Chanting Growers Group

[PassTheDoobie]

and...

Sacramento Community Center Is in the Process of moving.
2230 Arden Way - D
Sacramento, California 95825
Voice: 916.564.4700
Fax: 916.564.2926
Region Site

Santa Rosa (Redwood Coast) Community Center
2455 Bennett Valley Rd. Suite A100
Santa Rosa, California 95404
Voice: 707.546.7777
Fax: 707.546.9999

 

[PassTheDoobie]

and...

Mid-Atlantic Zone Office
Washington D.C. Community Center
4603 Eastern Avenue
Mt. Rainier, Maryland 20712
Voice: 301.779.3255
Fax: 301.779.1110

 

[BushyOldGrower]

My son is well on his way...

My son is well on his way...

My son was troubled by your response Tom. He called me and we talked. Without reading what you had said I knew what had happened. As a fisher of men you had jerked the line right out of the bass's mouth.

I talked to him and showed him that while you may be quite versed in your school that you are just an asshole sometimes just like me.

I am glad he posted those other sites because the truth has nothing to fear from anything else. There is no slander of the law to show links to other views.

Your anger disappointed me Tom. BOG

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Oh well, sorry about that my friend. There was no anger. Ever. Just the truth as I understand it.

This is a tremendous personal loss to me, but not the first time talking on a computer versus talking to someone put a tone in my conversation that was never really there.

I suppose I should be embarrassed, but am more in a state of shock as I sure didn't see this coming and never thought there was any shit toward you BOG. I am very very sorry.

T (and PS: Where in the hell did I say he slandered the Law? Quite the opposite I praised his attitude and PM'ed him for an addy for a copy of WND of his own. Ask him.)

 

[Babbabud]

Oh i thought PTD and GP had a wonderful exchange .... I felt nothing but positive from both of them. A very healthy exchange and I think everyone learned something in the process. Actually if I may use the same metaphor I would say the hook just set a bit deeper. Some of us are steelhead not bass and take a bit more of a yank to set the hook . GP should be proud, his response to tom was perfect I love and respect all you guys ... its so good to have this forum
Nam myoho renge kyo

truth has an awesome tone

 

[PassTheDoobie]

pg. 764 / WND

pg. 764 / WND

from the gosho: The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra

The Buddha made a prophecy, saying: "After my death, during the beginning of the Latter Day of the Law that follows the two millennia of the Former and Middle Days, a person will appear who will propagate only the heart of the Lotus Sutra, the five characters of the daimoku. At that time an evil ruler will be in power, and evil monks, more numerous than the dust particles of the land, will argue with one another over the various Mahayana and Hinayana sutras. When the votary of the daimoku challenges the monks, they will incite their lay supporters to abuse, beat, or imprison him, to confiscate his lands, to exile or behead him. In spite of such persecutions, he will continue his propagation without ceasing. Meanwhile the ruler who persecutes him will be beset by rebellion, and his subjects will devour each other like hungry spirits. Finally the land will be attacked by a foreign country, for Brahma, Shakra, the gods of the sun and moon, and the four heavenly kings have ordained that other countries shall assault a land that is hostile to the Lotus Sutra."

None of you who declare yourselves to be my disciples should ever give way to cowardice. Neither should you allow concern for your parents, wife, or children to hold you back, or be worried about your property. Since countless kalpas in the past you have thrown away your life more times than the number of dust particles of the land for the sake of your parents, your children, or your lands. But not once have you given up your life for the Lotus Sutra. You may have tried to practice its teachings to some extent, but whenever you were persecuted, you backslid and ceased to live by the sutra. That is like boiling water only to pour it into cold water, or like trying to strike fire but giving up halfway. Each and every one of you should be certain deep in your heart that sacrificing your life for the Lotus Sutra is like exchanging rocks for gold or dung for rice.

