Chanting Growers Group

[EasyMyohoDisco]

Faith is the Key!

Faith is the Key!

The Daishonin urges,
"Teach others to the best of your ability, even if it is only a single sentence or phrase.(*) ("The True Aspect of All Phenomena," WND I, p. 386)
Dialogue is to be treasured. Let's continuously engage ourselves in conversational exchanges for the sake of peace and friendship. (D. Ikeda)

I had a course whose final exam was last Sunday. The last month has been the most taxing in my work career and I've been falling behind in my homework and studies pursuing pipe dreams at work, lol. Anywho, I realized how soon the final came last friday when I knew I was not feeling prepared and on Sunday would be Kosen-rufu Gongyo. I became very excited when it became clear what I had to do:

Realizing that I had to protect the members and set-up the show I made a determination to put my faith first then to come home and study take my final exam (online). I put my whole heart into this shift, I did my best - I was everywhere and everything ran smoothly! I even had to work with the audio and video setup (which was the only thing I've never had to do) because we were short handed while doing the stage setups between performances and presentations (mics, podium, etc). The coordination with two other area and region leaders was extraordinary and KRG was a complete success!! I felt great!

I came home immediately after and studied for a couple hours then I dived right into the test. Two hours later I felt good about the exam and the next day (last monday) my Honors English professor sent me an amazing congratulatory email and asked if she could use my writings in future classes she will teach! I got an A! I've been chanting for A's so that I could go to Berkley, Harvard or Yale and I got exactly what I needed! CAUSE AND EFFECT IS ABSOLUTE, but that was not the secret I learned in my practice that I applied in this situation.

The trick or secret is that I put all my faith entirely in NIchiren Daishonin The Original Nam-myoho-renge-kyo Thus Come One! Nichiren Daishonin is the only Buddha to be taught directly by the Law and faith in that aspect of our practice is something folks who are ready to go beyond the first stage of practice should really forge forward with. First just Chant! Keep chanting Daimoku, then take steps to make this practice a very important part of your life until it ultimately becomes how you start, how you live, and how you end your days, each and everyday!

Let's keep appreciating each 'posts and keep going forward like Champions because we are! Champions of the Heart and Champions of a Better Today and an Even Better Tomorrow!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
We are the Buddha and we make our own benefits!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Easy!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"The great ocean is shallow compared to the profoundness of the debt you owe your mother."

(The Four Virtues and the Four Debts of Gratitude - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.2, page 637) Selection source: "Myoji no Gen", Seikyo Shimbun, May 9th, 2010

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"In discussing the three obstacles ((the obstacles of earthly desires, karma, and retribution) and four devils (the hindrances of earthly desires, the five components, death, and the devil king) that beset practitioners of Buddhism, President Toda often used to say: 'You may be able to triumph over the three obstacles and the first three devils or hindrances, which includes even death, but the last one--the devil king--is truly formidable.'

"As we also see in other writings of the Daishonin, the devil king manipulates the minds of arrogant lay people and arrogant priests and possesses the bodies of arrogant false sages who in turn influence the ruling authorities to harass and persecute the votary of the Lotus Sutra.

"Elsewhere, the Daishonin states: 'The single word 'belief' is the sharp sword with which one confronts and overcomes fundamental darkness or ignorance' (OTT, 119-20). Mr. Toda also frequently emphasised: 'The sharp sword of faith is the only means for defeating the devil king of the sixth heaven.' When we vanquish fundamental darkness or ignorance through faith in the Mystic Law, the fundamental nature of enlightenment, or Dharma nature, with which our life is inherently endowed, will well forth. The Dharma nature is the ultimate truth of all phenomena to which the Buddha became awakened.

"Attaining Buddhahood, in a sense, means winning in this struggle between darkness and enlightenment. Through the practice of shakubuku, those who uphold the Lotus Sutra can bring forth the fundamental nature of enlightenment in their own lives and help others do the same."

SGI Newsletter No. 7990, LEARNING FROM THE WRITINGS OF NICHIREN DAISHONIN: THE TEACHINGS FOR VICTORY, [15] 'On Practicing the Buddha's Teachings'--Part 3, Encountering Great Obstacles Is Proof of Propagating The Correct Teaching for Attaining Buddhahood in The Latter Day of the Law, from the March 2010 issue of the Daibyakurenge, translated May 7th, 2010

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Daishonin encourages us to "teach others to the best of your ability, even if it is only a single sentence or phrase."* Talking with others about Nichiren Buddhism and its philosophy is how we can accumulate the most valuable treasures in our lives. For the sake of establishing peace in society and developing meaningful friendships, let's try our best to have courageous, honest and sincere conversations with as many people as we possibly can!

