The day before thanksgiving is my time for profound reflection. Nineteen years ago, I reported for my final radiation treatment, ending a nine-month physiological gauntlet that challenged my life and sanity. Pain, fear, and fatigue were my merciless companions. Although these mind-states were adversarial, Buddhism enables anyone to transform oppressive conditions like the aforementioned into inspiration. Thanks to daimoku, the Gohonzon, and the Lotus Sutra, I was able to overcome cancer.
With deep appreciation, at this time each year, I momentarily pause, with head bowed, to ponder that experience and what transpired. Lingering there, in that fleeting frame of rootless thought, just prior to the empty quietude before the next idea, I look to the future with wonder.
For example, each time I get behind the wheel of my car and begin driving, my mind, somehow, automatically goes into a mode of moment-by-moment. “A deer could run in front of my car, and it could all be over,” I think. This flash is similar to adjusting the lens on a microscope. That thought, as other thoughts of our conscious mind are replaced with another, then another, and so on. The reality of death at any moment has never been an obsession with me, nor is it a possibility that is far from my conscious mind. The author, Carlos Castenada, said that his teacher, the Yaqui brujo, Don Juan, warned him that ‘death is the headlights following you on the road.’ Don Juan’s analogy is apt, as death is always following us, whether we glance at the rearview mirror or not.
One of the vital lessons that my illness taught me was that our time here is fleeting. With the invaluable perspective age grants us, I also learned that our being – that nonlocal aspect of all being and phenomena, is ageless, timeless, and deathless. With an understanding, accrued in face-to-face dialogue with the four and eight sufferings, it was only natural that I developed a rich appreciation for life. When, as Baba Ram Dass put it, we understand that we are more than our body, or more than our suffering, we can transcend our pain, fear, and hopelessness - there is a place in each one of us that is free of all such sufferings. Getting there is the quandry. With daimoku, we have the means of locomotion. With the Lotus Sutra, we have the compass or the North Star. With the Gohonzon, we have the map. With faith, we have the life sustaining water of will to move ourselves inward and forward to the imprevious place of reward.
One particular realization has the power to put my life into proper perspective and thrill me with the mystic majesty of shear existence: that fact is that at every moment, millions of cells in our body are being born and are dying, having gone through an entire life cycle to perpetuate the greater life that comprises the “us” that presents itself to the world. Each one of these trillion or so cells is no less than a living, sentient being, in their own right, knowing everything you know, but in their own unique way. These cells respond to life's mystic maestro like the oboes, violas, or tympani of the New York Philharmonic that rise and fall to the wave of the conductor's baton. To the music of the multiverse, our cells emerge and expire from existence in a physiologic dance choreographed by the cosmos itself.
Each thanksgiving is a poignant reminder of my own mystic dance and encore. It is my prayer to answer the curtain call, no matter how tired I am. Perhaps my performance will inspire someone new. My thanks to all of you. Please enjoy your holiday.
My Army drill sergeant was a taskmaster - an uncensored disciplinarian, and a maker of men from palpable, post-pubescent boys. It was 1970, and the Viet Nam War made my sergeant’s tongue a task master's whip that he used to lash us lackeys into shape. He called the weaklings, city slickers, and sniveling sneaks "gutless wonders." Although we both feared and hated Drill Sergeant Allen at first, by the end of basic training, he had won our respect. He transformed us from undisciplined, self-involved brats, into soldiers who could face the enemy head-on - courageously, or if necessary, after our advanced infantry training, be able to engage in the gruesome stealth of guerilla warfare to gain the advantage. What fascinates me so today, is the sheer number of gutless wonders masquerading as men of learning – self-annointed bodhisattvas in name only, but not in deed. These dregs are neither warriors nor holy men - they are cowering cowards, incapable of heroism, like a suicide bomber targeting a daycare center.
Our late night readers were treated to a conspicuous act of cowardice Monday night. FraughtWithPeril was temporarily censored by a plauge infected cabal of mantrafied wharf-rats who - in their moronnic machinations - managed to cause more good than the actual harm they intended. Some might be outraged that our freedom of speech was temporarily hijacked by these nitwit neophytes. From a broader perspective, it’s evident that we struck a nerve in their shriveled brains. Devious dogmatists of this kind have an odious tendency to leave a trail of intellectual excrement for any half-wit hunter to follow. Cowards never fail to reveal their true colors – yella.
