Faith is the Key to Eternal Happiness

Daimoku is like light; as the Daishonin says, "a lantern lighting up a place that has been dark for a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand years." Similarly, the moment we offer prayers based on daimoku, the darkness in our lives vanishes. This is the principle of the simultaneity of cause and effect. At that very instant, in the depths of our lives our prayer has been answered. 

The inherent cause of a deep prayer simultaneously produces a latent effect. While it takes time for this effect to become manifest, in the depths of our lives our prayers are immediately realised. So at that moment light shines forth. The lotus (renge), in blooming and seeding at the same time, illustrates this principle of simultaneity of cause and effect. 

Therefore it is important that we offer prayers with great confidence. The powers of the Buddha and the Law are activated in direct proportion to the strenght of our faith and practice. Strong faith is like a high voltage - it turns on a brilliant light in our lives. 

Prayers are invisible, but if we pray steadfastly they will in time definitely effect clear results in our lives and surroundings. 

Excerpt from Gosho lecture by Dr Daisaku Ikeda on the Gosho 'The One Essential Phrase.'

Polish your mirror night and day

Gosho: On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime

"Even a tarnished mirror will shine like a jewel if it is polished. 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. Arouse deep faith and polish your mirror night and day. How should you polish it? Only by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo."

The innate darkness of life is the fundamental source of human suffering. It gives rise to all deluded workings of the mind, such as greed, anger, stupidity, arrogance, doubt and false views. The Daishonin compares it here to tarnish on a mirror. When a mirror is tarnished, its images will be blurred and distorted, so that one cannot see an accurate reflection in it at all. Similarly, the "innate darkness" clouds our life and prevents us from seeing that we are entities of the Mystic Law. By chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we are, so to speak, "polishing" the mirror of our life, allowing our pure Buddha nature to shine forth.
At the very moment of chanting daimoku with faith in the Gohonzon, we activate our buddha nature. But polishing takes some effort. In other words, we need to continue chanting daimoku throughout life to make Buddhahood our basic life-condition. From day to day  we may not always be able to see the results of this effort clearly, but we can be confident that, over the months and years, we are gradually establishing the joyous and indestructive state of Buddhahood, as our basic condition.

Source: George M Williams, Vice President SGI

The Three Meanings of 'Myo"

Nichiren Daishonin expounded three meanings for the single character myo.
One, that everything in the universe is embraced by the Mystic law; myo signifies that the law is "perfectly endowed". It is the ultimate Law that embraces all forms of life.
Two, because the Law can manifest in all forms of life, even the tiniest existence in the universe, myo has the power "to open"; that is why it is truly "wondrous" or "mystic".
Three, since this wondrous Law has the power to heal the wounds sustained by all living beings such as humans and animals who undergo great suffering, myo has the power to revive. By manifesting the Mystic Law from within, all living beings undergoing suffering are able to awaken from their deluded state and revive themselves.

Blue Deeper than Indigo Vol 2

Control our Time, not be Controlled by it.

It is commonly said that we should control our time rather than be controlled by it. If we're stressed out, it's easy to feel pressured by time.

President Ikeda: Yes, that's why it's importnat to have a strong life force. And we can gain that kind of life force from doing gongyo and chanting daimoku. 

Nichiren Daishonin writes: "It is the power of the Buddhist Law that enables the deities of the sun adn moon to make their rounds of the four continents". 

The Mystic Law is the ultimate power underlying the unceasing operation of the universe. By chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we can cause our lives to brim with that infinite power. 

If you've got a busy morning, it's all right to just chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo three times to the Gohonzon. Chanting sincerely and strongly is what matters. 

Remember, you have at your disposal the most powerful tool of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. So even when you're busy, don't forget to chant. It will let you greet the day filled with life force as vibrant and dynamic as the rising sun. 

Value Creation, May 2014

Continue to Seek, Not Become 'Know it Alls'

Gosho: On the Treasure Tower

How do we develop our faith?

