Robin Beck

Reggie,

I hyper linked your ARBN posts above, in the text body,

gassho & thanks

robin

Re. the subject, today, 10/04/07, I finished posting all of the RC - really correct info about it, on the same thread you started on my discussion board, Robek. So, goto Arbn: Where the Good Times Roll/ "Laissez les bon temps rouler!" :-) WorldPeace! }:<{0

** Thanks, that is what I had too. Do you know who Niccho is? ***

This Niccho is highly obscure.

Cathleen,

Thanks for the comments. I tried to express my take above, in "Gohonzon Study; Nikko Monryu; The Blessing and Curse Phrases."

I suspect the 7 pieces might be an allusion to the 7th consciousness. The concept is found in the suttas, and is called 'pride humbled.' So I see having ones mind split as simply clinging to unwholesome, negative unskillful emotions, thoughts, and desires:

*Hatred, Anger, Resentment ...
*Delusion, Ignorance, Foolishness ...
*Avarice, Self Indulgence, Envy ...

I do not see a need for an external agency to exact the punishment; those mental states are already the punishment. The Japanese word is aku.

The blessings, merits, or kudoku are the reverse; they are skillful or wholesome emotions, thoughts, and desires:

*Kindness, Compassion, Forbearance ...
*Knowledge, Wisdom, Insight ...
*Generosity, Self Restraint, Appreciative Joy ...

These are their own reward.

If we find ourselves restless, lonely, and hungry; lost in a sea of confusion, lethargy, and self doubt; or full of spite, malice, and wrath -- then we can use those Bonno as firewood to yield the
fire of Bodhi-citta.

We can sit down in front of the Great Mandala and chant; which will transform our enmity into loving kindness, our bewilderment into Insight, our pride into equanimity, and so on.

Nichiren told us that, unless commit the 14 slanders, the bessings or merits of the 6 paramitas shall emerge naturally.

*Dana paramita: generosity {布施波羅蜜}

*Śīla paramita: virtue {持戒波羅蜜}

*Kshanti paramita: tolerance {忍辱波羅蜜}

*Vīrya paramita: vitality (精進波羅蜜}

*Samadhi paramita: concentration {禪定波羅}蜜)

*Prajna paramita: wisdom, insight {智慧波羅蜜}

That is my take anyway, sorry if It come off as preachy. :}

gassho

robin

I just posted and I wanted to add that in lay terms it would be "It aint' over till it's over" [or until the so called fat lady sings].

There are literally millions of people who slander the Gohonzon. Some of them lose their minds and some don't. Some do get their heads broken into 7 peices, but we just don't recognize it. examples are: wars and accidents.

Also, there is not standard for how long it will take for a person to have their head broken into seven peices. So for example you could slander or curse the Gohonzon today, and in a year from now bump your head hard... what we would call a 'warning from the Gohonzon'. Depending upon the fortune that one has accrued over many lifetimes, will determine the when and or how this would occur and whether or not it would be a physical thing or not. One may even say, it is so common to break our skulls into seven peices that it was nearly too easy to predict. However that would be a slander in of itself.

It it nearly endless the sheer number of human life wasted and lost due to what appears to be a 'simple disagreement' with Nichiren Shoshu, but the bottom line is that Nichiren Shoshu simply upholds the Law and holds to the highest standards.

My only comment is that - the heads broken into Seven Peices is very significant and I belive it means both: that both possibilities exist and that is based on the concept of Shikishin Funi, even without knowing that concept at all, it falls within the range of possibilities based on one's karma.
Also: In the first chapter of the Lotus Sutra, there is a description of the time when Shakyamuni Buddha placed his hands on the heads of the people in the multitude - forming a seal with them. That to me symbolozed the first Gojukai Ceremony. There are 7 Large and other smaller tectonic plates on the planet earth; after the Daishonin's death, all of the Tectonic plates shook. I am not sure how many plates are in the Human Skull, but our cranium is composed of plates. At birth they are connected by "sutures" which are very elastic allowing for growth. After about the age of 35 the elastic sutures become less elastic, however, they do not become "hard" as stated in some literture, and like the tectonic plates of the earth a certain amount of leeway is there. It tells me that the Daishonin had the most profound understanding of the human being, the mind [myo] and the planet itself, on the deepest level, without having to articulate everything. One wonders what he could have said or written without all of the obstacles.

