What You Fear May Not Even Exist

When a timorous person sees a dead tree at night, he takes it for a ghost and is frightened out of his wits. His fearfulness has made him err in discerning the true identity of what he saw. It is he himself who was petrified with terror, and it is his own timidity which caused that fear. Since he is both victim and assailant, it is no use suing the tree. 

Some members are easily swayed by their environments. This is because their faith is not strong enough for them to recognise devilish functions for what they are.

We should view our immediate situation in terms of our fundamental purpose in life, and not the other way round. (See: Guidances on Mission)

The true benefits of faith do not become apparent right-away. Even a person bent with age was once a baby. He didn't become old and gray overnight. Probably he saw no particular change in himself from one day to the next. As the years pass, however, a baby grows up and finally becomes an aged person. Similarly the benefits of faith grow in a gradual way. As long as you continue to practice, you are accumulating great good fortune, even though you may not be able to recognise it from a short-range viewpoint. 

- Guidance, Why is Faith Necessary Vol I, World Tribune Press

The Only Practice that Celebrates You being 'You'

Gosho: The Swords of Good and Evil

"Cherry, peach, plum and damson blossoms all have their own qualities, and they manifest the three properties of the life of the originzal Buddha without changing their own character." In other words, you do not have to give up your own identity; you attain Buddhahood "as you are." The Buddhist principle of "attaining Buddhahood in one's present form" means that, based upon faith in the Mystic Law, all your individual qualities, whatever they may be, will definitely serve a purpose for kosen-rufu.
Take the case of someone who is extremely hot-tempered and always losing jobs and alienating his family and friends because of his violent outbursts. No matter how sincerely such a man may chant daimoku, chances are that he will never become cool and unemotional; it is not his nature. But instead, his hot temper will begin to express itself in an enlightened way, perhaps as a great passion for justice. In other words, the very same trait that used to cause him so much pain and trouble will begin working to benefit both himself and others. And this holds true with every single person.

Source: George M Williams, Vice President SGI

My mission as a bodhisattva of the earth

Till quite recently in my practice, every-time I used to face a personal problem, the guidance I would get from my seniors in faith would revolve around three things -

1. Mentor
2. Kosen-rufu
3. Mission as bodhisattva

And it used to irritate the hell out of me!(still does sometimes...shhh)

Simply because I was looking at this practice as a fix for my problem rather than seeing my problem as a fix for my practice and hence life.

Lost me there, didn't you. Don't worry... I lost myself there too. Let me try and explain.

So how I saw this was -
1. have a problem? 
2. will chant, study, attend meetings, tell others about philosophy ie "kosen-rufu" 
3. Will overcome problem. Happiness abounds...

The actual equation and its rationale according to what I have understood:

1. have a problem? Good. I asked for this problem aeons ago when I raised up my hand to say "I will contribute to propagating the Law in the latter day of the law by overcoming this problem and showing actual proof that the Law works! So this is actually my mission."
2. Will chant, study, attend meetings, tell others about this philosophy while at each moment developing an ichinen to contribute to kosen rufu with my secular actions ie gaining trust at work, establishing unity with my better half, and fostering friendships in my environment, thus living the law 24/7 and not only when I am chanting/attending meetings.
3. Will overcome problem for Kosen rufu - so that others are encouraged by my experience of not only overcoming the problem and turning poison into medicine but also by my upbeat and encouraging demeanor while I was neck deep in the problem.

Tadaaaa! so the answer there is to have mission-oriented faith rather than benefit oriented faith. And don't you worry about benefits. In benefit-oriented faith, what you get is a trickle compared to what you get in a mission-oriented faith ...which is more like a dormant volcano come to life!!!

Benefits of problems

Cherry flower buds form in summer and remain dormant in autumn. They must go through the chill of winter before they move towards full-fledged growth or blossoming, in spring - a period known as "breaking dormancy". It is the chill of winter that awakens the buds from their slumber and causes them to flower in spring. The harshness of winter initiates the process of breaking dormancy.
-Daisaku Ikeda

Value Creation May 2008

President Toda's Timeless Guidance

President Toda gave the following guidance: "Once we have embarked on a challenge, we must win. Please never forget for a moment that the sole driving force for success in all things is thoroughly chanting daimoku and earnestly praying to the Gohonzon."

