“Exert yourself in the two ways of practice and study. Without practice and study, there can be no Buddhism. You must not only persevere yourself; you must also teach others. Both practice and study arise from faith. Teach others to the best of your ability, even if only a single sentence or phrase.”
Nichiren Daishonin wrote the letter (of which this is an extract) in May 1273 on the island of Sado and sent it to one of his disciples, Sairen-bo. Sairen-bo was a learned priest who had formerly belonged to the Tendai sect, but he was drawn to the Daishonin’s noble character and became his disciple around February 1272. He followed his new teacher’s guidance faithfully, and out of his profound desire for understanding, asked the Daishonin to explain some fundamental Buddhist doctrines. In answer, the Daishonin wrote such important letters as “Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life”, “The Oral Teachings”, and “On the Attainment of Buddhahood by Insentient Beings”. “The True Entity of Life” is another of these letters. Its title comes from the phrases shoho jisso, or ‘the true entity of all phenomena”, which appears in the second chapter of the Lotus Sutra. Rather than giving a purely literal explanation, the Daishonin clarified the profound meaning of this phrase from the view point of his own enlightenment.
The passage above appears in the concluding section of the “The True Entity of Life” and explains the fundamental path of faith and practice for all followers of Nichiren Daishonin. As SGI members, we carry out the fundamentals of faith, practice and study just as the Daishonin taught us.
The three elements of faith, practice and study are actually inseparable. In this passage, however, Nichiren Daishonin with great insight draws a distinction between faith on the one hand and practice and study on the other. By doing so, he teaches us to base all our actions, including practice and study, on our faith in the Gohonzon.
I believe that one of his reasons for distinguishing faith from study and practice can be grasped from the sentence preceding aforementioned passage. It states:
“Believe in the Gohonzon, the supreme object of worship in the world. Forge strong faith and receive the protection of Shakyamuni, Taho and all the other Buddhas.”
If your faith in the Gohonzon is strong and profound, you will enjoy the protection of all the Buddhas in the universe. For this reason, it is important to maintain faith wholeheartedly, day by day, month after month and year after year.
In a similar vein, Nichikan Shonin, the 26th High Priest of Nichiren Shoshu, writes in the Threefold Secret Teaching that, “Strong faith in the Lotus Sutra is in itself Buddhahood”.
Both this quotation and the passage I just cited suggest that the purpose of our constant practice and study is to strengthen our faith in the Gohonzon. In conclusion, faith is deepened through practice and study, and at the same time, practice and study should be based on faith. We must understand this relationship and bear it in mind.
“Exert yourself in the two ways of practice and study”.
Practice and Study are like the two wheels of a cart or the two wings of a bird. Sometimes you may find it very difficult to continue both practice and study, but both are essential aspects of Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism. As long as we pursue practice and study, we advance steadily towards the individual goal of attaining Buddhahood and the common goal of Kosen rufu. Some people may want to keep faith by themselves. However, it is not easy for someone practicing alone to make constant efforts up until the last moment of his life to strengthen his practice and study. This is why we need an organization in which we encourage each other. Moreover, in order to promote our noble goal of kosen rufu and foster the unity of many in body, one in mind, we must maintain close communication amongst ourselves.
Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism is not theoretical but actual. By this I mean that it is found in the three specific elements of faith in the Gohonzon, the practice of Gongyo and Shakubuku and the study of Daishonin’s teachings. By developing these three, we show clearly to others the way by which all people can attain true happiness.
Those who practice, but neglect study cannot explain this Buddhism convincingly or lead others to it. They will not only fail to fulfill their responsibility of propagating the great law but may even cause people to disrespect it.
On the other hand, those who devote themselves to study without practice cannot obtain real benefit. No matter how much they may know about the writings of Nichiren Daishonin, they cannot draw great good fortune from the Mystic Law. The ultimate aim of Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism lies in attaining Buddhahood, and for this, practice is indispensible. One who boasts of his knowledge of Buddhism and finds self satisfaction in the study of abstract theory alone is no longer a Buddhist, much less a follower of Nichiren Daishonin. Many people of this sort neglect practice and make no effort to transmit the law into society or into the future. They assume a critical attitude towards those who embrace the Lotus Sutra, thereby creating bad karma for themselves.
Practice is divided into two: practice for oneself and practice for others. Simply stated, the former means to do Gongyo and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo; the latter means to do shakubuku and spread faith in the Gohonzon. These are the fundamental disciplines of Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism. When you read the letters of Daishonin, you will find that some emphasize practice for oneself while others emphasize practice for others. “The True Object of Worship” written in April 1273, explains the Gohonzon theoretically, and reveals the path of enlightenment, setting forth the principle that embracing the Gohonzon is in itself attaining Buddhahood. It deals primarily with practice for oneself. However, ‘On Practicing the Buddha’s Teaching’, which was written in the following month, urges us to carry out practice for others, that is shakubuku.
In essence, as the Daishonin clearly declares in “The Three Great Secret Laws”:
“Now in the latter day of the law, the daimoku (i.e. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo) which Nichiren chants is different from that of previous ages. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo entails practice both for oneself and others.”
In short, one who courageously devotes himself to practice both for himself and for the benefit of other people, can be said to have strong and correct faith.
Of course, the most fundamental practice is to do Gongyo and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the Gohonzon. However, we sometimes find people who self righteously insist that because embracing the Gohonzon is in itself attaining Buddhahood, they need not practice Shakubuku to lead others to the Gohonzon, I want you to understand that such people lack compassion.
When we feel joy in faith and gratitude for the Gohonzon’s boundless mercy, that joy will be reflected in our daily lives and spread outwards into the society. At the same time, we will quite naturally desire to share our joy with others. All sincere efforts based on this desire produce great benefit, serve to deepen our faith and are definitely linked to the spread of Buddhism.
From another viewpoint, we do shakubuku and propagate this teaching because we wish to help people overcome their unhappiness. Fundamentally, people are unhappy because, ignorant of the Gohonzon which is the enlightenment of Nichiren Daishonin and the essence of all Buddhism, they live trapped in the six lower worlds and cannot overcome the sufferings of birth and death. They do not realize that the storms of the nine worlds are coming and think they are safe, when in reality they base their happiness on relatively transient and superficial things.
There is a widespread misunderstanding that religious faith is only a matter of a human being’s inner world, or that a religious person is one who withdraws to some quiet place and devotes himself to contemplation. If this were the case, religion would be too egoistic. As long as faith remains limited to one’s inner world, its significance will not be great. It should spread outwards and influence the realities of life and society. This is the meaning of Nichiren Daishonin’s ‘Rissho Ankoku Ron’. It is precisely because our faith can positively influence the environment that we dedicate ourselves to the cause of Kosen rufu.
The practice of shakubuku further strengthens the pillar of faith in your heart. Propagating the eternal and universal law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is an action of mercy, justice and conviction. In terms of time, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is eternal, and in terms of space, it pervades the entire universe. Therefore, our activities to propagate this Law will definitely contribute to lasting world peace and human welfare. In this sense, our Buddhist movement is laying the groundwork for peace and culture at the most fundamental level.
Source: The Buddhism of the Sun (Pg.109-112)
Showing posts with label Buddhist View of Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Buddhist View of Life. Show all posts
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Oneness of Life and its Environment - A Fundamental Concept of Buddhism
People live in different environments. Although one's environment may appear to look the same, there are always slight changes that take place from day to day. It is also true that one person may look at something and feel differently from another person.
For example, there are people who may look at an apple falling from a tree and be reminded of Newton’s law of gravity. There are others who may think of it as being delicious. There could also be merchants who may think of how much it could be sold for.
As ten people have ten different views, every person has his or her own unique way of perceiving things. People create their own lives spurred on by their environments. In this sense, people cannot exist without the environment in which they live and the environment cannot exist without them.
Buddhism looks into this relationship between life and its environment and explains the principle of Esho Funi (The Oneness of Life and its Environment). Esho is the combination of the first syllables of Eho and Shoho. Shoho denotes a living being and eho its environment on which it is dependent for its life activities and survival.
Funi is short for nini-funi, which means two in phenomenon but not two in essence. Esho Funi means that life and its environment are two independent phenomenon but one in their fundamental essence.
Ho of shoho and eho also means reward or effect. It indicates that life constitutes a subjective self that experiences the effect of its past actions, and its environment is an objective realm in which the individual’s karmic reward finds expression. Each living being has its own unique environment. The effects of karma appear in oneself and in one’s objective environment because the self and environment are two integral aspects of an individual.
Man and his environment are inseparable, but Esho Funi as a concept goes further than just denoting the inseparable relationship between the two. Oneness of life and its environment is a principle that shows how people can influence and reform their environment through inner change, or the elevation of their life condition. Contained within is the idea that just as the environment influences the individual, the individual can also effect a change in the environment.
We are integrated with and live in harmony with our environment. In turn, we form our own unique existence in accordance with the laws of individualization, and each one of us shapes an individual environment that is compatible to oneself. Each of us has an environment and all are essentially distinct so we all relate to our surroundings differently. The way we see the environment differs depending on our life condition and circumstances.
An environment is a reflection of the inner life of the individual living within it. It takes on characteristics which accord with the life condition of the person in question. In other words, life extends its influence into the surroundings.
Nichiren Daishonin states in the Gosho: “The ten directions are the environment and the living beings are life. To illustrate, environment is like the shadow and life the body. Without the body, no shadow can exist, and without life no environment. In the same way life is shaped by its environments.” (WND-1, Pg. 644).
He also writes in ‘On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime’: “If the minds of living beings are impure, their land is also impure, but if their minds are pure, so is their land. There are not two lands, pure or impure in themselves. The difference lies solely in the good or evil of our minds.” (WND-1, Pg. 4).
