Chanting Growers Group (2013-∞)

[PassTheDoobie]

"Buddhism is like the body, and society like the shadow. When the body bends, so does the shadow."

(A Comparison of the Lotus and Other Sutras - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 1039) Selection source: The New Human Revolution: Dashing Foward - 55, Seikyo Shimbun, July 8th, 2013

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings (pg 231)

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings (pg 231)

All the Twenty-eight Chapters of the Lotus Sutra Are Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

13. Encouraging Devotion

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: In this chapter, when Shakyamini’s aunt, Mahaprajapati and Yashodhara are given a prophecy that they will attain Buddhahood, this is a prophecy that all living beings of the Ten Worlds will simultaneously attain Buddhahood. This is because Shakyamuni’s aunt is the aunt of the Wonderful Law and Yashodhara is the Yashodhara of the Wonderful Law.

The nature of the mind of the living beings of the Ten Worlds is the essence of the sutra that is to be accepted and upheld. This is the transmission of the sutra that is expressed in this, the “Encouraging Devotion” chapter. That is, one is being encouraged to pay devotion to the sutra that upholds the nature of the mind, and to devote oneself to practicing for one’s own sake and converting others.

Shakyamuni’s aunt and Yashodhara represent the attainment of Buddhahood by women. And the reference to the twenty thousand bodhisattvas at the beginning of the chapter refers to the transmission carried out by men. This chapter, then, is indicating that yin and yang, female and male, are a single entity, the entity of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.


[fifteen more to share...]

 

[Payaso]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

My sister is arriving for a visit today, have not seen her in two years - it will be great!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

Chanting for Peace and Compassion for all...thank you for being here

 

[BushyOldGrower]

Chanting helps me manage my mood swings...it makes me Mr. wonderful again!

Have a nice visit with your sister Payaso.

We are working to spread our seeds up to Seattle, WA and we chant for a prosperous week-end. Bog

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings (pg 232)

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings (pg 232)

All the Twenty-eight Chapters of the Lotus Sutra Are Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

14. Peaceful Practices

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: Since these are Peaceful Practices of the Wonderful Law, the actions of those in the Ten Worlds and three thousand realms are all peaceful practices. They are “the entity [inherently endowed with boundless benefits] that is freely received and used,” or the Buddha body of limitless joy.

The actions of the body, the mouth, the mind, and the vows are all peaceful practices. And since they are peaceful practices of renge, the lotus, the actions of those in the three thousand realms and Ten Worlds are religious practices that are clean and pure.

Since they are “the true aspect of all phenomena” (chapter two, Expedient Means), there are none that are not peaceful practices. The meaning of the essential teaching is that the bodies and minds of the beings of the Ten Worlds have always been carrying out the true peaceful practices. The essence of these peaceful practices is this Nam-myoho-renge-kyo that was transmitted to the bodhisattva Superior Practices. With these peaceful practices, let us proceed to the Pure Land of Holy Eagle Peak with ease.


[fourteen more to share...]

 

[BushyOldGrower]

When we gather together in joyful celebration of peace and freedom we are the Buddha!

I will chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo until I die. It worked!!! Bog

It's working...don't stop.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings (pgs 232-233)

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings (pgs 232-233)

All the Twenty-eight Chapters of the Lotus Sutra Are Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

15. Emerging from the Earth

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: This chapter follows the transmission section of the theoretical teaching and constitutes the preparation section of the revelation of the essential teaching. Therefore, in order first of all to reveal the identity of the Buddha of the original state who is eternally endowed with the three bodies, the Buddha summons forth the disciples of the essential teaching who Shakyamuni taught in his original state, the bodhisattvas who exist in [the inner life of] Shakyamuni Buddha himself.

These Bodhisattvas emerge from the earth of the Wonderful Law, which is hence the great earth of the Ten Worlds. They emerge and come forth from the Wonderful Law, and hence the beings of the Ten Worlds all emerge in this fashion. These living beings of the Ten Worlds are bodhisattvas of the Wonderful Law, and hence all are great beings endowed with profound pity and compassion who benefit all sentient beings in abundance.

They come forth from the great earth of renge, the lotus, and hence both the great earth of the Ten Worlds and the bodhisattvas who emerge from it have from the beginning always been clean and pure.

