Buddha In Your Mirror

Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra - Nichiren Buddhism - SGI This page is dedicated to encouraging anyone who visits through Nichiren Buddhism as practiced by the SGI worldwide. *This page is not officially endorsed by the SGI, it has been created by a member* Thank you for visiting, please share with anyone.

[followthewhiteelephant]

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

The invocation of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo was established by Nichiren Daishonin on April 28, 1253. Having studied widely among all the Buddhist sutras, he had concluded that the Lotus Sutra contains the ultimate truth of Buddhism: that everyone without exception has the potential to attain Buddhahood. The title of the Lotus Sutra in its Japanese translation is Myoho-renge-kyo. But to Nichiren, Myoho-renge-kyo was far more than the title of a Buddhist text, it was the expression, in words, of the Law of life which all Buddhist teachings in one way or another seek to clarify. What follows is a brief and unavoidably limited explanation of some of the key concepts expressed by this phrase.

Nam

The word nam derives from Sanskrit. A close translation of its meaning is “to devote oneself.” Nichiren established the practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as a means to enable all people to put their lives in harmony or rhythm with the law of life, or Dharma. In the original Sanskrit, nam indicates the elements of action and attitude, and refers therefore to the correct action one needs to take and the attitude one needs to develop in order to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime.

Myoho

Myoho literally means the Mystic Law, and expresses the relationship between the life inherent in the universe and the many different ways this life expresses itself. Myo refers to the very essence of life, which is “invisible” and beyond intellectual understanding. This essence always expresses itself in a tangible form (ho) that can be apprehended by the senses. Phenomena (ho) are changeable, but pervading all such phenomena is a constant reality known as myo.

Renge

Renge means lotus flower. The lotus blooms and produces seeds at the same time, and thus represents the simultaneity of cause and effect. The circumstances and quality of our individual lives are determined by the causes and effects, both good and bad, that we accumulate (through our thoughts, words and actions) at each moment. This is called our “karma.” The law of cause and effect explains that we each have personal responsibility for our own destiny. We create our destiny and we can change it. The most powerful cause we can make is to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo; the effect of Buddhahood is simultaneously created in the depths of our life and will definitely manifest in time. The lotus flower grows and blooms in a muddy pond, and yet remains pristine and free from any defilement, symbolizing the emergence of Buddhahood from within the life of an ordinary person.

Kyo

Kyo literally means sutra, the voice or teaching of a Buddha. In this sense, it also means sound, rhythm or vibration. Also, the Chinese character for kyo originally meant the warp in a piece of woven cloth, symbolizing the continuity of life throughout past, present and future. In a broad sense, kyo conveys the concept that all things in the universe are a manifestation of the Mystic Law.

Courtesy of: sgi-usa.org

[buddhainyourmirror]

