Doctrine of Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Present Form

These three men have declared that the Lotus Tendai school represents the esoteric doctrine of attaining Buddhahood in one’s present form, while the True Word school represents the esoteric doctrine of and practice for attaining Buddhahood in one’s present form. [No.151, Page 1054, col 2, paragraph 26, Content]

The Doctrine of Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Present Form

In view of your abusive language and attitude, it would seem that in fact there is no sutra passage [substantiating the True Word doctrine] of attaining Buddhahood in one’s present form. [No.151, Page 1055, col 2, paragraph 27, Content]

The Doctrine of Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Present Form

”The point of Dengyo’s comment is that, no matter how much people may talk about attaining Buddhahood in one’s present form, unless there are actual examples of persons who have done so, one should not heed their doctrine. [No.151, Page 1055, col 1, paragraph 30, Content]

The Doctrine of Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Present Form

They were bewitched by the fact that the three True Word sutras contained mudras and mantras, and completely forgot about the all-important path of attaining Buddhahood in one’s present form. [No.151, Page 1055, col 2, paragraph 32, Content]

The Doctrine of Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Present Form

Thus, although the persons on Mount Hiei today seem to be propounding the Lotus Sutra’s doctrine of attaining Buddhahood in one’s present form, they are in fact propounding the attainment of Buddhahood in one’s present form as put forward by the Great Teacher Jikaku, Annen, and the others. [No.151, Page 1055, col 2, paragraph 33, Content]

The Doctrine of Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Present Form

According to the Great Teacher Dengyo, regardless of whether or not one has cast aside the body subject to transmigration through delusion with differences and limitations,21 the intent of the Lotus Sutra is that one attains Buddhahood in one’s present form. [No.151, Page 1055, col 2, paragraph 34, Content]

The Doctrine of Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Present Form

As the eighth of these, it names the sutra’s “superiority in leading people to attain Buddhahood in their present form. [No.151, Page 1056, col 1, paragraph 37, Content]

The Doctrine of Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Present Form

Are we to turn our backs upon this passage of commentary and accept the attainment of Buddhahood in one’s present form that the Great Teacher Jikaku says derives from the esoteric doctrines and practices of the Mahavairochana Sutra?. [No.151, Page 1056, col 1, paragraph 38, Content

The Doctrine of Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Present Form

Question: Among the commentaries of the Great Teacher Dengyo, are there any that do not accept the word “only” in Mind Aspiring for Enlightenment’s statement [that “only in the True Word teachings can one attain Buddhahood in one’s present form” ]?. [No.151, Page 1056, col 2, paragraph 39, Content

The Doctrine of Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Present Form

Through the power of the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law they can do so in their present form. [No.151, Page 1056, col 2, paragraph 40, Content]

The Doctrine of Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Present Form

Employing a question-and- answer format, the Daishonin addresses the issue of whether it is the Lotus Sutra or the esoteric True Word teachings that represents the doctrine that enables one to attain Buddhahood in one’s present form; hence the writing’s title. [No.151, Page 1058, col 1, paragraph 65, Background]

The Doctrine of Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Present Form

Citing scriptural evidence, the Daishonin reiterates that only the Lotus Sutra enables all people to attain Buddhahood in their present form. [No.151, Page 1058, col 2, paragraph 67, Background]

The Doctrine of Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Present Form

Four kinds of objects of devotion described by Kobo in his Doctrine of Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Present Form. They are: (1) the great mandala, (2) the samaya mandala, (3) the Dharma mandala, and (4) the karma mandala. [No.151, Page 1059, col 1, paragraph 73, Footnotes]

The Doctrine of Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Present Form

In response to this statement of Manjushri’s, Bodhisattva Wisdom Accumulated poses his question (see n. 1). Dengyo’s commentary regards the dragon girl as an actual example of the attainment of Buddhahood in one’s present form through the power of the Lotus Sutra. [No.151, Page 1059, col 2, paragraph 86, Footnotes]

White Horses and White Swans

Therefore, because your beloved departed father chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo while he was alive, he was a person who attained Buddhahood in his present form, in the same way that stones change into jewels. [No.152, Page 1064, col 2, paragraph 24, Content]

I guess they think the Daishonin could only talk about attaining Buddhahood in his present form, but not actually achieve it himself!

