Chanting Growers Group

[Babbabud]

Easy I always get a tickle inside when i read your post. Thanks so much!!
Hope everyone has a great time with their loved ones this week. Its THAT time of year so lets keep it in perspective and make it a good one. Thanks for being here each time I open my computer it means so much !!
Nam myoho renge kyo like the roar of the lion

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

Thank you Bud... I reached Three years of Chanting Daimoku Today!

Thank you Bud... I reached Three years of Chanting Daimoku Today!

"Strive ever harder in faith, and never give in to negligence. All the people appear to believe sincerely when they first embrace the Lotus Sutra, but as time passes, they tend to become less devout; they no longer revere nor make offerings to the priest, giving themselves up to arrogance and forming distorted views. This is most frightening."

Letter to Niike (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 1027)

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

I would like to present this scientific article on a theory of the universe that, to me, proves Shakymuni Buddha's interpretation of the universe and Nichiren Daishonin's insight and clarification on Shakymuni's teachings. We learn in this thread from PasstheDoobie and others about a bond from "the infinite past". This bond and connection establishes an understanding beyond the current constraints of acceptable scientific reasoning.

In pursuit of truth, I have always been seeking how to prove that which feels, accurate and correct. Just as I believe there is a correct way to practice Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, there must also be a correct and non-provisional way for our universe to have existed and to continue on it's current course. Offering insight into this understanding, today I came across an article with respect to a theory that predicts an endless universe. This article discussed the Ekpyrotic Model of the Universe.

In the Ekpyrotic Model of the Universe we learn interesting theoretical insight into the possibility of endless and beginningless big bangs that create universes after universes. Also the weight of protons, or on a macro scale, the matter which we are made of and everything we see and touch could be further understood by applying the subsequent particle theory adjustments and analysis from recent findings. This insight in the multitude of variations for each proton's manifestation and sustainability brings to focus components which I consider as a whole to be The Mystic Law or more specifically a scientific understanding of Myoho.

Not only is the inter-related nature of a continuous manifestation of matter, spot on accurate, but Buddhism is really the foundation that leads to this amazing reasoning. The best explanations life offers us are those which are easier to understand, thus allowing more people to assimilate such wisdom. In Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, I have found the answers to the most important questions I encounter in life and on a daily basis. Understanding the universal mechanics, and how it is directly correlated to our lives and Buddhist practice is refreshing and enlightening!

Regarding the difficulty of attaining the ultimate self-knowledge of Buddhahood, the Lotus Sutra states, "What the Buddha has achieved is the rarest and most difficult-to-understand Law. The true entity of all phenomena can only be understood and shared between Buddhas" (The Lotus Sutra, trans. Burton Watson, P. 24). To see this most intimate yet illusive reality of Buddhahood, we need wisdom. So the Daishonin explains: "Reality means the true nature of all phenomena, and wisdom means the illuminating and manifesting of this true nature...When this reality and wisdom are fused, one attains Buddhahood in one's present form" (WND, 746). Precisely because of our lack of wisdom, we are not "perceiving the true nature of our lives."

I offer the article below as a basis for exploring the truth behind The Lotus Sutra, Shakymuni Buddha's Teachings, Nichiren Daishonin's Teachings and those words contained within this thread.

The Ekpyrotic Model of the Universe proposes that our current universe arose from a collision of two three-dimensional worlds (branes) in a space with an extra (fourth) spatial dimension. The proposal is interesting in and of itself, but also because it is the precursor to a more powerful and explanatory theory, the Cyclic Model described in earlier links on this page.
What is the Big Bang model?

To the public, the model means that the universe began from a single point, underwent an explosion, and has been flying apart ever since.

However, the big bang is not an explosion at all. This is an unfortunate misnomer that cosmologists would like to correct. But the bad name has stuck.

The big bang is the expansion or stretching of space. It is not that things are flying out from a point. Rather, all things are moving away from each other. It is like having an infinite rubber sheet with people sitting on it. Stretch the rubber sheet, and all the people move away from one another. Each things they are at the center of an explosion. It is an optical illusion - everybody moves away from everybody else and there is no center.

Run the story going back and time and the sheet was more and more unstretched and the people were closer together. When everybody is so close they are on top of one another, that is is the beginning of the big bang picture - the cosmic singularity. At that time, the universe has nearly infinite density and temperature.

Does the new theory contradict the Big Bang model?

