http://nichiren.info/gosho/bk_LetterDomyoZemmon.htm
Regarding Conspicuous prayer resulting in conspicuous response
Prayers that we need immediate answer from gohonzon, when a persson is in the midst of a crisis.
I read a testimonial of a UK lady member, she was confronted by a rapist at knifepoint, she chanted and asked gohonzon to proof the power, mystically the rapist move away, at that moments he remember he had lost his keys, left to search for his keys.
On MD Low member called me and asked me what to do, he said a creditor was very angry and want to come down, to collect the debt from him.
I told him to open the gohonzon and chant one hour before talking to him. True enough when the debt collector came down, talk nicely to him and give him a good term.
Regarding Conspicuous prayer resulting in inconspicuous response
Major prayers like a big house and a good career & a good spouse etc, this types of prayer which gohonzon that does not answer immediately, which take some time to answer.
Sensei said having strong faith is more important, then worrying of our past karma.
Regarding inconspicuous prayer resulting in inconspicuous response
As we practice consistencely, we continue to purify our life and eradicating our past slanders/negative causes from our past life.
Sensei stress the importance of chanting lots of daimoku and do more shakabuku when we are healthy.
Regarding Inconspicuous prayer resulting in conspicuous response
Prayers that we never pray for or unexpected benefits or protection from gohonzon
My brother Victor, supposed to holiday in Thailand, last minute it was cancelled due to unexpected circumstances, later he found out if he will to go there he would be facing the Tsunami.
When I work in Toyota at Leng Kee Road, mystically a senior lady claim advisor nearly every morning for a few years, cooked and bought food for me to eat free of charge. Possibly the management asked her to do it because of my contributions to the company.
For teaching the mechanics how to maintain the vehicles.
Sensei said as long as you practice consistencely all your wishes in this lifetime and the next lifetime will be fulfilled.
Daishonin stated in the gosho, if our faith is strong all our wishes will be fulfilled.
From the gosho: Letter to Domyo Zemmon
I have received your request for prayers for your father, and I will offer them in the presence of the Buddha. Concerning prayer, there are conspicuous prayer and conspicuous response, conspicuous prayer and inconspicuous response, inconspicuous prayer and inconspicuous response, and inconspicuous prayer and conspicuous response. However, the essential point is that, so long as you carry out faith in this sutra, all your wishes will be fulfilled in both present and future existences. The third volume of the Lotus Sutra states, "Even though the devil and his subjects are there, they will protect the Buddhist Law." And the seventh volume states, "...his illness will vanish immediately, and he will find perpetual youth and eternal life." You must not doubt these golden words. I deeply appreciate Myoichi-ama's visit to this mountain. I have given her a written scroll, which I would like you to read. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
Nichiren
The tenth day of the eighth month in the second year of Kenji (1276), cyclical sign hinoe-ne.
Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 6. Page 173.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
The buddha nature of insentient being is call Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
In 2002 National Day Parade:
1) We prayed for the temperature to be 28 degree Centigrade, no wind, because we were running around with strings of helium balloons, it will be disastrous when it entangled, no rain.
All our prayers were answered as what we prayed for in the 2002 NDP
2) In the gosho, Hei no saemon want to execute Daishonin, but unsuccessful on that night a very bright object fell down from the sky, which Daishonin prayed to the buddhist gods for protections, which scared away the soldiers who are going to execute Daishonin.
So Daishonin was exiled to Sado island to left there to died, no persons who exiled there came back alive. Even with this very harsh condition Daishonin survived. But until now, no one has ever lost his life for the sake of the Lotus Sutra. I myself was born to become a poor priest, unable fully to repay the debt of gratitude I owe to my parents and to my country. Now I will present my severed head to the Lotus Sutra and share the blessings therefrom with my parents, and with my disciples and believers, just as I have promised you." Then the four Shijo brothers, holding on to my horse's reins, went with me to Tatsunokuchi at Koshigoe.
