Chanting Growers Group

[SoCal Hippy]

Congrats Mr. Easydisco, your life force in such the beginnings of the practice of Nichiren's Buddhism is so very encouraging. I look forward to the great many benefits and experiences that await you in your path to life's enlightenment and also those that you can share your same journey. It is a great day!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Buddhism teaches that everyone equally possesses the supremely noble life-state of Buddhahood. The Daishonin, who dedicated his life to the happiness of all humanity, wanted the people to become strong, wise, and happy.

"Let’s make the people the protagonists of the 21st century. The stronger the people become, the more they can influence their leaders—this was the formula articulated by Mr. Makiguchi.

"It goes without saying that in the Gakkai, all organizational positions are positions of responsibility; there is no 'above' and 'below.' The organization exists for the sake of kosen-rufu, and everyone’s mission is equally noble. If anything, it is the members striving on the front lines of our movement, brimming with pride as Bodhisattvas of the Earth, who are working even harder than our leaders to expand kosen-rufu. Should there be people who throw their weight around because they are leaders, please don’t hesitate to speak out and plainly let them know what you think."

SGI Newsletter No. 6774, 58TH SOKA GAKKAI HEADQUARTERS LEADERS MEETING-PART
2 [OF 2] Carry On the Mentor-Disciple Spirit of the First Three Presidents, translated March 24th, 2006

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Soka Gakkai
[創価学会]

"Value-Creating Society." A Buddhist lay organization founded in Japan on November 18, 1930, by Tsunesaburo Makiguchi (1871-1944), who became its first president, and his disciple, Josei Toda (1900-1958), later its second president. Makiguchi was an educator and scholar who had been developing an original pedagogical philosophy gleaned from his long experience as a teacher and elementary school principal. He regarded the creation of values that are conducive to a happy life as the purpose of education. In 1928 he encountered the teachings of Nichiren (1222-1282) and the Lotus Sutra and found in them resonance with his philosophy of value. In June of that year he converted to Nichiren Shoshu, one of the Nichiren schools.

Toda, also an educator, quickly followed his mentor in conversion. Makiguchi made the Lotus Sutra the foundation of his philosophy of education and wrote The System of Value-Creating Pedagogy, which Toda published. The publisher of the work was listed as the Soka Kyoiku Gakkai (Value-Creating Education Society) by the two educators, and its publication date, November 18, 1930, is regarded as the founding date of the Soka Gakkai. At that time, the group consisted principally of teachers and educators interested in Makiguchi's educational theories and practice.

Although the society met informally, it was not until 1937 that its inaugural ceremony was held in Tokyo with more than sixty attending. At its first general meeting, in December 1939, Makiguchi was named president of the society and Toda general director. Three hundred to four hundred members gathered at the second general meeting in 1940. By this time, Makiguchi was focusing his attention on Buddhism, specifically the teachings and practice of Nichiren, as a means for leading a life of the highest values and greatest good. He conducted discussion meetings at which members talked about the results of their Buddhist faith and practice, which he referred to as experimental evidence of its efficacy. The membership of the Soka Kyoiku Gakkai increased to some three thousand by the early 1940s.

By the 1930s, Japan was following the path of militarism, pursuing a war with China, and finally, in 1941, sparking the Pacific War with its attack on Pearl Harbor. To unite and rally the people for the war effort, the militarist government had adopted Shinto as the state religion as well as various measures to restrict freedom of thought, expression, and religion. In line with this, the government ordered all religious denominations to enshrine Shinto talismans in their places of worship, and private citizens to do so in their homes. People were required to worship the Sun Goddess, the legendary progenitor of the imperial line. Makiguchi refused such Shinto worship as contradictory to Nichiren's teachings. This led to his being detained by police in May 1943 for a week.

The following month, Soka Kyoiku Gakkai leaders were summoned to Taiseki-ji, the head temple of Nichiren Shoshu. Not only did the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood submit to the government demand but its administrators also suggested in the presence of its chief priest that Soka Kyoiku Gakkai members also accept the Shinto talisman. President Makiguchi refused to comply on the grounds that this would violate the teachings of Nichiren and his successor, Nikko. The priesthood's response to this was virtually to expel them from Nichiren Shoshu by barring them from visiting Taiseki-ji on pilgrimage.

In July 1943, charged with violation of the Peace Preservation Law of 1925, and with lese majesty against the emperor, Makiguchi and Toda were arrested and imprisoned; subsequently, nineteen other leaders of the organization were rounded up and imprisoned. Makiguchi died in prison at age seventy-three on November 18, 1944, having continued to challenge the religious and political views of his captors until the end.

While in prison, Toda immersed himself in the study of the Lotus Sutra, prayer, and contemplation, and experienced two kinds of realization. First, he came to realize that the Buddha described in the sutra is life itself. Second, he awakened to his identity as a Bodhisattva of the Earth as described in the Lotus Sutra. Consequently, he resolved to propagate the sutra's teachings as widely as possible and to reconstruct the organization he and Makiguchi had founded.

Toda was released on parole on July 3, 1945. Amid a war-ravaged Japan, he set out to reconstruct the organization, renaming it the Soka Gakkai in 1946. His dropping of "Kyoiku," or "Education," from the name reflected the objective he envisioned for the organization to include people from and contribute to all fields and strata of society, transcending its role as a society of educators. Toda became the second president on May 3, 1951, pledging on that occasion to achieve a membership of 750,000 households. At that time, the membership was only around 3,000. In August 1952, the Soka Gakkai was legally incorporated as an independent religious organization. By 1957, the membership had reached the goal of 750,000 set by Toda.

In September 1957, Toda issued a declaration calling for the abolition of atomic and hydrogen bombs, urging young people to work toward this end. In addition, Toda had a Grand Lecture Hall built and donated to Taiseki-ji, and events to celebrate the opening of this structure lasted throughout March 1958. On March 16, Toda attended a gathering of six thousand young people at Taiseki-ji, where he entrusted them with the future of the Soka Gakkai and propagation of Nichiren's teachings. He died on April 2, 1958.

On May 3, 1960, Daisaku Ikeda (1928- ) became the third president at age thirty-two. Ikeda had worked and studied under Toda for more than ten years, helping him rebuild his businesses after the war and playing a key role in achieving the membership target Toda had set for the Soka Gakkai. Under Ikeda's leadership, the organization grew rapidly during the 1960s and 1970s and expanded abroad. It broadened its focus to include activities in support of peace, culture, and education. In January 1975, in response to the needs of an increasing international membership, the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) was established, and Ikeda became its first president. As of 2002, it became a worldwide network of more than twelve million members in 183 countries and territories. Ikeda resigned as the third president of the Soka Gakkai in 1979 and became its honorary president, while retaining his position as president of the SGI. He was succeeded as Soka Gakkai president by Hiroshi Hojo (1923-1981), who was followed by Einosuke Akiya (1930- ) in 1981.

