Friday 29 March 2013

Daily Gosho - Reply to Kyo'o


Whilst this Gosho relates to the sickness of a young child, we can apply Nichiren Daishonin's guidance to any situation that we face. 

At our recent Area course in Florence, we were given this great guidance about challenging obstacles with this spirit of a lion's roar:

"Without a challenging or fighting spirit, we cannot attain Buddhahood. It is through this spirit that the causality of attaining Buddhahood becomes established as a solid and shining pillar of our lives. The term 'fighting spirit' can also be expressed in various other ways such as: the spirit of 'true cause'; of always starting from now; the resolve to never regress in faith; the heart of the lion king; the refusal to be defeated; faith that grows stronger day by day. (President Ikeda, Lectures On Attaining Buddhahood in this Lifetime p83)

As a district, we also studied this Gosho recently, and how we can muster up this deep conviction to absolutely win in our lives: Reply to Kyo'o Gosho Study

Bodhisattvas of the Earth: let's win together!

"Believe in this mandala with all your heart. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is like the roar of a lion. What sickness can therefore be an obstacle?"

(Reply to Kyo'o - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 412) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=412 Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, October 31st, 2012


Background
This brief letter was written in the eighth month of the tenth year of Bun’ei (1273) and was addressed to Kyo’o, Shijo Kingo’s infant daughter. Since Kyo’o was then only one year old, however, it may be assumed that the letter was meant for Shijo Kingo and his wife, Nichigen-nyo. They had two children, Kyo’o (Sutra King) and another daughter, Tsukimaro (Full Moon), who was a year older. Both were apparently named by Nichiren Daishonin.
This letter was written in response to news that Kyo’o had become seriously ill. At this time the Daishonin was living in exile on Sado Island.
The Daishonin explains the significance of the Gohonzon, the object of devotion. At the Tatsunokuchi Persecution in 1271, the Daishonin revealed his identity as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law. Only after this did he begin to inscribe the Gohonzon and bestow it on his followers, particularly those who had staunch faith in his teachings.
In this letter, the Daishonin says that the boundless benefits of the Gohonzon will surely cure Kyo’o’s sickness and urges Kingo and his wife to believe firmly in the Gohonzon.

Friday 22 March 2013

Daily Gosho - The Three Kinds of Treasure

As my son transfers to his senior school in September, one of our conversations has been around the topic of material wealth and the comparisons between him and his future friends. In our material world, I don't want him to be judged on what he has/or hasn't got, you see. So pleased to hear him reply "Well Mummy, we have treasures of the heart, don't we...". Correct my son, correct (:)

"More valuable than treasures in a storehouse are the treasures of the body, and the treasures of the heart are the most valuable of all. From the time you read this letter on, strive to accumulate the treasures of the heart!"

(The Three Kinds of Treasure - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 851) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=848 Selection source: The World of Nichiren's Encouragement, Seikyo Shimbun, October 14th, 2012

Background
This letter was written at Minobu in the ninth month of 1277 and addressed to Shijo Nakatsukasa Saburo Saemon-no-jo Yorimoto, commonly known as Shijo Kingo, in Kamakura. Sometime around 1274, Shijo Kingo had begun making efforts to convert his lord, who was named Ema, to the Daishonin’s teachings. Lord Ema, however, did not respond positively. Instead, he reduced the size of Kingo’s landholdings and threatened to send him to the remote province of Echigo. Kingo’s colleagues spread scurrilous reports about him, and Kingo was accused of fomenting trouble at a debate in the sixth month of , during which the Tendai priest Ryuzo-bo was bested by the Daishonin’s disciple Sammi-bo.
Nichiren Daishonin cautions Shijo Kingo and instructs him on the best course of behavior in his trying circumstances. Later that year Lord Ema fell ill, and Kingo, applying his medical skills, helped cure him. The lord was most grateful and in 1278 restored, and later even increased, Kingo’s landholdings.
At the outset of this letter, the Daishonin tells Kingo that he should remember his debt of gratitude to his lord, and stresses the Buddhist teaching that fundamental changes within oneself inevitably result in changes in the environment. He mentions that when he was about to be executed at Tatsunokuchi Kingo vowed to die by his side. Now Kingo is undergoing a severe ordeal and the Daishonin is exerting all his powers to protect him. The Daishonin says that, since Kingo was fortunate enough to have been born human and encountered the true teaching, he should accumulate “the treasures of the heart” and win the respect of others. Finally, through historical references to Emperor Sushun and others, the Daishonin teaches Kingo that as a Buddhist he should conduct his daily life admirably and be considerate of others.