Here we must be careful. There are some skeptics who have written "the Big Bang never happened", by which they mean that the universe is not expanding today and it never has been. They say this despite overwhelming evidence in favor of expansion and cooling today and for the last 15 billion years. Our model does nothing to contradict this story. That is, the universe has been expanding for the past 15 billion years.

What our model does is amend the earliest moments of the story. Instead of beginning with nearly infinite temperature and density, the universe began in a very different state - cold and nearly vacuous. The hot expanding universe we know came as a result of collision that brought the universe up to a large but finite temperature and density. The rest of the story is as the Big Bang model would have it, but the beginning is different.

Why do we need to replace the beginning of the story?

Because the Big bang model, with no amendments, would tend to produce a universe that is highly inhomogeneous, with a warped and curved space, and no natural mechanism for making stars, galaxies and larger scale structures in the universe. Cosmologists have been trying to correct these deficiencies by amending the early history of the universe - within the first billionth billionth billionths of s second or less. One proposal is the "inflationary theory" of the universe, which proposes that the universe began hot and dense, and underwent a period of hyperexpansion. The ekpyrotic model is a new alternative, which is, in many ways, a more radical departure from the Big Bang concept.

What is the Ekpyrotic proposal?

The model is based on the idea that our hot big bang universe was created from the collision of two three-dimensianal worlds moving along a hidden, extra dimension. The two three-dimensional worlds collide and ``stick," the kinetic energy in the collision is converted the quarks, electrons, photons, etc., that are confined to move along three dimensions. The resulting temperature is finite, so the hot big bang phase begins without a singularity. The universe is homogeneous because the collision and initiation of the big bang phase occurs nearly simultaneously everywhere. The energetically preferred geometry for the two worlds is flat, so their collision produces a flat big bang universe. According to Einstein's equations, this means that the total energy density of the Universe is equal to the critical density. Massive magnetic monopoles, which are overabundantly produced in the standard big bang theory, are not produced at all in this scenario because the temperature after collision is far too small to produce any of these massive particles.

Quantum effects cause the incoming three-dimensional world to ripple along the extra-dimension prior to collision so that the collision occurs in some places at slightly different times than others. By the time the collision is complete, the rippling leads to small variations in temperature, which seed temperature fluctuations in the microwave background and the formation of galaxies. We have shown that the spectrum of energy density fluctuations is scale-invariant (the same amplitude on all scales). The production of a scale-invariant spectrum from hyperexpansion was one of the great triumphs of inflationary theory, and here we have repeated the feat using completely different physics.

The building blocks of the ekpyrotic theory are derived from superstring theory. Superstring theory requires extra dimensions for mathematical consistency. In most formulations, 10 dimensions are required. In the mid-1990's, Petr Horava (Rutgers) and Ed Witten (IAS, Princeton) argued that, under certain conditions, an additional dimension opens up over a finite interval. Six dimensions are presumed to be curled up in a microscopic ball, called a Calabi-Yau manifold. The ball is too small to be noticed in everyday experience, and so our universe appears to be a four-dimensional (three space dimensions and one time dimension) surface embedded in a five-dimensional space-time. This five-dimensional theory, called heterotic M-theory, was formulated by Andre Lukas (Sussex). Ovrut and Dan Waldram (Queen Mary Westerfield College). According to Horava-Witten and heterotic M-theory, particles are constrained to move on one of the three-dimensional boundaries on either side of the extra dimensional interval. Our visible universe would be one of these boundaries; the other boundary and the intervening space would be hidden because particles and light cannot not travel across the intervening space. Only gravity is able to couple matter on one boundary to the other. In addition, there can exist other three-dimensional hypersurfaces in the interval, which lie parallel to the outer boundaries and which can carry energy. These intervening planes are called ``branes," short for membranes. The collision that ignites the hot big bang phase of the ekpyrotic model occurs when a three-dimensional brane is attracted to and collides into the boundary corresponding to our visible universe.

Where does the term "ekpyrotic" come from?

The term ``ekpyrosis" means ``conflagration" in Greek, and refers to an ancient Stoic cosmological model. According to the model, the universe is created in a sudden burst of fire, not unlike the collision between three-dimensional worlds in our model. The current universe evolves from the initial fire.

