Lotus Flower

NMRK Greeting

2011-10-11T23:45:00.000-04:00

Refuse to be Held Down

2011-09-13T19:55:00.000-04:00

Ain't No Stoppin Us Now!
We're on the move!
Ain't No Stoppin Us Now!
We've got the groove!

There's been so many things thats held us down.
But now it looks like things are finally comin' around.
I know we've got, a long long way to go,
and where we'll end up, I don't know.
But we won't let nothin' hold us back,
we're putting our selves together,
we're polishing up our act!
If you felt we've been held down before,
I know you'll refuse to be held down anymore!

Don't you let nothing, nothing,
Stand in your way!
I want ya'll to listen, listen,
to every word I say, every word I say!

Ain't No Stoppin Us Now!
We're on the move!
Ain't No Stoppin Us Now!
We've got the groove!

Ain't No Stoppin Us Now!
We're on the move!
Ain't No Stoppin Us Now!
We've got the groove!

I know you know someone that has a negative vow,
and if you're trying to make it they only push you aside.
They really don't have, no where to go.
Ask them where they're going, they don't know.
But we won't let nothin' hold us back,
we're gonna put our selves together,
we're gonna polish up our act!
And if you've ever been held down before,
I know you'll refuse to be held down anymore!

Don't you let nothing, nothing,
Stand in your way!
I want ya'll to listen, listen,
to every word I say, every word I say!

Ain't No Stoppin Us Now!
We're on the move!
Ain't No Stoppin Us Now!
We've got the groove!

Ain't No Stoppin Us Now!
We're on the move!
Ain't No Stoppin Us Now!
We've got the groove!

by MacFadden and Whitehead

The Power of Words

2011-07-06T11:56:00.000-04:00

Photo by Tumblr

"Sincere one to one conversation can soften and melt even hearts that are completely frozen."

By Daisaku Ikeda

I have vivid memories of encounters with people whose voices or words have moved me over the years. One that springs to mind happened during a visit to the Guilin region of China, a beautiful land of craggy mountains, mists and rivers. Walking along, we met two young girls, no older than 15 or 16, selling medicinal herbs near a river. They carried a large basket filled with herbs, inviting passers by to buy their goods with vibrant voices.

"Ni hao! [Hello!]" I called to them. "Ni Hao!" They smiled back. "We offer every kind of medicine: choose the one you want."

I smiled at their high spirits and asked, "Do you have anything to make me smarter?" They seemed taken aback, but only for an instant. "I'm sorry," one of them replied in a clear, firm voice, "We just sold out of that one."

Our group burst into laughter at this witty reply, and we felt as warm inside as if a gentle spring breeze had touched us. As a Chinese saying puts it, "Even a single word uttered out of goodness can warm the heart in the bitterest winter."

I fondly recall that my wife and I ended up buying some herbs as souvenirs, and I sometimes wonder how the girls and their families are doing. I believe that sincere one to one conversation can soften and met even heart that are completely frozen. By talking with someone face to face, you can actually change that person's life and your own.

Today, we live in the midst of a flood of soulless information. And, the more we rely on one-way communication, like radio or TV, or static and unmoving words in print, the more I feel the need to stress the value of the sound of the human voice: The simple but precious interaction of voice and voice, person to person; the exchange of life with life.

In a face to face conversation, the listener can ask questions or disagree, and this in turn may make the speaker rethink his or her own views. The process is dynamic and multi-faceted, creating mutual joy and understanding. For myself, I love talking with a wide range of people from all over the world. I always learn something new and I find it inspiring to be exposed to different ways of thinking. This is the kind of spiritual nutrition for me. My experience is that no matter how strong the initial uncertainty, ot even hostility another person may feel towards you, if you approach them with complete sincerity and speak the truth, they will invariably respond in kind.

I remember several years ago suggesting holding a dialogue with representatives of Islam. Some of my friends tried to convince me this would be difficult. But I felt we should not let ourselves be held back by such preconceptions. We never know what is possible until we try. I suggested that the dialogue did not need to be a debate over religious doctrine. We could start talking about the problems that we all face as human beings, focusing on culture and education, or we could discuss the desire for peace, something shared by people all over the world. I am Happy to say that I have since carried out dialogues with several highly respected representatives of the Islamic world, and SGI members in many countries have also carried out interfaith dialogues wth Representatives of Islam among other faiths.

Face to face conversation may seem like something very ordinary, but it is in fact the most powerful tool for positive change we possess. We can exchange ideas on a very human level, with a basis of respect and faith in each other's essential goodness. Everyone involved is equal: their is neither superior nor inferior.

The French thinker, Montaigne, loved discussion, and he always kept an open mind, saying "no proposition astounds me, no belief offends me, however much opposed it may be to my own. Contradictions of opinion only arouse and exercise my mind." To him, dialogue was the search for truth, and he claimed that he welcomed and embraced the truth, in whoever's hands he found it.

As we have two ears and one mouth, maybe we should listen twice as much as we speak. Certainly if we are self righteous or prejudiced, no one will approach us with an open heart.

Sometimes our attempts to start a discussion or talk things over may be slighted ignored. Then we should remember that rejection and disappointment are inevitable in life, and just keep on trying. Maintaining dialogue takes great patience and perseverance. We need to develop a strong sense of self, so that although we can clearly see the emotions of the other person, we keep on calmly and steadily 'rowing' closer to their heart.

The biggest obstacle to successful dialogue is usually excessive attachment ti one;s own point of view. For Instance, a rift between a parent and child will not be easily healed as long as the parent only sees things as a parent and the child only from his or her own viewpoint.

In a genuine discussion, it is best if we can see any confrontations that arise as just another from our connectedness. If both parent and child can see themselves as sharing common ground-making up a family together- things can take a surprisingly easy turn for the better. The deeper the common feeling that binds us, the more we can embrace those who differ from us and ensure that dialogue will lead to a fruitful outcome.

Whether the problem is that of a single family, or international in scope, if those involved can view things from a higher perspective, with a sense of shared purpose, the gears of dialogue will always start to turn in a positive direction.

If more people were to pursue dialogue in an equally broadminded and persistent manner, I am sure that the inevitable conflicts of human life would find easier resolution. Prejudice would give way to understanding and war to peace. Genuine dialogue results in the transformation of opposing viewpoints, changing them from wedges that drive people apart into bridges that link them together.

Like a Lion's Roar

2011-05-21T01:23:00.000-04:00

A Conversation with the Gohonzon

2011-05-10T21:33:00.010-04:00

By Anonymous

Me: GOHONZON!!!! !!!!!

Gohonzon : Hello. Did you call me?

Me: Called you? No.. who is this?

Gohonzon : This is GOHONZON.. I heard your prayers. So I thought I will chat.

Me: I do pray. Just makes me feel good. I am actually busy now. I am in the midst of something.

Gohonzon : What are you busy at? Ants are busy too.

Me: Don't know. But I cant find free time. Life has become hectic. It's rush hour all the time .Gohonzon : Sure. Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you results. Activity consumes time. Productivity frees it .

Me: I understand. But I still can't figure out. By the way, I was not expecting YOU to buzz me on instant messaging chat.

Gohonzon : Well I wanted to resolve your! fight for time, by giving you some clarity. In this net era, I wanted to reach you through the medium you are comfortable with.

Me: Tell me, why has life become complicated now?

Gohonzon : Stop analyzing life. Just live it. Analysis is what makes it complicated.

Me: why are we then constantly unhappy?

Gohonzon : Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday. You are worrying because you are analyzing. Worrying has become your habit. That's why you are not happy.

Me: But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?

Gohonzon : Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.

Me: But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty. .

Gohonzon : Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.

Me: If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?

Gohonzon : Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire. Good people go through trials, but don't suffer. With that experience their life become better not bitter.

Me: You mean to say such experience is useful?

Gohonzon : Yes. In every terms, Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.

Me: But still, why should we go through such tests? Why cant we be free from problems?

Gohonzon : Problems are Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessons (to) Enhance Mental Strength. Inner strength comes from struggle and endurance, not when you! are free from problems.

Me: Frankly in the midst of so many problems, we don't know where we are heading...

Gohonzon : If you look outside you will not know where you are heading.Look inside.. Looking outside, you dream. Looking inside, you awaken. Eyes provide sight. Heart provides insight.

Me: Sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more than moving in the right direction. What should I do?

Gohonzon : Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you. Knowing the road ahead is more satisfying than knowing you rode ahead. You work with the compass. Let others work with the clock.

Me: In tough times, how do you stay motivated?

Gohonzon : Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.

Me: What surprises you about people?

Gohonzon : when they suffer they ask, "why me?" When they prosper, they never ask "Why me" Everyone wishes to have truth on their side, but few want to be on the side of the truth.

Me: Sometimes I ask, who am I, why am I here. I cant get the answer.

Gohonzon : Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want to be. Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here. Create it. Life is not a process of discovery but a process of creation.

Me: How can I get the best out of life?

Gohonzon : Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.

Me: One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.

Gohonzon : There are no unanswered prayers. At times the answer is NO.

Me: Thank you for this wonderful chat.

Gohonzon : Well. Keep the faith and drop the fear. Don't believe your doubts and doubt your beliefs.

Life is a mystery to solve not a problem to resolve. Trust me. Life is wonderful if you know how to live. "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that took our breath away! " Remember GOHONZON is in our Inner Soul and GOHONZON

is the POWER WITHIN, It is your True self; believe that all powers are within ourselves.

(Submitted by Saahil Kalvani)

Thoughts on Peace

2011-05-08T22:40:00.000-04:00

by Daisaku Ikeda

"No matter what justifications maybe offered, in my view, there is absolutely no such thing as a just and correct war."

Some people who have seen war stories in the movies or on TV may have been impressed by it; finding it somehow attractive and feeling that the actors looked glamorous and brave.

The reality of war, however, is completely different. It is cruel and filthy and filled with sadness and misery. Anyone who has actually experienced war knows it must never be repeated. I saw more than enough of the horror of war when I was young, living through air raids in which explosives and incendiary bombs fell like rain. Wandering in a sea of fire; worried out of my mind about my family, feeling terrible sadness and helplessness as I saw people dying around me.

No matter what justifications maybe offered, in my view, there is absolutely no such thing as a just and correct war. War treats human life as a means to an end, and it brings only terrible suffering and unhappiness to ordinary men and women on both sides. Each person who has died in war was irreplaceable and precious-someone's parent, child, or friend. That is why we must always oppose war. All conflicts should be resolved, not with violence and brute force, but with wisdom and sustained dialogue.

It may be tempting to think that wars are started by state, or an alliance of countries. However, in fact, wars are started by the workings of the individual human heart. Buddhism teaches that war is the result of anger and egotism. To overcome the threat of war, we must conquer and subdue the selfish nature that lurks in every human heart.

Natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes cannot be prevented by human reason or wisdom. But problems which are caused by human beings can be resolved by human beings themselves.

Two-time Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling wrote in his book, No More War: "I believe that there is a greater power in the world than the evil power of military force or nuclear bombs-there is the power of good, of morality, or humanitarianism. I believe in the power of the human spirit."

I also hold that an inner change in the depths of people's lives can transform egoism and replace it with a loving humanism that seeks peace and coexistence among all people. So what keeps this 'power if good' from having a greater impact on the world? What hinders progress towards peace? In a single word, it is mistrust. It is the prejudice and preconceptions that grow from mistrust. Often these have roots in past conflicts and rivalries. Without removing this wall of mistrust, and with the effort to discover the goodness that shines in every single human being, no progress towards peace will be possible.

When I first traveled to the Soviet Union in the early 1970s, people wondered why, as the leader f a religious movement, I wanted to visit a communist country that did not recognize religion. I responded, "because the citizens of the Soviet Union are people, fellow human beings like myself," I wanted somehow to create a new path, to transform mistrust into trust, fear into confidence, an unhealthy lingering over the past into a commitment to the future. In every country I have visited, I have always felt how earnestly people everywhere yearn for peace.

The first condition for world peace is for people to really learn about each other, to start to really understand and appreciate each other. The surest way of melting the 'ice' of mistrust is to promote interaction among ordinary people- through meetings, visits and cultural and educational exchange. Young people who are not caught up in the part can often lead the way.

Many years ago, it was tradition among Canandian Indian indigenous people to hold great celebrations when a daughter came of age. Two daughters of a great chief had reached adulthood and a feast was being prepared. But news arrived that enemies to the north were preparing for war. The daughters went to the father and said, "Dear father! Someday we will become mothers and will give birth to children who will grow up to be strong chiefs like you. For their sake, please invite the people of the north to our celebration." The chief could not refuse his daughters, so reluctanly he sent a message to his long time enemies and invited them.

They came in great numbers, bringing their wives and children and many gifts. War songs changed into songs of joy.

Later the two sisters each gave birth to a son, and they became chiefs called Peace and Brotherly Love. bear Vancouver there is a beautiful twin-peaked mountain and according to legend, the two girls who loved peace became these peaks and still watch over Vancouver today.

I believe it is far too risky to leave the world's future in the hands of politicians., People must be wise and take action themselves to create peace. We must unite across borders: unite in our rejection of the idea of watr itself. When the people of one country communicate with those of others, they can create a current towards peace. It is vital to create a network of people that transcends national borders so that a small number of corrupt leaders cannot break the webs of friendship and solidarity that join us.

Peace can never be attained by passively waiting for it. it is necessary for each of us, no matter how weak we feel we are, to build deep within our hearts a stronghold for peace that can withstand, and in the end silence, the incessant calls of war.

As Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral has written, "Have courage, my friends! For pacifism is not a sweet jam as some may think...Continue speaking out for peace, against the wind and the waves...Pacifism is not something easy. One must not abide injustice in silence. My friends, continue to cry out, until the circle of peace is expanded."

Real peace is only to be found in the realities of daily life. We must plant the seeds of a fundamental peace in the daily life of individual, in our hearts and inner lives. And, we must protect and foster these seeds until they grow into the firm reality of peace for all.
Thus, it is up to us to construct a world without war. Whether we give up on this as an impossible goal, or whether we continue the challenge. However great the difficulties involved-on this the fate of the entire twenty-first century depends.

Capability in Buddhism

2011-05-03T22:27:00.000-04:00

Culture Department meeting at FNCC

President Ikeda's Guidance to Soka High School Baseball Coach:

SHS finally made it to the playoffs, only to lose in the first round.

The Coach wrote to PI:
"Our ace pitcher was drafted and is gone. We are not as strong as we
were; I believe our capability is lower, but we will chant and become
a greater and more capable team."

President Ikeda: "You are wrong. You should have enough capability to
win without having to go back and chant. Become capable and then your
Daimoku will become a strong wind behind your capability. If you are
relying on Daimoku to make it happen rather than on your own
capability, then you are just using faith like a superstition.

Tumblr

You should practice, and therefore, become capable. The team which
becomes the most capable will be the one which practices and works
hardest and has the most perseverance. Capability is very important
because it requires constant courage and training, but if your
capability counts only 50% and you base the other 50% on Daimoku to
the Gohonzon to bring it about "somehow", then your religion has
become a crutch for you. Religion is not there to hide your
shortcomings, but to strengthen you as a human being."

Bart Simpson's Blackboard Lesson

2011-04-24T17:24:00.000-04:00

Use Buddhism Teachings for Better Relationships

2011-04-09T21:04:00.000-04:00

Applying the Principles of Nichiren Buddhism to All Personal Interactions

Sources: Hochswender, Woody. Martin, Greg. Morino, Ted. The Buddha in Your Mirror: Practical Buddhism and Search for the Self. CA: Middleway Press (a division of the SGI-USA), 2001.

Nichiren Buddhism is a faith that lays a lot of stress on personal development and self-improvement. So, even when it comes to fostering strong and positive relationships and develop lasting bonds, it is essential that one makes the desired effort and brings forth a change in one’s attitude and perspective, a process known as Human Revolution. Learn how to use the principles of Nichiren Buddhism to improve relationships and engage in mutually beneficial interactions.

Respect for Everyone

One of the fundamental principles of Nichiren Buddhism is to see the inherent Buddha nature in everyone and therefore, give due respect.

Nichiren Buddhism stresses that everyone has the inherent wisdom and compassion to be a Buddha and that is the reason one must not disrespect or malign another person, because it would be akin to maligning Buddha himself. Relationships would improve dramatically, if everyone could accord the other person proper respect and dignity.