At the end of January, Mark boasted that he had the “greatest practice in the world!” (Rogow in his unbelievable arrogance does like to boast alot, and even lies and inflates his actual income in order to impress others. HE DOES NOT MAKE A MID SIX FIGURE INCOME!) But what I don’t understand is, if Rev. Shame-on-you is “the foremost Votary of the Lotus Sutra in the world today,” doesn’t HE have the greatest practice in the world?

And what would the High Priest of the Kempon Hokke sect think of junior priest, Rev. Shame-on-you, slandering the Japanese KH priesthood: “Some haughty priests and degenerate priests in our sect might interfere against making the system to produce the true Hokke priest. Also, it is almost impossible to receive supports to build your temple from Kempon Hokke sect. I don't want to waste time to fight against those useless priests. So, I want to establish the way to appoint the priest not as Kempon Hokke sect in Japan but as Kempon Hokke International at first. If we could make Kempon Hokke International bigger and have a large number of believers, if we could build or set up temples in USA, it is possible to change the stance of the Kempon Hokke sect officially.”So the Rev. officially acknowledges that what he and Rogow are doing in the US, under the cover of the English language, is NOT sanctioned by the priesthood of the Kempon Hokke sect in Japan. Fact!

And then there’s the Gohonzon for the Transmission of the Dharma! What wonderful marketing! And I’m sure Rogow must have made that up himself! At least Rev. Shame-on-you isn’t the habitual liar that Rogow is (although the former head of HK in the US, Bruce Maltz, would disagree). The Rev. fully admits that the “Gohonzon for the Transmission of the Dharma” marketed by Rogow as being special and better than one not written by Nichiren (such as Nichikan’s), is ONLY for the US. In truth, it’s not the same gohonzon one would receive from the head temple of Kempon Hokke, nor is it the Gohonzon that the Rev., himself, chants to.

In fact the Rev. even offers to write one up for you in his own hand if you like (as he has for himself), so, so much for the unique power of the “down-loaded to a photo-copier” version being fronted by Rogow as “Gohonzon for the Transmission of the Dharma!” And even though they offer the photo-copy for free, they also insist for it to have its full power, the good Rev. must “open it’s eyes” for you! I have no idea how much they are charging these days but it was once as much as 200 bucks to get that done!

So, to my friends here that read this thread, beware! Be aware that even though Rogow makes it seem like there are many of them, there are actually very few people that embrace the prescribed practice that they advocate! This guy is all over the internet and posts under many different screen names! He is an admitted mental case. He is the Devil of the Sixth Heaven incarnate! If you should encounter him, know him for who he is!

(read the whole thing) :

http://web.archive.org/web/20051112162647/http://members.aol.com/kempon/hokkeshu/index.htm

http://web.archive.org/web/20051112162647/http://members.aol.com/myomanji/visit/fujufuse.htm


Much love and deepest respect (even to you Mark! But stop the BULLSHIT!),

Thomas

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"It might be nice to live an ordinary life, or spend our days enjoying ourselves as we please. But our moods and emotions change from moment to moment. We also have to
deal with the effects of our karma and the troubled times in which we live. Unless we develop inner strength and richness, we can end up leading lives that, while they may appear free and easy on the surface, are actually the very opposite.

"Where can we find life's true glory and victory? Their brilliance shines in dedicating ourselves to the welfare of society and the world and to the cause of peace. Without a solid central pillar of a greater purpose such as the happiness and solidarity of the human family, we will end up alone, leading an aimless life without any profound meaning or direction. When we take action to carry out our noble mission of kosen-rufu--working to help others become happy and spreading the Mystic Law--the drama of our own human revolution begins."

SGI Newsletter No. 7939, 37th SOKA GAKKAI HEADQUARTERS LEADERS' MEETING--PART 1 [OF 2], Walking the Path of Absolute Happiness, from the February 15, 2010, issue of the
Seikyo Shimbun, translated Feb. 23rd, 2010

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Likewise, without tribulation there would be no votary of the Lotus Sutra."

(A Ship to Cross the Sea of Suffering - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 33) Selection source: "Suntetsu", Seikyo Shimbun, February 28th, 2010

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"The Daishonin writes: 'Even one seed, when planted, multiplies' (WND-2, 602). Seeds cannot sprout if they aren't sown. We need to sow one seed of the Mystic Law after another, sparing no effort. It is through such continuous, tireless actions that kosen-rufu will advance."

