Chanting Growers Group

EasyMyohoDisco · Dec 16, 2007

"The Buddha's utterances have become the works that compose the entire body of sutras and bring benefit to all living beings. And among the sutras, the Lotus Sutra is a manifestation in writing of the Thus Come One Shakyamuni's intent; it is his voice set down in written words. Thus the Buddha's heart is embodied in these written words. To illustrate, it is like seeds that sprout, grow into plants, and produce rice. Thought the form of the rice changes, its essence remains the same."
Reference:

WND Page 333
Page 328 The Pure and Far-Reaching Voice
Written to Shijo Kingo in 1272 from Sado - Ichinosawa

deftones34 · Dec 16, 2007

Babbabud said:
When i first ventured out to obtain my Gohonzon I thought a bit like this. I thought that I would go to a Soka Gakkai meeting or three, just long enough to obtain my Gohonzon, then I would be back to the recluse of my own house to continue on with my own reclusive practice. Its interesting though because once i went to a meeting and experienced the feeling of chanting with and being encouraged by others Ive missed less then a handfull of meetings in over two years now. I met other people who had lots of things to share and lots of inspiration. Much like this thread. So from my point of view I cant imagine why anyone would want to obtain Gohonzon off the internet. Find your local chapter of the Soka Gakkai International and go to a meeting and tell them you need a Gohonzon. You will find a whole new world and then begin to realize what this practice is all about. Then come home and turn a friend on to Nam Myoho Renge Kyo !!

Tomorrow is another 5 hour toso at Georgialouwhos. Hope you will all join us in chanting Daimoku from 7 am till Noon California time. Lets send this year off and bring in the new year with lots of Daimoku

"Muster your faith and pray to the Gohonzon , then what is there that cannot be achieved."

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

what does it matter WHERE I receive it though? I don't like to be around a lot of people, and would prefer to have my own private sessions at home. Hence the reason I asked if i can get one online.

Hitman · Dec 16, 2007

I know, I know D, it is very familiar to me what you're saying. But it essential to spread the seeds of Buddhism. Look up to see what Disco wrote. Peace, my brother. I really have to push to be around people also. I'm extra introverted!

Hit

Babbabud · Dec 17, 2007

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Thanks to Georgialouwho for a great toso today!! Im coming down with some kind of cold or something so it took alot of resolve to get it done today. All in all a great day with lots of great Daimoku!! Thanks to all that joined in !!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Bonzo · Dec 17, 2007

Wow def and Hit. im the same way, i have battled social anxiety all my life. Its still something i chant to overcome even though through chanting i have overcome it allmost 100%. def, recieving your Gohonzon is a huge honor, and to recieve it from a group of your peers if you will is absolutely imperetive in my opinion. I had to recieve mine on a stage in front of about 250 people and you know what besides the huge respect for Gohonzon i had just recieved i also conquered one of my biggest fears at the same time. I mean i was sponsored by a person who had been chanting for 45 years, for her to beleive in me, and hand it to me personally was like a passing of the torch to a youger generation, its propagation of the Law at its height. Also to see the deep genuine happiness she got from presenting it to me was indeniable and is to this day and its a lasting deep rooted kind of caring and compasion that is just as sincere as it was that day. I just saw her friday and she still has that same sparkle in her eye when she sees me, its very much like the mentor desciple relationship. Its also kinda like the first door you unlock on your journey, the ball gets rolling immediatly upon recieving it, you are now recognized as a practitioner of Nicheren Budhism by people you will be chanting with, studying with, going to SGI events with and so on and so forth, also who is going to enshrine your mail order Gohonzon? The more i think about it the more insulting it seems for lack of a better word to what chanting is all about. The more i think about it the more i think how wrong this whole idea sounds, just do it def you wont regret it, where if you dont, i fear you might regret not doing it, and i dont think you can do it twice.