Oppose Evil and Corruption

While Nichiren Buddhism does emphasize respect for every human being, it also, stresses standing up for what is right and opposing injustice and corruption. It teaches that everyone should exercise courage and strength in supporting the right and good.

However, the way to fight is not violent and aggressive; rather it is peaceful and based on effective communication and dialogue. All relationships would benefit greatly if conflicts are resolved in a peaceful, non-confrontational manner.

Being Compassionate and Considerate

One of the foremost qualities of Nichiren Buddhism is to have immense compassion and consideration for everyone. Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo for the happiness of others is something that most Nichiren Buddhists do on a regular basis.

Meeting members who need support, encouraging members and simply, paying attention to others are just some of the things that Nichiren Buddhists do and that is one reason why relationships between the members are strong and close-knit.

Taking Responsibility for Your Actions

Being accountable for one’s actions and not blaming others or circumstances is integral to Nichiren Buddhism. This ensures that every individual learns to introspect and works at becoming a strong, confident person who knows that every action, thought and word would have a corresponding consequence or result. This leads to relationships that are free of blame, guilt and any negativity.

Improving and Changing Ourselves

According to the principles of Nichiren Buddhism, human revolution or self-improvement is at the foundation of all successful relationships. Since the only person upon whom one has real influence is one’s own self, therefore, it makes sense to improve and change oneself to change one’s relationships. This could involve becoming strong enough to move out of an abusive relationship or becoming adaptable and open to a different perspective.

It is easy to see how simple principles of Nichiren Buddhism can enable individuals to form strong, meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships with others around them.

Lotus Blossom

2011-04-04T19:10:00.000-04:00

Nurtured by the words of the wise
with each rain drop calling His name
in an infinite shower of love
the lotus blossom gently unfolds
as by its very nature must
and displays the center of beauty
free from attachment
free from fear
free from anger
the still, unmoving heart.

by David Taylor

Positive Thinking Vs Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

2011-03-31T18:59:00.000-04:00

By Kathy Aitken from UKE January 1998

Look in any bookshop, anywhere, and the chances are you'll find a section devoted to 'self-help' titles. These shelves are the domains of the 'positive thinking' manuals - modern day guides to the business of living. Some of them are bestsellers. Each of these offerings has a slightly different slant, but closer examination will reveal common themes: how to develop self-esteem; how to cast off pessimism and start thinking 'big'; how to set goals and then achieve them; how to improve your relationships. The basic message running throughout is: change your thinking and you change your life. It's a laudable theory, but how far does it go?

In Buddhism, the workings of the mind are elucidated by the doctrine called the nine consciousnesses. The first five comprise 'the senses' - sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. It is through these that we have awareness of the world around us. The sixth is the conscious mind which processes the perceptions made by the five senses and translates them into judgements about the external world: "That is an orange." The seventh consciousness, sometimes called the mano-consciousness, equates to the unconscious mind of modern psychology, by dint of which we are able to ponder and reflect: "Because this is an orange it must be full of vitamin C and therefore be good for me."

The eighth level of consciousness is known as the karma storehouse, or alaya consciousness. It is here that the sum total of all our actions - the effects of causes made by thought, word and deed - is stored. This in turn gives rise to the blueprint of our individual lives, or karma, which carries within it the propensity for our own particular ways of thinking, speaking and doing to become ever more defined.

Beyond this is the ninth consciousness, the Buddha state - the highest consciousness attainable and a boundless source of wisdom, compassion and courage. This state forms the basis of all spiritual functions and is also known as the amala-consciousness - amala meaning pure and undefiled -, which remains forever free from any karmic impurities. Nichiren Daishonin explains that we express this state by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

As can often be seen from the above explanation, all conscious thought - be it positive or negative - takes place at the sixth and seventh levels of consciousness. It follows, therefore, that even the most valiant of mental efforts to upgrade the quality of one's thinking will still be limited by the constraints imposed by one's karma. We cannot reach the deepest level of our inner selves by conscious thought. Although 'positive thinking' no doubt helps in developing various skills in life, we cannot change karma, the eighth consciousness, with our thoughts.

Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the Gohonzon enables us to draw on the amala-consciousness, or as we more commonly call it, Buddhahood.

When we do this, we are no longer at the mercy of the many distorted views, which are part and parcel of our karma; instead, we can see everything from a much broader perspective than has hitherto been possible. As Nichiren Daishonin so graphically expresses it:

"Fire can be produced by a stone taken from the bottom of a river, and a candle can light up a place that has been dark for billions of years. If even the most ordinary things of this world are such wonders, then how much more wondrous is the power of the Mystic Law." (MW, Vol.1, p. 223)

The fundamental purpose of practicing Buddhism is to reveal Buddhahood and to relieve the sufferings of others by sharing the Buddha's wisdom with them. It is not simply a means to achieve an improvement in one's personal circumstances. Buddhism concerns itself with the fundamental dynamic between ourselves and the rest of the universe, and maximizing the potential for creating happy, fulfilling lives within that dynamic.

When we truly understand this, we gain sight of the bigger picture and are able to avoid the pitfall of becoming obsessed by our wishes and wants. Instead, we live in the knowledge that 'actual proof' in our circumstances will show itself as a natural result of our profound inner change.

In short, with the wisdom of the Buddha, we can see what actions needs to be taken and when to take it; with the courage of the Buddha we will take that action; and with the compassion of the Buddha, that action will encompass the greatest good for everybody and everything concerned.

True freedom is ours only when we act from a perspective free from karmic influences. By making this our prerogative through chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the Gohonzon, we begin to establish an inner core of unshakable happiness. Furthermore, we gain the conviction that we will, in this lifetime, overcome our negative karma, develop the attributes of the Buddha, and achieve the fulfillment of all our prayers.

Challenging our Weakness

2011-03-29T21:08:00.000-04:00

Challenging our weakness is the key to believing in ourselves
By Linda C. Johnson, SGI-USA Vice General Director, Los Angeles (from Living Buddhism, January 2003)

“I had to ask myself whether I truly believed in the power of my prayer to break through my own fears and insecurities.”

I want to unconditionally love myself. I want to embrace every part of me. I want to believe, without reservation, that my life is Nam-myohorenge-kyo itself. My challenge is to believe these things amidst the realities of my daily life. It is a struggle, I believe, all of us face every day.

As I prepared to write this article, my deepest insecurities and fears emerged. I wondered: “What could I say that will inspire someone?” I bathed in those feelings; they enveloped me. As a consequence, I could not write a single word. I turned to prayer, chanting to be able to write an article that would encourage others and help them break through the deadlocks in their lives. But my doubts lingered. I fought them continuously, during the day whenever they arose, as well as when I sat chanting in front of the Gohonzon. In spite of how I was feeling, I poured my entire life into encouraging others during meetings and guidance sessions. I told them that, with faith, they had the power to do anything. In the meantime, I remained stuck.

It was as a result of my fervent prayer that I realized I would never be able to write anything as long as I permitted myself to hold on to the doubt in my ability to write an article that would encourage others. I turned to “Reply to Kyo’o,” one of my favorite writings by Nichiren Daishonin. In it, the Daishonin tells us: “Believe in this mandala with all your heart. Nam-myohorenge-kyo is like the roar of a lion. What sickness can therefore be an obstacle?” (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 412).

I had to ask myself whether I truly believed in the power of my prayer to break through my own fears and insecurities. I prayed sincerely to trust what Nichiren Daishonin was telling me. I also prayed to have unshakeable confidence that, with prayer as my foundation, I could overcome my doubts and write an inspiring article. My doubt, however, did not disappear instantly. There were times while I was chanting that it felt as if every cell in my body wanted to run away. The television was calling me. The telephone was ringing. I had chores to do. I returned to “Reply to Kyo’o”: “A sword is useless in the hands of a coward. The mighty sword of the Lotus Sutra must be wielded by one courageous in faith. Then one will be as strong as a demon armed with an iron staff. I, Nichiren, have inscribed my life in sumi ink, so believe in the Gohonzon with your whole heart” (WND, 412).

This was my answer. I had to muster the courage to confront my fear. No matter how painful my current situation, I could not back down. For days, I continued to challenge my insecurity with prayer while immersing myself in activities to help others overcome their problems. Then, the day before I was scheduled to submit my article, I had my breakthrough. I had finally understood why I had been going through so much agony. The issue wasn’t the article. I needed to confront my own doubt, my own lack of belief in my inherent power to challenge and win over my fears and insecurities.

Whether we are writing an article, facing illness, being terminated from a job or looking for our soul mate, the process is the same. We must transform our weaknesses into strengths. We must face our suffering and triumph over it. This experience became the catalyst for me to explain how one uses faith to transform challenging daily life situations into an uncompromising opportunity for growth. This, I believe, is the essence of the concept of the oneness of good and evil.

Nichiren Buddhism makes it clear that everything and everyone in life has both a good and an evil side. I know that some people have an immediate negative response to the word evil. Evil also is synonymous with the words selfishness and self-centeredness. Life at every moment is a battle between these two opposing forces of good and evil. In other words, when we manifest our Buddhahood, it does not mean that our self-centeredness goes away. Instead, our ability to continue to uncover more of our potential is directly related to our ability to create value using the self-centered side, rather than allowing it to affect us negatively. In other words, the impact that our own self-centeredness or that of others will have on us is based on our response to it.

In Webster’s New World Dictionary, one of the definitions of respond is “to have a positive or favorable reaction.” This definition accords with Nichiren Buddhism, the Buddhism of true cause. We cannot change the past. In this moment, however, with our thoughts, words, and actions, we are creating our future. In this moment, through our actions, we have the opportunity to change anything and everything. Isn’t that the meaning of true cause? We affect change by how we respond to our circumstances. For example, rather than an automatic negative response to difficult circumstances, we must, like the definition, “have a positive or favorable reaction” in order to create the outcome we are seeking.

Many of us think that if we don’t do anything the problem will just go away on its own. This is not the case. Even if it seemingly goes away temporarily, it comes back bigger and stronger.

President Ikeda explains: “The strength of our mind of faith changes suffering into joy, into a tailwind to propel our further advance. This is what the ‘Devadatta’ chapter teaches. Nichiren Daishonin says: ‘Devadatta was the foremost good friend to the Thus Come One Shakyamuni. In this age as well, it is not one’s allies but one’s powerful enemies who assist one’s progress’ (WND, 770).

To attain Buddhahood, we have to thoroughly conquer our own inner evil. The concrete means for doing so is struggling against and defeating external evil. Struggling to defeat evil enables us to polish and purify our lives and attain Buddhahood. Because we strive against the ultimate evil, we attain the ultimate good” (The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, vol. III, p. 84).

In other words, the oneness of good and evil means that where evil exists, there is the potential for good, and where good exists, there is the potential for evil. Whether evil is transformed into something good is totally dependent upon our reaction to evil. Do we use our circumstances as ajustification for our failure, or do we use our circumstances as an opportunity to develop our strength? When we challenge evil with the spirit that we will create something of value out of it, then evil functions to propel us forward. It becomes the catalyst for our growth. “If evil functions to reveal good, then evil in its entirety becomes good. This is truly the oneness of good and evil. But if evil is simply allowed to run its course, then it does not become good. Only when evil is thoroughly challenged and conquered does it become an entity of the oneness of good and evil” (The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, vol. III, p. 83).

Art by Seleus

In addition to our individual lives, this principle also applies to the situation we are facing with Nichiren Shoshu. We live during a historic time, a time when we have the opportunity to prove the correctness of Nichiren Buddhism by the way we respond. Nikken is changing Nichiren’s teachings by proclaiming, for example, that people can only attain enlightenment by going through him. Are we going to permit Nikken to change the teachings, or are we, through our efforts, going to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to practice Buddhism correctly as taught by Nichiren? Are we going to prove that Nikken is wrong by showing the undeniable growth of the lives of SGI members throughout the world?

Happiness, from the perspective of Nichiren Buddhism, is not a state of life in which there are no problems. Instead, happiness is to be found in challenging and winning over our problems. I believe that the happiness we seek is the feeling that occurs whenever we cross that finish line, in spite of the fact that our heart is pounding, our feet hurt, and our lungs feel as if they are about to explode. That feeling of triumph against all odds is a state of pure joy that no one can give us, no matter how much they might love us. It is a state that we can achieve only through our own efforts.

This state of happiness is also greatly enhanced through our efforts to help others. I continually find that whenever I do my best to encourage another person in faith, no matter how I am feeling, my life-condition is positively transformed. Giving to others expands our own lives in wonderful, sometimes unimaginable ways.

We must, therefore, perfect our practice for ourselves and for others. Both aspects are essential parts of our practice. Not only must we challenge our own weaknesses, we must use our lives to help others win. For example, do we take the responsibility to help our friends in faith have a victory? Do we pray to make this happen? Maximum growth requires that we perfect both parts of our practice.

In this regard, I must mention that I have recently met many members who are stuck in what I call a maintenance practice. They are comfortable, even if it means being comfortable with being uncomfortable. They have lost their seeking spirit, the will to seek out challenges. They have no personal goals. This is a dangerous condition because, from my own experience, it robs us of our passion and enthusiasm for life. We are not even aware of what is happening at first. By the time we are conscious that our lives are missing something, our apathy has become highly developed, and it seems almost impossible to change.

There is no neutral gear in life. We are either going forward or backward at every moment. We need goals. They make us alive and deepen our understanding of this Buddhism. After all, how can we see change if there is no standard by which to measure growth? Challenging and achieving goals are the means we use to prove to ourselves as well as to others the power of the Mystic Law.

I believe that the challenge facing every human being is the ability to truly love and believe in oneself. What I have learned as a result of facing my insecurities and fears during the process of writing this article is that I do not
need to rid myself of weakness. Instead, I must train myself to learn how to use it as my motivation to create positive change in my life. The power to make this possible is sincere prayer based on a powerful determination. Prayer makes what we normally would consider impossible into something possible.

I’m sure you are all familiar with the song “Wind Beneath My Wings.” Negativity self-centered-ness and obstacles can be the wind beneath our wings that propels us to soar even higher. Viewing challenges this way may require rethinking the way we live our lives. I am convinced, however, that living this way is the key to experiencing a joyflul, fulfilled existence; one in which we will come to know and believe that Nam myoho-renge-kyo is life itself.

Success is triumphing over challenges. We must challenge ourselves to do everything we think we cannot do. Only then will we truly come to know that we have nothing to fear because, with the Mystic Law as our foundation, we can transform any weakness into strength. That being so, I think you and I are perfect just the way we are.

Faith and Attitude

2011-03-27T13:15:00.000-04:00

Written by By SGI-UK Advisor Mitsuhiro Kaneda, UK Express March 2000

Today I’d like to talk to you about how to make your prayers as effective as possible.
Firstly, it is very important to set clear goals. If you are sick, your goal will be to get better as quickly as possible; if you have problems with human relationships, you will want to get over these as soon as possible; and if you have financial difficulties, then of course you should be setting goals accordingly.

Once you have decided on the goal, the most important thing to do next is make a strong determination: ‘Whatever happens, I absolutely will attain that goal’. A firm determination like this is very important. The next stage, of course, is prayer. And after chanting daimoku, the next step necessary is to take action in order to realize your goal. Of course, after we’ve done all that, we know what the effect will be: actual proof. If we do not achieve the goal we have set then, in certain cases, we may need to review the determination, set a new goal, and once again strive to achieve it.

Why we need to pray
There are three reasons why we should pray. Firstly, so we can have the same wisdom as the Buddha. Secondly, so that we can have life-force, in other words the energy, the courage, to take action. Thirdly, so that we can benefit from the protection of the shoten zenjin, the Buddhist ‘gods’, the protective functions within the universe.

One point I’d like to make sure that you really understand, is that the shoten zenjin only start to take action and protect us when we ourselves undertake action. So, in order for us to achieve a goal, we need to act. We need to move. We need to make efforts. And it is important that our actions and our efforts are the best we can possibly undertake. To ensure that our actions and efforts are efficient, we need wisdom. Furthermore, if we are to attain the goal we have set ourselves, we need to make constant efforts – and we also need courage.

So we pray to the Gohonzon to have the wisdom to take the best, most efficient action possible; to have the life-force to make constant efforts; and to attract the protection of the shoten zenjin when we take an action. However, even if we chant ever so hard, it will be very difficult to boil that pot of spaghetti unless we take action. And to make sure that we not only boil the spaghetti, but that it is al dente, we need wisdom and we need experience.