Finally we came to a place that I knew must be the site of my execution. Indeed, the soldiers stopped and began to mill around in excitement. Shijo Kingo, in tears, said, "These are your last moments." I replied, "How thoughtless you are! You should be delighted at this great fortune. Don't you remember your promise?" I had no sooner said this when a brilliant orb as bright as the moon burst forth from the direction of Enoshima, shooting across the sky from southeast to northwest. It was shortly before dawn and still too dark to see anyone's face, but the radiant object clearly illuminated everyone like bright moonlight. The executioner fell on his face, his eyes blinded. The soldiers were terrified and panic-stricken. Some ran off into the distance, some jumped from their horses and knelt on the ground, and others crouched down in their saddles. I called out, "Here, why do you shrink from this miserable prisoner? Come nearer! Come closer!" But no one would approach. "What if the dawn should break? You must hasten to execute me, for you will find it unbearable to do so after sunrise." I urged them on, but they made no response.
From the gosho:
On the Buddha's Behaviour
http://nichiren.info/gosho/BuddhasBehavior.htm
The 3 gosho on the enlightenment of insentient being.
Answer: This is a matter that is difficult to believe and difficult to understand. T'ien-t'ai defined two points that are "difficult to believe" And "difficult to understand." One lies in the realm of the Buddha's teachings and the other in the realm of his enlightenment. In the sutras preached before the Lotus Sutra we read that adherents of the doctrines of the two vehicles and people of incorrigible disbelief are forever barred from attaining Buddhahood, and that Shakyamuni for the first time attained enlightenment in this world. However, we find that the first and second halves of the Lotus Sutra repudiate both these statements. One Buddha who says two things as opposite as fire and water -- who could believe him? This is the point "difficult to believe" And "difficult to understand" In the realm of the Buddha's teachings. The point "difficult to believe" And "difficult to understand" In the realm of his enlightenment concerns the principle of ichinen sanzen, which explains that even insentient beings possess the ten factors of life, and that they possess both material and spiritual aspects of life.
Both the Buddhist and non-Buddhist scriptures permit wooden or painted images to be used as objects of worship, but T'ien-t'ai and his followers were the first to explain the principle behind this act. If a piece of wood or paper did not have both material and spiritual aspects, or lacked the inherent cause to manifest a spiritual nature, then it would be futile to rely upon it as an object of worship.
Question: What authority do you have for stating that a plant, a tree or a land manifests cause and effect, or the ten factors?
Answer: Volume Five of the Maka Shikan says: "A land of this world also has the ten factors. Thus an evil land has appearance, nature, entity, power and so on." Volume Five of the Shakusen states: "Appearance exists only in what is material, nature exists only in what is spiritual. Entity, power, influence, and relation in principle combine both the material and the spiritual. Inherent cause and latent effect are purely spiritual; manifest effect exists only in what is material." The Kongobei-ron12 states: A plant, a tree, a pebble, a speck of dust -- each has the innate Buddha nature, along with the other causes and conditions needed to attain Buddhahood." -
From the gosho: The True Object of Worship
http://nichiren.info/gosho/TrueObjectWorship.htm
is for this reason that T'ien-t'ai states, "All things having color or fragrance are manifestations of the Middle Way."28 Commenting on this, Miao-lo adds, "However, although people may admit that all things having color or fragrance are manifestations of the Middle Way, they are nevertheless shocked and harbor doubts when they hear for the first time the doctrine that insentient beings possess the Buddha nature -
From the gosho: Opening the Eyes of Wooden or Painted Images.
http://nichiren.info/gosho/OpeningEyesWoodenPaintedImages.htm
It is the power of the Lotus Sutra that makes it possible to infuse such paintings and statues with a "soul" or spiritual property. This was the realization of the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai. In the case of living beings, this doctrine is known as attaining Buddhahood in one's present form; in the case of painted and wooden images, it is known as the enlightenment of plants and trees. This is why [the Great Teacher Chang-an] wrote, "There has never been anything to compare to the brightness and serenity of shikan-style meditation," and why [the Great Teacher Miao-lo] stated, "They are nevertheless shocked and harbor doubts when they hear for the first time the doctrine that insentient beings possess the Buddha nature."