Now, at the beginning of the Latter Day of the Law, I, Nichiren, am the first to embark on propagating, throughout Jambudvipa, the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo, which are the heart of the Lotus Sutra and the eye of all Buddhas. During the 2,220 or more years since the Buddha's passing, not even Mahakashyapa, Ananda, Ashvaghosha, Nagarjuna, Nan-yüeh, T'ien-t'ai, Miao-lo, or Dengyo has propagated them. My disciples, form your ranks and follow me, and surpass even Mahakashyapa or Ananda, T'ien-t'ai or Den-gyo! If you quail before the threats of the ruler of this little island country [and abandon your faith], how will you face the even more terrible anger of Yama, the lord of hell? If, while calling yourselves the Buddha's messengers, you give way to fear, you will be the most despicable of persons!

[While the regent's government could not come to any conclusion,] the priests of the Nembutsu, the observers of the precepts, and the True Word priests, who realized they could not rival me in wisdom, sent petitions to the government. Finding their petitions were not accepted, they approached the wives and widows of high-ranking officials and slandered me in various ways. [The women reported the slander to the officials, saying:] "According to what some priests told us, Nichiren declared that the late lay priests of Saimyo-ji and Gokuraku-ji have fallen into the hell of incessant suffering. He said that the temples Kencho-ji, Jufuku-ji, Gokuraku-ji, Choraku-ji, and Dai-butsu-ji should be burned down and the honorable priests Doryu and Ryokan beheaded." Under these circumstances, at the regent's supreme council my guilt could scarcely be denied. To confirm whether I had or had not made those statements, I was summoned to the court.

At the court the magistrate said, "You have heard what the regent stated. Did you say these things or not?" I answered, "Every word is mine. However, the statement about the lay priests of Saimyo-ji and Gokuraku-ji falling into hell is a fabrication. I have been declaring this doctrine [that the schools they belonged to lead to hell] since before their deaths.

"Everything I said was with the future of our country in mind. If you wish to maintain this land in peace and security, it is imperative that you summon the priests of the other schools for a debate in your presence. If you ignore this advice and punish me unreasonably on their behalf, the entire country will have cause to regret your decision. If you condemn me, you will be rejecting the Buddha's envoy. Then you will have to face the punishment of Brahma and Shakra, of the gods of the sun and moon, and of the four heavenly kings. Within one hundred days after my exile or execution, or within one, three, or seven years, there will occur what is called the calamity of internal strife, rebellion within the ruling clan. This will be followed by the calamity of foreign invasion, attack from all sides, particularly from the west. Then you will regret what you have done!" Hearing this, the magistrate Hei no Saemon, forgetting all the dignity of his rank, became wild with rage like the grand minister of state and lay priest [Taira no Kiyomori].

 

[PassTheDoobie]

WND pg 832

WND pg 832

from the gosho: The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon

Without exception, all these Buddhas, bodhisattvas, great sages, and, in general, all the various beings of the (2) two worlds and the eight groups who appear in the "Introduction" chapter of the Lotus Sutra dwell in this Gohonzon. Illuminated by the light of the five characters of the Mystic Law, they display the dignified attributes that they inherently possess. This is the object of devotion.

This is what is meant when the sutra says "the true aspect of all phenomena." (3) Miao-lo stated: "The true aspect invariably manifests in all phenomena, and all phenomena invariably manifest in the ten factors. The ten factors invariably manifest in the Ten Worlds, and the Ten Worlds invariably mani-4 fest in life and its environment." It is also stated that the profound principle of the true aspect is the originally inherent Myoho-renge-kyo. (5) The Great Teacher Dengyo said, "A single moment of life comprising the three thousand realms is itself the Buddha of limitless joy; this Buddha has forsaken 6 august appearances." Therefore, this Gohonzon shall be called the great mandala never before known; it did not appear until more than 2,220 years after the Buddha's passing.

