Chanting Growers Group

[EasyMyohoDisco]

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

Big Welcome to the Chanting Growers! We chant and chant and chant! Lap, please chant for anything you need right now and/or want, make it happen and let us know if you have any questions. I also started off this Buddha-thread and learned so much over the past three (3) years and love it! My growing, my this and my that have improved as I chant for it.

My brother the Babbabud was the brother from a very similar mother who introduced me and my lady to this great practice of chanting everyday. I use the word practice because like a professional farmer, cultivator, musician, engineer, architect, lawyer, or doctor you'll reap what you sow. Keep sowing what your saying and know that I and the other chanting growers got another chanting growers back!

Chant on Lap! Welcome!

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Therefore a person who upholds the Lotus Sutra is repaying the debt of gratitude owed to their 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, Dec. 7th, 2009

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

I really miss BONZ! I hope Bonz is okay! Where is Desi?

I hope everything with everyone is safe and doing well.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

I pray for Bonz constantly. He was not in a good way when we last spoke and I even offered truthfully and honestly to have him come here and live with us. His numbers were disconnected and I haven't heard anything at all from him in over six months. The kinds of substance abuse issues that were his personal devils are such that he could pop in some time soon because things have changed or unfortunately we may never hear from him again. I consider him a good personal friend. My whole family loves him and we will never forget him as he is in our hearts always. Since his mom moved out of state I have no way of contacting her either.

Desi hasn't visited the site in over a month and was also going through some tough times. Let's hope all is OK and remember them both in our prayers.

I MISS MY BROTHERS TOO! Let's keep chanting for them until they come home. I have no idea why they've disappeared.

Much love and deepest respect to all,

T

 

[Babbabud]

Nam myoho renge kyo

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Regard your service to your lord as the practice of the Lotus Sutra. This is what is meant by 'No worldly affairs of life or work are ever contrary to the true reality.'"

(Reply to a Believer - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 905) Selection source: Gosho Study for December, Seikyo Shimbun, Dec. 8th, 2009

 

[SoCal Hippy]

A single life is worth more than the major world system. You still have many
years ahead of you, and moreover you have encountered the Lotus Sutra. If you
live even one day longer, you can accumulate that much more benefit. How truly
precious your life is!

(WND, 955)
On Prolonging One's Life Span
Written to the lay nun Myojo in 1279

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Gold can be neither burned by fire nor corroded or swept away by water, but iron
is vulnerable to both. A worthy person is like gold, a fool like iron. You are
like pure gold because you embrace the "gold" of the Lotus Sutra. The sutra
states, "Just as among all the mountains, Mount Sumeru is foremost, so this
Lotus Sutra is likewise." It also states, "The good fortune you gain thereby ...
cannot be burned by fire or washed away by water."

(WND, 217)
The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life
Written to Sairen-bo Nichijo on February 11, 1272

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Joy is not simply your personal, egoistic happiness. Nor is it making others
happy at the expense of your own happiness. You and others delighting together,
you and others becoming happy together -- this is the Mystic Law and the
wondrous thing about our realm of kosen-rufu. The Daishonin states, "Joy means
that both oneself and others have wisdom and compassion" (Gosho Zenshu, p. 761).

Daisaku Ikeda

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Chapter Sixteen: The Life Span of the Tathagata


At that time the Buddha spoke to the Bodhisattvas and all the great assembly: "Good men, you must believe and understand the truthful words of the Thus Come One." And again he said to the great assembly: You must believe and understand the truthful words of the Thus Come One." And once more he said to the great assembly: "You must believe and understand the truthful words of the Thus Come One."

At that time the bodhisattvas and the great assembly, with Maitreya as their leader, pressed their palms together and addressed the Buddha, saying: "World-Honored One, we beg you to explain. We will believe and accept the Buddha's words." They spoke in this manner three times, and then said once more: "We beg you to explain it. We will believe and accept the Buddha's words."

At that time the World-Honored One, seeing that the bodhisattvas repeated their request three times and more, spoke to them, saying: "You must listen carefully and hear of the Thus Come One's secret and his transcendental powers. In all the worlds the heavenly and human beings and asuras all believe that the present Shakyamuni Buddha, after leaving the palace of the Shakyas, seated himself in the place of practice not far from the city of Gaya and there attained anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. But good men, it has been immeasurable, boundless hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of nayutas of kalpas since I in fact attained Buddhahood.

"Suppose a person were to take five hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, a million nayuta asamkhya thousand-million-fold worlds and grind them to dust. Then, moving eastward, each time he passes five hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, a million nayuta asamkhya worlds he drops a particle of dust. He continues eastward in this way until he has finished dropping all the particles. Good men, what is your opinion? Can the total number of all these worlds be imagined or calculated?"

The bodhisattva Maitreya and the others said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One, these worlds are immeasurable, boundless--one cannot calculate their number, nor does the mind have the power to encompass them. Even all the voice-hearers and pratyekabuddhas with their wisdom free of outflows could not imagine or understand how many there are. Although we abide in the stage of avivartika, we cannot comprehend such a matter. World-Honored One, these worlds are immeasurable and boundless."

At that time the Buddha said to the multitude of great bodhisattvas: "Good men, now I will state this to you clearly. Suppose all these worlds, whether they received a particle of dust or not, are once more reduced to dust. Let one particle represent one kalpa. The time that has passed since I attained Buddhahood surpasses this by a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, a million nayuta asamkhya kalpas.

"Ever since then I have been constantly in this saha world, preaching the Law, teaching and converting, and elsewhere I have led and benefited living beings in hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of nayutas and asamkhyas of lands.

"Good men, during that time I have spoken about the Buddha Burning Torch and others, and described how they entered nirvana. All this I employed as an expedient means to make distinctions.