This Buddha of yours, however, is a living Buddha. It differs in no respect from the wooden image of the Buddha made by King Udayana, or that fashioned by King Bimbisara. Surely Bonten, Taishaku, the deities of the sun and moon, and the Four Heavenly Kings will attend you as a shadow accompanies a body and protect you always. (This is the first point I wish to make.)
-
From the gosho: Consecrating an Image of Shakyamuni Buddha Made by Shijo Kingo
http://nichiren.info/gosho/ConsecratingImage
1) We prayed for the temperature to be 28 degree Centigrade, no wind, because we were running around with strings of helium balloons, it will be disastrous when it entangled, no rain.
All our prayers were answered as what we prayed for in the 2002 NDP
2) In the gosho, Hei no saemon want to execute Daishonin, but unsuccessful on that night a very bright object fell down from the sky, which Daishonin prayed to the buddhist gods for protections, which scared away the soldiers who are going to execute Daishonin.
So Daishonin was exiled to Sado island to left there to died, no persons who exiled there came back alive. Even with this very harsh condition Daishonin survived. But until now, no one has ever lost his life for the sake of the Lotus Sutra. I myself was born to become a poor priest, unable fully to repay the debt of gratitude I owe to my parents and to my country. Now I will present my severed head to the Lotus Sutra and share the blessings therefrom with my parents, and with my disciples and believers, just as I have promised you." Then the four Shijo brothers, holding on to my horse's reins, went with me to Tatsunokuchi at Koshigoe.
Finally we came to a place that I knew must be the site of my execution. Indeed, the soldiers stopped and began to mill around in excitement. Shijo Kingo, in tears, said, "These are your last moments." I replied, "How thoughtless you are! You should be delighted at this great fortune. Don't you remember your promise?" I had no sooner said this when a brilliant orb as bright as the moon burst forth from the direction of Enoshima, shooting across the sky from southeast to northwest. It was shortly before dawn and still too dark to see anyone's face, but the radiant object clearly illuminated everyone like bright moonlight. The executioner fell on his face, his eyes blinded. The soldiers were terrified and panic-stricken. Some ran off into the distance, some jumped from their horses and knelt on the ground, and others crouched down in their saddles. I called out, "Here, why do you shrink from this miserable prisoner? Come nearer! Come closer!" But no one would approach. "What if the dawn should break? You must hasten to execute me, for you will find it unbearable to do so after sunrise." I urged them on, but they made no response.
From the gosho:
On the Buddha's Behaviour
http://nichiren.info/gosho/BuddhasBehavior.htm
The 3 gosho on the enlightenment of insentient being.
Answer: This is a matter that is difficult to believe and difficult to understand. T'ien-t'ai defined two points that are "difficult to believe" And "difficult to understand." One lies in the realm of the Buddha's teachings and the other in the realm of his enlightenment. In the sutras preached before the Lotus Sutra we read that adherents of the doctrines of the two vehicles and people of incorrigible disbelief are forever barred from attaining Buddhahood, and that Shakyamuni for the first time attained enlightenment in this world. However, we find that the first and second halves of the Lotus Sutra repudiate both these statements. One Buddha who says two things as opposite as fire and water -- who could believe him? This is the point "difficult to believe" And "difficult to understand" In the realm of the Buddha's teachings. The point "difficult to believe" And "difficult to understand" In the realm of his enlightenment concerns the principle of ichinen sanzen, which explains that even insentient beings possess the ten factors of life, and that they possess both material and spiritual aspects of life.
Both the Buddhist and non-Buddhist scriptures permit wooden or painted images to be used as objects of worship, but T'ien-t'ai and his followers were the first to explain the principle behind this act. If a piece of wood or paper did not have both material and spiritual aspects, or lacked the inherent cause to manifest a spiritual nature, then it would be futile to rely upon it as an object of worship.