Quality of prayer
The quality of our prayer is also extremely important. For example, someone who is sick may simply pray to overcome their illness. Or they may pray to regain their health in order to fight for kosen rufu. There is a very big difference between these two types of prayer.

To take another example, suppose there’s a couple who have been unable to have children, despite trying for a long time. While they may be chanting to have a child as soon as possible, what are their reasons for wanting a child? Are their reasons purely personal, because it would make them happy, because they want to have children? Or are they chanting to have a child do that they can bring this child up to become someone who will be a capable person for kosen rufu? There is a huge difference between these two in terms of quality of prayer.

The reason it is very important for us to focus on the quality of our prayer is that President Ikeda has said that true and sincere prayers for kosen rufu (not prayers aimed dimply at justifying our own point of view) will be answered without fail.

Taking action
Very often, however, members chant a lot of daimoku but do not take any action. Some people don’t take action because they are afraid of the results they might see. They are afraid that they won’t see the result they want, so they don’t take any action. For example, a salaried employee with a fixed income might want to become self-employed, or start his or her own business, but might not take any action for fear of accumulating a lot of debt.

Another common example is found amongst young people who want to get married. Because they’re not sure that the marriage will work out, and that they will live happily ever after, they are full of anxiety. So, before they get married, they think, “Well, maybe we should live together.” Some end up not getting married as a result of having lived together.

So, even when people chant a lot of daimoku, other factors such as personality and human character come into play and prevent people from taking action, even if they are praying.
Of course, taking action also includes Soka Gakkai activities. When you participate in Soka Gakkai activities, you are encouraging others. So you are actually working as a messenger of the Buddha. Inevitably, therefore, all those who participate in Gakkai activities will accumulate good fortune. And because these people accumulate good fortune, they will be able to achieve their goals and show actual proof.

I know that all of us have very different circumstances and situations – some of us may not have that much free time. Nevertheless, I really want to encourage all of you to participate in Gakkai activities because this will allow not only you, but your whole family, to be bathed in good fortune. So in order to achieve our goals, not only do we need to take concrete action, we also need good fortune. That is why Soka Gakkai activities are crucial.

Make up your mind
In Italy, we have a couple who have been living together for fourteen years. Once they came to me because they wanted to receive guidance. I said to them, “You’ve been trying out your relationship by living together for fourteen years now. The fact that it has continued this long, is this not a sign that it is working?

Even though their relationship had been successful and they still wanted to live together, they still weren’t sure whether they should get married. Of course I gave them all kinds of encouragement, but there is one particular point that I would like to share with you. I asked them, “In order to make a firm determination, how much time do you need?” To make a determination requires less than one second. So I asked, “How many seconds there have been in fourteen years?”

You may laugh at this story but please, reflect on your own life.
To sum up, to put Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism into practice, we need to decide, chant and take action.

FAITH AND PRACTICE DOUBT-FREE FAITH
DECIDE

Clarify the goal and make a determination

DECIDE CHANT CHANT
If you have a problem,
Chant one million daimoku

ACT ACT
Make maximum effort;
strive to resolve the problem

EXPERIENCE
Accumulating experiences deepens one’s faith
Theories without experiences are
no more than pure idealism

RESULT
Show actual proof DON’T DOUBT
Faith means having no doubts

BELIEVE

Buddhism And Reality

2011-03-24T23:07:00.000-04:00

‘Never Be Defeated! Have Courage! Have Hope!’

2011-03-16T15:03:00.005-04:00

‘Never Be Defeated! Have Courage! Have Hope!’

The following is SGI President Ikeda’s message to those affected by the March
11 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan. The message originally
appeared in the March 16 edition of the Seikyo Shimbun, the Soka Gakkai’s daily
newspaper.

I offer my sincerest condolences to those of you who have been affected by the

devastating earthquake and tsunamis that struck northeastern Japan five days ago

(March 11) and have left many people still missing and unaccounted for. I can

only imagine the fatigue and exhaustion you must be suffering. My wife and I,

along with the members throughout Japan and the world, are sending daimoku

[Nam-myoho-renge-kyo] to you with all our hearts, earnestly praying for your

health and well-being, and that all Buddhas and bodhisattvas—the positive forces

of the universe—will rigorously protect you. I wish to deeply thank those of you who are selflessly devoting yourselves to the rescue and relief efforts in the stricken areas. I also truly appreciate those of you who are supporting your communities as solid and reliable pillars during this difficult time.

Takuboku Ishikawa, a renowned, youthful poet who hailed from Tohoku, the northeastern region of Japan, declared: “Helping one person is a far greater achievement than becoming the ruler of a country.” I, therefore, express
my deepest respect and gratitude to all of you.

Nichiren Daishonin writes that even if we should meet with disasters and
calamities, they cannot destroy our hearts (see The Writings of Nichiren
Daishonin, vol. 2, p. 135). Nothing can destroy the treasures of the heart. Every
adversity is but a trial for us to overcome so that we can attain eternal happiness.
Nichiren Buddhism, our practice of faith in the Mystic Law, enables us to
transform all poison into medicine without fail. I am offering solemn prayers for all your loved ones—family members and friends—who have lost their lives. This disaster is truly heartbreaking.

Life, however, is eternal, and through chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we can
transcend life and death to connect with the lives of those who have passed away.
Your deceased loved ones and friends, who through you share a profound
connection with the Mystic Law, will definitely be enfolded in the embrace of the
heavenly deities, attain Buddhahood and be reborn quickly somewhere close to
you. This is an essential teaching of Nichiren Buddhism. During the Daishonin’s lifetime as well, what was known as the great earthquake of the Shoka era (August 1257) caused unprecedented damage.

Grieved by the pain and suffering of the people and amid great persecutions, the
Daishonin embarked on writing his treatise, “On Establishing the Correct
Teaching for the Peace of the Land,” thereby raising the banner of peace and justice for all humankind. He assures us: “When great evil occurs, great good
follows” (WND-1, 1119).

Today, March 16, is the day that my mentor, second Soka Gakkai president
Josei Toda, entrusted his youthful successors with carrying on the work of kosen-
rufu in order to eradicate misery from the face of the earth. Now, let us
triumphantly overcome this great disaster by further strengthening our vow for
kosen-rufu while wholeheartedly supporting and encouraging each other.
I am fervently praying and calling out to each of you: “Never be defeated! Have
courage! Have hope!”

My 4th Year

2011-02-28T01:29:00.002-05:00

Today, I celebrate my Gohonzon Birthday. Its been 4 years now since I became a Nichiren Buddhist and I know now when they say that it is easy to start but harder to continue. I've said this before and I will say it again. But I also wanted to add that a Buddhist practice is a lifelong journey. Its never-ending. I've met many members who've been practicing longer than I have, some over 30 years. And most of them have shared with me how they are still learning and discovering what they are made of through the power of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.

My Gohonzon was presented to me by the wonderful late Tim Dennis at the White Plains cultural center. I remember that day like it was yesterday. I was so ready. I felt it in my bones. I felt like I was shot into the sun. I was beaming. I anxiously awaited the day to enshrine my Gohonzon. I was excited and went out and bought everything for my Butsudan. I could feel myself glowing.

Fast forward 4 years now and that glow is still there despite struggles. It glows dimly, at times flickers, other times I have to re-light it. But one thing's for sure, that inner light will never stay dark as long as I have my Buddhist practice.

Thank you for all the lovely and encouraging words. Let's continue this journey together.

Sincerely, Seleus/Lotus Flower

WHAT A FEELING (I can have it all, now I'm Chanting for my Life)

First, when there's nothing but a slow glowing dream
That your fear seems to hide deep inside your mind
All alone I have cried silent tears full of pride
In a world made of steel, made of stone

Well I hear the music, close my eyes, feel the rhythm
Wrap around, take a hold of my heart
What a feeling, bein's believin'
I can have it all, now I'm chanting for my life

What a feeling
Take your passion, and make it happen
Dreams come alive, you can chant right through your life

Now I hear the music, close my eyes, I am rhythm
In a flash it takes hold of my heart

What a feeling, bein's believin'
I can have it all, now I'm chanting for my life
What a feeling
What a feeling (I am chanting now), bein's believin' (I am rhythm now)
Dreams come alive, you can dance right through your life
What a feeling (I can really have it all)
What a feeling (Dreams come alive when I chant)
I can have it all (I can really have it all)
Have it all (Dreams come alive when I chant)
(chant, chant, chant, chant, what a feeling) I can have it all

(Revised words by Maria Centeno)

Result is a Reflection of Your Faith in the Gohonzon

2011-02-24T00:57:00.000-05:00

(Thanks to Donna for this)

Whatever you are thinking in front of the Gohonzon will be true for you. Are you thinking failure or victory? Are you trying to tell the Gohonzon how to solve your problems or are you turning over your heart's desire with unlimited trust to the Gohonzon? The Gohonzon's power is beyond comprehension of our minds. This is why we call it mystic. Our challenge is to dream of results as big as the power of the Gohonzon, which has no limit. With this attitude of faith, you can tap the infinite power of joy, gratitude and victory. If you find you are stuck, pray to the release the chains of doubt and fear clouding your mind of faith. Pray for unbounded confidence and courage to win over your past and joyfully step into your bright future.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

As Long as We're Alive

2011-01-23T17:41:00.000-05:00

As long as we're alive, we will experience suffering. But it does not mean we have to be unhappy. Unhappiness comes from allowing ourselves to be controlled by life's ups and down feeling, from feeling defeated from losing hope, losing courage, losing the will to advance. Learn to defend yourself with Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.

You Should be Dancing

2010-12-30T00:58:00.000-05:00

Singapore Soka Association celebrating Soka Gakkai's 80th Anniversary Commemorative Meeting on the 25th of December 2010.

Soka Youth Dance Crew (SYDC)
Performance at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Choreography by:
We're Dancing by P.Y.T - Lester Zhang
Party To Damascus by Wyclef Jean feat. Missy Elliot - Jeremy Tan
Red Alert by Basement Jaxx - Kher Xin + Freddie Ng
You Should Be Dancing by Bee Gees - Kher Xin + Freddie Ng
Song of Indomitable Spirit Instrumental Edit - Marcus Leong

The Buddha and the Law of Everything

2010-12-15T11:07:00.000-05:00

Richard Moorman

The purpose of science is toseek the truth and to understand the workings of everything. Scientists want toknow not only what goes on at subatomic level but also how the universe itselfoperates. They observe the phenomena around them and develop theories toexplain them. Theories are nothing more than possible explanations of thingsuntil such time as they can be tested and proved by rigorous experiment.

The purpose of religion is toseek the truth and to understand the workings of everything. Religions havedeveloped in response to mankind’s yearning to know the answers to bigquestions such as “Why is the universe there? – How does it work? – What is themeaning of life? – How do I fit in? – What am I?” Added to these philosophicalquestions are those expressing deeply felt concerns such as, “Why is there somuch suffering in the world? – How can I be happy? – What happens when Idie? Theories and philosophies havebeen developed to answer these big questions. Often it is accepted that we cannever fully understand everything and that faith is required in order to acceptthese theories and therefore be happy. Faith might, for example, be in theexistence of the supernatural, or of a being or beings living in a realm thatis inaccessible to ordinary humans and who have created things the way theyare. By their very definition, the existence of such beings cannot be proved byexperiment.

These two approaches havetraditionally been quite separate and even totally incompatible. Scientificproof is fundamentally different from “blind” religious faith. Moderncivilisation, especially in the West, has become increasingly based on Science,which has contributed enormous benefits to mankind, and religion has thereforebeen in decline.

The burning desire tounderstand everything is still the driving force of Science. When Isaac Newtonobserved an apple falling to the ground, he asked himself why this shouldhappen. He did not rest until he had discovered the force of gravity. His greatdiscovery, together with his deep understanding of other phenomena, such asexpressed in his Laws of Motion, are still the basis of the intricatecalculations that enable astronomers to predict the orbits of planets and theirsatellites and military scientists to work out the ballistics of their weapons.

The scientific worldwas revolutionised when Albert Einstein showed how matter and energy arerelated and how the effect of gravity is dependent on time, now seen as a fourthdimension. He explained that gravity can be considered as “curved space” aconcept that has enabled astronomers to understand such things as how the earthactually manages to stay in orbit around the sun. Everyone knows of his famousequation e = mc², where e is energy, m is mass and c is the speed of light.Knowledge of this relationship is not the same as really understanding it andonly physicists can form a concept of it in their minds.

Other scientistsstudying matter at subatomic level have developed theories that seem to explainwhat is happening there. At this level matter does not really seem to exist atall. Everything seems to boil down to minute particles constantly in motion andrelated to each other in ways that depend on energy and time and on theprobability of certain events occurring. These laws, described in quantumphysics, do not seem to tally with Einstein’s theories. And so there is asearch for a set of scientific principles that really do explain everything - a “Law of Everything”. The best moderncontender is the “string theory” which postulates that everything in the entireuniverse is made up of minute “strings” of energy, constantly in motion andrelating to each other in different ways to produce different kinds of matterand everything else.

About 2500 years ago, aman named Siddhartha Gautama sat under a tree in Northern India and startedmeditating. He had decided not to rise until he had answered those same bigquestions that have always bothered mankind.He wanted to understand everything as it really was and not as it appeared tobe. After a prolonged period he came to a perfect understanding of what realitywas. This great event is known as his “enlightenment” and he was thereafterknown to all as the “Buddha”, meaning “the enlightened one”.

The Buddha developed theoriesto explain his understanding. He typically looked at reality from variousviewpoints. In examining the nature of existence he said that there is in factno inherent existence in anything at all. Nothing in the entire universe hasexistence in its own right. Everything depends upon something else for its ownexistence which can therefore only ever be “relative” existence. Another of hisfindings was that even this relative existence is not permanent in any way. Itis constantly changing and the prime reason for change is the law of cause and effect (Karma). The basic“content” of everything is therefore “nothingness” (Shunyata) and onlymanifests as “something” when a temporary set of conditions, or “energies”, arepresent. So everything in the universe is the result of a cosmic interplaybetween the unseen (energy) and the seen (matter). None of these results isconstant because the causes themselves are always changing.

With regard to human happinessthe Buddha taught that we must learn not to cling onto “things” such aspossessions or relationships as sources of happiness because there is nopermanent substance or reality to these things. He taught us to regardourselves as an integral part of everything and everyone in the entireuniverse. Because we are essentially “one” with everything and everyone we canonly be truly happy when we realise that we cannot be so on our own. To betruly happy we have to strive to make everyone happy and we must work on ourown minds so that we can see things clearly. The great Buddhist qualities ofloving-kindness and compassion are a natural result of this kind of thinking.

“Oneness” with everything iseasy to say but difficult to grasp. It is useful to resort to analogies to helpus understand. Analogies can form part of our contemplation of life, part ofour meditation. The following is an example of how we may contemplate ouroneness with everything.

Imagine that you are a wave, asingle wave on the surface of the vast ocean. The ocean represents theuniverse. You have a separate identity in that you have movement and form andan apparent life of your own. You may be a small ripple or you may be a gianttidal wave with terrible power at your disposal. There are many other waveseach having its own characteristics - these represent all the other livingbeings in the universe. You are not the ocean and yet you only exist because ofit. You are made of it and you cannot really distinguish the difference betweenthe water making you up and the water forming the vast ocean itself. You cannotexist without the ocean and the ocean cannot exist without you because it isimpossible to distinguish where you end and the ocean begins.

The Buddha instructedhis disciples not to accept anything as true simply because they heard it froma respected person or simply because itwas written in holy scripture. He said that they should test every theory inthe laboratory of life and in the light of reason and logic. A teaching shouldonly be accepted it can be proved in this way. This thinking should be appliedto the whole of the Buddha’s teaching, collectively referred to as the “BuddhaDharma”. He went on to say that we should base our very lives on the Dharma andnot on him as a person.

The Buddha left behinda huge volume of teachings, recorded in the Buddhist Sutras, and Buddhists ofvarious schools have developed many approaches to “living the Buddha Dharma”.Some of these approaches became so complex over time that only a monasticexistence provided any hope of success in following them. Other schoolsover-simplified the teachings and even brought in an element of “blind faith”to make things simpler for ordinary people.

