E
EasyMyohoDisco
Thanks T, those hit home tonight. Best regards, Your Brother
Chanting Growers Group
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Hey Big Homie! Bonz! You'll get another call soon! We miss you Brother! Keep everything on the up and up and keep chanting to your Gohonzon! Congrats for continuing to make progress Brother!
Keep kicking that Devil Ass!
Much love and deep respect!
T
Keep kicking that Devil Ass!
Much love and deep respect!
T
I have been busy with kids, but wanted to add something on this. This is just my perception, but as far as I am concerned, the Oneness of Mentor and Disciple and the Oneness of the Person and the Law are essentially the same concept. The Oneness of the Person and the Law becomes the Oneness of the Persons and the Law based on the Oneness of the Mentor and Disciple and FOR NO OTHER REASON.
The Oneness of the Person and the Law is manifest by virtue of the Oneness of the Mentor and Disciple. Based on the Oneness of the Mentor and Disciple, The Buddha of Beginningless Time and the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo are One, since the Mentor is the Law and the Disciple is this Buddha whom is the Mentor to all other Buddhas throughout the Past, Present, and Future. This is the “Nam-myoho-renge-kyo Thus Come One” whom we believe manifest in the Latter Day of the Law as Nichiren.
The gosho, The Selection of Time expresses that the correct teaching must be in accord with the time and the capacity of the people and can only be revealed by the correct teacher, but that when this occurs the correct teaching will spread to eliminate the suffering of the people. This was initiated by the Original Eternal Mentor, Nichiren Daishonin, but was a task he left to his Disciples to complete. It is an undeniable fact this has occurred under the leadership of the Mentor Daisaku Ikeda. But it is a tremendous error to perceive all that one hears about Mentor and Disciple within SGI as pertaining to Daisaku Ikeda.
The entire purpose of this emphasis is to make sure that the correct teaching and the correct teacher are the Mentor. When one embraces a correct teacher and correct teaching, one becomes a Mentor as a matter of course. It doesn’t have to be a remarkable process. It’s called Human Revolution and though it is difficult, it is not so difficult as to deny anyone access that strives to achieve it.
Don’t get hung up on those that praise the Buddha! Continue to strive with all of your might and without fail that Buddha will become YOU! And when you are praised, it will be based on your virtues, and when you are slandered, it will be the Three Powerful Enemies trying to obstruct you. And all of this will be because you met the correct teacher and embraced the correct teaching, and the gratitude for that should not be limited to your immediate teacher but your teacher’s teacher, and your teacher’s teacher’s teacher!
Ultimately all Mentors of the Correct Teaching are connected by the Oneness of the Mentor and Disciple and all are manifest as a direct result of the Oneness of the Person and the Law. That’s just how I see it. But the bottom line is “Be the Buddha that you are!”
One can never do this without a correct teacher! Daisaku Ikeda is only teaching us what he has learned with his life. It would be a mistake to hold that against him because we are limiting the context of what is said to pertaining to only him. It is very important, in my opinion, to understand that everything said about the Mentor of the Oneness of Mentor and Disciple applies equally to all Bodhisattvas of the Earth!
IT IS THE HERITAGE OF THE LAW OF LIFE AND DEATH THAT WE VOWED TO UPHOLD IN LIFETIME AFTER LIFETIME. It’s why we are called Bodhisattvas of the Earth! We are all the same in potential, but very different in what we achieve. Achieve Buddhahood in your present form and teach others to do the same!
That’s why we’re here!
Much love and deepest respect,
T
Buddha of beginningless time
[久遠元初の自受用身] ( Jpn kuonganjo-no-jijuyushin )
Also, eternal Buddha, original Buddha, or true Buddha. The Buddha who has been eternally endowed with the three bodies—the Dharma body, the reward body, and the manifested body, thereby embodying the eternal Law or the ultimate truth of life and the universe. This term appears in Nichiren's (1222-1282) writing given to his successor Nikko and signed by Nichiren. Titled On the Mystic Principle of the True Cause, it refers to "the Mystic Law, uncreated and eternal, of the Buddha of beginningless time," and states that the Mystic Law lies in the depths of the "Life Span" (sixteenth) chapter of the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra. Nichikan (1665-1726), the twenty-sixth chief priest of Taiseki-ji temple, identified Nichiren as that Buddha, based on the fact that Nichiren was the first to spread the Mystic Law. According to Nichiren, the Japanese term jijuyushin literally means the "body that is freely received and used." The Buddha of beginningless time is also called the Buddha of limitless joy—indicating the Buddha who freely derives boundless joy from the Law while enjoying absolute freedom, and who directly expounds the Law that he realized within his own life. In the "Life Span" chapter, Shakyamuni revealed his attainment of Buddhahood numberless major world system dust particle kalpas in the past. No matter how far in the past, however, it occurred at a fixed point in time and therefore is not eternal. Moreover, he did not clarify the Law or cause that enabled him to attain enlightenment at that time. In contrast, the Buddha of beginningless time is eternal and also represents eternal life endowed with both the nine worlds and Buddhahood. In The Opening of the Eyes, Nichiren states: "This is the doctrine of original cause and original effect. It reveals that the nine worlds are all present in beginningless Buddhahood and that Buddhahood is inherent in the beginningless nine worlds. This is the true mutual possession of the Ten Worlds, the true hundred worlds and thousand factors, the true three thousand realms in a single moment of life" (235). Here "original cause" refers to the "beginningless nine worlds," and "original effect" to "beginningless Buddhahood." What Nichiren defined as "the true three thousand realms in a single moment of life" is the original state of life. To manifest this state of life is the attainment of Buddhahood for all people. Nichiren established the practice that enables everyone to achieve this by inscribing the Gohonzon, or the object of devotion that embodies this original state of life, and prescribing the invocation of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. See also Buddha of limitless joy; true Buddha.