Whether we turn the land that we live in (environment) into a pure and rich world or into an impure land full of suffering all depends on our own life. Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism enables us to transform the place where we are now into a ‘Land of Eternally Tranquil Light’ and there construct a palace of happiness. In order to do that, we have to dramatically transform our own life condition. When we change our own state of life our environment will naturally start changing as well. This is the principle of the oneness of life and its environment. A grand palace of happiness exists within our own heart. Faith is the key that opens the door to that palace.
For example, there are people who may look at an apple falling from a tree and be reminded of Newton’s law of gravity. There are others who may think of it as being delicious. There could also be merchants who may think of how much it could be sold for.
As ten people have ten different views, every person has his or her own unique way of perceiving things. People create their own lives spurred on by their environments. In this sense, people cannot exist without the environment in which they live and the environment cannot exist without them.
Buddhism looks into this relationship between life and its environment and explains the principle of Esho Funi (The Oneness of Life and its Environment). Esho is the combination of the first syllables of Eho and Shoho. Shoho denotes a living being and eho its environment on which it is dependent for its life activities and survival.
Funi is short for nini-funi, which means two in phenomenon but not two in essence. Esho Funi means that life and its environment are two independent phenomenon but one in their fundamental essence.
Ho of shoho and eho also means reward or effect. It indicates that life constitutes a subjective self that experiences the effect of its past actions, and its environment is an objective realm in which the individual’s karmic reward finds expression. Each living being has its own unique environment. The effects of karma appear in oneself and in one’s objective environment because the self and environment are two integral aspects of an individual.
Man and his environment are inseparable, but Esho Funi as a concept goes further than just denoting the inseparable relationship between the two. Oneness of life and its environment is a principle that shows how people can influence and reform their environment through inner change, or the elevation of their life condition. Contained within is the idea that just as the environment influences the individual, the individual can also effect a change in the environment.
We are integrated with and live in harmony with our environment. In turn, we form our own unique existence in accordance with the laws of individualization, and each one of us shapes an individual environment that is compatible to oneself. Each of us has an environment and all are essentially distinct so we all relate to our surroundings differently. The way we see the environment differs depending on our life condition and circumstances.
An environment is a reflection of the inner life of the individual living within it. It takes on characteristics which accord with the life condition of the person in question. In other words, life extends its influence into the surroundings.
Nichiren Daishonin states in the Gosho: “The ten directions are the environment and the living beings are life. To illustrate, environment is like the shadow and life the body. Without the body, no shadow can exist, and without life no environment. In the same way life is shaped by its environments.” (WND-1, Pg. 644).
He also writes in ‘On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime’: “If the minds of living beings are impure, their land is also impure, but if their minds are pure, so is their land. There are not two lands, pure or impure in themselves. The difference lies solely in the good or evil of our minds.” (WND-1, Pg. 4).
Whether we turn the land that we live in (environment) into a pure and rich world or into an impure land full of suffering all depends on our own life. Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism enables us to transform the place where we are now into a ‘Land of Eternally Tranquil Light’ and there construct a palace of happiness. In order to do that, we have to dramatically transform our own life condition. When we change our own state of life our environment will naturally start changing as well. This is the principle of the oneness of life and its environment. A grand palace of happiness exists within our own heart. Faith is the key that opens the door to that palace.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Guidances for Youth from President Ikeda: FINDING YOUR MISSION
Question: How do I discover my mission in life?
Answer (President Ikeda): First, I want to repeat that you do not find it by standing still. What's important is that you challenge yourself in something, it does not matter what. Then by making most consistent effort, the direction you should take, will open up before you naturally. It's important, therefore, to have the courage to ask yourself what you should be doing now, this very moment.
The key, in other words, is to climb the mountain that is right before you. As you ascend its slopes, you will develop your muscles, increasing your strength and endurance. Such training will enable you to challenge still higher mountains. It is vital that you continue to make such efforts.
Climb the mountain in front of you. When you reach the summit, wide new horizons will stretch out before you. Little by little, you will understand your mission.
Those who remember they have a unique mission are the strong ones. Whatever their problems, they will never be defeated. They can transform all of their problems into catalysts for growth towards a hope filled future.
Life is about scaling one mountain, and then facing the next one, followed by the one after that. Those who persevere and finally succeed in conquering the highest mountain are victors in life. On the other hand, those who avoid such challenges and take the easy route, descending into valleys, will end in defeat. To put it simply, we have two choices in life: We can either climb the mountain before us, or descend into the valley.
Source: 'The Way of Youth - Buddhist Common Sense for Handling Life's Questions (Pg. 92)'
Answer (President Ikeda): First, I want to repeat that you do not find it by standing still. What's important is that you challenge yourself in something, it does not matter what. Then by making most consistent effort, the direction you should take, will open up before you naturally. It's important, therefore, to have the courage to ask yourself what you should be doing now, this very moment.
The key, in other words, is to climb the mountain that is right before you. As you ascend its slopes, you will develop your muscles, increasing your strength and endurance. Such training will enable you to challenge still higher mountains. It is vital that you continue to make such efforts.
Climb the mountain in front of you. When you reach the summit, wide new horizons will stretch out before you. Little by little, you will understand your mission.
Those who remember they have a unique mission are the strong ones. Whatever their problems, they will never be defeated. They can transform all of their problems into catalysts for growth towards a hope filled future.
Life is about scaling one mountain, and then facing the next one, followed by the one after that. Those who persevere and finally succeed in conquering the highest mountain are victors in life. On the other hand, those who avoid such challenges and take the easy route, descending into valleys, will end in defeat. To put it simply, we have two choices in life: We can either climb the mountain before us, or descend into the valley.
Source: 'The Way of Youth - Buddhist Common Sense for Handling Life's Questions (Pg. 92)'
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Lessening One's Karmic Retribution
Experiencing The Effects of Bad Karma To A Lesser Degree
The Significance of Faith That Can Overcome Any Difficulty
Just as all people look different, no two people can have the same physical or psychological characteristics. Some may be gifted with talent while others are not. Some may be wise while others may be foolish. In the same way, some may be wealthy while others may be poor. Yet, such innate differences are not things that one may choose when born into this life.
Although one may exert the same amount of effort, he may not be as fortunate as another.
This helplessness of life is generally referred to as destiny. People vaguely think of fate and destiny when they realize there are so many differences between themselves and others or when they are confronted with difficulties in the course of life.
A true religion should serve to resolve the problem of fate while bringing forth the courage, power and wisdom to challenge such difficulties to bring out happiness in one's life. What is the Buddhist view of fate and destiny?
First of all, let's have a look at the Buddhist view of life and death. Buddhism teaches that the cycle of birth and death repeats itself constantly in the three existences of past, present and future. Only upon realization of this eternity of life is one able to understand correctly the concept of fate and destiny.
Nichiren Daishonin wrote a thesis called ''The Opening of the Eyes" which consists of two volumes. In this thesis, the Daishonin quotes a passage from the Shinjikan Sutra which reads, "If you want to understand the causes that existed in the past, look at the results as they are manifested in the present. And, if you want to understand what results will be manifested in the future, look at the causes that exist in the present." (MW 2, 197-198)
This passage teaches us that fate is not something given to us by God or some other supreme being, but rather it is entirely up to us to decide our own fate. This means that whatever effect one may experience in life is completely due to the causes that one has accumulated in the past. Furthermore, whatever causes created at present will serve to determine the future. The factors that constitute fate and destiny are called karma in Buddhism.
When doing the same thing continuously for long periods of time, it becomes second nature without our realizing it. Karma works in the same way, it is habits and behavioral patterns that have been accumulated through one's behavior from the distant past up to the present.
Accumulating Good Causes Is Just Like Saving Money In A Bank Account
The concept of destiny, or karma, can be better understood when thought of in terms of an account book that records all our 'behavior. This account may at times be in the red while at other times it may be in the black. If the account of our life is negative, we must put a lot of effort into resolving the situation. The lessening of karmic retribution is a Buddhist principle that teaches the way to resolve such situations in life.
This principle of lessening karmic retribution is taught in the Nirvana Sutra. Nichiren Daishonin explains this principle as follows, "If one's heavy karma from the past is not expiated within this lifetime, he must undergo the sufferings of hell in the future, but if he experiences extreme hardship in this life, the sufferings of hell will vanish instantly." (MW 1, 17)
Developing The Strength To Vanquish The Evil Sins In One's Life
Thus how can we lessen our karmic retribution? “The Letter from Sado” quotes a passage the Hatsunaion Sutra that reads, “lt is due to the blessings obtained by protecting the Law that one can diminish in this lifetime his suffering and retribution." (MW 1, 40) The blessings obtained by protecting the Law refer to the act of embracing the Gohonzon, chanting daimoku as well as the actions one takes for the sake of kosen-rufu. Even though one may have created karma heavy enough to experience sufferings for countless lifetimes, by believing in the Gohonzon and by practicing Buddhism, one is able not only to diminish the sufferings but also to vanquish them completely. The great benefit of changing one's karma is made known in this way in the “Letter from Sado."
Why are we able to change our karma by taking faith in the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin? This is because Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the one and only pure Law that penetrates the origin of life and the universe and is deeper than the dimension of life that generates karma. When drawing out this karma from within one's life, one is able to eradicate all tendencies that have been produced by karma created in the past.
Of course, the process of changing karma is not an easy task. It certainly requires tremendous hardship. To change negative karma or the filth in one's life, one must first get out the dirt before getting rid of it. Hardships will thus appear as the filth which enables one to eradicate one’s negative karma through the practice of the Mystic Law. Only by overcoming such difficulties is one able to achieve true happiness and growth in one's life.
