Happy SGI Day!

Wishing all fellow Buddhas a very happy SGI Day! Morning gongyo was full of gratitude today to our mentor and his selfless, continual efforts to foster bonds of friendship around the world, based on the philosphies of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism.  http://www.sgi.org/resource-center/study-materials/january-26-sgi-day.html

Daily Gosho - The True Aspect of All Phenomena

So timely for those of us who took part in the recent study exams (congratulations to all!). This one took me a while, I admit, but I'm there now :) Study is truly part of my daily practice, thanks to Sensei's inspirational guidance which has helped me so much to really 'live' the Gosho, as opposed to merely reading it. You may also enjoy this post on study from earlier this year Making study our passion!

 

"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 it is only a single sentence or phrase."

(The True Aspect of All Phenomena - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 386) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=383&m=0&q= Selection source: Together with the Gosho - Encouragement by President Ikeda, Seikyo Shimbun, August 15th, 2012

 

Background

Nichiren Daishonin wrote this letter to Sairen-bo Nichijo while at Ichinosawa on Sado Island in the fifth month of the tenth year of Bun’ei (1273). For some reason Sairen-bo was also in exile on Sado, where he had been converted by the Daishonin in the second month of 1272. A former Tendai priest, he already knew something about “the true aspect of all phenomena” ; it was a fundamental concept in the Tendai school of Buddhism. He could not, however, satisfactorily come to grips with this concept through T’ien-t’ai’s theory alone, so he asked the Daishonin for an explanation. The True Aspect of All Phenomena is the Daishonin’s reply.

Though comparatively short, this document elucidates two important elements of the Daishonin’s Buddhism. It was completed a month after Nichiren Daishonin wrote The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind, in which he explained the Gohonzon, the object of devotion that can lead all people in the Latter Day of the Law to enlightenment. True Aspect of All Phenomena begins with a passage from the “Expedient Means” chapter - the heart of the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra - that implies that no phenomenon is in any way different from the true aspect, or Myoho-renge-kyo. It also implies that all the innumerable forms and realities that exist, both concrete and abstract, are manifestations of Myoho-renge-kyo. The Daishonin then explains the essence of the Lotus Sutra, Myoho-renge-kyo, and its embodiment, the Gohonzon. This is the first element - the object of devotion in terms of the Law.

After clarifying the ultimate teaching of the Lotus Sutra, the Daishonin states that Bodhisattva Superior Practices, the leader of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, will propagate that teaching, and that he himself is carrying out the mission entrusted to that bodhisattva. In light of his own behavior and his fulfillment of the predictions in the Lotus Sutra, Nichiren Daishonin suggests that he himself is Bodhisattva Superior Practices. A more profound interpretation, however, identifies him as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law, whose purpose was to establish the Gohonzon for the enlightenment of all people in the Latter Day. Thus True Aspect of All Phenomena also explains the object of devotion in terms of the Person. This is the second element. Referring to both the Person and the Law, the Daishonin clarifies the fundamental object of devotion for the people of the Latter Day. He brings together the points he expounded in The Opening of the Eyes completed in 1272, which focuses on the second element, and in The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind, which focuses on the first element.

The latter half of this letter explains to Sairen-bo that those who devote themselves to propagating the correct teaching in the same spirit as the Daishonin are themselves Bodhisattvas of the Earth. The Daishonin predicts that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo will spread widely in the future, and concludes by setting forth the key elements of Buddhist practice in the Latter Day of the Law— namely, faith, practice, and study.

Latest Art of Living Magazine - out now!

The latest Art of Living Magazine was welcomed to our homes this week. Packed full of heartfelt experiences, thought-provoking study material, inspiring guidance and best of all, the experiences from our Mimosas and Young Eagles.

If you don't have your copy yet, you can subscribe easily at http://www.sgi-uk.org/sites/default/files/aol_form.pdf  Enjoy this issue!

Daily Practice - Summer Courses

Hopefully everyone will have the chance to get to one of this year's Summer Courses.  My son Louis just came back from his first - a Young Eagles course, for boys aged 7 to 12 - and he would like to share his experience with you:

Louis Websdale, age 10, Romford District, Young Eagle

Champions of the Future, Champions of Peace!

I went on the Ropes Course on the second day of the course. I was chosen to go up first and show everyone how you do it. I was nervous because I'd never done anything like that before but I pushed myself and it paid off.  The best part of the whole course was the tarzan swing and chanting with everyone which was an amazing feeling! I came home and led Gongyo for the first time. My family were really proud of me after the course. 

If you are a Young Eagle reading this blog, then out of my heart, IT WAS AMAZING! Hope to see you next year!

Daily Study - making it our passion!

In Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, we often hear the phrase 'the three practices' - faith, practice and study. Faith - the conviction that we can transform our circumstances through chanting; Practice - our own chanting and the encouragement we give to others and Study - developing our understanding of this practice.

Each one is vital and helps develop the other two practices simultaneously. When we chant, our faith deepens as we gain actual proof and benefits. When our faith deepens, we can practice even more earnestly for ourselves and others. And through study, our knowledge and confidence increase, giving us an even stronger faith, helping us to practice with the absolute determination to win. We begin to understand the deeper meaning of Nichiren Daishonin's teachings and President Ikeda's guidance and can use this knowledge in our daily life.

