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Chanting Growers Group
- Thread starter PassTheDoobie
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E
EasyMyohoDisco
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
"To not only be resolved to surmount every obstacle we encounter, but also to elevate our life-condition to new heights as a result of positively transforming adversity--this is the joyous drama that all of us without exception can enact in our lives through the principle of 'changing poison into medicine' based on faith in the Mystic Law.
"Referring to Nagarjuna's Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom and the Great Teacher Ten-t'ai's Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra, Nichiren Daishonin declared for the sake of all people living in the defiled age of the Latter Day of the Law: 'What does it mean to change poison into medicine? It means to transform the three paths [of earthly desires, karma, and suffering] into the three virtues: the Dharma body, wisdom, and emancipation' (WND-2, 743). In other words, the supreme power of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo enables us to transform any deluded impulse, any karma, and any suffering into Buddhahood, wisdom, and benefit. There is no negative karma that we cannot change. This is a brilliant source of hope. As a result, we need not lament or despair."
SGI Newsletter No. 7957, The Joyous Drama of 'Changing Poison into Medicine,' from the April 2010 issue of Daibyakurenge, translated March 16th, 2010
"Referring to Nagarjuna's Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom and the Great Teacher Ten-t'ai's Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra, Nichiren Daishonin declared for the sake of all people living in the defiled age of the Latter Day of the Law: 'What does it mean to change poison into medicine? It means to transform the three paths [of earthly desires, karma, and suffering] into the three virtues: the Dharma body, wisdom, and emancipation' (WND-2, 743). In other words, the supreme power of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo enables us to transform any deluded impulse, any karma, and any suffering into Buddhahood, wisdom, and benefit. There is no negative karma that we cannot change. This is a brilliant source of hope. As a result, we need not lament or despair."
SGI Newsletter No. 7957, The Joyous Drama of 'Changing Poison into Medicine,' from the April 2010 issue of Daibyakurenge, translated March 16th, 2010
"Single-mindedly chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and urge others to do the same; that will remain as the only memory of your present life in this human world."
(Questions and Answers about Embracing the Lotus Sutra - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 64) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, March 20th, 2010
(Questions and Answers about Embracing the Lotus Sutra - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 64) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, March 20th, 2010
Our life is like a "treasure tower"* expanding magnificently across the great universe, supreme and worthy of the highest respect! Let us chant then, seriously, with wholehearted sincerity and unleash the unlimited possibilities that exist within each of us!
Daisaku Ikeda
* Gosho: On the Treasure Tower, WND-1, p 299, "In the Latter Day of the Law, no treasure tower exists other than the figures of the men and women who embrace the Lotus Sutra. It follows, therefore, that whether eminent or humble, high or low, those who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo are themselves the treasure tower..."
Daisaku Ikeda
* Gosho: On the Treasure Tower, WND-1, p 299, "In the Latter Day of the Law, no treasure tower exists other than the figures of the men and women who embrace the Lotus Sutra. It follows, therefore, that whether eminent or humble, high or low, those who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo are themselves the treasure tower..."
"Those who are facing stiff challenges are earnest. That seriousness provides the power to discipline and strengthen oneself and achieve remarkable growth. That's why adversity can be considered 'the mother of happiness.'"
SGI Newsletter No. 7958, The New Human Revolution--Vol. 23: Chap. 2, Light of Learning 15, translated March 17th, 2010
SGI Newsletter No. 7958, The New Human Revolution--Vol. 23: Chap. 2, Light of Learning 15, translated March 17th, 2010
"Even a feeble person will not stumble if those supporting him are strong, but a person of considerable strength, when alone, may fall down on an uneven path."
(Three Tripitaka Masters Pray for Rain - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 598) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, March 18th, 2010
(Three Tripitaka Masters Pray for Rain - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 598) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, March 18th, 2010
E
EasyMyohoDisco
sorry i want to keep this one out of the thread.
Last edited:
Wilson!
Member
Expiating the deep karma is painful. Like an spiritual/emotional visit to the dentist.
I have been making a % committment of my income for zaimu. Since then I don't miss and the percentage stays the same. That's from every check from my biz. The results have been very nice. Seems no $ worries.
My family has all we need whenever we need it. I want everything I have.
We all have stored karma and fresh karma being made. For me, I try to stay focused on appreciation.