[久遠元初の自受用身] ( Jpn kuonganjo-no-jijuyushin )
Also, eternal Buddha, original Buddha, or true Buddha. The Buddha who has been eternally endowed with the three bodies—the Dharma body, the reward body, and the manifested body, thereby embodying the eternal Law or the ultimate truth of life and the universe. This term appears in Nichiren's (1222-1282) writing given to his successor Nikko and signed by Nichiren. Titled On the Mystic Principle of the True Cause, it refers to "the Mystic Law, uncreated and eternal, of the Buddha of beginningless time," and states that the Mystic Law lies in the depths of the "Life Span" (sixteenth) chapter of the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra. Nichikan (1665-1726), the twenty-sixth chief priest of Taiseki-ji temple, identified Nichiren as that Buddha, based on the fact that Nichiren was the first to spread the Mystic Law. According to Nichiren, the Japanese term jijuyushin literally means the "body that is freely received and used." The Buddha of beginningless time is also called the Buddha of limitless joy—indicating the Buddha who freely derives boundless joy from the Law while enjoying absolute freedom, and who directly expounds the Law that he realized within his own life. In the "Life Span" chapter, Shakyamuni revealed his attainment of Buddhahood numberless major world system dust particle kalpas in the past. No matter how far in the past, however, it occurred at a fixed point in time and therefore is not eternal. Moreover, he did not clarify the Law or cause that enabled him to attain enlightenment at that time. In contrast, the Buddha of beginningless time is eternal and also represents eternal life endowed with both the nine worlds and Buddhahood. In The Opening of the Eyes, Nichiren states: "This is the doctrine of original cause and original effect. It reveals that the nine worlds are all present in beginningless Buddhahood and that Buddhahood is inherent in the beginningless nine worlds. This is the true mutual possession of the Ten Worlds, the true hundred worlds and thousand factors, the true three thousand realms in a single moment of life" (235). Here "original cause" refers to the "beginningless nine worlds," and "original effect" to "beginningless Buddhahood." What Nichiren defined as "the true three thousand realms in a single moment of life" is the original state of life. To manifest this state of life is the attainment of Buddhahood for all people. Nichiren established the practice that enables everyone to achieve this by inscribing the Gohonzon, or the object of devotion that embodies this original state of life, and prescribing the invocation of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. See also Buddha of limitless joy; true Buddha.
Buddha of limitless joy
[自受用身] ( Jpn jijuyushin )
Buddha of limitless joy is broader in meaning than Buddha of self-enjoyment, which is another translation of jijuyushin.
(1) T'ient'ai (538-597) identified the Buddha of limitless joy with the Buddha revealed in the essential teaching (latter half ) of the Lotus Sutra, whom he defined as the Buddha originally endowed with the three bodies—the Dharma body, the reward body, and the manifested body. Here, these three bodies are regarded as the three integral aspects of a single Buddha, i.e., the fundamental truth or Law to which he is enlightened (the Dharma body), the wisdom to realize it (the reward body), and the merciful actions to help people attain Buddhahood (the manifested body). See also Buddha of beginningless time.
(2) Dengyo(767-822), the founder of the Japanese Tendai school, is quoted in Nichiren's Real Aspect of the Gohonzon as having stated, "A single moment of life comprising the three thousand realms is itself the Buddha of limitless joy; this Buddha has forsaken august appearances" (WND/832). Dengyo identified the true identity of the Buddha of limitless joy as a single moment of life in which all three thousand realms exist. This is Dengyo's description of the same Buddha T'ient'ai mentioned.
(3) Nichiren (1222-1282) identified the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life as the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo that he realized within his own life. In other words, Nichiren established two concepts of three thousand realms in a single moment of life; one is T'ient'ai's and the other, his own. In his Treatment of Illness, Nichiren writes: "There are two ways of perceiving the three thousand realms in a single moment of life. One is theoretical, and the other, actual. What T'ient'ai and Dengyo practiced was theoretical, but what I practice now is actual. Because what I practice is superior, the difficulties attending it are that much greater. The doctrine of T'ient'ai and Dengyo was the three thousand realms in a single moment of life of the theoretical teaching, while mine is that of the essential teaching. These two are as different as heaven is from earth" (1114-115). T'ient'ai established the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life based on "the true aspect of all phenomena," the phrase from the "Expedient Means" (second) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. On the other hand, Nichiren states in The Opening of the Eyes: "The doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life is found in only one place, hidden in the depths of the 'Life Span' chapter of the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra. Nagarjuna and Vasubandhu were aware of it but did not bring it forth into the light. T'ient'ai Chihche alone embraced it and kept it ever in mind" (224). Obviously what T'ient'ai embraced and kept ever in mind does not refer to the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life that he expounded publicly. Nichiren regarded it as Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Nichikan (1665-1726), the twenty-sixth chief priest of Taiseki-ji temple, who is known for his commentaries on Nichiren's writings, interpreted Nichiren's teaching, saying that the Buddha of the essential teaching is not the eternal Buddha but the Buddha who attained enlightenment at a fixed point in time. From this viewpoint, the Buddha of the essential teaching is not eternally endowed with the three bodies, but is rather the Buddha who advanced to the state of limitless joy through the bodhisattva way, thereby acquiring the three bodies. In contrast, Nichikan stated that the Buddha who embodies eternal life endowed with all of the Ten Worlds and the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo whereby all Buddhas attained enlightenment, is originally endowed with the three bodies since time without beginning, and that that Buddha is what Nichiren called the Buddha of beginningless time. Nichikan concluded that Nichiren embodied that Buddha. See also Buddha of beginningless time; Buddha of self-enjoyment.
[自受用身] ( Jpn jijuyushin )
Buddha of limitless joy is broader in meaning than Buddha of self-enjoyment, which is another translation of jijuyushin.
(1) T'ient'ai (538-597) identified the Buddha of limitless joy with the Buddha revealed in the essential teaching (latter half ) of the Lotus Sutra, whom he defined as the Buddha originally endowed with the three bodies—the Dharma body, the reward body, and the manifested body. Here, these three bodies are regarded as the three integral aspects of a single Buddha, i.e., the fundamental truth or Law to which he is enlightened (the Dharma body), the wisdom to realize it (the reward body), and the merciful actions to help people attain Buddhahood (the manifested body). See also Buddha of beginningless time.