Daisaku Ikeda

*"Exert yourself in the two ways of practice and study. Without practice and study, there can be no Buddhism. You must not only persevere yourself; you must also teach others. Both practice and study arise from faith. Teach others to the best of your ability, even if it is only a single sentence or phrase." - "The True Aspect of All Phenomena", WND-I, page 386

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"When we bring forth the power of courageous faith and practice that accords with the Buddha’s teachings, the infinite power of the Buddha and the Law will manifest without fail."

SGI Newsletter No. 7973*, LEARNING FROM THE WRITINGS OF NICHIREN DAISHONIN: THE TEACHINGS FOR VICTORY, [14] "On Practicing the Buddha's Teachings"--Part 2 [of 3] The Compassionate Practice of Shakubuku, from the February 2010 issue of the Daibyakurenge, translated April 5th, 2010

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Be diligent in developing your faith until the last moment of your life. Otherwise you will have regrets."

(Letter to Niike - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 1027) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, April 7th, 2010

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Gratitude

Gratitude

Our lives are supported by an intricate web woven by the effort and consideration of countless people. The unseen daily exertions of others are behind each of the innumerable elements that sustain and enhance our daily existence, from the food we eat to the products and amenities we use. Moment by moment, the natural environment supports and makes possible our lives. Gratitude is the joyful recognition of this fact.

While the admonition to "count one's blessings" may seem trite, in times of trial a sense of gratitude for what is good in our lives can ground us and provide a basis for meeting and overcoming difficulties. In this sense, gratitude is the key to unlocking a more open and rewarding perspective on life. Feelings of appreciation are always accompanied by the elevation of one's state of life and the broadening of one's perspective. And, the more our life expands, the more profound our sense of gratitude becomes, to the point where we can feel appreciation even for the problems we face in life.

SGI President Daisaku Ikeda frequently calls on young people to take on difficult challenges, in order to be able to grow. To be able to look back on one's struggles with appreciation is proof of spiritual victory. To be able to greet even the most severe hardships with a sense of gratitude, rooted in a firm confidence of ultimate triumph, is an expression of the free, unfettered life condition of Buddhahood.

This is why the 13th-century Buddhist priest Nichiren could state that he felt the deepest gratitude toward Hei no Saemon-no-jo, the government official who persecuted him and attempted to have him killed. It was precisely because of Hei no Saemon-no-jo's persecutions that Nichiren was able to test and prove the power of his convictions, drawing forth from within profound strength and sense of purpose.

Nichiren's letters to his followers almost always open with a detailed and heartfelt expression of thanks for their offerings and support. Citing various examples from history, Nichiren writes of gratitude as an essential component of our humanity. Daisaku Ikeda has described it as the very essence of Buddhism.

In contrast, ingratitude is an outgrowth of the arrogant delusion that we are fundamentally detached and separate from each other and our surroundings. To lose sight of the reality of our mutual interdependence makes us prey to the destructive impulses of envy and greed.

Nichiren describes three categories of people on whom our lives depend and to whom we owe gratitude. These are, in the language of his time, the sovereign, the teacher and the parent. Our gratitude toward our parents is elemental, since it is through them that our individual lives arose and that we are connected to the larger web of existence. The teacher in the Buddhist context refers specifically to one's mentor in practice and faith. In a broader sense it refers to the indispensable role of education in human life and all those who help shape the development of our character through their positive influence. The sovereign, in contemporary context, refers to society itself.

In this sense, sovereign, teacher and parent all function to enhance life. They can even be understood to represent the fundamentally compassionate nature of the universe, the core evolutionary impulse of life to move toward fulfillment and expression of its potential.

Maintaining a sense of appreciation connects our lives to this impulse. To honor and act on that sense of appreciation—to "repay one's debt of gratitude"—is to act in accordance with the core direction of the cosmos. It is to make efforts to develop our character, to support that which enhances and oppose that which diminishes life, to take action based on a courageous and humanitarian spirit—this is what gives full, beautiful expression to our humanity and the inherent dignity of life. This could be considered the core spirit of religion. It is the essential focus of the SGI movement, which centers on the question of what each of us can do now to benefit those around us. Peace and the transformation of society begin from the exercise of this spirit in our immediate surroundings.