Cautionary note:

As a final remark, we feel that it is important to realize that inflationary theory is based on quantum field theory, a well-established theoretical framework, and the model has been carefully studied and vetted for twenty years. Our proposal is based on unproven ideas in string theory and is brand new. While we appreciate the enthusiasm and interest with which the paper has been received, we would suggest some patience before promulgating these ideas in order to leave time for us to produce some follow-up papers that introduce additional elements and to allow fellow theorists time for criticism and sober judgment.
( http://wwwphy.princeton.edu/~steinh/npr/ )

These links will offer more insight into my findings:

http://www.historyincontext.com/Articles/Cosmology/1-BeforeBigBang.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/horizon/2001/parallelunitrans.shtml

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

-Quotes in support of the above post-

-Quotes in support of the above post-

The Daishonin cautions us, "Even though you chant and believe in Myoho-renge-kyo, if you think the Law is outside yourself, you are embracing not the Mystic Law but an inferior teaching."

"You must never think that any of the eighty thousand sacred teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha's lifetime or any of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions and three existences are outside yourself..."

All the teachings of Shakyamuni, as well as the Buddhas and bodhisattvas depicted in those teachings, function to reveal the inner workings of our lives. Many people, however, ignore this simple yet profound truth, and seek liberation from their suffering in the imaginary Buddhas and bodhisattvas outside themselves. The entirety of Buddhism was expounded to direct our gaze into our own lives.

The Daishonin stresses the importance of "perceiving the true nature of our lives." Self-knowledge is a great achievement and gives deeper meaning to all other knowledge. Commenting on one phrase from the Lotus Sutra, the Daishonin also says, "'Single-mindedly desiring to see the Buddha' may be read as follows: single-mindedly observing the Buddha, concentrating one's mind on seeing the Buddha, and when looking at one's own mind, perceiving that it is the Buddha" (WND, 389-90). The Daishonin teaches us that the true nature of our lives is Buddhahood, full of profound wisdom and compassion.

To see ourselves as who we truly are, however, is difficult. In this regard, the Daishonin states, "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" (WND, 1137). "To believe that Buddhahood exists within the human world is the most difficult thing of all - as difficult as believing that fire exists in water or water in fire" (WND, 359) .

We are accustomed to defining ourselves based on our appearance or possessions in comparison with others. This tendency is so prevalent in our culture and society that to view ourselves through the eyes of others is almost a natural reflex. This is why it would not be uncommon to see a millionaire feeling poor amongst his or her billionaire associates or a healthy, attractive person feeling fat amongst fashion models. In one sense, we are trained to seek happiness outside ourselves. We judge others based on their appearance and possessions and live our own lives through the eyes of others, just like "a poor man who spends night and day counting his neighbor's wealth but gains not even half a coin."

The Daishonin was well aware of our quandary and pointed out "faith is the cause for wisdom" (WND, 785). He explains, "Because our wisdom is inadequate, he [the Buddha] teaches us to substitute faith for wisdom, making this single word 'faith' the foundation" (WND, 785). Faith may be described as desire and expectation to see our Buddhahood, the source of infinite inner strength. Our prayer to the Gohonzon, then, is a concrete expression of our desire and expectation to see ourselves as Buddhas, confident and courageous persons. Through such prayer, we begin to experience hope in the face of hopelessness, to feel courage in confronting challenges. These are concrete signs of our innate Buddhahood emerging from within.

As we continue to pray through the ups and downs of our lives, our faith in our own Buddhahood grows to the point where it becomes second nature. That is, we will feel confident that no matter what happens, we can overcome it and even become happier because of it. This process of continuous self-discovery and self-improvement is what we call "enlightenment."

It is not a state of perfection to be attained once and for all. Enlightenment or delusion, in this sense, is not a matter of being a Buddha or not being one. Enlightenment is a path of perpetually "becoming" a Buddha, each day anew, each year better and happier, through all that life brings. Those who are committed to this process are Buddhas, no matter how they may appear in the vicissitudes of life. This commitment is another name for faith. We will not suddenly transform ourselves into some perfect, transcendental beings because of our Buddhist practice. Through our sincere faith and practice, however, we will continuously grow closer to our true self, that is, our innate Buddhahood.

"Whether you chant the Buddha's name...all your virtuous acts will implant benefits and roots of goodness in your life. With this conviction you should strive in faith."