A woman who makes offerings to such a Gohonzon invites happiness in this life, and in the next, the Gohonzon will be with her and protect her always. Like a lantern in the dark, like a strong guide and porter on a treacherous mountain path, the Gohonzon will guard and protect you, Nichinyo, wherever you go. Therefore, you should take every care to ward off slanderers of the Law in the same way that you would never wish a courtesan even to come near your home. This is the meaning of "Thrust aside evil friends and associate with good companions." (7)

Never seek this Gohonzon outside yourself. The Gohonzon exists only within the mortal flesh of us ordinary people who embrace the Lotus Sutra and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. The body is the palace of the ninth consciousness, (8) the unchanging reality that reigns over all of life's functions. To be endowed with the Ten Worlds means that all ten, without a single exception, exist in one world. Because of this it is called a mandala. Mandala is a Sanskrit word that is translated as "perfectly endowed" or "a cluster of blessings." This Gohonzon also is found only in the two characters for (9) faith. This is what the sutra means when it states that one can "gain entrance through faith alone." (10)

Since Nichiren's disciples and lay supporters believe solely in the Lotus Sutra, (11) honestly discarding expedient means and not accepting even a single verse (12) of the other sutras, exactly as the Lotus teaches, they can enter the treasure tower of the Gohonzon. How reassuring! Make every possible effort for the sake of your next life. What is most important is that, by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo alone, you can attain Buddhahood. It will no doubt depend on the strength of your faith. To have faith is the basis of Buddhism. Thus the fourth volume of Great Concentration and Insight states, "Buddhism is like an ocean that one can only enter with faith." The fourth volume of The Annotations on "Great Concentration and Insight" explains this: "With regard to the phrase 'Buddhism is like an ocean that one can only enter with faith,' even Confucius taught that faith is first and foremost. How much more so is this true of the profound doctrines of Buddhism! Without faith, how could one possibly enter? That is why the Flower Garland Sutra defines faith as the basis of the way and the mother of blessings." The first volume of Great Concentration and Insight says, "How does one hear, believe in, and practice the perfect teaching to attain perfect enlightenment?" The first volume of On "Great Concentration and Insight" says, "To 'believe in the perfect teaching' means to awaken faith through doctrine and to make faith the basis of practice."

A non-Buddhist document relates (13) that, because the emperor of Han believed his aide's report, the waters of a river froze on the spot. Another tells how Li Kuang, because he was eager to revenge his father, shot an arrow all the way up to its feathers into a boulder hidden in the grass. The commentaries of T'ien-t'ai and Miao-lo make it perfectly clear that faith is the cornerstone. Because the Han emperor believed completely in his retainer's words, the river froze over. And Li Kuang was able to pierce a rock with his arrow because he fully believed it to be the tiger that had killed his father. How much more so is this true in Buddhism!

Embracing the Lotus Sutra and chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo in itself encompasses the five practices. It was this matter, the wonderful practice that includes the immediate completion of the five practices, that was transmitted to the Great Teacher Dengyo when he journeyed to T'ang China and met the Reverend Tao-sui. No other teaching is more important for Nichiren's disciples and lay supporters. It is referred to in the "Supernatural Powers" chapter (14). I will write again in detail.

Respectfully,

Nichiren

The twenty-third day of the eighth
month in the third year of Kenji
(1277)

Reply to Nichinyo

Notes
1. Yen Yüan (514-483 BCE), also called Yen Hui, was one of Confucius's most trusted disciples.
2. Beings assembled at the ceremony of the preaching of the Lotus Sutra. The two worlds - the world of desire and the world of form - are two divisions of the threefold world. The "eight groups" refers to the gods of the world of desire, the gods of the world of form, the dragon kings and their followers, the kimnara kings and their followers, the gandharva kings and their followers, the asura kings and their followers, the garuda kings and their followers, and the king of the human world (Ajatashatru) and his followers.
3. Lotus Sutra, chap. 2.
4. The Diamond Scalpel.
5. This statement is attributed to T'ien-t'ai, but its source has not been identified.
6. This quotation is said to derive from The Treatise on the Secret and Sacred Teachings.
7. Lotus Sutra, chap. 3.
8. The ninth, or amala-, consciousness is the Buddha nature, or the fundamental purifying force, that is free from all karmic im-pediments. Here the Daishonin is associating it with Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
9. The Japanese word for faith consists of two Chinese characters.
10. Lotus Sutra, chap. 3.
11. This phrase appears in chapter 2 of the Lotus Sutra.
12. This phrase appears in chapter 3 of the Lotus Sutra.
13. Emperor Kuang-wu (6 BCE-CE 57), the founder of the Later Han dynasty. Before becoming emperor, he was once defeated in battle. While retreating, he and his forces were cornered before a broad river. When his trusted aide, Wang Pa, falsely re-ported that the river was frozen and that they could cross it, the emperor-to-be believed his report and then found the river indeed frozen.
14. This presumably refers to a passage of the "Supernatural Powers" chapter of the Lotus Sutra that reads, "After I have passed into extinction, [one] should accept and uphold this sutra. Such a person assuredly and without doubt will attain the Buddha way."