He also declared: "No matter what happens, the one key point you must never forget is strong faith. For with faith, you can triumph over anything."...If we truly have faith, we can win over any situation...
All prayers that lead to your happiness will definitely be fulfilled. There is absolutely no mistake about this. Such is the power of the Mystic Law and faith. I hope you will bear this deeply in mind.

He also said: "We can make the impossible possible because we wring forth every ounce of what little wisdom we possess and exert ourselves with all our might. Those efforts bring forth the protection of the Gohonzon." It is just as he says...
When we have a fervent resolve to realize kosen-rufu and take all-out action towards that end, we will be protected by the Gohonzon.

Value Creation, May 2014

The Dice Analogy

Dice have six sides with six corresponding sets of dots. Throw a die, and any of these six numbers will appear. If, however, a die is weighted with a small amount of lead, it will most likely wind up on the same number, no matter how you throw it. 

Our lives too, are capable of manifesting any one of the Ten Worlds, from Hell to Buddhahood, at any given moment. Chanting daimoku to the Gohonzon with faith in it enables us to weight our lives toward the state of Buddhahood, causing the "good side" of our inherent qualities and characteristics to come to the surface more and more frequently and the "bad side" to reveal itself less and less. Praying to the Gohonzon enables us to powerfully purify our life on a fundamental level. 

Source: Guidelines on faith, Satoru Izumi

Visible and Invisible Benefits of Chanting

Visible benefits are not as great as invisible benefits. In Buddhism the intangible benefits are truly great. I’m not denying the value of conspicuous benefits, but it’s important to understand this point. If you fail to do so, you may think you will always receive conspicuous benefits, and if you don’t, you may lose confidence in faith.

We can understand the concept of conspicuous and inconspicuous benefit in terms of absolute and relative happiness. To improve one’s life materially and physically is to attain relative happiness. But relative happiness, no matter how great, has nothing to do with absolute happiness. That’s why we are so often told not to be swayed by superficial things in our practice of true Buddhism. When you become rich, you might lose sight of that essential something in your faith, and forget about your absolute happiness. 

No matter what happens to you, you should continue to chant (Nam-myoho-renge-kyo) to the Gohonzon. 

When you feel happy, you should thank the Gohonzon for your happiness. 

When you feel sad, you should pray to the Gohonzon so that you can replace the sadness with joy. In any event, it is the Gohonzon alone that you can depend on.

Source: Guidelines of Faith by Satoru Izumi

Benefits in Daishonin's Buddhism

Guidelines on Faith: Inconspicuous Benefits

I occasionally meet people who complain, “I’ve been chanting, but I’m not getting any benefits.” As long as you earnestly practice your faith, it is absolutely impossible not to receive any benefits. We cannot judge the Gohonzon’s power merely by our own limited vision.

The eyes of common mortals are totally unreliable. They are limited in that, even when they are wide open they can only see immediate benefits and cannot perceive the profound ones. For instance, if you happen to be involved in a serious traffic accident but emerge with only slight injuries, you offer your heartfelt gratitude to the Gohonzon. However, when the day ends uneventfully, and you return home safe and sound, you grumble, “Nothing good happened to me today.” This is the way of us common mortals.

Which is the greater benefit: to encounter misfortune and overcome it, or not to have any misfortune whatsoever? It goes without saying that the latter is far greater.

Buddhism terms readily visible but small benefits as “conspicuous,” and invisible but great benefits as “inconspicuous.” Small benefits are easy to recognize, but the great benefits take time before you notice them.

You should understand that something great is happening as long as you sincerely continue your faith, even when you don’t recognize it. By maintaining pure faith for five, ten, fifteen years and so on, before you realize it you will have arrived at a completely happy state of life – one you could not even have imagined. This is inconspicuous benefit. The power of the Gohonzon – the power of the Buddha and of the Law – is absolute. Whether or not we can call forth that power depends on our powers of faith and practice. Please tell your members to exert themselves, never doubting the Gohonzon’s power no matter what may occur, and always be convinced of the great blessings which will accrue from their practice.