In thirteenth centuryJapan, a reforming monk named Nichiren really wanted to find the Buddhistequivalent of what our present day Scientist’s are seeking – the “Law ofEverything”. He wanted to find a way in which ordinary people could follow theDharma in the midst of their everyday life and achieve the absolute kind ofhappiness that the Buddha himself had achieved. After many years of study and contemplation, Nichiren concludedthat the culmination of the Buddha’s teachings was to be found in the LotusSutra. The Lotus Sutra teaches that everyone has the potential to bea Buddha, irrespective of education, social class or gender. All one has to dois to practice the sutra or teachings. The Sutra does not however go on to tellus how this should be done. Nichiren’s enormous contribution to Buddhism was togive the world a method of following the Buddha’s instructions to the letter.He defined his “Law of Everything” as “Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo”.

“Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo”can be translated as “I take refuge in the wonderful Dharma of the LotusSutra”. Nichiren taught his followers to recite or chant this phrase over andover again, like a mantra, as a way of concentrating the mind whilstcontemplating a special scroll, or “mandala”, upon which is a calligraphicrepresentation of enlightened human life . This practice can be thought of as a“holistic” form of meditation in which attention is paid to sound, sight,breath and posture. Nichiren taught that this practice must be backed up bystudy of Buddhist philosophy and by right living or self-transformation. A newschool of Buddhism evolved from his teachings and is becoming known in the Westlargely through the efforts of the lay Buddhist society known as the “SokaGakkai International”, which is striving for world peace based on thepropagation of Nichiren’s teachings.

Nichiren Buddhism,along with other schools like Zen Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism, is part of anamazing growth in the number of people practising Buddhism today. One reasonfor this upsurge in interest is that the mind-training techniques of Buddhismprovide a perfect antidote to the stresses of modern living. Everyone wantspeace of mind. Other techniques and therapies can provide this of course, butpeople are still seeking answers to the big questions and Buddhism’s basic“scientific” approach strikes a chord with people who are no longer prepared totake a “leap of faith” in order to make sense of life. There is no conflict between Buddhism andScience. Both are seeking the truth. Indeed many Buddhists consider Scientifictruth as a part of the Dharma.

At an audience with theDalai Lama, the respected leader of Tibetan Buddhism, a western student askedhim how he would react if science could prove without doubt that a teachingbased on Buddhist scripture was untrue. The Dalai Lama thought quietly for amoment and then replied that if this were to be proved then Buddhism wouldsimply have to accept it.

The following words ofEinstein, the father of modern physics, will provide a fitting final thought:

"Buddhismhas the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for thefuture: it transcends a personal god, avoids dogmas and theology; it coversboth the natural and spiritual, and it is based on a religious sense aspiringfrom the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningfulunity."

Thank you Blogisattva!

2010-12-08T18:36:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to send out a personal thank you to the Blogisattva Blog for choosing my post as a Honorable Mention for Best Achievement with Humor in a Blog or Blog Post for their 2010 Blogisattva Awards!

I thank you and Lionel Richie does too! :D

Loflo

Action

2010-12-08T15:11:00.000-05:00

tracyjtz.deviantart.com

by Daisaku Ikeda

To fly, a planeneeds the extra push it gets by acceleration down a runway. To get goodgrades in school, you need the extra push of study before a test.

Whatever youdo, to achieve something better, to reach a higher level, you need a push.

Buddhism teachespractice for oneself and practice for others. If either one is lacking,you cannot practice properly.

The Gohonzonis the concrete manifestation of the very existence of Nichiren Daishonin,who taught kosen-rufu. Because of that, if you only practice gongyo andchant the daimoku and don’t take any other action for the sake of kosenrufu or improving your own life, the Gohonzon will not have its true, fulleffect.

If, however,you take actions to achieve kosen-rufu, they will serve as that extra pushfor your own life and help you leap to higher and higher states of mindin your gongyo and chanting as well. And it is onlynatural that the energy you acquire through the gongyo practice for yourselfwill be channeled back into your activities for others, for kosen-rufu.

The fact isthat the practice of gongyo and your actions in service of kosen-rufu willbecome one, and together they will unlock the infinite power of the MysticLaw in your life.

In Buddhism,practice is faith. That means action is faith, and without action therecan be no true faith. The action I speak of is the way of practice foroneself and for others that is taught in Nichiren Daishonin’s writings.

Action is thesource of blessings and merits. In propagating the teachings, for example,whether the person you are presenting the teachings to arouses faith ornot is his problem. The effects of our action of propagating will vary,depending on the person’s capacities and other conditions.

There is noneed at all to rejoice or lament over each effect. You can be proud thatyou have practiced the truest, most wonderful law of life in the universeto the best of your ability and go forward with your head held high. Onewho has acted for the sake of kosen-rufu is already a great victor in life.

The words "theheads of those who cause affliction will be split in seven pieces" arewritten on the Gohonzon.

This is a warningthat it is wrong to seek to harm this law of your own being.

Abandoning theteachings or slandering them are self-destructive actions that are boundto split you apart.

We also findthe words "those who make offerings will acquire blessings surpassing theBuddha’s ten names."

This forcefulstatement tells us that the merits of one who make offerings to the Gohonzonand spreads the teaching will be far greater than the magnificent meritsof the one who makes offerings to Shakyamuni Buddha.

This is a promisethat our personal microcosm will absorb the nourishment of all the blessingsin the macrocosm, the whole universe, and be elevated to a state of existenceof the highest happiness itself.

Thus we knowthat the children of the Buddha who strive for kosen-rufu are each guaranteedto attain the ultimate degree of happiness. There is no one who will bemore blessed.

Absolute Myoho

2010-11-30T15:59:00.000-05:00

“Whatever relationships you have attracted in your life at this moment, are precisely the ones you need in your life at this moment. There is a hidden meaning behind all events, and this hidden meaning is serving your own evolution.”

- Deepak Chopra

A Glass of Water

2010-11-28T15:26:00.000-05:00

~baranyai

"When we are upset, it’s easy to blame others. However, the truecause of our feelings is within us. For example, imagine yourself as a glass ofwater. Now, imagine past negative experiences as sediment at the bottom of yourglass. Next, think of others as spoons. When one stirs, the sediment cloudsyour water. It may appear that the spoon caused the water to cloud – but ifthere were no sediment, the water would remain clear no matter what. The key,then, is to identify our sediment and actively work to remove it."

[Josei Toda]

Which Way Are You Practicing?

2010-11-16T22:41:00.000-05:00

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.

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.

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

Buddhism Is The Clear Mirror That Reflects Our Lives

2010-11-13T11:36:00.000-05:00


Pablo Picasso, Girl before a Mirror (1932)

by D. Ikeda

A Japanese proverb has it that the mirror is a women's soul. It is said that, just as warriors will never part with their swords, women will never part with their mirrors. The oldest metallic mirrors to be unearthed were found in China and Egypt. Older still are mirrors made of polished stone surfaces. Suffice it to say that the history of mirrors is as old as that of the human race.

"A bronze mirror may reflect the body, but not the mind. The Lotus Sutra reflects not only our physical form, but out inner being as well. Furthermore, the sutra mirrors, with complete clarity, one's past Karma and it's future effect." [Gosho Zenshu, p.1521]

Even though people may make up their faces, they tend to neglect to polish their lives. Though cosmetics can be applied to the face, one cannot gloss over the face of his soul. The law of cause and effect functioning in the depths of life is strict and impartial.

Buddhism teaches that unseen virtue brings about visible reward. In the world of Buddhism, one never fails to receive an effect for his actions-whether for good or bad; therefore, it is meaningless to be twofaced, or to try to put on airs.

"A mind which presently is clouded by illusions originating from the innate darkness of life is like a tarnished mirror, but once it is polished it will become clear, reflecting the enlightenment of immutable truth."[On Attaining Buddhahood]. In this well-known passage, the Daishonin draws parallels between the tradition of mirror polishing and the process of attaining enlightenment.

Observing one's life means to perceive that one's life contains the Ten Worlds and, in particular, the world of Buddhahood. The Gohonzon is a clear mirror. If you practice faith while doubting its effects, you will get results that are at best, unsatisfactory. This is the reflection of your own weak faith on the mirror of the cosmos. On the other hand, when you stand up with strong confidence, you will accrue limitless blessings. Understanding the subtle workings of one's mind is the key to faith and to attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime.

There is a Russian proverb that says, "It is no use to blame the looking glass if your face is awry." Likewise, your happiness or unhappiness is entirely the reflection of the balance of good and bad causes accumulated in your life.

People Who Do Not Know About Mirrors
Many people become angry or grieve over phenomena that are actually nothing but a reflection of their own lives-their state of mind and the causes that they have created. Because they are ignorant of Buddhism's mirror of life, such people cannot see themselves as they truly are. This being the case, they cannot guide others along the correct path of life, nor can they discern the true nature of occurrences in society.

With the thought that we are addressing a person's Buddha Nature, we should politely and calmly carry out a dialogue-sometimes, depending on the situation, mercifully correcting him with fatherly strictness. In the course of such human interaction, the Buddha nature in his or her life functions to protect us. On the other hand, if we belittle or regard that person with contempt, as though gazing into our own image reflected in a mirror, we will be disparaged in return.

In General, the people around us reflect our state of life. Our personal preferences, for example, are mirrored in their attitudes. To the extent that you praise, respect, protect and care for SGI members, who are all children of the Buddha, you will in turn be protected by the Buddhas, and Bodhisattvas of the ten directions and by all heavenly deities. If, on the other hand, you are arrogant or condescending toward members, you will be scolded by the Buddhas in like measures. Leaders, in particular, should be clear on this point and take it deeply to heart.

We are a gathering of the Buddha's children. Therefore if we respect one another, our good fortune will multiply infinitely, like an image reflected back and forth among mirrors. A person who practices alone cannot experience this tremendous multiplication of benefit. In short, the environment that you find yourself in, whether favorable or not, is the product of your own life. Most people, however, fail to understand this and tend to blame others for their trouble. To a greater or lesser extent, all people tend to see their own reflection in others.

Say What Must Be Said
We must gain decisive victory over the harsh realities of society and lead a correct and vibrant life. This is the purpose of our faith. We have to become wise and strong. Also, in the organization for Kosen-Rufu, we have to clearly say what must be said. The purpose of Buddhism is not to produce dupes who blindly follow their leaders. Rather, it is to produce people of wisdom who can judge right from wrong on their own in the clear mirror of Buddhism.

The purpose of Buddhism is to attain Buddhahood. In modern terms, this could be explained as realizing absolute happiness - a state of happiness that can never be destroyed or defeated.

"There is no greater happiness for human beings than chanting Nam-Myoho-renge-kyo"
[The Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, p. 161]

Edit from a 6 page speech given by President Daisaku Ikeda, June 1981 Summer Course

Never Give up on Your Dreams

2010-11-09T00:02:00.000-05:00

Linda Johnson’s speech by Mark A. Grasso (2001)

This is a brief summary of a speech by Linda Johnson. She is an SGI-USA leader in California and presented this speech to the SQl-USA Arts Division on 29-may-2001. In addition to taking responsibility for several thousand SQl-USA members in Southern California, Linda Johnson is also a practicing criminal lawyer. She supervises nine other lawyers and carries her own case load.

In her talk, she shares her insights regarding the Buddhist principle of’esho funi’, ‘the inseparability of living beings and their environment’, and how to put this principle into practice in order to fulfill one’s dreams.

To state her main point; we practice this Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin in order to fulfill all of our dreams in life. In the process of fulfilling our dreams by practicing Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we will have the opportunity to encourage others by sharing our own experiences. We might consider our experiences to be ‘living’ Buddhist ‘parables’ that we use to share Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism with others.

In this sense, pursuing our dreams by using Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is ‘jigyo’, or ‘practice for ourselves’ and using our experiences to encourage others is ‘keta’, or ‘practice for others’. Using our experiences to encourage others, gives tremendous power to our own prayers and creates even greater joy and satisfaction in our life.

Whereas most of us see a clear separation between ourselves and our environment [social, natural, etc.], the principle of ‘esho funi’ states that, in fact, there is no separation whatsoever. What we do, the actions that we take with our thoughts, words and deeds, is always reflected in our surroundings.

Often when we chant daimoku and make effort for some goal, it seems like we draw opposition from our surroundings. It is normal to take this negative reaction as a ‘sign’ or an indication that we cannot achieve our goal.

However, as she points out, according to ‘esho funi’, our surroundings are the reflection of our ‘true heart’, our true conviction, not the cause of it. And, if our true heart is, “I cannot do it”, our surroundings are equally going to agree.

Using the principle of ‘esho funi’ means that we recognize that our environment is only and always the reflection of our own true life-state. From that perspective, our environment is showing us exactly the parts of our life that cause us to give up, to give up on ourselves.

Supported by this insight, we return to the Gohonzon and our Buddhist faith, practice and study [‘shin, gyo, gaku’] to challenge our own inherent doubt and replace it with true, unshakeable confidence.

Striving for a dream always means encountering our own ‘doubting’ selves. However, challenging our inherent weakness and pursuing our dream is exactly the action that develops true confidence.

Because we are Buddhas, we inherently possess every resource necessary to achieve our dreams. There is no one any better than we are. Neither is there anyone who is any less than we are. And by striving for our own dream using, as Nichiren Daishonin says, “the mighty sword of the Lotus Sutra”, the Gohonzon, we gain the experience to fullfill our dreams and encourage others.

Thoughts concerning this speech by Mark A. Grasso: We validate the power of our prayer whenever we pull obstacles from our environment in precise opposition to our goal. Everyone can have a dream. However, reaching that dream necessarily means developing one’s capacity to embrace that dream with one’s whole heart, with one’s whole confidence.

Developing the capacity to embrace one’s dream wholeheartedly, comes from the struggle against opposition. In other words, in order to have a dream, we must be equally prepared to face the challenge of fulfilling that dream.

This is where, I believe, most of us hesitate. To paraphrase Nichiren Daishonin: “It is only lack of courage that has prevented us from achieving Buddhahood until now.” What is required, is the courage to overcome our own ‘cowardly’ nature and make the determination to indeed, call forth the opposition that will train us in order to fulfill our goal.

At the level of a Buddha, Nichiren Daishonin declared that unless he could call forth the “Three Powerful Enemies” [as described in the Lotus Sutra who persecute the ‘votary of the Lotus Sutra’], then he was not the true ‘votary of the Lotus Sutra’. First and foremost, Nichiren Daishonin based himself upon the standard of actual proof.

One’s powerful prayer, based on ‘Myoho’, will always call forth opposition as well as support and power in order to fulfill one’s dreams. However, our fundamental posture in prayer or ‘ichinen’ [‘determination’] is important. In “The Opening of the Eyes (II)” Gosho, after raising the question about his apparent lack of protection by the ‘heavenly deities’ who promised in the Lotus Sutra to protect the ‘votary of the Lotus Sutra’,

Nichiren Daishonin declared:

"This I will state: Let the gods forsake me. Let all persecutions assail me. Still I will give my life for the sake of the Law. Here I will make a great vow. Though I may be offered the rulership of Japan if I would only abandon the Lotus Sutra, accept the teachings of the Meditation Sutra, and look forward to rebirth in the Pure Land, though I might be told that my mother and father will have their heads cut off if I do not recite the Nembutsu -- whatever obstacles I might encounter, so long as persons of wisdom do not prove my teachings false, I will never yield! All other troubles are no more to me than dust before the wind. I will be the pillar of Japan. I will be the eyes of Japan. I will be the great ship of Japan. This is my vow, and I will never forsake it!” [The Opening of the Eyes (II), WND, p. 280, written in March 1272 from exile on Sado Island]

No matter what our dream, the determination to achieve it is in no way different from this.He further stated to Shijo Kingo and his wife and to their infant daughter, Kyo’o: “The mighty sword of the Lotus Sutra [Gohonzon] must be wielded by one courageous in faith. Then one will be as strong as a demon armed with an iron staff.” [Reply to Kyo’o, WND, p. 4121

I believe this expresses a fundamental point of guidance in the Daishonin’s Buddhism for putting faith into practice to fulfill our dreams.

The Voice Chanting Daimoku

2010-11-03T22:15:00.000-04:00

The VoiceChanting Daimoku Reaches the Bodhisattvas of the Ten Directions

By Daisaku Ikeda

Next I would like to reply to thequestion whether there is any value in chanting daimoku and reciting sutrapassages without understanding their meaning.