Buddhism is sometimes called the "inner path," for it is a teaching intended to help people transform their inner lives and create the cause for happiness from within. Therefore, if some Buddhist practitioners become oblivious to the importance of self-reflection and inner reformation and instead seek salvation from an external authority, they are not practicing Buddhism. When we consciously try to uncover our inner strength of Buddhahood through faith, however, whatever effort we make toward this end will become a cause for personal growth. In the above passage, "chant the Buddha's name" refers to the chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which the Daishonin identified with the name of our eternal Buddhahood. The phrase "offer flowers and incense" may correspond to our offerings to the Gohonzon and any other effort we make toward our happiness and that of others in our Buddhist practice. The Daishonin teaches us that every effort we make - as long as we do not think the Law is outside of us - will become "roots of goodness" within our lives.

Those seemingly small yet sincere efforts that we make in our Buddhist practice are important steps to deepen our faith in Buddhahood and thereby ensure our happiness. Every time we pray with confidence in our Buddhahood or encourage another person with hopes to inspire his or her Buddhahood, we are solidifying the foundation for our happiness. In fact, this is how we shape our karma or identity - through thoughts, words and deeds. It is just like how we develop a certain habit - either good or bad. Whenever we do something repeatedly - for example, encouraging a friend despite personal inconvenience or lying to make ourselves look better - the next time will be easier than the first time. And when we do the same thing again, it will be easier than the second time. In this way, either caring for others or lying for the sake of vanity will eventually become second nature. Conversely, if those accustomed to lying try to tell the truth about themselves, it will require great courage and resolve. Once they do so, however, next time they try, it will be less difficult than the first time. Though it continues to require strong will and honesty, as long as they keep making such efforts, they will become less inclined to lie and more likely to tell the truth despite their discomfort. Improving our karma and revealing our innate Buddhahood are just like this.

It is difficult to believe that we have a source of infinite courage, wisdom and compassion within, especially when we are faced with difficulties. Our initial reaction may be despair, confusion and anger, for we are accustomed to seeing ourselves as powerless without material possessions or the favorable opinions of others. Based on the Daishonin's teaching, however, if we sincerely pray with hope, we will surely glimpse our inner brilliant potential. And the next time we face an obstacle, we will pray with greater confidence in our innate Buddhahood.

Similarly when we see others suffering, we can see beyond their appearance and into their own source of courage and wisdom without judging them as failures. Eventually, when we encounter those in despair, it will become a natural tendency to look for their hidden potential. In this way, each act and each encounter may be an opportunity for us to strengthen our positive tendency and break through our negative habits for more freedom and happiness.

When we view each effort we make in our lives as an opportunity to improve our lives, then living itself becomes enjoyable, even at times of difficulty. The Daishonin states earlier in this letter, "Unless one perceives the nature of one's life, one's practice will become an endless, painful austerity." With the Daishonin's Buddhism and the correct understanding of its intent, we now have a choice to create "roots of goodness" within our lives. It is simply up to us to make our lives into either "an endless, painful austerity" or a joyful challenge from which our hopes and dreams will continually grow.

( FROM: http://www.sgi-usa-study.org/onattainlb.htm )

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

I'm very grateful for all of you and this thread!

I'm very grateful for all of you and this thread!

"Even if we should gather all the water of the four great oceans to wet inkstones, burn all the trees and plants to cinders to make ink, collect the hairs of all beasts for writing brushes, employ all the surfaces of the worlds in the ten directions for paper, and, with these, set down expressions of gratitude, how could we possibly repay our debt to the Buddha?"

The Four Debts of Gratitude (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 44)

 

[Desiderata]

Hi Easy and everyone! I've had ISP proxy problems the last few days. I just finished working 23 days in a row of overtime also.........I have five days off! I want to finish reading your posts above Easy and do some Nichiren posting too. Babba, great to hear from you more often!....Bonz, you have been on my mind.....I want to call you....SoCal, good journey on your nam myoho renge kyo! "T" have a great Thanksgiving, as well as Hit, Scegy, En, and GP!.........Sleepy, were's the stuffing?....lol.....you can't have Thanksgiving without the dressing and pumpkin pie!

