Chanting Growers Group

[PassTheDoobie]

The Russian author Leo Tolstoy (1828E910) summarized what he had learned from the teachings of the Buddha he had read: "If people speak and act based on positive ideals, joy will follow them as a shadow follows a body."

(SGI Newsletter No. 7830, SGI President Ikeda's Speech, Young Women's Division Commemorative Gathering, Part 2 of 5. Translated August 4th, 2009)

 

[Babbabud]

Nam myoho renge kyo

Nam myoho renge kyo

i wanted to thank everyone for there warm welcome back . i cant really post the way i used to , but you are all in my thoughts.

Nam myoho renge kyo

 

[scegy]

GRRRR!
I was this || close to piss off right now, cos i was writing you my experiences and before i was finished the forum logged me out!
So it's everything from the begining, trying to stay calm despite my hunger in tha belly!

Nam myoho renge kyo my friends!

As i am saying, for the 2nd time today,

I really had no idea what to write to you about my Trets experience, since i had nothing too glamorous to write about. Before i wrote this(the first time) i remembered a wise person said to me "Encourage others with what encourages you!"

So i've been given the task to drive the van that we rented for the Trets trip along with two co-driver girls. I was the last to drive when we were comming back home and i also had the job to return the van to the guy that rented was rented from. While looking for the right street i had to turn around the van and while i was driving backwards i've bumped into a parked car. The van was ok, just a little scratch on the bumper, the bumped car had some more "injuries". I didn't want to deal with it at that time since it was 11 pm and i was exausted, so i just parked the van into the right street and went home.
As a part of my determination before going to the seminar i decieded not to take any stash(weed) with me, as an experiment if i can enjoy the thing without being stoned 24/7. So to that point i haven't smoked for almost 6 days and when i got back home i rolled myself a fatty and burned it. Then i couldn't go to sleep till 4 am and i was writing determinations. One of them was "I'm not gonna smoke because of my negative tendencies anymore, i'll rather chant more!", " I will only smoke during the weekends" this one was crossed out(pending), the compromise is now to " Only smoke at night". So i've been smoking 2-3 joints only late at night for the past 2 weeks. And i feel how much clearer my thoughts are this way, and how much more energy i have in general( In Trets i was running like on 300%, still having trouble to fall a sleep in the end of the day).
Have also decieded to look for my Kosen rufu job and things have been already moving in that direction.
To come back to the van story, i was really reluctant to say anything about the whole accident to anyone, since the van was virtually untouched, the car owner didn't see me....i could have weaseled out easily. But i got an idea to test myself and The Law, so inspite of my low budget situation i called the van owner the next day, and he said it's nothing to worry about and that i also shouldn't worry about the car owner, since i'd be the only one on this world to confront and confess what i did. I didn't listen to him and i went on finding out who's the owner of the car i bumped in to. It turned out to be a young mommy. We went to look at the damage i made and she said it's ok and that it's more than enough that i had the courage to come and admit my deed and did not want to take any money, just a hand shake and warm goodbye. Isn't that great? Wonderful!

A week after i got home, my grandmother died. It's been only the past 2-3 years since i started to cheris my grandparents, and i'm glad i did! Because after her death on her funeral i realised how challenging her life was and that she must have been a Buddha that was one of my mentors! Actually i just realised now, she was the Never Disparaging Buddha(Fukyo). She had so many hardships in her family that i can't even imagine what she had to put through(and i'm grateful that she won), 2 Wwars, Catholic church with it's negative influence on her children, herself and her marriage. But she was cheerfull till the very end, never, never ever i've heard her speaking ill to or about anyone. She was the grandmother that was the same(in a very good way) from as far as i know her.
She has become the source of inspiration for me, and i'll be forever gratefull for her advent!

I have much much more to write, bet let it be enough for today i have some things to do and would love to see your responses!

Have a wonderfull day towards building your happiness!

~Nam Myoho Renge Kyo~​

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"The first shi of the word shishi, or 'lion' [which means 'teacher'], is the Wonderful Law that is passed on by the teacher. The second shi [which means 'child'] is the Wonderful Law as it is received by the disciples. The 'roar' is the sound of the teacher and disciples chanting in unison."

(Ongi kuden - Gosho Zenshu, page 748, The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, page 111) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, August 22nd, 2009

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"One person's sincerity can be truly inspiring. One person's faith can have a tremendous impact on others.