"Good men, if there are living beings who come to me, I employ my Buddha eye to observe their faith and to see if their other faculties are keen or dull, and then depending upon how receptive they are to salvation, I appear in different places and preach to them under different names, and describe the length of time during which my teachings will be effective. Sometimes when I make my appearance I say that I am about to enter nirvana, and also employ different expedient means to preach the subtle and wonderful Law, thus causing living beings to awaken joyful minds.

"Good men, the Thus Come One observes how among living beings there are those who delight in a little Law, meager in virtue and heavy with defilement. For such persons I describe how in my youth I left my household and attained anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. But in truth the time since I attained Buddhahood is extremely long, as I have told you. It is simply that I use this expedient means to teach and convert living beings and cause them to enter the Buddha way. That is why I speak in this manner.

"Good men, the scriptures expounded by the Thus Come One are all for the purpose of saving and emancipating living beings. Sometimes I speak of myself, sometimes of others: sometimes I present myself, sometimes others; sometimes I show my own actions, sometimes those of others. All that I preach is true and not false.

Why do I do this? The Thus Come One perceives the true aspect of the threefold world exactly as it is. There is no ebb or flow of birth and death, and there is no existing in this world and later entering extinction. It is neither substantial nor empty, neither consistent nor diverse. Nor is it what those who dwell in the threefold world perceive it to be. All such things the Thus Come One sees clearly and without error.

"Because living beings have different natures, different desires, different actions, and different ways of thinking and making distinctions, and because I want to enable them to put down good roots, I employ a variety of causes and conditions, similes, parables, and phrases and preach different doctrines. This, the Buddha's work, I have never for a moment neglected.

"Thus, since I attained Buddhahood, an extremely long period of time has passed. My life span is an immeasurable number of asamkhya kalpas, and during that time I have constantly abided here without ever entering extinction. Good men, originally I practiced the bodhisattva way, and the life span that I acquired then has yet to come to an end but will last twice the number of years that have already passed. Now, however, although in fact I do not actually enter extinction, I announce that I am going to adopt the course of extinction. This is an expedient means which the Thus Come One uses to teach and convert living beings.

"Why do I do this? Because if the Buddha remains in the world for a long time, those persons with shallow virtue will fail to plant good roots but, living in poverty and lowliness, will become attached to the five desires and be caught in the net of deluded thoughts and imaginings. If they see that the Thus Come One is constantly in the world and never enters extinction, they will grow arrogant and selfish, or become discouraged and neglectful. They will fail to realize how difficult it is to encounter the Buddha and will not approach him with a respectful and reverent mind.

"Therefore as an expedient means the Thus Come One says: 'Monks, you should know that it is a rare thing to live at a time when one of the Buddhas appears in the world.' Why does he do this? Because persons of shallow virtue may pass immeasurable hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of kalpas with some of them chancing to see a Buddha and others never seeing one at all. For this reason I say to them: 'Monks, the Thus Come One is hard to get to see.' When living beings hear these words, they are certain to realize how difficult it is to encounter the Buddha. In their minds they will harbor a longing and will thirst to gaze upon the Buddha, and then they will work to plant good roots. Therefore the Thus Come One, though in truth he does not enter extinction, speaks of passing into extinction.

"Good men, the Buddhas and Thus Come Ones all preach a Law such as this. They act in order to save all living beings, so what they do is true and not false.

"Suppose, for example, that there is a skilled physician who is wise and understanding and knows how to compound medicines to effectively cure all kinds of diseases. He has many sons, perhaps ten, twenty, or even a hundred. He goes off to some other land far away to see about a certain affair. After he has gone, the children drink some kind of poison that make them distraught with pain and they fall writhing to the ground.

"At that time the father returns to his home and finds that his children have drunk poison. Some are completely out of their minds, while others are not. Seeing their father from far off, all are overjoyed and kneel down and entreat him, saying: 'How fine that you have returned safely. We were stupid and by mistake drank some poison. We beg you to cure us and let us live out our lives!'

"The father, seeing his children suffering like this, follows various prescriptions. Gathering fine medicinal herbs that meet all the requirements of color, fragrance and flavor, he grinds, sifts and mixes them together. Giving a dose of these to his children, he tells them: 'This is a highly effective medicine, meeting all the requirements of color, fragrance and flavor. Take it and you will quickly be relieved of your sufferings and will be free of all illness.'

"Those children who have not lost their senses can see that this is good medicine, outstanding in both color and fragrance, so they take it immediately and are completely cured of their sickness. Those who are out of their minds are equally delighted to see their father return and beg him to cure their sickness, but when they are given the medicine, they refuse to take it. Why? Because the poison has penetrated deeply and their minds no longer function as before. So although the medicine is of excellent color and fragrance, they do not perceive it as good.

"The father thinks to himself: My poor children! Because of the poison in them, their minds are completely befuddled. Although they are happy to see me and ask me to cure them, they refuse to take this excellent medicine. I must now resort to some expedient means to induce them to take the medicine. So he says to them: 'You should know that I am now old and worn out, and the time of my death has come. I will leave this good medicine here. You should take it and not worry that it will not cure you.' Having given these instructions, he then goes off to another land where he sends a messenger home to announce, 'Your father is dead.'

"At that time the children, hearing that their father has deserted them and died, are filled with great grief and consternation and think to themselves: If our father were alive he would have pity on us and see that we are protected. But now he has abandoned us and died in some other country far away. We are shelterless orphans with no one to rely on!

"Constantly harboring such feelings of grief, they at last come to their senses and realize that the medicine is in fact excellent in color and fragrance and flavor, and so they take it and are healed of all the effects of the poison. The father, hearing that his children are all cured, immediately returns home and appears to them all once more.

"Good men, what is your opinion? Can anyone say that this skilled physician is guilty of lying?"

"No, World-Honored One."