In pursuit of a lasting peace, Ikeda has tirelessly conducted dialogues and exchanges with scholars and cultural as well as political leaders from around the world. He has made various proposals concerning global issues such as disarmament, the abolition of nuclear weapons, and environmental protection. In 1968 Ikeda proposed the normalization of China-Japan relations and the conclusion of a bilateral peace and friendship treaty. He also acted to realize his proposals and build lasting friendship with China at the grassroots level. During his second visit to China in 1974, he met with Premier Zhou Enlai.

Ikeda has also established several institutions to promote peace, culture, and education, including Soka University and other Soka schools, the Min-On Concert Association, the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum, and the Institute of Oriental Philosophy. In the 1990s he founded the Boston Research Center for the 21st Century and the Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy Research, both dedicated to peace studies. In addition, as nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) of the United Nations dedicated to peace, the Soka Gakkai and the SGI actively encourage support for the United Nations and sponsor peace and anti-nuclear weapons exhibits and fund-raising campaigns for refugees. The Soka Gakkai publishes numerous books and periodicals; its daily newspaper, Seikyo Shim-bun, had a circulation of about 5.5 million as of 2002.

In the 1950s, the Soka Gakkai sponsored candidates for political office, and in 1962 a political group supported by the Soka Gakkai was formed. In 1964 the political party Komeito (Clean Government Party) was founded. In 1970 Komeito became completely separate and independent from the Soka Gakkai. While Soka Gakkai members continued to form its prime constituency, it was stipulated that no members of Komeito could hold positions in the religious organization.

In 1964 the Soka Gakkai built and donated a Grand Reception Hall to Taiseki-ji, and in 1972 the Grand Main Temple, or Sho-Hondo. Around 1977 a group of Nichiren Shoshu priests began to attack the Soka Gakkai, in a failed effort to establish direct control over the membership. Again, at the end of 1990, the priesthood, headed by Nikken Abe, launched a series of measures against the Soka Gakkai aimed at its dissolution, culminating in excommunication of the Soka Gakkai without prior notice in November 1991. In the process, the priesthood refused all requests for dialogue with the lay organization. Nikken Abe then began a program of destroying key temples and structures at Taiseki-ji that had been donated by the Soka Gakkai, including the celebrated Grand Main Temple. The Soka Gakkai outspokenly condemned these acts, pointing out the doctrinal and moral errors of the priesthood. Ultimately, however, these events marked a new era of self-determination and freedom for the Soka Gakkai, which was no longer bound by the priests' conservative ritualism or their authoritarian and dogmatic interpretations of doctrine.

Based on the practice and philosophy of Nichiren's teachings, the Soka Gakkai advocates an individual inner reformation it calls "human revolution," the ultimate goal of which is a peaceful world and the happiness of humanity. It upholds the Lotus Sutra philosophy that all people inherently possess within them the Buddha nature, the potential for attaining Buddhahood, and can bring it forth through Buddhist practice. Based on this teaching, the Soka Gakkai has been endeavoring to establish the sanctity of life and the dignity of humanity as fundamental universal ideals. The Soka Gakkai does not view Buddhism as an exclusively spiritual or metaphysical pursuit, but as an applied philosophy of life. It encourages Buddhist practice as a means for people to develop the character, wisdom, and strength to improve themselves and their circumstances, to contribute to society, and to help bring about happiness and peace in the world.

From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism

 

[Guest]

Thank you my three mentors! Today was the first day I chanted in front of my butsudan with the gohonzon inside. It will be enshrined on wednesday night and I will host a small meeting in my abode! I am very very excited!

Yesterday was incredible at the meeting where I recieved my gohonzon there was about 20 others recieving their gohonzon and over 1500 people in a very large city auditorium! It was exceptional! The presentations, the speakers, and most importantly my first fast gongyo (super fast gongyo) was great! Then when I recieved my Gohonzon on the stage my district leader whom I just recently met a few minutes prior to the commencement of the ceremony greeted me at the bottom of the stage while I was holding my diploma into SGI and my Gohonzon in my right hand high in the air with a sincere feeling of triumph, and the district leader Augustine gave me a boquet of flowers! My friends I almost cried from the joy! The practice of Shakubuku on this site has propagated a new member a new Bodhisattva of the Earth! I did gongyo this morning at my own pace very happily chanted Nam Myoho Renge Kyo while meditating on the good in my life. I am very very happy to be among you all and even though we are not officially sanctioned by Sensei I honor and appreciate you all as my own "district", my brotherhood propagating Kosenrufu, my pillars of knowledge, my fellow Bodhisattva's of the earth!

I love you all as I love the world we live in! Together we are making a difference, initiating me into SGI has been a triumph! If you only knew what I went through to get HERE to this moment in my life in this thread on this forum! The victory is the faith in commencing my own Human REVOLUTION will lead to what I have been seeking most of my life, which is PEACE! Peace within myself, Peace within my enviroment, Peace for those around me and most IMPORTANTLY PEACE FOR ALL ON THE UNIVERSAL SCALE!

My sincere appreciation and gratitude for my daily nourishment on this thread and for all the incredible things that manifest in my life as a result!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Three Poisons--the Source of the Problem

Three Poisons--the Source of the Problem

As the problems of our planet grow deeper and more complex, the possibility of humanity untangling the destructive web that we have woven can seem less and less easy to believe in. The hope that Buddhism offers to this pervasive sense of uncertainty is the perspective that since the ills of our world have been created by human beings, it is within our power to solve them. Both the problem and the solution lie with us.

Buddhism began as a bold, humane confrontation with the fact of suffering. Its original impulse is not one of retreat or escape from life's challenges and contradictions. Rather, Buddhist practice could be broadly characterized as the struggle to draw forth and shine the light of human wisdom on life and society. A thorough understanding of the causes of human misery is a departure point for this philosophy. Thus Nichiren writes, "One who is thoroughly awakened to the nature of good and evil from their roots to their branches and leaves is called a Buddha."

At the root of human misery, Buddhism sees three destructive impulses: greed, anger and foolishness, which it terms the "three poisons." These are the essence of all the delusions and negative workings of life that impede the realization of our full potential for happiness and creativity.

Of the three, foolishness is most fundamental, as it facilitates greed and anger. Foolishness here means ignorance (passive or willful) of the true nature of life. It is blindness to the reality of our interrelatedness--not merely our connectedness to and dependence on each other, but the connectedness of the unfolding of each of our lives to the unfolding of the very life of the universe; the fact that each of us is a vital component of life itself and a nexus of immense possibilities. Because it obscures life's true, enlightened nature, this ignorance is also referred to as "fundamental darkness."