"In a letter addressed to a follower known as the lady of Sajiki, Nichiren Daishonin describes the profound significance of making an offering to the Lotus Sutra. He writes: 'To illustrate, if a spark as small as a bean is set to a single blade of grass in a spring field of a thousand square [miles] thick with grass, it becomes in an instant an immeasurable, boundless blaze. Such is also the case with [your offering of a single robe]' (WND-1, 533). This is a vivid metaphor. The Daishonin also teaches that the benefit a person gains from making an offering to the Law will also extend to their family and loved ones, including their parents and their grandparents, and indeed the lives of everyone they are connected to (cf. WND-1, 533).

"Everything starts with a single action. A single word of encouragement can inspire courage."

SGI Newsletter No. 7844, YOUNG WOMEN’S DIVISION COMMEMORATIVE GATHERING - PART 4 [OF 5] Engage in Dialogue to Foster Friendship and Humanistic Ideals, from the June 10th, 2009, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, translated Aug. 26th, 2009

 

[Desiderata]

Yesterday was incredibly difficult, I do not know how I would have made it thru the events without chanting to keep myself calm and centered.

I had to go to Eddy Lepp's Farm and retrieve his valuable writings and journals, as we would like to publish a book of his writings about what happened to him and his family.

It was so incredibly sad seeing the place without him there smiling and happy. Everyone in the "family" is trying to keep things together, but as usual the evil forces out there continuously wreak havoc with Eddy's life.

An imposter is going around collecting money "for" Eddy, and has reportedly collected several thousand $$$. Hope her conscience gets the better of her soon and she hands over the funds to Eddy's bank!

Many people have the idea that because Eddy is gone, it's a free-for-all grab bag up at the Farm. Rest assured there are devoted folks on the property to make sure everything stays where it is. We have already made plans to store his personal effects should the Farm be lost.

To keep the Farm for the future of his family and friends we need to keep chanting. If it's not meant to be, chanting will certainly help us deal with the emotional trauma of having to clear the place out.

One way or another we will not forget Eddy Lepp, nor the many wonderful things he has done to help so many people.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

And yes, we still have the evil forces that Bush appointed running the Federal Prosecutor's office here in Northern California. Obama promised to stop the raids, they have continued. Obama promised to help the medical marijuana patients, they are still be locked up. Nothing has CHANGEd.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Thanks for listening to me rant...

Hi Payaso, I read this last week and wanted to respond. Thanks for sharing this story. It's a good rant bro!

Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo!

 

[Desiderata]

Doing what's right makes right happen.

Doing what's right makes right happen.

GRRRR!

I was this || close to piss off right now, cos i was writing you my experiences and before i was finished the forum logged me out!
So it's everything from the begining, trying to stay calm despite my hunger in tha belly!​

Nam myoho renge kyo my friends!​

As i am saying, for the 2nd time today,​

I really had no idea what to write to you about my Trets experience, since i had nothing too glamorous to write about. Before i wrote this(the first time) i remembered a wise person said to me "Encourage others with what encourages you!"​

So i've been given the task to drive the van that we rented for the Trets trip along with two co-driver girls. I was the last to drive when we were comming back home and i also had the job to return the van to the guy that rented was rented from. While looking for the right street i had to turn around the van and while i was driving backwards i've bumped into a parked car. The van was ok, just a little scratch on the bumper, the bumped car had some more "injuries". I didn't want to deal with it at that time since it was 11 pm and i was exausted, so i just parked the van into the right street and went home.
As a part of my determination before going to the seminar i decieded not to take any stash(weed) with me, as an experiment if i can enjoy the thing without being stoned 24/7. So to that point i haven't smoked for almost 6 days and when i got back home i rolled myself a fatty and burned it. Then i couldn't go to sleep till 4 am and i was writing determinations. One of them was "I'm not gonna smoke because of my negative tendencies anymore, i'll rather chant more!", " I will only smoke during the weekends" this one was crossed out(pending), the compromise is now to " Only smoke at night". So i've been smoking 2-3 joints only late at night for the past 2 weeks. And i feel how much clearer my thoughts are this way, and how much more energy i have in general( In Trets i was running like on 300%, still having trouble to fall a sleep in the end of the day).
Have also decieded to look for my Kosen rufu job and things have been already moving in that direction.
To come back to the van story, i was really reluctant to say anything about the whole accident to anyone, since the van was virtually untouched, the car owner didn't see me....i could have weaseled out easily. But i got an idea to test myself and The Law, so inspite of my low budget situation i called the van owner the next day, and he said it's nothing to worry about and that i also shouldn't worry about the car owner, since i'd be the only one on this world to confront and confess what i did. I didn't listen to him and i went on finding out who's the owner of the car i bumped in to. It turned out to be a young mommy. We went to look at the damage i made and she said it's ok and that it's more than enough that i had the courage to come and admit my deed and did not want to take any money, just a hand shake and warm goodbye. Isn't that great? Wonderful!​