Question: What authority do you have for stating that a plant, a tree or a land manifests cause and effect, or the ten factors?
Answer: Volume Five of the Maka Shikan says: "A land of this world also has the ten factors. Thus an evil land has appearance, nature, entity, power and so on." Volume Five of the Shakusen states: "Appearance exists only in what is material, nature exists only in what is spiritual. Entity, power, influence, and relation in principle combine both the material and the spiritual. Inherent cause and latent effect are purely spiritual; manifest effect exists only in what is material." The Kongobei-ron12 states: A plant, a tree, a pebble, a speck of dust -- each has the innate Buddha nature, along with the other causes and conditions needed to attain Buddhahood." -
From the gosho: The True Object of Worship
http://nichiren.info/gosho/TrueObjectWorship.htm
is for this reason that T'ien-t'ai states, "All things having color or fragrance are manifestations of the Middle Way."28 Commenting on this, Miao-lo adds, "However, although people may admit that all things having color or fragrance are manifestations of the Middle Way, they are nevertheless shocked and harbor doubts when they hear for the first time the doctrine that insentient beings possess the Buddha nature -
From the gosho: Opening the Eyes of Wooden or Painted Images.
http://nichiren.info/gosho/OpeningEyesWoodenPaintedImages.htm
It is the power of the Lotus Sutra that makes it possible to infuse such paintings and statues with a "soul" or spiritual property. This was the realization of the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai. In the case of living beings, this doctrine is known as attaining Buddhahood in one's present form; in the case of painted and wooden images, it is known as the enlightenment of plants and trees. This is why [the Great Teacher Chang-an] wrote, "There has never been anything to compare to the brightness and serenity of shikan-style meditation," and why [the Great Teacher Miao-lo] stated, "They are nevertheless shocked and harbor doubts when they hear for the first time the doctrine that insentient beings possess the Buddha nature."
This Buddha of yours, however, is a living Buddha. It differs in no respect from the wooden image of the Buddha made by King Udayana, or that fashioned by King Bimbisara. Surely Bonten, Taishaku, the deities of the sun and moon, and the Four Heavenly Kings will attend you as a shadow accompanies a body and protect you always. (This is the first point I wish to make.)
-
From the gosho: Consecrating an Image of Shakyamuni Buddha Made by Shijo Kingo
http://nichiren.info/gosho/ConsecratingImage
Monday, December 28, 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Vice President on setting prayers
Subject: Guidance from vice president Tsuji
Guidance from vice president Tsuji 'Correct attitude in prayer = change in destiny'
Once you make a determination that you are going to succeed with a wonderful opportunity, then you have to guard your inner, subjective world against the onslaught or the suble insinuations of the negative voices, 'Nothing's going to change, it's always going to be the same.' If you are susceptible to that, which most of us are until we're
strong enough inside to deflect those voices automatically, you listen to them. And you allow them to influence you. The longer you listen, the more it erodes your prayer. So, internally, you start replacing your prayer. At some point, you start to agree with the negative voice, because that's what most people have always done most of their
lives.At that point, your prayer becomes NOT to succeed. When you chant daimoku it is what you are thinking and feeling that is being projected into the universe. And, be! cause the Law is impartial, you have free will.
It is like a mirror. So, if you change your prayer unknowingly, then the Law accepts that as what you want. It is non judgemental.
So it is your responsibility, if you want something, to hold that prayer and not allow that negvative voice to discourage you, because you start compromising and before you know it, you have given up on the prayer. Once you set your determination don't compromise. Buddhism is win or lose. It is not compromise. Compromise is something you have done all of your life.
So set the determination and chant daimoku for that. Once you set the determination, how you get it and all that becomes the Gohonzon's responsibility to work it out. Your responsibility is to hold to the prayer without being swayed internally or externally.