The Buddha said: "It is the same with me. It has been immeasurable, boundless hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of nayuta and asamkhya kalpas since I attained Buddhahood. But for the sake of living beings I employ the power of expedient means and say that I am about to pass into extinction. In view of the circumstances, however, no one can say that I have been guilty of lies or falsehoods."

At that time the World-Honored One, wishing to state his meaning once more, spoke in verse form, saying:

Since I attained Buddhahood
the number of kalpas that have passed
is an immeasurable hundreds, thousands, ten thousands,
millions, trillions, asamkhyas.
Constantly I have preached the Law, teaching, converting
countless millions of living beings,
causing them to enter the Buddha way,
all this for immeasurable kalpas.
In order to save living beings,
as an expedient means I appear to enter nirvana
but in truth I do not pass into extinction.
I am always here preaching the Law.
I am always here,
but through my transcendental powers
I make it so that living beings in their befuddlement
do not see me even when close by.
When the multitude see that I have passed into extinction,
far and wide they offer alms to my relics.

All harbor thoughts of yearning
and in their minds thirst to gaze at me.
When living beings have become truly faithful,
honest and upright, gentle in intent,
single-mindedly desiring to see the Buddha
not hesitating even if it costs them their lives,
then I and the assembly of monks
appear together on Holy Eagle Peak.
At that time I tell the living beings
that I am always here, never entering extinction,
but that because of the power of an expedient means
at times I appear to be extinct, at other times not,
and that if there are living beings in other lands
who are reverent and sincere in their wish to believe,
then among them too
I will preach the unsurpassed Law.
But you have not heard of this,
so you suppose that I enter extinction.
When I look at living beings
I see them drowned in a sea of suffering;
therefore I do not show myself,
causing them to thirst for me.
Then when their minds are filled with yearning,
at last I appear and preach the Law for them.
Such are my transcendental powers.
For asamkhya kalpas
constantly I have dwelled on Holy Eagle Peak
and in various other places.
When living beings witness the end of a kalpa
and all is consumed in a great fire,
this, my land, remains safe and tranquil,
constantly filled with heavenly and human beings.
The halls and pavilions in its gardens and groves
are adorned with various kinds of gems.
Jeweled trees abound in flowers and fruit
where living beings enjoy themselves at ease.
The gods strike heavenly drums,
constantly making many kinds of music.

Mandarava blossoms rain down,
scattering over the Buddha and the great assembly.
My pure land is not destroyed,
yet the multitude see it as consumed in fire,
with anxiety, fear and other sufferings
filling it everywhere.
These living beings with their various offenses,
through causes arising from their evil actions,
spend asamkhya kalpas
without hearing the name of the Three Treasures.
But those who practice meritorious ways,
who are gentle, peaceful, honest and upright,
all of them will see me
here in person, preaching the Law.
At times for this multitude
I describe the Buddha's life span as immeasurable,
and to those who see the Buddha only after a long time
I explain how difficult it is to meet the Buddha.
Such is the power of my wisdom
that its sagacious beams shine without measure.
This life span of countless kalpas
I gained as the result of lengthy practice.
You who are possessed of wisdom,
entertain no doubts on this point!
Cast them off, end them forever,
for the Buddha's words are true, not false.
He is like a skilled physician
who uses an expedient means to cure his deranged sons.
Though in fact alive, he gives out word he is dead,
yet no one can say he speaks falsely.
I am the father of this world,
saving those who suffer and are afflicted.
Because of the befuddlement of ordinary people,
though I live, I give out word I have entered extinction.
For if they see me constantly,
arrogance and selfishness arise in their minds.
Abandoning restraint, they give themselves up to the
five desires
and fall into the evil paths of existence.
Always I am aware of which living beings
practice the way, and which do not,
and in response to their needs for salvation
I preach various doctrines for them.
At all times I think to myself:
How can I cause living beings
to gain entry into the unsurpassed way
and quickly acquire the body of a Buddha?

[Time for another look]

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings (OTT pgs. 173-174)
Translated by Burton Watson

Nichiren

Chapter Twenty-three: Former Affairs of the Bodhisattva Medicine King

Point Three, regarding the passage "Such is this Lotus Sutra. It can cause living beings to cast off all distress, all sickness and pain. It can unloose all the bonds of birth and death."

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: The very heart of the Lotus Sutra is the teaching that earthly desires are enlightenment, and that the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana. Here the two expressions "cast off" and "unloose" would seem to go directly counter to this teaching.

However, we should take the words "cast off" in the sense of "becomming enlightened concerning." If we look with the eyes of wisdom as they are opened by the "Life Span" chapter of the essential teaching, we will become enlightened to the truth that sickness, pain, and distress are, and have always been, an innate part of life. Such is the wisdom of the Buddha of limitless joy.

The phrase "unloose all the bonds of birth and death" means to unlock us from the error of supposing that we are now encountering birth and death for the first time and to help us to realize that birth and death have always been an innate part of life. Thus we are released from the bonds of supposing that we will attain enlightenment for the first time [as Shakyamuni did in this lifetime in India]. These two expressions "cast off" and "unloose" are in fact expressions of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

[Time for another look]

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Life Span of the Thus Come One" chapter
[如来寿量品] (Jpn.: Nyorai-juryo-hon)