Mr. Osaki was once asked what does it mean to be enlightned? He said, " A person filled with appreciation for life and finding this Gohonzon and yes the turblance we must endure, is an expression of enlightnment.
If a Monarch is helped from its cocoon it dies. It needs the last exerting effort to push and flex its wings to be strong enough for flight.
All these transient issues are flexion and extension, necessary preparation for our flight.
I'm always lurking and reading this and many icmag threads. I really appreciate the effort of the CGG to keep this thread open.
please be careful.
cheers.
I have been making a % committment of my income for zaimu. Since then I don't miss and the percentage stays the same. That's from every check from my biz. The results have been very nice. Seems no $ worries.
My family has all we need whenever we need it. I want everything I have.
We all have stored karma and fresh karma being made. For me, I try to stay focused on appreciation.
Mr. Osaki was once asked what does it mean to be enlightned? He said, " A person filled with appreciation for life and finding this Gohonzon and yes the turblance we must endure, is an expression of enlightnment.
If a Monarch is helped from its cocoon it dies. It needs the last exerting effort to push and flex its wings to be strong enough for flight.
All these transient issues are flexion and extension, necessary preparation for our flight.
I'm always lurking and reading this and many icmag threads. I really appreciate the effort of the CGG to keep this thread open.
please be careful.
cheers.
Sunday, March 21st, 2010
---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----
To not only be resolved to surmount every obstacle we encounter, but also to elevate our life-condition to new heights as a result of positively transforming adversity--this is the joyous drama that all of us without exception can enact in our lives through the principle of 'changing poison into medicine' based on faith in the Mystic Law.
Nam myoho renge kyo
---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----
To not only be resolved to surmount every obstacle we encounter, but also to elevate our life-condition to new heights as a result of positively transforming adversity--this is the joyous drama that all of us without exception can enact in our lives through the principle of 'changing poison into medicine' based on faith in the Mystic Law.
Nam myoho renge kyo
Easy, I've had the same thing happen. Ultimately I let it go because I missed his friendhip too much not to. His friendship was worth more than the item that went missing.
And I had definitely done worse to others than he did to me. If I wanted to be forgiveable, I felt, I had to forgive. It took time, but it was the best decision I could have made.
Treasures of the heart are the greatest treasures of all.
Chant lots of Daimoku about this! That's what I did!
Deepest respect (And to you too Wilson! Well said! I think appreciation is EVERYTHING!),
Thomas
And I had definitely done worse to others than he did to me. If I wanted to be forgiveable, I felt, I had to forgive. It took time, but it was the best decision I could have made.
Treasures of the heart are the greatest treasures of all.
Chant lots of Daimoku about this! That's what I did!
Deepest respect (And to you too Wilson! Well said! I think appreciation is EVERYTHING!),
Thomas
"Mastering the lessons posed by hardship forges character and enables one to understand other people's sufferings. Effort against adversity is required subjects for achieving self-actualisation and growth."
SGI Newsletter No. 7959, The New Human Revolution--Vol. 23: Chap. 2, Light of Learning 18, translated March 18th, 2010
SGI Newsletter No. 7959, The New Human Revolution--Vol. 23: Chap. 2, Light of Learning 18, translated March 18th, 2010
"The blessings that Nichiren obtains from propagating the Lotus Sutra will always return to Dozen-bo."
(Flowering and Bearing Grain - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 909) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, March 19th, 2010
(Flowering and Bearing Grain - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 909) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, March 19th, 2010
Three Poisons--the Source of the Problem
As the problems of our planet grow deeper and more complex, the possibility of humanity untangling the destructive web that we have woven can seem less and less easy to believe in. The hope that Buddhism offers to this pervasive sense of uncertainty is the perspective that since the ills of our world have been created by human beings, it is within our power to solve them. Both the problem and the solution lie with us.
Buddhism began as a bold, humane confrontation with the fact of suffering. Its original impulse is not one of retreat or escape from life's challenges and contradictions. Rather, Buddhist practice could be broadly characterized as the struggle to draw forth and shine the light of human wisdom on life and society. A thorough understanding of the causes of human misery is a departure point for this philosophy. Thus Nichiren writes, "One who is thoroughly awakened to the nature of good and evil from their roots to their branches and leaves is called a Buddha."