The impermanence of life is an inescapable fact. Yet while it is one thing to know, in theory, that each moment of your life may be the last, it’s much harder to actually live and act, on a practical level, based on that belief. Most of us tend to imagine that there will always be another chance to meet and talk with our friends or relatives again, so it doesn’t matter if a few things go unsaid. But whenever I meet someone, I try to extend myself to them to the utmost, for that may be our last encounter. I never leave room for regret, aiming to concentrate my whole being in each moment. Buddhism identifies the pain of parting from one’s loved ones as one of life’s inevitable sufferings. It is certainly true that we cannot avoid experiencing the sadness of separation in this life. Shakyamuni, the Buddha who lived in India over 2,000 years ago, lost his mother when he was just one week old. As he grew up, he always wondered, “Why did my mother die? Where did she go? Where can I go to meet her? What is this thing ‘death’ that has robbed me of my mother? What, after all, is life?” His sorrow at the loss of his mother became a powerful driving force which enabled him to have deep compassion for others and to seek the truth of life. One day he met a woman whose child had died; she was wandering about in a grief-stricken daze with the tiny body clutched to hers. “Please give me some medicine to save my baby,” she begged Shakyamuni, her eyes red with tears. He knew the child was past saving, but wanted somehow to encourage her. He told her to fetch some poppy seeds so he could make medicine, but only to collect poppy seeds from families which had never known bereavement. The woman hurried off into town and called on every household. But although many had poppy seeds, there was not a single house in which there had never been a death. The distraught mother gradually came to realize that every family lived with the sadness of lost loved ones quietly concealed somewhere in their hearts. Through this experience she realized she was not alone in her feelings of grief. Probably no words can heal the heart of a mother who has lost her child. Someone truly wise, on meeting a woman whose child has died, might simply sit down at her side, and stay there not saying a word. Even if no words are exchanged, the warm reverberations of concern from deep in that person’s life will be felt. In the Buddhist view, the bonds that link people are not a matter of this lifetime alone. And because those who have died in a sense live on within us, our happiness is naturally shared with those who have passed away. So, the most important thing is for those of us who are alive at this moment to live with hope and strive to become happy. By becoming happy ourselves, we can send invisible “waves” of happiness to those who have passed away. But if we allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by sorrow, the deceased will feel this sorrow too, as we are always together, inseparable. When I met Sonia Gandhi, widow of Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, not long after her husband’s tragic death, I said to her, “The lives of those who have suffered the greatest tragedy shine with the greatest brilliance. Please change your destiny into a source of great value. If you are sad, your husband will grieve with you. And if you stand up with a smile, your husband will be happy too.” A person who meets with a great tragedy will quite naturally be at a loss as to what to do with their life. I believe one has to decide whether to keep up one’s spirits and go on living with all one’s might or let oneself be broken by disappointment. There are many examples where people who lost their mother or father early in life have gone on to achieve great things. My friend Oswald Mbuyiseni Mtshali, a famous South African poet, once told me that the first poem he wrote was to his mother. He said, “My mother’s death was a great shock to me, so great that I almost couldn’t recover from it. It took me a long time to get over it. But eventually I noticed something. Whatever strength I had was something my mother had given to me, left to me. My mother’s words were alive in me; my mother lived on inside me. When I recognized that, a poem to my mother welled up spontaneously from the depths of my heart.” Through struggling to overcome the pain and sadness that accompanies death, we become more aware of the dignity of life and can come to share the sufferings of others as our own. The Harvard University Library was donated by a woman who lost her son in the tragic sinking of the Titanic in 1912. Her son, Harry Elkins Widener, who died at the age of twenty-seven, was a graduate of Harvard who had a passion for reading and had collected many books. In fact, he had just completed a book-buying trip in London when he boarded the Titanic together with his mother and father. Harry was a loving son to his mother, a gallant and heroic young man. Seeing his mother safely into the lifeboat, he stayed behind with his father on the sinking ship. The collection of over three thousand valuable books that he had already built up was left to Harvard University, but there was nowhere to put them. This prompted his mother to donate huge sums of money so that a library could be constructed. Out of this tragedy came a priceless gift to countless students. Those who can overcome grief and continue to live with strength and courage deserve respect. I greatly admire someone who can overcome their personal suffering and go on to leave behind something of value for future generations.

Words of Wisdom by Daisaku Ikeda Stories of Hope: Coping with Loss by Daisaku Ikeda

[buddhainyourmirror]

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. For example, a poor man cannot earn a penny just by counting his neighbour’s wealth, even if he does so night and day.

Nichiren Daishonen - On attaining buddhahood

[rayandrewholt]

How can I expect the world to change when I do not do the work to change and develop myself? ———– On making the “palace of onself” shine: “People may live in fine houses or possess great wealth, but if their hearts are mean and their life conditions are low, they will not truely be happy; they will be dwelling in places of misery. In contrast, people who have beautiful, generous hearts and a high life condition, irrespective of their present circumstances, are certain to attain both material and spiritual happiness. This accords with the Buddhist principle of the oneness of life and it’s environment- that our lives and surroundings are one and inseparable. #sgiusa

[buddhainyourmirror]

"People seek all kinds of worldly "palaces of happiness." Some seek wealth or social standing, while others wish for fame, celebrity, or popularity. But none of those things have the permanence of a steadfast mountain peak. In our ever-changing existences, they are like the lights of fireflies, flickering beautifully but destined to fade and disappear all too soon. A life spent in pursuit of the ephemeral, transitory glories of the world is also ephemeral and transitory. Chasing eagerly after forms of happiness that are insubstantial and impermanent is a sad and empty way to live. As Nichiren says, one's own highest state of life is an eternal and indestructible palace, a true bastion of happiness."

[contemplationsofthemindseye]

There is a road,

There is a path,

That each of us  must walk 

on our own accord.

[ikedawisdomacademy]

The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra Vol. 5

Section 3 Discussion Questions:

1. The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings states: “The word ‘benefits’ (kudoku) means the reward that is represented by the purification of the six sense organs” (p. 147). What does the purification of the six sense organs means for our daily lives? 