In effect, then, when one reaches a state of enlightenment, one can see that this “[emerging] from the earth” is a process by which the great seeds [of Buddhahood] of the living beings of the Ten Worlds are born. And “emerging” is the appearance of these living beings of the Ten Worlds as they come forth from the womb.

These bodhisattvas embody the pity and compassion that are inherently a part of all living beings of the Ten Worlds. And because the original Law of Myoho-renge-kyo is being transferred to these bodhisattvas, they emerge from the earth in this fashion. Nichiren and his followers, who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, are just such bodhisattvas who emerge from the earth. One should not seek for such bodhisattvas anywhere else.


[thirteen more to share...]

 

[Sharp_Pain]

I'm back

I'm back

I can't believe this thread is still gowing after all of these year....wanted to drop back in to my brothers and say hello and glad to see this is still going strong after years and years


Sharp_Pain

 

[PassTheDoobie]

I can't believe this thread is still gowing after all of these year....wanted to drop back in to my brothers and say hello and glad to see this is still going strong after years and years


Sharp_Pain

SHARP!!! It's been at least five or six years! Where the hell is Blatant?!? Stick around and party with us! I hope you've remembered to chant. The reason we're still here is that so many are still chanting.

GOD IT"S GREAT TO SEE YOU BACK AFTER ALL THIS TIME!

Stay safe, stay well, stay close. See you again soon!

Thomas

 

[headimonster]

Chanting helps me manage my mood swings...it makes me Mr. wonderful again!

Have a nice visit with your sister Payaso.

We are working to spread our seeds up to Seattle, WA and we chant for a prosperous week-end. Bog

yes! chanting can help overcome those "nasties" that "attack" our energetic fields- it always helps me and a ring of a bell!!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

GordyP from 10-12-2004

Hanging in the Balance

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alright . . . for the sake of providing some dialog let me offer up this actual life narrative from many years ago, which both blew me away from a chanting experience, yet later gave me pause and second thoughts about what had happened to me from a larger perspective. Til now, I've only shared this with my ex and with my sister, who played a big part in the mystery of it all. Let me begin by saying I don't call myself a Buddhist of any particular variety, though I can easily see what I define as goodness, happiness, and a tranquility of understanding radiating from many who do. I don't really call myself anything but a man living in this small moment, created from infinite sources of energy from a timeless past; a man who will soon cease to exist in this form and will pass the sum of my collective energy to be used in an infinite number of combinations throughout a timeless future. I will become ME again as I will become YOU again, countless times, as this energy now within me continues on this never-ending journey. To where? I haven't got a fucking clue, but what a trip it's been so far!

Over the years, I HAVE chanted intermittently for THINGS, and for various HAPPENINGS to occur, though. Here is one of those times.

It was in my early married years, and circumstances had my wife and I in a fairly tight money situation. But for as tight as things were for us, my sister's situation was ten times tighter. She had married young, had two babies in the first two years with a third on the way, when the husband just split one day and left her. To barely get by, she had to hold down two crummy-paying jobs in the small town she lived in.

One day she calls my wife, in tears because she had lost the grocery money for the coming month. She had stashed $100 in her kitchen, which her baby-sitter had helped herself to before disappearing into the night. My wife relayed this story to me when I got home from work. It ate away at me until I got to a point where I began chanting, within my mind, for my sister's luck to change. Later that evening while driving alone to the grocery, I began chanting out loud. It soon became rhythmic; a song which I repeated over and over while a weird calm started coming over me. Couldn't explain any of it, but it felt good.

So I picked up a few things at the grocery and headed for the shortest check-out line I could find. Then, while waiting my turn and doin' the usual gaping around at the tabloids and candy bar rack, I happen to look down at the floor. I shit you not, there on the floor right next to my foot was a fucking C-NOTE! (If I'm lyin', I'm dyin'!!). Needless to say, I looked around quickly, bent down even quicker, and stashed a one hundred dollar bill into my pocket! At that moment I wasn't making any connections to any chanting, my sister, or anything except how much weed I could buy with a hundred bucks (which was a LOT in the mid-seventies).