I offer a full-dress, four-star salute to the architects of FraughtWithPeril for such quick response and for displaying the testicular fortitude in flushing out the enemy.
“We apologize that FraughtWithPeril was down this morning. We suspect that we were hacked by a joint Soka Gakkai/Shoshinkai plot to take FraughtWithPeril down. They impersonated our webmaster and tried to hijack the account from which our bills are paid. From there they submitted a fake “close this account” request. Efforts have been taken to repel such attempts in the future.”
FraughtWithPeril is an ideal format for bloggers and readers to fully express their viewpoint no matter how profound or mornonic. A misinformed, gutless wonder cannot defend their position for long because the foundation of their knowledge rests in shifting sands. There are writers on FraughtWithPeril that I vehemently dispute, yet I fully respect their right to convey their ideas. I even laugh at their humorous attempts to seem wise. I respect a person who speaks their mind, whether I agree with them or not. A coward is different. They are incapable of looking you in the eye - stating the truth of their beliefs. They shriek and run like prod-stuck swine when confronted by contrary ideas. They resort to the proverbial sucker-punch and the old knife in the back.
As for myself, I encourage people to write in and tell me just how wrong I am. I suspect that every writer at FraughtWithPeril is ready, willing and able to respond to criticism, defending their position. Most of our bloggers seem willing to stand corrected if a reader presents compelling evidence that refutes what they have written.
My drill sergeant taught us soldiers the basics of good character. It’s remarkable that those who tried to hijack our site, in the name of some warped dharmic purity, did not understand a single lesson of Buddha. Courage, ethical behavior, and nobility are the traits of Buddha that we develop through practice. An act of valor, even in the defense of pure heresy would have been to write in and refute our ideas. We writers love reader’s comments. I request that the perpetrators of this gutless act to write in and refute us – by all means use a pen name. We won’t hold our breath waiting for your rebuttals. Your action is proof of our relevance. What you attempted to do is far more deleterious to Buddhism than anything we could write.
There has been lively discussion and commentary here about original Buddhahood, enlightenment, human revolution, expedient means, Buddhism vs. bodhisattvaism, changing karma, and the errors of the SGI and the various Nichiren sects. But let us not forget the Nam versus Namu issue. Being a true believer in free speech – and out of respect for my fellow authors, I have refrained in most part from clashing with my fellow bloggers when they express their philosophy. Occasionally, I will voice a disagreement or ask a question, but I try not to be rude to those who comment on my site or disagree with my opinions. Above all else, I try to be open and not come off as a know-it-all.
With that in mind, I thought it would be a good time to express my opinion on these subjects. My background is well known to many of my readers, but let me quickly summarize. In 1970, I was initiated into ceremonial magick as taught by Aleister Crowley, advancing four grades prior to embracing Buddhism. In that time, I became adept at Kundalini yoga. Although I first chanted in 1970, it was 1973 when I began to practice Nichiren Buddhism. I have a working knowledge of several types of divination with particular expertise in Tarot (Book of Thoth). I was an active member of the SGI until 2003. I’ve written two books on Buddhist healing and it’s okay if some people don’t like them because they’ve managed to help many people. Let me now express my thumbnail views on the above topics.
Original Buddhahood and Enlightenment
It seems very clear to me that we have Buddhahood and at the core are already enlightened. With that said, it is my opinion that one must exert themselves in the three ways of faith, practice, and study to actually realize this potential. I was a natural athlete and loved sports, yet it took years of strict coaching and years of practice to develop a skill level that would make me a champion. Another example - my father was a disciplinarian who made his two boys work to understand the value of money. Neither my brother nor I were given a car like some of my friends. My father made us both work summer jobs to buy our own vehicles and pay the freight on our insurance. Without diligence and practice, there is no realization of Buddhahood. Although the Lotus Sutra describes Shakyamuni conferring Buddhahood – or rather, teaching that Buddhahood was already existent, he never said that you didn’t need to work for it.