One way is to maintain a seeking mind. Abutsu bo provides a great example for us in this respect. after the Daishonin was pardoned from his sentence of exile, abutsu-bo three times made the arduous journey over land and sea to visit him at Mount Minobu, despite his advanced age. We too like elderly Abutsu-bo may encounter many difficulties in the course of our practice, but under any circumstances, a seeking mind for Buddhism such as he possessed is a prerequisite for our human revolution. A seeking mind gives us hope for the future, courage to challenge the impossible and confidence to rely on the Gohonzon before all else. we might say that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is in a sense like electricity; the moment you tab it, its power fills your entire being. when you devote yourself to the Gohonzon, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo within you emerges. the joy which wells up when you chant daimoku with faith in the Gohonzon enables you to establish the fundamental life-condition you need in order to win in this troubled society. when we chant daimoku with a seeking mind for the Gohonzon, we are already moving toward supreme happiness.

Source: George M Williams, Vice President SGI

Your Very Own Daimoku Spa!

Context: This is an article excerpt from a wonderful article (Source mentioned below) I had read years back. The buddhist concept in question is Oneness of Body and Mind. It basically describes very wonderfully (and truly) how daimoku works to purify our six senses and helps us look good, become healthy and emerge happy.

While most of us know instinctively that there is a clear connection between our physical well-being and our mental or spiritual state, medical science still tends to separate the mind from the body. Whilst the ‘psychosomatic factor’ in illness may be accepted, this acceptance can be as unbalanced as the view that the physical body is merely a machine in need to repair: if a disease is not purely a matter of cells and tissues it must be ‘all in the mind,’ which to many people is the same thing as saying it does not ‘really’ exist.

Adopting the ‘spiritual’ viewpoint, when we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo we are positively affecting every aspect of our inner nature. This is the case however confused and negative we may feel: Buddhism teaches that such feelings are a result of the innate existence within us of what are called ‘the three poisons’ of greed, anger and ignorance.

From a ‘material’ viewpoint, chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo also affects every cell of our physical body, whatever our state of health or fitness. This is why people have, through determined practice, often overcome the most serious and apparently incurable illnesses.

Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the Gohonzon with sincerity and conviction, we realize for ourselves the inseparability of the spiritual and physical sides of our lives. Through chanting we can manifest our highest potential, the state of Buddhahood. Over time this is revealed in an increasingly vibrant, attractive appearance and in the growing clarity and purity of our mental and perceptive processes.

Again although we may chant for conspicuous proof of the power of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo in material terms – a much needed pay rise, say – our chanting must also affect positively the spiritual side of our lives. Similarly, chanting to purify our ‘inner lives’ will not only bring about this ‘inconspicuous benefit,’ but be reflected in our improved physical and material well –being. We realize, as Nichiren Daishonin states in a letter to one of his disciples, that ‘the body is the palace of the Nine Consciousness [The pure and undefiled amala-consciousness, or Buddhahood], the unchanging reality which reigns over all life’s functions. And with this great practice as our basis, we can work to create value in all areas of life.

Source: Mind over matter by Bob Mann in UKE Jan 1995

Buddhist Concept: Gohonzon (Part 2)

This is a continuation of Part 1

It may at first be difficult to believe that the Gohonzon, a physical object, can have such a transforming effect on the lives of those to chant to it. However, Buddhism views the material and the spiritual as fundamentally inseparable. That is, all life manifests itself in both physical and spiritual aspects. There are many pieces of paper that affect how we feel, for example a letter from a loved one and an unexpected tax bill produce very different feelings within us. Both are physical objects, but what they contain and our relationship to them can transform our mood or even our life.

Just as a painting reflects the life-state of the person who created it, the Gohonzon reflects Nichiren Daishonin’s life-state: Buddhahood. By relating to the Gohonzon through chanting and studying the Daishonin’s writings, our own life-state is gradually but surely influenced by our own Buddhahood. As a piece of steel rubbed against a magnet will become magnetized, so our chanting to the Gohonzon brings forth our Buddhahood.

