gassho() hi janny! whew what a question! no simple answer! i could say the correctness in it or the simplicity! How about the beauty of its poetry or art! Hum maybe its thousand year history or the in depth magnificence of its philosophy! But actually its the culmination of my life and my search for saneness in an insane world and my long time search for the doors to my spirituality! After years of illness destitution and a very nihilstic bent that was almost fatal a window opened itself to me I jumped in! I now have a lifes guide i now have a purpose and i now actually am in love with life and cannot get enough of it! Oh and how about the joyfulness that is one of its tenets! I could go on I suppose! But how about yourself might I ask! Grog()
Totally by accident as I was very anti-religion. I had an illness and a friend I worked with told me that she had had the same condition and had gotten rid of it by chanting. I thought she was talking about holistic medecine. Anyway I went to talk with her and her friends about it and found out it was buddhism of a practical nature. Still wasn't so interested but one evening at home I decided to chant just because. then the next night I did it again. and again. Since I had been told to chant for specific results and very soon they all started happening I realized that I had actually found the impossible dream. A true and valid "religion" "practice" philosophy" that worked. Yay and I have never stopped since.
I too love the deep history of Buddhism and how now a days Science is confirming what Buddhism asserted long ago.
Actually a great book I am reading now is called "Unlocking the Mysteries of Birth and Death by Daisaku Ikeda.
Well I'm in NYC and we are supposed to get a terrific storm tonight. I'd best get going now. Take care
boy! I am moving as quickly and orderly as i can and i still managed to be behind. the visitors will be here shortly, and i have much more work to do.... i miss our time to chat .... but duty always comes before pleasure. I sure hope all is well on your end, A
Well, I certainly don't qualify to enlighten anyone. I'm having enough trouble with myself!
The bottom line is "cause and effect". Look within. The answer is there.
We are here on a mission. That mission is ourselves. We intermingle with others because we are all one. We are here to teach and to learn. It is so simple once you see it, but that doesn't make it easy.
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is a mantra to connect to the universal law of cause and effect.
Nam - Devotion
Myoho - Mystic Law
Renge - Cause and effect
Kyo - vibrations, sounds
Buddhism concepts or definition
from the book "FROM THE RICHES of the BUDDHIST MIND
1 Bodhicitta:
the desire,out of compassion,
to deliver all sentient beings
from suffering.
2 Bohdi-sattva:
One who has commited
himself to the
Mahayana path of compassion
3 Buddha nature:
the potential to be a
buddha
4 Dharma:
Buddha's teachings
5 Dharmakaya:
The enlightened mind, or premordial wisdom
6 Samsara:
the existence of
suffering
7 Tathagata:
The Buddha
8 Nirvana:
Non beginning, non ending
It is not something in the
distant future,it is
right here and now as yet
unrealized.
9 The Trikayas:
1 Dharmakayas:
The enlightened mind
or premordial wisdom
2 Sambogakaya:
The enjoyment body
3 nirmanakaya:
The means to communicate to others.
10 The three spheres or realm.
1 The sense realm
2 The form realm
3 The formless realm
11 the four basic elements
1 earth
2 water
3 fire
4 wind
Yes Im fond of that definition also! the non begining non ending I brlieve refers to the here and now, living in the moment or the "now" I also am intrigued by #5 the dharmakaya premordial wisdom < I thought it a misprint at first but I believe the root of the being premonition a sort of sixth sense! G
wow misskitty
you sound like me. I received my gohonzon in 76 never went to the shohondo.Still chant although i havent been to a meeting in ages...My gohonzon has been up (yes the original one i never turned it in,,,it was good enuff for me then and its good enough for me now)since the day i got it..Im in Michigan where are you>?
remember the sekiyo times and the world tribune? pack rat that i am i still have some of those and the small gosho pamphlets and the daily guidance books boy memries...lol..
Hi there
I'm in Portland OR. Yes, I still have my original gohonzon too. They didn't pressure me too much because it was by the priest before the "renegade" priest. It would not have mattered because I would never have given it up. We have been through A LOT together. If you ask me there was slander going on at both ends. That's when I drifted away. Feel free to contact me, I would love to share stories with you.
If you want to find out more you can check out the website www.SGI-USA.org
It has wonderful explanations of this practice and also ways of connecting with others who practice. It really works!
