July 23, 2005
Got Bonno? Feed it?
On the Three-Fold Training
On Bonno soku Bodai
Ki to Revitalization
Bonno or Klesha
Buddhism & Positive Thinking
"Always hungry and always thirsty is the victim of avarice. He knows no satiation. He is devoid of the sense of proportion. The more he acquires, the more he requires. The more he gets, the more he covets." -- Zarathushtra
" ... the extremity of greed, anger and stupidity in people's minds in the impure world of the latter age is beyond the power of any sage or worthy man to control. ... This is because, although the Buddha cured greed with the medicine of the meditation on the vileness of the body, healed anger with the meditation on compassion for all, and treated stupidity with the meditation on the twelve-linked chain of dependent origination, to teach these doctrines now merely makes people worse and compounds their greed, anger and stupidity. " -- Nichiren
Does Bonno soku Bodai means that satisfying our Earthly Desires {Bonno} is the way to Awakening? One thing that always bothered me about Nichiren Buddhism -- SGI style -- is there is so much emphasis on goals, fighting, and winning. And there was not much, if any, on being a better person.
It seems to me the point of Bonno soku Bodai is that the reason we suffer is because of Bonno. And Bonno does not mean 'desire', per se. It is a translation of Klesha. There are several lists of Klesha in the Buddhist canon: The three fires {or poisons}, the 5 defilements, 10 defilements, and the 108 defiled desires are examples. I find the basic list of 5 the most useful:
*Greed: {lobha} this is also translated as avarice, attachment or desire.
*Hatred: {dvesa/dosa} is also commonly translated as Anger.
*Stupidity: {moha} Also given as foolishness, ignorance, delusion, or confusion.
*Pride: {mana} Conceit, hubris, arrogance.
*Envy & Jealousy: {irsya}
It is interesting that Zarathustra had these 5, plus kama {lust},as his list of the 6 enemies of the soul.
Also, we have the Ten Defilements
Greed: {lobha}
Hatred: {dosa}
Bewilderment: {moha}
Conceit: {mana}
Opinionated views: {ditthi}
Doubt, skepticism: {vicikiccha}
Sloth, laziness, lazy nature: {thina}
Restlessness, anxiety: {uddhacca}
Shamelessness, negligence {ahirika}
Lack of guilt, no conscience, unscrupulousness: {anottappa}
Bodai, of course, is a transliteration of Bodhi, which was originally the adjective form of Buddha, and literally means Awake or Wakeful.
In conventional Buddhism, the provisional teaching was Samatha Bhavana; consisting of various ways of calming the agitated mind by overcoming hindcrances and taming, controlling, or suppressing Bonno. These practices are also known as Smrti {mindfulness} teachings and, If I understand correctly, correspond to the Training of Samadhi-Dhyana.
It seems like SGI has filled the void once taken by provisional practices, by teaching the same sort of self assertive PMA training that Napoleon Hill & W. Clement Stone once taught. And, which by the way, is good for building corporations, but has a horrible individual success rate. It works like pyramid, with a few big winners at the top, and a revolving door of fresh prospects at the bottom.
Got Greed? Set goals, achieve them, get what you want, then you will be happy.
Anger\Hatred? Cultivate it! Then direct it at Nikken or some other perceived enemy.
Foolshness? Just feel, do not think. What you do not know will not hurt you. Do not look behind that curtain.
Envy/jealousy? Get even, then gloat. When that wicked person, the one who makes you turn green, "gets theirs", rhen that is Actual Proof
Pride? Darn right, be proud. We should take great pride in being the one true school that is fighting for Whirled Peas.
Posted by rbeck at July 23, 2005 07:39 PM
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Comments
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Hi, Robin - What's PMA? I'm glad someone is discussing this issue - I don't know how bonno soku bodaiis defined in other pats of the GAI-USA, but I can tell you that in my Southern California district, "Bonno" is very much defined as "earthy desires". the idea is that if you are suffering (illness, death of a loved one), or if you just plain have a desire (new car, job, handsome lover), these desires motivate us to chant, and thus we become enlightened. I believe the supporting gosho is the one about "burning the firewood of earthly desires..." - you know the one. The problem thenbecomes that this sort of "actual proof"is the actual proof which counts - i.e., that one can stand up and talk about at a meeting.
