A Byrd's Eye View

Hi,

My blog on The 6 Beat Chakra Wave Mantra may or may not be useful to you. Also, I focus my gaze on the Myo character, and my 'shin-heart' on Ren.

I went through a stretch where I was not connecting very well to the Mandala Honzon. So I tried various other mantras objects of contemplation. Right now I am chanting the Daimoku a lot, and connecting to the Gohonzon better than in my 32 years plus of practice.

The Other Newby

robin

I think tha all people with a regular spiritual practice go through "dry periods." It is part of the unfolding of our practice. Also, practice is supposed to be boring actually. This is something I am really getting into lately - that practice is not supposed to be exciting or intoxicating but rather grounding and open. And that groundedness and openess is very invigorating and refreshing once you get into it - but at first it makes the over stimulated ego more than a little stir crazy. Anyway, I don't have anything too intelligible to say about this right now. But I do know that my friend Taigen's advice to me about chanting Odaimoku to the Gohonzon at home really helped me. He told me: "When you do your practice, just realize how ordinary it is."

Anyway, I hope to write a blog soon on "dryness" in spiritual practice and some other things. I just don't have the time or wherewithal at the moment to articulate my thoughts.

Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei

Queen Lolo,

It's a wonderful syncronicity to read about your creative approach to chanting and engaging with the mandala. Only in the last few months I have morphed into the same perspecitive! It is just as sublime to chant half-awake on my couch petting my cats (maybe moreso) as it is at the alter proper. Being tethered to that twice-a-day routine is, indeed, the proverbial painful austerity. Kudos to you for having the delicious connection to your authenticity to go beyond that.

Best,

Gabrielle

Greetings Queen Lolo. Nice to meet you.

I’ll stand in with Charles and Rev. Greg. If fact, because of all the controversy over “nohonzons” and “counterfeit gohonzons” and “downloaded Gohonzons” and “only Gohonzons that have been properly ‘Eye-Opened’”, or “only Gohonzon from the Correct Sect”, or “only penned by the hand of the True successor/ Legitimate Heir”, after storing it for ten or more years, a few years ago I enshrined in my home a Gohonzon of unknown origin in terms of the hand that penned it. You can view it if you like at
http://nichirenscoffeehouse.net/Gohonzon/CampRoss-ji-08.html

There is a school of thought, I have heard it expressed by both Nichiren Shoshu and SGI, that the only time that you can truly enjoy Buddhahood is when you are chanting in front of the Gohonzon. I will maintain that you can awaken Buddhahood chanting daimoku with a seeking mind, but if you can’t take it with you, walking in nature, or at a shopping mall, there would be no point in it, and no such possibility as Buddhahood as a manifest reality, and no reason for Nichiren to have inscribed the Gohonzon in the first place.

If you want to understand what the Gohonzon is, you can. Nichiren called it “honzon no kanjin” (object for observing one’s mind). He is reported as writing: “to see one’s own mind is to see the Buddha.”

My own experience is that the Gohonzon is a three dimensional object. Namumyohorengekyo inscribed at the center appears to be larger than the other inscriptions. This is like being in a forest with the same sized trees; the nearest tree appears to be larger than the others. It is the same with all the characters inscribed in the Gohonzon—they are all the same size.

If you look for this while you are chanting, perhaps you will seen the daimoku floating in the vastness of space along with the other inscriptions. If you do, you will find the same aspect in all depictions of the Gohonzon of the Three Great Secret Laws—regardless of the hand that penned, or the method used to reproduce them.

Sincerely, chikushonin 智倶諸人

大求道心,妙覚,命時僧倶經.
南無妙法蓮華命時儈倶經
Daikudoshin, myokaku, myojisokukyo/
Namumyohorengemyojisokukyo
A great seeking mind, mystically awakened, Buddhahood as manifest reality.

Thank you, Chikushonin, for your thoughtful comments. I read them now and plan to revisit later to fully absorb. One thing that comes to mind... you wrote, "I have heard it expressed by both Nichiren Shoshu and SGI, that the only time that you can truly enjoy Buddhahood is when you are chanting in front of the Gohonzon."

I feel inclined to point out that Shakamuni didn't have a Gohonzon. I think a Gohonzon or Mandala works for many people in many ways. But I don't believe it's the ONLY way. Countless Buddhists have achieved "enlightenment" through other methods,including by contemplating the perfection of a mere orange... :-)

Queen Lolo

I'm delighted that my blog has stimulated so much discussion. But may I ask that we try to keep the comments relevant to the subject matter? My topic was "Questioning the Gohonzon." I welcome all dialogue pertaining to that. Everything else would be better discussed through private emails. I hope there will be no hard feelings over my deleting the off-topic entries here.
Queen Lolo

I do feel my comments were very much related to what you wrote and not off topic at all as I offered how one should use one's body and mind when chanting to a Gohonzon and thus it is rather dirrent than chanting elsewhere or observing flowers etc. No matter how wonderful experiences those might be.
It seems to me that your deletion is more related to your not liking what I said even if I said it politely?
Jussi.
PS. I will not respond any more as it seems you do not enjoy opinions or views that counter yours?