On the way home it hit me like a ton of bricks, though. "Think about this, you stupid shit. Chris just lost a hundred bucks, you were just chanting for her luck to change, and out of nowhere you STEP on a fucking hundred dollar bill!" I was immediately scared shitless by what had just happened to me; the timing of everything, the randomness of it all! It didn't take but a couple seconds more before it became obvious where THAT money was going. When I got home and told my wife about it over and over again, she was nodding but I could tell she was thinking I had taken the money out of some reefer money stash (which I didn't have). Couldn't really blame her; I had found EXACTLY the same amount of money my sister had lost the day before!

I gave the bill to my wife, who gave it to my sister the next day, along with my story about how it had happened. My sister came over later that night to cry and give me a big hug, but never said a word about the mysterious way I had found the money. To this day, I'll repeat the truth about it to them and they just quietly nod back at me with a smile. Shit, I give up; let em' go on thinking I was just being a generous hero. But friends, what I just related to you is exactly as it really came down. How's that for some good ol' mystic law of cause and effect?!

I can't say for sure why I didn't become a devote chanting follower after that event. It shook me up; I seemed to be more afraid of what had happened to me than anything else. It kinda seemed like I was cheating, or disturbing, the natural order of things if you know what I mean. Later came my conundrum about this event. I began to wonder just where that C-note had come from, who's pocket had it fallen out of? Did it come from a rich guy who always carried a wad of them? Did it come from some poor-ass sumbitch with a hole in his pocket, who had just cashed his weekly paycheck? Had my good fortune became someone else's nightmare? I was dazed and confused, to say the least! Still am. Sure appeared like what had happened was for the greater good, at least MY definition of it, but I'll never really be sure; not in this lifetime at least.

So ends my testimonial and reply to these earlier posts. Regardless how I turn out, though, I really believe my experience from that one instance of chanting to the Buddhist gods will have the most devote of you nodding knowingly. To me, it comes down to the balance of dark and light. I don't want to upset the balance; I just want to keep on liking ME and look (sometimes work) to enjoy the experiences of this life as they come and go. If there's a name that accompanies this type attitude, then so be it. Right now I'm going to check if I've got any more babies poppin' their little heads out of the warm soil I planted them in a few days ago!

Keep Em Green and Growin'

GordyP

 

[PassTheDoobie]

yes! chanting can help overcome those "nasties" that "attack" our energetic fields- it always helps me and a ring of a bell!!

Good to see you Brother! Thank you for posting!

T

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Southern Girl from 10-12-04

Gordy P. This is now my 3rd attempt

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey GordyP! This is now my third attempt to respond to your great experience. I have been booted off twice, at the end of a lengthy response both times. I am determined now to get this out so I am going to do it in sections. I thought your experience was great! And believable to someone who chants. That is the key. Unless you have had that experience personally to chant and have such an experience you cannot believe. That is why they say we show with our lives. YOu continue that chanting and continue to show those miraculous things and that brings the curiosity to try it. But so many of us go through life like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, saying there is nothing in that black bag for me and we quit. Of course our greatest experiences are through chanting for others and sharing and that is what I'm trying to do!

and...

Up to Ivan and Beyond

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I practiced for 10 years, was a district chief, and referred to as the daimoku Queen. Hours of it. My life was referred to Dancing on Razor Blades, Walking through piles of shit and coming out smelling like vanilla, Out in the middle of the ocean sinking and somebody come by and throws me a life preserver, Just a few things through the years that have been said to me. And I was always a little ecclectic in my thinking prior to chanting. And with the attitude to closed your experience with so too did I, After 10 years, I just quit, moved to Cal. moved to New Mexico, back to Texas and two years ago to Florida.
This past summer in June, My youngest son, 20 years old next week, began to teach himself Gongyo. He came to me one night for help with some pronunciations and I was amazed at what he had taught himself. Which led to Mom pulling out old guidances, encouragements etc from the butsudan. Found old pictures, contacted some old members in Texas to find out that my male counterpart in the district had passed in Feb. I was so upset. I then remembered that the first time I met him he had just begun chanting after quitting for 10 years. We had spent hours discussing his quitting, almost like he had given me encouragement then for now. I became very worried about PTB, whom I had not been able to get ahold of in the past 4 years and did so that day. On July7, I did my first Gongyo. I felt peaceful and resolved that everything was going to be ok. I had chanted to find peace and be in rhythm to correct my personal situation. I still had obligations in Texas and a relationship that I had been in for 10 years and basically walked away tired. I walked into the living room where my son, his fiance, and my roommate sat, all looking at me. I just shrugged my shoulders and said, "Be prepared, Anything is possible" Well Ivan came. and blew my ass right back. My house was destroyed but it was as tho I had been there and said you can have this but not this etc. Everything I needed was there where others did not have, truck to get out, boxes, etc. I transfered my job I moved out of a 3000sq ft. house 800 miles away on $1300. I have not had any money since. I have been protected. The first hour of me arriving in that horrible 17 hour drive in the truck from hell, the man I referred to called me on my cell. Hadn't heard from him in 3 weeks, and said, " You are here aren't you"