(2) Dengyo(767-822), the founder of the Japanese Tendai school, is quoted in Nichiren's Real Aspect of the Gohonzon as having stated, "A single moment of life comprising the three thousand realms is itself the Buddha of limitless joy; this Buddha has forsaken august appearances" (WND/832). Dengyo identified the true identity of the Buddha of limitless joy as a single moment of life in which all three thousand realms exist. This is Dengyo's description of the same Buddha T'ient'ai mentioned.
(3) Nichiren (1222-1282) identified the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life as the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo that he realized within his own life. In other words, Nichiren established two concepts of three thousand realms in a single moment of life; one is T'ient'ai's and the other, his own. In his Treatment of Illness, Nichiren writes: "There are two ways of perceiving the three thousand realms in a single moment of life. One is theoretical, and the other, actual. What T'ient'ai and Dengyo practiced was theoretical, but what I practice now is actual. Because what I practice is superior, the difficulties attending it are that much greater. The doctrine of T'ient'ai and Dengyo was the three thousand realms in a single moment of life of the theoretical teaching, while mine is that of the essential teaching. These two are as different as heaven is from earth" (1114-115). T'ient'ai established the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life based on "the true aspect of all phenomena," the phrase from the "Expedient Means" (second) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. On the other hand, Nichiren states in The Opening of the Eyes: "The doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life is found in only one place, hidden in the depths of the 'Life Span' chapter of the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra. Nagarjuna and Vasubandhu were aware of it but did not bring it forth into the light. T'ient'ai Chihche alone embraced it and kept it ever in mind" (224). Obviously what T'ient'ai embraced and kept ever in mind does not refer to the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life that he expounded publicly. Nichiren regarded it as Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Nichikan (1665-1726), the twenty-sixth chief priest of Taiseki-ji temple, who is known for his commentaries on Nichiren's writings, interpreted Nichiren's teaching, saying that the Buddha of the essential teaching is not the eternal Buddha but the Buddha who attained enlightenment at a fixed point in time. From this viewpoint, the Buddha of the essential teaching is not eternally endowed with the three bodies, but is rather the Buddha who advanced to the state of limitless joy through the bodhisattva way, thereby acquiring the three bodies. In contrast, Nichikan stated that the Buddha who embodies eternal life endowed with all of the Ten Worlds and the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo whereby all Buddhas attained enlightenment, is originally endowed with the three bodies since time without beginning, and that that Buddha is what Nichiren called the Buddha of beginningless time. Nichikan concluded that Nichiren embodied that Buddha. See also Buddha of beginningless time; Buddha of self-enjoyment.
true Buddha
[本仏] (Jpn hombutsu )
A Buddha in his true identity, in contrast to his transient or provisional identity. This term is applied in two specific ways:
(1) To Shakyamuni Buddha as he describes himself in the "Life Span" (sixteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra; that is, as having attained Buddhahood in the remote past, countless kalpas ago. In that chapter, Shakyamuni states: "In all the worlds the heavenly and human beings and asuras all believe that the present Shakyamuni Buddha, after leaving the palace of the Shakyas, seated himself in the place of meditation not far from the city of Gaya and there attained supreme perfect enlightenment. But good men, it has been immeasurable, boundless hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of nayutas of kalpas since I in fact attained Buddhahood." With this statement, Shakyamuni redefines his identity as a Buddha who originally attained his enlightenment in the remarkably remote past. From the standpoint of the philosophy of the Lotus Sutra, the Shakyamuni who is thought to have attained enlightenment in the current life under the bodhi tree in India is a "provisional Buddha," or a Buddha in his transient identity. In this provisional identity, Shakyamuni is seen as a temporary manifestation of the true Buddha who employed various temporary, expedient teachings to prepare people to understand his true identity and true teaching and thereby lead them to enlightenment. From the perspective of the content of the Lotus Sutra, the true Buddha corresponds to the Shakyamuni depicted in the essential teaching (latter half) of the Lotus Sutra, while the Buddha in his transient identity is the Shakyamuni of the theoretical teaching (first half) of the sutra.
(2) As a reference to Nichiren (1222-1282), applied to him traditionally by those in the lineage of his disciple Nikko. In The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra, T'ient'ai (538-597) refers to the true cause and the true effect as the first two of the ten mystic principles of the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra based on the revelation of Shakyamuni's original attainment of enlightenment in the remote past. He associates the true cause with the sentence in the "Life Span" chapter, "Originally I practiced the bodhisattva way, and the life that I acquired then has yet to come to an end," and the true effect with the sentence, "Since I attained Buddhahood, an extremely long period of time has passed." In the remote past, Shakyamuni practiced the bodhisattva way (the true cause) and attained Buddhahood (the true effect). Shakyamuni never specifically reveals, however, what teaching he originally practiced, the original cause or seed of his Buddhahood. Regarding this, Nichiren states: "The doctrine of the sowing of the seed and its maturing and harvesting is the very heart and core of the Lotus Sutra. All the Buddhas of the three existences and the ten directions have invariably attained Buddhahood through the seeds represented by the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo" (WND/1015). From this perspective, Nichiren is regarded as the teacher of the true cause, and Shakyamuni as the teacher of the true effect. This is because in the Lotus Sutra Shakyamuni revealed his eternal Buddhahood, the effect of his original bodhisattva practice. He did not, however, reveal the true cause or the nature of the specific practice by which he attained it. Nichiren, on the other hand, revealed the teaching and practice of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which he identified as the true cause that enables all people to attain Buddhahood. This viewpoint identifies Nichiren as the true Buddha. Nichiren explains the passage of the Lotus Sutra cited above, "It has been immeasurable, boundless hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of nayutas of kalpas since I in fact attained Buddhahood," in The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings. He says, "'I in fact' is explaining that Shakyamuni in fact attained Buddhahood in the inconceivably remote past. The meaning of this chapter, however, is that 'I' represents the living beings of the phenomenal world. 'I' here refers to each and every being in the Ten Worlds. 'In fact' establishes that 'I' is a Buddha eternally endowed with the three bodies. This is what is being called a 'fact.' 'Attained' refers both to the one who attains and to what is attained. 'Attain' means to open or reveal. It is to reveal that the beings of the phenomenal world are Buddhas eternally endowed with the three bodies. 'Buddhahood' means being enlightened to this." Here Nichiren is saying that every being is essentially "a Buddha eternally endowed with the three bodies," a true Buddha. In this sense, "true Buddha" refers to the Buddha nature eternally inherent in the lives of all living beings. In The True Aspect of All Phenomena, Nichiren states, "A common mortal is an entity of the three bodies, and a true Buddha. A Buddha is a function of the three bodies, and a provisional Buddha" (WND/384). See also Buddha of beginningless time; Buddha of limitless joy; true cause.