Our deepest sense of fulfillment lies in the experience of this connectedness and in actions that uphold it. Under the influence of such ignorance, however, we look for fulfillment through acquisition and possession (of objects, fame, power, and so on). Greed is the uncontrolled impulse to fulfill these desires, even at the cost of the unhappiness of others. Inevitably, such pursuits lead only to a sense of frustration.

Anger is the violent impulses that spring from the same egocentric orientation. It is not only explosive rage, but also resentment, envy-all the insidious, ultimately self-destructive emotions of the wounded ego.

These poisons thus undermine our individual happiness, impede our relationships and hinder the unfolding of our unique creative potential. Their influence, however, goes beyond this. On a social level they well forth from the inner lives of individuals and become the cause of conflict, oppression, environmental destruction and gross inequalities among people. One Buddhist text expresses it this way: "Because anger increases in intensity, armed strife occurs. Because greed increases in intensity, famine arises. Because foolishness increases in intensity, pestilence breaks out. And because these three calamities occur, earthly desires [delusions] grow more numerous and powerful than ever, and false views increasingly flourish."

From the perspective of Nichiren Buddhism, the three poisons are an inherent aspect of life and can never be completely eradicated. In fact, a religious approach based on eliminating these poisons from one's life may simply breed hypocrisy. Buddhist practice in the Nichiren tradition can be described as a process of continually transforming the energy of these deluded impulses and redirecting it toward the creation of value. In a more general sense it is through the spiritual struggle to continually orient our lives toward respecting others and working for the broader good of all that we are able to transcend and transform these poisons. In this process, the destructive energy of anger, for example, is sublimated into a protective force that can counteract injustice, preventing us and others from merely being swept along by outside forces or being taken advantage of by those with ill intent.

Dialogue based on a will to genuinely connect with people in an attitude of respect and mutual encouragement is a powerful key in this transformative process.

Ultimately, establishing peace and security on our planet relies on an inner transformation within the lives of individuals. As the UNESCO constitution states, "Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed." The sense of responsibility to continually seek to develop our potential for creative good is the crux of personal empowerment and beginning of the broader transformation of the planet.

(from: http://www.sgi.org/english/Features/quarterly/0510/buddhism.htm )

 

[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, page 345) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, March 27th, 2006

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Human Revolution

Human Revolution

Buddhism is characterized by an emphasis on the possibility of inner transformation--a process of bringing forth our full human potential. There is a common perception that the discipline and focus necessary for such a process requires a set of ideal circumstances not available to most. Nichiren Buddhism, however, teaches that it is only by squarely facing the challenges that confront us amidst the harsh contradictions of society that we can carry out the task of changing our own lives and the world for the better.

"Human revolution" is the term used by second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda to describe a fundamental process of inner transformation whereby we break through the shackles of our "lesser self," bound by self-concern and the ego, growing in altruism toward a "greater self" capable of caring and taking action for the sake of others--ultimately all humanity.

As SGI President Daisaku Ikeda explains: "There are all sorts of revolutions: political revolutions, economic revolutions, industrial revolutions, scientific revolutions, artistic revolutions . . . but no matter what one changes, the world will never get any better as long as people themselves . . . remain selfish and lacking in compassion. In that respect, human revolution is the most fundamental of all revolutions, and at the same time, the most necessary revolution for humankind."

The question of how to change in a positive direction is one which has spawned countless theories, religions and publishing empires. Certainly, self-discipline and effort can enable us to make positive change, for example by starting to exercise regularly. But the willpower required is often hard to maintain; our self-control may slip at a crucial moment because we have not addressed the underlying, inner causes of our behavior.

Human revolution is the work of transforming our lives at the very core. It involves identifying and challenging those things which inhibit the full expression of our positive potential and humanity. Nichiren Buddhism is based on belief in a pure, positive and enlightened condition of life which exists equally within all people. This life state of "Buddhahood" is characterized by the qualities of compassion, wisdom and courage which enable us to create something of value from any situation. Nichiren realized that the deepest process of change and purification takes place when we bring forth this state, and he taught the practice of chanting "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" as the direct and immediate means for accessing and experiencing it.

This Buddha nature expresses itself in concrete ways. First, we gain the conviction that our life contains limitless possibilities and a profound sense of our human dignity. Second, we develop the wisdom to understand that things that we previously thought impossible are in fact possible. And third, we develop a powerful vitality that allows us to tackle our problems with a sense of inner liberation. We are thus empowered to pursue our own human revolution, striving to improve our "self" from yesterday to today and making the "self" of tomorrow better still.

In some traditions of Buddhism, interpretations of the law of cause and effect can encourage a focus on negative past causes. The obstacles and challenges encountered in life may be seen as requiring lifetimes of effort to "clean up." The message of the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Buddhism is that through faith and practice we can reveal Buddhahood: our highest, most enlightened state of life right now, just as we are. This enlightened wisdom enables us to grasp the reality that circumstances which may seem the most unfortunate, be it seemingly incurable illness or bereavement, can actually provide the best opportunities for tackling our human revolution and the impetus for the greatest personal growth.

When we look beyond our personal concerns and take action for the sake of others, this process is strengthened and accelerated. An experience which previously seemed like an unjust burden can become the key to finding the purpose of our lives, as we learn how to help others struggling in a similar situation.

This individual process of human revolution is the very key to sparking change on a global scale. For, as Daisaku Ikeda writes, "A great human revolution in just a single person will help achieve a change in the destiny of a nation and, further, will cause a change in the destiny of all humankind." Taking responsibility for transforming our own lives is the first step toward creating a human society based on compassion and respect for the dignity of all people's lives.

(from: http://www.sgi.org/english/Features/quarterly/0507/buddhism.htm )

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"A Solution to Constant Wars"

"A Solution to Constant Wars"

by Dr. Linus Pauling, Jr.
California, USA

[On the eve of the Caltech (California, USA) opening of the "Linus Pauling and the Twentieth Century" exhibition, Dr. Pauling's son, Linus Pauling Jr., reflected on his experiences with the SGI. He sees the philosophy of the SGI as a solution to war.]


I found SGI President Daisaku Ikeda to be a most remarkable individual when I met him last year. I was particularly impressed by his capacity to reach into individuals and elicit the best that they were able to produce, even, perhaps, more than they had realized they could. I was a practicing psychiatrist for 35 years or so, and it was of course part of my job to reach into people and find out what positive attributes they had in order to help them learn how to use their assets for the improvement of their lives. President Ikeda is a philosopher, not a psychiatrist, but he has this capability. My father was a scientist, but I became a psychiatrist to study the unconscious human mind, which is invisible. Based on my experience, I know how difficult it is to touch the deep side of someone's mind and how hard it is to bring out good qualities that he or she hasn't even recognized yet.