It is important every morning to chant to manifest Buddhahood. That's the primary point, because if we cannot manifest Buddhahood, then we cannot have ! much effect with our prayers anyway. If you do not understand this poi nt, you will spend all of your time just chanting for what you want.
What is important, too, is the concept that you have a Buddha nature. Life itself is Buddha. Our whole life is Buddha. Everything born into this world is Buddha. We must not allow ourselves to think of this Buddha nature as something outside of ourselves. It is one and it is inseparable. The Gohonzon is an external object, but it is a
catalyst to bring forth Buddhahood from the depths of life. The Buddhahood within us, and that which embodies the Gohonzon, is the same reality. It looks like two separate things, but the unchanging, eternal truth is BUDDHA IS LIFE ITSELF. YOU ARE BUDDHA NOW. When you realize this, you start to appreciate and recognize the dignity
and the power and the unlimited aspects of your life.
This means YOU ARE THE BUDDHA IN CHARGE OF YOUR OWN LIFE, no one else. You can make life what you want it to be, NOT what the environment would like it to be. When you realize ! that your life is Buddha, when you transfer that to a feeling, that is ICHINEN SANZEN. Then you can draw forth that power to transform or create a
Buddha's land where you stand. It is not some place else, or in the future.
The past is just a dream, no matter how good or bad it was; nothing more than a dream. The future is nothing more than imagination, either positive or negative imagination. In and of itself it has no existence. THE ESSENCE OF
LIFE -- WHICH IS MYO -- IS ETERNAL AND UNCHANGING. THE MORE THAT YOU REALIZE YOUR LIFE IS BUDDHA, THEN THE MORE CONVICTION YOU'LL HAVE IN YOUR DAIMOKU.
The ultimate ichinen of the Gohnozon is to make the people of any given world equal to themselves. That's why a Buddha appears, to allow all people to open the palace of their own enlightenment and wisdom. If you do not understand this, you are like beggars chanting. At some point, the Gohonzon will cease to answer your prayers,
because if you continue this way, you! cannot attain enlightenment. You are missing the whole point. What yo u feel about the Gohonzon, you can feel about the living Gohonzon inside of yourself.
Buddhism is vertical. This present moment is infinite and unlimited and eternal.
There comes a point where you consciously have to start working out your own enlightenment. You cannot just drift along. You could practice all your life still looking at it the wrong way, but by consciously being aware, you can perceive that your life itself is Buddha. YOU MUST PERCEIVE THE NATURE OF YOUR OWN LIFE. If you cannot
realize this, then every time a problem comes up you suffer. You feel hopeless and helpless. But, when you realize your life IS Buddha, then whenever a problem comes up great confidence or conviction arises -- 'Because my life IS Buddha, I can transform this into a great benefit.'
When you deepen the conviction that your life itself is the entity of Buddha just as you are now -- not when you become some perfect being -- then when something comes up you can feel no f! ear or anxiety. It is just another opportunity to transform it into a greater benefit and transform suffering into joy. Supreme optimist, she/he has no
fear of the future, no regret of the past. Your life is Buddha. You can transform anything and make any situation manifest it's latent Buddhahood. So, even in a situation of hell, because you have this deep conviction that your life
itself is Buddha, you manifest that conviction and the Buddhahood innate within that phenomena or situation rises up to match that. ~ End
Guidance from vice president Tsuji 'Correct attitude in prayer = change in destiny'
Once you make a determination that you are going to succeed with a wonderful opportunity, then you have to guard your inner, subjective world against the onslaught or the suble insinuations of the negative voices, 'Nothing's going to change, it's always going to be the same.' If you are susceptible to that, which most of us are until we're
strong enough inside to deflect those voices automatically, you listen to them. And you allow them to influence you. The longer you listen, the more it erodes your prayer. So, internally, you start replacing your prayer. At some point, you start to agree with the negative voice, because that's what most people have always done most of their
lives.At that point, your prayer becomes NOT to succeed. When you chant daimoku it is what you are thinking and feeling that is being projected into the universe. And, be! cause the Law is impartial, you have free will.
