[SoCal Hippy]

"Substituting Faith for Wisdom":

The principle that faith is the true cause for gaining supreme wisdom, and faith alone leads to enlightenment. In general, Buddhism describes supreme wisdom as the cause of enlightenment.

According to the Lotus Sutra, however, even Shariputra, who was revered as foremost in wisdom, could attain enlightenment only through faith, not through wisdom. The "Simile and Parable" (third) chapter of the sutra states: "Even you, Shariputra, in the case of this sutra, were able to gain entrance through faith alone. How much more so, then, the other voice hearers. Those other voice-hearers--it is because they have faith in the Buddha's words that they can comply with this sutra, not because of any wisdom of their own."

In 'Great Concentration and Insight', T'ien-t'ai says "Buddhism is like an ocean that one can only enter with faith." In his 1277 treatise 'On the Four Stages of Faith and the Five Stages of Practice', Nichiren states, "Because our wisdom is inadequate, he [Shakyamuni Buddha] teaches us to substitute faith for wisdom, making this single word 'faith' the foundation".

Dictionary of Buddhism

[SoCal Hippy]

--- DAILY GOSHO ---

"Can we count the number of raindrops that fall in a major world system in the space of seven days? Or does anyone know the number of dust particles in the vast lands that make up the worlds of the ten directions? But the benefits one gains by making offerings even to one word of the Lotus Sutra—these, the Buddha says, are truly hard to measure."

- WND, Vol. 2, page 871)
Selection Source:
SGI President Ikeda’s essay,
Seikyo Shinbun, December 29th, 2017

[SoCal Hippy]

Sunday, December 31st, 2017
---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----
“Every day brings a new morning for you, too. Though you may have experienced a series of failures or disappointments up to yesterday, today is a fresh beginning and the start of a brand new day.

"No one knows what will happen today. In fact, you decide how you will live it. This new day is a day filled with hope. If you decide to do your best, you can succeed, even if you run into obstacles along the way.

“So let’s start each morning energetically!”

SGI Newsletter No. 9576, Rainbow of Hope—Great Figures of the World, [25] L. M. Montgomery, Author: Every Day Brings a New Morning

[SoCal Hippy]

---- DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT ----

“Nichiren Daishonin describes the fighting spirit necessary to defeat the 'three obstacles and four devils' in a letter addressed to the Ikegami brothers, who [resided in an area that is part of present-day Ota Ward and] are noble predecessors of our Tokyo members. He writes: 'From now on too, no matter what may happen, you must not slacken in the least. You must raise your voice all the more' (WND-2, 597).

"My inspiring fellow members, summoning forth ever-greater courage and raising your voices all the more, advance joyfully and in high spirits!.”

SGI Newsletter No. 9580, The Eternal Citadel of Soka, Paving the Way to Victory through the Shared Struggle of Mentor and Disciple

[Weird]

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings (Ongi kuden) says: Namu or nam is a Sanskrit word. Here it means to dedicate one’s life, that is, to the Person and to the Law. In terms of the Person, one dedicates one’s life to Shakyamuni Buddha; in terms of the Law, one dedicates one’s life to the Lotus Sutra. “Dedication” means dedication to the principle of eternal and unchanging truth of the theoretical teaching, and “life” means that one’s life dedicated to that principle bases itself on the wisdom of the truth of the essential teaching that functions in accordance with changing circumstances. In essence, one dedicates one’s life to Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

A commentary [by Dengyō] says, “That which accords with changing circumstances, that which is unchanging, these are tranquil and shining in a single moment of life.”
Again, “dedication” refers to the element of physical form as it pertains to us, while “life” refers to the element of mind as it pertains to us. But the ultimate teaching tells us that form and mind are not two things. As a commentary [The Annotations on “The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra,” volume one] says, “Because [the Lotus Sutra] leads us to the ultimate truth, it is called the Buddha vehicle.”
We may also note that the nam[u] of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is a Sanskrit word, while myōhō, renge, and kyō are Chinese words.1 p.4Sanskrit and Chinese join in a single moment to form Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. If we express the title in Sanskrit, it will be Saddharma-pundarīka-sūtram. This is Myoho-renge-kyo in Sanskrit. Sad (the phonetic change of sat) means myō, or wonderful. Dharma means hō, Law or phenomena. Pundarīka means renge, or lotus blossom. Sūtram means kyō, or sutra. The nine characters [that represent the Sanskrit title] are the Buddha bodies of the nine honored ones. This expresses the idea that the nine worlds are inseparable from the Buddha world.
Myō stands for the Dharma nature or enlightenment, while hō represents darkness or ignorance. Together myōhō expresses the idea that ignorance and the Dharma nature are a single entity. Renge stands for the two elements of cause and effect. Cause and effect are also a single entity.
Kyō represents the words and voices of all living beings. A commentary [On “The Profound Meaning,” volume one] says, “The voice carries out the work of the Buddha, and this is called kyō, or sutra.” Kyō may also be defined as that which is constant and unchanging in the three existences of past, present, and future. The Dharma-realm is myōhō, the Wonderful Law; the Dharma-realm is renge, the lotus blossom; the Dharma-realm is kyō, the sutra.
Renge, the lotus blossom, is the Buddha bodies of the nine honored ones seated on the eight-petaled lotus. Think all this over very carefully.

----> https://www.nichirenlibrary.org/en/ott/TEXTS/1

[SoCal Hippy]

Nam myoho renge kyo

[Babbabud]

Nam myoho renge kyo

[SoCal Hippy]

Gosho - On Prayer

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

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

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

Nichiren Daishonin (1272)
WND 345-346

[Weird]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

[SoCal Hippy]

Excerpt from "Persecution by Sword and Stave"


The "Emerging from the Earth" chapter also explains something about me, because it states that Bodhisattva Superior Practices and his followers will appear in the Latter Day of the Law to propagate the five characters of Nam-myohorenge-kyo. I, Nichiren have appeared earlier than anyone else. How reassuring to think that I will be praised by bodhisattvas equal in number to the sands of the Ganges Rivers! Be that as it may, commit yourself to the Lotus Sutra and have faith in its teachings. You must not only believe in them yourself, but also encourage others to do the same, so that you may save those who were parents in your past existences.

From the time that I was born until today, I have never known a moments ease; I have thought only of propagating the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra. I do not know how long I or anyone may live, but without fail, I will be with you at the time of your death and guide you from this life to the next. All the Buddhas of the past, present, and future attain enlightenment during the hours of the ox and tiger. In all three countries of India, China, and Japan, the place of Buddhist prayer is located in the northeast, in the direction of the demon gate. These are profound teachings of Buddhism, which are reverently transferred from teacher to disciple. I will expalin in more detail later.

With my deep respect,

As you crave food when hungry, seek water when thirsty, long to see a lover, beg for medicine when ill, or as a beautiful woman desires powder and rouge, so should you put your faith in the Lotus Sutra. If you do not, you will regret it later.

Nichiren

From WND (pgs 964-965)