[Courtesy July 2009 SGI Quarterly]

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"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."

(On Prayer - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 345) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, May 10th, 2010

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Those persons who had heard the Law dwelled here and there in various Buddha lands, constantly reborn in company with their teachers."

(The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 217) Selection source: Soka Gakkai member's experience, Seikyo Shimbun, May 1st, 2010

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"The encouragement of friends with shared aims is an important source of courage and advancement. A network of friendship protects, hones, and strengthens people."

SGI Newsletter No. 7987, The New Human Revolution--Vol. 23: Chap. 2, Light of Learning 49, translated April 30th, 2010

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

Palms Together

Why Do We Chant with Our Palms Together?


(Living Buddhism- Jan| Feb 10. pg. 103)

Most of the world's major religions use hand positions in prayer. One of the most common positions used by Buddhists, Hindus and Christians is the pressing of one's palms together at chest or head level. When combined with a bow, it is known as namaskar or namaste, an ancient reverential greeting that is common throughout central and southeastern Asia to this day. Nam, or devotion, in Nam Myoho renge kyo derives from the same root as namas in namaste. The Lotus Sutra makes numerous reference to bowing with palms together as a sign of deep respect for the Buddha and Bodhisattvas. For example, "Teacher of the Law," the 10th chapter, reads: "Wherever {practitioners of the Lotus Sutra} may go, one should greet them with bows, with palms pressed single-mindedly together, with reverence and alms, with respect and praise" (The Lotus Sutra and Its Opening and Closing Sutras, p.201).

Pressing palms together while chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is a Nichiren Buddhist tradition, imparting a sense of respect, seriousness and determination. It should be noted, however, that Nichiren placed the greatest emphasis on faith and dedication rather than on peripheral details. SGI President Ikeda states in The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra: "Regarding the oneness of Buddhahood and the nine worlds, putting our palms together when we pray symbolizes this. It also represents the Mystic Law.

In The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, the Daishonin says: '[In the term pressing palms together,] 'pressing' means myo, or wonderful, while 'palms' refers to ho or the Law....Or again, 'pressing' is the world of Buddhahood, and 'palms' are the nine worlds' (p.45).

"In other worlds, Buddhahood lies in chanting [Nam myoho renge kyo] based on faith no matter what happens. Whatever sufferings of the nine worlds we may be undergoing, through strong faith we can lead lives in which the nine worlds manifest the world of Buddhahood, and the world of Buddhahood manifests the nine worlds") vol. 4, pp. 194-95).

(I grabbed this post my friend Selius' blog) Connaissance du jour!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The sutra states, “Those persons who had heard the Law dwelled here and there in various Buddha lands, constantly reborn in company with their teachers,” (and “If one stays close to the teachers of the Law, one will speedily gain the bodhisattva way.)

(The Essentials for Attaining Buddhahood - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 747) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, May 12th, 2010

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Buddhism is a struggle to be victorious. It is by defeating the three obstacles and four devils and the three powerful enemies that one proves oneself to be a genuine votary of the Lotus Sutra."

SGI Newsletter No. 7990, LEARNING FROM THE WRITINGS OF NICHIREN DAISHONIN: THE TEACHINGS FOR VICTORY, [15] 'On Practicing the Buddha's Teachings'--Part 3, Waging a Struggle of Profound Compassion amid Great Obstacles, from the March 2010 issue of the Daibyakurenge, translated May 7th, 2010.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"The greater the hardships befalling him, the greater the delight he feels, because of his strong faith."

(A Ship to Cross the Sea of Suffering - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 33)
Selection source: New Human Revolution "Courage" - 34, Seikyo Shimbun, May 11th, 2010

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"The crucial point is that overcoming adversity in the course of propagating the correct teaching is what marks one as a genuine votary of the Lotus Sutra. For it is by triumphing over daunting obstacles that one can prove the power of the Law."

SGI Newsletter No. 7990, LEARNING FROM THE WRITINGS OF NICHIREN DAISHONIN: THE TEACHINGS FOR VICTORY, [15] 'On Practicing the Buddha's Teachings'--Part 3, Waging a Struggle of Profound Compassion amid Great Obstacles, from the March 2010 issue of the Daibyakurenge, translated May 7th, 2010.