[本仏] (Jpn hombutsu )
A Buddha in his true identity, in contrast to his transient or provisional identity. This term is applied in two specific ways:
(1) To Shakyamuni Buddha as he describes himself in the "Life Span" (sixteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra; that is, as having attained Buddhahood in the remote past, countless kalpas ago. In that chapter, Shakyamuni states: "In all the worlds the heavenly and human beings and asuras all believe that the present Shakyamuni Buddha, after leaving the palace of the Shakyas, seated himself in the place of meditation not far from the city of Gaya and there attained supreme perfect enlightenment. But good men, it has been immeasurable, boundless hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of nayutas of kalpas since I in fact attained Buddhahood." With this statement, Shakyamuni redefines his identity as a Buddha who originally attained his enlightenment in the remarkably remote past. From the standpoint of the philosophy of the Lotus Sutra, the Shakyamuni who is thought to have attained enlightenment in the current life under the bodhi tree in India is a "provisional Buddha," or a Buddha in his transient identity. In this provisional identity, Shakyamuni is seen as a temporary manifestation of the true Buddha who employed various temporary, expedient teachings to prepare people to understand his true identity and true teaching and thereby lead them to enlightenment. From the perspective of the content of the Lotus Sutra, the true Buddha corresponds to the Shakyamuni depicted in the essential teaching (latter half) of the Lotus Sutra, while the Buddha in his transient identity is the Shakyamuni of the theoretical teaching (first half) of the sutra.
(2) As a reference to Nichiren (1222-1282), applied to him traditionally by those in the lineage of his disciple Nikko. In The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra, T'ient'ai (538-597) refers to the true cause and the true effect as the first two of the ten mystic principles of the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra based on the revelation of Shakyamuni's original attainment of enlightenment in the remote past. He associates the true cause with the sentence in the "Life Span" chapter, "Originally I practiced the bodhisattva way, and the life that I acquired then has yet to come to an end," and the true effect with the sentence, "Since I attained Buddhahood, an extremely long period of time has passed." In the remote past, Shakyamuni practiced the bodhisattva way (the true cause) and attained Buddhahood (the true effect). Shakyamuni never specifically reveals, however, what teaching he originally practiced, the original cause or seed of his Buddhahood. Regarding this, Nichiren states: "The doctrine of the sowing of the seed and its maturing and harvesting is the very heart and core of the Lotus Sutra. All the Buddhas of the three existences and the ten directions have invariably attained Buddhahood through the seeds represented by the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo" (WND/1015). From this perspective, Nichiren is regarded as the teacher of the true cause, and Shakyamuni as the teacher of the true effect. This is because in the Lotus Sutra Shakyamuni revealed his eternal Buddhahood, the effect of his original bodhisattva practice. He did not, however, reveal the true cause or the nature of the specific practice by which he attained it. Nichiren, on the other hand, revealed the teaching and practice of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which he identified as the true cause that enables all people to attain Buddhahood. This viewpoint identifies Nichiren as the true Buddha. Nichiren explains the passage of the Lotus Sutra cited above, "It has been immeasurable, boundless hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of nayutas of kalpas since I in fact attained Buddhahood," in The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings. He says, "'I in fact' is explaining that Shakyamuni in fact attained Buddhahood in the inconceivably remote past. The meaning of this chapter, however, is that 'I' represents the living beings of the phenomenal world. 'I' here refers to each and every being in the Ten Worlds. 'In fact' establishes that 'I' is a Buddha eternally endowed with the three bodies. This is what is being called a 'fact.' 'Attained' refers both to the one who attains and to what is attained. 'Attain' means to open or reveal. It is to reveal that the beings of the phenomenal world are Buddhas eternally endowed with the three bodies. 'Buddhahood' means being enlightened to this." Here Nichiren is saying that every being is essentially "a Buddha eternally endowed with the three bodies," a true Buddha. In this sense, "true Buddha" refers to the Buddha nature eternally inherent in the lives of all living beings. In The True Aspect of All Phenomena, Nichiren states, "A common mortal is an entity of the three bodies, and a true Buddha. A Buddha is a function of the three bodies, and a provisional Buddha" (WND/384). See also Buddha of beginningless time; Buddha of limitless joy; true cause.
true cause
[本因妙] (Jpn honnin-myo )
Also, the mystic principle of the true cause. One of the ten mystic principles of the essential teaching (latter half) of the Lotus Sutra formulated by T'ient'ai (538-597) in The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra. It refers to the practice that Shakyamuni carried out countless kalpas in the past in order to attain his original enlightenment. The term contrasts with the true effect, or the original enlightenment Shakyamuni achieved countless kalpas before his enlightenment in India. The true cause is indicated by the phrase in the "Life Span" (sixteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, "Originally I practiced the bodhisattva way..." Profound Meaning defines "bodhisattva way" as the true cause of Shakyamuni's original enlightenment. Shakyamuni did not clarify, however, what the bodhisattva way was. T'ient'ai interpreted it as a reference to the first stage of security, or the eleventh of the fifty-two stages of bodhisattva practice, i.e., the stage of non-regression, the attainment of which he defined as the true cause for Shakyamuni's original enlightenment. However, what teaching or Law Shakyamuni had practiced to attain the stage of non-regression remained unclear. Nichiren (1222-1282) identified the true cause, or fundamental Law, that enables all Buddhas to attain their enlightenment, as the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Because he fully revealed the true cause for attaining Buddhahood and established a universal way of practice, in his lineage Nichiren is called the teacher of the true cause, while Shakyamuni is called the teacher of the true effect.