Show me someone who claims that Buddhahood is possible by a mere change in perspective, without essential practice to bring them to the point of perfect receptivity, and you will see for yourself an arrogant fool, fully deluded by the miasma of an over-inflated ego. In the 60s, some thought enlightenment could be found in a sugar cube or a mushroom, but that is just a view through the looking glass. To bend a quote by Thomas Edison, attaining Buddhahood is 99% perspiration 1% confirmation.
Human Revolution
Of all the terms or ideas coined by the SGI, I like this one the best. Human Revolution not only implies a process one has gone through, it also indicates the labors necessary for achievement. One exerts them self to transform their weaknesses to revolutionize their mind and spirit. Human Revolution is embodied in the ideas expressed above - that it takes effort to win enlightenment for themselves.
Expedient Means
Clearly, when the Buddha revealed His enlightenment in the Lotus Sutra, he did it from His perspective. In my view, one cannot fault other Buddhists or people of other religions who meditate, pray, or use various rituals to connect to their higher self because the multitudes are on different levels. When I wrote my books, it was necessary to be inclusive versus exclusive because so many of my readers were Christian or other beliefs. Using the current scientific data available at the time, I told them that all prayer induces the relaxation response and a subsequent boost to the immune system. By describing people’s own cherished prayers or faith as a complimentary expedient, I was able to explain the essential of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
Nam versus Namu
Some people really get their knickers in a knot over this tonal difference. They suggest it is the most grave of slanders to defile the word Namu by writing, or by way of inference reciting Nam. Language is fluid, evolving. If the purists insist on perfect purity, they should probably chant Namah Saddharma Pundurika Sutra to stay true to Buddha’s own words. People who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo attain Buddhahood. People that chant Namu-myoho-renge-kyo attain Buddhahood. There is so much more to the attainment of Buddhahood than one syllable.
Bodhisattvaism vs. Buddhism
Working on your life here is what’s important. I’ve always looked at myself as a person who followed the bodhisattva ethic of compassion and worked for the betterment of other people, even at the cost of my own life. If that makes me a bodhisattva, aspiring for Buddhahood, fine. If it makes me a Buddha living the bodhisattva credo, that’s fine too. My efforts are to remove divisions to where we can recognize each other as human beings, imbued with a hidden, spiritual perfection linking us.
Changing Karma
If there is nothing to change, then we must be perfect as we are. Such a perspective of already being perfect and enlightened is an exercise in spiritual narcissism. Changing karma, like realizing Buddhahood or human revolution is hard work. But we are hardly perfect as we are as evidenced by our obvious flaws, both individually and collectively. Buddhist practice enables us to work on our weak points. It’s patently obvious that we can change our karma or tendencies for the better and we can certainly change them for the worse. Some people may assert that changing karma is a delusion because there’s no karma to change when you already have Buddhahood. They are surely full of sacred cow crap up to their ajna chakra.
The SGI, Nichiren Shu, and other Nichiren Sects
Although inactive, I’m still a member of the SGI and believe that there are many positive things about it. It’s true that we have our differences. It’s clear to me that their core doctrines have been impaled by the poison spear of Nichiren Shoshu, but I can see that the SGI is moving in the right direction. Nichiren Shu, seems to have the core doctrines that make the most sense to me and the Nichiren Shu members I’ve met seem very nice and highly informed. The many variations of Nichiren Buddhism out there all seem to indicate that Nichiren was one awesome saint and I’ll respect them for what they believe without trying to slice and dice them. The one thing I do know is that Nichiren Buddhism and especially the SGI are not marketable in the book world for a variety of reasons. One of those reasons is extremism and intolerance. Until we quit trying to denounce every other take on Buddhism or religion except our own, we will continue to be regarded as the wicked stepsisters of Buddhism.