Of course it is better if you understandtheir meaning. That will strengthen your commitment to the Law. But ifyou understand and yet fail to practice, it’s all of no use. Not only that,but you can’t understand the real depth of the teachings through reasonalone.

Birds, for example, have their ownlanguage, their own speech. People don’t understand it, but other birdsdo. There are many examples among humans as well — codes, abbreviations,or foreign languages are well understood by experts or native speakersbut unintelligible to others.

In the same way, the language of gongyo,of chanting daimoku, reaches the Gohonzon and the realms of the Buddhasand bodhisattvas of the three existences and the ten directions. We mightcall it the language of the realms of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas.

That’s why the voice of gongyo anddaimoku directed to the Gohonzon, whether we understand it or not, reachesall the Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and heavenly deities. They hear it and say,"Excellent, excellent!" in response, rejoicing and praising us, and theentire universe envelops us in light.

Obstacles and Devils (Sansho Shima)

2010-10-26T22:25:00.000-04:00

UKE March 1997 by Catherine Cinnnamon

The three obstacles and four devils is a literal translation of the Japanese term sansho shima. This is a traditional classification of the types of difficulties and obstacles we encounter when we practise Buddhism.

Obstacles usually refers to external problems we may meet, whereas devils refers not to scary demonic spirits, which do not really exist, but rather to our own innermost negative tendencies, or the workings of life's innate deluded nature. We could say that obstacles are anything that functions to obstruct our practice of faith, whereas devils are self-destructive and destroy the quality of life itself.

The two best-known letters in which Nichiren Daishonin explains these obstacles and devils were both written to the Ikegami brothers, whose father threatening to disinherit them because of their refusal to give up their faith. This was a serious matter in those days. In the first of these, 'Letter to the Brothers', Nichiren Daishonin warns:

As practice progresses and understanding grows, the three obstacles and four devils emerge, vying with one another to interfere (MW-V1 p.145, WND p.501)

Once we start practicing we soon realize that constant effort is necessary to maintain a consistent practice; the same is true of attaining the supreme life-condition of Buddhahood. Even the difficulty of believing we can manifest this condition, or that everyone has it, can in itself be an obstacle.

In 'Letter to Misawa', Nichiren Daishonin writes, "Even if you should manage to overcome the first six (of the three obstacles and four devils), if you are defeated by the seventh, you will not be able to become a Buddha".
(MW-V3 p.252, WND p.894)

It is important, therefore, to recognize sansho shima and overcome it. The support of people who are more experienced in practicing Buddhism is often very helpful in enabling us to identify and overcome this negativity, as President Ikeda points out:

The human mind wavers and changes from moment to moment. Over time, one experiences confusion even regarding things that one has previously decided on. This is an unchanging aspect of life. For precisely this reason, guidance and encouragement in the correct practice of faith are very important.
(Buddhism in Action, Vol.6, p.8)

He also says:

During the past forty years, I have been the target of unjustifiable criticism and faced raging waves of persecution again and again. However I have never been defeated in my struggles for kosen rufu… Time and again, I have transcended the raging waves of the three powerful enemies and the three obstacles and four devils. Each time, I did my utmost to carry out my faith exactly as the Daishonin taught. (ibid., Vol.6, p.360-1)

Nichiren Daishonin wrote: "Where it not for these (obstacles), there would be no way of knowing that this is the true teaching" (MW-V1, p.145, WND p.501).

It is precisely because the Mystic Law is a great positive force that the negativity inherent within us and our environment resists our attempts to strengthen it through our practice. If chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo had no power to change karma or draw out our Buddha nature, no one would experience any difficulty in practising it!

It is at a crucial time that obstacles or devils are most likely to appear. That is why the Daishonin emphasizes that we should neither fear them nor give in to them. In the second of his letters to the Ikegami brothers, 'The Three Obstacles and Four Devils', he says:

There is definitely something extraordinary in the ebb and flow of the tide, the rising and setting of the moon, and the way in which summer, autumn, winter and spring give way to each other. Something uncommon also occurs when an ordinary person attains Buddhahood. At such times, the three obstacles and four devils will invariably appear, and the wise will rejoice while the foolish will retreat. (MW-V2 p.288, WND p.637)

The important thing is to realize that when difficulties appear, they present an opportunity to make renewed efforts in our practice so that we are able to grow further and show proof of the power of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Obstacles and devils are a natural function of our practice and we should not be afraid of them - as our practice and faith deepens, we come to recognize the form our own particular demons take, tailor-made for each of us, so that we can continue to challenge ourselves in our quest to become really great human beings.

The three obstacles are:

1. Earthly desires (bonno-sho), or obstacles arising from the three poisons of greed, anger and stupidity.
2. Karma (go-sho), or obstacles due to karma created by committing any of the five cardinal sins or ten evil acts (this category is also interpreted as opposition from one's partner or children).
3. Retribution (ho-sho), or obstacles due to painful retribution for actions in the three evil paths (Hell, Hunger and Animality). This category also indicates obstacles caused by one's sovereign, parents or other persons who carry some sort of secular authority.

The four devils are the hindrance of:

1. The five components (on-ma), that is, those hindrances caused by one's physical and mental functions.
2. Earthly desires (bonno-ma), or illusions arising from the three poisons.
3. Death (shima), because the fear and suffering that death entails, whether our own or someone else's can shake our faith and obstruct our practice of Buddhism, especially if death seems untimely.
4. The Devil of the Sixth Heaven (tenji-ma). This is regarded as the most serious hindrance; in Indian cosmology this king of devils represents the fundamental darkness inherent in life itself. This can assume any number of forms to obstruct believers and is often said to take the form of persecution by those in power. It is the most powerful of all the negative forces, and takes the form most likely to trouble us or cause us to suffer from doubt or illusion.

Be in the Moment

2010-10-23T13:46:00.000-04:00

http://peanutsblog.tumblr.com/

My Blog's 1st Year Anniversary

2010-10-21T00:30:00.000-04:00

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.
William Arthur Ward

I cannot begin to express my heartfelt gratitude to all my followers. I created this blog as a home for everyone to experience the practice of Nichiren Buddhism. I started practicing 3 years ago and I wanted to, at the time, use my myspace page in a positive way to spread Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. From there, it moved to the SGI site. I got so much joy out of creating all the graphics that you've seen on this blog that eventually I was asked to give 2 cultural presentations featuring all my artwork and animations. Then in October of last year, I finally moved it to its new home here on blogspot.

Over the past year, I've received numerous letters of encouragement, thank yous, personal stories and most of all- Inspiration. I've connected with so many members and even non-members from all over the globe. I want to from the bottom of my heart, thank you all. You've all made this first year an experience I will never forget. This blog is for all of you and I didn't expect to get such warm reactions back. That is the GIFT you've all have given to me. I want to say a special thank you those who've helped me along the way and contributed their own experiences.

With much love and appreciation,

Winning Over Yourself

2010-10-20T21:29:00.000-04:00


Tumblr

Author unknown

The expressions "triumph" and "victory" are words that are part of a vocabulary that is often used in Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism as well in SGI activities and in our own vocabulary as practitioners. In general, in society at present we are constantly confronted with these concepts related to a policy of consumerism. To name just a few examples, phrases like "the woman 10", "Bio Bodies", cars, houses, cigarettes, positions at work and even clothes are associated with success in one's life.

However, quoting President Ikeda, the period of "El Senorito Satisfecho" that worried Ortega and Gasset more than 60 years ago, refers exactly to our days. The truth is that although the average person of a modern industrialized country carries on a life that not even the kings and aristocrats from the past would have dreamed of, in relation to material progress, this has not been enough, of course, to determine "triumph" or "victory" in life.

Even practicing Buddhism we can confuse are idea of "actual proof" with fantasy. We shouldn't expect the triumph over ourselves, for example, to be so striking as to leave everybody shocked and hallucinated. In daily life, even when our basic needs to live are satisfied or when the idea of success is measured by our material satisfaction, whether or not imposed by the environment, it is extremely hard to relate it to a true sense of 'triumph". The victory over oneself in Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism is related to winning over the fundamental darkness, inherent in human beings themselves.

This fundamental darkness has two aspects: on the one hand it can manifest itself as a feeling of resignation, a low opinion of oneself that leads to seeking happiness in an external power. On the other hand, it manifests itself as a perverse pleasure in controlling others and exerting power over others. This last aspect is what Buddhism calls "the devil of the sixth heaven"

The Devil of the Sixth Heaven - explains Daisaku Ikeda - can be viewed as lives fundamental tendency to use everything and everybody to attain one's own goals. In a way, this is a natural tendency, common to all human beings, whereas developing our compassion, love for human kind, the spirit of serving others and of improving the environment are great qualities, that are extremely difficult to develop. Whatever the reality of our lives might be at this very moment, as long as we chant Nam-myoho-rengue-kyo in order to find solutions to our problems, we get stronger and are able to see how our own map of the world is.

Little by little we turn the prism and that, which seemed heavy and difficult at the beginning, because we made it dependent on the external world, starts transforming through our own change, into an opportunity to grow in our own life and to create value in our environment. Fundamental darkness is when we do not deeply understand the "inseparability of oneself and the universe". Because of this ignorance about the real nature of life, people try to use any thing and any being in the universe, as a simple tool. This is the function of the "devil of the sixth heaven" of the evil nature of power.

The "me" lacking identification with the "other" is not sensitive to the pain, anguish and suffering of others. In this life state there is a tendency to confine him/herself to his/her own world either by feeling threatened by the smallest provocation and developing violent behavior or by trying to get through situations without taking responsibility or thinking of others. The Lotus Sutra teaches that the "me" equals the universe and its concrete practice is to show compassion, and to respect and honor everybody as if they were the treasure tower, and to make others happy because "me" and the "others" are the same thing.

In the same way that Buddhahood is not a goal but refers to the continuous and daily effort to make our enlightened nature emerge, we should never have a relaxed attitude towards our practice, thinking that we have won definitively over our fundamental darkness because of having many years of practice.

In the final analysis, victory over oneself is to win every day in one's circumstances and in the place where one is and over one's fundamental darkness, one's own negative tendency. The accumulation of each daily victory is what finally will become victory in life, the victory over oneself.

Gosho Phrase
You must never seek any of Shakyamuni's teachings or the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the universe outside yourself. Your mastery of the Buddhist teachings will not relieve you of mortal sufferings in the least unless you perceive the nature of your own life. If you seek enlightenment outside yourself, any discipline or good deed will be meaningless. (On attaining Buddhahood. Main Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, Page 4 )

The accumulation of each daily victory is what finally will represent the victory in life, the victory over oneself.

The victory over oneself is to win everyday in one's circumstances in the place where I am and to win over my own fundamental darkness

Stepping Forward with Gratitude

2010-10-17T21:42:00.000-04:00

The Looking-Outside-Oneself Delusion

2010-10-11T19:44:00.002-04:00

From "The Buddha in Your Mirror", Woody Hochswender, Greg Martin and Ted Morino

Hell in relationships comes from trying to change the behavior of anyone other than yourself. When we exercise self-control, beginning with becoming happy within ourselves, we have the ability to move the hearts of others. It is only when we stop trying to control others that we gain the power to actually influence them. For example, have you ever found yourself saying "You're making me angry – stop doing that" to people whose behavior disturbs or frustrates you? The implication of that statement, "You're making me angry", is that somehow you don't have control of your anger, they do. And since you have ceded them the control and power, it is their behavior that must change if your anger is to be eliminated. But, of course, you don't control their behavior, so the more you try to do so, the angrier you get.

Not that all anger is bad. There are, of course, real situations of injustice in which anger is appropriate. Even in such cases, however, self-control is the key to influencing change. Buddhism teaches us that in response to any situation, depending on the choices we make, we find ourselves in one of the Ten Worlds: Hell, Hunger, Animality, Anger, Tranquility, Rapture, Learning, Realization, Bodhisattva or Buddhahood. Recognizing that we are choosing and taking responsibility for those choices empowers us to choose our life state, It give us our control back.

The Downside of Expectations

Expectations are important. Research indicates that children develop only as far as the expectations of the adults around them. But expectations can also destroy good relationships. We have expectations of other people. We expect them to be good husbands, good wives, good children, good friends, good bosses and so on. These expectations are sometimes higher than our expectations of ourselves.

While every situations is unique, there is at least one common but subtle delusion at work here, a delusion that is a challenge to all of us in our relationships with significant others, family, friends. The problem is that although we are motivated by the best intentions, the other person often hears from us a steady stream of criticism and disappointment. This is not encouraging, and in spite of the love in our hearts, the other person becomes unresponsive, even rebellious. The problem here is that although the heart is in the right place, we lack wisdom. Motivated by love but lacking wisdom, we get a response to our efforts that is the opposite of what we expected. Once this downward trend begins, unfortunately, it is difficult to reverse.

People do not respond well to criticism and negativity. Does that mean we simply have to settle for something less? No, it means, once again, that we're trying to change the wrong person. If we want people to do more, we need to praise and appreciate what they are already doing for us. Pay attention to the positives, and not what you feel is missing. People love appreciation and will try very hard to get it. Making these two the basis of all your relationships can have a powerful and encouraging influence. For the gardener of relationships, they are like sunlight and water. People will strive and thrive when they are praised and appreciated.

Criticism and disappointment create a dark environment, a garden where relationships cannot thrive. It is a major delusion to think that others will be motivated by criticism. Nichiren wrote: "When praised, one does not consider his personal risk, and when criticized, he can recklessly cause his own ruin. Such is the way of common mortals."

In any relationship, we must keep our power, developing a strong self-identity and the ability to be happy on the inside. Standing alone upon the firm foundation of our own happiness, we can then seek out and nurture contributive, sharing relationships, relationships in which we give our love freely without attachments and expectations. We are not needy of the other. Nor are we addicted to the other. A relationship between two such people brings a deep and abiding love.

Before going out to look for a contributive partner, we must first strive to develop that ability within ourselves. Only then will it be possible to draw forth and nurture the same quality in others.

Happiness is not something that someone else can give us.

Live a Happy Life

2010-10-07T14:05:00.000-04:00

Art by Lotus Flower

Depression and Buddhism Part 2

2010-10-01T13:02:00.000-04:00

October is National Depression Awareness Month

Video Created by Loflo

STRUGGLES AND TRIUMPHS IN CHALLENGING DEPRESSION
By Lee Wolfson
World Tribune 02/09/01 n.3332 p.8 WT010209p08

If we recognize that depression is a serious and debilitating illness, then it is only natural
to ask what causes this kind of depression? Common sense tells us that depression is
most often brought on by life events; i.e., death of a loved one, loss of a job, divorce,
etc. Life has a way of providing us with an unending supply of difficulties. It is only
natural to think of depression as a reaction to stressful life events, and in many cases,
this is true. If this were the entire story, then one might assume that depression only
afflicts people with “weak character,” or a “low life-condition.” However, there have
been many people of outstanding character and courage who struggled with depression,
such as Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill.

So what is the rest of the story? We know that there are numerous risk factors for
predicting who might be more susceptible to depression. Depression can run in families.
Evidence from studies of twins supports the existence of a genetic component. Across six
studies, the average concordance rate in identical twins (40 percent) for unipolar
depression is more than twice the concordance rate in fraternal twins (17 percent). The
rate of depression in women (12 percent) is twice that of men (7 percent). There are
numerous theories about this gender difference, but there is no consensus in the scientific
community about the underlying cause.

Early life experiences also make people more vulnerable to depression. If one of your
parents died when you were a child, or if you are the victim of childhood abuse you have
a higher vulnerability to depression. Chronic medical conditions as well as life-threatening
medical events like stroke and heart attack can also lead to depression.

Medical research has shown that depression may be related to a chemical imbalance of
serotonin, one of the substances called neurotransmitters that transport signals between
nerve cells in the brain. This has led to the introduction of Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil and
Celexa. These serotonin specific uptake inhibitors have proved effective in treating
depression with minimal side effects but have not come without controversy. Some people worry that the widespread marketing and availability of these medications may be
anesthetizing large segments of our society to the healthy travails of life. This may or may
not be the case, but for those like Jen who have suffered with the torment of a major
depression, these new medications have been a blessing.