Source: Guidelines in Faith by Satoru Izumi

How our Karma Changes - The Nine Consciousnesses

The Nine Consciousnesses UKE Jan 1995 by Marina Cantacuzino

Buddhism explains human consciousness in terms of nine levels of consciousness. 

• Levels one to five do not involve complex thought process or emotions, but are the physical sensory functions of the body – namely the five senses of taste, touch, sight, hearing and smell.
• The sixth sense computes in the brain the information given by the five senses (through eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body) and makes judgements accordingly. All living beings with a central nervous system are able to make instinctive judgements through the sixth sense. For example, if you eat a bad plum you will automatically spit it out.
• It is only with the seventh consciousness that human emotions come into play. In the seventh consciousness, the human emotions come into play. In the seventh consciousness we’re able to rationalize, realize, ponder and then take action according to these thought processes. For example, our sixth consciousness may initially disregard a potential partner as ‘not my type,’ but it is in the seventh consciousness that love can blossom with the realization that this person may in fact be a soul mate.
• The eighth consciousness (the alaya vijnan in Sanskrit) is a karmic repository. Every experience or feeling we have in this lifetime – no matter how big or small – will be registered in the eight consciousness and can have an effect on our lives at some time in the future. Similar to Jung’s collective unconscious, all experiences of present and previous lifetimes are stored here and make us into the kind of person we are. For example, abandonment during childhood might mean we don’t trust people easily. The influence of our karma permeates the upper levels of our consciousness, thus affecting our perception and our judgements.
• The ninth consciousness (the amala vijnana) is the consciousness where Buddhahood lies, where we are free from the shackles of past karma. It is necessary to reach this level of consciousness in order to transform our perception of live. As a consequence of transforming our perception, we transform our behavior, thereby transforming the world around us.

Daisaku Ikeda explains how this process works:

“Karma may be good, bad or neutral. A life manifesting predominantly bad karma is at fate’s mercy. The influence of its energy brings misfortune to others and can lead to environmental destruction and even to the annihilation of the human race. It is of the utmost importance to transform bad karma into good karma at the individual level. The transformation of the karma of one individual evokes a similar transformation in other individuals.

Transforming bad karma into good karma cannot be done on the level of the Eighth consciousness alone. Universal life, which subsumes the Eighth Consciousness, is the Night Consciousness (The Amala Vijnana) or the Buddha nature, which must be strengthened as much as possible. Once attained, the Buddha state of life purifies and reforms the Eighth Consciousness (karma storehouse) and orients all karma toward ultimate good (Choose Peach, page 73)

Buddhist Concept: Changing Poison into Medicine

UKE January 1995 by Nicko Vince

In a play I saw recently, one of the characters tells how she once found a butterfly struggling to emerge from the cocoon. Pitying the creature, she gently released it from its prison. The butterfly unfurled its wings and fell to the ground. What she hadn’t known was that it is the fight to break free of the cocoon which builds the strength that enables the butterfly to fly.

The same lesson can be applied to people. A man’s business fails and he is left by his wife and children. He blames the economy for the failure of his business and the government for the state of the economy. He blames his wife for not supporting him. He puts his misfortune down to bad luck, or fate, or the displeasure of a deity.

The man goes on to start a new business and a new relationship. Eventually, these too fail. This time he looks harder at himself and realizes some of the mistakes he’s made in business, and the relationships, which caused their failures. However, having resolved to reform his attitude when similar problems arise, he finds himself reacting as he was before. Soon he’s back where he started, cursing his own stupidity and feeling frustrated and angry at his inability to change his life and his habitual attitudes. His attitudes have become his cocoon. Nichiren Daishonin taught us how to reveal the wisdom, courage, compassion and life-force necessary to change the deep-seated attitudes which cause us to repeat suffering in our life. By chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo we can reveal our Buddhahood and make this the dominant state in our life, through consistent daily practice.