Why am I here? I have no idea. What is ahead of me? I have no idea. But what I do know is what I chanted and I believe more than anything that I am suppose to be here. I have plenty of chanting to do now. There are alot of unfinished things in the works. But did I need a hurricane to get me here? My friends laught and say Would you have left without the hurricane ? Damn It No. So do I believe your story of the $100? You bet! Gordy P. Don't stop chanting. Whether you understand or not! Southern Girl

 

[PassTheDoobie]

GordyP from 10-13-04

A Persistent Southern Girl

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you for caring enough to re-type and then re-type your message, S. Girl! I read and then re-read your message and appreciated what you had to say. I've worked on long e-mails and PMs and had them pulled out from under me right before I sent them off, too. Not a good feeling. I yelled so hard one time I scared my poor ol' dog into the bedroom and behind the bed!

How bout another dose of mystic coincidence. I had your first reply read to me over the phone tonight by PTDoobie! Didn't realize I had phone messages waiting until I finished up on the computer, and there was a message from that crazy shit! Hadn't heard his voice in over a year (maybe two). We've been catching up a lot via PMs on this site in the last couple months, but tonight happened to be our first conversation in a loooong time. He was in the middle of urging me to continue chanting (as usual) and he hadn't even read my last post yet! Later on in the call, he got on-line and saw your reply, though, and read it over the phone to me. I know we're gettin' close to Halloween; must be a full moon out tonight, too

Getting a double-dose of urging at the same time, from both sides of the country, is enough to make this midwestern boy's knees shake a bit! Tell ya what: I'm going to dust it off and give it another ride around the block after the events of tonight. Don't know much more than that first phrase PTB taught me a couple decades ago, but that was enough to get the job done before. Though things have been lots worse for me than they are right now, I've still got a number of decent, worthwhile things I'd really like to see happen; not only in my life but in those of friends and family. Good to hear you've come full circle in your part of the world. I'm sure you'll come out "smelling like vanilla"!

Nam myoho renge kyo!

GordyP

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Southern Girl from 10-13-14

You Go Boy!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yeah Gordy P! Doobie can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but he cares and passionately believes in what he believes, and that is what I love about him the most. Like your little saying at the end of your messages-Life is tragedy to those who think and comedy to those who feel. I would say that is the line I just crossed. When NamMyohoRengeKyo is said with feeling and not thinking it works. Otherwise you are hitting a brick wall. So try to shoot for the comedy.

I seriously wrote more details in the story but by the 3rd time, it was a process of elimination. I guess the point of the story was that after 10 years, I came to think to much and not feel. I lost the heart of it by everyone telling me what I should be doing and how to do it and when to do it and it all became very mechanical. I had to find it again for me. And you have to find that too for yourself. You don't need to have or know anything else but NamMyohoRengeKyo and your heart and desires for the betterment of yourself and those around you. The rest will come when you are ready for it too.

The other point was you had your one experience and freaked by it, questioned it but went on. And now it has somehow come back to you only because your life has made causes for it to. And the same thing has happened for me. I guess I just wanted to validate to you that if you were nuts then so am I. Only I somehow summoned a fucking hurricane to move me! ha

Love & Light to ya, SG

 

[PassTheDoobie]

And from that initial exchange between strangers living a great distance and many states apart, which mystically began on 10-12, they fell in love and got married!

It is wonderful to have you both back. We hope to see you post again soon!