I dont speak out very often on alot of things but this one, wow, i dont think it should be done at all, unles you live in siberia in a cave, or are truly physically unable to do
it.

peace

bonz

Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bonzo · Dec 17, 2007

Hitman, this place has some great original designs of Butsudans, great for ideas.

one of mine that a friend of mine dubbed the Frank Loyd Wright. Funny but kinda fits with all its sharp angles

peace

bonz

Nam myoho renge kyo!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EasyMyohoDisco · Dec 17, 2007

Def, read the thread some more I didn't got my Gohonzon from a meeting too.

Def, read the thread some more I didn't got my Gohonzon from a meeting too.

Bonz,

Way to go! Very nice work. Thats kosen-rufu man, I'm inspired... start working on this for me will yah...

Babba, I just caught a cold too, felt dizzy after spin class and been a little out of it with finals for the next three days so concentration is going to be key.

I'm sending alot of daimoku out there and hoping for an awesome experience in the new year for each of us.

My friends, we're the future doesn't matter if its our: age, origins, or self-opinion, but I feel the actions we take in the next few days going forward into the new year will determine our next amazingly crazy struggles to use as our next propellant, I'm gonna chant more than ever and finish up strong this year, lets keep singing daimoku everywhere we go, OK! Let's keep spreading that merciful guidance Nichiren Daishonin has brought and impressed upon us the unlimited potential of kosen-rufu in our daily lives. We are the Bodhisattvas entrusted to uphold the Mystic Law, Have no doubts upon this ever!

If it wasn't for our collective efforts we would not have this opportunity, right now, to pick up all the strength we can muster and apply it to this moment of determination, and really explore the power of Gohonzon! Can you feel me on this?

"The heart of the Lotus Sutra is its title, or the daimoku, of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Truly, if you chant this in the morning and evening, you are correctly reading the entire Lotus Sutra. Chanting daimoku twice is the same as reading the entire sutra twice, one hundred daimoku equal one hundred readings of the sutra, and a thousand daimoku, a thousand readings of the sutra. Thus, if you ceaselessly chant daimoku, you will be continually reading the Lotus Sutra."
Reference:

WND Page 923
Page 922 The One Essential Phrase
Written to Myoho-ama on 3 July 1278 from Minobu

There it is! If you be the Buddha you'll be the Sage! My friends the possibilities are limitless, go forward!!

"The Lotus Sutra offers a secret means for leading all living beings to Buddhahood. It leads one person in the realm of hell, one person in the realm of hungry spirits, and thus one person in each of the nine realms of existence to Buddhahood, and thereby the way is opened for all living beings to attain Buddhahood."
Reference:

(from:http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=505&m=1&q=letter to horen WND Page 512, Page 505 Letter to Horen Written to Soya Kyoshin in April of 1275 from Minobu )

GeorgialouWho · Dec 17, 2007

It was great today BabbaBud and hope you are feeling better soon; we achieved Victory today! WASSHOI! Heading off to bed so very tired but wanted to stop and show some love on such a auspicious day! Keep Rockin It Everybody! And hey T I have that same affliction! Did I catch it from you when you were here?! Oh Dang that's right this is Buddhism I much take responsibility for my own afflictions and my own actions! WHOOOP!
btw one thing that I have finally learned over the years is that when we are in those dark places be gentle with yourself because the slandering of self equates to slander the gohonzon because we are the embodiement of the gohonzon and we are the buddha not becoming the buddha we already are; we are AWAKENING to our buddha nature! Peace Out
GeorgiaLouWho
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

SoCal Hippy · Dec 17, 2007

thank you all for the kind birthday wishes!!!!

WOW! All these recent postings, especially T, MyohoD, Babba, Bonz, Hitman, etc. are so encouraging. Ending the year with a bang! I have got to say this thread is in really good hands. Thanks for all sharing!!!

SoCal Hippy · Dec 17, 2007

The scripture known as the Nirvana Sutra lists the beings that have
been able to attain the way through the Lotus Sutra, and the list
includes such filthy creatures as dung beetles, vipers, and scorpions.
To express the wonderful power of the Lotus Sutra, Bodhisattva
Nagarjuna says that it enables even such creatures as dung beetles to
attain Buddhahood.