[本因妙] (Jpn honnin-myo )
Also, the mystic principle of the true cause. One of the ten mystic principles of the essential teaching (latter half) of the Lotus Sutra formulated by T'ient'ai (538-597) in The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra. It refers to the practice that Shakyamuni carried out countless kalpas in the past in order to attain his original enlightenment. The term contrasts with the true effect, or the original enlightenment Shakyamuni achieved countless kalpas before his enlightenment in India. The true cause is indicated by the phrase in the "Life Span" (sixteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, "Originally I practiced the bodhisattva way..." Profound Meaning defines "bodhisattva way" as the true cause of Shakyamuni's original enlightenment. Shakyamuni did not clarify, however, what the bodhisattva way was. T'ient'ai interpreted it as a reference to the first stage of security, or the eleventh of the fifty-two stages of bodhisattva practice, i.e., the stage of non-regression, the attainment of which he defined as the true cause for Shakyamuni's original enlightenment. However, what teaching or Law Shakyamuni had practiced to attain the stage of non-regression remained unclear. Nichiren (1222-1282) identified the true cause, or fundamental Law, that enables all Buddhas to attain their enlightenment, as the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Because he fully revealed the true cause for attaining Buddhahood and established a universal way of practice, in his lineage Nichiren is called the teacher of the true cause, while Shakyamuni is called the teacher of the true effect.
figurative lotus
[譬喩蓮華] (Jpn hiyu-renge )
Also, figurative renge or lotus as a metaphor. According to T'ient'ai's Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra, the lotus used as a metaphor to explain the essence of the Lotus Sutra. Since the principle expounded in the sutra simultaneously possesses both cause and effect, it is difficult to explain. Therefore the lotus plant, which blooms (cause) and produces fruit (effect) at the same time, is employed as a metaphor to describe this principle of simultaneous causality. The term figurative lotus stands in contrast with the lotus as the entity of the Law, the latter meaning the lotus that is not a metaphor, but an expression of the Law itself. See also renge.
renge
[蓮華] ( Jpn; Chin lien-hua)
Lotus or lotus flower. Also called the Oriental lotus, Indian lotus, East Indian lotus or sacred lotus. An aquatic plant with flowers of white, pink, and other colors, often mentioned in Indian Buddhist scriptures and their Chinese translations. For example, in the Compassionate White Lotus Flower Sutra (Skt Karuna-pundarika-sutra; Jpn Hike-kyo), Shakyamuni Buddha is compared to the white lotus flower (pundarika), described in the sutra as a symbol of great compassion. The white lotus flower, traditionally the most highly regarded variety, also appears in the Sanskrit title of the Lotus Sutra, Sad-dharma-pundarika-sutra. In his Chinese translation of that sutra, Kumara-jiva rendered the Sanskrit title as the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law, or Myoho-renge-kyo in Japanese. Here pundarika is translated as lotus, or renge. Renge simply means lotus flower, without reference to the color or variety. The meaning of renge is of particular importance in Buddhist traditions deriving from the Lotus Sutra, such as those of T'ient'ai in China and Nichiren in Japan. Both interpret renge in various ways, examples of which follow:
(1) In The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra, T'ient'ai (538-597) interprets the meaning of renge of Myoho-renge-kyo in two ways: as the figurative lotus and as the lotus that is the entity of the Law. He states, "Now the name renge is not intended as a symbol for anything. It is the teaching expounded in the Lotus Sutra. The teaching expounded in the Lotus Sutra is pure and undefiled and explains the subtleties of cause and effect. Therefore, it is called renge, or lotus. This name designates the true entity that the meditation based on the Lotus Sutra reveals and is not a metaphor or figurative term." He then explains, "Because [the lotus that is] the essence of the Lotus Sutra is difficult to understand, the metaphor of the lotus plant is introduced." Here T'ient'ai refers to the three groups of voice-hearers portrayed in the Lotus Sutra and designated by their respective capacities: those of superior capacity understand the principle of the lotus directly, while those of intermediate and inferior capacities understand it only through its metaphor, the figurative lotus. T'ient'ai regards the parables of the Lotus Sutra as metaphors for the lotus that is the entity of the Law.
(2) In the same work, T'ient'ai refers to the two meanings of the lotus. The first regards the fact that the lotus grows and blossoms from muddy water. This, he says, symbolizes voice-hearers emerging from the muddy water of the lesser teachings and realizing, through the Lotus Sutra, that they are entities of the wonderful Law. Second, the lotus blooming symbolizes the Buddha revealing his pure and wonderful Dharma body in order to cause people to arouse faith. Thus, he is showing them the lotus that opens through a mystic cause.
(3) In The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra, the figurative lotus is explained with three metaphors: the lotus blossom enfolding the fruit, the lotus blossom opening to reveal the fruit inside, and the lotus blossom falling and the fruit ripening. Each can be interpreted in two ways: First, from the perspective of the theoretical teaching (first half) of the Lotus Sutra, the three metaphors respectively mean that one cannot see the fruit of the true teaching because it is covered by the blossom of the provisional teachings; that the blossom opens to reveal the fruit of the true teaching; and that the blossom of the three vehicles is replaced by the fruit of the one Buddha vehicle. Second, from the perspective of the essential teaching (latter half) of the sutra, the three metaphors mean that the blossom of the theoretical teaching contains the fruit of the essential teaching; that the blossom of the theoretical teaching opens to reveal the fruit of the essential teaching; and that the blossom of the theoretical teaching is replaced by the fruit of the essential teaching.