It is like a mirror. So, if you change your prayer unknowingly, then the Law accepts that as what you want. It is non judgemental.
So it is your responsibility, if you want something, to hold that prayer and not allow that negvative voice to discourage you, because you start compromising and before you know it, you have given up on the prayer. Once you set your determination don't compromise. Buddhism is win or lose. It is not compromise. Compromise is something you have done all of your life.
So set the determination and chant daimoku for that. Once you set the determination, how you get it and all that becomes the Gohonzon's responsibility to work it out. Your responsibility is to hold to the prayer without being swayed internally or externally.
It is important every morning to chant to manifest Buddhahood. That's the primary point, because if we cannot manifest Buddhahood, then we cannot have ! much effect with our prayers anyway. If you do not understand this poi nt, you will spend all of your time just chanting for what you want.
What is important, too, is the concept that you have a Buddha nature. Life itself is Buddha. Our whole life is Buddha. Everything born into this world is Buddha. We must not allow ourselves to think of this Buddha nature as something outside of ourselves. It is one and it is inseparable. The Gohonzon is an external object, but it is a
catalyst to bring forth Buddhahood from the depths of life. The Buddhahood within us, and that which embodies the Gohonzon, is the same reality. It looks like two separate things, but the unchanging, eternal truth is BUDDHA IS LIFE ITSELF. YOU ARE BUDDHA NOW. When you realize this, you start to appreciate and recognize the dignity
and the power and the unlimited aspects of your life.
This means YOU ARE THE BUDDHA IN CHARGE OF YOUR OWN LIFE, no one else. You can make life what you want it to be, NOT what the environment would like it to be. When you realize ! that your life is Buddha, when you transfer that to a feeling, that is ICHINEN SANZEN. Then you can draw forth that power to transform or create a
Buddha's land where you stand. It is not some place else, or in the future.
The past is just a dream, no matter how good or bad it was; nothing more than a dream. The future is nothing more than imagination, either positive or negative imagination. In and of itself it has no existence. THE ESSENCE OF
LIFE -- WHICH IS MYO -- IS ETERNAL AND UNCHANGING. THE MORE THAT YOU REALIZE YOUR LIFE IS BUDDHA, THEN THE MORE CONVICTION YOU'LL HAVE IN YOUR DAIMOKU.
The ultimate ichinen of the Gohnozon is to make the people of any given world equal to themselves. That's why a Buddha appears, to allow all people to open the palace of their own enlightenment and wisdom. If you do not understand this, you are like beggars chanting. At some point, the Gohonzon will cease to answer your prayers,
because if you continue this way, you! cannot attain enlightenment. You are missing the whole point. What yo u feel about the Gohonzon, you can feel about the living Gohonzon inside of yourself.
Buddhism is vertical. This present moment is infinite and unlimited and eternal.
There comes a point where you consciously have to start working out your own enlightenment. You cannot just drift along. You could practice all your life still looking at it the wrong way, but by consciously being aware, you can perceive that your life itself is Buddha. YOU MUST PERCEIVE THE NATURE OF YOUR OWN LIFE. If you cannot
realize this, then every time a problem comes up you suffer. You feel hopeless and helpless. But, when you realize your life IS Buddha, then whenever a problem comes up great confidence or conviction arises -- 'Because my life IS Buddha, I can transform this into a great benefit.'
When you deepen the conviction that your life itself is the entity of Buddha just as you are now -- not when you become some perfect being -- then when something comes up you can feel no f! ear or anxiety. It is just another opportunity to transform it into a greater benefit and transform suffering into joy. Supreme optimist, she/he has no
fear of the future, no regret of the past. Your life is Buddha. You can transform anything and make any situation manifest it's latent Buddhahood. So, even in a situation of hell, because you have this deep conviction that your life
itself is Buddha, you manifest that conviction and the Buddhahood innate within that phenomena or situation rises up to match that. ~ End
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