T

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings (pgs 233-234)

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings (pgs 233-234)

All the Twenty-eight Chapters of the Lotus Sutra Are Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

16. The Life Span of the Thus Come One

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: “The Life Span of the Thus Come One” chapter deals with the original life of the living beings of the Ten Worlds. This chapter is called the honmon, or essential teaching, because it is the gateway (mon), or teaching, by which one enters into what is essential or original (hon). The flesh-and-blood bodies and the minds of ordinary beings are described in this chapter as essentially or inherently eternal, and therefore this is called the essential teaching.

The part of the sutra before this important point is revealed is called an acquired enlightenment* and represents the theoretical teaching. But when one comes to understand this point, this is called the original enlightenment, and this represents the essential teaching.

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the place where all living beings originally dwell. Therefore the sutra says, “… since I in fact attained Buddhahood” (chapter sixteen).**


[twelve more to share...]

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The part of the sutra before this important point is revealed is called an acquired enlightenment* and represents the theoretical teaching. But when one comes to understand this point, this is called the original enlightenment, and this represents the essential teaching.

*According to the doctrine of original enlightenment, enlightenment is not something that one acquires for the first time through religious practice but something that is inherent in one's original state of life. From this viewpoint, "acquired enlightenment" falls into the category of the theoretical teaching, and "original enlightenment into that of the essential teaching. In the theoretical teaching, as in the provisional teachings, it is said the Shakyamuni first attained enlightenment in this life in India.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the place where all living beings originally dwell. Therefore the sutra says, “… since I in fact attained Buddhahood” (chapter sixteen).**

**As for the meaning of the phrase "Since I in fact attained Buddhahood," see pgs 125-126. chapter sixteen, point three.

Point Three, regarding the words “But good men, it has been immeasurable, boundless hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of nayutas of kalpas since I in fact attained Buddhahood.”

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings 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 Dharma-realm. “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 “fact.” “Attained” refers both to the one who attains and to the thing attained. “Attain” means to open or reveal. It is to reveal that the beings of the Dharma-realm are Buddhas eternally endowed with the three bodies. “Buddhahood” means being enlightened to this.

In the word “since” (irai), the element i (already, or having passed) refers to the past, and the element rai (coming) refers to the future. And the present is included in these to elements i and rai.

The passage is thus saying that “I [or the beings of the Dharma-realm] in fact revealed” the Buddhood that is immeasurable and boundless in both past and future. It is referring to the hundred words, and thousand factors and the three thousand worlds in a single moment of life. The two words “hundred” and “thousand” in the sutra passage refer to the hundred worlds and thousand factors. These then represent the reality of three thousand worlds in a single moment of life.

Now Nichiren and his followers, those who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, are the original lord of teachings of the “Life Span” chapter. Generally speaking, the bodhisattvas of the theoretical teaching are not the sort of persons who are qualified to handle this chapter. For they employ an approach in which the theoretical teaching is on the surface and the essential teaching is in the background, while Nichiren and his followers employ an approach in which the essential teaching is in the forefront and the theoretical teaching is in the background.

Be that as it may, this chapter does not represent the teaching that is essential for the Latter Day of the Law. The reason is that this chapter embodies the Buddhism of the harvest suitable for the time when the Buddha was in the world. But only the five characters of the daimoku constitute the Buddhism of the sowing that is suitable for the present time. Thus, the Buddhism of the harvest is for the time when the Buddha was in the world, and the Buddhism of sowing is for the time after his passing. Hence it is the Buddhism of the sowing that is needed in the Latter Day of the Law.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings (pg 234)

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings (pg 234)

All the Twenty-eight Chapters of the Lotus Sutra Are Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

17. Distinctions in Benefits

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: Regarding this chapter, in the preceding chapter those in the assembly were informed about the life span of the Thus Come One who is originally and eternally endowed with the three bodies, and therefore in this chapter they learn to believe in and understand this Buddha who is eternally endowed with the three bodies. That is, the chapter concerns the distinctions in the benefits that come to one through such belief and understanding.

As to the benefits, the distinction is here made clear that earthly desires associated with the three poisons of greed, anger and foolishness that are part of each and every one of the living beings of the Ten Worlds will now, just as they are, become the benefits of the Wonderful Law. These benefits are none other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo that exists in our original existence.


[eleven more to share...]