(4) Nichiren (1222-1282) refers to the lotus plant as symbolizing the simultaneous nature of cause and effect. In a letter to the lay nun Ueno, he states: "Thus there are all manner of plants, but the lotus is the only one that bears flowers and fruit simultaneously. The benefit of all the other sutras is uncertain, because they teach that one must first make good causes and only then can one become a Buddha at some later time. With regard to the Lotus Sutra, when one's hand takes it up, that hand immediately attains Buddhahood, and when one's mouth chants it, that mouth is itself a Buddha, as, for example, the moon is reflected in the water the moment it appears from behind the eastern mountains, or as a sound and its echo arise simultaneously" (WND/1099).
(5)In The Entity of the Mystic Law, Nichiren states: "The Buddha who is the entity of Myoho-renge-kyo, of the 'Life Span' chapter of the essential teaching, who is both inhabiting subject and inhabited realm, life and environment, body and mind, entity and function, the Buddha eternally endowed with the three bodies—he is to be found in the disciples and lay believers of Nichiren. Such persons embody the true entity of Myoho-renge-kyo" (WND/420).
lotus of the entity
[当体蓮華] (Jpn totai-renge )
A reference in the T'ient'ai doctrine to the lotus that is the essence of the Lotus Sutra and also the people who are entities of, or who embody, this essence. Nichiren (1222-1282) described this essence as Myoho-renge-kyo, or Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. He states in The Entity of the Mystic Law: "The supreme principle [that is the Mystic Law] was originally without a name. When the sage was observing the principle and assigning names to all things, he perceived that there is this wonderful single Law [myoho] that simultaneously possesses both cause and effect [renge], and he named it Myoho-renge" (421). The term lotus of the entity is contrasted with the figurative lotus, or the lotus as a metaphor for the Law. Since the lotus of the entity, or lotus of the Law that simultaneously possesses both cause and effect, is difficult to understand, the lotus plant, which blooms and produces fruit at the same time, is employed as a metaphor. See also renge.
[譬喩蓮華] (Jpn hiyu-renge )
Also, figurative renge or lotus as a metaphor. According to T'ient'ai's Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra, the lotus used as a metaphor to explain the essence of the Lotus Sutra. Since the principle expounded in the sutra simultaneously possesses both cause and effect, it is difficult to explain. Therefore the lotus plant, which blooms (cause) and produces fruit (effect) at the same time, is employed as a metaphor to describe this principle of simultaneous causality. The term figurative lotus stands in contrast with the lotus as the entity of the Law, the latter meaning the lotus that is not a metaphor, but an expression of the Law itself. See also renge.
renge
[蓮華] ( Jpn; Chin lien-hua)
Lotus or lotus flower. Also called the Oriental lotus, Indian lotus, East Indian lotus or sacred lotus. An aquatic plant with flowers of white, pink, and other colors, often mentioned in Indian Buddhist scriptures and their Chinese translations. For example, in the Compassionate White Lotus Flower Sutra (Skt Karuna-pundarika-sutra; Jpn Hike-kyo), Shakyamuni Buddha is compared to the white lotus flower (pundarika), described in the sutra as a symbol of great compassion. The white lotus flower, traditionally the most highly regarded variety, also appears in the Sanskrit title of the Lotus Sutra, Sad-dharma-pundarika-sutra. In his Chinese translation of that sutra, Kumara-jiva rendered the Sanskrit title as the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law, or Myoho-renge-kyo in Japanese. Here pundarika is translated as lotus, or renge. Renge simply means lotus flower, without reference to the color or variety. The meaning of renge is of particular importance in Buddhist traditions deriving from the Lotus Sutra, such as those of T'ient'ai in China and Nichiren in Japan. Both interpret renge in various ways, examples of which follow:
(1) In The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra, T'ient'ai (538-597) interprets the meaning of renge of Myoho-renge-kyo in two ways: as the figurative lotus and as the lotus that is the entity of the Law. He states, "Now the name renge is not intended as a symbol for anything. It is the teaching expounded in the Lotus Sutra. The teaching expounded in the Lotus Sutra is pure and undefiled and explains the subtleties of cause and effect. Therefore, it is called renge, or lotus. This name designates the true entity that the meditation based on the Lotus Sutra reveals and is not a metaphor or figurative term." He then explains, "Because [the lotus that is] the essence of the Lotus Sutra is difficult to understand, the metaphor of the lotus plant is introduced." Here T'ient'ai refers to the three groups of voice-hearers portrayed in the Lotus Sutra and designated by their respective capacities: those of superior capacity understand the principle of the lotus directly, while those of intermediate and inferior capacities understand it only through its metaphor, the figurative lotus. T'ient'ai regards the parables of the Lotus Sutra as metaphors for the lotus that is the entity of the Law.
(2) In the same work, T'ient'ai refers to the two meanings of the lotus. The first regards the fact that the lotus grows and blossoms from muddy water. This, he says, symbolizes voice-hearers emerging from the muddy water of the lesser teachings and realizing, through the Lotus Sutra, that they are entities of the wonderful Law. Second, the lotus blooming symbolizes the Buddha revealing his pure and wonderful Dharma body in order to cause people to arouse faith. Thus, he is showing them the lotus that opens through a mystic cause.
(3) In The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra, the figurative lotus is explained with three metaphors: the lotus blossom enfolding the fruit, the lotus blossom opening to reveal the fruit inside, and the lotus blossom falling and the fruit ripening. Each can be interpreted in two ways: First, from the perspective of the theoretical teaching (first half) of the Lotus Sutra, the three metaphors respectively mean that one cannot see the fruit of the true teaching because it is covered by the blossom of the provisional teachings; that the blossom opens to reveal the fruit of the true teaching; and that the blossom of the three vehicles is replaced by the fruit of the one Buddha vehicle. Second, from the perspective of the essential teaching (latter half) of the sutra, the three metaphors mean that the blossom of the theoretical teaching contains the fruit of the essential teaching; that the blossom of the theoretical teaching opens to reveal the fruit of the essential teaching; and that the blossom of the theoretical teaching is replaced by the fruit of the essential teaching.