What’s more, when looked at from the perspective of our Buddhahood we come to see problems and obstacles as opportunities for growth, growth that will lead us to greater happiness than before. This principle is called ‘turning poison into medicine’

This process is not a matter of putting a brave face on things or simply ignoring our problems, but a vigorous philosophy of challenging problems and using our struggles to strengthen us. For example, fellow workers can react very differently to the news of their redundancy. Some will see it as the end of their working life and fall into despair; others will see it as an opportunity to start again or take early and active retirement. When confronted with problems our usual reaction might be to shrivel up and waste our energies on blaming others, or to start trying to work out a solution. The latter attitude is more positive but still may not lead to the best result. As with the man whose business failed in the example earlier, our solution might have the appearance of action but deal only with the immediate situation. Without acknowledging the underlying causes that created it, we rise simply repeating our mistakes in different form.

However, just as we have made those underlying causes ourselves the answers to our problems also lie within us. Viewed this way problems can be seen as opportunities to deepen our understanding of ourselves and our circumstances, and used as a springboard to greater happiness. Daisaku Ikeda, President of the SGI, has written:

Some may suffer sickness even though they practice to the Gohonzon. Others may be under trying circumstances in business. Still others may go through difficulties for the sake of their activities for kosen-rufu. There are many kinds of difficulties and sufferings in life. However, when you are going through a difficult situation, you are actually in the best position to change your destiny and open a road to great benefit.

As our practice continues, we will inevitably have failures, but as long as we continue to practice correctly, these setbacks can be likened to the valleys encountered by a traveller crossing foot-hills towards a mountain. Although the traveller may occasionally move downwards, the overall journey is upwards.

Through focusing our minds on seeking the Buddhahood within us while we chant, we can reveal the qualities of wisdom, courage and compassion. These in turn will help us come to the solutions to our problems that are best both for us and those around us.

Keeping your mind concentrated on that thought can be a problem in itself! However, by winning that battle you gradually train yourself to win others in daily life. These battles may be small, but just succeeding in completing the minor, irksome tasks of daily life strengthens us for more major challenges. The challenge of sticking to a budget, returning a difficult phone call, or simply keeping our space tidy, can all be conquered and help change our attitudes and direction.

It is in the moment-to-moment living of your life that you turn poison into medicine. As you face each new obstacle and decide to challenge it, you will find new strengths you didn’t suspect you possessed. Strength enough to break free of the tightest of ‘cocoons.’

The Secret To Changing Unhappy Karma

Excerpt from 'The Buddha in Daily Life', by Richard Causton

"The benefit of other sutras is uncertain, because they teach that one must first make good causes and only then can one become a buddha at some later time. The Lotus Sutra is completely different. A hand which takes it up immediately attains enlightenment, and a mouth which chants it instantly enters Buddhahood, just as the moon is relected in the water the moment it appears from behind the eastern mountains, or as a sound and its echo arise simultaneously."

In other words, chanting Nam myoho renge kyo to the Gohonzon (cause) immediately brings to life the buddhahood that is innate within us (effect). Here, then, lies the secret to changing our unhappy karma. Rather than worrying about whether we are making good or bad causes, which in itself is a cause leading to suffering, Nichiren Daishonin teaches the importance of fundamentally purifying the inner spirit that motivates various actions. To achieve this, all we have to do is chant Nam myoho renge kyo to the Gohonzon (as a part of our buddhist practice) and so reveal our innate Buddha nature. Chanting to the Gohonzon is to the development of our Buddhahood what lifting weights is to a bodybuilder; so as our Buddha nature becomes more and more apparent, and our dominant life tendency moves towards buddhahood, we increasingly make causes that flow from this highest aspect of ourselves.

We will have bad karma stored in our lives - even when we become enlightened - but as our Buddhahood grows stronger we actually begin to use that bad karma to create good fortune for ourselves and others. Problems and desires make us chant rather than simply suffer, and the act of chanting both reveals and strengthens our buddhahood there and then, and also lays down further good fortune in our eighth consciousness, which at some point in the future must in turn be revealed.