Abbreviated as the "Life Span" chapter. The sixteenth chapter of the Lotus Sutra, in which Shakyamuni Buddha reveals that he originally attained enlightenment in the far distant past rather than in his present life in India as his listeners generally thought. The chapter title "The Life Span of the Thus Come One" means the duration of Shakyamuni's life as a Buddha, that is, how much time has passed since he originally attained Buddhahood. T'ien-t'ai (538-597) of China ranks it as the key chapter of the essential teaching, or the latter fourteen chapters of the sutra. The chapter opens with three exhortations and four entreaties, in which the Buddha three times admonishes the multitude to believe and understand his truthful words, and the assembly four times begs him to preach. Shakyamuni then says, "You must listen carefully and hear of the Thus Come One's secret and his transcendental powers." He proceeds to explain that, while all heavenly and human beings and asuras believe that he first attained enlightenment in his present lifetime under the bodhi tree, it has actually been an incalculable length of time since he attained enlightenment. He then offers a dramatic description of the magnitude of this immeasurably long period. He describes taking a vast number of worlds, grinding them to dust, and then traversing the universe, dropping a particle each time one passes an equally vast number of worlds. Having exhausted all the dust particles, one takes all the worlds traversed, whether they have received a dust particle or not, and grinds them to dust. Then Shakyamuni says: "Let one particle represent one kalpa. The time that has passed since I attained Buddhahood surpasses this by a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, a million nayuta asamkhya kalpas." Commentaries on this chapter refer to this cosmically immense period as "numberless major world system dust particle kalpas." In the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni thus refutes the view that he attained enlightenment for the first time in this life in India and reveals his original attainment of enlightenment in the remote past. T'ien-t'ai refers to this in The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra and The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra as "opening the near and revealing the distant," "casting off the transient and revealing the true," and "opening the transient and revealing the true." Here, "the transient" means Shakyamuni's transient status, and "the true" means his true identity. From his original attainment of Buddhahood, Shakyamuni declares, he has constantly been here in this saha world preaching the Law, appearing as many different Buddhas and using various means to save living beings. Though he says that he enters nirvana, he merely uses his death as a means to arouse in people the desire to seek a Buddha. He then illustrates this idea with the parable of the skilled physician and his sick children. In the parable, the children of a skilled physician have accidentally swallowed poison. Having lost their senses, they refuse the medicine their father offers them as an antidote. The father then goes off to a remote place and sends a message informing his children he has died. Shocked to their senses, the children take the medicine their father has left for them and are cured. The Buddha is compared to the father in this parable, living beings to the children who have drunk poison, and the Buddha's entry into nirvana to the father's report of his own death-an expedient means to arouse in people the aspiration for enlightenment. The chapter concludes with a verse section, which restates the important teachings of the preceding prose section.

In Profound Meaning, T'ien-t'ai interprets the "Life Span" chapter as revealing the three mystic principles of the true cause (the cause for Shakyamuni's original attainment of enlightenment), the true effect (his original enlightenment), and the true land (the place where the Buddha lives and teaches). He interprets the passage "Originally I practiced the bodhisattva way ... " as indicating the stage of non-regression, or the eleventh of the fifty-two stages of bodhisattva practice, which he explained as the true cause that enabled Shakyamuni to attain Buddhahood. In answer to the question of what Shakyamuni practiced in order to reach the stage of non-regression, Nichiren (1222-1282) identified it as the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

Buddha of limitless joy
[自受用身] (Jpn.: jijuyushin)

Buddha of limitless joy is broader in meaning than Buddha of self-enjoyment, which is another translation of jijuyushin.

(1) T'ien-t'ai (538-597) identified the Buddha of limitless joy with the Buddha revealed in the essential teaching (latter half ) of the Lotus Sutra, whom he defined as the Buddha originally endowed with the three bodies-the Dharma body, the reward body, and the manifested body. Here, these three bodies are regarded as the three integral aspects of a single Buddha, i.e., the fundamental truth or Law to which he is enlightened (the Dharma body), the wisdom to realize it (the reward body), and the merciful actions to help people attain Buddhahood (the manifested body).

(2) Dengyo (767-822), the founder of the Japanese Tendai school, is quoted in Nichiren's Real Aspect of the Gohonzon as having stated, "A single moment of life comprising the three thousand realms is itself the Buddha of limitless joy; this Buddha has forsaken august appearances" (832). Dengyo identified the true identity of the Buddha of limitless joy as a single moment of life in which all three thousand realms exist. This is Dengyo's description of the same Buddha T'ien-t'ai mentioned.

(3) Nichiren (1222-1282) identified the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life as the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo that he realized within his own life. In other words, Nichiren established two concepts of three thousand realms in a single moment of life; one is T'ien-t'ai's and the other, his own. In his Treatment of Illness, Nichiren writes: "There are two ways of perceiving the three thousand realms in a single moment of life. One is theoretical, and the other, actual. What T'ien-t'ai and Dengyo practiced was theoretical, but what I practice now is actual. Because what I practice is superior, the difficulties attending it are that much greater. The doctrine of T'ien-t'ai and Dengyo was the three thousand realms in a single moment of life of the theoretical teaching, while mine is that of the essential teaching. These two are as different as heaven is from earth" (1114-115). T'ien-t'ai established the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life based on "the true aspect of all phenomena," the phrase from the "Expedient Means" (second) chapter of the Lotus Sutra.

On the other hand, Nichiren states in The Opening of the Eyes: "The doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life is found in only one place, hidden in the depths of the 'Life Span' chapter of the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra. Nagarjuna and Vasubandhu were aware of it but did not bring it forth into the light. T'ien-t'ai Chih-che alone embraced it and kept it ever in mind" (224). Obviously what T'ien-t'ai embraced and kept ever in mind does not refer to the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life that he expounded publicly. Nichiren regarded it as Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

Nichikan (1665-1726), the twenty-sixth chief priest of Taiseki-ji temple, who is known for his commentaries on Nichiren's writings, interpreted Nichiren's teaching, saying that the Buddha of the essential teaching is not the eternal Buddha but the Buddha who attained enlightenment at a fixed point in time. From this viewpoint, the Buddha of the essential teaching is not eternally endowed with the three bodies, but is rather the Buddha who advanced to the state of limitless joy through the bodhisattva way, thereby acquiring the three bodies. In contrast, Nichikan stated that the Buddha who embodies eternal life endowed with all of the Ten Worlds and the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo whereby all Buddhas attained enlightenment, is originally endowed with the three bodies since time without beginning, and that that Buddha is what Nichiren called the Buddha of beginningless time. Nichikan concluded that Nichiren embodied that Buddha.