 

[BushyOldGrower]

Yes, my son did respond perfectly.

My mood should have shown as angry but its too hard to change the mood thing.

What I said was toned down quite a bit after I rephrased it but hopefully GP will return for more discussion with you all.

Compassion is indeed gained by being compassionate. This is often accomplished doing jobs of service to our fellows like nursing. If you have ever looked into the eyes of a paralyzed boy you will learn compassion. Indeed we are all imperfect creatures and my son already knows my faults.

He is a new version much improved over the old one and if you catch this fish it is indeed a trophy as I am very proud of my son. Perhaps you can understand that a father stands up in anger when someone pushes his son down.

I know about the games people play to either demonstrate a principle or to test anothers patience and tolerance. When I come across badly I chalk it up to my faults and try to repair the damages best as I can.

But I make no pretense about being a person who doesn't get angry and I know that is a problem. My son gets angry too as does everyone and sometimes it is justified.

I read the later responses and it all went well in the end. But my son is very kind and he may still have some problem with your initial response. Avid gave the response that I feel was called for rather than your rebuke.

What made you think he was further along with Nichiren when I already told you he was investigating other forms of buddhism also. His studies will only confirm his realization of the truth and he reads at a very fast pace. His intellect allows him to learn much faster than this old brain was ever capable of.

I want him to be encouraged that this group is open to all questions and that there are no dumb questions is a principle that I have always adhered to as a mentor.

We do what we feel best and I know Tom probably you thought this the way to go to use some psychology on my son. I dunno though. Will talk to him some more about his feelings. BOG

 

[Babbabud]

My Brother Bog
Ive just spent the last almost 5 hours going back through this thread. Not sure why ....maybe just looking for some inspiration this morning. Believe me I found it . Go back and read and quickly scan your way through this thread it has been one of the most amazing and inspiring mornings ive had in awhile. I have laughed and cried. This thread is a beautiful thing. Its bounced from place to place now and then ... gotten off on a tangent here or there .... but take a close look . This thread has brought about so much joy and happiness. It has taken everyone in and left no one out. It has cultivated and made grow our understanding of the mystic law. Things may not always go exactly how we would like to see or how we imagine but the wheel keeps on turning . Tom has nudged, and pulled and pushed and enticed us all toward these teachings in the best way he knows how. This has been a selfless mission, and i have truly never seen the brother speak an uncompassionate word. His way of dealing with GP was just how it came out. I think both responses were perfect and both came from love. I was so proud of the way GP responded... it shows his study and compassion. My son is 29 and I totally understand how you feel about a new and improved version. Everything my son does he seems to do with such ease ..... things that are much harder for me .... he has become one of my greatest teachers. I think tom looks at us all just like you and i look at our sons bog . He loves us all and holds nothing but good in his heart for everyone that passes through this thread . What channeled through tom in his exchange with gp was just how it came through at the moment. Its all perfect . The point being ... its just another step to enlightenment and should be embraced no matter how it came down sorry to ramble ... just my two bucks worth
Nam myoho renge kyo !

 

[Babbabud]

anybody know what Xango is ?

 

[Guest]

ya mean the mangosteen (sp?) drink? yep....yummy stuff, and good for ya too, lots of antioxidants....

