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

November 18th - Anniversary of the establishment of Soka Gakkai

A day spent chanting in gratitude for our three presidents' efforts on this auspicious day - the anniversary of the establishment of Soka Gakkai. I redetermine to repay my debt of gratitude by striving even harder to share the Mystic Law with the people of Essex, and beyond :) Hope everyone has had a victorious day! 

http://www.sgi.org/resource-center/study-materials/celebrating-the-founding-of-the-soka-gakkai.html 

Daily Gosho - On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime

I'll be honest - I know that throughout my practice, there are times when I've worshipped a Honzon, rather than devoting myself to the Gohonzon and the power of Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo.  That Honzon, in the past, could have been a boyfriend and at times, work. Our challenge as Bodhisattvas of the Earth, is to develop our faith in the Mystic Law, as the one true teaching, discarding all provisional teachings. We should  truly believe, within the depths of our whole being, that our lives are Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. In his lecture on this Gosho, Sensei reminds us of President Toda's impassioned guidance: "Propagating the Mystic Law in the Latter Day means firmly believing that your life is nothing apart from Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo!" (p35, Lectures on "On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime") 

"Nevertheless, even though you chant and believe in Myoho-renge-kyo, if you think the Law is outside yourself, you are embracing not the Mystic Law but an inferior teaching."

(On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Volume 1, page 3) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=3 Selection source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shimbun, August 3rd, 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.

Daily Study - The Selection of the Time

The Selection of the Time http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=538

I'm writing these study notes while my neighbours are having yet another blazing row. This Gosho has reminded me of our mission to propagate Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism so that we can alleviate suffering like that of the people next door...
As Sensei says on p11 of August's AOL, by awakening to our mission as Bodhisattvas of the Earth, we live our lives with the "fundamental spirit of empathy and caring for others".  Nichiren Daishonin stood up, alone and persecuted so that we could meet the practice in the Latter Day of the Law. We should practice with his spirit and become "the foremost votary of the Lotus Sutra in the entire land of Jambudvipa (the entire world).  It was Nichiren Daishonin's supreme compassion for us to become enlightened that enabled him to make this his mission in life. And he took responsibility for that mission, completely, understanding that it was only him, as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law, who could make this mission a reality.
Sensei writes that with this spirit of transforming our lives, and helping others to transform theirs, we can prove our worth as a human being.  It isn't down to how powerful we are, or what our status is, the true measure of a human being is how by we help people overcome their suffering.
We are fortunate in England not to suffer major religious persecution such as Nichiren Daishonin did, but in his day in 1275, his teachings certainly ruffled a few feathers to say the least.  The 'evil demons' which had taken over the priests and rulers of his time, did everything in their power to cut Nichiren Daishonin down to size, to banish him in exile. But still he carried out, out of sincerity and respect for all human beings. He would not be silenced.  He recognised that their slander of the Law was having grave effects on the country and the people, but also, sadly realised that these 'eminent priests' would accept his word as true, when it was too late.
So, how do we achieve our mission for widespread propagation - by treasuring the person right in front of us! As Sensei writes on p17, "It all starts with one person. That person's passion and commitment will inspire another person, and then another..." becoming a Mount Sumeru of perfect enlightenment. 
In our recent Chapter Study lecture, our wonderful Women's Division leader spoke of determining in front of the Gohonzon, every day, on how we can "consolidate our strong foundation" and then build on this foundation. That it starts with us, determining to live our life to the absolute fullest. 
Sensei gives us guidance that we shouldn't begrudge our own lives; that we can't fully commit to the struggle with a half-hearted attitude. "Without a thoroughgoing commitment, one cannot persevere in the struggle to propagate the correct teaching in the Latter Day of the Law. But unless this struggle is undertaken, the teaching of the Lotus Sutra will become obscured and lost, and the Latter Day will remain in darkness." 
We are reminded of the examples of the farmers at Atsuhara, of Shijo Kingo and the Ikegami brothers - people with pure and strong faith who took on this struggle whole-heartedly, no matter what the cost to themselves or their lives. Similarly, what  personal sacrifices have our three presidents undertaken for their mission - Makiguchi dying in prison, Toda's selfless struggle to rebuild the Soka Gakkai and achieve his determination of 750,000 households practicing, and Sensei Ikeda's ongoing efforts to achieve worldwide kosen-rufu amidst persecution, slander, arrest to name but a few of the challenges he has had to face - and overcome.
As he says, "Now is the time to show brilliant actual proof of worldwide kosen-rufu by reading with our lives the Daishonin's words:  'Try practising as the Lotus Sutra teaches, exerting yourselves without begrudging your lives! Test the truth of Buddhism now!"
This is our mission! Let's do it!  I'm going to start with my neighbours :)

Daily Practice - Discussion Meetings

Today is certainly an auspicious day!  65 years ago today, Daisaku Ikeda met the man who was to become his mentor in life,Josei Toda, when he attended his first discussion meeting. This experience led him to become a member of the Soka Gakkai ten days later, 24th August, which is now celebrated as Men's Division Day.

I had planning yesterday for our September discussion meeting. It was vibrant, collaborative and well-attended.  Our detailed planning will ensure a fantastic meeting next month, I'm sure. And today's anniversary has got me thinking more deeply about our tradition of discussion meetings or 'zadankai'.

I wonder how what percentage of members decided to start practicing after attending their first meeting...I know I did. I felt like I'd come home when I heard the group chanting. The discussion was lively, attended by people across all sections of society and I felt very welcome. I hope all 'first-timers' enjoy theirs as much I did. "I'll have some of that", I thought!

Studying why we host meetings, rather than lectures, I read the following quote from President Makiguchi: 

Once when he was asked whether it might be better to have formal lectures instead of a discussion format, President Makiguchi replied, "No, it wouldn't. Dialogue is the only way to communicate with another about life's problems. At a lecture, listeners inevitably feel uninvolved."

I think discussion meetings can be so inspiring when they are filled with heartfelt experiences, when you can see how much someone has transformed their situation, and won their personal battle. 

Sensei Ikeda talks more about our discussion meetings in "The SGI's Peace Movement from Buddhist Peacework"  I loved the line "The powerful Buddha nature that emerges from the combination of chanting daimoku and the mutual inspiration achieved by attending the discussion meeting enables each individual to generate value in the forms of beauty, benefit, and goodness." I know how great I always feel, leaving a discussion meeting, with renewed determination to practice alongside my mentor.

While preparing this blog post, I found this guidance which I would like to share. I am determined to invite two friends to our meetings this month so I am going to engrave this guidance into my heart...and then chant to be courageous and invite them along...

TO MY FRIENDS

Our SGI discussion meetings always abound with lively and cheerful conversations and vibrant hope starts shining in everyone’s heart. This friend and that friend; let’s help them all to form a connection to Buddhism by inviting them to our discussion meetings.

– Daisaku Ikeda, October 15 2010

Wishing everyone a fantastic discussion meeting this month!

Daily Practice - Chanting for safety during the Olympics

Guidance for Wednesday 8th August Peace and security daimoku proposal ELA'12:  

Josei Toda often said: "The Gohonzon represents the strongest concentration of the universal life force. When we connect with the Gohonzon in our lives, our life force also gains that same strength." 
When we are actively striving for the kosen-rufu movement and for the sake of the happiness of others, we are filled with vibrant life force. NL8470