My father met President Ikeda in his later days and mentioned him to me on many occasions, but I was particularly struck by the fact that in my father's office, at the time I started working there, which was in late 1991, there was a stack of books: the book on peace published by President Ikeda and my father, A Lifelong Quest for Peace. I noticed that my father tended to pass out a copy of this book to distinguished visitors who came to see him, and I think that he had considerable pride in participating with President Ikeda on this book.

President Ikeda and my father were complementary in many ways. My father was not a deep philosopher; he was trained as a scientist. He depended very much on concrete information and felt uncomfortable dealing with individual human emotion. President Ikeda, on the other hand, is very comfortable dealing with abstractions. Where they came together was in their creative imaginations regarding the damage that could result to our society if things went wrong and what efforts should be made to improve the future.

My father, coming from his scientific background that dealt with facts and statistics, and President Ikeda with his philosophical training dealing with concepts, managed to come together, bringing these two viewpoints to a mutual understanding, an understanding that lay within each of them. I think that was very helpful to my father. I have some wish that he might have had that experience earlier in his life so that he could have directed himself towards a more philosophical approach. I know that my father did not have much regard for Sigmund Freud's ideas of the unconscious and felt uncomfortable when confronted with evidence that the unconscious was operating. It was difficult for him to look into himself, and I think that President Ikeda was able to make it comfortable for him to understand himself and reveal what he felt about these issues.

The national touring exhibition "Linus Pauling and the Twentieth Century" was well received on its first stop by audiences from throughout San Francisco and the Bay Area. I want to express my deep appreciation to President Ikeda, who proposed the organization of this exhibition, and to all SGI members, who fully supported this effort. The next showing, at the California Institute of Technology from May 16 to June 19, 1999, is going to be especially significant since it is the closing of a circle. It is my father's symbolic return to his alma mater, where he earned his Ph.D. and taught for four decades.

Through my contacts with SGI, a cosponsor of this exhibition, I have learned something about its concepts and its activities. Also, as I've come to learn about the SGI, I've been very impressed by what the SGI has become under President Ikeda, particularly the growth and the quality of the organization. I've been particularly amazed at the dedication of the volunteers. I understand that the SGI-USA San Francisco Culture Center, for example, only has three paid staff members; everyone else working there and everyone who worked on the exhibition in San Francisco (in September-October 1999 at the Herbst International Exhibition Hall) was a volunteer. To have this degree of enthusiasm, loyalty and dedication is unusual in any organization. And I also think that the philosophy expressed by the SGI, which originated before President Ikeda but which has been greatly expanded by him, is very good and very constructive. If more people of the world were open to contemplation about life and the future of civilization, SGI would become even more popular than it is already.

I want to mention some points of the philosophy of the SGI that have impressed me. Human beings have a tendency to reject other people or other groups that are different as their enemies, which is a natural reaction as an inborn self-defense. Consequently, any society tends to be competitive and combative. This is the reason why our history is one of constant wars, filled with rupture and antipathy more than solidarity and harmony.

I can give another example of why things go wrong. Back in 1964, I marched with Martin Luther King Jr. and his supporters from Selma to Montgomery in Alabama. At the early part of the march, as we were walking out of the small town of Selma, out in front of the houses lining the road were the people who lived in those houses. Most of the houses had Confederate flags out in front. This was a demonstration of the fact that these people were defending their right to see things differently from the marchers, despite the fact that the Civil War in America had occurred a hundred years earlier. There were children out there, too, and I saw one boy, six or seven years old, dressed up in a military uniform with a wooden rifle. He was aiming this toy rifle at the marchers as we moved along in front of his house. I could see that these little Southern kids were being brought up to see people who thought differently and had different skin color as being enemies to be killed. A few days later, on the same road, a civil rights worker was killed by a rifle wielded by an adult, no doubt brought up just as the child I saw earlier.

I feel that in order to get away from this kind of happening and in order to counter the instinctive tendency to view people who are different as enemies, education must start very early. I have learned that this is a high priority of the SGI. I know that the SGI concept is basically that through inner understanding, inner realization, the inner sense of the value of one's own life and contribution, one can move forward and upward, that this is a precursor to acceptance of other people in our society. I admire that very much. However, 12 million SGI members in the world are not really enough. The number of people who can feel self-realized and through that come to accepting others must become a much, much larger number. The SGI has demonstrated how it can be done.

(from: http://sokagakkai.info/html3/viewpoint3/view3/view_paulingjr3.html )

 

[Babbabud]

forward

forward

to kosen rufu
nam myoho renge kyo

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"The disciples of the Buddha must without fail understand the four debts of gratitude and know how to repay them.'"

(The Opening of the Eyes - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 228) Selection source: SGI President Ikeda's speech, Seikyo Shimbun, March 20th, 2006

 

[PassTheDoobie]

four debts of gratitude
[四恩] (Jpn.: shi-on)

The debts owed to one's parents, to all living beings, to one's sovereign, and to the three treasures of Buddhism. These four are set forth in the Contemplation on the Mind-Ground Sutra. The definition of the four debts of gratitude varies somewhat according to the source. The Meditation on the Correct Teaching Sutra defines them as the debts owed to one's father, to one's mother, to the Thus Come One or Buddha, and to the teacher of the Law. In his work The Four Debts of Gratitude, Nichiren (1222-1282) refers to the four debts of gratitude described in the Contemplation on the Mind-Ground Sutra. In On Repaying Debts of Gratitude, he lists the four debts of gratitude as the debts owed to one's father and mother, to one's teacher, to the three treasures, and to one's sovereign.

From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism

 

[PassTheDoobie]

three treasures
[三宝] (Skt.: triratna or ratna-traya; Jpn.: sambo)

The three things that all Buddhists should revere and serve. They are the Buddha, the Law (the Buddha's teachings), and the Buddhist Order (community of believers). In Sanskrit, they are known as Buddha, Dharma, and Samgha. The Buddha is one who is awakened to the truth of life and the universe. The Dharma, or Law, means the teachings that the Buddha expounds in order to lead all people to enlightenment. The Samgha, or Buddhist Order, is the group of persons who practice the Buddha's teachings, preserve the Law, spread it, and transmit it to future generations. The three treasures are endowed with the power to free people from all sufferings and lead them to enlightenment. Traditionally, upon becoming a Buddhist, one vowed to believe in and devote oneself to the three treasures.