 

[Babbabud]

yup you got it xango comes from the mangosteen tree my son and his wife have me taking it ...

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Pg.784 / WND

Pg.784 / WND

(from the gosho: The Four stages of Faith and the Five Stages of Practice)

My opinion is that, of the three interpretations, the one that refers to hearing the name and words of the truth accords best with the text of the Lotus Sutra. For, in describing the first of the five stages of practice that apply to the time after the Buddha's passing, the sutra speaks of those who "[hear this sutra and] do not slander or speak ill of it (7) but feel joy in their hearts." If one equates the stage described here with a level as advanced as the five stages of practice at the stage of resemblance to enlightenment, then the words "do not slander or speak ill of it" would hardly be appropriate.

In particular, the passages in the "Life Span" chapter that speak of those who are "out of their minds" and those who are "not out of their minds" refer in both cases to the stage of hearing (8) the name and words of the truth. The Nirvana Sutra says, "Whether they have faith or do not have faith . . . ,"and "If there are living beings who, in the presence of Buddhas numerous as the sands of the Hiranyavati River, have conceived the desire for enlightenment, then when they are born in an evil age such as this, they will be able to accept and uphold a sutra like (9) this and will never slander it." One should also consider these passages.

Again, in the four-character phrase "a single moment of belief and understanding," the word "belief " applies to the first of the four stages of faith, and the word "understanding," to those that follow. And if this is so, then faith without understanding would apply to the first of the four stages of faith. The second stage of faith is described in the sutra as that at which one "generally understands the import of the (10) words" of the sutra. And in volume nine of The Annotations on "The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra" we read, "The initial stage of faith is different from the others, because in the initial stage there is as yet no understanding."

Then we come to the following "Responding with Joy" chapter, where the initial stage of rejoicing on hearing the Lotus Sutra is restated and clarified in terms of fifty persons who in turn hear and rejoice in the Lotus Sutra, the merit that they gain thereby decreasing with each successive person. With regard to the stage achieved by the fiftieth person, there are two interpretations. The first interpretation holds that the fiftieth person falls within the stage of rejoicing on hearing the Lotus (11) Sutra. The other interpretation holds that the fiftieth person cannot yet be said to have entered the stage of rejoicing on hearing the Lotus Sutra but is still at the stage of hearing the name and words of the truth. This is what one commentary means when it says, "The truer the teaching, the lower the stage [of those it can bring to enlightenment]” (12)

Thus, for example, the perfect teaching can save people of lower capacity than can the doctrines of the four flavors and three teachings. Similarly, the Lotus Sutra can save people of lower capacity than can the perfect teaching expounded prior to the Lotus Sutra, and the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra can save more people than can the theoretical teaching - people of any capacity at all. One should carefully ponder the six-character phrase: "the truer the teaching, the lower the stage."

Question: In the Latter Day of the Law, is it necessary for beginners in the practice of the Lotus Sutra to devote themselves to all three types of learning associated with the perfect teaching?

Answer: This is a very important question, and so I will be consulting the text of the sutra in answering you. In describing the first, second, and third of the five stages of practice, the Buddha restricts those at these stages from practicing precepts and meditation, and places all emphasis upon the single factor of wisdom. And because our wisdom is inadequate, he teaches us to substitute faith for wisdom, making this single word "faith" the foundation. Disbelief is the cause for becoming an icchantika and for slander of the Law, while faith is the cause for wisdom and corresponds to the stage of hearing the name and words of the truth.