My newer understanding of bonno soku bodai is that it is a declaration of non-duality, and that, of course, is more challenging.
You're right that the absence of emphasis on becoming a better person (as opposed to becoming a better member or a better leader, which may or may not be the same thing) is entirely missing. Part of this, I feel, is due to the absence of the eighfold noble path. I love the Gakkai s omuch, it's too bad we are like a spoiled child wo has always been told he's number one - we genuinely don't think we have anything to learn from our elders. In the case of my chapter,the issue is "right speech", and there is just simply no way to put a lid on leader snooping and gossip, since we have no framework for even valuing right speech. Same for the rest of the Noble Path. For me, I have found trying to adhere to its ideals to be helpful in my own growth. Anyway, thanks for bringing up this topic. Best, Byrd in LA
Posted by: Byrd in LA at July 24, 2005 11:27 AM
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Hi Robin:
Nice post. When I read the World Tribune I am struck by the constant emphasis on "winning" and "trimphing" and that sort of thing. I can't remember reading an article about acceptance, equanimity, or other associated virtues. It all seems to be about getting more and more, never about wanting less. And nothing about renunciation. It feels very "consumerist" to me, and for this reason I appreciated your references to Napoleon Hill and Andrew Carnegie.
Thanks,
Dharmajim
Posted by: Dharmajim at July 24, 2005 11:47 AM
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Robin:
Interesting essay. What bothers me most is the emphasis on targeted prayer, as if micro-specific prayer about every aspect of our life, the campaign at hand, and the kosen-rufu is the only way to pray. As I have revealed in a few blogs, the science that studies prayer clearly points to open-ended prayer as being more consistent and effective. As an SGI member, I never doubted that premis, as specific prayer is not the exclusive province of the SGI, but is taught as the true way in many religions.
Pray for this - pray for that - endless prayer for the target and every bit of nonsense in between. Intention is very powerful, but the unconscious mind has a way of clouding our specific prayers. Once I got up to speed on prayer and quit praying for every desire - my life has continued to experience wave upon wave of blessings. Bonno? You can't get rid of desire anymore than you can compeltely shed your ego. Transforming your desire sounds magnificent and it is, unless of course your elevated desire means a bigger TV, a trophy wife, or a higher- end vehicle. That's not elevated desire. That's gaki, baby.
Charles
Posted by: Charles at July 24, 2005 01:33 PM
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Thanks Byrd, Jim, & Chuck,
Byrd, I used to say PMA really mean 'Protect My A**'. It means 'Positive Mental Attitude', and was coined by W. Clement Stone. It is based on Napoleon Hill's success principles and motivational training methods taught in "Think and Grow Rich." They also co-wrote "Success Through a PMA", and Stone wrote "The Success System that Never Fails."
"There is one quality which one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it." -- Napoleon Hill
"Your ability to use the principle of autosuggestion will depend, very largely, upon your capacity to concentrate upon a given desire until that desire becomes a burning obsession." -- Napoleon Hill
Posted by: robin at July 24, 2005 02:36 PM
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Burning obsession? Yuck! Didn't they make a movie about that with Glenn Close and Michael Douglas? Anyway, for the longest time, I thought that if I didn't havce a burning obsession, then there was something wrong with my practice. Then I would try to whip myself into one so I woul dhave some actual proof to show. Now, when I read about Budhdism fromo ther schools, I am having to unlearn so very much.
Well, thanks again for this thought-provoker. Hey, think positive and submit it to the World Tribune! So much for positive thinking..... Ha! Byrd in LA
Posted by: Byrd in LA at July 25, 2005 11:17 AM