From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism

 

[PassTheDoobie]

[The following Gosho pertains to the above two posts and should not be confused with the Gosho, "On Repaying Debts of Gratitude" (considered one of Nichiren's five major writings) which we are currently about half way through reading. I'm sticking this in here because if the Daishonin says, "The disciples of the Buddha must without fail understand the four debts of gratitude and know how to repay them", then I thought we should read this now.]

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Four Debts of Gratitude / WND pg. 41

The Four Debts of Gratitude / WND pg. 41

Concerning my present exile (1), there are two important matters that I must mention. One is that I feel immense joy. The reason is that this world is called the saha world, saha meaning endurance. This is why the Buddha is also called "One Who Can (2) Endure." In the saha world, there are one billion Mount Sumerus, one billion suns and moons, and one billion groups of four continents. Among all these worlds, it was in the world at the center - with its Mount Sumeru, sun and moon, and four continents - that the Buddha made his advent. Japan is a tiny island country situated in a remote corner of that world, to the northeast of the country in which the Buddha appeared.

Since all the lands in the ten directions, with the exception of this saha world, are pure lands, their people, being gentlehearted, neither abuse nor hate the worthies and sages. In contrast, this world is inhabited by people who were rejected from the pure lands in the ten directions. They have committed the ten evil acts or the five cardinal sins, slandered the worthies and sages, and have been unfilial to their fathers and mothers or disrespectful to the monks. For these offenses they fell into the three evil paths, and only after dwelling there for countless kalpas were they reborn in this world. Yet the residue of the evil karma formed in their previous existences has not yet been eradicated, and they still tend to perpetrate the ten evil acts or the five cardinal sins, to revile the worthies and sages, and to be undutiful to their fathers and mothers or irreverent toward the monks.

For these reasons, when the Thus Come One Shakyamuni made his advent in this world, some people offered him food into which they had mixed poison. Others tried to harm him by means of swords and staves, mad elephants, lions, fierce bulls, or savage dogs. Still others charged him with violating women, condemned him as a man of lowly status, or accused him of killing. Again, some, when they encountered him, covered their eyes to avoid seeing him, and others closed their doors and shuttered their windows. Still others reported to the kings and ministers that he held erroneous views and was given to slandering exalted personages. These incidents are described in the Great Collection Sutra, the Nirvana Sutra, and other scriptures. The Buddha was innocent of all such evil deeds. Yet this world is peculiar or deficient in that those with bad karma are born into it and inhabit it in great numbers. Moreover, the devil king of the sixth heaven, scheming to prevent the people of this world from leaving it for the pure lands, seizes every opportunity to carry out his perverse acts.

It appears that his scheming is ultimately intended to prevent the Buddha from expounding the Lotus Sutra. The reason is that the nature of this devil king is to rejoice at those who create the karma of the three evil paths and to grieve at those who form the karma of (3) the three good paths. Yet he does not lament so greatly over those who form the karma of the three good paths, but he sorrows indeed at those who aspire to the three vehicles. Again, he may not sorrow so much over those who seek to attain the three vehicles, but he grieves bitterly at those who form the karma to become Buddhas and avails himself of every opportunity to obstruct them. He knows that those who hear even a single sentence or phrase of the Lotus Sutra will attain Buddhahood without fail and, exceedingly distressed by this, contrives various plots and restrains and persecutes believers in an attempt to make them abandon their faith.

Although the age in which the Buddha lived was certainly a defiled one, the five impurities had only just begun to manifest themselves; in addition, the devil stood in awe of the Buddha's powers. Yet, even in a time when the people's greed, anger, foolishness, and false views were still not rampant, a group of Brahmans of the Bamboo Staff school killed the Venerable Maudgalyayana, who was known as the foremost in transcendental powers; and King Ajatashatru, by releasing a mad elephant, threatened the life of the only one in all the threefold world (4) who is worthy of honor. Devadatta killed the nun Utpalavarna, who had attained the state of arhat; and the Venerable Kokalika spread evil rumors about Shariputra, who was renowned as the foremost in wisdom. How much worse things became in the world as the five impurities steadily increased! And now, in the latter age, hatred and jealousy toward those who believe even slightly in the Lotus Sutra will be all the more terrible. Thus the Lotus Sutra states, "Since hatred and jealousy toward this sutra abound even when the Thus Come One is in the world, how much more will this be so after his passing (5)?" When I read this passage for the first time, I did not think that the situation would be as bad as it predicts. Now I am struck by the unfailing accuracy of the Buddha's words, especially in light of my present circumstances.

I, Nichiren, do not observe the precepts with my body. Nor is my heart free from the three poisons. But since I believe in this [Lotus] sutra myself and also enable others to form a relationship with it, I had thought that perhaps society would treat me rather gently. Probably because the world has entered into the latter age, even monks who have wives and children have followers, as do priests who eat fish and fowl. I have neither wife nor children, nor do I eat fish or fowl. I have been blamed merely for trying to propagate the Lotus Sutra. Though I have neither wife nor child, I am known throughout the country as a monk who transgresses the code of conduct, and though I have never killed even a single ant or mole cricket, my bad reputation has spread throughout the realm. This may well resemble the situation of Shakyamuni Buddha, who was slandered by a multitude of non-Buddhists during his lifetime.

It seems that, solely because my faith in the Lotus Sutra accords slightly more with its teachings than does the faith of others, evil demons must have possessed their bodies and be causing them to feel hatred toward me. I am nothing but a lowly and ignorant monk without precepts. Yet, when I think that such a person should be mentioned in the Lotus Sutra, which was expounded more than two thousand years ago, and that the Buddha prophesied that that person would encounter persecution, I cannot possibly express my joy.

It is already twenty-four or twenty-five years since I began studying Buddhism. Yet I have believed wholeheartedly in the Lotus Sutra only for the past six or seven years. Moreover, although I had faith in the sutra, because I was negligent and because of my studies and the interruptions of mundane affairs, each day I would recite only a single scroll, a chapter, or the title. Now, however, for a period of more than 240 days - from the twelfth day of the fifth month of last year to the sixteenth day of the first month of this year - I think I have practiced the Lotus Sutra twenty-four hours each day and night. I say so because, having been exiled on the Lotus Sutra's account, I now read and practice it continuously, whether I am walking, standing, sitting, or lying down. For anyone born human, what greater joy could there be?

It is the way of ordinary people that, even though they spur themselves on to arouse the aspiration for enlightenment and wish for happiness in the next life, they exert themselves no more than one or two out of all the hours of the day, and this only after reminding themselves to do so. As for myself, I read the Lotus Sutra without having to remember to, and practice it even when I do not read its words aloud.