(WND, 1082-83)
Great Bodhisattva Hachiman
Written to Nichigen-nyo on December 16, 1280

SoCal Hippy · Dec 17, 2007

"Outward appearance is not important -- what counts is what is inside
our hearts. Are there heart-to-heart bonds? Some families may always
be together physically but are estranged at heart. Some families can
only get together for brief periods but manage to enjoy concentrated
and lively heart-to-heart communication when they do meet. Families
that share bonds of closeness based on day-to-day efforts are ones in
which the members feel comfortable and at ease with one another, no
matter where they are or what they're doing."

Daisaku Ikeda

SoCal Hippy · Dec 17, 2007

"No matter how wonderful our dreams, how noble our ideals, or how high our hopes, ultimately we need courage to make them a reality."

"If you summon your courage to challenge something, you'll never be left with regret."

"This lifetime will never come again; it is precious and irreplaceable. To live without regret, we must have a concrete purpose, continually setting goals and challenges for ourselves. And we need to keep moving toward those specific targets steadily and tenaciously, one step at a time."

Daisaku Ikeda, President of SGI.

PassTheDoobie · Dec 18, 2007

"Determination without action is nothing but a lie. A pledge only becomes reality when acted upon. A person of integrity is a person of action."

SGI Newsletter No. 7405, The New Human Revolution--Vol. 20: Chap. 2, Bridge Building 74, translated Nov. 16th, 2007

PassTheDoobie · Dec 19, 2007

"Shakyamuni taught that the shallow is easy to embrace, but the profound is difficult. To discard the shallow and seek the profound is the way of a person of courage."

(On the Buddha's Prophecy - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 402) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, December 17th, 2007

Babbabud · Dec 19, 2007

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Is the time of year that families gather together. Hope you all get to spend some great time with your loved ones. Thankyou all so much for the love and encourgement we recieve here. It means so much to us

We certainly seem to gather together here

Must be because we are family
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

PassTheDoobie · Dec 19, 2007

"A blue fly, if it clings to the tail of a thoroughbred horse, can travel ten thousand miles, and the green ivy that twines around the tall pine can grow to a thousand feet."

(On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 17) Selection source: Soka Gakkai member's experience, Seikyo Shimbun, December 15th, 2007

PassTheDoobie · Dec 19, 2007

"Once time passes it can never be regained. Great achievements can only be realised by continuously seizing opportunities when they present themselves and giving one's all to doing what must be done."

SGI Newsletter No. 7433, The New Human Revolution--Vol. 20: Chap. 3, Ties of Trust 16, translated Dec. 14th, 2007

SoCal Hippy · Dec 19, 2007

“Few people prove reliable in a crucial moment. Most turn out to be selfish. It is, however, a matter of utmost joy that I have found the Mystic Law, as well as a teacher, who observes my actions."

from "A Youthful Diary" - Daisaku Ikeda

SoCal Hippy · Dec 19, 2007

"Even if it seems that, because I was born in the ruler's domain, I follow
him in my actions, I will never follow him in my heart."

(The Selection of the Time - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1,
page 579) Selection source: "Myoji no Gen", Seikyo Shimbun, December 18th,
2007

SoCal Hippy · Dec 19, 2007

"No one is more admirable than our members who are striving tirelessly for
the sake of the Law and the happiness of others. We must treasure above all
those who are fighting the hardest. That is the key to everyone bringing
forth countless times their present strength. This was Mr. Toda's 'secret'
to victory. Those who always earnestly devote themselves to supporting and
caring for the members invariably achieve tremendous personal growth, while
those who shun such efforts suffer stagnation and defeat. As leaders of
great mission, please strive to become people whose dignity, warmth, and
character are admired and respected by others."

Daisaku Ikeda

Chanting Growers Group

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