Love you all, Desi

 

[Babbabud]

Nam myoho renge kyo

Nam myoho renge kyo

This offering will be sent in two parts and is out of Living Buddhism, May 2000, Page 6. By Shin Yatomi, associate editor, based on Yasashii Kyogaku (Easy Buddhist Study), published by the Seikyo Press in 1994. Love and Blessings... GRATITUDE: A Hallmark of Humanity

Gratitude Has Been a Valued Trait in the Buddhist Tradition

Gratitude is one of the most profound feelings that we can experience. We extend our kindness to another person who in turn responds with sincerity and appreciation. Such reciprocity, unlike in a commercial transaction, is free and spontaneous. It is ironic that in many fables the virtue of gratitude often assigned to animals, perhaps to parody the animality that lies beneath our human appearance. For example, Aesop tells the tale of a grateful eagle. A plowman one day saves an eagle trapped in a net. Later the eagle sees the plowman in danger of being crushed by a collapsing wall and snatches the plowman’s headband. When the provoked plowman chases after the eagle; he is led to safety.[1] Nichiren Daishonin begins his lengthy treatise "On Repaying Debts of Gratitude" by citing the Chinese legend of Mao Pao and the white turtle (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 690). One day Mao Pao sees a fisherman about to kill a white turtle. He takes pity on the turtle and gives his own clothes to the fisherman in exchange for the turtle. Years later the turtle saves Mao Pao’s life by ferrying him across the Yangtze River away from pursuing enemies. The Daishonin states: "If even lowly creatures know enough to do this, then how much more should human beings!" (WND, 690). The gratitude shown by animals in those talks reminds us of how easily we can overlook this very virtue that makes us human.Gratitude has been a valued trait in the Buddhist tradition. In the collection of tales about Shakyamuni’s past existences called The Jataka, he is often depicted as an embodiment of kindness and compassion while Devadatta, Shakyamuni’s adversary, is described as an ingrate. One Jataka tale goes as follows: Once a magnificent white elephant (Shakyamuni in a past life) saved the life of a forester (Devadatta) lost in the Himalayas by nourishing him and showing him the way back to the city. Greedy and ungrateful, this forester repeatedly returned to the elephant’s abode and begged for its tusks. He said he needed them for money to sustain his life and was given a portion of the tusks each time. When the forester took even the stumps of the elephants’ tusks, however, the earth opened up and swallowed the forester into the depths of hell.[2] continued tomorrow......
The earth could not support the weight of Devadatta’s base ingratitude, and he fell into hell. While some people may view a debt of gratitude as a burdensome obligation, Buddhism teaches that the real burden upon our humanity is ingratitude.
Nam myoho renge kyo

 

[Babbabud]

Been working for another construction company for the last 5 months. I normally work with just my son on our own contracts. But we all know how that market has been. We have been protected ... thanks to much daimoku... for now we are back on our own hoping to keep putting some jobs together till this crunch lets up. Cali leads the way so im optimistic that things will pick up soon rather then later. I should be around a bit more now as things are a whole lot more casual when we are working for ourselves ,hopefully more time for chanting and more time for posting and being around this thread. My Gratitude goes out to you all for being here whenever I turn on my computer. Its truly what keeps me puttin one foot in front of the other
Nam myoho renge kyo

 

[en-lighten-ment]

Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo

 

[Babbabud]

Nam myoho renge kyo

Nam myoho renge kyo

This is the continuation from Living Buddhism, May 2000, Page 6. By Shin Yatomi, associate editor, based on Yasashii Kyogaku (Easy Buddhist Study), published by the Seikyo Press in 1994. Have a lovely holiday!