See also: Buddha of self-enjoyment; Buddha of beginningless time

Buddha of self-enjoyment
[自受用身] (Jpn.: jijuyushin)

One of the four bodies of a Buddha. These four bodies correspond to the three bodies. They are (1) the self-nature body, which corresponds to the Dharma body; (2) the body of self-enjoyment, which corresponds to the reward body; (3) the body of beneficence, which also corresponds to the reward body; and (4) the transformation body, which is similar to the manifested body. A Buddha of self-enjoyment is one who enjoys the benefits of enlightenment he attained as a result of his past meritorious achievements, such as Shakyamuni when he attained enlightenment under the bodhi tree. This concept of Buddha is contrasted with that of a Buddha of beneficence who responds to the people's desire and benefits them through the various teachings that they hope to hear.

Buddha of beginningless time
[久遠元初の自受用身] (Jpn.: kuonganjo-no-jijuyushin)

Also, eternal Buddha, original Buddha, or true Buddha. The Buddha who has been eternally endowed with the three bodies-the Dharma body, the reward body, and the manifested body, thereby embodying the eternal Law or the ultimate truth of life and the universe. This term appears in Nichiren's (1222-1282) writing given to his successor Nikko and signed by Nichiren. Titled On the Mystic Principle of the True Cause, it refers to "the Mystic Law, uncreated and eternal, of the Buddha of beginningless time," and states that the Mystic Law lies in the depths of the "Life Span" (sixteenth) chapter of the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra. Nichikan (1665-1726), the twenty-sixth chief priest of Taiseki-ji temple, identified Nichiren as that Buddha, based on the fact that Nichiren was the first to spread the Mystic Law. According to Nichiren, the Japanese term jijuyushin literally means the "body that is freely received and used." The Buddha of beginningless time is also called the Buddha of limitless joy-indicating the Buddha who freely derives boundless joy from the Law while enjoying absolute freedom, and who directly expounds the Law that he realized within his own life. In the "Life Span" chapter, Shakyamuni revealed his attainment of Buddhahood numberless major world system dust particle kalpas in the past. No matter how far in the past, however, it occurred at a fixed point in time and therefore is not eternal. Moreover, he did not clarify the Law or cause that enabled him to attain enlightenment at that time.

In contrast, the Buddha of beginningless time is eternal and also represents eternal life endowed with both the nine worlds and Buddhahood. In The Opening of the Eyes, Nichiren states: "This is the doctrine of original cause and original effect. It reveals that the nine worlds are all present in beginningless Buddhahood and that Buddhahood is inherent in the beginningless nine worlds. This is the true mutual possession of the Ten Worlds, the true hundred worlds and thousand factors, the true three thousand realms in a single moment of life" (235). Here "original cause" refers to the "beginningless nine worlds," and "original effect" to "beginningless Buddhahood." What Nichiren defined as "the true three thousand realms in a single moment of life" is the original state of life. To manifest this state of life is the attainment of Buddhahood for all people. Nichiren established the practice that enables everyone to achieve this by inscribing the Gohonzon, or the object of devotion that embodies this original state of life, and prescribing the invocation of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

See also: Buddha of limitless joy; true Buddha

true Buddha
[本仏] (Jpn.: hombutsu)

A Buddha in his true identity, in contrast to his transient or provisional identity. This term is applied in two specific ways:

(1) To Shakyamuni Buddha as he describes himself in the "Life Span" (sixteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra; that is, as having attained Buddhahood in the remote past, countless kalpas ago. In that chapter, Shakyamuni states: "In all the worlds the heavenly and human beings and asuras all believe that the present Shakyamuni Buddha, after leaving the palace of the Shakyas, seated himself in the place of meditation not far from the city of Gaya and there attained supreme perfect enlightenment. But good men, it has been immeasurable, boundless hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of nayutas of kalpas since I in fact attained Buddhahood." With this statement, Shakyamuni redefines his identity as a Buddha who originally attained his enlightenment in the remarkably remote past. From the standpoint of the philosophy of the Lotus Sutra, the Shakyamuni who is thought to have attained enlightenment in the current life under the bodhi tree in India is a "provisional Buddha," or a Buddha in his transient identity. In this provisional identity, Shakyamuni is seen as a temporary manifestation of the true Buddha who employed various temporary, expedient teachings to prepare people to understand his true identity and true teaching and thereby lead them to enlightenment. From the perspective of the content of the Lotus Sutra, the true Buddha corresponds to the Shakyamuni depicted in the essential teaching (latter half ) of the Lotus Sutra, while the Buddha in his transient identity is the Shakyamuni of the theoretical teaching (first half ) of the sutra.

(2) As a reference to Nichiren (1222-1282), applied to him traditionally by those in the lineage of his disciple Nikko. In The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra, T'ien-t'ai (538-597) refers to the true cause and the true effect as the first two of the ten mystic principles of the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra based on the revelation of Shakyamuni's original attainment of enlightenment in the remote past. He associates the true cause with the sentence in the "Life Span" chapter, "Originally I practiced the bodhisattva way, and the life that I acquired then has yet to come to an end," and the true effect with the sentence, "Since I attained Buddhahood, an extremely long period of time has passed." In the remote past, Shakyamuni practiced the bodhisattva way (the true cause) and attained Buddhahood (the true effect). Shakyamuni never specifically reveals, however, what teaching he originally practiced, the original cause or seed of his Buddhahood.