When we confront hardships in life, we must have firm conviction that each one is the chance to change our karma and put the principle of lessening karmic retribution into effect. This kind of practice leads to human revolution.
(Source: Buddhist Studies, Pg: 11-13)
The Significance of Faith That Can Overcome Any Difficulty
Just as all people look different, no two people can have the same physical or psychological characteristics. Some may be gifted with talent while others are not. Some may be wise while others may be foolish. In the same way, some may be wealthy while others may be poor. Yet, such innate differences are not things that one may choose when born into this life.
Although one may exert the same amount of effort, he may not be as fortunate as another.
This helplessness of life is generally referred to as destiny. People vaguely think of fate and destiny when they realize there are so many differences between themselves and others or when they are confronted with difficulties in the course of life.
A true religion should serve to resolve the problem of fate while bringing forth the courage, power and wisdom to challenge such difficulties to bring out happiness in one's life. What is the Buddhist view of fate and destiny?
First of all, let's have a look at the Buddhist view of life and death. Buddhism teaches that the cycle of birth and death repeats itself constantly in the three existences of past, present and future. Only upon realization of this eternity of life is one able to understand correctly the concept of fate and destiny.
Nichiren Daishonin wrote a thesis called ''The Opening of the Eyes" which consists of two volumes. In this thesis, the Daishonin quotes a passage from the Shinjikan Sutra which reads, "If you want to understand the causes that existed in the past, look at the results as they are manifested in the present. And, if you want to understand what results will be manifested in the future, look at the causes that exist in the present." (MW 2, 197-198)
This passage teaches us that fate is not something given to us by God or some other supreme being, but rather it is entirely up to us to decide our own fate. This means that whatever effect one may experience in life is completely due to the causes that one has accumulated in the past. Furthermore, whatever causes created at present will serve to determine the future. The factors that constitute fate and destiny are called karma in Buddhism.
When doing the same thing continuously for long periods of time, it becomes second nature without our realizing it. Karma works in the same way, it is habits and behavioral patterns that have been accumulated through one's behavior from the distant past up to the present.
Accumulating Good Causes Is Just Like Saving Money In A Bank Account
The concept of destiny, or karma, can be better understood when thought of in terms of an account book that records all our 'behavior. This account may at times be in the red while at other times it may be in the black. If the account of our life is negative, we must put a lot of effort into resolving the situation. The lessening of karmic retribution is a Buddhist principle that teaches the way to resolve such situations in life.
This principle of lessening karmic retribution is taught in the Nirvana Sutra. Nichiren Daishonin explains this principle as follows, "If one's heavy karma from the past is not expiated within this lifetime, he must undergo the sufferings of hell in the future, but if he experiences extreme hardship in this life, the sufferings of hell will vanish instantly." (MW 1, 17)
Developing The Strength To Vanquish The Evil Sins In One's Life
Thus how can we lessen our karmic retribution? “The Letter from Sado” quotes a passage the Hatsunaion Sutra that reads, “lt is due to the blessings obtained by protecting the Law that one can diminish in this lifetime his suffering and retribution." (MW 1, 40) The blessings obtained by protecting the Law refer to the act of embracing the Gohonzon, chanting daimoku as well as the actions one takes for the sake of kosen-rufu. Even though one may have created karma heavy enough to experience sufferings for countless lifetimes, by believing in the Gohonzon and by practicing Buddhism, one is able not only to diminish the sufferings but also to vanquish them completely. The great benefit of changing one's karma is made known in this way in the “Letter from Sado."
Why are we able to change our karma by taking faith in the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin? This is because Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the one and only pure Law that penetrates the origin of life and the universe and is deeper than the dimension of life that generates karma. When drawing out this karma from within one's life, one is able to eradicate all tendencies that have been produced by karma created in the past.
Of course, the process of changing karma is not an easy task. It certainly requires tremendous hardship. To change negative karma or the filth in one's life, one must first get out the dirt before getting rid of it. Hardships will thus appear as the filth which enables one to eradicate one’s negative karma through the practice of the Mystic Law. Only by overcoming such difficulties is one able to achieve true happiness and growth in one's life.
When we confront hardships in life, we must have firm conviction that each one is the chance to change our karma and put the principle of lessening karmic retribution into effect. This kind of practice leads to human revolution.
(Source: Buddhist Studies, Pg: 11-13)
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Always Seeking the Law Within Ourselves
Through his writings, the Daishonin emphasizes that the key to realizing a great transformation which lies in our “heart” is nothing else but our Ichinen or our inner resolve. This admonition is extremely strict, because it means if we ever forget this fundamental point, we will be unable to attain enlightenment and that once we become negligent in renewing our determination, our practice of chanting diamoku will not bring about the beneficial power inherent within the mystic law.
No matter how much or how long we have been practicing Nichiren Daishonin`s Buddhism, if we are in fact seeking the law outside ourselves, then it could be said that we are in danger of lapsing into a non- Buddhist approach to life. You may think that this is unlikely, but actually it can happen to anyone of us. President Ikeda says that we should never forget the Daishonin's strict admonition that "you must never think that (any of the eighty thousand sacred teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha`s lifetime or any of the Buddhas and the bodhisattvas of the ten directions and three existences) are outside yourself ".
The practice for chantimg Diamoku is meant for attaining Buddhahood in this life time by manifesting the mystic truth that is inherent in all people. Since it is the way to enable all living beings to attain Buddhahood, no other practice is more wondrous. However once we lose sight of the wonderful, mystic truth within us, we will also loose sight of the essential message of the Buddhism – that of enabling every person to attain Buddhahood. We will then find ourselves in effect practicing an “ outer, non- Buddhist way”. For this reason, Nichiren Daishonin strictly warns against the attitude of looking for solutions outside yourselves.
Seeking the law outside yourself means that you are defeated by your fundamental darkness.
The foundation of our practice lies in opening up our innate Buddha nature for which we need to engage in a constant inner struggle. If we allow ourselves to be defeated by the functions of the three obstacles and four devils, then we will not be able to attain Buddhahood in this life time .
If we engage in this battle, then we can bring forth from within us the wisdom and insight of a Buddha, gaining control over our fundamental darkness. However, once we stop fighting, our inherent fundamental delusion will obscure our Buddha nature, strengthening our innate five poison of Greed, Anger, Foolishness, Arrogance and Doubt. This is exactly what had happens to us when we think that the law is outside ourselves.
Examples of wrong attitude in faith
President Ikeda enumerates five erroneous attitude in faith,which are in sharp contrast to seeking the law within ourselves :
1. Shifting responsibility to others:
The purpose of this practice of faith lies in establishing within us an indomitable self that is as solid and dauntless as Himalayas.However if we forget about the original purpose of the faith we can veer off the correct course and thus end up seeking the law outside ourselves.For instance ,though you may chant diamoku,if you pray while blaming others or your environment,making them out to be bad ,you are actually avoiding dealing with your own fundamental delusions – in other words ,you Are seeking the law outside yourself .This means you are offering prayers to the Gohonzon while keeping your fundamental darkness intact. This type of prayer is no different from tring to scoop up water with a strainer .It stands to reason that your situation will not improve ,no matter how much time goes by .
2. Escapism:
When one depends upon the external forces, such as a God or a Buddha, or some kind of supernatural power to fulfil one's wishes then one is escaping from reality, that is, one is trying to escape or is not confronting something and one does not want to face their individual problems. This type of attitude in faith is typical example of trying to find the law or solution outside oneself.
In this kind of erroneous faith one is using faith as a cloak to hide away from actual problems. This attitude is comparable to the case where, in climbing a mountain, one just wanders aimlessly around in the foothills without taking the first step up the slope without which one cannot scale the mountain. It is important that we challenge our own problems; else we will never be able to develop ourselves enough to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime.
3. Disbelief, Grudges and Complaints:
If one suspects that the idea of Buddha nature is little more than mere theory or that nothing will really change, this basic disbelief will find expression as a prayer that is vague or lacks conviction. Such half hearted prayer can never function to transform our inchinen or life itself .
Grumbling or complaining are an expression of our general disbelief. Although we know that it is not good to complain it is still hard to restrain ourselves from complaining and having grudges.
It may be difficult for ordinary people to avoid complaining, but as practioners of the mystic law, we should be able to handle our inner negativity wisely, using it as a leverage for our further growth. In other words, President Ikeda says, “While you may not be completely free of grudges and complaints, as long as you are advancing forward you are alright.” It is vital to set our ichinen or solidify our determination. For example if one is going to shoot an arrow without a clear target, it is hard to pull the bowstring back to its fullest.
4. Ill feelings and resentments towards fellow members:
Disbelief in one’s own innate Buddhahood is problematic, but it is also equally problematic to fail to believe that Buddha nature exists in others as well. This is because negating the existence of Buddhahood within another’s life also means to follow the path of seeking the law outside oneself. Having ill feelings or jealousy towards fellow members and making slanderous remarks against them makes one a Non Buddhist. These are the causes by which we deny the Buddha nature inherent in our comrades.
As indicated, in The Heritage of Ultimate Law of Life, we cannot achieve the great goal of kosenrufu without the unity of Many in Body One in Mind. It is the devilish function or the fundamental darkness existing within oneself that prevents us from uniting with our fellow members or achieving harmonious unity.
5. Cowardice
We should never give in to cowardice. No matter what kind of trials and tribulations we may confront, we should never waver and continue to generate courage to challenge the situation. The power of Myo ho renge kyo is the force with which we can overcome any obstacles.
President Ikeda says, “Perceiving the devilish functions in life as they are and struggling without trying to escape reality – This is the way of life, that one who chants daimoku should choose”. Nichiren Daishonin writes, “The prayers that Nichiren and my disciples offer cannot be fulfilled if we were cowardly”.