Hi Friend, It is showing no signs of slowing for this next month. I am trying for a beak in mid June. I have a gallery show coming in Aug., that I must prepare for. You know, along with the other ten hats I must wear right now. I hope all is well with you and yours. How has your health been? I have been great! I will try to write soon. Love, A
Hello Sweet Womenchild, Mother and Creator of light! Wear those hats proudly! Yes I am doing better! I have been very much so nurturing my health! I realized recently that I was sicker then I thought or I should say that my healing is not going to just happen and that I need to take a more active approach! So I am incorporating more protocal in hopes of a quicker end to this unproductive malaise I exsist in! However my spirits are perched for activity and curious for whats to come! Rebuilding restrengthening and preparing! Not sure for what but I know its good! So nice to see your voice! Lovin kindness Brother Grog!
ah , you lost me on this one. Budda walked away from duty of child for self. That is a hard one to over look. I am not in agreement with a few other things. I am sure there is much good in the practice that can be applied but I do not wish to tie myself to any one system, i prefer to take what i like use it and leave the rest. I guess there is no such thing as perfection after all. Someone or something will always have an undesirable effect somewhere in the chain. A
Just can not escape cause and effect!
Buddha looks at the big picture and sometimes this involves sacrifice, his message is idealistic not necessarily to apply to any particular instance or situation! I believe the message that to relieve suffering all must contribute to that cause! If we all make sacrifice in small increments mankind can florish! The situation of ours looks promising I have made a few phone calls and I should have something in the mail tommorrow! My blood glucose is at a low 60 right now I am in the process of bringing it up! And I will be on the field once again chasing rabbits! Love Grog()
ah , you lost me on this one. Budda walked away from duty of child for self. That is a hard one to over look. I am not in agreement with a few other things. I am sure there is much good in the practice that can be applied but I do not wish to tie myself to any one system, i prefer to take what i like use it and leave the rest. I guess there is no such thing as perfection after all. Someone or something will always have an undesirable effect somewhere in the chain. A
Just can not escape cause and effect!
What an absolutely lovely and poetic name! How it flows and undulates across the archaic page and tolls the bell for things to come! Like the sun that rises in the east it shines its light across the breast of humanity ! Love Grog
we have proclaimed love... but please do not be mistaken... this love is that one of a brother/ or mother to her son... but love , it is in the purest sense my love for you, be well my friend all has reason. A we will chat soon
Yes of course my darling sister Nu_Wa you are wise beyond your years! And now that clarity has blown its trumpet I am sure our lives will continue to flow with the stream to the sea of enlightenment! Fu_Xi Your brother and protecter!()
Lets face it we can read books and quote songs and try to learn from others and our own mistakes. The truth is always what we allow ourselfs to see and believe. In my sceptesism of life , religion and beliefs the only thing that i really have are my own feelings and intuition. I have a great sense of duty to my children and coming to the realization that i must sacrafice my day to day for their well being was hard to swallow. I try to fool myself again saying that what i do for myself is so they will be taken care of later on... but the here and now that i have let pass by is the only truth i know. i tried to disguise my desire and lust of self fullfilment. I am not pretending to be master ,i am student and doubt mastery had been obtained by anyone. So here i go back to supression and deticate myself to a here and now... no future no past... just this minute is truth. LOVE
just merely stating i am ready for more challenges!
Lets face it we can read books and quote songs and try to learn from others and our own mistakes. The truth is always what we allow ourselfs to see and believe. In my sceptesism of life , religion and beliefs the only thing that i really have are my own feelings and intuition. I have a great sense of duty to my children and coming to the realization that i must sacrafice my day to day for their well being was hard to swallow. I try to fool myself again saying that what i do for myself is so they will be taken care of later on... but the here and now that i have let pass by is the only truth i know. i tried to disguise my desire and lust of self fullfilment. I am not pretending to be master ,i am student and doubt mastery had been obtained by anyone. So here i go back to supression and deticate myself to a here and now... no future no past... just this minute is truth. LOVE
just merely stating i am ready for more challenges!
Adrienne,
Have you read "The Power of Now" by Echkart Tolle? It is soley about dedicating yourself to the here and now. I have shared lots of your feelings and hope that this helps for even a moments time! Even though it helped me for only a few months time (then I let myself get involved with "life" again), I still think about different quotes from him and it helps me out now and then.
i.e. "Complaining is nonacceptance of what is, either change or accept it, all else is madness"
"Darkness cannot survive in the presence of light" (he was talking about facing your issues instead of hiding them because that will only keep them in the dark). You can get away from that darkness by bringing in out into the light and dealing with it and accepting it. You will feel so free!
All is well, miss us too! Too much to do latley. I will try to write you soon and tell you all about it. You can see the start of what I have been up to, www.artistanuwa.com Hope all is well, love A
Hi Adrienne my sweet friend! Great to hear from you! I'll be looking forward to your letter! I'll go check out your site now and see what creative and artistic things you have been up to! Grog
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Namo Amida Butsu 
