Free Nichiren Buddhism
Hi. I've been building pages to get more of the "old" BuddhaJones material online. Coming soon. Here's a space for you to post whatever is on your mind.
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11 comments
Brooke, I found a new label for you. This story in The Denver Post might interest you:
I just noticed the link in the upper right corner for the Practice Primer. Looks good.
I'd like to hear some thoughts about what exactly makes a Nichiren Buddhist a Nichiren Buddhist.I'd say that if you chant daimoku (whether nam or namu) to a Nichiren-inscribed Gohonzon, then you are a Nichiren Buddhist.What do you think? Are more criteria necessary?
Mai ji sa ze nen. I ga ryo shujo. Toku nyu mu-jo do. Soku joju busshin."This is my constant thought:how I can cause all living beingsto gain entry to the highest Wayand quickly attain Buddhahood."Constant thought must also be turned into action.Three times he patted the bodhisattvas and mahasattvas on the head and spoke these words: "For immeasurable hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of asamkhya kalpas I have practiced this hard-to-attain Law of anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Now I entrust it to you. You must accept, uphold, recite, and broadly propagate this Law, causing all living beings everywhere to hear and understand it. Why? Because the Thus Come One has great pity and compassion. He is in no way stingy or begrudging, nor has he any fear. He is able to bestow on living beings the wisdom of the Buddha, the wisdom of the Thus Come One, the wisdom that comes of itself. The Thus Come One is a great giver of gifts to all living beings. You for your part should respond by studying this Law of the Thus Come One. You must not be stingy or begrudging."In future ages if there are good man and good women who have faith in the wisdom of the Thus Come One, you should preach and expound the Lotus Sutra for them., so that others may hear and understand it. For in this way you can cause them to gain the Buddha wisdom. If there are living beings who do not believe or accept it, you should use some of the other profound doctrines of the Thus Come One to teach, benefit and bring joy to them. If you do all this, then you will have repaid the debt of gratitude that you owe to the Buddha."When the bodhisattvas and mahasattvas heard the Buddhas speak these words, they all experienced a great joy that filled their bodies. With even greater reverence than before, they bent their bodies, bowed their heads, pressed their palms together and, facing the Buddha, raised their voices in unison, saying: "We will respectfully carry out all these things just as the World-Honored One has commanded. We beg the World-Honored One to have no concern on this account!"
What are the views of readers concerning The Lotus Sutra. How do they see it?What is their view of its place in Nichiren Buddhism?
Habile, I agree that this is a crucial point.The question is, what action is appropriate? Does it vary according to circumstances? Is reading, reciting, copying and communicating the sutra sufficient action?Some chanters repeat the axiom, "chant and take action." I had a teacher who said that chanting is the action. It's enough to chant and live your life.Maybe appropriate action naturally arises when your constant thought is "how I can cause all living beings to gain entry to the highest Way and quickly attain Buddhahood."Honestly, if this were my constant thought, i would probably live my life differently.
I have been re-reading Opening the Heart of the Cosmos: Insights on the Lotus Sutra by Thich Nhat Hanh. Amazon link. I recommend it. It's the most practical and non-dogmatic commentary I've found about the Lotus Sutra. I'll post a diary about it when I get a chance.
Is three any chance we can get some of the flash videos? I particularly enjoyed the "action figures", although I understand that's a reference to a particular group.Talk to you all later, Byrd in LA
I'm working on this. The movies were made with a very old generation of Flash, apparently. I am trying to update them and put them on YouTube. It's possible that I can get the artists to do updated versions or maybe even produce new clips for our forthcoming Cinema of Slander. Can't promise anything right now however.
Is this going to be like a festival? Will there be awards? We handed out awards for Greatest Betrayer this past year on the Buddhist Lampoon board at Yahoo! Don Ross won for his posting of mandala Gohonzons online.I really think you need to consider having prizes. A Palme de Merde or something like that.Byrd in LA
I have an infrequently updated blog where I've posted some humourous Buddhist stuff.http://www.morzh.com/wordpress