Robin Beck

I think you need more opinions than mine, so maybe
someone will join in. I'll answer more later, but it is only my opinion. I am in NE Illinois. We are expecting more snow. It about 18 degrees this morning.

when you say-take it back, is there a reason for this?
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Only if you decide.

If it's made by the hight priest, does it not have any significance, or do you say that because it is not the one from nicherin.
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I think it makes no difference

Do you think the priests from NST have any connection to the true practice?
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I think they have some things wrong.

oh just some more thoughts on this robin, everytime you say somethng I get more questions. It's because I never heard of all this so I'm sorry to keep on draggin this on. But I know you'll come up with more gems.

when you say-take it back, is there a reason for this? If it's made by the hight priest, does it not have any significance, or do you say that because it is not the one from nicherin. Do you think the priests from NST have any connection to the true practice? or is it just something they made up for people to follow. I always wondered how a large organization like that has everything, all the temples, the land, the dia-gohonzon etc. They seem to be the only, they don't let you know about others. They make you feel like there is no other, that their it. I'm having a hard time trying to explain my thoughts-lol. I think the bottom line is, I feel nothing when I do their format. I feel like I outgrown it, and it's getting boring. But then it is written in -happiness in this world- gosho 1, nicherin says -only when you chant nam-myoho-renge-kyo- he doesn't say: namu? do you think they changed that wording. they only mention namu only in gongyo and to me that makes no sense if that is what nicherin chanted. Where did just plain old-nam-myoho-renge-kyo come from, if he only chanted namu. that's what I don't understand like I was trying to explain about NST, if they have all this in japan and are said to be the true source directly to nicherin, then why don't they chant namu?

Hope where you are its warm. where are you by the way?

leda

So should I hang on to my gohonzon or take it back to the temple.
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Yes. If you decide to get a different one, it is best to return it. Keeping it or not -- that is up to you.

There's a guy here where I live who produces gohonzons that look like the original ones from that time period. you can buy one from him, how can he do that?
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He obtained the images from the "coffeehouse" and prints them. There are several web-sites that have them for down-load. Don Ross obtained "the book" and scanned them. Scotty Millar cleaned some of them up for printing. A guy in NY is now making 8 X 10 .pdf images.

If my gohonzon is from the priests-who made this? is it not the same as what nicherin had or is it just a scroll from a priest.
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The NST Gohonzon is based on a wooden one at Taisekiji. The High Priest writes it by hand; then they are reproduced by Akazawa Choyo.

if you have no set format which i think is cool, then what do you do just chant?
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I chant daimoku at least 20 minutes twice a day. I recite sutra when I feel like it.

do you do any special kind of prayers?
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Mostly, I chant to cultivate mindfulness and compassion. I also do sitting. The kinds of practices I write about.

robin,
if you have no set format which i think is cool, then what do you do just chant? do you do any special kind of prayers? If my gohonzon is from the priests-who made this? is it not the same as what nicherin had or is it just a scroll from a priest. I really appreciate all the time your taking to explain things, because no one else would and are afraid. So should I hang on to my gohonzon or take it back to the temple. There's a guy here where I live who produces gohonzons that look like the original ones from that time period. you can buy one from him, how can he do that? only thought priests were allowed to do that. now i know they don't hand paint all those, they look mass produced.

zzzzzzzzzzzz sleepy goodnight..

leda

"4 huh, I was at a meeting one time and someone said there were 150 spread out all over japan."

There are 128 extant Nichiren Gohonzons that are authenticated and published. I know of several that have been authenticated but not published.

"how do you practice the way nicherin did, and is it similiar or different from the current gongyo."

Do you mean SGI gongyo, NST gongyo, Nichiren Shu gongyo, HBS? There are many formats. All recite various sections from the Lotus Sutra. All chant Daimoku. That is what Nichiren taught.

Usually sections from the Lotus Sutra are recited in Sino-japanese -- an ancient dialect of Chinese used in Japan for Buddhist ceremonies.

I no longer follow the same format every day. Nichiren had no set format. He stressed 2 chapters == #2 & #16.

Part "A" is the verse portion of #2.

Part "B" is the prose portion of #16.

Part "C" is the verse portion of #16.

The main practice is to chant Namu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo.

4 huh, I was at a meeting one time and someone said there were 150 spread out all over japan.
so after all I talked about how do you practice the way nicherin did, and is it similiar or different from the current gongyo.