T'ien-t'ai states: "When persons have reached the stage of resemblance to enlightenment, the benefits they have accrued will not be forgotten when they are reborn in another existence. But for persons at the stage of hearing the name and words of the truth or at the stage of perception and action, those benefits will be forgotten when they are reborn in succeeding existences, though there may be some among them who do not forget. Even in the case of persons who have forgotten those benefits, if they should encounter a good friend, then the roots of goodness that they planted in their previous existences will be revived. If they encounter an evil friend, they will lose their true mind." (13)

This is probably what happened to the two eminent men of these middle days, the great teachers Jikaku and Chisho of the Tendai school. They turned their backs upon the teachings of T'ien-t'ai and Dengyo, who had been good friends to them, and instead transferred their allegiance to Shan-wu-wei, Pu-k'ung, and others, who were evil friends. And many of the scholars in the latter age have been deluded by Eshin's introduction to his Essentials of Rebirth in the Pure Land and have as a result lost the true mind of faith in the Lotus Sutra, giving their allegiance instead to the provisional teachings associated with Amida. They are persons who have abandoned a great doctrine and instead chosen lesser doctrines. If we judge from examples in the past, they will probably suffer for countless kalpas in the three evil paths. It is persons such as these that T'ien-t'ai meant when he said, "If they encounter an evil friend, they will lose their true mind."

Question: What proof can you offer to support your claim?

Answer: Volume six of Great Concentration and Insight states: "Persons who are saved by the teachings preached previous to the Lotus Sutra are those who have reached a high level of attainment. The reason is because these teachings are mere expedients. Those saved by the perfect teaching of the Lotus Sutra belong to a low level of attainment, because this teaching represents the truth."

The Annotations on "Great Concentration and Insight" comments on this as follows: "This passage concerning the teachings preached previous to the Lotus Sutra makes clear the relative worth of the provisional and the true teachings, because it indicates that the truer the teaching, the lower the stage [of those it can bring to enlightenment]. Conversely, the more provisional the teaching, the higher must be the stage [of those who embrace it in order to attain enlightenment]." And volume nine of On "The Words and Phrases" says, "In determining a person's stage of attainment, the more profound the object of meditation, the lower will be the level of the practitioner [who can attain enlightenment thereby]."

I will say nothing here about followers of other schools, but why would scholars of the Tendai school set aside this interpretation that "the truer the teaching, the lower the stage," and instead accept the writings of the Supervisor of Priests Eshin? The teachings of Shan-wu-wei, Chin-kang-chih, and Pu-k'ung, and those of Jikaku and Chi-sho, can wait until later. This is a matter of utmost importance, the most important in the entire land of Jambu-dvipa. Thinking persons should listen to what I say. After that, if they wish to reject me, let them do so.

Question: For practitioners in the Latter Day of the Law, who have just aroused the aspiration for enlightenment, what types of practice are restricted?

Answer: Such persons are restricted from practicing almsgiving, the keeping of the precepts, and the others of the five paramitas, and are directed to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo exclusively. This practice corresponds to the capacity of persons at the stages of "producing even a single moment of belief and understanding" and "rejoicing on hearing the Lotus Sutra." It represents the true intention of the Lotus Sutra.

Notes:

7. Lotus Sutra, chap. 17.
8. The reference here is to the parable of the skilled physician, whose sons swallow poison in his absence. Some are only mildly affected and retain their right mind, while others take leave of their senses. The physician (who represents the Buddha) offers to cure them with good medicine (the Lotus Sutra), but only those who are still in their right mind take it and are cured. As an expedient to save the others, the physician leaves home and has word sent that he has died in another country. In their grief, those children who have lost their minds finally decide to take the medicine and are cured. The Daishonin says here that both groups of children represent persons at the stage of hearing the name and words of the truth, because both have heard the Lotus Sutra.
9. In the Japanese text, the Daishonin gives only a few characters from each passage; the full quotations are supplied here in translation. The Hiranyavati River flows through Kushinagara, the capital of the ancient state of Malla in northern India. Shakyamuni is said to have entered nirvana in a grove of sal trees on the west bank of this river.
10. This phrase actually appears in The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra, where T'ien-t'ai comments on a passage of the "Distinctions in Benefits" chapter of the Lotus Sutra that reads, "If there is someone who, hearing of the long duration of the Buddha's life span, can understand the import of such words, the benefits that such a person acquires will be without limit or measure, able to awaken in him the unsurpassed wisdom of the Thus Come One."
11. This interpretation corresponds to the second of the three interpretations of the initial levels of practice, cited earlier, in which the five stages of practice, including that of "rejoicing on hearing the Lotus Sutra," are equated with the stage of perception and action.
12. The Annotations on "Great Concentration and Insight." This passage consists of six Chinese characters in On "Great Concentration and Insight."
13. The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra.