Regarding this, Nichiren states: "The doctrine of the sowing of the seed and its maturing and harvesting is the very heart and core of the Lotus Sutra. All the Buddhas of the three existences and the ten directions have invariably attained Buddhahood through the seeds represented by the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo" (1015). From this perspective, Nichiren is regarded as the teacher of the true cause, and Shakyamuni as the teacher of the true effect. This is because in the Lotus Sutra Shakyamuni revealed his eternal Buddhahood, the effect of his original bodhisattva practice. He did not, however, reveal the true cause or the nature of the specific practice by which he attained it. Nichiren, on the other hand, revealed the teaching and practice of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which he identified as the true cause that enables all people to attain Buddhahood. This viewpoint identifies Nichiren as the true Buddha.

Nichiren explains the passage of the Lotus Sutra cited above, "It has been immeasurable, boundless hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of nayutas of kalpas since I in fact attained Buddhahood," in The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings. He says, "'I in fact' is explaining that Shakyamuni in fact attained Buddhahood in the inconceivably remote past. The meaning of this chapter, however, is that 'I' represents the living beings of the phenomenal world. 'I' here refers to each and every being in the Ten Worlds. 'In fact' establishes that 'I' is a Buddha eternally endowed with the three bodies. This is what is being called a 'fact.' 'Attained' refers both to the one who attains and to what is attained.

'Attain' means to open or reveal. It is to reveal that the beings of the phenomenal world are Buddhas eternally endowed with the three bodies. 'Buddhahood' means being enlightened to this." Here Nichiren is saying that every being is essentially "a Buddha eternally endowed with the three bodies," a true Buddha. In this sense, "true Buddha" refers to the Buddha nature eternally inherent in the lives of all living beings. In The True Aspect of All Phenomena, Nichiren states, "A common mortal is an entity of the three bodies, and a true Buddha. A Buddha is a function of the three bodies, and a provisional Buddha" (384).

true cause
[本因妙] (Jpn.: honnin-myo)

Also, the mystic principle of the true cause. One of the ten mystic principles of the essential teaching (latter half ) of the Lotus Sutra formulated by T'ien-t'ai (538-597) in The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra. It refers to the practice that Shakyamuni carried out countless kalpas in the past in order to attain his original enlightenment. The term contrasts with the true effect, or the original enlightenment Shakyamuni achieved countless kalpas before his enlightenment in India. The true cause is indicated by the phrase in the "Life Span" (sixteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, "Originally I practiced the bodhisattva way ..." Profound Meaning defines "bodhisattva way" as the true cause of Shakyamuni's original enlightenment. Shakyamuni did not clarify, however, what the bodhisattva way was. T'ien-t'ai interpreted it as a reference to the first stage of security, or the eleventh of the fifty-two stages of bodhisattva practice, i.e., the stage of non-regression, the attainment of which he defined as the true cause for Shakyamuni's original enlightenment. However, what teaching or Law Shakyamuni had practiced to attain the stage of non-regression remained unclear. Nichiren (1222-1282) identified the true cause, or fundamental Law, that enables all Buddhas to attain their enlightenment, as the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Because he fully revealed the true cause for attaining Buddhahood and established a universal way of practice, in his lineage Nichiren is called the teacher of the true cause, while Shakyamuni is called the teacher of the true effect.

From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism

[Time for another look]

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Now you have confirmed my belief your seeking spirit is on par with mine!

Bonz I feel very emotional right now, I am truly overjoyed at your words. Do you realize once again my prayers have been answered attributed to your benefit. Your comprehension that you must seek to further understand and practice the Law proves beyond a doubt, its time you seek to acquire your Gohonzon.

When you acquire you Gohonzon and begin your practice, then count on me to further encourage you anyway possible to attempt the unthinkable, instill the consistency we need to match our faith and continue propagating frequently our seeds of buddha joy (our very own posts) and expounding the absolute truth behind Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

I have been watching your journey, watching your seeking spirit come into "phase" with our growing understanding of Nichiren Buddhism as I too find myself on common ground. Understanding the multifaceted aspects of practice is important, because qutie frankly I'm a pothead and sometimes even I wonder, "what are you doing EasyD!".

Should we not toke if we are to realize our unlimited potential, personally I don't really know because my personal revolution has brought me to the point where I am making significant changes that are making positive effects, and thats something I enjoy more than other things. However, toking is what I do and growing is just another part of me that I embrace just as I embrace my happiness at this moment with Bonz's growth within SGI, and also the thread is back in effect!!

All the days we missed out on this thread were not in vain for the most extraordinairy effects were realized.... Lets just say with Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, no mission is impossible!

May the protective forces enhance their protection and your personal growth continue to flourish.

nam myoho renge kyo

[Time for another look]

 

[PassTheDoobie]

As always thank you dearly for the great posts and continued supply of relavent, nourishing, potent wisdom from various resources. I must point out this excerpt applies to me considerably since recently in my studies I have had a stronger interest for more information relating to Shakymuni's and Nichiren's underlying motivation with respect to consistency within solely the personal realm of the complex configurations within some of our "personal natural processes" in other words, I am a disco duck and every saturday night I do the electric slide or the hustle but until I danced every saturday night without inhibitions without second thoughts never missing a sunday eventually dancing 7 days a week in a productive trance attracting the masses to my hot moves and they in turn passing on those moves and so forth, I did not reach the Travolta post barbarino glamour on the floor I bring every sunday.

Alright I made reference to cannabis and this is a cannabis site, its alright to go off in another direction, but back to the matter at hand, since Nichiren is the teacher of the true cause does that make me also the teacher of the true cause or the student of the true cause. I want to further understand my personal relationship with Nichiren and I have no basis besides my relationship with the Gohonzon, my relationship with my mentors and my meetings here and in my district. I want to know how what applies to Nichiren applies to me, how since I am finding that if I adjust my life in accordance with my understanding with the law, my progressive personal revolution will continue to flourish.