By arousing courage based upon faith, we can dispel the heavy clouds of cowardice, darkness and delusions and be illuminated by the sun of the Mystic Law as the flower of MyoHo Renge Kyo comes to bloom in our life.
All the above mentioned life tendencies reflect the pattern where we seek the Law outside ourselves and these attitudes function to deepen and strengthen our innate fundamental darkness. Therefore what we need to do is exactly the opposite of all these five negative attitudes which is:
1) Faith with which we stand alone
2) Self Challenge
3) Conviction
4) Unity
5) Courage
The true and correct attitude that we must have is to seek the law within our life.
Source: Blue Deeper Than Indigo - Pg: 74 - 79 (Excerpt from the Explanation of the Gosho 'On Attaining Buddhahood in this Lifetime').
No matter how much or how long we have been practicing Nichiren Daishonin`s Buddhism, if we are in fact seeking the law outside ourselves, then it could be said that we are in danger of lapsing into a non- Buddhist approach to life. You may think that this is unlikely, but actually it can happen to anyone of us. President Ikeda says that we should never forget the Daishonin's strict admonition that "you must never think that (any of the eighty thousand sacred teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha`s lifetime or any of the Buddhas and the bodhisattvas of the ten directions and three existences) are outside yourself ".
The practice for chantimg Diamoku is meant for attaining Buddhahood in this life time by manifesting the mystic truth that is inherent in all people. Since it is the way to enable all living beings to attain Buddhahood, no other practice is more wondrous. However once we lose sight of the wonderful, mystic truth within us, we will also loose sight of the essential message of the Buddhism – that of enabling every person to attain Buddhahood. We will then find ourselves in effect practicing an “ outer, non- Buddhist way”. For this reason, Nichiren Daishonin strictly warns against the attitude of looking for solutions outside yourselves.
Seeking the law outside yourself means that you are defeated by your fundamental darkness.
The foundation of our practice lies in opening up our innate Buddha nature for which we need to engage in a constant inner struggle. If we allow ourselves to be defeated by the functions of the three obstacles and four devils, then we will not be able to attain Buddhahood in this life time .
If we engage in this battle, then we can bring forth from within us the wisdom and insight of a Buddha, gaining control over our fundamental darkness. However, once we stop fighting, our inherent fundamental delusion will obscure our Buddha nature, strengthening our innate five poison of Greed, Anger, Foolishness, Arrogance and Doubt. This is exactly what had happens to us when we think that the law is outside ourselves.
Examples of wrong attitude in faith
President Ikeda enumerates five erroneous attitude in faith,which are in sharp contrast to seeking the law within ourselves :
1. Shifting responsibility to others:
The purpose of this practice of faith lies in establishing within us an indomitable self that is as solid and dauntless as Himalayas.However if we forget about the original purpose of the faith we can veer off the correct course and thus end up seeking the law outside ourselves.For instance ,though you may chant diamoku,if you pray while blaming others or your environment,making them out to be bad ,you are actually avoiding dealing with your own fundamental delusions – in other words ,you Are seeking the law outside yourself .This means you are offering prayers to the Gohonzon while keeping your fundamental darkness intact. This type of prayer is no different from tring to scoop up water with a strainer .It stands to reason that your situation will not improve ,no matter how much time goes by .
2. Escapism:
When one depends upon the external forces, such as a God or a Buddha, or some kind of supernatural power to fulfil one's wishes then one is escaping from reality, that is, one is trying to escape or is not confronting something and one does not want to face their individual problems. This type of attitude in faith is typical example of trying to find the law or solution outside oneself.
In this kind of erroneous faith one is using faith as a cloak to hide away from actual problems. This attitude is comparable to the case where, in climbing a mountain, one just wanders aimlessly around in the foothills without taking the first step up the slope without which one cannot scale the mountain. It is important that we challenge our own problems; else we will never be able to develop ourselves enough to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime.
3. Disbelief, Grudges and Complaints:
If one suspects that the idea of Buddha nature is little more than mere theory or that nothing will really change, this basic disbelief will find expression as a prayer that is vague or lacks conviction. Such half hearted prayer can never function to transform our inchinen or life itself .
Grumbling or complaining are an expression of our general disbelief. Although we know that it is not good to complain it is still hard to restrain ourselves from complaining and having grudges.
It may be difficult for ordinary people to avoid complaining, but as practioners of the mystic law, we should be able to handle our inner negativity wisely, using it as a leverage for our further growth. In other words, President Ikeda says, “While you may not be completely free of grudges and complaints, as long as you are advancing forward you are alright.” It is vital to set our ichinen or solidify our determination. For example if one is going to shoot an arrow without a clear target, it is hard to pull the bowstring back to its fullest.
4. Ill feelings and resentments towards fellow members:
Disbelief in one’s own innate Buddhahood is problematic, but it is also equally problematic to fail to believe that Buddha nature exists in others as well. This is because negating the existence of Buddhahood within another’s life also means to follow the path of seeking the law outside oneself. Having ill feelings or jealousy towards fellow members and making slanderous remarks against them makes one a Non Buddhist. These are the causes by which we deny the Buddha nature inherent in our comrades.
As indicated, in The Heritage of Ultimate Law of Life, we cannot achieve the great goal of kosenrufu without the unity of Many in Body One in Mind. It is the devilish function or the fundamental darkness existing within oneself that prevents us from uniting with our fellow members or achieving harmonious unity.
5. Cowardice
We should never give in to cowardice. No matter what kind of trials and tribulations we may confront, we should never waver and continue to generate courage to challenge the situation. The power of Myo ho renge kyo is the force with which we can overcome any obstacles.
President Ikeda says, “Perceiving the devilish functions in life as they are and struggling without trying to escape reality – This is the way of life, that one who chants daimoku should choose”. Nichiren Daishonin writes, “The prayers that Nichiren and my disciples offer cannot be fulfilled if we were cowardly”.
By arousing courage based upon faith, we can dispel the heavy clouds of cowardice, darkness and delusions and be illuminated by the sun of the Mystic Law as the flower of MyoHo Renge Kyo comes to bloom in our life.
All the above mentioned life tendencies reflect the pattern where we seek the Law outside ourselves and these attitudes function to deepen and strengthen our innate fundamental darkness. Therefore what we need to do is exactly the opposite of all these five negative attitudes which is:
1) Faith with which we stand alone
2) Self Challenge
3) Conviction
4) Unity
5) Courage
The true and correct attitude that we must have is to seek the law within our life.
Source: Blue Deeper Than Indigo - Pg: 74 - 79 (Excerpt from the Explanation of the Gosho 'On Attaining Buddhahood in this Lifetime').
Friday, July 16, 2010
Maintaining Hope - Guidance by President Ikeda
Question : Sometimes I feel so hopeless and pessimistic. What can I do to increase my self confidence ?
Answer: First Please understand that life is long ! The way Things are now will not last forever. Even if you have problems, even if you have made mistakes or have done things you regret, your whole future still lies ahead of you. Don’t worry endlessly over every obstacle or problem. Above all do not despair or be defeated by your impatience.
Nothing is hopeless. The worst mistake you can make when you are young is to give up on a dream, to not challenge yourself for fear of failure. The past is the past and the future is the future. Keep moving forward with the steady eye on what is ahead, telling yourself: “I` ll start from today “,”I ll start fresh from this moment!. This Spirit -starting from the present moment – is the heart of Buddhist philosophy.
Happiness in life does not depend upon how well things go in your youth. No matter how many mistakes you make, you always have another chance. Be ambitious and keep striving towards the future. If you are not happy with your achievements in high school, then give it your all at college. If that’s not to your satisfaction, there is still hope after graduation as you challenge yourself as an active member of the society. True success in life does not reveal itself until we reach our forties or fifties. If you experience setbacks along the way, continue with the fighting spirit into your forties, fifties, sixties & seventies.
My experience after more than seventy years of life has taught me to clearly recognize the human patterns that determine victory or defeat.
Many of the most famous people in our history appeared far from outstanding in their youth. Winston Churchill was well known for his many failures at school. Mahatama Gandhi wasn’t a remarkable student either, he was shy timid and a poor speaker.
So don’t be too hard on yourself. You are still young – a work in progress and still developing. To be growing and improving are wonderful things. Just continue to press on tenaciously and find your way forward despite the suffering and pain that are part of youth and growing up. Indeed that’s the only way to grow.
It is important not to loose hope. Losing hope is in a way, like living in the winter of the spirit. The English romantic poet Shelly said “If winter comes, can the spring be far behind?” No matter how long and bitter the winter may be, the spring always follows. This is the law of universe the law of life.
The same applies to us .If we seem to be withering an endless winter, we mustn’t abandon hope. As long as we have hope, spring is near. It will come without fail.
Spring is the time of blossoming. Buddhism teaches that all things have unique beauty and a unique unfolding. Every person has a singular mission, his or her individuality and way of living. It is important to recognize this truth and respect it. That is the natural order of things. That is how it works in the world of flowers- and in the world of human beings, different kind of flowers bloom harmoniously in beautiful perfusion.
Answer: First Please understand that life is long ! The way Things are now will not last forever. Even if you have problems, even if you have made mistakes or have done things you regret, your whole future still lies ahead of you. Don’t worry endlessly over every obstacle or problem. Above all do not despair or be defeated by your impatience.
Nothing is hopeless. The worst mistake you can make when you are young is to give up on a dream, to not challenge yourself for fear of failure. The past is the past and the future is the future. Keep moving forward with the steady eye on what is ahead, telling yourself: “I` ll start from today “,”I ll start fresh from this moment!. This Spirit -starting from the present moment – is the heart of Buddhist philosophy.