The road to the phantom city is a practical path. Aware of the sorrows and dangers of samsara, we challenge our fears and doubts through what practices we know, taking refuge in the Buddha, moving ever forward towards a nebulous goal. We know by way of metaphor that the phantom city is not merely an oasis of perfect respite, but Buddhahood itself. At some point in our journey – usually near the end, we realize that the stunning jewel of enlightenment we strove for a lifetime to achieve was already there. Our sojourn that kept us looking forward was not some trial or expedient but the main point. To be in the moment is the lesson to be learned. Awake or sleeping, life is more than a dream and beyond the narrow bandwidth of ordinary consciousness. Let me explain.
The moments before sleep or waking are bardos of immense opportunity and adventure. How many times have we sat before the Gohonzon or entered closed-eye meditation to find ourselves distracted? Author, Carlos Castaneda, described his lessons of mastering the vivid dreamscape from his teacher, the Yaqui sorcerer, Don Juan. The lessons he learned enabled him to consciously explore other dimensions acquiring esoteric knowledge and powers.
Not only can we navigate this kutai realm, our awareness can traverse Indra’s net to the furthest reaches of the universe. When one becomes a dream master, they experience the physics of the three truths firsthand – that wisdom indicates that here is the same as anywhere or everywhere. This dimension of being has many contemporary names like Absolute Elsewhere or Quantum Consciousness. The ancients called it turiya. This realm beneath the realmn of conscious awareness is the ground of dependent origination or mutual arising of phemeona, where everything and nothing exist in relationship to everything else and nothingness. To the uninitiated, the ethereal yet luminous matrix of Indra’s Net, are mere theories. Vasishtha Consciousness is the way to observe existence in its purest form.
Vedic thought describes human consciousness as waking, sleeping, and dreaming. Beneath the surface of conscious awareness exists the entire universe in its ten dimensions. The Lotus Sutra describes our infinite being by way of the lifespan of the Buddha. Through samadhi, one can realize that all life is connected and all powers and possibilities of the multiverse exist simultaneously within us, and even in the most microscopic form of life. There are various ways to get into that state of mind from psychedelics to specific meditations, ritualistically induced trance states or near-death experiences. Ironically, many people report spontanious out-of-body experiences, especially around puberty.
One may wonder what good or value it is to conceive the boundless, when they are seemingly ensnared by the compound worries of their mundane existence. Why should we be concerned with higher consciousness when we are sick, have job or family troubles, or can’t pay our bills? What good is it to bask in the great ground luminosity, when we are mired in a dung-heap of despair?
But this is backward thinking. Transcendence is the elixir of mind. To be in the moment breeds fearlessness. To be consumed by worries and sorrows is foolishness. From a higher level of mind, all problems become opportunities and the perpetual grip of our obstacles is suddenly seen as ephemeral as a cloudy sky. The Gohonzon is an ideal mandala because it allows us to focus our mind, so we can be in the moment with intention, becoming one with our internal Buddha and all phenomena.
The other night was the anniversary of an unpleasant family moment. Seven years ago, my mother passed away under horrific circumstances. There was nothing her doctors, friends, or I could have done to make it better. She passed away as if under a dark cloud that left a scar on my soul. The other night I dreamed of my mother, so haunted and troubled. I could only observe her suffering in some distant place. That ever-so vivid dream evoked all the anguish that had tormented me for years. Awakened, yet still in the misty twilight of dreams, I began to chant daimoku. My dream-body soon arrived at the most distant planet at the furthest edge of the universe, hurtling into the ultimate void. As I stood on this planet, I looked up to see a billion stars in one direction, and the complete darkness of virgin space. The universe was expanding and this most remote world was blessed and cursed by alternately seeing myriad galaxies nearby and the absolute dark emptiness of starless space as it cut through nothingness. There, in that most outlying world, I found my mother, transfixed by the darkness, oblivious to the light that would soon appear in the planets next revolution.
I chanted daimoku at her. She turned from the darkness and saw the interior universe. The path home became clear. In an instant, we appeared back in this world. Her spirit spared from further trauma, she smiled and I awoke. For a moment, I felt like Mokuren. Once again, it dawned on me that in the realm of ku and quantum physics, "here" is the same as everywhere. With daimoku, I had saved my mother and it was more than a dream. I take refuge in the Buddha.