How can I understand that I feel as I am an envoy of the law but at the same a human encompassing shariputra's doubts and EasyDisco's immense appreciation? What is going on here? I have more questions now than I ever did.
sorry if I lost you, still trying to figure it out myself? lol

[Time for another look]

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Easy, in my opinion one must first have a personal understanding of this:

oneness of the Person and the Law
[人法一箇] (Jpn.: nimpo-ikka)

A principle established by Nichikan (1665-1726), the twenty-sixth chief priest of Taiseki-ji temple in Japan, with regard to Nichiren's (1222-1282) teaching, indicating that the object of devotion in terms of the Person and the object of devotion in terms of the Law are one in their essence. The Law is inseparable from the Person and vice versa. The "Treasure Tower" (eleventh) chapter of the Lotus Sutra states, "If one upholds this [sutra], one will be upholding the Buddha's body." This means that the Lotus Sutra is the Buddha's body; that is, the Buddha (Person) and the teaching (Law) he expounded are one and inseparable. Nichiren revealed and spread the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and inscribed it in the form of a mandala, known as the Gohonzon, to enable all people in the Latter Day of the Law to attain Buddhahood; for this reason he is regarded as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law. This is the object of devotion in terms of the Law, or the physical embodiment of the eternal and intrinsic Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo that Nichiren realized and manifested within his own life. Hence Nichiren is the object of devotion in terms of the Person. In his Reply to Kyo'o, Nichiren writes, "The soul of Nichiren is nothing other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" (412). This means that Nichiren realized Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as the origin and basis of his life and embodied it as a mandala. Nichiren also writes in the same reply, "I, Nichiren, have inscribed my life in sumi ink, so believe in the Gohonzon with your whole heart" (412). Ultimately, Nichiren's life embodied the principle of the oneness of the Person and the Law, as does the Gohonzon, the object of devotion he established.

From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism


And the correct understanding can only come through faith. An intellectual understanding of this concept is of no real value in regard to answering your question. It must come from the depths of one's life. If one chants Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, they have validated the fact that they are a Bodhisattva of the Earth. If one is a Bodhisattva of the Earth, this answer lies within one's life and is within one's grasp to correctly comprehend. But the key that unlocks the door to that wisdom is nothing other than faith.

As Ted Osaki explained it to me: Nichiren was born of the tenth world, and revealed the other nine. All other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are born of the nine worlds and reveal the tenth. However, based on the mercy and compassion of the Entity of the Law, who is the Buddha of limitless joy, who is the Buddha of beginningless time, who manifested in the saha world we call Earth, as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law; the enlightenment we have the potential to embody and experience is EXACTY THE SAME.

But because we experience the same enlightenment, that doesn't make us anything other than True Buddhas or Buddhas whose enlightenment reveals their original state by practicing and propagating the teaching of true cause revealed by, and embodied in the life of, the afore mentioned Entity of the Law--Nichiren. This is the Buddha known as the 'Thus Come One Nam-myoho-renge-kyo'.

Chant! You can only understand this through faith! Your experiences of seeing the power of the Law in your life through chanting are what allow you to have faith! So our problems are our great good fortune, because these are the stimuli that most often inspire us to awaken our Buddha nature!

Only with the awakening of our Buddha nature can we acquire the faith to achieve this wisdom. Wisdom is aquired through the function of compassion. Compassion is embodied in the process of using our life experiences (victories overcoming problems based on our practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the Gohonzon) to encourage others to also chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and practice Buddhism according to the teachings of Nichiren. It's all a big circle that just keeps going round and round.

And what that wheel is rolling towards is "The Buddha's Will"--kosen-rufu. If we practice with the same mind as Nichiren, AS BODHISATTVAS OF THE EARTH WE ARE ALREADY BUDDHAS, which is the basis of the Daishonin's teachings. We manifest as Bodhisattvas out of compassion for other living beings to allow them to manifest their Buddha natures as well. In the process we reveal the wisdom that already lies obscured and dormant within our own lives and the lives of all other living beings--Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

Did that at all help answer your question?

[Time for another look]

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

Keep Chanting Folks-Protect your Practice!

Keep Chanting Folks-Protect your Practice!

YES, YES, YES, YES! It is right here in these pages, post after Buddfarific post!

I bow in obeisance and peace to my humble and compassionate good brother T! I bow in obeisance to my good brother Bud and Mrs.B, we changed our worlds in this lifetime!

WOW, all I can say is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

 

[Babbabud]

Nam myoho renge kyo

From a translation of "Daily Gosho", published in the Seikyo Shimbun.

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"What is the poison? It is the three paths of earthly desires, karma, and suffering that are our lot. What is the medicine? It is the Dharma body, wisdom, and emancipation. And what does it mean to change poison into medicine? It means to transform the three paths into the three virtues: the Dharma body, wisdom, and emancipation.... This is what the attainment of Buddhahood in one's present form means."

Nam myoho renge kyo

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Sometimes you'll encounter situations where things don't go as you would like. When that happens, voice constructive opinions. Speak out confidently and articulate your views. Respect people of character and integrity, and stand up bravely to the high-handed and arrogant."

SGI Newsletter No. 7889, 34th SOKA GAKKAI HEADQUARTERS LEADERS MEETING—PART 2 [OF 2] True Victory Depends on Fostering Capable Successors, from the Nov. 25th, 2009 issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, translated Dec. 4th, 2009

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Question: What is the difference between the historical figure of Shakyamuni Buddha in India and Shakyamuni Buddha of the "Life Span of the Thus Come One" chapter of the Lotus Sutra?

Answer: This raises an important point that applies to many figures, terms and stories in the study of Buddhism. There are several levels of understanding or perspectives. There is the surface meaning of the words themselves; there is the intent behind the words; and there can be hidden meanings not evident to the casual observer. There are meanings that are explicit and meanings that are implicit.