2. Who is a “teacher of the law”? (WLS-5, 56-57)

3. On page 59 President Ikeda says, “Sharing Buddhism with others means praying wholeheartedly that they truly feel your sincerity.” Why is prayer important in propagation? (WLS-5, 59-61) 

4. On page 59 President Ikeda says, “A strong person is happy. At the same time, strength is relative; it depends on the relationship between one’s life force and the environment.” What does it mean to be “happy” in Buddhism? (WLS-5, 60-61)

5. Who is Bodhisattva Constant Exertion and what does Shakyamuni say to this bodhisattva? How can we apply the spirit of Constant Exertion in daily life? (WLS-5, 61-63) 

[rayandrewholt]

The enlightened person has sufferings known only to him-or herself, alone aware of the wisdom acheived. All great pioneers and teachers in history have experienced this problem. The lion-like person is always lonely, because he or she alone understands the truth and his or her mission to expound it. Only when that person rises up in determination to tell the world the truth that is within will his sense of loneliness be dispelled.

Excerpt from “The Living Buddha: An interpretive Biography” - Daisaku Ikeda (via rayandrewholt)

[buddhainyourmirror]

"GREAT events never have minor omens. When great evil occurs, great good follows. Since great slander already exists in our land, the great correct Law will spread without fail. What could any of you have to lament? Even if you are not the Venerable Mahākāshyapa, you should all perform a dance. Even if you are not Shāriputra, you should leap up and dance. When Bodhisattva Superior Practices emerged from the earth, did he not emerge dancing? And when Bodhisattva Universal Worthy arrived, the ground shook in six different ways. There is much to say, but as I am pressed for time, I will close. I will write again on another occasion."

Great Evil and Great Good. http://www.nichirenlibrary.org/en/wnd-1/Content/168

[rayandrewholt]

The SGI is a gathering of ordinary people. We struggle to ensure that the people are not despised and exploited by the powerful. To help all people become strong and wise, we are developing a network of peace and culture and putting forth great effort into education. By nature, the people are strong, wise, cheerful and warm. Religious faith has the power to draw out this qualities. The purpose of faith is not to turn people into sheep; it is to make them wise. Wisdom isn’t knowledge that causes suffering for others; it is enlightened insight for improving one’s own life as well as the life of others.

Daisaku Ikeda, “The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra,” Book 2 Part 2, “"Belief and Understanding” Chapter" pg. 33 (via rayandrewholt)

[contemplationsofthemindseye]

With determination Clear as the night sky I advance

-Raymond Holt

[contemplationsofthemindseye]

Shine

Shine bright treasure tower!! Shine away !!!! Deep into the hearts of each person you meet. A single ray of light will illuminate the darkest corners of the universe!! Shine and shine again!!

[word-stuck]

[buddhainyourmirror]

Many in body, one in mind!

[rayandrewholt]

Fun fact: When we went to the Dr to determine the sex of our soon to be baby we discovered that he was a boy. Having the name Oliver in mind we weren’t sure what his middle name should be….. One of the nurses excited for our result said ” how awesome is that! You found out he was a boy on st. Patrick’s day!” Happy name day Oliver Patrick Holt! @mimiyvette4

[rayandrewholt]

My fortune baby!!

[buddhainyourmirror]

[buddhainyourmirror]

A place where people embrace the Mystic Law is the Land of Eternally Tranquil Light. The truth is that the saha world is the Land of Eternally Tranquil Light. At the same time, however— as implied by the Sanskrit term “saha,” meaning endurance— this is a world where people must continually endure various sorrows and sufferings. Just what does it mean to say that a world such as this is itself the Land of Eternally Tranquil Light? This points to a great change in the meaning of saha world that occurs in “Life Span.” Instead of a place of tragedy where people must continually endure suffering and sadness, it becomes a stage for people’s liberation, where the Buddha continually saves the people while enduring all manner of hardships.

Daisaku Ikeda "The Heart of the Lotus Sutra: Lectures on the Expedient Means and Life Span chapters"

[buddhainyourmirror]

"Background Written near the end of 1276, this letter was a reply to the lay priest Matsuno Rokurō Saemon. This letter explains the fourteen slanders, citing Miao-lo’s Annotations on “The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra.” These slanders are referred to originally in the “Simile and Parable” chapter of the Lotus Sutra. Asked if there is a difference in benefits derived when a sage chants the daimoku and when an ordinary person chants it, the Daishonin answers in the negative. “However, there is a difference,” he continues, “if one chants the daimoku while acting against the intent of this sutra.” He explains “the intent” of the sutra by referring to the fourteen slanders." This gosho passage also speaks to unity amongst practioners and tells the story of the boy Snow Mountains, who offers his body to a fierce demon in order to learn a Buddhist teaching