How fast should I chant daimoku and how long? It’s a question that is often asked when people start practicing Nichiren Buddhism. There’s a little booklet in the top left drawer of the table on which my Butsudan sits. It was given to me by a dear friend of mine to help me record the number of daimoku I have chanted. For every thousand daimoku there’s a little circle to fill in, and the idea is that when I have […]
Inclusive and exclusive readings of the Lotus Sutra
Following this brief introduction are three different translations of a single passage, as an example of how translations can serve an exclusive or include view of the Supremacy of the Lotus Sutra. Make of this what you will – many others have already made of it what they would. The english versions of the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, were produced by the SGI’s Gosho Translation Committee with the assistance of Burton Watson, so it’s easy to understand how his translation […]
What is the Mystic Law of the Lotus Sutra?
The Entity of the Mystic Law gosho begins thus: QUESTION: What is the entity of Myoho-renge-kyo? Answer: All beings and their environments in any of the Ten Worlds are themselves entities of Myoho-renge-kyo. As Elwood says in the Blues Brothers… And remember people, that no matter who you are, and what you do to live, thrive and survive, there’re still some things that make us all the same. You, me… them… everybody! everybody! This first passage from the Gosho reveals […]
Esoteric and tantric elements of Nichiren Buddhism
The three vehicles of Buddhism are accepted generally as; Hinayana (of which the Theravada is the extant school). This term translates as Lesser Vehicle and as such can be regarded derogatory. Mahayana, which translates as Great Vehicle. Vajrayana, which translates to Diamond Vehicle or Adamantine Vehicle. However, to classify Buddhism rigidly in this way is not always helpful. Mayahana Buddhism, which is largely attributed to Nagarjuna and the Nalanda centre of learning, is based firmly on the foundations of the […]
If Nichiren Daishonin lived next door
I’ve been battling of late to come to terms with a whole bunch of discrepancies in Nichiren’s logic, and writings. I’ve written about a couple, but I’m beginning to feel this could form a negative thread of articles that would serve little benefit in sharing. I guess at the most basic level I have difficulty with “One true Buddhism” exclusivist thinking. I think there is a danger of this kind of thinking leading to divisiveness, and it would seem to […]
Superstition, doubt, reason and investigation
Here’s a typical quote from Daisaku Ikeda (New Human Revolution Vol 17): Doubt is the source of fundamental delusion in life; it is what Buddhism calls fundamental darkness. It gives rise to anxiety and drags us into the depths of despair. Faith, meanwhile, is the struggle against the doubt that resides within our hearts. The power to win in that struggle comes from chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. A true champion is therefore someone who puts prayer first. Before I go any further […]
The Universal Salty Taste
There are several views as to when this was written, but the de facto date accepted is 1261. The recipient of the letter is unknown. This is the fifth Gosho in Vol 1 WND, and is the second time the Daishonin cites the Lotus Sutra as being the only way to achieve enlightenment. In A Ship to Cross the Sea of Suffering Nichiren previously made it clear that all other teachings were provisional. Only the ship of Myoho-renge-kyo enables one […]
Ichinen Sanzen Pt4
The picture I have chosen to introduce this article is a three dimensional fractal. Hopefully it can demonstrate how a simple universal truth (in this case, a mathematical construct) can give rise to all the beauty and complexity we perceive as reality. Ichinen Sanzen is the Buddhist theory that describes that reality. Despite having written at length regarding the Ten Worlds, the Ten Factors and Three Realms, it is almost inevitable that my words alone will only have provided the […]
Search
The Anxious Buddhist FREE ebook
A FREE e-book that takes a look at Anxiety Disorder from a Buddhist perspective.
Download your copy now!
The Anxious BuddhistArchives
Tags
Sites We Like
Recent Posts
- The Endless Further – A Tribute
- My incense was so incensed!
- When the precepts don’t feel like precepts
- Victory
- Impermanence, depression, and the crows
- Screaming in silence
- Duality is to capitalism
- The womb of compassion
- SGI UK – a look back and a look forward
- The horse and the pond
- The knot of hope
- Why does compassion have to be boundless?
- Fixing the Dharmic plumbing
- The dogma of atheism
- Mindlessness can lead to baby eating
- The life of Nichiren Daishonin
- Faith is a well baked loaf
- Liberation from cannabis
- Was Nichiren Daishonin saved by the Dalai Lama?
- Persecution and extremism
- Would you do this on faith alone?
- Say it ain’t so – Silence continues on plight of Burmese Muslims
- Meditation in Nichiren Buddhism
- The difficulty of middle way thought