 

[Cannabisourus]

Yep, I'm also a friend of the dharma

 

[Marley]

Howdy peeps,

I justed wanted to ask u all to send me some good krama and posertiverly please, as times r hard for me at the mo.

When i am settle, i be chantin my heart away and feelin true bliss

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=12413

One Love and Peacxe to all

Thanks peeps c u soon

Peace

 

[Guest]

BabbaBud. antioxidants are really god for you when you are healthy. I drink plenty of green tea for my antioxidants.

CannaBisorous. Welcome and enjoy!

Marley. My daimoku are with you in the struggle for your own happiness and your success.

BOG. Father's love their sons. Sometimes we have to let them skin their knee in order to learn how to prepare for the falls ahead in life. I love my son as well. I would feel the same as you feel. I use my daimoku to 'protect' my children from harm or unhappiness, meaning they will be happy no matter what happens within their environment, and they will feel protected in their environment by my daimoku.

Nichiren says, "Wherever your daughter may frolic or play, no harm will come to her; she will move about without fear, like a lion king. Among the the ten demon daughters, the protection of Kunti is the most profound. But your faith alone will detemine these things. A sword in the hands of a coward is useless. The mighty sword or the Lotus Sutra must be wielded by one courageous in faith." Reply to Kyo'O, (p. 412.)

This is one of my favorite passages regarding my children and my ability to protect them with my daimoku or practice of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism.

Avid

 

[Babbabud]

Nam myoho renge kyo nice to have our site back

 

[Babbabud]

A Sage And An Unenlightened Man
This really is a must read for anyone who has been following this thread .... Page 99 though 136 plus noteshttp://www.sgi-usa.org/buddhism/library/Nichiren/wnd/concord/pages.view/99.html

 

[Babbabud]

Gotta love post #525 by Southern Girl .

 

[Guest]

Hello All

Hello All

Well it seems all is as it should be here. And I'm a little behind.

PTD-I'm still with you. I work very hard at not being heavy which can cause the problems between you and I sometimes. Life is heavy enough. And I think for all of us that sometimes conveying your feelings are not interpreted correctly or the wrong tone or attitude seems to come out. Leaving one or the other in totaly bewilderment. I try to be very careful what I say and how I say it. I too am pretty straight forward. My member ship was already transferred here to INDY and have already found the Culture Center, but thanks for the address just the same.

With study, chanting, applying to our lifes, we are all on different paths and speeds and ability to absorb that which we need to. HOwever, with the correct seeking spirit we will all get what we need if we continue. Some choose to grow faster than others. This is something that has to be done at our own pace. And that is where the compassion of bodisattvas comes in. To continue to nurture that no matter how fast WE THINK others should be going. Being there to guide each other in the right direction when the lights come on.

So it is all good guys! We are here, together, and we continue. No matter how much shit gets thrown out there.

But I can tell you that I have so much appreciation for my Gohonzon and my practice. My life has been beyond anything I could have ever dreamed it to be. The house is gone, I'm loving my job, and life here with Gordy P gets better and better with each day. My cats and his dog think we are nuts but they too are coming around. I miss my son and his girl alot but that has been a needed separation. The youth division chief goes to his place every Monday night and they do Gongyo together because Ryan has to have perfection. And they do come out smarter and understanding what it has taken you forever to figure out. We can't protect them. Believe me, I was chanting my ass off the first 2 weeks he had his Gohonzon. Remember the spring water running out the hose outside for the winter story? Well that child sucked the crap right out of his life. Two head injuries, almost broke his arm, pneumonia and his Mom left him. ha ha But it is his life and his responsibilities and his need to chant. He is learning. Just like his Mom is still learning. It will all be good guys! It will be as it is suppose to be.

Love and light to all of you, And welcome to all the new folks coming in! So happy to have you here. southern Girl