Vice President Karwei's Guidance, 1996
Prayers need to have a specific focus. Just chanting daimoku does not constitute prayer with desired results. Prayers equal practice. It means to pray specifically for what you want, by when, and by what means. If you chant for specific results, you will achieve them. If you are putting in half-hearted efforts, it is like taking a walk with no objective or destination in mind and returning home with nothing achieved. Just praying and having aimless actions won’t end in results. You must have specific goals in mind and then take action. This is the correct method.
Lateral-moving practice- people who are practicing out of obligation.
Reverse-moving practice- people who are practicing with suspicion, complaint and negativity.
The people who are moving forward will continue to progress and grow. The people who are moving sideways are moving in circles. The people who are moving backwards will continue to regress and eventually quit the practice.
Prayers need to have a specific focus. Just chanting daimoku does not constitute prayer with desired results. Prayers equal practice. It means to pray specifically for what you want, by when, and by what means. If you chant for specific results, you will achieve them. If you are putting in half-hearted efforts, it is like taking a walk with no objective or destination in mind and returning home with nothing achieved. Just praying and having aimless actions won’t end in results. You must have specific goals in mind and then take action. This is the correct method.
The clear objectives of desiring to change one’s self, heart,
lifestyle,
environment, problems, etc., are important. Nichiren Daishonin says
one must
reflect to see if he or she is advancing or regressing . If one is not
aware,
then they are lazy and may be considered taiten (not practicing). You
could
be exerting yourself but if you are not advancing, then you are
considered to
be in a non-practicing state (taiten). You are practicing to change
yourself,
not just to practice hard. If you haven’t experienced much change in
yourself,
you have not made enough effort to do so. If you just logically study
and understand
this Buddhism, you will not change. Sensei always says, “The heart is
the most important. No one says just try hard. You can make a change,
depending
on the state of your heart.” Determination is the key. A person with
no
determination to change will not change.
Progressive Practice- people who are practicing with
a strong
desire to change.
Lateral-moving practice- people who are practicing out of obligation.
Reverse-moving practice- people who are practicing with suspicion, complaint and negativity.
The people who are moving forward will continue to progress and grow. The people who are moving sideways are moving in circles. The people who are moving backwards will continue to regress and eventually quit the practice.
Don’t take action just for the sake of taking action. Participating
in
SGI activities is not a substitute for sincere practice. The
determination or
heart behind the action is the most important (ichinen). The type of
determination
behind the action determines what type of results you get.
How can we experience actual proof?
If you yourself have experienced benefits, then you will have no doubts. But if conviction is weak, and a problem occurs, faith wavers. Members who have no experience are weak. If you don’t have actual proof in this faith, you are not practicing this faith.
If you yourself have experienced benefits, then you will have no doubts. But if conviction is weak, and a problem occurs, faith wavers. Members who have no experience are weak. If you don’t have actual proof in this faith, you are not practicing this faith.
Having the objective to change yourself is important. Make specific
goals and
then take actions toward those goals. First, entrust your life to the
Gohonzon
(Nam). Chant specifically about a certain goal or problem. If you have
a way
out to resolve the problem, you can try it; for something impossible,
you have
to chant to the Gohonzon. It has to be a pure and strong prayer. This
is the
correct attitude in this faith.
An impossible situation is actually a great opportunity. It is a
chance to
improve and overcome the situation. If you chant with strong
determination you
will definitely get results. A weak attitude such as, “as long as I
practice,
I will be okay”, will not produce benefits, but if your determination
is strong, you will experience the benefit.
It may seem to defy logic, but nothing is impossible for the
Gohonzon. We chant
to the Gohonzon to change the impossible to possible. Don’t think
about
it too logically or dwell on it! Just direct your desires and prayers
to the
Gohonzon. This is what faith is all about.
What does the Gohonzon symbolize? What is Nam myoho renge kyo?
The concept of the Ten Worlds, also known as the Ten Life States, forms one of the fundamental principles of Buddhism. It teaches that everyone possesses the Ten Worlds within their life, and everyone has the ability to perceive, as well as the potential to manifest these states. Our life state changes from moment to moment, depending on our interaction with the environment. In other words, at any given moment one of the Ten Worlds is visible, while the rest of the Ten Worlds remain hidden. From lowest to highest these are: Hell State, Hunger, Animality, Anger, Tranquility, Rapture, learning and Realization, Bodhisattva and Buddhahood.
Richard Causton: Buddha in Daily Life
What does the Gohonzon symbolize? What is Nam myoho renge kyo?
The concept of the Ten Worlds, also known as the Ten Life States, forms one of the fundamental principles of Buddhism. It teaches that everyone possesses the Ten Worlds within their life, and everyone has the ability to perceive, as well as the potential to manifest these states. Our life state changes from moment to moment, depending on our interaction with the environment. In other words, at any given moment one of the Ten Worlds is visible, while the rest of the Ten Worlds remain hidden. From lowest to highest these are: Hell State, Hunger, Animality, Anger, Tranquility, Rapture, learning and Realization, Bodhisattva and Buddhahood.
Richard Causton: Buddha in Daily Life
No comments:
Post a Comment