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

Gotta stop slandering under my breath and down talking others! I really try and highlight my faults and stay as critical as possible with regards to myself because I'm the only one controlling myself! I'm doing my best and definitely in this for the rest of my life!

I want everyone who reads this thread in our organization and outside to know how human I really am and how much I fuck up. In fact, I highlight the fuck ups on this thread as often as the good times because even in the Fuck Ups I see my Buddhanature shining away like the beacon of light leading my peers to the Land of Eternally Tranquil light and Genuine Prosperity of the soul.

I have also developed a stand alone and Mugi Wasshin based practice and am committed to keep this movement alive even if I have the misfortune of being the last man alive. I've got a tremendous road ahead to reach the finish line of my goals, but in this process of practicing the Middle Way, I keep progressing one step at a time and I keep innovating new ways to overcome fundamental darkness.

Lately, I've been chanting alot and feel very protected by the shoten-zenjin. I am putting all my trust in Gohonzon that the things that are going on and equally the things that aren't happening are the Buddha's will. I will always be totally dedicated to those who always stand by my side and especially those that don't waver or pick and choose when they will stand by my side. Even some people I've been trying to get away from just stick to me like glue and don't quit, so neither will I.

Life is not totally in our control unless we grasp the essence of ichinen sanzen or as the Buddha puts it "3000 realms in a single moment". I'm perceiving that my life and life's work will ultimately hinge and the sustainability of my practice, but with the anchor of my faith there is nothing holding me back from accomplishing a life long practice.

Everything depends on the Gohonzon and even to my friends I sound like a broken record, but I continue everyday to unceasingly encourage them to seek Nichiren and chant to the Gohonzon. "Seek Sensei" is not what I say to anyone and not the chanting growers way (WE SEEK SENSIMILLA!). We seek enlightenment from the Original Nam-myoho-renge-kyo Thus Come One Buddha of Beginningless time to seek enlightenment through another vessel is equivalent to engaging an erroneous teaching worse than Nembutsu, Zen or Catholicism. In the second volume of the Goshos we learn to summarily refute all Buddhist schools off the tip of our tongues in a myoho freestyle if you will! My issues with other religions such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are simply to overcome the barriers I encounter in attempting to present the basis for chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to others.

Nichiren is very strict in his writings and Orally Transmitted Teachings regarding our conduct as his practitioners. Every stage of the Buddhist Practice Nichiren revealed to the world is in this thread so that when you are ready to move beyond chanting and feel ready and willing to take it up a notch, read some more in this thread and engage fellow Buddhists throughout the world! The harmony begins with your daimoku and can be refreshed at any point 24/7 through reading this thread, by your own accord or through a diligent practice that involves other folks also aligned with our intention to keep striving for kosen-rufu throughout the rest of this life.

Thanks for your time, this post felt good to put down! Domo arigato (mr.roboto).

 

[Babbabud]

From "Persons of the Two Vehicles and Bodhisattvas Cannot Attain Buddhahood in the Pre-Lotus Sutra Teachings", in The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol II, page 177.

To doubt that one can bring forth the Buddha nature and therefore to fail to set one's mind on the attainment of enlightenment is what is meant by possession of an inferior and unworthy mind. To be confident that one possesses the Buddha nature and to go about declaring that one has set one's mind on the attainment of enlightenment is what is meant by possession of an arrogant mind. Though all things are lacking in an inherent self, to cling to the idea that they have a self is what is meant by clinging to what is unreal and illusory. To deny and speak slanderously of the wisdom and blessings inherent in the purity of all phenomena is what is meant by slandering the true doctrine. To be conscious only of one's own existence and to have no wish to show pity toward all living beings is what is meant by thinking only of oneself. By replacing these five faults with the five virtues and understanding once and for all that all beings possess the Buddha nature, one can set one's mind on the attainment of enlightenment.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Come, let us set about scaling the loftiest peak of kosen-rufu with the spirit of many in body and one in mind! Just as the Gosho teaches us, let's 'transcend all differences among ourselves to become as inseparable as fish and the water in which we swim.'* Let us go all out to create the most remarkable history of victory by striving wholeheartedly - together!

Daisaku Ikeda

* Gosho, The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life - WND-1, pg 217, "All disciples and lay supporters of Nichiren should chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with the spirit of many in body but one in mind, transcending all differences among themselves to become as inseparable as fish and the water in which they swim."