Search found 22 matches
- Wed Oct 03, 2012 2:35 pm
- Forum: Nichiren
- Topic: "Meditation" in Nichiren Traditions
- Replies: 5
- Views: 2534
Re: "Meditation" in Nichiren Traditions
There are plenty of practices and visualizations and formulas for accumulating merit and wisdom and the development of bodhicitta. There is also the Samantabhadra Meditation Sutra epilogue of the Lotus Sutra which I sometimes use as a guide for visualization while chanting daimoku. There are plenty ...
- Mon Oct 01, 2012 2:38 pm
- Forum: Nichiren
- Topic: Soka Gakai (SGI) Criticism Thread
- Replies: 201
- Views: 68142
Re: Soka Gakai (SGI) Criticism Thread
It seems to me that Ill-arazza has a compulsive ability, a fairly refined skill actually, to pull people into arguments that really turn into "worldy dharma" debates. This soon turns to an act of slander for all participants. It doesn't seem there is anything really he wishes to discuss, j...
- Fri Aug 31, 2012 4:08 pm
- Forum: Nichiren
- Topic: Postive about Soka Gakkai?
- Replies: 45
- Views: 16425
Re: Postive about Soka Gakkai?
Well, let me say that, as an ex-member who has no plans to ever return for a variety of reasons, I think that I have to agree with you on a very basic, logical basis. When I used to defend the organization against various claims (most of which were implying the "C" word), I would say that ...
- Mon Aug 20, 2012 6:28 pm
- Forum: Nichiren
- Topic: Why chant in Japanese ?
- Replies: 16
- Views: 6196
Re: Why chant in Japanese ?
to clarify one of my previous statements: "The real danger is that some very large 'Nichiren' organizations/temples, some medium-sized ones and some very small sects, could direct practicioners away from understanding the multitude of profound teachings that lie just below the surface and/or re...
- Mon Aug 20, 2012 2:57 pm
- Forum: Nichiren
- Topic: Why chant in Japanese ?
- Replies: 16
- Views: 6196
Re: Why chant in Japanese ?
QQ, Yes, by "mnemonic" I meant the traditional 'memory aid' sense, as we might find in mikkyo practices (which, of course, Nichiren engaged in as a young monk, on his way to becoming the wisest person in Japan, as he prayed for to Bodhisattva Kokuzo) I guess I also meant to infer another s...
- Fri Aug 17, 2012 7:22 pm
- Forum: Nichiren
- Topic: Why chant in Japanese ?
- Replies: 16
- Views: 6196
Re: Why chant in Japanese ?
First, Ananda, thank you so much for triggering this fruitful and meaningful discussion. These are the kinds of things we should be discussing. QQ, Second, thank you for your extensive comments and responses, really great ideas there. "I could be convinced differently, but as it stands, the mne...
- Fri Aug 17, 2012 4:47 pm
- Forum: Nichiren
- Topic: Why chant in Japanese ?
- Replies: 16
- Views: 6196
Re: Why chant in Japanese ?
QQ, I think one way to approach this is to say that, well, we can certainly chant the sutra in any language we want. However, when it comes to the daimoku, be it the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra or any other sutra, we are engaging with a mnemonic device whereby each word, each character really is, in ...
- Thu Aug 09, 2012 4:26 pm
- Forum: Nichiren
- Topic: Question about chanting Daimoku for great lengths of time
- Replies: 21
- Views: 9056
Re: Question about chanting Daimoku for great lengths of time
"yeah except the eternal Buddha is Nichiren Daishonin rather than Shakyamuni" I respect this as your personal view, but I have to admit I've always found this position completely awkward and offensive. I find it especially awkward that it would be held not by a person here or there, but by...
- Wed Aug 01, 2012 6:02 pm
- Forum: Nichiren
- Topic: Question about chanting Daimoku for great lengths of time
- Replies: 21
- Views: 9056
Re: Question about chanting Daimoku for great lengths of time
This is kind of abitrary , but I guess there are associations. When I practiced with SGI, yes, usually ten minutes never sufficed and it was normal to host two to three-hour tosos. There were others who had 12+ hour tosos. Like everything else in the SGI, it was an extreme....hmmm, how can I say.......
- Fri Jun 22, 2012 4:42 pm
- Forum: Nichiren
- Topic: Can someone help me reconcile please?
- Replies: 44
- Views: 13671
Re: Can someone help me reconcile please?
Rory, More good stuff. You're assumption that as a buddhist who practices daimoku I would, quite naturally, be contemplating ichinen sanzen is half-correct (with regards to my practice.) Of course I am familiar with the concept ('three thousand realms in one thought moment') as well as meditation on...