The Buddhist concept of dependent origination explains that everything in this world arises from and is supported by its environment. Everything and everyone is connected. There is no one, therefore, who does not owe a debt of gratitude to others. In this sense, gratitude may be described as our awareness that our lives are supported by our environment, which includes other people, and our desire to respond in kind to such support. Those who are ungrateful or feel burdened by others’ kindness fail to see the interconnectedness of all lives. They build walls of ignorance and selfishness around them to isolate themselves from the rest of the world. The Daishonin states: "One who studies the teachings of Buddhism must not fail to repay the four debts of gratitude" (WND, 43). One Mahayana scripture called the Contemplation on the Mind-Ground Sutra (Jpn Shinjikan gyo) explains that we as Buddhists owe a debt of gratitude to all living beings, our parents, the sovereign and the three treasures of the Buddha, the Buddhist teaching and the Buddhist community. Because of the existence of all living beings, bodhisattvas can fulfill their vow to save them. Without others we cannot practice the Buddhist ideal of altruism. We also owe thanks to our parents who brought us into existence so that we may practice Buddhism. We are indebted to "the sovereign" who represents all the activities of society that ensure our survival. In this regard, the Daishonin states: "It is thanks to one’s sovereign that one can warm one’s body…and sustain one’s life with the five kinds of grain" (WND, 44). Furthermore, as practitioners of Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism, we owe a debt of gratitude to the Daishonin and his teaching as well as to his immediate disciple and successor Nikko Shonin and to the Buddhist community for transmitting and spreading the Daishonin’s Buddhism.
Repaying Debts of Gratitude The Daishonin teaches that ultimately we can repay the four debts of gratitude by taking faith in the law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and communicating its benefit to others. As he states, "But if one intends to repay these great debts of gratitude, one can hope to do so only if one learns and masters Buddhism, becoming a person of wisdom" (WND, 690). Repaying a debt of gratitude, then, is not a sacrifice or burden; rather, it is an act beneficial for both others and ourselves. Although our parents and those around us may not understand the Daishonin’s Buddhism, it is certainly possible to encourage them with the warmth and humanity we develop through our practice. This is why the Daishonin often urges us to remain steadfast in our faith in the face of opposition. Gratitude is a hallmark of humanity; it lifts our lives out of ignorance and isolation. But it is difficult to have gratitude for those around us if they act kindly only out of an expectation of reward or a sense of obligation. Also, when people try to manipulate others by granting them favors, the resulting "debt" of gratitude may easily become a burden. Buddhist wisdom, however, enables us to see our essential interconnectedness beyond superficial social obligations. Through our Buddhist practice we expand our capacity to express gratitude and can even transform hostility into a cause for personal development. Thus from his exile to the Izu Peninsula, the Daishonin states: "Moreover, in this lifetime, I have taken faith in the Lotus Sutra and encountered a ruler who will enable me to free myself in my present existence from the sufferings of birth and death. Thus, how can I dwell on this insignificant harm that he had done me and overlook my debt to him?" (WND, 44). As we develop a perspective and capacity to see even hardship in a positive light, we can experience a sense of gratitude for something beyond immediate give-and-take and deepen our humanity. Devadatta failed to prevent Shakyamuni from acting kindly, and the shogunate government could not make the Daishonin bitter. From these examples, we can see that negative circumstances do not have to make us feel ungrateful.
Nam myoho renge kyo

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

"Only in the Lotus Sutra do we read that a woman who embraces this sutra not only excels all other women, but also surpasses all men."

The Unity of Husband and Wife (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 462)










*My best wishes go out to Mrs.Babba, Stonegirl, Bonz's Moms, Hitman's Moms, Sgecy's Girl and Mother, Socal's Family, My best to Ann & Desi, to Dutchgrown, and everyone else I'm missing!*

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

Life can get really terrible really quick for me sometimes. And if someone has a problem with that "FUCK YOU". I mean it, but I chanted this morning and I'm still alive so I guess I'll continue my mission. As PAINFUL AS IT MAY BE! Karma is a real bitch let me tell you.

Hang in there, if your on the same boat as me. Life can really seem super shitty in a heartbeat, but chanting growers persevere.

 

[Babbabud]

Forward !!
Nam myoho renge kyo !!

 

[Hitman]

Happy Holidays All! Thanks for the Thanksgiving wishes, Desi! Good Luck to all. That's right, we persevere! Persistently chanting will get us through our roughest times!

Christmas wishes and to all the loverly ladies, x-mas kisses!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

 

[Desiderata]

Easy, I hope you didn't take one step down because you've been climbing Mt. Everest lately. This whole page, Babba is right there by your side.........I'm down here on another ledge, trying to catch up. But I can see ya bro.........you shine like a star!

Just keep climbing as we all hold on to the same rope. I ain't lettin go, that's for sure.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!!

 

[BesideHimself]

Could any of you practicing bodhisattvas give me your view on marijuana, specifically as it relates to the 5th of the Precepts?

Do you ever feel you are enabling mindlessness for yourself and others through marijuana?

Don't get me wrong I love getting high, was just researching Buddhism lately and wanted to find a take on that issue specifically, from a Buddhist that smokes.

I'm not sure I'd be able to take the 5th Precept at this point in my life, nah meen?

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Could any of you practicing bodhisattvas give me your view on marijuana, specifically as it relates to the 5th of the Precepts?

Do you ever feel you are enabling mindlessness for yourself and others through marijuana?

Don't get me wrong I love getting high, was just researching Buddhism lately and wanted to find a take on that issue specifically, from a Buddhist that smokes.

I'm not sure I'd be able to take the 5th Precept at this point in my life, nah meen?