*** Nichio Taisekiji 56th. Fuji school. "Nichiren" below the Daimoku:
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd225/tongsumpah/Nichio56th.jpg
Do you have another link for this. ***

http://www.kosho.ne.jp/~kotenkai/tokusen/mok006.html

Image # 592

**So the teacher must equal this Law to warrant such repercussions on his trouble-makers?**

In a loose sense I'd say. The person is worthy of reverence if she or he speaks the Dharma. However, I think that the dismissive or condescending attitude of arrogant pride is the slander; regardless of who it is directed toward. It is ideas that are right or wrong; not persons.

The Buddha stressed that we should see for ourselves, not just take his word for it. To have that seeking mind, one must be aware of one's own ignorance. Attachment to fixed opinionated views is a major obstacle. As is simply counting the wealth of another; the far opposite of arrogant pride.

**And the head fracturing into seven parts, I think is not just physical, but more of a mental (spiritual?) disturbance of the mind**

The 7th Consciousness, which I call manas, is said to be the seat of the false ego.

Thanks, that is what I had too. Do you know who Niccho is?

# 053
日頂 Nitcho
Koan 1 month 8
静岡県 Shizuoka prefecture 清水 Shimizu 海長寺 Kaicho-ji

# 054
(削損シアリ) Name rubbed off.
Koan 1 month 8
京都府 Kyoto Met 本能寺 Honno-ji

# 057
日長 Niccho
Koan 1 month 11 day 21
静岡県 Shizuoka pref 岡宮 Okamiya 光長寺 Kocho-ji

# 059
妙心 Myoshin (Nichiren wrote some letters to the lay-nun Myoshin-ama)
Koan 2 month 2
千葉県 Chiba pref 中山 Nakayama 浄光院 Joko-in

# 060
日目 Nichimoku
Koan 2 month 2
三重県 Mie pref 桑名 Kuwana 寿量寺 Juryo-ji

# 065
日法 Nippo
Koan 2 month 7
静岡県 Shizuoka pref 岡宮 Okamiya 光長寺 Kocho-ji

Thanks!

Can you make out the recipients on the other three?
One looks like it is is illegible. Another to a temple Myoshinji? Another to a different Nitcho, Nicco, or Nichicho.

*** The late Reverend Nittatsu of Taisekiji asserted that there are six {6] Nichiren originals with these inscriptions. I am fairly certain I have confirmed this.***

You are absolutely right, # 53, 54, 57, 59, 60 and 65 contain those phrases. I actually looked them up at the Coffeehouse, and those phrases are definitely there.

有供養者福過十號, 若惱亂者頭破七分.

有 have 供養 offering 者 person 福 blessings 過 surpass 十號 10 titles
One who make offerings will receive blessings way beyond the ten titles.

若 if 惱 hate (animosity) 亂 trouble (disturb) 者 person 頭 head 破 broken 七 seven 分 parts.
One who hate or cause trouble will have his head broken into seven parts.


I think these blessings and misfortunes are consequences of one's action (or attitude?) towards the teacher who represents the Law.
Sort of a cause and effect thing in my opinion.
So the teacher must equal this Law to warrant such repercussions on his trouble-makers?

That vajrapani yaksha, I think, is merely a graphic representation of the self-clobbering act of those who are hateful or mean towards the teacher of the Law. And the head fracturing into seven parts, I think is not just physical, but more of a mental (spiritual?) disturbance of the mind. The head being the seat of the seven basic consciousness? Going mad? Schizophrenic? Ha! Ha! Probably.