During the course of countless kalpas, while transmigrating through the six paths and the four forms of birth, I may at times have risen in revolt, committed theft, or broken into others' homes at night and, on account of these offenses, been convicted by the ruler and condemned to exile or death. This time, however, it is because I am so firmly resolved to propagate the Lotus Sutra that people with evil karma have brought false charges against me; hence my exile. Surely this will work in my favor in future lifetimes. In this latter age, there cannot be anyone else who upholds the Lotus Sutra twenty-four hours of the day and night without making a deliberate effort to do so.

There is one other thing for which I am most grateful. While transmigrating in the six paths for the duration of countless kalpas, I may have encountered a number of sovereigns and become their favorite minister or regent. If so, I must have been granted fiefs and accorded treasures and stipends. Never once, however, did I encounter a sovereign in whose country the Lotus Sutra had spread, so that I could hear its name, practice it and, on that very account, be slandered by other people and have the ruler send me into exile. The Lotus Sutra states, "As for this Lotus Sutra, throughout immeasurable numbers of lands one cannot even hear its name, much less be able to see it, accept and embrace, read and recite (6) it." Thus those people who slandered me and the ruler [who had me banished] are the very persons to whom I owe the most profound debt of gratitude.

One who studies the teachings of Buddhism must not fail to repay the four debts of gratitude. According to the Contemplation on the Mind-Ground Sutra, the first of the four debts is that owed to all living beings. Were it not for them, one would find it impossible to make the vow to save innumerable living beings. Moreover, but for the evil people who persecute bodhisattvas, how could those bodhisattvas increase their merit?

The second of the four debts is that owed to one's father and mother. To be born into the six paths, one must have parents. If one is born into the family of a murderer, a thief, a violator of the rules of proper conduct, or a slanderer of the Law, then even though one may not commit these offenses oneself, one in effect forms the same karma as those who do. As for my parents in this lifetime, however, they not only gave me birth but made me a believer in the Lotus Sutra. Thus I owe my present father and mother a debt far greater than I would had I been born into the family of Brahma, Shakra, one of the four heavenly kings, or a wheel-turning king, and so inherited the threefold world or the four continents, and been revered by the four kinds of believers in the worlds of human and heavenly beings.

The third is the debt owed to one's sovereign. It is thanks to one's sovereign that one can warm one's body in (7) the three kinds of heavenly light and sustain one's life with the five kinds of (8) grain that grow on earth. Moreover, in this lifetime, I have taken faith in the Lotus Sutra and encountered a ruler who will enable me to free myself in my present existence from the sufferings of birth and death. Thus, how can I dwell on the insignificant harm that he has done me and overlook my debt to him?

The fourth is the debt owed to the three treasures. When the Thus Come One Shakyamuni was engaged in bodhisattva practices for countless kalpas, he gathered all of the good fortune and virtue he had gained thereby, divided it into sixty-four parts, and took on their merit. Of these sixty-four, he reserved only one part for himself. The remaining sixty-three parts he left behind in this world, making a vow as follows: "There will be an age when the five impurities will become rampant, erroneous teachings will flourish, and slanderers will fill the land. At that time, because the innumerable benevolent guardian deities will be unable to taste the flavor of the Law, their majesty and strength will diminish. The sun and moon will lose their brightness, the heavenly dragons will not send down rain, and the earthly deities will decrease the fertility of the soil. The roots and stalks, branches and leaves, flowers and fruit will all lose their medicinal properties (9) as well as the seven flavors. Even those who became kings because they had observed the ten good precepts in previous lifetimes will grow in greed, anger, and foolishness. The people will cease to be dutiful to their parents, and (10) the six kinds of relatives will fall into disaccord. At such a time, my disciples will consist of unlearned people without precepts. For this reason, even though they shave their heads, they will be forsaken by the tutelary deities and left without any means of subsistence. It is in order to sustain these monks and nuns [that I now leave these sixty-three parts behind]."

Moreover, as for the benefits that the Buddha had attained as a result of his practices, he divided them into three parts, of which he himself made use of only two. For this reason, although he was to have lived in this world until the age of 120, he passed away after eighty years, bequeathing the remaining forty (11) years of his life span to us.

Even if we should gather all the water of the four great oceans to wet inkstones, burn all the trees and plants to make ink sticks, collect the hairs of all beasts for writing brushes, employ all the surfaces of the worlds in the ten directions for paper, and, with these, set down expressions of gratitude, how could we possibly repay our debt to the Buddha?

Concerning the debt owed to the Law, the Law is the teacher of all Buddhas. It is because of the Law that the Buddhas are worthy of respect. Therefore, those who wish to repay their debt to the Buddha must first repay the debt they owe to the Law.

As for the debt owed to the Buddhist Order, both the treasure of the Buddha and the treasure of the Law are invariably perpetuated by the Order. To illustrate, without firewood, there can be no fire, and if there is no earth,trees and plants cannot grow. Likewise, even though Buddhism existed, without the members of the Order who studied it and passed it on, it would never have been transmitted throughout the two thousand years of the Former and Middle Days into the Latter Day of the Law. Accordingly, the Great Collection Sutra states: "Suppose that, in the last of the five five-hundred-year periods, there should be someone who harasses unlearned monks without precepts by accusing them of some offense. You should know that this person is extinguishing the great torch of Buddhism." Therefore, the debt we owe to the Order is difficult to recompense.

Thus it is imperative that one repay one's debt of gratitude to the three treasures. In ancient times, there were sages such as the boy Snow Mountains, Bodhisattva Ever Wailing, Bodhisattva Medicine King, and King Universal Brightness, all of whom [offered their lives in order to make such repayment]. The first offered his body as food to a demon. The second sold his own blood and marrow. The third burned his arms, and the fourth was ready to part with his head. Ordinary people in this latter age, however, though receiving the benefits of the three treasures, completely neglect to repay them. How, then, can they attain the Buddha way? The Contemplation on the Mind-Ground, the Brahma Net, and other sutras state that those who study Buddhism and receive the precepts of perfect and immediate enlightenment must repay the four debts of gratitude without fail. I am but an ignorant ordinary person made of flesh and blood; I have not rid myself of even a fraction of the three categories of illusion. Yet, on account of the Lotus Sutra, I have been reviled, slandered, attacked with swords and staves, and sent into exile. In light of these persecutions, I believe I may be likened to the great sages who burned their arms, crushed their marrow, or did not begrudge being beheaded. This is what I mean by immense joy.