Happiness in life does not depend upon how well things go in your youth. No matter how many mistakes you make, you always have another chance. Be ambitious and keep striving towards the future. If you are not happy with your achievements in high school, then give it your all at college. If that’s not to your satisfaction, there is still hope after graduation as you challenge yourself as an active member of the society. True success in life does not reveal itself until we reach our forties or fifties. If you experience setbacks along the way, continue with the fighting spirit into your forties, fifties, sixties & seventies.
My experience after more than seventy years of life has taught me to clearly recognize the human patterns that determine victory or defeat.
Many of the most famous people in our history appeared far from outstanding in their youth. Winston Churchill was well known for his many failures at school. Mahatama Gandhi wasn’t a remarkable student either, he was shy timid and a poor speaker.
So don’t be too hard on yourself. You are still young – a work in progress and still developing. To be growing and improving are wonderful things. Just continue to press on tenaciously and find your way forward despite the suffering and pain that are part of youth and growing up. Indeed that’s the only way to grow.
It is important not to loose hope. Losing hope is in a way, like living in the winter of the spirit. The English romantic poet Shelly said “If winter comes, can the spring be far behind?” No matter how long and bitter the winter may be, the spring always follows. This is the law of universe the law of life.
The same applies to us .If we seem to be withering an endless winter, we mustn’t abandon hope. As long as we have hope, spring is near. It will come without fail.
Spring is the time of blossoming. Buddhism teaches that all things have unique beauty and a unique unfolding. Every person has a singular mission, his or her individuality and way of living. It is important to recognize this truth and respect it. That is the natural order of things. That is how it works in the world of flowers- and in the world of human beings, different kind of flowers bloom harmoniously in beautiful perfusion.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
THE ART OF LISTENING WITH THE EYES OF THE BUDDHA - By Linda Johnson
I think the ability to hear ourselves, and the ability to see everything from the viewpoint of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, means to be able to view all of life from the standpoint of the law of causality.
THE GOHONZON IS NOT OUTSIDE US
I find that so many people still chant to the Gohonzon as if it were some God or some force outside of themselves. The attitude with which we chant, and the attitude with which we view the Gohonzon is most important, because if we have a distorted view, we will have a distorted practice, and it is that distorted practice and view, that we will teach to others.
We know from study that the characters on the Gohonzon represent the two sides of life and all of the positive/negative attributes that exist within life, including that fundamental darkness that coexists within every human life. Nichiren Daishonin says that there is no life that has one without the other. The characters representing both aspects of life are written on the Gohonzon. For me what is exciting is to know, that even without my being able to read it, Nichiren Daishonin wrote all of these characters on the Gohonzon, which represent every aspect of life, in such a way that every character is looking at the centre just like you and me. Every character is looking at Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. Think about the Ceremony in the Air. Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo is the axis of the universe and we're forming a circle around that axis.
All of us are looking at Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. It is the centre that every character is looking at. Why? It is because Nichiren Daishonin is giving us a continual message every time we look at the Gohonzon. The message is that we must base our life on the Law and never on the person. It is the mystic law that has enabled every Buddha throughout eternity to be able to manifest their fullest potential, and that it is the key, which is the centre, for everything. We have to make Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo the centre of our life and we have to base our life on Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. It means being able to see and to hear ourselves. It means that whenever we are facing a problem, we don't just try to use our brain to figure it out, or strategise how to fix it. Many members still do this, and after they have racked their brain as to what to do in order to get from Point A to Point B or to fix the problem, they then chant the solution to the Gohonzon to make it work! (laughter). I think that this is practising incorrectly. Let me tell you why.
When we talk about the nine levels of consciousness, the first five are our senses. Sight, Hearing, Smell, Taste and Touch. The sixth level is the conscious mind. The seventh is the unconscious mind. The eighth level is what we call the karma storage area, which is that area in our life that has accumulated every cause we have ever made throughout all existences. Below that is the ninth level of consciousness, which Buddhism says, is the one pure, unchanging reality of our life.
Every single one of us has fortune and lack of fortune in our life. In the areas in which we have fortune, we can do the same things we see other people do and we can achieve our goals but in the areas of your life where you lack fortune, you can do the identical thing you see your neighbour doing, but the object of your desire seems to move further and further away (laughter), right?
EXCHANGING MISFORTUNE FOR FORTUNE
When we are dealing with problems in our lives, they have a causal connection to us. Many times they come from that place in our life where we lack fortune. And so, if we use our brain to strategize how to fix things, our brain can only go to the eighth level of consciousness, which is the karma storage. That is the area which stores up and accumulates all of the causes we have ever made, and it's seems to be the place in which; WE DO NOT SEEM TO HAVE FORTUNE (laughter). Our brain then devises a solution based on lack of fortune. By following this "mental" solution, we will keep reinforcing the same pattern of karmic tendencies over and over in our lives.
But what Nichiren teaches is that by chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo you can pierce through the eighth level of karma storage. Pierce through it, be unaffected by it, and you can reach the pure unchanging reality and infinite wisdom of your life that is unaffected by karma storage. That answer is the correct answer for your life. It's not affected by your karma in the area in which you lack fortune. And this is why I believe Nichiren Daishonin says we must become the master of our mind rather than allowing our mind to master us.
My point is this; when we pray, we need to start from a determination such as: "I will accomplish X," (whatever X is). We also have to understand from Buddhism that we create our life every moment through our thoughts, our words, and our behavior.
Prayer in Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism is profoundly different from prayer in other religions. We are not praying to something outside of ourselves to bestow something on us. Instead, our prayer here is the determination that; "I will create the object or thing that I am praying for through my causes of thought, words, and actions. I am the creator of my life and I will take the responsibility to create the thing that I am praying for, and that after I have chanted this kind of determined daimoku, I will accomplish X." I then must come to a realization... "How in the world am I going to do this? That answer only exists inside of my life. I can tap my wisdom for the answer when I have the belief and conviction, that the answer exists inside of me." And I start chanting with the determination to pull that wisdom up from within my life to clearly see what it is that I need to do in order to create the thing that I'm praying for. That is why President Ikeda says:
"Benefit comes from you. Nobody gives you benefit."
Source: THE ART OF LISTENING WITH THE EYES OF THE BUDDHA - By Linda Johnson, SGI-USA WD Leader, Nov 2003 (Abridged), Edited by Adrian Mollica April 6th 2004
THE GOHONZON IS NOT OUTSIDE US
I find that so many people still chant to the Gohonzon as if it were some God or some force outside of themselves. The attitude with which we chant, and the attitude with which we view the Gohonzon is most important, because if we have a distorted view, we will have a distorted practice, and it is that distorted practice and view, that we will teach to others.
We know from study that the characters on the Gohonzon represent the two sides of life and all of the positive/negative attributes that exist within life, including that fundamental darkness that coexists within every human life. Nichiren Daishonin says that there is no life that has one without the other. The characters representing both aspects of life are written on the Gohonzon. For me what is exciting is to know, that even without my being able to read it, Nichiren Daishonin wrote all of these characters on the Gohonzon, which represent every aspect of life, in such a way that every character is looking at the centre just like you and me. Every character is looking at Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. Think about the Ceremony in the Air. Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo is the axis of the universe and we're forming a circle around that axis.
All of us are looking at Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. It is the centre that every character is looking at. Why? It is because Nichiren Daishonin is giving us a continual message every time we look at the Gohonzon. The message is that we must base our life on the Law and never on the person. It is the mystic law that has enabled every Buddha throughout eternity to be able to manifest their fullest potential, and that it is the key, which is the centre, for everything. We have to make Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo the centre of our life and we have to base our life on Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. It means being able to see and to hear ourselves. It means that whenever we are facing a problem, we don't just try to use our brain to figure it out, or strategise how to fix it. Many members still do this, and after they have racked their brain as to what to do in order to get from Point A to Point B or to fix the problem, they then chant the solution to the Gohonzon to make it work! (laughter). I think that this is practising incorrectly. Let me tell you why.
When we talk about the nine levels of consciousness, the first five are our senses. Sight, Hearing, Smell, Taste and Touch. The sixth level is the conscious mind. The seventh is the unconscious mind. The eighth level is what we call the karma storage area, which is that area in our life that has accumulated every cause we have ever made throughout all existences. Below that is the ninth level of consciousness, which Buddhism says, is the one pure, unchanging reality of our life.
Every single one of us has fortune and lack of fortune in our life. In the areas in which we have fortune, we can do the same things we see other people do and we can achieve our goals but in the areas of your life where you lack fortune, you can do the identical thing you see your neighbour doing, but the object of your desire seems to move further and further away (laughter), right?
EXCHANGING MISFORTUNE FOR FORTUNE
When we are dealing with problems in our lives, they have a causal connection to us. Many times they come from that place in our life where we lack fortune. And so, if we use our brain to strategize how to fix things, our brain can only go to the eighth level of consciousness, which is the karma storage. That is the area which stores up and accumulates all of the causes we have ever made, and it's seems to be the place in which; WE DO NOT SEEM TO HAVE FORTUNE (laughter). Our brain then devises a solution based on lack of fortune. By following this "mental" solution, we will keep reinforcing the same pattern of karmic tendencies over and over in our lives.
But what Nichiren teaches is that by chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo you can pierce through the eighth level of karma storage. Pierce through it, be unaffected by it, and you can reach the pure unchanging reality and infinite wisdom of your life that is unaffected by karma storage. That answer is the correct answer for your life. It's not affected by your karma in the area in which you lack fortune. And this is why I believe Nichiren Daishonin says we must become the master of our mind rather than allowing our mind to master us.