Hi Queen Lolo,

Just wandering through and discovered your post. A member practicing for a few months said the same thing in a discussion meeting I was at last month. I've heard other members in the past describing how they can't 'connect' to the gohonzon. It's an interesting phenomena.

I believe that I can chant with or without the gohonzon and still get the same benefit. I think we can find the 'gohonzon' or buddha nature wherever we are. I believe it has to do with intent - of becoming happy. I still have a lot to learn. I will let you know when I hit my 30 or 40 years of practice.

best,

Dan Defensor
SGI member/Gurnee, IL

Jussi,

I only meant to delete comments that were in the thread of discussion that had a hostile or negative slant toward certain schools or organizations or even actual individuals. If something relevant got deleted in the process, I appologize and I hope you will continue posting.

Queen Lolo

Dear Queen Lolo,

I suppose it is possible to attain a certain degree of enlightenment by contemplating the perfection of a mere orange, but I can only imagine that persons predisposed to accomplish this in this way are few and far between.

I would agree that the Gohonzon of the Three Great Secret Laws is not the “ONLY WAY” to awaken Buddha nature. The claim made by Nichiren is that it is the only method that suits persons of any capacity at all.

I personally don’t believe that the goal of practicing the Lotus Sutra is the attainment of enlightenment. I believe that the purpose of practice is to bring forth Buddhahood as a manifest reality. Enlightenment and Buddhahood are not the same things.

For example, Nichiren’s ability to perceive the Gohonzon in his mind was a result of his enlightenment; Nichiren’s action of inscribing it for us in physical form was a function of his Buddhahood.

I have to admit that I am ignorant of the value of being enlightened to the true nature of a mere orange and the merit that it brings, but I do know that persons that awaken a great seeking mind toward the Gohonzon are able to manifest in their actions the wisdom appropriate to the circumstances of the present moment, which is in it self Buddhahood as manifest reality.

Sincerely, chikushonin, a common mortal of myojisoku.

Hi Chikushonin,

Thanks again for a superior use of resources to reach informed and liberating conclusions.

Gabrielle

Dear Gabrielle,

Once again I find myself humbled by your generosity.

Hi Chikushonin, you said:
"I personally don’t believe that the goal of practicing the Lotus Sutra is the attainment of enlightenment. I believe that the purpose of practice is to bring forth Buddhahood as a manifest reality. Enlightenment and Buddhahood are not the same things."

I think I agree with the 2nd statement. I'm not sure what to make of the 1st or 3rd? Can you please expand a bit?

To me, 'practicing the Lotus Sutra' means to recite the invocation of the 7 characters of the daimoku. I have heard that the goal is in the character 'Nam' or translated into 'faith', 'devotion', or 'become one with' - a two-fold vow that 'I vow to become one with' the Mystic Law (Myoho Renge Kyo) and 'I vow to help others'.

Help me out here.

best,

Dan Defensor
Gurnee, IL

Dear Dan,

I am associating enlightenment with intellectual understanding and Buddhahood with manifest behavior.

The distinction that I am making is that providing a means to manifest Buddhahood in ones present form, as a common mortal, is the sole intent of the Lotus Sutra and is not dependent on an individual's understanding, which is to say it is not dependent on intellectual capacity.

I read ‘namu’ as “bind together”, ‘myohorenge’ as the fundamental principle/law common to both deluded and enlightened beings, and ‘kyo’ as the specific reality attained by all Buddhas of the three existences and ten directions.

As for there being a two-fold vow, it does not exist in the practice of the Lotus Sutra. The so-called two-fold vow is a fabrication of later day followers of Nichiren.

A Buddha always manifests the Three Virtues. Becuase in the Buddha’s virtue of Parent there is no distinction between self and other, such a vow is purposeless and only serves as a distraction, a departure from the Lotus Sutra, and a return to the provisional teachings. Would a true parent ever abandon their children?

Sincerely, chikushonin

Hi chikushonin, you said:
"As for there being a two-fold vow, it does not exist in the practice of the Lotus Sutra. The so-called two-fold vow is a fabrication of later day followers of Nichiren.

A Buddha always manifests the Three Virtues. Becuase in the Buddha’s virtue of Parent there is no distinction between self and other, such a vow is purposeless and only serves as a distraction, a departure from the Lotus Sutra, and a return to the provisional teachings. Would a true parent ever abandon their children?"

Thank you. I agree with you to a point. As to whether the two-fold vow is purposeless or serves as a distraction, I would not agree (but thank you, I will explore further the matter and hopefully bring it up again with you). Even if it is some 'invention' or redundancy, taking on such a 'vow' is to me a continuous reaffirmation that is embodied in our rhythmic chanting of daimoku. Not because we don't need it but because even more vital, what would be the point of chanting if we're not striving to better ourselves and helping others do the same.

best,

Dan