The second of the two important matters is that I feel intense grief. The fourth volume of the Lotus Sutra states: "If there should be an evil person who, his mind destitute of goodness, should for the space of a kalpa appear in the presence of the Buddha and constantly curse and revile the Buddha, that person's offense would still be rather light. But if there were a person who spoke only one evil word to curse or defame the lay persons or monks or nuns who read and recite the Lotus Sutra, then (12) his offense would be very grave." When I read this and similar passages, my belief is aroused, sweat breaks out from my body, and tears fall from my eyes like rain. I grieve that, by being born in this country, I have caused so many of its people to create the worst karma possible in a lifetime. Those who beat and struck Bodhisattva Never Disparaging came to repent of it while they were alive; yet, even so, their offenses were so difficult to expiate that they fell into the Avichi hell and remained there for a thousand kalpas. But those who have done me harm have not yet repented of it even in the slightest.

Describing the karmic retribution that such people must receive, the Great Collection Sutra states: "[The Buddha asked], 'If there should be a person who draws blood from the bodies of a thousand, ten thousand, or a million Buddhas, in your thinking, how is it? Will he have committed a grave offense or not?' The great king Brahma replied: 'If a person causes the body of even a single Buddha to bleed, he will have committed an offense so serious that he will fall into the hell of incessant suffering. His offense will be unfathomably grave, and he will have to remain in the great Avichi hell for so many kalpas that their number cannot be calculated even by means of counting sticks. Graver still is the offense a person would commit by causing the bodies of ten thousand or a million Buddhas to bleed. No one could possibly explain in full either that person's offense or its karmic retribution - no one, that is, except the Thus Come One himself.' The Buddha said, 'Great King Brahma, suppose there should be a person who, for my sake, takes the tonsure and wears a surplice. Even though he has not at any time received the precepts and therefore observes none, if someone harasses him, abuses him, or strikes him with a staff, then that persecutor's offense will be even graver than that [of injuring ten thousand or a million Buddhas].'"

Nichiren

The sixteenth day of the first month in the second year of Kocho (1262), cyclical sign mizunoe-inu

To Kudo Sakon-no-jo

Background

Nichiren Daishonin wrote this letter while he was in exile in Ito on the Izu Peninsula. It was addressed to Kudo Sakon-no-jo Yoshitaka, known also as Kudo Yoshitaka, the lord of Amatsu in Awa Province.

Kudo Yoshitaka is said to have converted to Nichiren Daishonin's teachings around 1256, about the same time Shijo Kingo and Ikegami Munenaka did, a few years after the Daishonin first proclaimed his teachings. While the Daishonin was in exile on Izu, Yoshitaka sent offerings to him and continued to maintain pure faith. He was killed defending the Daishonin at the time of the Komatsubara Persecution in the eleventh month of 1264. The Four Debts of Gratitude is the only letter still extant that the Daishonin addressed to him.

In this letter, in light of the reason for his banishment, Nichiren Daishonin expresses his conviction that he is a true practitioner of the Lotus Sutra. He mentions the "two important matters" that concern his Izu Exile. He states, "One is that I feel immense joy," and explains the reasons for his joy. The greater part of the letter consists of this explanation. Following this, he states,"The second of the two important matters is that I feel intense grief." Citing passages from the Lotus and Great Collection sutras that reveal the gravity of the offense of slandering the Law and its devotees, the Daishonin explains that he grieves at the thought of the great karmic retribution his tormentors must undergo. This is the concluding part of the letter.

In the body of the letter, the Daishonin gives two reasons for his "immense joy." One is that he has been able to prove himself to be the votary of the Lotus Sutra by fulfilling the Buddha's prediction made in the sutra that its votary in the Latter Day of the Law will meet with persecution. The other reason is that, by suffering banishment for the sutra's sake, he can repay the four debts of gratitude. He declares that the ruler who condemned him to exile is the very person to whom he is the most grateful; thanks to the ruler, he has been able to fulfill the words of the Lotus Sutra and so prove himself to be its true votary.

Then, the Daishonin stresses the importance of repaying the four debts of gratitude set forth in the Contemplation on the Mind-Ground Sutra. The four debts of gratitude are the debts owed to all living beings, to one's father and mother, to one's sovereign, and to the three treasures - the Buddha, the Law, and the Buddhist Order. Among these four debts of gratitude, the Daishonin places special emphasis on the debt owed to the three treasures, without which one could not attain Buddhahood.

Notes

1. Reference is to the Daishonin's exile to Ito on the Izu Peninsula, from the twelfth day of the fifth month, 1261, to the twenty-second day of the second month, 1263.
2. Here "the saha world" indicates the major world system that surrounds our world.
3. The three good paths are those of asuras, human beings, and heavenly beings, in contrast to the three evil paths of hell, hungry spirits, and animals.
4. The story of Ajatashatru is included as one of the nine great persecutions suffered by Shakyamuni.
5. Lotus Sutra, chap. 10.
6. Ibid., chap. 14.
7. The light of the sun, moon, and stars.
8. Wheat, rice, beans, and two types of millet. Also a generic term for all grains.
9. Sweet, pungent, sour, bitter, salty, astringent, and subtle flavors.
10. The six kinds of relatives refer to a father, a mother, an elder brother, a younger brother, a wife, and a son or daughter. Another classification gives a father, a son or daughter, an elder brother, a younger brother, a husband, and a wife.
11. The source of this statement has not been traced; presumably it is based on a passage in the Great Collection Sutra.
12. Lotus Sutra, chap. 10.

 

[Guest]

tonight I will finally have my Gohonzon enshrined and will host a small gathering for slow gongyo! I am very excited and chant for everyone in this thread including your loved ones.

Repaying Debts of Gratitude are fundamental to shakubuku and the further propagation of Kosenrufu!

Peace to all.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"T'ien-tai states, 'From the indigo, an even deeper blue.' This passage means that, if one dyes something repeatedly in indigo, it becomes even bluer than the indigo leaves. Lotus Sutra is like the indigo, and the strength of one's practice is like the deepening blue."

(Hell Is the Land of Tranquil Light - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 457) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, March 29th, 2006

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"We all have our own karma. But no matter what our past offences, if we strive earnestly in faith, we can transform great suffering into minor suffering, change our karma, and attain Buddhahood in this existence. That is the power of the Daishonin’s Buddhism."