My point is this; when we pray, we need to start from a determination such as: "I will accomplish X," (whatever X is). We also have to understand from Buddhism that we create our life every moment through our thoughts, our words, and our behavior.
Prayer in Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism is profoundly different from prayer in other religions. We are not praying to something outside of ourselves to bestow something on us. Instead, our prayer here is the determination that; "I will create the object or thing that I am praying for through my causes of thought, words, and actions. I am the creator of my life and I will take the responsibility to create the thing that I am praying for, and that after I have chanted this kind of determined daimoku, I will accomplish X." I then must come to a realization... "How in the world am I going to do this? That answer only exists inside of my life. I can tap my wisdom for the answer when I have the belief and conviction, that the answer exists inside of me." And I start chanting with the determination to pull that wisdom up from within my life to clearly see what it is that I need to do in order to create the thing that I'm praying for. That is why President Ikeda says:
"Benefit comes from you. Nobody gives you benefit."
Source: THE ART OF LISTENING WITH THE EYES OF THE BUDDHA - By Linda Johnson, SGI-USA WD Leader, Nov 2003 (Abridged), Edited by Adrian Mollica April 6th 2004
Sunday, April 4, 2010
The Principle of the Buddha Nature Manifesting from Within And Bringing Forth Protection from Without
Here, the Daishonin explains one of the key Buddhist principles – namely, the principle of “the Buddha nature manifesting itself from within and bringing forth protection from without “. In other words when we activate the Buddha nature inside us, it will induce the protective functions to work from without.
It is we ourselves who posses the Buddha nature, and as such it is also up to us to awaken to it and manifest it. When we practice the Daishonin`s Buddhism, the mystic life comes to “permeate our life and exert its influence“; that is our Buddha nature once revealed pervades in our life in the same way as the burning incense imbues our clothings with its fragrance. Our Buddha nature emerges like a fragrance wafting in the breeze. And while we speak of receiving protection from the heavenly deities or the positive forces of the universe, the first step in that process is to embark on our own inner transformation.
Chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo to the Gohonzon, the object of devotion in the Nichiren Daishonin`s Buddhism, is infact the same as summoning forth and praising the Buddha nature that is inherent in our own life and resides in all things in the universe. In response to the sound of our chanting, by which means we reveal our Buddha nature, all benevolent deities throughout the universe move into action to protect us. This principle succinctly expresses the unique character of Nichiren Daishonin`s Buddhism, which is completely different from faith that pins hope for salvation on the agency of some external power.
This concept of “Buddha nature manifesting itself from within“indicates a power that is existing and is generated from inside us. Buddhism is known as the inner way. Therefore we do not seek Buddhahood, or the life of Buddha, outside of us, but rather within.The life state of Buddha that is characterized by the four noble virtues of eternity, purity, trueself and happiness is found within our own mortal being that experiences the delusion of earthly desires and sufferings of birth and death .The Daishonin`s Buddhism enables us to tap into and manifest that benefit in our life.
In other words, because we all possess the Buddha nature, when we chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo with a clearly focused mind, the life of the Buddha is summoned forth within us and emerges. Manifesting our inner Buddhahood causes protection to arise from without. All of this hinges on our inner focus or resolve.
In the light of the principle of “The Buddha nature manifesting itself from within and bringing forth protection from without “, we can definitely change any situation or environment by transforming our fundamental mindset and revealing our Buddha nature. All fear vanishes the moment we believe with all our heart “ I alone am the scriptwriter of my life“.
Next, in this letter the Daishonin states: “What is hidden turns into manifest virtue“. Unseen virtue turns into conspicuous rewards. To practice the mystic law is to proceed along the path of victory; all virtue will manifest in visible form without fail. When we forge ahead with this deep, unshakable conviction, our future will open up in wonderful ways that we could never possibly have imagined. This is the conviction and the declaration of the Daishonin, The Buddha of the latter day of the law.
Source : Value Creation Jan 2010/Vol 5 /Issue 1: Pg. 69-71
It is we ourselves who posses the Buddha nature, and as such it is also up to us to awaken to it and manifest it. When we practice the Daishonin`s Buddhism, the mystic life comes to “permeate our life and exert its influence“; that is our Buddha nature once revealed pervades in our life in the same way as the burning incense imbues our clothings with its fragrance. Our Buddha nature emerges like a fragrance wafting in the breeze. And while we speak of receiving protection from the heavenly deities or the positive forces of the universe, the first step in that process is to embark on our own inner transformation.
Chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo to the Gohonzon, the object of devotion in the Nichiren Daishonin`s Buddhism, is infact the same as summoning forth and praising the Buddha nature that is inherent in our own life and resides in all things in the universe. In response to the sound of our chanting, by which means we reveal our Buddha nature, all benevolent deities throughout the universe move into action to protect us. This principle succinctly expresses the unique character of Nichiren Daishonin`s Buddhism, which is completely different from faith that pins hope for salvation on the agency of some external power.
This concept of “Buddha nature manifesting itself from within“indicates a power that is existing and is generated from inside us. Buddhism is known as the inner way. Therefore we do not seek Buddhahood, or the life of Buddha, outside of us, but rather within.The life state of Buddha that is characterized by the four noble virtues of eternity, purity, trueself and happiness is found within our own mortal being that experiences the delusion of earthly desires and sufferings of birth and death .The Daishonin`s Buddhism enables us to tap into and manifest that benefit in our life.
In other words, because we all possess the Buddha nature, when we chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo with a clearly focused mind, the life of the Buddha is summoned forth within us and emerges. Manifesting our inner Buddhahood causes protection to arise from without. All of this hinges on our inner focus or resolve.
In the light of the principle of “The Buddha nature manifesting itself from within and bringing forth protection from without “, we can definitely change any situation or environment by transforming our fundamental mindset and revealing our Buddha nature. All fear vanishes the moment we believe with all our heart “ I alone am the scriptwriter of my life“.
Next, in this letter the Daishonin states: “What is hidden turns into manifest virtue“. Unseen virtue turns into conspicuous rewards. To practice the mystic law is to proceed along the path of victory; all virtue will manifest in visible form without fail. When we forge ahead with this deep, unshakable conviction, our future will open up in wonderful ways that we could never possibly have imagined. This is the conviction and the declaration of the Daishonin, The Buddha of the latter day of the law.
Source : Value Creation Jan 2010/Vol 5 /Issue 1: Pg. 69-71
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
The Two Vehicles (Attaining One’s Own Identity Through “Reflection Upon Oneself”)
Overcoming Our Egotistical and Arrogant Selves
Learning and Realization, two of the Ten Worlds, are referred to as the Two Vehicles. Originally learning means Buddhist disciples listening to the teachings of the Buddha . In ancient Sanskrit, it was called shitsurabaka. In terms of life condition, it is the life condition of joy and fulfillment one experiences when learning ancient sutras, reading books, grasping concepts and theories. In general terms, intellectuals such as scholars and critics tend to be in the world of Learning. Those who pursue academic studies, study philosophy and learn from others’ experience, for example, are in the world of Learning.
Realization literally means enlightenment through karmic relation. It was called hyakushibutsu in Sanskrit. Various phenomena are included in karmic relationship. For instance, one may be watching flower petals or leaves falling and be enlightened to one aspect of the true meaning of life. Upon reading an article in the newspaper, a brilliant idea flashes across our mind, and we feels personal enlightenment. The fulfillment that we feel at these times is called the world of Realization. Another example is creative and artistic activities in which people feel the joy of creation. People who tend to predominantly manifest Realization in their lives include artists, innovative scientists and famous experts in their respective fields of endeavor. However, it can be said that ordinary people can also experience Realization. The example of fulfillment that someone feels when that person is totally absorbed in their work comes to mind. They are in the world of Realization at that moment. Therefore, Realization is distinct from Learning, because one attains enlightenment by oneself. Since creativity is involved, Realization is sometimes called independent enlightenment.
In any case, both Learning and Realization are attempts to attain an independent identity and are on a level a step above the Six Paths of Hell, Hunger, Animality, Anger, Humanity and Rapture. In the Gosho, the “True Object of Worship”, it states, “The fact that all things in this world are transient is perfectly clear to us. Is this not because the worlds of the two vehicles are present in the world of Humanity?” People of the two vehicles try to attain enlightenment by understanding the transience of the world and by reflecting on the way they live.
Through their penetrating logic the people of the Two Vehicles discover the Laws of nature and clarify the meaning of Human life and society. Without the attributes of the Two Vehicles, advancement in culture or academic areas would be unimaginable. The life condition of people of the Two Vehicles is significantly higher than that of the people in the Six Paths. Shariputra and Mahakashyapa, two disciples of Shakyamuni, understood everything about Shakyamuni’s Hinayana teachings and attained the state of Arhat, the highest state of enlightenment in Hinayana Buddhism. However, in order to attain this state they had to eradicate their minds and bodies before they could overcome the pain and sorrow of life. However, in terms of Buddhism, the state of Arhat does not mean the attainment of enlightenment. Moreover, if we destroy our minds and bodies, we are eradicating the seed of Buddhahood, and Buddhahood becomes impossible to achieve. For this very reason, the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings teach that enlightenment can never be achieved through the Two Vehicles. Furthermore, when one attains this kind of shallow, superficial enlightenment, one overestimates one’s enlightenment and tends to become arrogant. People of the two vehicles tend to seek only their own enlightenment without giving any thought to saving others, which results in egotism. Due to this people of the Two Vehicles were condemned and thoroughly scorned in the provisional Mahayana teachings.
Nichiren Daishonin said in the “The Opening of the Eyes”, “Suppose that a person falls into a deep pit. That person will be unable to benefit himself or to benefit others.” This clarifies the weakness of the people of the Two Vehicles, namely, that by believing that one has already attained enlightenment, one will fall into a selfish pit of arrogance and not seek the true and profound enlightenment of the Buddha. Thus they can not save themselves nor can they conduct good deeds for others, let alone save them.