- Thu Jun 21, 2012 7:31 pm
- Forum: Nichiren
- Topic: Can someone help me reconcile please?
- Replies: 44
- Views: 13671
Re: Can someone help me reconcile please?
Time is a four-letter-word. ....
- Thu Jun 21, 2012 3:04 pm
- Forum: Nichiren
- Topic: Can someone help me reconcile please?
- Replies: 44
- Views: 13671
Re: Can someone help me reconcile please?
Thanks Rory for touching on Madhyamika which I am already familiar with. In fact, we are currently studying it with my sangha. I find it especially helpful to always return and water the good roots. I am not sure when you say "So meditating on 'emptyness' would be incorrect for our school"...
- Tue Jun 19, 2012 4:13 pm
- Forum: Nichiren
- Topic: Can someone help me reconcile please?
- Replies: 44
- Views: 13671
Re: Can someone help me reconcile please?
Just my 2 cents, beautiful breath: I am a non-sectarian practicioner of the daimoku (chant of the title of the Lotus Sutra, which is itself a formulation mantra of the essential teaching of the sutra itself) and consider Nichiren to be one of my great teachers. I have an altar that is not exclusive ...
- Fri Apr 13, 2012 9:26 pm
- Forum: Nichiren
- Topic: Nichiren's interpretation of the Pure Land
- Replies: 143
- Views: 42925
Re: Nichiren's interpretation of the Pure Land
Rory, I'm not sure there was any disagreement about whether or not Shingon and Tibetan tantric practices both sprung from the same Vajrayana tradition (including, of course, the Indian tantric practices and guru-yoga, etc...) Nichiren, in his time, in a country that was considered actively buddhist,...
- Wed Apr 04, 2012 1:01 pm
- Forum: Nichiren
- Topic: Nichiren's interpretation of the Pure Land
- Replies: 143
- Views: 42925
Re: Nichiren's interpretation of the Pure Land
Aemilius, thanks for bringing that point up about Never Disparaging. Please note that certain Nichirenist sectarians will then say "oh, never disparaging is not appropriate for this age" or something to that effect. There will be an answer for everything. They cling to a type of reading of...
- Fri Mar 30, 2012 9:11 pm
- Forum: Nichiren
- Topic: Nichiren's interpretation of the Pure Land
- Replies: 143
- Views: 42925
Re: Nichiren's interpretation of the Pure Land
Rory, Actually, that is a good thread. Thank you very much for leading me to it. A couple of things. There is a mid-point between the two extremes of taking the various sutras and commentaries literally and just taking them as fairy tales. We can read them with the mind of faith (the ox which drives...
- Fri Mar 30, 2012 4:34 pm
- Forum: Nichiren
- Topic: Nichiren's interpretation of the Pure Land
- Replies: 143
- Views: 42925
Re: Nichiren's interpretation of the Pure Land
Son Of Buddha, I can tell you now with certainty that you will be unable to get any constructive debate with fundamentalist-literalists. This will always be the way and we feel compassion for them just as ourselves. For example, perhaps something occurred in their lives that causes them to seek some...
- Wed Mar 28, 2012 12:59 pm
- Forum: Nichiren
- Topic: Nichiren's interpretation of the Pure Land
- Replies: 143
- Views: 42925
Re: Nichiren's interpretation of the Pure Land
Rory- I am independent of any school and practice daily the daimoku prescribed by Nichiren. As for study, lately I have been attending Gelug teachings when I am able. As for "metaphors", no I do not lack faith that we are all really capable of attaining buddhahood in this lifetime, but thi...
- Tue Mar 27, 2012 2:49 pm
- Forum: Nichiren
- Topic: Nichiren's interpretation of the Pure Land
- Replies: 143
- Views: 42925
Re: Nichiren's interpretation of the Pure Land
you may not like it; but we are doing as the sutra, the final teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha for the last 6 years of his life bids us do. It's not really a question of whether I "like it or not." I also practice the buddhism prescribed by Nichiren and consider the Lotus Sutra to be the hig...
- Mon Mar 26, 2012 7:26 pm
- Forum: Nichiren
- Topic: Nichiren's interpretation of the Pure Land
- Replies: 143
- Views: 42925
Re: Nichiren's interpretation of the Pure Land
Two things. I'm thinking that, normally, I might say, well these two individuals have experienced a very myopic view with buddhist sects or practices other than Nichiren sects and lay organizations. However, that would be very arrogant of me to a. suggest that this was the case just because the two ...