Wednesday 20 March 2013

Daily Practice - latest SGI-UK e-bulletin out now!

Latest issue of the SGI-UK e-bulletin is online now at http://www.sgi-uk.info/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/sgi_e_bulletin_issue92.pdf featuring the amazing East London course in Florence - thank you again SGI-Italy!


Daily Gosho - On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime


Sounds so simple, doesn't it? Nichiren also wrote of the difficulty of sustaining faith (Gosho). So, writing as someone who did stop practicing (experience), I was thinking of members who may be struggling to maintain or restart their daily practice, for whatever reason. Can we reach out to them during this discussion meeting week, and just say hello? 

"Arouse deep faith, and diligently polish your mirror day and night. How should you polish it? Only by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo."

(On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 4) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=3 Selection Source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shinbun, October 29th, 2012


Background
This letter was written to Toki Jonin in the seventh year of Kencho (1255), two years after Nichiren Daishonin established his teaching of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. At the time of this letter, the Daishonin was thirty-four years old and was living in Kamakura, the seat of the military government. Toki was a staunch follower of the Daishonin who lived in Wakamiya in Shimosa Province. He received some thirty letters, including Letter from Sado and one of the major treatises, The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind. A retainer of Lord Chiba, the constable of Shimosa, Toki had become a follower of the Daishonin around 1254.
Of all his writings from the mids, On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime focuses most clearly on the tenets of the Daishonin’s Buddhism; many of the other works of this period are aimed chiefly at refuting the erroneous doctrines of other schools and discussing theoretical questions. This short essay not only reflects the theories T’ien-t’ai formulated based on the Lotus Sutra, but also reveals the concrete practice for attaining Buddhahood—namely, chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo—that is missing in T’ient’ai’s theoretical framework.
Myoho-renge-kyo is the title of the Lotus Sutra, but to the Daishonin it is much more; it is the essence of the sutra, the revelation of the supreme Law itself. Apparent in this work are both the depth of his thought and his conviction that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the only teaching that can lead people to Buddhahood in this lifetime.

Saturday 16 March 2013

Happy Youth Day!

Today, 16th March, we commemorate the 55th anniversary of President Toda passing the responsibility for kosen-rufu onto the Youth Division. Congratulations!
http://www.sgi.org/resource-center/study-materials/the-significance-of-march-16.html



Friday 15 March 2013

Daily Gosho - What It Means to Hear the Buddha Vehicle for the First Time

Knowing that we can do this, in this evil age of Mappo...right here...as we are...warts and all. Priceless :)

"What is the poison? It is the three paths of earthly desires, karma, and suffering that are our lot. What is the medicine? It is the Dharma body, wisdom, and emancipation. And what does it mean to change poison into medicine? It means to transform the three paths into the three virtues: the Dharma body, wisdom, and emancipation.... This is what the attainment of Buddhahood in one's present form means."

(What It Means to Hear the Buddha Vehicle for the First Time - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.2, page 743) Selection source: The teachings of Buddhism for Beginners, Seikyo Shimbun, October 28th, 2012

Monday 4 March 2013

Tohoku Women and Reconstruction Seminar

Link to a video from the Tohoku Women and Reconstruction Seminar organised by Soka Gakkai Women's Peace Committee. Features members' experiences on how they are rebuilding their lives after the 2011 earthquake and a speech by Professor Kevin Clements from the University of Otago, New Zealand. In Japanese and English http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vwg1HXd461c#!

Friday 1 March 2013

Daily Gosho - Concerning the Statue of Shakyamuni Buddha Fashioned by Nichigen-nyo


So, based on the universal law of cause and effect, Nichiren reminds us here that our victories will definitely happen. The universe cannot fail to respond to our determined prayer...

"When you shake your head, your hair sways; when your mind begins to work, your body moves. When a strong wind blows, the grass and trees can no longer remain still; when the earth shakes, the seas are atremble. Thus if one can move Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, can the grass and trees fail to respond, can the waters remain calm?"

(Concerning the Statue of Shakyamuni Buddha Fashioned by Nichigen-nyo - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.2, page 811) Selection Source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shinbun, November 5th, 2012