Another helpful way of understanding depression is to view it as a spectrum disorder.
In other words, the milder manifestations of depression that we all experience have some
of the same root causes as the more severe forms of clinical depression. Martin Seligman,
Ph.D., in his book What You Can Change and What You Can’t presents a compelling
argument for viewing depression this way: “Mild depression is usually caused by
pessimistic habits of thinking. The pessimist sees the causes of failure and rejection as
permanent (It’s going to last forever), pervasive (It’s going to ruin my everything), and
personal (It’s my fault). These habitual beliefs are just that, mere beliefs. They are often
false, and they are often inaccurate catastrophizing” (p. 115).

Dr. Seligman goes on to argue that optimistic thinking may be a powerful antidote to
pessimism and depression. Contained within the worldview of Nichiren Daishonin’s
Buddhism is a profound capacity to look at the totality of life with all of its travails and
suffering and still find hope and fundamental goodness at the core. In October 1992, I
wrote an essay for the Seikyo Times (now Living Buddhism) in which I demonstrated the
inherent psychological strength of the Daishonin’s Buddhism as reflected in his views of
the self, the world and the future. The purposes of this article do not permit me to
reintroduce the evidence for this. Let me just say that in all three areas, we find robust
examples of the Daishonin encouraging and exhorting his disciples to embrace Buddhism
with optimism and hope, despite the dire social, economic and personal circumstances of
13th-century Japan.

It had been several years since Jen last saw a psychiatrist, and she was not looking forward to seeing one again. The last time was before she began her Buddhist practice, and it had never been a satisfying experience. He prescribed a variety of antidepressant medications,which were only moderately successful, but he never seemed to have time to talk. She eventually stopped the medication and stopped seeing the psychiatrist.
Several months later, an old friend introduced Jen to Buddhism. Jen was drawn to her
friend’s explanation of Buddhist theories and felt that she was hearing a wonderful
explication of her own view of life. However, she was skeptical that chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo would somehow change her life. Nevertheless, she sat down with her friend a few days later and tried chanting.

In the short period of 15 minutes, she sensed something shifting in her life, and when
they finished, she felt more relaxed and open than she had in years. Her friend connected
her with the local SGI-USA organization and she began attending meetings. All the
smiling people she encountered initially put her off, that is, until she listened to their
experiences. She came to realize that their smiles were born of great struggles to overcomemany of the same problems she was facing.

She bought a copy of For Today and Tomorrow by SGI President Ikeda, and the words
practically leapt off the page at her. Reading his guidance was like finding an oasis in the
desert. In spite of the many years of having no hope for the future, she found herself
becoming more optimistic and cheerful. Each Nam-myoho-renge-kyo she chanted felt like
a powerful challenge to her deeply held feelings of worthlessness. And her interactions
with other Buddhists reinforced her determination to take responsibility cheerfully for her
own life. The dark curtain of depression had finally begun to lift.

Jen sailed along majestically in her life, thinking that since she had become a Buddhist,
she was impervious to problems. But when her husband became ill, she felt like the world
had come to a crashing halt. She could not understand how this could happen to someone
who practiced sincerely. Rather than resolve her doubts, however, she gradually
succumbed to the darkness of her depression once again.
Jen’s husband continued to gently, but firmly encourage her in any way that he could.
Mostly, he just chanted with her every chance that he had.
Several weeks went by before she got the courage to call a psychiatrist. She hoped her
Buddhist practice would provide a foundation for a more rapid and full recovery, but she
felt anxious and a little embarrassed when she walked into her new psychiatrist’s office for the first time. Before she knew it, she was crying. The story of her husband’s illness
poured out of her.

After she finished telling her story, her psychiatrist carefully reviewed her symptoms
and their duration. It came as no surprise to her when he told her she was in another
episode of depression, but it was strangely comforting to give this darkness that had
become her constant companion a name. He then explained to her that in the years since
she was last treated for depression, there was important new research on the treatment
of depression. He told her that combining medication with weekly psychotherapy would give her the best chance at a quick and robust recovery.

Jen left the office with a prescription for one of the new antidepressants, and a referral
to see a therapist. When she arrived home, there was a message on her answering machine from her district leader reminding her about the district discussion meeting. She had not taken any calls from her leaders in faith and had not been to a district meeting in months. She began taking her new medication that night. She experienced no immediate
response to the medication, but she realized it might take weeks for the medication to
begin working.

A few days later she went to her first appointment with her therapist, who specialized
in treating depression. Over the next few weeks, Jen explored her interpersonal
relationships with her therapist. He proposed that they focus on her feelings about her
husband’s poor health. He suggested to her that in addition to her genetic predisposition
to depression, this current episode might be about her grieving over the life she would
never have with her husband due to his poor health. His attempts at helping her to find her strengths in the midst of a very difficult situation felt very compatible with her beliefs as a Buddhist.

She also told him about her Buddhist practice and her involvement with the local
community of SGI-USA members. He was keenly interested in her perceptions of how the
practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo was helpful to her and about how she got
along with her friends in the organization. Jen appreciated his open-mindedness and was
surprised when he actually encouraged her to be consistent in her practice. He told her that maintaining consistent daily social rhythms would be helpful to her recovery. Even thought he was referring to sleep, diet, exercise, etc., she immediately associated this with a consistent daily Buddhist practice.

When it came time for her next district meeting, Jen decided she was well enough to
attend. Much to her delight, they warmly welcomed her back to the meeting. It was as if
she had never left. The discussion that night was about turning poison into medicine.
Before she knew it, she was sharing her experience of struggling with depression. Jen told
the group that in spite of their encouragement, she still could not see how she could turn
her depression from poison into medicine.
One of the members looked at her very intensely and said softly, “Perhaps your
willingness to share and encourage us through your experience is part of the process of
transforming the poison of your depression into medicine?”

Jen’s favorite part of the meeting was always the lively discussions that ensued “on the
way out the door.” She had a lot of catching up to do. The last person she spoke to was her district leader, Sarah. She apologized for her long absence. She told Sarah that as a
Buddhist, she knows she isn’t supposed to feel guilty, but these feelings of guilt were what kept her from returning to the meetings. She felt like a failure as a Buddhist because she saw her depression as an inability to manifest “actual proof.”

Jen was surprised when Sarah apologized to her. Sarah told her that she felt like she had
let Jen down because she had not realized how much Jen was suffering. “When you
stopped coming to meetings and wouldn’t return my phone calls, I was at a loss,” Sarah
said. “I should have tried harder to reach you. Now that you’re back, I don’t want you to
disappear again. Let’s keep chanting together to overcome your illness.” They hugged and
made plans for Sarah to come over.

A few days later, Sarah came over to chant with Jen. They decided to chant for an hour.
Jen wondered if she had the stamina to sit for that long, but she was determined to do her best. Over the course of the hour, she went from tears of grief to a deep sense of
appreciation. In those precious moments of complete concentration, with her heart fully
open and her voice deep and sonorous, the chattering of her mind quieted and true wisdom appeared. She understood, more with her heart than with her mind, that by embracing this wonderful law, she was severing the roots of her suffering. She knew that finding the right medication and a therapist she could trust and talk to was a benefit from her Buddhist practice.

How swiftly the days passed. The first signs of improvement from the medication were
improved sleep and appetite. Jen felt her therapy was going very well. She noticed that
when she chanted more, her daily life continued to improve and she had better therapy
sessions. She also noticed that the more honestly and openly she engaged in her therapy,
the more motivated she was to return to the Gohonzon and ponder the issues before her.
She was also discovering new and better ways of communicating with her husband. Her
feelings of resentment and grief were giving way to a renewed determination to embrace
her husband and their shared life.

Jen returned to see her psychiatrist several months after her initial visit. She was feeling
much better. So she asked him how long she would need to keep taking the medication.
He told her that she needed to stay on her medication for at least four months if not six
months from the point in time when she really began to feel better because she would be
at significant risk for a relapse if she discontinued her medication sooner. Jen agreed to
meet again in four months and decide then what to do about the medication.

Jen’s depression is now in complete remission. She has decreased the frequency of her
therapy sessions, but has decided to keep seeing her therapist for a few more monthly
sessions to solidify the gains she has made in her interpersonal life. While she would
rather never see the dark cloud of depression in her life ever again, she is appreciative of
the gifts her suffering brought her: a more committed relationship with her husband, a
fresh start with her Buddhist practice, and a deeper and more authentic connection with
the members in her district.

There are many SGI-USA members who have found the optimism, hope and life force
they needed to overcome depression through the practice of Buddhism alone. There are
also members like Jen who may need the help of compassionate professionals, support
from their families and fellow members, and a strong daily practice to return to a healthy
life.

Lee Wolfson is a psychologist at Western Psychiatric Clinic and Institute (WPIC), a
division of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. WPIC is an international leader
in the research and treatment of mood disorders. For the past 11 years, Lee has worked
on several landmark studies in the treatment of depression and bipolar disorder. He has
published several papers on psychotherapy and regularly presents symposia at
professional meetings. He is also a founding member of the International Society of
Interpersonal Psychotherapy. He has practiced Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism with the
SGI since 1972.

Depression and Buddhism Part 1

2010-10-01T12:46:00.000-04:00

October is National Depression Awareness Month

Video Created by Loflo

STRUGGLES AND TRIUMPHS IN CHALLENGING DEPRESSION
By Lee Wolfson
World Tribune 02/09/01 n.3332 p.8 WT010209p08
The following personal history is a composite of many different SGI-USA members who
have been kind enough to share their struggles and triumphs in overcoming depression.
This article is focused on unipolar depression, a mood disorder that is characterized by a
pervasive sad or dysphoric mood, as opposed to bipolar disorder, or manic/depression, a
mood disorder that includes depression and mania (euphoria).

A Jan. 9 Reuters News Service release from Geneva, Switzerland, stated: “The United
Nations health agency, WHO [World Health Organization], predicted that by 2020,
depression would jump to the second greatest cause of death and disability worldwide,
following ischemic heart disease. WHO officials spoke at a news briefing to launch
WHO’s 2001 campaign aimed at removing myths and stigmas linked to such disorders.”

Jen sat at her desk at the end of another very long day. She had successfully managed to
move the pile of papers, also known as next year’s budget, from one side of the desk to the other without ever actually doing anything constructive. She wasn’t sure where the day had gone. She was just grateful that her new position provided an office with a door that could be closed. The last thing she felt like doing was engaging in the friendly banter with her co-workers. At her worst moments, she felt paralyzed with indecision and worried that someone would notice her recent lack of productivity.

As she sat in traffic on the way home, her thoughts turned to her husband, Jeffery.
His chronic illness had flared up again, and she grew anxious about her capacity to take care of him. When she arrived home, Jeffery was sleeping soundly. Jen sank into her chair, not bothering to turn on the lights. Jeffery found her sitting in the same place several hours later. When he invited her to do evening prayers, she snapped at him and then was hit with a wave of guilt when she saw the hurt look in his eyes. She mechanically followed him to the altar. Reciting the sutra was an ordeal. She could not concentrate and was unable to sit up straight or look at the Gohonzon. She was restless and fidgety and after less than a minute of chanting, she simply got up and went back to her chair. “What is the point of chanting when I can’t formulate a single coherent thought?” Jen said to herself.

When her husband finished, he asked her what was wrong. At that moment an
overwhelming feeling of fatigue and melancholy washed over her and she was close to
tears. She just looked at him, unable to find the words to describe what she was
experiencing. He gently took her hand and held it for a time. Jeffery looked at her and
again gently asked what was wrong. The tears began to trickle down her cheeks, and Jen
began to describe her problems at work, but then cut the discussion short because she
really didn’t want to burden him.
Jen went to bed that night at her usual time, although she knew it was quite futile. Sleep
did not come easy these days, and when it did, it was fitful at best. These long night hours were the worst. The demons she thought she had vanquished when she first began her Buddhist practice returned with a vengeance. In the early morning hours when she could not return to sleep, she would find herself ruminating about all her past mistakes, real or imagined.

When the alarm finally sounded, she dragged herself from the bed, a feeling of fatigue
her constant companion. She sat with her cup of coffee, her appetite gone. Darkness had
descended once again into Jen’s life, and even though she had successfully defeated it
numerous times in the past, she had no confidence that she would be successful this time.
Jeff came into the kitchen and sat down next to her and said, “I am worried that you are
getting depressed again.”
“What makes you say that?” Jen said softly.
“I know you, Jen. I see all the warning signs. I think you should do something about
it.”
“And just what would you suggest?” It was not easy for Jen to accept advice from her
husband.

Jeffery measured his words carefully, but they came directly from his heart. “Do you
remember when I first found out about my medical condition? I was devastated and felt
so hopeless. You were the one who told me not to give up. You were the one who gave me that quote from For Today and Tomorrow: ‘Everyone at some time suffers from illness in one form or another. The power of the Mystic Law enables us to bring forth strength to
overcome the pain and suffering of sickness with courage and determination’(p. 16). And
from The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin: ‘Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is like the roar of a
lion. What sickness can therefore be an obstacle!’(p. 412). You not only encouraged me
to chant, you dragged me in front of the Gohonzon every day and chanted with me. You
have to know that I am prepared to do the same.”

His confidence and compassion for her momentarily moved Jen’s heart. How could she
forget the fierce battle that she and her husband fought against his illness?
“You are probably right,” she said. “I guess I didn’t want to admit what was really
happening. Sometimes I think it would be far easier to battle against a medical illness,
instead of a mental illness.”

“Why is this so different? When I got sick, we chanted together to find the best doctors,
find the right medication, and to change poison into medicine. We can do the same thing
now. How many times did you tell me the importance of faith and a strong determination?”
By now, Jeff was warmly smiling at Jen, and in spite of herself, Jen was meekly smiling
back.
“Jeff, you’re right. Let’s do gongyo, and when we’re done, I am going to find a good
psychiatrist.”

Jen is not alone. In any given one-year period, 9.5 percent of the population, or about 18.8 million American adults, suffer from a depressive illness. Most people think that
depression is much more widespread. Because we have all felt depressed or discouraged
at some time in our lives, we assume that this temporary low mood is the same thing as a
major depression. As illustrated by Jen’s experience, we can see that major depression is
a far more debilitating condition than a simple case of the blues. Depressive illnesses often interfere with normal functioning and cause pain and suffering not only to those who have a disorder, but also to those who care about them. Serious depression can destroy family life as well as the life of the ill person.

Even though we have come to understand unipolar depression as an illness, there are no
blood tests, brain scans or other technologies available to help us make a diagnosis of
major depression. The diagnosis of depression is made by carefully looking at symptoms
as reported by the person and their family. According to the DSM-IV, otherwise known as
the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition), five or more
of the following symptoms must be present for two weeks or longer:

Depressed mood
•Pervasive loss of interest or inability to enjoy pleasurable activities.
•Appetite disturbance including loss of appetite or increased appetite.
• Sleep disturbance.
•A pervasive feeling of fatigue or low energy.
• Psychomotor retardation (a physical slowness) or psychomotor agitation (restless
and fidgety).
•Feelings of worthlessness and/or excessive guilt.
• Diminished ability to concentrate or make decisions.
•Preoccupation with thoughts of death including suicidal thinking.

To Be Continued......

May You Know Beauty

2010-09-27T18:20:00.000-04:00

Take a Giant Leap

2010-09-26T21:31:00.000-04:00

Lotus Flower Necklace

2010-09-20T14:43:00.000-04:00

My fellow friend in faith has a wonderful website called The Treasure Tower. I blogged about her website before and I wanted to again because she has added a beautiful addition called Everyday Artifact Silver Nam Myoho Renge Kyo Lotus Flower Necklace.

This beautiful sterling silver coin necklace is a special design for The Treasure Tower from Everyday Artifact, featuring a Lotus Flower with the words Nam Myoho Renge Kyo around the top of the image."Renge" of Nam myoho renge kyo means Lotus Flower, representing our beautiful life blooming in the muddy swamp of our existence.

Check it out!

As always 10% of the profits from this site are donated to the Buddhist World Peace organization Soka Gakkai International (www.sgi-usa.org)

Groovy Daimoku

2010-09-19T13:50:00.000-04:00


The Music Emporium: "Nam Myo Ho Renge Kyo / Times Like This" Sentinel Records 4-501 Promo 1969

Initially called "The Cage", "THE MUSIC EMPORIUM" was a Los Angeles creative quartet, comprised of "Dora Wahl" (drums), "Carolyn Lee", (bass guitar and also played piano and sometimes, organ), "Dave Padwin" (guitar), and "Bill 'Casey' Cosby" ("Farfisa Compact Organ").