SGI Newsletter No. 7940, OUR BRILLIANT PATH TO VICTORY, Our Warm Soka Family--Part 1 [of 2], translated Feb. 24th, 2010

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Therefore a person who upholds the Lotus Sutra is repaying the debt of gratitude owed to father and mother."

(The Four Virtues and the Four Debts of Gratitude - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.2, page 638) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, February 26th, 2010

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Those who never give in, no matter how hard the situation might be, are true victors. To not be defeated is what true happiness is all about. My dear friends, be strong, stand fast!

Daisaku Ikeda

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Of course, you're free to live your lives how you like, but don't forget the fundamental path of life.

"The Soka Gakkai teaches us this fundamental path--a path for accumulating good fortune, helping others, and working for peace. That's why we now have so many members around the world, and why our numbers continue to grow steadily. Support and praise for our movement promoting peace, culture, and education is spreading across the globe, transcending all boundaries and divisions.

"Nichiren Daishonin expounded his teaching for the eternal future. There's no need for us to rush or hurry. All the pieces are in place. The tide of history is moving in the direction of humanism. With profound conviction in this truth, please advance with a calm, relaxed, and broad-minded attitude."

SGI Newsletter No. 7939, 37th SOKA GAKKAI HEADQUARTERS LEADERS' MEETING--PART 1 [OF 2], Walking the Path of Absolute Happiness, from the February 15, 2010, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, translated Feb. 23rd, 2010

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

It's a shame how someone will be foolish enough to prescribe to Mr.Hooky-whatever-sect is attempting to perpetrate. To impede the good, myoho, clear, concise, mellowing, electrifying and awe inspiring (and for me delectable nature) of practitioners of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism only leads to banishment into the avichi hell. I've been reading it for four years, I've discussed it so much, I even asked about this wacko a while back and realized that I just need to focus on this thread and the Chanting Growers. I do shakubuku here too with everyone else.

I read the news and don't watch scary movies, I like my coffee dark and sugarless and my pot strong and bold. I like my Buddhism to go like this "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!" I like the people who respectfully post on this thread and I love all the Bodhisattva of the Earth and The Buddhas of the Ten Directions. I'm Nichiren's #1 Fan for life and a good friend to all.

I don't like people who post crap about my icmag screen name and don't really care to know me. I don't like people obstructing or attempting to obstruct the Buddhanature of others. I don't like zealots in any organization, but I do understand that all these people I don't like have a Buddhanature. From the bottom of my heart I'll continue to live like Bodhisattva Never Disparaging and I will see the Buddhanature within everyone. I just need to take this lil post and apply it to my non-existant relationship with my mum and the best is yet to come!

Thanks for the huge post Tom. I think that (EXPLOSION) was a great way to stop giving some obstructionist more fuel to continue his losing battle. Even after a nuclear strike its unfortunate, but even cockroach may be seen running from shadow to shadow. I think that Battling erroneous teachings/teachers is our mandate and correcting the misinformation/misinformed is a requirement in our practice. Thanks for the post, I got lots of studying to do and I got a good laugh out of tonight's Buddhist study.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Arouse deep faith, and diligently polish your mirror day and night. How should you polish it? Only by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo."

(On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 4) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, March 1st, 2010

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Another name for "Buddha" is "hero of the world." To be victorious in the realities of daily life is what Buddhism is all about. To find ways to overcome any and all kinds of difficulties is what our faith and practice is there for! Let's confront all challenges with an absolutely indomitable spirit!

Daisaku Ikeda

*The Hero of the World is another name for the Buddha, so called because he valiantly confronts all sufferings and leads all people to enlightenment. The “Parable of the Phantom City” chapter of the Lotus Sutra reads, “World hero without peer, you who adorn yourself with a hundred blessings, you have attained unsurpassed wisdom. ” - "The Hero of the World", WND-I, page 835-841

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"The mind is like a skilled painter, who creates various forms made up of the five components. Thus of all the phenomena throughout the entire world, there is not a single one that is not created by the mind."

(The Unanimous Declaration by the Buddhas of the Three Existences regarding the Classification of the Teachings and Which Are to Be Abandoned and Which Upheld - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.2, page 844) Selection source: "Myoji no Gen", Seikyo Shimbun, March 2nd, 2010