At the root of human misery, Buddhism sees three destructive impulses: greed, anger and foolishness, which it terms the "three poisons." These are the essence of all the delusions and negative workings of life that impede the realization of our full potential for happiness and creativity.
Of the three, foolishness is most fundamental, as it facilitates greed and anger. Foolishness here means ignorance (passive or willful) of the true nature of life. It is blindness to the reality of our interrelatedness--not merely our connectedness to and dependence on each other, but the connectedness of the unfolding of each of our lives to the unfolding of the very life of the universe; the fact that each of us is a vital component of life itself and a nexus of immense possibilities. Because it obscures life's true, enlightened nature, this ignorance is also referred to as "fundamental darkness."
Our deepest sense of fulfillment lies in the experience of this connectedness and in actions that uphold it. Under the influence of such ignorance, however, we look for fulfillment through acquisition and possession (of objects, fame, power, and so on). Greed is the uncontrolled impulse to fulfill these desires, even at the cost of the unhappiness of others. Inevitably, such pursuits lead only to a sense of frustration.
Anger is the violent impulses that spring from the same egocentric orientation. It is not only explosive rage, but also resentment, envy-all the insidious, ultimately self-destructive emotions of the wounded ego.
These poisons thus undermine our individual happiness, impede our relationships and hinder the unfolding of our unique creative potential. Their influence, however, goes beyond this. On a social level they well forth from the inner lives of individuals and become the cause of conflict, oppression, environmental destruction and gross inequalities among people. One Buddhist text expresses it this way: "Because anger increases in intensity, armed strife occurs. Because greed increases in intensity, famine arises. Because foolishness increases in intensity, pestilence breaks out. And because these three calamities occur, earthly desires [delusions] grow more numerous and powerful than ever, and false views increasingly flourish."
From the perspective of Nichiren Buddhism, the three poisons are an inherent aspect of life and can never be completely eradicated. In fact, a religious approach based on eliminating these poisons from one's life may simply breed hypocrisy. Buddhist practice in the Nichiren tradition can be described as a process of continually transforming the energy of these deluded impulses and redirecting it toward the creation of value. In a more general sense it is through the spiritual struggle to continually orient our lives toward respecting others and working for the broader good of all that we are able to transcend and transform these poisons. In this process, the destructive energy of anger, for example, is sublimated into a protective force that can counteract injustice, preventing us and others from merely being swept along by outside forces or being taken advantage of by those with ill intent.
Dialogue based on a will to genuinely connect with people in an attitude of respect and mutual encouragement is a powerful key in this transformative process.
Ultimately, establishing peace and security on our planet relies on an inner transformation within the lives of individuals. As the UNESCO constitution states, "Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed." The sense of responsibility to continually seek to develop our potential for creative good is the crux of personal empowerment and beginning of the broader transformation of the planet.
[ Courtesy October 2005 SGI Quarterly]
As the problems of our planet grow deeper and more complex, the possibility of humanity untangling the destructive web that we have woven can seem less and less easy to believe in. The hope that Buddhism offers to this pervasive sense of uncertainty is the perspective that since the ills of our world have been created by human beings, it is within our power to solve them. Both the problem and the solution lie with us.
Buddhism began as a bold, humane confrontation with the fact of suffering. Its original impulse is not one of retreat or escape from life's challenges and contradictions. Rather, Buddhist practice could be broadly characterized as the struggle to draw forth and shine the light of human wisdom on life and society. A thorough understanding of the causes of human misery is a departure point for this philosophy. Thus Nichiren writes, "One who is thoroughly awakened to the nature of good and evil from their roots to their branches and leaves is called a Buddha."
At the root of human misery, Buddhism sees three destructive impulses: greed, anger and foolishness, which it terms the "three poisons." These are the essence of all the delusions and negative workings of life that impede the realization of our full potential for happiness and creativity.
Of the three, foolishness is most fundamental, as it facilitates greed and anger. Foolishness here means ignorance (passive or willful) of the true nature of life. It is blindness to the reality of our interrelatedness--not merely our connectedness to and dependence on each other, but the connectedness of the unfolding of each of our lives to the unfolding of the very life of the universe; the fact that each of us is a vital component of life itself and a nexus of immense possibilities. Because it obscures life's true, enlightened nature, this ignorance is also referred to as "fundamental darkness."