However, the Lotus Sutra preaches for the first time that people of the two vehicles can attain enlightenment. If not, the concept of the Mutual possession of the Ten Worlds must be false. Thus the true law with real power was clarified. In the present age of the Latter Day of the Law, the only law that allows people of the Two Vehicles to attain Buddhahood is none other than the Nam-MyoHo-Renge-Kyo of the Three Great Secret Laws.
In conclusion, the worlds of Learning and Realization induce self reflection to build an independent identity and facilitate attainment of only a shallow enlightenment. This results in an arrogant nature without consideration for others or the desire to save them. In other words, one becomes caught up with “Life’s Evil Nature”. However, that same weakness of the Two Vehicles can be overcome through the world of Bodhisattva, or having compassion for others, which in turn manifests the pure, supreme and powerful life condition of Buddhahood. By believing in the Gohonzon and by practicing the Daishonin’s Buddhism people of the Two Vehicles can be saved.
If they advance putting the Gohonzon first, people can reach the real state of the Two Vehicles in which they can establish their true identity and also help other people. With Buddhahood as the fundamental underlying principle, the real aspect of the Two Vehicles can be hoped for.
Source: Buddhist Studies Pg. 125-127
Learning and Realization, two of the Ten Worlds, are referred to as the Two Vehicles. Originally learning means Buddhist disciples listening to the teachings of the Buddha . In ancient Sanskrit, it was called shitsurabaka. In terms of life condition, it is the life condition of joy and fulfillment one experiences when learning ancient sutras, reading books, grasping concepts and theories. In general terms, intellectuals such as scholars and critics tend to be in the world of Learning. Those who pursue academic studies, study philosophy and learn from others’ experience, for example, are in the world of Learning.
Realization literally means enlightenment through karmic relation. It was called hyakushibutsu in Sanskrit. Various phenomena are included in karmic relationship. For instance, one may be watching flower petals or leaves falling and be enlightened to one aspect of the true meaning of life. Upon reading an article in the newspaper, a brilliant idea flashes across our mind, and we feels personal enlightenment. The fulfillment that we feel at these times is called the world of Realization. Another example is creative and artistic activities in which people feel the joy of creation. People who tend to predominantly manifest Realization in their lives include artists, innovative scientists and famous experts in their respective fields of endeavor. However, it can be said that ordinary people can also experience Realization. The example of fulfillment that someone feels when that person is totally absorbed in their work comes to mind. They are in the world of Realization at that moment. Therefore, Realization is distinct from Learning, because one attains enlightenment by oneself. Since creativity is involved, Realization is sometimes called independent enlightenment.
In any case, both Learning and Realization are attempts to attain an independent identity and are on a level a step above the Six Paths of Hell, Hunger, Animality, Anger, Humanity and Rapture. In the Gosho, the “True Object of Worship”, it states, “The fact that all things in this world are transient is perfectly clear to us. Is this not because the worlds of the two vehicles are present in the world of Humanity?” People of the two vehicles try to attain enlightenment by understanding the transience of the world and by reflecting on the way they live.
Through their penetrating logic the people of the Two Vehicles discover the Laws of nature and clarify the meaning of Human life and society. Without the attributes of the Two Vehicles, advancement in culture or academic areas would be unimaginable. The life condition of people of the Two Vehicles is significantly higher than that of the people in the Six Paths. Shariputra and Mahakashyapa, two disciples of Shakyamuni, understood everything about Shakyamuni’s Hinayana teachings and attained the state of Arhat, the highest state of enlightenment in Hinayana Buddhism. However, in order to attain this state they had to eradicate their minds and bodies before they could overcome the pain and sorrow of life. However, in terms of Buddhism, the state of Arhat does not mean the attainment of enlightenment. Moreover, if we destroy our minds and bodies, we are eradicating the seed of Buddhahood, and Buddhahood becomes impossible to achieve. For this very reason, the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings teach that enlightenment can never be achieved through the Two Vehicles. Furthermore, when one attains this kind of shallow, superficial enlightenment, one overestimates one’s enlightenment and tends to become arrogant. People of the two vehicles tend to seek only their own enlightenment without giving any thought to saving others, which results in egotism. Due to this people of the Two Vehicles were condemned and thoroughly scorned in the provisional Mahayana teachings.
Nichiren Daishonin said in the “The Opening of the Eyes”, “Suppose that a person falls into a deep pit. That person will be unable to benefit himself or to benefit others.” This clarifies the weakness of the people of the Two Vehicles, namely, that by believing that one has already attained enlightenment, one will fall into a selfish pit of arrogance and not seek the true and profound enlightenment of the Buddha. Thus they can not save themselves nor can they conduct good deeds for others, let alone save them.
However, the Lotus Sutra preaches for the first time that people of the two vehicles can attain enlightenment. If not, the concept of the Mutual possession of the Ten Worlds must be false. Thus the true law with real power was clarified. In the present age of the Latter Day of the Law, the only law that allows people of the Two Vehicles to attain Buddhahood is none other than the Nam-MyoHo-Renge-Kyo of the Three Great Secret Laws.
In conclusion, the worlds of Learning and Realization induce self reflection to build an independent identity and facilitate attainment of only a shallow enlightenment. This results in an arrogant nature without consideration for others or the desire to save them. In other words, one becomes caught up with “Life’s Evil Nature”. However, that same weakness of the Two Vehicles can be overcome through the world of Bodhisattva, or having compassion for others, which in turn manifests the pure, supreme and powerful life condition of Buddhahood. By believing in the Gohonzon and by practicing the Daishonin’s Buddhism people of the Two Vehicles can be saved.
If they advance putting the Gohonzon first, people can reach the real state of the Two Vehicles in which they can establish their true identity and also help other people. With Buddhahood as the fundamental underlying principle, the real aspect of the Two Vehicles can be hoped for.
Source: Buddhist Studies Pg. 125-127
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
What Happens When We Die – By Akemi Baynes
We live and then we die. Many think of death as something dark, like ‘THE END’. Buddhism asserts that whilst all physical manifestations of life must decline and disintegrate, life itself cannot be destroyed. Death is the unseen state of life. It is the time when a person’s entity gathers energy to take on a new visible form. This continual rhythm of physical appearance, followed by death, is the very rhythm of life itself. Indeed the characters Myo-ho (of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo or Mystic Law) mean just this. How does Buddhism view death? One starting point in answering this question lies in recent evidence in medical research.
Professor Raymond Moody, an American philosopher and psychologist, has run a clinic for ten years. During this time more than 200 people who in clinical terms have died, have started to breathe again and returned to life. His book ‘Life After Life’, includes many of these experiences. Some can be classed as hallucinations but many of the stories seem to be true. With the numerous examples there are many similar factors. Firstly, at death, life leaves the physical body and floats above it and, regardless of the condition of the body, there is still consciousness, sight and hearing. There, as if on a screen in front of you, you see what you did, what you felt, and what you thought throughout the whole of your life. All this happens very fast and as you see it, you are able to feel joy for the good things and deep suffering for the things you want to hide. Thirdly, in this place, you feel you meet other people who have died. However, there exists some line between this world and the unknown world and before you cross over, you can sometimes, according to the experiences, be pulled back.
Elizabeth Kubler-Ross originally did not believe in life after death. She made a special study based on the experiences of the dying and her conclusions are similar to Raymond Moody’s. She mentions particularly the part where the dead person sees everything that they did during their life time. She concludes that there is no such thing as a god to judge you; you judge yourself. She is convinced that death is only leaving matter and that life continues.
There are of course theories about ‘this thing’ that leaves the body at the time of death, which can see, hear and feel. Professor Okabe, a Japanese scientist, thinks that life after death is a form of energy, because energy is never destroyed:
“I think the main part of being is this particular energy and the physical body is a secondary factor. All physical matter changes in each person completely over seven years. If you think that it is the body that is the primary factor of life, then you are completely different person to the one you were seven years ago. But this ‘energy’ is constant, therefore everyone knows that they are the same person as when they were a child. This energy is able to function only because of the physical body. Death is only changing the form of energy. When you are alive, the energy is very active but when you die it becomes passive. It continues in a cycle between the two states forever.”
Okabe’s idea is very close to Buddhist thought. Buddhism says quite simply that this energy is life itself. Being alive or being dead are just different manifestations of life itself. This not only applies to human beings, but to everything throughout the universe.
The body, alive or dead, is also a part of universal life. It is like the rain that we see falling, which then disappears into the earth. The water drains underground, eventually flowing into a river and onwards to the sea. When this water evaporates from the surface of the sea it loses its physical form, until it again forms clouds and then rain. Because of our knowledge of science we know that the water itself does not change, only its physical form. From this example you could say that water as a liquid is like visible life and that the evaporated water is like death. The liquid and the evaporated water are just two cycles of the same substance. Similarly, life itself does not change, but it shows itself in two different forms, life and death, and just like the water, it will move in the cycle continually.
Despite the experiences of people who have died and then returned to life, it is impossible to know where life went to. This question is in the realm of philosophy and religion. It is something you cannot physically or scientifically prove. A famous Buddhist teaching by Vasubandhu (approximately 5th Century AD) describes the experience of death and birth:
“At death, the body is separated in two, the seen body and the unseen body. This unseen body is called sai-shin which means ‘very small body’ that cannot be seen by the physical eye. It is so small that it can move through any physical matter. The eyes, ears, nose and tongue keep perfect sense, not as a body, but as ability. This small body is able to float and fly any distance instantly. Every life in this condition has the potential to be born again, but it cannot be born when and where it likes, it is decided by what the person did while he was alive. He is born in a situation or place which is most suitable for the causes he made. At the moment when the female egg is fertilized by the male, if it is suitable for someone’s new life, this ‘very small body’ arrives there instantly, and a new physical form starts. When the physical body dies, it is impossible to change either the good or bad effects contained within its life. There is also no fixed time when it will be born again. For some it will be a very long time. It is all decided by what that person did during his life.”