(4) Nichiren (1222-1282) refers to the lotus plant as symbolizing the simultaneous nature of cause and effect. In a letter to the lay nun Ueno, he states: "Thus there are all manner of plants, but the lotus is the only one that bears flowers and fruit simultaneously. The benefit of all the other sutras is uncertain, because they teach that one must first make good causes and only then can one become a Buddha at some later time. With regard to the Lotus Sutra, when one's hand takes it up, that hand immediately attains Buddhahood, and when one's mouth chants it, that mouth is itself a Buddha, as, for example, the moon is reflected in the water the moment it appears from behind the eastern mountains, or as a sound and its echo arise simultaneously" (WND/1099).
(5)In The Entity of the Mystic Law, Nichiren states: "The Buddha who is the entity of Myoho-renge-kyo, of the 'Life Span' chapter of the essential teaching, who is both inhabiting subject and inhabited realm, life and environment, body and mind, entity and function, the Buddha eternally endowed with the three bodies—he is to be found in the disciples and lay believers of Nichiren. Such persons embody the true entity of Myoho-renge-kyo" (WND/420).
lotus of the entity
[当体蓮華] (Jpn totai-renge )
A reference in the T'ient'ai doctrine to the lotus that is the essence of the Lotus Sutra and also the people who are entities of, or who embody, this essence. Nichiren (1222-1282) described this essence as Myoho-renge-kyo, or Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. He states in The Entity of the Mystic Law: "The supreme principle [that is the Mystic Law] was originally without a name. When the sage was observing the principle and assigning names to all things, he perceived that there is this wonderful single Law [myoho] that simultaneously possesses both cause and effect [renge], and he named it Myoho-renge" (421). The term lotus of the entity is contrasted with the figurative lotus, or the lotus as a metaphor for the Law. Since the lotus of the entity, or lotus of the Law that simultaneously possesses both cause and effect, is difficult to understand, the lotus plant, which blooms and produces fruit at the same time, is employed as a metaphor. See also renge.
E
EasyMyohoDisco
Closed on my home! A new castle for kosen-rufu will be officially open for business soon! I'll make sure to report on my progress accordingly!
I'm gonna buy 20-25 folding chairs for some great meetings! All the chanting growers are invited
I'm gonna buy 20-25 folding chairs for some great meetings! All the chanting growers are invited
E
EasyMyohoDisco
This is something I wrote 4 years ago....
This is something I wrote 4 years ago....
I started attending meeting in early 2006 and since then have completed a 180 in my entire life. Things were going wrong and I was too lazy to even bother changing, but chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo was so simple that I had to give it a try. I tried it at home and it was good, but it got a whole lot better with everyone else! PTD and Babba (plus Brother Socal) kept encouraging me every step of the way then we started doing shakubuku together online.
The rest is history. My home will dedicated to kosen-rufu 100%. As I have chanted to own a home I have consistently believed in my heart, body and soul that my practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the Gohonzon healed my mother's cancer, made me 50,000,000 times richer than I once was, gave me patience, helped me make good friends, and most importantly this practice has cemented itself into my life and I'm living proof that this Buddhism works and works so well!
I've been posting on this site since about 2004 and used to post at overgrow. Even in OG i would join groups of nice friendly people because I thought my friends in real life were scumbags. Now I'm surrounded by great amazing people everyday and I can even see the goodness in the ones I thought were completely fucked up! I'm dedicated to kosen-rufu and don't need a shinichi yamamoto to tell me how I gotta do it because I got the Gosho's and everything I've learned and continue to learn on this site. I'm gonna Rock the Era this year and I mean it in a big way!
Everytime I write my heart is going into the bytes on the html your computer is interpreting for your viewing pleasure. This thread is full of heart and I've been around for over 600pages. A big thanks to PTD for starting this movement up, I'm glad I didn't quit along the way!
Salutations to all,
MyohoDisco!
This is something I wrote 4 years ago....
I started attending meeting in early 2006 and since then have completed a 180 in my entire life. Things were going wrong and I was too lazy to even bother changing, but chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo was so simple that I had to give it a try. I tried it at home and it was good, but it got a whole lot better with everyone else! PTD and Babba (plus Brother Socal) kept encouraging me every step of the way then we started doing shakubuku together online.
The rest is history. My home will dedicated to kosen-rufu 100%. As I have chanted to own a home I have consistently believed in my heart, body and soul that my practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the Gohonzon healed my mother's cancer, made me 50,000,000 times richer than I once was, gave me patience, helped me make good friends, and most importantly this practice has cemented itself into my life and I'm living proof that this Buddhism works and works so well!
I've been posting on this site since about 2004 and used to post at overgrow. Even in OG i would join groups of nice friendly people because I thought my friends in real life were scumbags. Now I'm surrounded by great amazing people everyday and I can even see the goodness in the ones I thought were completely fucked up! I'm dedicated to kosen-rufu and don't need a shinichi yamamoto to tell me how I gotta do it because I got the Gosho's and everything I've learned and continue to learn on this site. I'm gonna Rock the Era this year and I mean it in a big way!
Everytime I write my heart is going into the bytes on the html your computer is interpreting for your viewing pleasure. This thread is full of heart and I've been around for over 600pages. A big thanks to PTD for starting this movement up, I'm glad I didn't quit along the way!
Salutations to all,
MyohoDisco!
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EasyMyohoDisco
"It is an undeniable fact that fire can at once reduce even a thousand-year-old field of pampas grass to ashes, and that the merit one has formed over a hundred years can be destroyed with a single word."
The Three Obstacles and Four Devils (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 636)
The Three Obstacles and Four Devils (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 636)
Nam myoho renge kyo
Nam myoho renge kyo
From Words of Wisdom by President Ikeda, on "Strength". www.ikedaquotes.org.