We are Nichiren Buddhists and therefore don't adhere to the precepts you are referring to. We adhere to the Precept of the Daimond Chalice. The precepts you refer to no longer pertain to the current time period, The Latter Day of the Law.

precept of the diamond chalice
[金剛宝器戒] (Jpn kongo-hoki-kai )

Also, diamond precept or diamond-treasure precept. The precept that, like a diamond chalice, is impossible to break. The term appears in the BrahmaNet Sutra, which states, "This precept of the diamond chalice is the source of all Buddhas, the source of all bodhisattvas, and the seed of the Buddha nature." In The Secret Commentary on the Aspect of the Diamond Precept, Dengyo(767-822) interpreted the Buddha nature, or the true aspect of all phenomena mentioned in the Lotus Sutra, as the diamond chalice. The precept of the diamond chalice thus means to embrace the Lotus Sutra. Nichiren (1222-1282) interpreted the embracing of the Law of Myoho-renge-kyo, the essence of the Lotus Sutra, as the precept of the diamond chalice and taught that, by observing this single precept, one can manifest the three bodies of a Buddha—the Dharma body, the reward body, and the manifested body—and receive benefit equal to that of observing all other good precepts. In The Teaching, Practice, and Proof, Nichiren writes: "The five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo, the heart of the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra, contain the benefit amassed through the countless practices and meritorious deeds of all Buddhas throughout the three existences. Then, how can these five characters not include the benefits obtained by observing all of the Buddhas' precepts? Once the practitioner embraces this perfectly endowed wonderful precept, he cannot break it, even if he should try. It is therefore called the precept of the diamond chalice" (WND/pg. 481).

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Sorry to be so busy and have to be so coy about why! It's a good thing! I hope you all had a wonderful thanksgiving holiday and that whatever life condition you find yourself currently in, you remember that life is a process of continuous effort. What goes around comes around and cause and effect is absolute! That's why we can change ANYTHING! Nothing to lament, just shit to do. Let's get after it!

My deepest respect to all of you!

T

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Life can get really terrible really quick for me sometimes. And if someone has a problem with that "FUCK YOU". I mean it, but I chanted this morning and I'm still alive so I guess I'll continue my mission. As PAINFUL AS IT MAY BE! Karma is a real bitch let me tell you.

Hang in there, if your on the same boat as me. Life can really seem super shitty in a heartbeat, but chanting growers persevere.

I am so sorry but I am having to laugh out loud at how much you remind me of me.

KICK SOME DEVIL ASS MY BROTHER!!!

T

 

[Babbabud]

Need some inspiration ?

Need some inspiration ?

Just go back in this thread to any page and read a few post

Excerpt from the Gosho 'On Prayer' (WND pgs 345-346)

One may ask why the results of these vows should be so long in appearing. And yet, though one might point at the earth and miss it, though one might bind up the sky, though the tides might cease to ebb and flow, and the sun rise in the west, it could never come about that the prayers of the practitioner of the Lotus Sutra would go unanswered. If the bodhisattvas, the human and and heavenly beings, the eight kinds of nonhuman beings, the two sages, the two heavenly deities and the ten demon daughters would by some unlikely chance fail to appear and protect the practitioner of the Lotus Sutra, then above them they would be showing their disdain for Shakyamuni and the other Buddhas, and below they would be guilty of deceiving the beings of the nine realms.

It makes no difference if the practitioner himself is lacking in worth, defective in wisdom, impure in his person, and lacking in virtue derived from observing the precepts. So long as he chants Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, they will invariably protect him. One does not throw away gold because the bag that holds it is dirty; one does not ignore the sandalwood trees because of the foul odor of the eranda trees around them; one does not refuse to gather lotuses because the pond in the valley where they grow is not clean. If they ignore the practitioner of the Lotus Sutra, they will be going against their vow.

Now that the Former and Middle Days of the Law are over, persons who observe the precepts are as rare as tigers in the marketplace, and persons of wisdom are harder to find than the horns of a ch'i-lin. While waiting for the moon to rise, one must rely upon a lantern, and when there are no true gems at hand, gold and silver must serve as jewels. The debt of gratitude one owes to a white crow may be repaid to a black crow, and the debt one owes to a sage priest, may be repaid to an ordinary priest. So, if you earnestly pray that blessings be given to you without delay, how can your prayers fail to be answered?

Nichiren Daishonin (1272)

Nam myoho renge kyo