A week after i got home, my grandmother died. It's been only the past 2-3 years since i started to cheris my grandparents, and i'm glad i did! Because after her death on her funeral i realised how challenging her life was and that she must have been a Buddha that was one of my mentors! Actually i just realised now, she was the Never Disparaging Buddha(Fukyo). She had so many hardships in her family that i can't even imagine what she had to put through(and i'm grateful that she won), 2 Wwars, Catholic church with it's negative influence on her children, herself and her marriage. But she was cheerfull till the very end, never, never ever i've heard her speaking ill to or about anyone. She was the grandmother that was the same(in a very good way) from as far as i know her.
She has become the source of inspiration for me, and i'll be forever gratefull for her advent!​

I have much much more to write, bet let it be enough for today i have some things to do and would love to see your responses!​

Have a wonderfull day towards building your happiness!​

~Nam Myoho Renge Kyo~​

Thank you bro, you always make me happy. Wow, the van incident is a 'valuable' lesson, no matter what age you are.

It's so good how you feel about your grandmother and what a mentor.....thanks for sharing that......it inspires me to be like her!

 

[Desiderata]

I'm meditating on this......

I'm meditating on this......

The Russian author Leo Tolstoy (1828E910) summarized what he had learned from the teachings of the Buddha he had read: "If people speak and act based on positive ideals, joy will follow them as a shadow follows a body."

(SGI Newsletter No. 7830, SGI President Ikeda's Speech, Young Women's Division Commemorative Gathering, Part 2 of 5. Translated August 4th, 2009)

Hi "T!!!"........I never responded to you about Coal Bear.......the older they are the more emotional the loss,....almost.....they're all missed of course, but when we lost Ginger recently, it took a month at least for the 'recentness' of our loss to subside in the emotional department. I feel for your loss,.......love you bro!.....desi

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Dialogue is extremely important in Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism.

"The Daishonin writes: 'This saha world is a land in which one gains the way through the faculty of hearing' (WND-2, 87). Teaching another person about the Mystic Law and enabling them to form a connection with Buddhism is the supremely noble work of Buddhas. The dialogues you are carrying out in order to share the Daishonin's teachings with others are directly linked to the expansion of happiness and humanism.

"The Daishonin states: '[Having] heard the Lotus Sutra, which leads to Buddhahood, with this as the seed, one will invariably become a Buddha' (WND-1, 882); and 'One should by all means persist in preaching the Lotus Sutra and causing [others] to hear it' (WND-1, 882). We mustn't spare our voices in sharing the unsurpassed principles of the Daishonin's Buddhism with as many people as possible. Through such efforts, we help connect others to Buddhism, the path to eternal happiness. At the same time, we engrave experiences of everlasting good fortune in our lives. The Daishonin declares: 'Single-mindedly chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and urge others to do the same; that will remain as the only memory of your present life in this human world' (WND-1, 64)."

SGI Newsletter No. 7844, YOUNG WOMEN'S DIVISION COMMEMORATIVE GATHERING --PART 4 [OF 5] Engage in Dialogue to Foster Friendship and Humanistic Ideals, from the
June 10th, 2009, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, translated Aug. 26th, 2009

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Muster your faith, and pray to this Gohonzon. Then what is there that cannot be achieved?"