SGI Newsletter No. 6780, The New Human Revolution—Vol. 18: Chap. 3, Moving Forward 21, translated March 28th, 2006

 

[PassTheDoobie]

five impurities
[五濁] (Jpn.: go-joku)

Also, five defilements. Impurity of the age, of desire, of living beings, of thought (or view), and of life span. The "Expedient Means" (second) chapter of the Lotus Sutra says, "The Buddhas appear in evil worlds of five impurities... . In this evil world of the five impurities those who merely delight in and are attached to the desires, living beings such as this in the end will never seek the Buddha way." (1) Impurity of the age includes repeated disruptions of the social or natural environment. (2) Impurity of desire is the tendency to be ruled by the five delusive inclinations, i.e, greed, anger, foolishness, arrogance, and doubt. (3) Impurity of living beings is the physical and spiritual decline of human beings. (4) Impurity of thought, or impurity of view, is the prevalence of wrong views such as the five false views. (5) Impurity of life span is the shortening of the life spans of living beings. According to The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra, the most fundamental of these five are the impurities of thought and desire, which result in the impurity of living beings and the impurity of life span. These in turn give rise to the impurity of the age.

From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Five Impurities

The Five Impurities

From its inception, Buddhism has been concerned with the questions, “Why do people suffer?” and “How can suffering be alleviated?” May Buddhist teachings have sought to clarify the relationship between the cause and the treatment of misery. For this reason, Shakyamuni enumerates the five impurities in the “Expedient Means” chapter of the Lotus Sutra. They are as follows: impurity of the age, impurity of desire, impurity of living beings, impurity of view and impurity of life span.

Perhaps these five impurities seem like a list of “sins” as with the Ten Commandments of Christianity. But upon closer inspection, they are not so much a group of transgressions as they are, collectively, an elaboration of the relationship between a person and the environment--and on a broader scale, between a culture and a country, or even the entire populace and the world in which we live. To make sense of this, let’s look at each impurity individually.

The “impurity of the age” refers to destructive and chaotic act in the social, economic and natural environments. War, for example, is an “impurity of the age” as is a terrible financial depression, or the oppression of a particular group of people. It is the visible end of the spectrum of mass unease and desperation.

The very normal needs for food, shelter, companionship and so forth--when polluted by negative tendencies such as greed, anger and ignorance--result in the “impurity of desire.” There is nothing inherently wrong with wanting to eat, but when greed and ignorance temper the need for food, a person can lose their generosity or even become a thief, which can in turn leave someone else hungry. In this manner, healthy desires can become destructive and difficult to control. When one adds to the equation the terrible lack of basic needs often brought about by war, economic collapse and other “impurities of the age,” this can lead to even further desperation and be the means by which greed, anger and ignorance pollute our natural and appropriate desires.

Desires, when destructive, can lead to mental and physical illness. This is the “impurity of living beings.” Either directly to ourselves (psychosomatic illness, neurosis, malnutrition, etc.) or indirectly to others (diseases related to poverty and social inequality, mental disorders derived from abuse) we see the anguish caused by the “impurity of desire” translated into the “impurity of living beings” all around us.

Similar to the “impurity of desire” is the “impurity of view”--the adherence to erroneous beliefs. Misunderstandings about the interdependence of life (the shared causal connection between all people) are particularly problematic. This is because such beliefs promote the mistaken concept that a person is isolated and one’s actions have no relation to the lives of others, or conversely that one has inordinate power and can “fix” or “control” another human beings. Rotted in warped desires worsened by mental or physical imbalance, the “impurity of view” can become a philosophy of hate, senseless destruction and violence.

Lastly, the “impurity of life span” describes a life shortened or distorted because of the negative effects of the other impurities. Every day people die young because of war, starvation, crime and other dangerous situations. But the “impurity of life span” can also be interpreted as lives nullified, or rendered joyless and unrewarding; lives, in other words, that don’t seem to be worth living. Such deadened, soulless feelings can occur at any age.

Taken all together, it’s clear that the five impurities are neither a list nor a chain, but a loop, a vicious cycle. Referring to this cycle, Shakyamuni says, “Shariputra, when the age is impure and the times are chaotic, then the defilements of living beings are grave, they are greedy and jealous and put down roots that are not good” (LS2, 32). One impurity leads easily to the next and creates a seemingly endless repetition of sorrow.

It’s important to remember, however, that the cumulative effect of a person’s causes, or karma, is not solely a negative thing. Karma is a law, like gravity, not a judge doling out punishment. Because the cycle of the five I purities works in one direction, it must logically work in the other direction as well. In “On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land,” Nichiren Daishonin writes, “Therefore you must quickly reform the tenets that you hold in your heart and embrace the one true vehicle…If you do so, then the threefold world will become the Buddha land…” (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 25). If the five impurities weren’t reversible, the Daishonin would never have said that.

As a very simple example, the prevention of a war--or better still, the establishment of peaceful international relationships--can save many lives and lead to an increase in trade, jobs and so forth by which we can feed ourselves and our families. When such needs are approximately met, mental strife and many illnesses are less common and people are more likely to lead long, healthy lies. This is, of course, a simple illustration.

Through war, theft, oppression and the life can bring about brief periods of wealth and security for some, they are unstable acts incapable of establishing any long-term prosperity. In the end, such acts merely lead back to the cycle of suffering. Nonviolent activities, inspire by mutual respect, are far more likely to bring about long-lasting value.

July 2001
Living Buddhism
By Jason Henninger, based on Yasashii Kyogaku (Easy Buddhist Study) published by Seikyo Press in 1994.

 

[Guest]

Thanks PTD for the great posts always hitting us in the core.

Tonight, I had a great 2 hour and 15 minute meeting and then 3 members came over my house they took out my Gohonzon from the box and wrappings and then place the Gohonzon in the Butsudan then adjusted the Gohonzon nicely and we then did gongyo again. Three new friends, I have met over 2000 SGI members in less than a month, each one different each one part of our family! A friend of Sensei's is a friend of mine, the people I was with tonight I never met before yet we all "knew" each other! How trippy is that. In the greater scheme of things its becoming clearer. On monday I will go chant for someone that needs people to chant for her and others will be coming. Its called a toso and is japanese for "battle" we will chant for a couple hours together at her home.

A member in the meeting gave a few of us this different scroll that says SOKA and has 1000 little squares within the letters. 1000 daimoku! We were translating and reflecting on gongyo, last week they did the first sentence today the next few words! The incredible testaments of faith completed moved me one goes like this..

Two friends walking down a street in the city, one is a senior SGI member the other is just starting the understand Buddhism in general and has attended a few meetings.

They see a homeless person in the street and the homeless person asks for money. The senior SGI member says here I will give you one pound (franc, euro, etc.) if you say these words "NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO"

The homeless person says "Say that again? It sounds very familiar!"

So the SGI member says "Nam Myoho Renge Kyo" and the homeless person says " What does it mean... I have heard this before, its familiar"

The new member to sgi says "at that moment I got goosebumps and fell in awe with the power of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!"




I will continue chanting for all my brethern in this thread and graciously fight the good battle.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

From EasyD to the World:

"We have all heard Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, the lotus sutra is within all of us, as is our Buddha Nature! Look its there!"