At times, it can seem difficult to carry out each of the three practices every day, and you may find that throughout your practice, that there is an emphasis on one of the three at one point or another. SGI-UK Vice General Director Kazuo Fujii gave recent guidance at our HQ course that the way to lead a truly victorious life was to do these three things a day:

Chant an hour a day

Study for half an hour a day

Make three people happy a day

Each of us, I'm sure, find some of these easier to achieve than others!  Or maybe that's just me!

Personally, I found study difficult throughout the early years of my practice. I had the time - I just didn't have the inclination! But Sensei urges us to make study part of our daily life so I started back at the basics. I re-read The Human Revolution with a view to deepening my understanding of the mentor-disciple relationship and the history of SGI.

As part of my responsibility for hosting our Basics of Buddhism meetings, I've really had to push myself to study Buddhist theory, and create material which will be of great value to our members.

I started to search for Gosho quotes which would help me challenge the difficulty I was facing.  On this point, Sensei says 'study means engraving in our lives the Daishonin's writings, which pulse with the Daishonin's powerful spirit to lead all people to enlightenment and to withstand any hardship in order to propagate the Law.' I discovered that my study needs to have a relevance to my daily life so that I can put the practice into action.

Sensei also gives us the guidance that study shouldn't be for study's sake, or that we should become arrogant about our expertise and superior knowledge. We study to develop our three practices. It's no good being an expert on Buddhism, but not carrying out our daily practice, or having weak faith. We need all three! As Sensei tells us, 'The purpose of Buddhist study is so that we can develop into truly exemplary practitioners of the Daishonin's Buddhism, courageous champions of faith and practice. We must never err on this point."

We can talk about this practice to others so much more passionately if we have the confidence and knowledge to answer anybody's questions concisely and precisely.

What great good fortune for us that there is so much study material available for us to use!

Let's discover how we can incorporate study into our daily life and the different resources available to us. We can gain inspiration from many different forms of material and different ways of studying, both on our own, and with other members:

Reading the Gosho (Writings of Nichiren Daishonin) and using phrases in our daily life to strengthen our three practices

Art of Living Magazine (SGI-UK)

President Ikeda's guidance

Signing up for daily guidance emails

Basics of Buddhism meetings at district level 

Study meeting at chapter level where we study a selected Gosho. It's worth preparing any questions you may have on the study material and asking the study lecturers

SGI-UK Study exams (Grades 1,2,3)

Supporting the members who have applied to take a study exam.

Some think of Buddhist practice as retreating to a quiet place and leading a life of calm and contemplation, but you should know that from its earliest origins Buddhism was a philosophy of practice, of living and energetically engaging with others in dialogue.

Buddhism is a teaching for helping all living beings, and especially the people who are suffering the most. Therefore, study needs to be rooted in daily life and serve as a guide for action. Study becomes a revitalizing force when it provides assurance and self-confidence in the power to overcome life’s difficulties and tribulations. The Soka Gakkai’s emphasis on study has achieved just this in the real world.

(Daisaku Ikeda, The New Human Revolution, Volume 24, Chapter 2, ‘Vigilant Safeguarding 38’,SGI Newsletter No. 8208, 12 April 2011)

Do you have a favourite Gosho quote? Is there a particular phrase that you use when times are difficult? How do you fit study into your daily life? Would love to swap notes!

Daily Study - The Ten Worlds

The prime concern of Buddhism is our life-state, the joy or suffering we experience at each moment. This is always seen as an interaction between external conditions and inner tendencies; the same conditions that will be experienced by one person as unremitting misery may be a source of exhilarating challenge and satisfaction to another. Strengthening our inner state so that we are able to resist and even transform the most difficult and negative conditions is the purpose of Buddhist practice.

To find out how, take a look at http://www.sgi.org/buddhism/buddhist-concepts/ten-worlds.html and discover the key to creating a life of indestructible happiness...

Daily Study - Examinations... do we really need them?

Some may say 'not'. Some may say 'why not'. In my experience, I've come to realise what wonderful benefits appear when I devote my time and energy to study.  Out of the three practices, I've always found study to be the one I've struggled with, and I admit that I've put it to the bottom of the to-do list at times!
But after taking on the responsibility of hosting 'Basics of Buddhism' meetings, I determined to study more so that I could encourage and support other members, especially guests and Naitoku. And if I was going to support, I actually needed to know the material inside out. I would not have felt like I was truly caring for the members without that deep knowledge and confidence to relay it in a meeting.
Sensei Ikeda gives us the guidance that we should live the Gosho through our daily lives. I often find myself rushing to my 'Writings of Nichiren Daishonin' to read that one particular quote which is going to get me through whatever-the-challenge. I have so many personal favourites. There is always one that I think - yep, that's it...that's the attitude I need to take. That's the spirit in which I need to practice with. 
With study comes a deepening of faith. And our deepening faith inspires us to practice even harder. I see it as a circle, where I can do my human revolution at each stage.
Anyone else planning on doing the exams this year? Would love to hear how you fit study into your daily life!
And for more inspiration: http://www.sgi.org/news/events/events2012/ssa-members-take-buddhist-elementary-level-study-exam.html