(Reply to Kyo'o - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 412) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, September 5th, 2009

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

i finally volunteered again yesterday to support my region, I decided not to transfer to the city, as the soka group chief and we had a great Kosen-rufu Sunday! Although I haven't been able to support the movement since June because I moved in July, like the prodigal son I came back and was welcomed with open arms. Setting everything up, taking care of the members during the meeting and putting everything away felt so good to me. After the meeting a WD member in her late 50s asked me to go with her to a supermarket about 15 minutes away to help her shakubuku. I'm fluent in another language and this great lady drove and I followed her to the supermarket where I met a nice guy named Ando. It was a pleasure to meet this kid because he has been to two SGI meetings already so he just needed to connect with someone. It felt great to give him a Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! card with my name, number and email so that I could support him in his practice going forward.

Even though I'm residing in a city, it feels good to keep supporting my home district and continue to support the movement in the suburban and more rural communities because that is where I'm from.

I don't forget the chanting growers and where we came from (I'm proud of you Sceggy!), I always remember where we are going which is EAGLE PEAK (yeah baby!), and how to get there - Keep Chanting everyday, keep protecting the precious members and to keep introducing others to this Buddhism. Men, Women, children and every other group that falls within those three ranks have introduced others to Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! This dynamic practice has been the driving force of my success and will continue to fuel me through these difficult battles I face with school.

I'm working full time and trying to move up in my company. I am busting my ass for a promotion I am sure is within my reach. Working as a compliance officer will take more determination, homework and effort than at any other job I ever worked. I will do this while taking on the hardest workload ever in school so that I could get a Business degree by my target month of 12/10! The Law School and Business in 2011 and the sky is the limit.

I derive strength in this thread and lately I've needed it! I promise to continue to champion Nichiren Daishonin's influence on my life to spread that goodness wherever and whenever I can!

Whats up Desi and Babba! Whats up Tom and family! Whats up Socal! High Five to you FallenAngel! Peace to Bonzo and my friend Nathan Gauer (our National YMD Leader), hope you both are well!

 

[scegy]

Let's go on guys and girls!
I'M PROUD OF YOU TOO DISCO, keep on striving and thank you!

Let's make this day a wonderful day!

Daimoku for all of you, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

 

[scegy]

p.s.

IT iS A WONDERFUL DAY!

 

[SoCal Hippy]

I am still around. Trying to kick it. Checking In

I am still around. Trying to kick it. Checking In

Zange Guidance from Vice President Tsuji

Appreciation

For having the Gohonzon.

For being able to change my karma.

For being alive at this time.

For all the people around me.

For everything being a teacher to me.


Self-Realization

Realize that for every EXTERNAL CAUSE (nyo ze en),

There is first an INTERNAL CAUSE (nyo ze in).

Every hurt, anger, frustration, or painful situation that occurs to me is MY
RESPONSIBILITY.

My karma forced it to happen, or forced them to behave that way.

Hendoku Iyaku-I can turn poison into medicine and become aware of my own
"Internal Hooks" that draw such experiences to me.

I ALONE am responsible for my life condition.

Apology

For current slander in thought, word, and action-let me not want to do it
anymore.

Daimoku of altruism-chant for the health and well-being of the person(s)
involved, and that they may deepen their faith. Ask the Gohonzon, "What can I
do to rectify the situation?"


Determination

To work harder for kosen-rufu.

To create value in the area of family relations, school, job, and activities.


ONLY AFTER CHANTING FOR ALL THE ABOVE, CHANT FOR WHAT YOU DESIRE OR WANT TO
CHANGE OR ACHIEVE IN YOUR LIFE.

 

[Babbabud]

Nam myoho renge kyo

Nam myoho renge kyo

Wooooooooooop !! theres our buddy SoCal !!! Great to see you !!

Thanks so much for the wonderful guidance SoCal your timing is perfect! Just what I needed!

Nam myoho renge kyo!

 

[SoCal Hippy]

My pleasure Bud.

What I needed also. I appreciate all who are the Chanters Growers!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

 

[scegy]

Thank you SoCal! Treasure!

 

[xlatit]

Whats up all? Reading this last post has enlightened my soul a little bit there... I like this place

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

MUGI WASSHIN!

 

[SoCal Hippy]

The blessings from making offerings to a votary of the Lotus Sutra in the latter
age exceed even those from making offerings to a Thus Come One endowed with the
ten honorable titles, while those who persecute a votary of the Lotus Sutra in
the defiled age will have their heads split into seven pieces.

(WND, 595)
Letter to the Lay Nun of Ko
Written to the lay nun of Ko on June 16, 1275