The human spirit is the strongest force there is. As long as our spirit remains unbroken, there is no defeat. In life, spiritual defeat always precedes actual defeat. Guard against laziness, cowardice, carelessness, impatience, resignation and despair which corrode the human spirit and sow the seeds of defeat.
Nam myoho renge kyo like the roar of the Lion !!
Nam myoho renge kyo
From Words of Wisdom by President Ikeda, on "Strength". www.ikedaquotes.org.
The human spirit is the strongest force there is. As long as our spirit remains unbroken, there is no defeat. In life, spiritual defeat always precedes actual defeat. Guard against laziness, cowardice, carelessness, impatience, resignation and despair which corrode the human spirit and sow the seeds of defeat.
Nam myoho renge kyo like the roar of the Lion !!
The teachings such as those of the non-Buddhist writings and those of the
Hinayana and provisional Mahayana Buddhist scriptures all partially explain the
phenomena inherent in one's life. They do not explain them as the Lotus Sutra
does. Thus, among the sutras, there are both superior and inferior, and among
people also, sages and worthies may be distinguished.
(WND, 629)
The Mongol Envoys
Written to the lay priest Nishiyama in 1275
Hinayana and provisional Mahayana Buddhist scriptures all partially explain the
phenomena inherent in one's life. They do not explain them as the Lotus Sutra
does. Thus, among the sutras, there are both superior and inferior, and among
people also, sages and worthies may be distinguished.
(WND, 629)
The Mongol Envoys
Written to the lay priest Nishiyama in 1275
Even though I cannot see you, I am certain that your heart is here. If you find
that you miss me, always look at the sun that rises [in the morning] and the
moon that rises in the evening. Whatever the time, I will be reflected in the
sun and the moon. And in our next life, let us meet in the pure land of Eagle
Peak. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
(WND, 596)
Letter to the Lay Nun of Ko
Written to the lay nun of Ko on June 16, 1275
that you miss me, always look at the sun that rises [in the morning] and the
moon that rises in the evening. Whatever the time, I will be reflected in the
sun and the moon. And in our next life, let us meet in the pure land of Eagle
Peak. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
(WND, 596)
Letter to the Lay Nun of Ko
Written to the lay nun of Ko on June 16, 1275
Enlightenment in the Latter Day means Faith in the Gohonzon
Ikeda: ….President Toda remarked, “What is enlightenment in the Latter Day of the Law? It is to believe in the Gohonzon.” To not doubt the Gohonzon no matter what happens, to believe earnestly – this is enlightenment in the Latter Day. Faith in the Gohonzon itself is enlightenment.
To illustrate, there might be someone who agonizes over his home situation. The person lives in anguish, feeling that he is the most miserable person in the world. He feels resentment toward others and complains constantly. As a result of opening his eyes to faith and learning about Buddhism, however, he comes to understand that the causes of his misery are within his own life. He then strives to carry out his human revolution. As his faith deepens and his state of life expands, he can splendidly overcome his sufferings.
Through this experience, the person grasps the truth that when one’s frame of mind or spirit changes, everything changes. This is the case of embodying the principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life. Isn’t this an instance of brilliant enlightenment?
Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, Vol. IV, pgs. 17,18
Ikeda: ….President Toda remarked, “What is enlightenment in the Latter Day of the Law? It is to believe in the Gohonzon.” To not doubt the Gohonzon no matter what happens, to believe earnestly – this is enlightenment in the Latter Day. Faith in the Gohonzon itself is enlightenment.
To illustrate, there might be someone who agonizes over his home situation. The person lives in anguish, feeling that he is the most miserable person in the world. He feels resentment toward others and complains constantly. As a result of opening his eyes to faith and learning about Buddhism, however, he comes to understand that the causes of his misery are within his own life. He then strives to carry out his human revolution. As his faith deepens and his state of life expands, he can splendidly overcome his sufferings.
Through this experience, the person grasps the truth that when one’s frame of mind or spirit changes, everything changes. This is the case of embodying the principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life. Isn’t this an instance of brilliant enlightenment?
Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, Vol. IV, pgs. 17,18
Good to see you SoCal! Thank you Bud! Great posts everyone!
Congratulations on your new home Easy!
KEEP KICKING DEVIL ASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IT IS MY HONOR TO KNOW YOU ALL!
Bowing in humble obeisance,
T
Congratulations on your new home Easy!
KEEP KICKING DEVIL ASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IT IS MY HONOR TO KNOW YOU ALL!
Bowing in humble obeisance,
T
The Daishonin encourages us to, "Strengthen our resolve more than ever."* Now, by chanting daimoku with even stronger conviction than ever, let's raise our great life force within our hearts. And subsequently, let's rock the Buddhist gods, the protective forces of the universe, into really protecting us!
Daisaku Ikeda
*"The Supremacy of the Law" - WND-I, page 615
Daisaku Ikeda
*"The Supremacy of the Law" - WND-I, page 615
"Employ the strategy of the Lotus Sutra before any other. 'All others who bear you enmity or malice will likewise be wiped out.' These golden words will never prove false."
(The Strategy of the Lotus Sutra - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 1001) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, June 18th, 2010
(The Strategy of the Lotus Sutra - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 1001) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, June 18th, 2010
"The path of 'establishing the correct teaching for the peace of the land' is a fierce struggle with the devilish nature of authority, filled with arduous efforts and great adversity.
"...As Nichiren Daishonin writes: 'The greater the hardships befalling him, the greater the delight he feels, because of his strong faith' (WND-1, 33). In facing and triumphing over such persecution, we can attain Buddhahood in this existence and carry out our human revolution."
SGI Newsletter No. 8020, The New Human Revolution--Vol. 23: Chap. 3, Courage 33, translated June 17th, 2010
"...As Nichiren Daishonin writes: 'The greater the hardships befalling him, the greater the delight he feels, because of his strong faith' (WND-1, 33). In facing and triumphing over such persecution, we can attain Buddhahood in this existence and carry out our human revolution."
SGI Newsletter No. 8020, The New Human Revolution--Vol. 23: Chap. 3, Courage 33, translated June 17th, 2010
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