Many people interpreted the teachings of the first historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, as meaning that attaining enlightenment requires many lifetimes of consistent and dedicated Buddhist practice. However, Nichiren Daishonin recognized that in the Lotus Sutra Shakyamuni is in fact describing the effect of enlightenment. He further recognized that the seed, or cause, for the enlightenment of all Buddhas is the universal law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

The Gohonzon embodies the source of enlightenment, Nichiren Daishonin’s life. It is not merely a symbol, or something to focus on while chanting, it is the actual reality of the Buddha’s life. It is the link between the Buddha state in ourselves and the environment. It is not a luck magic charm, but an instrument to see our true potential and use it.

We can prove the validity of the Gohonzon for ourselves through our experience of putting it to the test again and again. The stronger our faith and trust in the Gohonzon, the more we find balance and harmony emerging in our environment, as Daisaku Ikeda explains:

“A person who attains the state of Buddhahood is similar to the atom triggering a fission reaction. His life flow is pure and profuse, and it causes remarkable changes in the depths of other lives. Just as a grass which ash begun to wither can be restored by a good rain, or a caravan stopping at an oasis is revitalized by the fresh water, individuals and their environment will be infused with the power and joy of living when they find themselves in the life flow of Buddhahood. This chain reaction can spread in any kind of environment: from the individual to the family, and to neighbours and the community…As it spreads it imparts to the environment a new, vibrant quality, changes take place on an ever-larger scale and the world is transformed. (Life, An Enigma, A precious Jewel)”

Source: Gohonzon by James Rourke UKE 2000

Buddhist Concept: Gohonzon (Part 1)

What is the Gohonzon?

The Gohonzon is a paper scroll on which are printed Chinese and Sanskrit characters that depict life in the state of Buddhahood. ‘Go’ means honourable; ‘honzon’ means object of devotion. Nichiren Daishonin explains that the Gohonzon is ‘the object of devotion for observing the mind.’ He clarifies what this means by comparing the Gohonzon to a mirror. Just as we cannot see our face without a mirror, he explains, neither can we see our inherent Buddhahood without the Gohonzon.

Nichiren Daishonin’s sole desire was to enable people to experience the freedom and joy of Buddhahood. He therefore inscribed the Gohonzon for individuals who believed in his teachings. When a significant number for his followers demonstrated the strength of their faith, the Daishonin realized the time had come to inscribe a Gohonzon for all people in perpetuity. So, on the twelfth day of the tenth lunar month, 1279, he inscribed the Dai-Gohonzon (‘dai’ means great) and bestowed it upon the entire world.

What does the inscription on the Gohonzon signify?

The writing on the Gohonzon is composed mainly of Chinese ideograms, which express very profound ideas in a very concise and economical way. The largest characters, written down the centre from top to bottom, are ‘Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nichiren.’ This signifies the fusion of the universal law of live and Nichiren Daishonin, the Buddha who realized and expressed this law. The Gohonzon is therefore equivalent to Nichiren Daishonin’s life. Since the universal law of life is also inherent in each one of us: when we chant to the Gohonzon, our own Buddhahood is awakened and emerges.

Each element of life is revealed in relation to the bold central characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, indicating that all aspects of life can be transformed into positive value. 

To be continued

Source: Gohonzon by James Rourke UKE 2000

Buddhist Concept: Ten worlds

UKE January 1995 By Sally Pardo

Ten States of Life

The Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin teaches us about the Ten Worlds, or ten states of life that every human being constantly expresses. The first six, known as the lower worlds, are Hell, Hunger, Animality, Anger, Humanity (or Tranquillity), Rapture (or Heaven),. In varying degrees, these are the worlds which influence our day-to-day lives, emerging automatically in response to the environment in which we live. Whilst in these six lower worlds, our happiness or suffering depends entirely on external factors: we cannot change until they do.

By contrast, the other four worlds – Learning, Realization, Bodhisattva and Buddhahood – known as the four noble paths’, can only emerge through our deliberate efforts. In these worlds we are not so dependent upon our environment, and our ability to achieve happiness is much more within our own control. All of the nine worlds from Hell to Bodhisattva have both positive and negative aspects, while Buddhahood is completely positive.