Our deepest sense of fulfillment lies in the experience of this connectedness and in actions that uphold it. Under the influence of such ignorance, however, we look for fulfillment through acquisition and possession (of objects, fame, power, and so on). Greed is the uncontrolled impulse to fulfill these desires, even at the cost of the unhappiness of others. Inevitably, such pursuits lead only to a sense of frustration.
Anger is the violent impulses that spring from the same egocentric orientation. It is not only explosive rage, but also resentment, envy-all the insidious, ultimately self-destructive emotions of the wounded ego.
These poisons thus undermine our individual happiness, impede our relationships and hinder the unfolding of our unique creative potential. Their influence, however, goes beyond this. On a social level they well forth from the inner lives of individuals and become the cause of conflict, oppression, environmental destruction and gross inequalities among people. One Buddhist text expresses it this way: "Because anger increases in intensity, armed strife occurs. Because greed increases in intensity, famine arises. Because foolishness increases in intensity, pestilence breaks out. And because these three calamities occur, earthly desires [delusions] grow more numerous and powerful than ever, and false views increasingly flourish."
From the perspective of Nichiren Buddhism, the three poisons are an inherent aspect of life and can never be completely eradicated. In fact, a religious approach based on eliminating these poisons from one's life may simply breed hypocrisy. Buddhist practice in the Nichiren tradition can be described as a process of continually transforming the energy of these deluded impulses and redirecting it toward the creation of value. In a more general sense it is through the spiritual struggle to continually orient our lives toward respecting others and working for the broader good of all that we are able to transcend and transform these poisons. In this process, the destructive energy of anger, for example, is sublimated into a protective force that can counteract injustice, preventing us and others from merely being swept along by outside forces or being taken advantage of by those with ill intent.
Dialogue based on a will to genuinely connect with people in an attitude of respect and mutual encouragement is a powerful key in this transformative process.
Ultimately, establishing peace and security on our planet relies on an inner transformation within the lives of individuals. As the UNESCO constitution states, "Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed." The sense of responsibility to continually seek to develop our potential for creative good is the crux of personal empowerment and beginning of the broader transformation of the planet.
[ Courtesy October 2005 SGI Quarterly]
"The heart of strategy and swordsmanship derives from the Mystic Law. Have profound faith. A coward cannot have any of his prayers answered."
(The Strategy of the Lotus Sutra - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 1001)Selection source: "Myoji no gen", Seikyo Shimbun, March 21st, 2010
(The Strategy of the Lotus Sutra - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 1001)Selection source: "Myoji no gen", Seikyo Shimbun, March 21st, 2010
"Let's always advance with joy, come what may! When we base our lives on the Mystic Law, we can change even hardships into something enjoyable. Let's all live wonderful lives!"
SGI Newsletter No. 7960, 38th SOKA GAKKAI HEADQUARTERS LEADERS MEETING—PART 1 [OF 2] Confidently Sharing Our Ideals and Convictions with Others, from the March 15th, 2010, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, translated March 19th, 2010
SGI Newsletter No. 7960, 38th SOKA GAKKAI HEADQUARTERS LEADERS MEETING—PART 1 [OF 2] Confidently Sharing Our Ideals and Convictions with Others, from the March 15th, 2010, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, translated March 19th, 2010
The key is day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. Be strict with yourself to always chant enough Daimoku! Be mindfull of all the things that will obstruct that from being the case in your life. Seek the Law from the bottom of your heart. The dividends of doing so are beyond measure!
It says on the Gohonzon: "Those who make offerings will gain good fortune surpassing the ten honorable titles of the Buddha." LIVE IT!!!
Much love and deepest respect,
T
Nam myoho renge kyo
We go day by day which hopefully turns into week by week then on to month by month and year by years. It all starts from this moment on. Gotta keep getting these days in so they can turn into years !!! Hope you all are joining in !
Nam myoho renge kyo Lets Chant for a Brighter Tomorrow
Nam myoho renge kyo
Nam myoho renge kyo
We go day by day which hopefully turns into week by week then on to month by month and year by years. It all starts from this moment on. Gotta keep getting these days in so they can turn into years !!! Hope you all are joining in !
Nam myoho renge kyo Lets Chant for a Brighter Tomorrow
Nam myoho renge kyo
Nam myoho renge kyo
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