Value Creation Excerpt: Ikeda Sensei

"The Latter Day of the Law is described in the sutras as the 'age of conflict'. It is a time of constant quarrels and disputes where malice, envy and devious ploys are rife. That's why it's so important to be able to summon infinite wisdom through unceasing daimoku, day after day.
"As you make your way through the course of your life, you'll probably encounter numerous painful difficulties. But you should live out your life firmly centred on your Buddhist faith and practice, always putting daimoku first.
"You may find yourself at an impasse, but 'myo means to revive'(WND-1, p.149) and if you chant daimoku, you will find new life force and a new wellspring of good fortune. Never forgetting that life is a series of challenges to be overcome, just keep advancing with optimism and vigour."
Value Creation, Jan 2012, Beacon Chapter.

The Human Revolution - The Meaning of the Practice of the Lotus Sutra

In his speech, Toda penetrated to the heart of the Mystic Law, and then warned the participants against
reckless action.
"I will not ask whether you are sincerely practicing, because propagation is something
you should carry out of your own initiative. Instead, I want to ask whether your businesses are doing well, whether you are making money, and whether you are enjoying good health. Nothing pleases me more than to see that you are showered with benefits. You tell me you are practising and are involved in the propagation campaign, but as long as you remain in poverty, you cannot call yourselves my disciples. Ours is the faith through which one can carry on a flourishing business as well as improve his family's living. Those who think only about the faith and neglect their work are flouting the teaching of Nichiren Buddhism. Through our vocations we contribute to society and thus have the chance to manifest the power of our faith. The Gosho states that doing your best in any task is itself the practise of the Lotus Sutra. -
From the Human Revolution, Volume 7, 'Under the Wings' chapter

Guidance by Vice President Tsuji - Excerpt 3

The third and last piece talks about the a very important aspect that is often not emphasized enough - Our Ichinen; Am I serious about my problem or am I simply complaining about the situation but not praying seriously about it? This guidance emphasizes the importance of actual proof, and not passively accepting a negative situation.

 "I visited the Kawai residence in Fukui Prefecture of Japan to
 give guidance at a meeting being held there around February.
 Mr. Kawai who is now 51 years old had been blind from three
 years old after contracting measles. I told him, "You have
 eyeballs don't you? If you have eyes then you can open them.
 This Gohonzon is the Gohonzon of "The Opening of the Eyes".

 "The Opening of the Eyes" teaches us to see clearly. And yet
 you can not see - it must be because you did something against
 the Gohonzon and the Buddhist teachings in your past. You must
 have committed great slanders in the past. Ask the Gohonzon to
 please forgive your slanders. Express your gratitude to have
 had the fortune to meet the Gohonzon in this lifetime. Pledge
 to dedicate your life to Kosen rufu. Ask the Gohonzon to allow
 you to see the Gohonzon, your family and others around you so
 you can contribute towards Kosen-rufu." I asked him to pray in
 such a way.

 In the beginning of March, I received a message that he
 regained his sight after almost fifty years. Through his
 experience the whole Fukui prefecture has revitalized itself.
 It is such a surprise that one person regaining his sight can
 have such a great impact on an entire region.

 But what I wonder about this incident is why he couldn't regain
 his sight sooner? He was a member who offers his own home for
 meetings, never missed his Gongyo and had strong faith. Yet why
 wasn't he able to see sooner. It was because his attitude when
 doing his Gongyo and Daimoku was incorrect. His faith had gone
 off track.

 You must pray earnestly, "Isshin yokenbutsu fujishaku shinmyo"
 or "single-mindedly desiring to see the Buddha". You must chant
 with gratitude and conviction that you will become one with the
 Gohonzon and Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.There is no such thing as a
 sick or poor Buddha. Therefore all worries will be resolved.
 That is why you can achieve human revolution. Only human beings
 are able to achieve these things." - Mr Tsuji

--On a side note, I had had very weak eyesight as a child and had worn glasses for more than a decade till last year. I could barely see or read much without them. My parents would lament at my eyesight but I had got so used to it that it didn't bother me much. Upon their insistence, I went in for corrective surgery last year and have been off glasses with great eyesight since then. I feel such a sense of relief it is unbelievable. I really am able to relate to this guidance not only because of the eyesight experience but also because sometimes we get so used to a situation being a certain way that we dont even feel the need to change it, it may be a health, relationship or work problem. I feel this guidance is very valuable for tracing and overcoming that one stubborn situation in our life that has stuck on persistently to our lives towards this May 3rd - shivani