One thing b4 I am off to bed. There are still about 125 Gohonzons that Nichiren himself wrote. Only 4 of
those have the gain & loss inscriptions.

robin

well I started in 1990 with SGI but left because of the stuff that was going on. It seemed to show up in my life when I moved to LA, and I found the temple with NST. I practiced for 4 years but I got bored, I was looking for more of a connection to Nicherin the right way in which he practiced. I found a group up in northern Ca, that are a bunch of nakota indians living on a mountain, practicing with these hugh gohonzons that represent an old gohonzon dating back to his time. But when you had all these others from different sects, I was told their was only one. and when you mentioned about how they added -you will benefit- on it, that kinda made me wonder.
I want to find another way of connecting or practicing without all these rules they put on you at the temple. I had a priest go off on me cause I wore jewelry and I felt this was wrong. I get a weird feeling there that there's something missing but I can't figure what it is. I'm sorry for blabbing on and on, but I realize that they say 3 chapters out of the lotus sutra for prayer in sanskrit, but I feel meditation is involved. I don't beleive you should practice for just benefits and material things like everyone thinks. I think it's more deeper than that. What is the thing you do? anything different besides saying the three chapters,etc.
I mean, I just feel there has to be a way that's more natural then a organized rule organization. Oh by the way, their restoring all the temples for the 750th aniversary of the rissho in 09. And plan on having a big gig at that time. I think their are other locations besides teskiji that are temples all over japan. Okay i'll stop rambling-lol!

have a good one!
leda

"What has your experience been? "

34 years of practice. I started with the Soka Gakkai
in 1972 -- I was 19 then.

"Have you ever practiced any of these religions on this site?"

All of them. My basic practice is what Nichiren taught. The others are specific remedies:

*Cultivating the 4 immeasurables/Brahma Vihara.
*Cultivating Concentration and Mindfulness.
*Cultivating wisdom & the 6 paramitas.

"I tried chanting Nicherin Diashonin's chant but found it to produce weird results meaning accidents, bad luck etc. I read back on one of your articles from 05 where you mentioned all these different scrolls, plus you mentioned curses and leoprosy etc. So my point I'm trying to make is, did you ever have bizarre results from chanting this chant?"

I do not know the context for "curses and leoprosy" -- I suspect you mean the "gain & loss inscriptions"? These are found in the Pali texts as well; where they are clearly metaphors.

On "bizarre results" -- the Nichiren praxis is kanjin. This means insight into our own mind/heart -- the deeper alaya & amala 'consciousness'. The "weirdness" is already there. The practice reveals it and enables us to purify it. The negativity is latent in the 'alaya-citta'. Alaya means 'accumulation'. Deeper yet is the Pure 'amala-citta'. We used to use the garden hose analogy. When we run the hose in the spring, stagnant water {karmic residue {alaya} comes out first.

The 'curse' is really the surfacing of poisons or defilements we all have -- things like greed, envy, hatred, lust, pride, and delusion. We can act on those; or we can take up practices to overcome them. One way is to do Zange -- the Buddhist form of confession & repentance. Then we receive the blessing or "gain" part. And those blessings are aleady within and without us; waiting to be opened. Inner Light Therapy is one of many ways to do Zange. It is not self loathing. It is a gradual self reformation that starts with forgiving our self. There is much evil in this world, so it is not always easy.

Hi Leda.

There are many questions to answer. I shall take one at a time.

"I was wondering where you get all your information in reference to Nichiren Shonin and all other sects."

I try to link my sources. A lot are in Japanese. I use Jim Breen to ferret out the meaning. I can give specific sources.

I just came across your site and this has nothing to do with the subject above, but your sight has given me a burning desire to speak.
I was wondering where you get all your information in reference to Nicherin Shonin and all other sects. I think you have a lot of interesting stuff here, things I've never heard of. Out of all the things on this site, I have a question. I tried chanting Nicherin Diashonin's chant but found it to produce weird results meaning accidents, bad luck etc. I read back on one of your articles from 05 where you mentioned all these different scrolls, plus you mentioned curses and leoprosy etc. So my point I'm trying to make is, did you ever have bizarre results from chanting this chant? Have you ever practiced any of these religions on this site? What has your experience been? I also feel for ya with the snow, where I'm at it's 70 and sunny.
cheers!
leda