This teaching very clearly describes karma.
Buddhism goes deeper than psychology in asserting nine consciousnesses. The ability to hear, see, feel, smell and taste are the first five. The sixth consciousness is our conscious mind. The seventh is active both when we are awake and sleeping. This is the realm of abstract thought and judgment. All the latent feelings or the six consciousnesses appear in our dreams through this seventh consciousness. Near to death, the six consciousnesses become latent and the seventh consciousness appears very strongly. Within this seventh consciousness is the deep desire to live. At death, the eighth consciousness becomes the strongest, with the first seven consciousnesses becoming latent. At the time of death all the seven consciousnesses, though latent, still exist or are stored within the eighth. The eighth level is where karma is stored during life. When life separates from the physical body, these seven consciousnesses continue to exist dormantly. The desire to live life again is still contained within the seventh consciousness. This will be the force to return to life again, but this will only be achieved in accord with the karma created by the causes made during the previous life through these seven consciousnesses, now stored in the eighth. When physical life starts once more, the seven consciousnesses again become strong, and the eighth level becomes latent.
Karma is every function of our lives, our thoughts, words and deeds (i.e. the workings of the seven consciousnesses) which are then carved into our lives. Our thoughts, words and deeds, whether good or bad, are not judged in the end by morals or the laws of society. Those based on the protection and development of life will be stored as good karma and those causing destruction, hurt or harm to life, as bad karma. This karma created within the seven consciousnesses is stored at the eighth level. Therefore, when you die, your life will be latent in the universe exactly as it was at the point of death and, since the seven consciousnesses are latent, they are unable to react to any environmental influence to change your life state.
We might imagine that life after death will be peaceful and a time of resting, but just as you can have a happy or unhappy dream, after death you can also feel joy or suffering. It is important, therefore, to look at one’s present life very strictly. The Buddhist theory of the nine consciousnesses is concerned with how we can be sure to build up good and valuable causes with our seven consciousnesses so that there are plenty in store at the eighth level at the point of death. In this respect the importance of the ninth consciousness becomes clear. The ninth consciousness is described as the essence of universal and eternal life (Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo), which can, if we choose to make the effort, permeate all the other eight consciousnesses.
The process of dying brings to the fore the main tendency of our lives. As one approaches the moment of death, one’s life centers on one of the ten states, the one which relates most strongly to his karma. After physical death we will remain in this state, latent in the universe, exactly as we were at the point of death.
If our lives are inclined towards suffering in the six lower worlds then we can expect to experience these in the latent state. The aim of Buddhism is to enable us to change the fixed direction which we have built up over many lifetimes. Buddhism is concerned with allowing us to bring forth the ninth consciousness, which is unaffected by this karma. Having done this in life, the ninth consciousness will remain predominant while dead. What happens when we die depends on what we do now to reveal the Buddha state.
Source: The Buddhism of the Sun (Pg. 42 – 45)
Professor Raymond Moody, an American philosopher and psychologist, has run a clinic for ten years. During this time more than 200 people who in clinical terms have died, have started to breathe again and returned to life. His book ‘Life After Life’, includes many of these experiences. Some can be classed as hallucinations but many of the stories seem to be true. With the numerous examples there are many similar factors. Firstly, at death, life leaves the physical body and floats above it and, regardless of the condition of the body, there is still consciousness, sight and hearing. There, as if on a screen in front of you, you see what you did, what you felt, and what you thought throughout the whole of your life. All this happens very fast and as you see it, you are able to feel joy for the good things and deep suffering for the things you want to hide. Thirdly, in this place, you feel you meet other people who have died. However, there exists some line between this world and the unknown world and before you cross over, you can sometimes, according to the experiences, be pulled back.
Elizabeth Kubler-Ross originally did not believe in life after death. She made a special study based on the experiences of the dying and her conclusions are similar to Raymond Moody’s. She mentions particularly the part where the dead person sees everything that they did during their life time. She concludes that there is no such thing as a god to judge you; you judge yourself. She is convinced that death is only leaving matter and that life continues.
There are of course theories about ‘this thing’ that leaves the body at the time of death, which can see, hear and feel. Professor Okabe, a Japanese scientist, thinks that life after death is a form of energy, because energy is never destroyed:
“I think the main part of being is this particular energy and the physical body is a secondary factor. All physical matter changes in each person completely over seven years. If you think that it is the body that is the primary factor of life, then you are completely different person to the one you were seven years ago. But this ‘energy’ is constant, therefore everyone knows that they are the same person as when they were a child. This energy is able to function only because of the physical body. Death is only changing the form of energy. When you are alive, the energy is very active but when you die it becomes passive. It continues in a cycle between the two states forever.”
Okabe’s idea is very close to Buddhist thought. Buddhism says quite simply that this energy is life itself. Being alive or being dead are just different manifestations of life itself. This not only applies to human beings, but to everything throughout the universe.
The body, alive or dead, is also a part of universal life. It is like the rain that we see falling, which then disappears into the earth. The water drains underground, eventually flowing into a river and onwards to the sea. When this water evaporates from the surface of the sea it loses its physical form, until it again forms clouds and then rain. Because of our knowledge of science we know that the water itself does not change, only its physical form. From this example you could say that water as a liquid is like visible life and that the evaporated water is like death. The liquid and the evaporated water are just two cycles of the same substance. Similarly, life itself does not change, but it shows itself in two different forms, life and death, and just like the water, it will move in the cycle continually.
Despite the experiences of people who have died and then returned to life, it is impossible to know where life went to. This question is in the realm of philosophy and religion. It is something you cannot physically or scientifically prove. A famous Buddhist teaching by Vasubandhu (approximately 5th Century AD) describes the experience of death and birth:
“At death, the body is separated in two, the seen body and the unseen body. This unseen body is called sai-shin which means ‘very small body’ that cannot be seen by the physical eye. It is so small that it can move through any physical matter. The eyes, ears, nose and tongue keep perfect sense, not as a body, but as ability. This small body is able to float and fly any distance instantly. Every life in this condition has the potential to be born again, but it cannot be born when and where it likes, it is decided by what the person did while he was alive. He is born in a situation or place which is most suitable for the causes he made. At the moment when the female egg is fertilized by the male, if it is suitable for someone’s new life, this ‘very small body’ arrives there instantly, and a new physical form starts. When the physical body dies, it is impossible to change either the good or bad effects contained within its life. There is also no fixed time when it will be born again. For some it will be a very long time. It is all decided by what that person did during his life.”
This teaching very clearly describes karma.
Buddhism goes deeper than psychology in asserting nine consciousnesses. The ability to hear, see, feel, smell and taste are the first five. The sixth consciousness is our conscious mind. The seventh is active both when we are awake and sleeping. This is the realm of abstract thought and judgment. All the latent feelings or the six consciousnesses appear in our dreams through this seventh consciousness. Near to death, the six consciousnesses become latent and the seventh consciousness appears very strongly. Within this seventh consciousness is the deep desire to live. At death, the eighth consciousness becomes the strongest, with the first seven consciousnesses becoming latent. At the time of death all the seven consciousnesses, though latent, still exist or are stored within the eighth. The eighth level is where karma is stored during life. When life separates from the physical body, these seven consciousnesses continue to exist dormantly. The desire to live life again is still contained within the seventh consciousness. This will be the force to return to life again, but this will only be achieved in accord with the karma created by the causes made during the previous life through these seven consciousnesses, now stored in the eighth. When physical life starts once more, the seven consciousnesses again become strong, and the eighth level becomes latent.
Karma is every function of our lives, our thoughts, words and deeds (i.e. the workings of the seven consciousnesses) which are then carved into our lives. Our thoughts, words and deeds, whether good or bad, are not judged in the end by morals or the laws of society. Those based on the protection and development of life will be stored as good karma and those causing destruction, hurt or harm to life, as bad karma. This karma created within the seven consciousnesses is stored at the eighth level. Therefore, when you die, your life will be latent in the universe exactly as it was at the point of death and, since the seven consciousnesses are latent, they are unable to react to any environmental influence to change your life state.
We might imagine that life after death will be peaceful and a time of resting, but just as you can have a happy or unhappy dream, after death you can also feel joy or suffering. It is important, therefore, to look at one’s present life very strictly. The Buddhist theory of the nine consciousnesses is concerned with how we can be sure to build up good and valuable causes with our seven consciousnesses so that there are plenty in store at the eighth level at the point of death. In this respect the importance of the ninth consciousness becomes clear. The ninth consciousness is described as the essence of universal and eternal life (Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo), which can, if we choose to make the effort, permeate all the other eight consciousnesses.
The process of dying brings to the fore the main tendency of our lives. As one approaches the moment of death, one’s life centers on one of the ten states, the one which relates most strongly to his karma. After physical death we will remain in this state, latent in the universe, exactly as we were at the point of death.
If our lives are inclined towards suffering in the six lower worlds then we can expect to experience these in the latent state. The aim of Buddhism is to enable us to change the fixed direction which we have built up over many lifetimes. Buddhism is concerned with allowing us to bring forth the ninth consciousness, which is unaffected by this karma. Having done this in life, the ninth consciousness will remain predominant while dead. What happens when we die depends on what we do now to reveal the Buddha state.
Source: The Buddhism of the Sun (Pg. 42 – 45)
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