Compassion: Solidarity of the Heart

2010-09-14T22:31:00.000-04:00

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The most basic wish of all people is to live happily. Yet human society is shaped by forces that work powerfully against this basic desire: from pervasive violence, to wanton environmental destruction, to the exploitation that structures such deep inequalities between people. Buddhism sheds light on the inner dynamics of human life that lead us to create such an undesirable reality. One of the most pernicious and powerful desires inherent in human life, according to Buddhist thought, is the desire for power over others, the urge to subjugate other people to our will. In this condition, the ego finds its most unrestrained and destructive expression, regarding others simply as a means to satisfy its selfish objectives.

Buddhism symbolically personifies this exploitative, authoritarian impulse as the Devil King of the Sixth Heaven, Its imprint is evident everywhere in our world. Recognizing the rampancy of this impulse, Nichiren, the 13th century founder of the Buddhism practiced by the SGI, described the world as the domain of the devil king, and all people as being under the rule of this devil.

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But if human nature is the cause of our most dire global problems, it is also the source of the fundamental solution. The countervailing force to the destructive aspect to human nature and the suffering it engenders is compassion, Compassion, a sense of solidarity with others-with all life- arising from a a wish for mutual happiness and growth, is the heart and origin of Buddhism.

In the original Sanskrit Buddhist texts, the concept of compassion is described by the words maitri and anukampa, Maitri indicates a sense of fellowship with others; anukampa describes a deep empathy that arises in the encounter with suffering and which gives rise to action, Buddhist compassion could be succinctly described then as the desire to relive suffering and to give joy.

Compassion is often thought of as akin to pity, but whereas pity may be condescending,m compassion springs from a sense of the equality and interconnectedness of life. Compassion is rooted in respect for the inherent dignity of life- our own and others'- and a desire to see that dignity triumph. As SGI president Ikeda writes, "True Buddhist compassion has nothing to do with sentimentality or mere pity. This is because sentimentality or mere pity cannot help the other person achieve victory in life; it cannot truly relieve suffering and impart joy."

Because genuine compassion is about empowering others, helping them unlock strength and courage from within their lives in order to overcome their problems, it may sometimes appear stern or contradictory. For example, although resolving a difficult situation for someone may seem compassionate, if this ends up making them weaker and less self-reliant, this will not contribute to their actual happiness in life. The effort to offer others effective encouragement for their specific circumstances is what gives rise to wisdom. Compassion and wisdom are thus closely related. Furthermore, even small acts of kindness require a degree of courage.

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Nichiren establishes the practice of chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo as a practical means for people to bring forth the strength and rich potential of their humanity and live with confidence and joy. Sharing this practice with others is therefore the most essential act of compassion for practitioners of Nichiren Buddhism.

The transformation of society can only occur through a transformation of people's hearts. A life based on compassion means a staunch belief in the unrealized potential of others and ourselves. It is easy to give up on ourselves and others in the face of our failure and foolishness; such loss of faith in humanity is characteristic of our troubled world today. To continue to believe in and encourage the innate goodness and potential of or own and others' lives is the core of the philosophy of Nichiren Buddhism. It is also the bedrock of a firm optimism upon which all people can base their actions to bring about positive change in our world.

Source: SGI Quarterly July 2010

Daimoku Bird

2010-09-13T13:56:00.000-04:00

Yes you have to see and hear it to believe it. LOL!

This is a full-length, unedited video of a parrot doing Daimoku. His name is Congo and he speaks at the times, 00:36; 00:42; 05:42; 07:49.

Keep Positive

2010-09-07T18:09:00.000-04:00

Joseph Bowie

2010-09-07T14:45:00.000-04:00

Joseph Bowie was born on October 17, 1953 in St Louis, Missouri. He is a American bandleader, trombonist, and founder of the seminal jazz fusion band, Defunkt. The group has been blending jazz with funk and punk music for more than three consecutive decades.

Bowie is the younger brother of world renowned avant-garde jazz trumpeter Lester Bowie, and saxophonist Byron Bowie.

After recovering from a bout with drug addiction during the 1980s, Bowie discovered Buddhism and has been a practicing Buddhist ever since. He has since founded Kosen-Rufu, another musical outfit aside from Defunkt. In 2003 Bowie moved to The Netherlands, where he lives in the small town of Gorinchem where he works with a number of groups.

In this short documentary, James talks about how he was introduced to the practice, why and chants. Fast forward the video to the time 5:38 to see this.

Meetings

2010-09-03T13:54:00.000-04:00

Every meeting should be lively and cheerful, the type of gathering where everyone leaves feeling: "That was fun, I'm glad I went."

(Faith In Action)

Create Happiness

2010-09-01T23:38:00.000-04:00

Mr. Toda once said to a young woman, "If you aren't going to create happiness in the place where you are now, where else are you going to find it?' We must develop inner strength. We need to transform ourselves and become people who aren't defeated by life's struggles.

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Everybody's all connected

2010-08-27T19:26:00.000-04:00

"Everybody's all connected so when we're connected, it means we all believe in each other. And I believe that you can do whatever want."- Sadie

Wayne Shorter

2010-08-25T23:14:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday Wayne Shorter

Fellow Nichiren Buddhist

4th track from Wayne Shorter's "Adam's Apple" album, FEBRUARY 24, 1966.
Blue Note Records. The track it's one of the greatest Wayne Shorter's compositions and appears on Miles Davis Quintet's "Miles Smiles" Album.

"One thing I could never do is play something over and over again. If I have it, I know it's there to be played over and over, but to actually confirm this "something" the value of playing it over and over and over again is like a web that's spun but you can't get out of it. When you become neutral the music is more alive than you. That goes for anything, even eating too much ice cream. The ice cream is very much alive, but you're dead. The same with liquor, cocaine, and drugs, dwelling on something so that you have to end up in an institution. Three attachments usually need to suffer." - Wayne Shorter

The Saxophone Journal 1992

Albert Einstein says....

2010-08-24T13:42:00.000-04:00

Gifts

2010-08-22T13:31:00.000-04:00

Jean Harlow smiles......

2010-08-20T21:16:00.000-04:00

Source

Family and Buddhism Q & A

2010-08-19T13:53:00.000-04:00

From Art of Living, December 2001
by Akemi Baynes

Can my family and close friends benefit from my Buddhist practice?

First and foremost, Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism exists for the sake of both ourselves and others. It provides a means whereby we can change our own destiny for the better, and up to a certain point, influence the life condition and surroundings of others. Because the Buddhist priciple of oneness of the person and their environment is a reality, when we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, quite naturally, people in our personal orbit will be positively affected by it, as well as ourselves.

What is the best attitude to have towards our families?

If your husband isn't practising, you might think: "If only he'd practise, my life would be easier and I'd get more benefits." But it's precisely because he doesn't practise that you're in a position to strengthen your faith and become more conscious of how you use your life. Whatever positive change you then make in yourself will definitely affect everything around you. So even if you're finding life difficult, if you keep on smiling and figthing, people will be very much encouraged by you. You will benefit them by lifting their life state.

On the other hand, should you be fortunate enough to have an understanding husband, please don't take him for granted. Don't get into the habit of saying, "I'm going out. Cook your own dinner!" He might, on occasion, object strongly to your going to a Buddhist meeting, in which case it's probably better not to go. But this is not the same thing as using him as an excuse for not going. If you think, "I really don't want to go tonight, and anyway, I'm sure my husband won't let me", then prbably he won't. We should never let family members become obstacles to our practice.

Nichiren Daishonin is very clear as to the attitude he expects of us as Bodhisattvas of the Earth: "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." (WND, p. 764; MW1 p. 176)

Once we've commited ourselves to kosen rufu, we need at some point to communicate to our families what this involves. Regardless of how they respond we should feel grateful towards them. After all, they are the reason we can chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. In general, if children have been taught from an early age about Buddhism, they won't mind you going out to meetings. If they do, it's an opportunity for you to grow, and to pray that one day they will joyfully support your practice.

Some of my family and friends oppose Buddhism. What can I do?

Knowing the benefits of chanting, it can be quite frustrating to observe the suffering of someone who rejects the practice. We might think, "If only they chanted they'd become happy." But we should never be afraid of our friends' or relatives' suffering which can perhaps best be viewed as a process to be gone through in order to meet the Gohonzon. Please have absolute faith in what Nichiren Daishonin says:
"anyone who has a connecton with the Gohonzon will, at some point, start practising and change their karma. This is a fact." The more we believe this the less frustrated, worried or impatient we will be. In the meantime, we can hasten the time when somenone starts to practise, through chanting for their happiness.

What is the best way of teaching someone about Buddhism?

To reach someone in the right way, you need to have an abundance of wisdom. This means knowing instantly how to respond, being spontaneous based on a very solid and strong practice. If your chanting is totally directed towards someone's happiness, when you see them suffering you'll know straightaway what to do: do they need to be rescued, given a little push, or left alone? The Lotus Sutra says that we can see with the Buddha's eye through to the truth of a person's life. President Ikeda is an expert in this! He says that, whenever he meets someone, he has the attitude that this could be the last time he meets them. He puts his whole life and effort into understanding each person to the core. That is the kind of life state we should be aiming for.

Isn't it selfish of us to spend time on activities when we could be with our families?

It might be argued that time spent on Buddhist activities could be better spent with your family. But what sort of time are we talking about? The quality of time spent with one's family is definitely more important that the quantity. There are many households where the mother spends most of her time scolding her children and ordering them about, the father slumps in front of the television and drinks beer all evening and that's it! Such families spend a lot of time together but there is almost no value in it.

As SGI members, it's important to try to make the most of every moment. This means not just being with our families physically, but talking to each other, sharing our feelings and developing understanding - even if it's only two or three times a week.

True Freedom

2010-08-18T12:53:00.000-04:00

KC & the Sunshine Band sings.....

2010-08-15T15:08:00.000-04:00

Passion

2010-08-15T14:15:00.000-04:00

Passion makes a person stop eating, sleeping, working, feeling at peace. A lot of people are frightened because, when it appears, it demolishes all the old things it finds in its path.
No one wants their life thrown into chaos. That is why a lot of people keep that threat under control, and are somehow capable of sustaining a house or a structure that is already rotten. They are the engineers of the superseded.

Other people think exactly the opposite: they surrender themselves without a second thought, hoping to find in passion the solutions to all their problems. They make the other person responsible for their happiness and blame them for their possible unhappiness. They are either euphoric because something marvelous has happened or depressed because something unexpected has just ruined everything.

Keeping passion at bay or surrendering blindly to it - which of these two attitudes is the least destructive?

I don’t know.

— Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho

Question to Ask Yourself

2010-08-13T15:27:00.000-04:00

Keep Movin' On

2010-08-10T13:25:00.000-04:00

Keep movin' on, keep movin' on
life is this way
Keep movin' on, keep movin' on
everyday

When I go to sleep at night
I add up my day
trying to recall the things I done
and debts I have to pay
for there is one thing that I know
what you reap is what you sow

Keep movin' on, keep movin' on
life is this way
Keep movin' on, keep movin' on
everyday

Brother mind what you do
and how your treat your fellow man
if you're like me you'd try to live
the very best you can
for if you spread good all around
you'd be able to sleep when the sun goes down

Keep movin' on, keep movin' on
life is this way
Keep movin' on, keep movin' on
everyday

A Rosie Outlook

2010-08-08T01:34:00.000-04:00

By Sally Marks

Thanks for contributing this story Sally!

by grafitomane

I was crabby yesterday. Basically I’m an optimistic person, but yesterday I was a grouch. I had a slight setback regarding our upcoming book, and I was annoyed. I probably should have taken a walk, but I didn’t. I ate a donut instead.

I didn’t specifically go out in search of a donut. A client asked me to meet him at the Dunkin Donuts shop near my office and I complied. Normally I wouldn’t have opted for the sugary pastry, but I was in a bad mood and I went against my better instincts.

Fortunately for me the donut and hot chocolate were very unsatisfying. Indulgent pleasures generally are. I get that little sugar high and then a big let down, both physically and emotionally. After all, it’s January and losing weight and exercising are always top contenders of my New Year’s resolutions. Donut eating is not on the list.

However, I did take some positive actions. I mailed a proposal, stopped at the library and checked out an inspirational book, self help book, and wrote several query letters to literary agents. I make it a point that when I suffer a setback I take immediate steps to counteract it. Unfortunately, I ate the donut before I took my positive actions.

That evening I went to a Buddhist meeting. I saw an unfamiliar face and introduced myself. Once we started talking I realized I had met her before, but since she had not been to meetings in a while I didn’t recognize her. She told everyone she had become busy at work and her once-strong efforts to strive for personal growth and work for world peace (basic Buddhist tenets) had fallen by the wayside. Unfortunately, her dedicated efforts at work (60-hour work weeks and plenty of stress) took a toll on her health. She became sick and subsequently lost her job due to her illness.

However, rather than fall into a funk over her job loss and declining health, she saw the events as an opportunity to revive her Buddhist practice. It was inspiring to listen to her as she made a determination to start anew. She spoke eloquently and her eyes shone with conviction.

My mood was instantly lifted. She voiced what a lot of folks face in their life – going through the motions of living and not really engaging one’s heart. I thought about the difference of merely writing my goals and making a real determination to create a significant change in my life. I realized that simply writing goals was an intellectual exercise at best and a mere habit at worst.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating a brain bypass. But knowledge by itself is not the answer. Heart-felt conviction is crucial for embracing change and obtaining our goals. It’s no wonder I keep writing the same resolutions year after year. My head was engaged in the process, but certainly not my heart. After listening to Rosie, I knew I couldn’t just go through the motions. I needed to make a strong determination, followed by concrete actions to break through my donut-eating complacency. I may like donuts, but I love my life a lot more and I want to preserve my health.

Like Rosie, we will have times when we backslide in our efforts. It could be a donut, a grumpy mood, a harsh word, or even a financial setback such as losing one’s job. But setbacks are only permanent if we allow them to be. For me, I’d rather adopt the “Rosie” outlook and make a heart-felt determination to start anew.

Love and peace,

Sally

For more works by Sally, pick up

Erase Negativity and Embrace the Magic Within

Learn to fly

2010-08-02T01:33:00.000-04:00

Songwriters: John Lennon and Paul Mccartney
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free

Blackbird fly, blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night

Blackbird fly, blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise

tumblr

Perseverance

2010-07-30T20:22:00.000-04:00

(source: tumblr)

If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking.

Our Buddhist practice takes place in the midst of our busy daily lives. It is all too easy for us to grow lazy and neglect it. Therefore, there is perhaps no more difficult practice when it comes to continuing. If we challenge ourselves to keep practicing even a little each day, before we realize it we have built a path to happiness in the depths of our lives; we have established a solid embankment that will prevent our ever being swept away toward unhappiness.

(Faith Into Action- Daisaku Ikeda)

On Woman's Beauty

2010-07-27T14:50:00.000-04:00

By ~darkfitoplancta

By Daisaku Ikeda
(A Piece of Mirror)

"Women tend to find themselves caught in the trap that makes them eager to fit themselves in the mold of 'the beautiful woman' - a standard set by the social trends of time."

I find a woman's face weathered from numerous storms in life to be beautiful. No matter what her age, just like the beauty grains on wood that deepens with passage of time, beauty that has endured hardships shines with a distinctive splendour.

When one sees a woman for what she really is, free of decoration or cosmetics, I believe her life in all its naturalness, and her true, indestructible beauty emerges. But what is this elusive quality called beauty?

In ancient Chinese literature the so-called beautiful woman looks thin and fragile. Her feet are tiny, because they have been bound, and she looks frail, almost sickly. That seems to have been the preference at a certain time. But later, in the T'ang dynasty, am ideal woman was someone voluptuous and healthy looking. Even today, many cultures consider plump women to be beautiful and young woman are strongly encouraged to eat well. This may sound incredible to women who live in societies where tall and thin models set the trend for what is considered beautiful.

In my country, Japan, too, the definition of beauty seems to vary according to the times. Beautiful women who were portrayed in woodblock prints during the Edo period had long faces, thin eyes and large, protruding chins. But, after World War II, women who were quite buxom were suddenly considered attractive. This makes me question how there can be such different standards in society concerning women's beauty.