Tendencies

Everyone has natural inclinations towards one or two of these states, and in the absence of any strong external influence we naturally revert to these predominant worlds. We view and interpret our lives through whatever life-state we are in, most usually our predominant ‘worlds’. For us, this habitual way of seeing things in reality and helps form our world.

For example, a person dominated by Anger will tend to be very critical of others and will find her life full of conflict. Even if she does not express her criticisms, those around her may very well sense her feelings and so try to avoid her. In her increasing isolation, her negative opinions of others are, to her eyes, confirmed; at the same time she might turn her critical nature back on herself. Either way, she is unlikely to be able to form better relationships with others, and her Anger will probably become deeper and more pronounced.

In this way, our dominant life-states create the environment in which we live, strongly infrluencying the choices we make in all areas of our lives. If the negative aspects of these states are strong, we will create a cycle of misery. In the state of Hunger, for instance, we may feel a great desire to diet, but our Hunger will also make us want to eat all manner of sweet things. Denying that urge makes us unhappy, but giving in to it prevents the desired weight loss. The result is that we often despise ourselves, feeling trapped, helpless and confused about what we really want.

Clearly, we need to find a way of transforming our inner lives so that we can fulfil ourselves here and now, while creating a positive future both for ourselves and for the world around us. Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nichiren Daishonin taught, does just this. But how?

To be continued

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.

Sensei' on Mission and Not Begrudging One's Life: NHR excerpt

"The crucial thing to remember is that what you decide to devote yourself to or give your life to is what determines whether your life will be happy or unhappy. The Daishonin teaches us that the highest and most fundamental kind of devotion is to the Gohonzon of the oneness of the Person and the Law - that is, to Nam-myoho-renge-kyo."
Shin'ichi spoke with increasing force: "More specifically, we might say that this devotion is dedicating ourselves to the realisation of kosen-rufu, with the resolve to widely propagate Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and the Gohonzon of the oneness of the person and the Law as our lifes' purpose and lifelong goal. This is the path that leads to absolute happiness.
"I'm sure some of you regard expressions such as 'not begrudging one's life' and 'dedicating one's life to Buddhism' as encouraging a sort of self-sacrifice, some kind of tragic self-immolation. but the state of mind underlying the kind of devotion I am talking about is entirely different. It is a state of complete, self-assured calm adn peace, a state utterly without fear.
"Devotion to the Mystic Law means breaking through your 'lesser self,' the small you that has been driven and hounded by all kinds of petty, selfish wants and desires. It means returning to your greater self,' the self that is one with the universe, that is as vast as the cosmos itself. When that happens, you will shine with your highest human potential. The process by which this comes about is called human revolution."
From NHR volume 6, Young Eagles Chapter.

Guidance by Vice President Tsuji - Excerpt 2

The second part talks about why it is important to chant nam myo ho renge kyo aloud? Many members have asked this question at various times. I feel that the following guidance explains it very nicely.

"There is another quotation from page 832 of the Gosho, "Never
 seek this Gohonzon outside yourself. The Gohonzon exists only
 within the mortal flesh of us ordinary people who embrace the
 Lotus Sutra and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo." As stated in this
 Gosho Nam-myoho-renge-kyo exists within us. But for some reason
 it is very difficult to manifest Nam-myoho-renge-kyo or we can
 not seem to bring it out. That is why we are mere mortals. Then
 how can we manifest it in our lives?

 We can bring it forth by just vocalizing Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
 You may see cherry blossom and feel how beautiful it is. You
 may see a full moon and enjoy the moonlight. You may see a
 cockroach and feel disgusted. By seeing these things you feel
 these types of life conditions. You may be moved by hearing
 beautiful music or be motivated by hearing President Ikeda's
 speech on tape. You achieve these through your ears.

 You're related to your Gohonzon through vocalization. That
 means by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo out loud you bring forth
 your Buddhist life force. There is a phrase in the Gosho that
 states that your voice brings out Buddhahood. As long as you
 chant Daimoku you bring out your Buddhahood. It will explode
 from you. If you are conned or robbed your life will burst
 with anger. If your life is filled with worries and suffering
 you may commit suicide. If you chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo you
 can change life filled with such suffering, anger or poverty
 and overcome your problems."