From one perspective, Shakyamuni was a historical figure that lived in India over two thousand years ago. He was the prince who leaves the castle to seek a solution to suffering, attains enlightenment and begins teaching others as the Buddha. All his teachings prior to the Lotus Sutra lead up to Shakyamuni's attainment of Buddhahood in the current lifetime.

As a character in the Lotus Sutra he continues with this view up to the "Life Span of the Thus Come One" sixteenth chapter. In this chapter he shocks his followers by saying that this is not his true identity. His true identity is that of a Buddha who attained enlightenment in the inconceivably remote past. In other words, he was born into this world having already become a Buddha. Therefore, his actions as an ordinary person for the sake of others over countless lifetimes were all expressions of, rather than a means to attain, Buddhahood. This opens the way for the idea that ordinary persons can themselves be Buddhas who express their enlightenment through their mundane actions, particularly in their efforts to help others. (This is a basis for the concept of the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds. ) It also attests to the enduring nature of Buddhahood: rather than being simply a hard-won state of spiritual attainment, it is an ever-present innate condition that transcends birth and death.

So we have two perspectives: one of the historical figure who became a Buddha during the confines of his life in India; and one whose enlightenment takes on universal proportions that reveal a truth inherent in all life. The "Life Span" chapter explains that the Shakyamuni who attained enlightenment for the first time in India is a provisional or "expedient" Buddha and the Shakyamuni who attained enlightenment in the remote past, and whose life is eternal, is a true Buddha. But there is one further perspective.

Another statement in the "Life Span" chapter states, "Originally I practiced the bodhisattva way..." (LS16, 227). This refers to the true cause of Shakyamuni's original enlightenment. Shakyamuni, however, does not clarify what this "bodhisattva way" was. There is no precise reference to what practice or teaching enabled the Buddha to attain this state. Thus, the true cause of Shakyamuni's original attainment of enlightenment remained a mystery. He simply refers to the "wonderful Law" that he preaches to "awaken joyful minds" (LS16, 226).

Once Nichiren Daishonin identified this Law as Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the Lotus Sutra and Shakyamuni can be viewed from their most profound perspective. In other words, this Buddha who attained enlightenment in the remote past and who eternally continues to guide people is an attribute that is a function of the Mystic Law-the fundamental Law of the universe. In Lectures on the "Expedient Means" and "Life Span" Chapters of the Lotus Sutra President Ikeda says: "Myo-ho-renge-kyo is itself the true entity of the Buddha who attained enlightenment in the remote past. Shakyamuni and all Buddhas are functions of the Mystic Law" (vol. 2, p. 9). Nichiren Daishonin states, "It is Myoho-renge-kyo that is the true Buddha (WND, 384).

When we reach the final perspective of the sutra we arrive at the ultimate truth that exists in the lives of all people. We transcend the boundaries of historical personages and reveal universal truths that define all life. The Daishonin states "'Thus Come One' [in the chapter's title] refers to all living beings" (Gosho Zenshu, p. 752).

In his lectures on "The Opening of the Eyes," President Ikeda explains: "The correct teaching is the doctrine of "three thousand realms in a single moment of life " hidden in the depths of the Lotus Sutra and the doctrine of 'the original cause and original effect' expounded in the "Life Span" chapter of the Lotus Sutra's essential teaching. Expressed more simply, it is the principle of the 'true mutual possession of the Ten Worlds' (WND, 235), whereby in defeating our fundamental darkness through pure and strong faith, we can bring the eternal state of the world of Buddhahood to manifest in the other nine worlds within our lives. This is the teaching that enables us to reveal the world of Buddhahood within our other nine worlds and realize the 'attainment of Buddhahood in our present form' and the 'attainment of Buddhahood in this lifetime.' This alone is the correct teaching of the Latter Day" (November Living Buddhism, 2004, p. 28).

In the Latter Day of the Law, the Lotus Sutra is only relevant if read from Nichiren Daishonin's perspective-the perspective of the Mystic Law hidden in the depths of the sutra and revealed by him. Then the sutra is not the story of the life of Shakyamuni, but is the story of our own lives.

President Ikeda recalls second president of the Soka Gakkai Josei Toda's statement: "'The common mortal of kuon ganjo [beginningless time] appears,' he says. This is a wonderful way of putting it. Herein lies the heart of the Lotus Sutra" (Lectures, vol. 2, p. 37). Despite our troubles and worries as common mortals, the Daishonin assures us that we are all manifestations of the Mystic Law and "a Thus Come One who is originally enlightened" (WND, p. 300).

Therefore, to make the human form of Shakyamuni the object of devotion or the focus of one's prayers, as numerous Buddhist schools practice (including those calling themselves Nichiren Buddhists) is a mistaken understanding of the Buddha's teachings. The Daishonin clearly states: "Now, in the Latter Day of the Law, neither the Lotus Sutra nor the other sutras lead to enlightenment. Only Nam-myoho-renge-kyo can do so" (WND, 903). President Ikeda further states: "The Latter Day, during which the Buddha predicts "the pure Law will become obscured and lost," is indeed a time when the correct teaching is obscured and evil intensifies. Battling fundamental darkness is an indispensable part of practicing the correct teaching in this latter age"

By Dave Baldschun
SGI-USA Vice Study Department Leader
( http://sokaspirit.org/about/featured/a_20061002.shtml )

Titled: "Will the real Shakyamuni Buddha please stand up?"

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"(Some have fled headlong while others have retreated, and still others have been captured to become my disciples.) I continue to repulse their attacks and to defeat them, but legions of enemies exist who oppose the single Dharma King and the handful who follow him. So the battle goes on even today."

(On Practicing the Buddha's Teachings - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 392) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, Dec. 9th, 2009