Women tend to find themselves caught in a trap that makes them eager to fit themselves in the mold of 'the beautiful woman' - a standard set by the social trends of the time. The purpose of this endless pursuit and to whom it is for, are often forgotten. Perhaps, in the end, the pursuit of beauty is actually for yourself, so that you can feel good when you look at yourself in the mirror. If the purpose of beauty is to be attractive to others, then, I would honestly recommend that this time and energy be spent on polishing and cultivating your inner self: your character, as I think that would be much more effective in serving your purpose.

Whether it be your boyfriend, husband, or friends...why are they attracted to you? I am sure it is not only because of your looks but because of who you are, what they find in you, the beauty of your mind and your personality. No matter how pretty a woman is, if her attraction is only in her physical looks, I do not think the appeal will last, but rather fade away with time. True, lasting attraction to another human being comes from an inner beauty and confidence that shine from within.

I once heard a story from a woman who had gone to her 20th high school reunion. She made an astonishing discovery. Most of the women who had been beauties in their youth looked rather dull, while many of these who had been plain now shone with an inner beauty. As she talked to these friends from many years back, she realized that some of those who had been beautiful had not had to make such an effort to attract attention, and this rather self-satisfied attitude had stayed with them through the years, whole the more plain-looking women had clearly been working to develop themselves and had become truly attractive as human beings.

For me a woman's true beauty lies not in her appearance, but deep within her heart. A woman who makes all-out efforts and who exerts herself wholeheartedly in her field is beautiful; she really shines. She looks sharp and focused and full of confidence. This kind of radiance will always outshine for me any external beauty related to what a woman is wearing. In fact those who are aware of their inner beauty do not need to seek borrowed beauty from outside. And, sadly, those who care only for their physical appearance are often spiritually impoverished and trying to conceal that lack with exterior trappings.

We all long for things of beauty- beauty of nature, of appearance, of life, a beautiful family and so on. But these cannot be gained if we are withdrawn and isolated, just looking at ourselves. We must create better relationships with other people and interact with our community and society with an open heart. We must be kind to nature. It is only through this process that we truly grow and cultivate our own beauty.

A woman who can praise, appreciate and wholeheartedly respect those around her is more beautiful than another who is constantly criticizing others. In the same way, someone who can find joy and excitement of her own in her daily life, or even in nature and the changes of the seasons, has the warmth and brightness that give a sense of peace and comfort to others. Being an expert in discovering beauty makes one beautiful.

The famous sculptor, Rodin, once said that beauty is not found in one woman but in every woman. And he identified the source that lights up this beauty as the 'flame in one's inner life'. The flame of a pure heart, the flame of compassion, the flame of hope, and the flame of courage. These flames are the source of light that enable women to shine with beauty.

by coolkidsgotorehab

It is said: "A woman's beauty shines with age." I find so much wisdom in these words. People normally connect beauty and youth, and cannot link the word 'beautiful woman' with 'older woman'. A young woman in her teens is indeed beautiful, but there is a different kind of beauty that is found in women in their 30s, 50s, even 70s. When we seek beauty inside a person, we will realize that a truly beautiful woman is a person whose inner beauty continues to deepen and be cultivated with time.

Buddhism teaches that your physical appearance is a reflection of your inner self. Hence, a truly beautiful woman knows who she is and what her strengths are and is happy and confident to be true to herself.

Today, we live in an age where commercialism determines what is 'beautiful', but please remember that you cannot find true beauty in these fashionable trends. Beauty cannot be bought with money either. Many insecure women tend to become confused by such messages sent out by the mass producers of today's society, but I feel that appreciating and realizing your own beauty means establishing a secure and robust inner self that will not be swayed by outer circumstances.

Every woman can be beautiful. It all begins by believing in your own beauty.

Hope- the Fuel for Faith

2010-07-25T21:56:00.000-04:00

...Hopes set on tomorrow,

Aspiring to the rainbow,

Looking beyond our present woes!

- Pres. Ikeda, "The Joy of Living"

Hope is the light inside that is gentle and bright by turns. It can spur us forward, buoyant. It can keep our vision for the future dancing out ahead or dwelling softly inside. It is the manna of the soul.

Without hope, every obstacle to our happiness would be perceived as insurmountable.
Hope is the fuel for faith- we hope that embracing faith with all of ourselves, again and again, will lead us to become happy, capable people. Without that spark of hope, faith has little chance to flourish.

And developing a hopeful outlook, in the face of life's hardships, struggles and disappointments, is no small task to set ourselves to each day. We are surrounded by people and events that belie our hopeful intentions. Just snapping on the radio in the morning can immediately drain our hope. Catastrophes aboound. One side of the country is burning, the other flooded. Someone trusted their child to a "professional's" care, and now the child is dead. Our political factions bicker and snipe at one another, while revolution erupts in a country where American's political influence proves futile. Sometimes simply waiting at a stoplight and glancing into another person's face will quickly tell you how desperate we are for the clear light if hope.

It is important in the face of all these things to recognize that hope is not the same as wishful thinking. Nor can it cover deep-seated negativitiyy with a thin veneer of positive thinking. "aspiring to the rainbow," in President Ikeda's words, is not meant to imply that we should be wishing things were somehow different from what they are- or using positive affirmations as a subsititue for shouldering the responsibility for our happiness.

Alexander Pope's phrase "Hope springs eternal" suggests this differentiation, by the active verb springs. This word qulaified by eternal speaks of inner workings on a profound level. Learning to imbue our lives with hope, then, is engaging in an act of expansion-springing, as it were.

This, by definition, entails pushing the envelope of our very being. It entails moving the known borders out, up and beyond what we can at present conceive of. When we despair of ever changing any one problem or concern, or we become discouraged by what we perceive as a stalemate in our lives, rekindling hope is fundamental to our ability to take further action.

Hope can seem whimisical, intangible, or widly unscientific realm to inhabit. Buit it is actually a springboard for compellling life-discovery and the hare's breath between surrender to our inner darkness and will to struggle on. Learning to hold fast to hope's expansive vision is the work of faith.

The experiences we accumulate in the process deepen our faith and teach us that remaining hopeful, no matter what the circumstances, is within our power if we "look beyond our present woes," as President Ikeda poem urges, striving to make hope tangible not only for ourselves but for others.

When hope is ignitied from within, we immediately feel ourselves relieved form the wieght of worry or sorrow is pressing us. These defining moments need to be recorded, etched in our spirit. Remembering that it is from our hearts, not our minds, that hope springs eternal, we can train our lives a little at a time to retain hope.

The moment hope swells within is a catalyst for prayer- for action. It is an impetus to study or seek out guidance or encourage somone else. We are sustained by the feeling that despite what we have failed to accomplish todaym we can renew our determination to try again tomorrow. Without hope, tomorrow is a bleak prospect. In fact, without it tomorrow doesn't exist.

Hope is necessary to the human spirit as oxygen and water are essential to our bodies.

World Tribune, 11-28-97 n. 3167 p. 2
Photos by tumblr

Fortune Baby

2010-07-25T14:17:00.000-04:00

Check out the tattoo on the small of its back!

(Source: Dietrich Wegner )

Attachments

2010-07-23T19:04:00.000-04:00

Que Houxo

2010-07-22T08:03:00.001-04:00

Que Houxo is a Japanese artist who does live paintings. His style is quite colorful, he uses fluorescent paints with black lights.

I especially love this piece. Hmmm wonder why??? lol

For more information about him, check out this video and website!

The Physics of Chanting

2010-07-20T20:49:00.000-04:00

By Emily Maroutian

Thank you for your wonderful contribution Emily!

"When I first heard about the SGI practice of chanting, “Nam Myoho Renge Kyo,” I was skeptical and doubtful that it would actually “cause” anything to happen. After all, what could repeating a few words do anyway? However, I was open-minded enough to try it.

~reallyreallyreally

I sat on my bed, closed my eyes and began to chant. I chanted for about five minutes and I immediately began to feel my body vibrate from the sound my vocal cords were making. I experienced a tingling sensation in the palm of my hands and the rhythm of the chant made my body rock back and forth. My body’s physical reaction to the chanting frightened me and so I stopped. Does this really work? I thought. But how can it? Then it suddenly hit me! Physics!

Physics’ current theory of everything, String Theory, dictates that the entire universe is made up of tiny vibrating strings. The underlining fundamental make-up of all things, including you and I, are minuscule invisible strings. Much like the strings on a guitar, they vibrate and play notes. Moreover, since sound is a vibration, not only is the entire universe vibrating but it is also playing a symphony.

So how does chanting work? When an opera singer hits a high note, she can break glass from across the room without ever touching anything. In physics, this is called resonance. Her vocal note and the glass’s vibrational note resonate and that causes the shattering effect.

~farboart

You and I are constantly vibrating through our being. We attract (law of attraction) into our lives whatever it is that harmonizes with our note (law of harmonic vibrations). This is why you can meet someone and feel as though you have known them forever; both of you are harmonizing. They resonate with you and you resonate with them.

We can also repel opposing vibrations (law of repulsion) and keep away situations and people that are vibrating on opposite levels. This is why people who have been in our lives for a long time can suddenly decide they want to move on. Our shift has repelled them because our vibrations don’t harmonize.

If this is the case, then let them go and have faith that it’s all for the best. If you are shifting positively and people are dropping out of your life, let them go. You can’t hold back growth and transformation by holding onto someone who “needs” to leave. Holding on might require that you have to shift into a level that is unhealthy or negative. It may take time, but they will return once they can harmonize with you once again.

When we chant something as powerful and beneficial as “Nam Myoho Renge Kyo,” we shift something within our being, which then alters what we attract into our lives. We alter the level in which we are vibrating on and that attracts a different level of people, things and situations.

In the same way, when we are depressed and carrying around self-pity, we vibrate on a level that attracts things that keep us feeling depressed. It also attracts more reasons, situations and issues that make us continue to pity ourselves. It is the Karma that we create and recreate over and over again.

If we were to chant, “I hate my life.” repeatedly, we would attract and harmonize with people and situations that reinforce that statement. We also reinforce it with our thoughts, emotions and our whole being.

Our environment will support our being regardless of how positive or negative we are. So we must not only chant “Nam Myoho Renge Kyo,” but we must become it as well. Our being must vibrate on the level of “Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.” Our lives must align with it in order for its true power to be unleashed in our lives and our environment.

Who we are is the biggest cause in our lives. Anyone at anytime can change their note. It begins with “Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.” When we shift, our environment shifts. Every member of SGI knows this through experience, now there is a physical explanation of how it works.

Resonance, String Theory and the laws of attraction and harmony are what come into play when we devote ourselves to the mystical law of cause and effect through sound and vibration. Nichiren understood this hundreds of years before science discovered it. Now I understand it as well. Through this understanding, we can have faith that when we chant we are aligning ourselves with the highest good in the universe.

My experience with chanting was very positive and life changing. Even though I chanted for only about five minutes, it only took a matter of four hours for my environment to respond to my request. After that experience, I began chanting everyday and continued to receive the same level of response from my environment.

~muhoho-seijin

We chant because it begins with our words and moves through our thoughts, feelings, actions and being. Then it resonates in our environment and then the world. But it begins within us. The more we gather and the more we chant, the more energy we feed into our goal of a peaceful loving world. So never forget fellow Buddhas that the universe is playing a beautiful symphony in which you and I are notes. And when we all gather, we make beautiful music together."

The Shakabuku Rock

2010-07-20T15:36:00.000-04:00

By Sally Marks

Thanks Sally for contributing this story!

I read an uplifting story about how a sickly Korean woman overcame illness by helping others. Her story gave me the inspiration to use a similar tactic in my own life.

The woman began practicing Buddhism and was encouraged to tell other about the philosophy, and to chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. She gathered several pebbles and placed them in her pockets. Every time she told someone about Buddhism, she removed one stone. In three months time all her stones were gone, and so was her debilitating illness.

The word for introducing others to this particular sect of Buddhism is shakabuku.

Proselytizing can be an uncomfortable practice – even when an individual has experienced absolute proof that chanting works. With that in mind, I decided to experiment with a whimsical icebreaker at my next Buddhist meeting.

                                   By Nahualli

I purchased a number of colorful glass stones and placed them in a large, glass vase. I passed the vase around and told the members to take a few stones. They could take one, two, or a handful, but they would be using the stones at a later date. Everyone participated. Some folks carefully selected a single stone. Others took a handful. After everyone had their rocks I told them about the story of the Korean woman. I asked each person to carry their rocks around to remind them of the importance of telling others about their Buddhist practice.

A week later, I was at a different meeting, and since I still had plenty of stones, I did the same icebreaker. One of the men, a fellow named Rich, had been at my previous meeting. He told the group that when he came home from the first meeting, he told his wife, Kathy, that he had a shakabuku rock. He was going to carry the stone with him to remind him to share Buddhism with others. Unfortunately, Rich had discovered that he never had the opportunity to have a casual conversation with anyone at work. He also knew religious discussions at work were a taboo subject.

However, the following day, a coworker discovered Rich lived close to his house and asked if they could carpool to work. Rich gave the young man a ride and they wound up discussing philosophy. This unlikely event made it possible for Rich to tell the fellow about Buddhism. Rich told the folks at the meeting that the stone was a good reminder to take the time to share Buddhism with others - especially those who are suffering.

While I believe in the importance of spreading Buddhism, I thought that the stones don’t need to be limited to only religious introductions – or shakabuku. I thought to myself that I could carry stones to remind myself to practice other good deeds as well. I try to be a thoughtful person, but it never hurts to have a little physical reminder. Since I have a habit of sticking my hands in my pockets anyway, I can use this simple act as an opportunity to nudge me in a kinder, gentler direction. The act can be as simple as a smile to a stranger, opening the door for someone, or simply a kind word.

I’m using my shakabuku rocks to create a shift in my thinking. Rather than making a mountain out of mole hill when things do not go my way, my determination is to take a mole hill of kindness and turn it into a mountain – one beautiful, glass stone at a time.

For more by Sally Marks, pick up
Erase Negativity and Embrace the Magic Within

Lotus Flower

NMRK Greeting

Refuse to be Held Down

The Power of Words

Like a Lion's Roar

A Conversation with the Gohonzon

Thoughts on Peace

Capability in Buddhism

Bart Simpson's Blackboard Lesson

Use Buddhism Teachings for Better Relationships

Applying the Principles of Nichiren Buddhism to All Personal Interactions

Respect for Everyone

Oppose Evil and Corruption

Being Compassionate and Considerate

Taking Responsibility for Your Actions

Improving and Changing Ourselves

Lotus Blossom

Positive Thinking Vs Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

Challenging our Weakness

Faith and Attitude

Buddhism And Reality

‘Never Be Defeated! Have Courage! Have Hope!’

My 4th Year

Result is a Reflection of Your Faith in the Gohonzon

As Long as We're Alive

You Should be Dancing

The Buddha and the Law of Everything

Thank you Blogisattva!

Action

Absolute Myoho

“Whatever relationships you have attracted in your life at this moment, are precisely the ones you need in your life at this moment. There is a hidden meaning behind all events, and this hidden meaning is serving your own evolution.”- Deepak Chopra

A Glass of Water

~baranyai

Which Way Are You Practicing?

Buddhism Is The Clear Mirror That Reflects Our Lives

Never Give up on Your Dreams

The Voice Chanting Daimoku

Obstacles and Devils (Sansho Shima)

Be in the Moment

My Blog's 1st Year Anniversary

Winning Over Yourself

Stepping Forward with Gratitude

The Looking-Outside-Oneself Delusion

Live a Happy Life

Depression and Buddhism Part 2

Depression and Buddhism Part 1

May You Know Beauty

Take a Giant Leap

Lotus Flower Necklace

Check it out!

Groovy Daimoku

Compassion: Solidarity of the Heart

Daimoku Bird

Keep Positive

Joseph Bowie

Meetings

Create Happiness

Everybody's all connected

Wayne Shorter

Albert Einstein says....

Gifts

Jean Harlow smiles......

Family and Buddhism Q & A

True Freedom

KC & the Sunshine Band sings.....

Passion

Question to Ask Yourself

Keep Movin' On

A Rosie Outlook

Learn to fly

Perseverance

On Woman's Beauty

Hope- the Fuel for Faith

Fortune Baby

Attachments

Que Houxo

The Physics of Chanting

~reallyreallyreally

~muhoho-seijin

The Shakabuku Rock

“Whatever relationships you have attracted in your life at this moment, are precisely the ones you need in your life at this moment. There is a hidden meaning behind all events, and this hidden meaning is serving your own evolution.”

- Deepak Chopra