I believe that, when you look at the Three Obstacles and Four Devils as benefit (as did Nichiren), you are near to having arrived.tkp67 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 23, 2021 4:01 pmColumn a or b depending on cause, capacity, condition and the time. However it is more detailed.Astus wrote: ↑Tue Mar 23, 2021 9:31 amJust to see if I understand you correctly. Is it the case that chanting the daimoku means that purely because of those words the Buddha's complete awakening is present in one's mind, rendering the mind of the chanter equal to that of a buddha, therefore nothing else is needed since just by chanting one has perfected everything there is to attain? Or is it that the chanting connects somehow one to the Buddha's awakening and it gradually purifies the mind over time simply by the force of that connection?
The Lotus Sutra gives an example of someone grasping the lotus instantly. This is because that being had already met the requirements and perfected the teachings prior.
So column a.
Now I also believe it plants a seed for some that eventually manifests on other paths (according to cause, capacity and condition). About two years ago I was speaking with a friend's mother. She is around 70 and practices kundalini yoga. She was a flower child for a bit but had left that life well over 45 years ago. I started to talk about buddhism and mentioned nam myoho renge kyo. She had said it once all those years ago. It had given her some direction spiritually albeit loosely. She did not see them (her practice or nam myoho renge kyo) as being different. I made no attempt to correct her as her practice is what keeps her thriving.
More practically for a Nichiren practitioner chanting sustainably over the course of time manifests into benefit. This is not to say this alone will work perfectly for everyone. It is not a subscription as it. Some people require more specific understanding about the provisional teachings. Some grasp these quickly some need to learn them through existence. What the sustainable use of daimoku does is works against the conditioning life struggles cause. So here column b.
There is this seeming contradiction about those who practice this buddhism. Nichiren mentions it often. Practitioners will enjoy great benefit in this life time and also suffer great resistance and difficulty. Here in is the true purpose of this practice. That one resides in the auspices of shakyamuni's enlightenment so nothing external can destroy one's inner joy that comes from one's own life force. I believe Nichiren Shoshu call it the diamond chalice. I may be off but I believe it still serves to illustrate the point.
I believe personally that every moment spent just not doubting that one has the capacity to hold this state in one's mind even under the condensation of a mantra plants seeds that plant deep roots and offer grand fruition.
Mark