Recently I have reconnected with yet another old and dear friend. She’s French-Canadian, you know - from Canadia.
She must have felt I was being evasive because she wrote “so then to find out what you do as a minister I should read Fraughtwithperil?” “ACK!” I replied. I also told her that FWP is like declaring Jihad on Nichiren Buddhism. Not totally true, but damn, it sounded good.
(Think Greg, must write about Buddhism, think think think…)
My loyal readers stretched all over the globe must have thought I’d given up thinking about Buddhism with all the ninja-ness going on this year.
Not true, Buddhism is life, Buddhism is everywhere, in everything. I didn’t really mean that, I’m stalling for time….
tick tick tick tick (sounds like a Pink Floyd song)
And what does it mean to be a Buddhist? That really is the question. We of the Nichiren faith, and certainly in the Soka Gakkai are so dug into sectarianism I fear often we fail to think about and understand what a Buddhist really thinks about and understands.
Fact is, it doesn’t really matter what we think, our beliefs as human beings basically have no affect on the universe as a whole. And this is an important subject to ponder since religion - the core beliefs, fears and superstitions we hold in our hearts as people, have such a dramatic impact on how we live our lives….
I’m vamping here…. Hold on, something’s coming to me…
Self Discovery
Sure, it’s my term, but it sums up the basic tenant of Buddhist living - pursuing our lives as a learning and evolving individual. Remember that we are surrounded by those who’s lives are such that they have and will continue to view the world not as it is, rather as they wish it to be. Read Rev. Ryuie’s blog “Greetings from Idiot America by Charles Pierce” for moron that. But it’s certainly a serious subject because those who hide behind false Christianity are a dangerous and self-destructive breed of human, in my honest opinion.
It all boils down to the law of cause and effect. Believing that my actions have an effect of the greater whole and largely determine the future effects experienced in my present lifetime and beyond, this is another key point to being Buddhist. Not every teaching of Buddhism emphasizes this, but generally speaking Buddhists believe in the law of cause and effect, to some degree anyway…
Nichiren Daishonin left us some very tangible and helpful tools. The Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra, Nam myoho renge kyo, and the Gohonzon which we use as a tangible externalization of the Lotus Sutra. We Nichiren Buddhists are a lucky group, but the workings of Ten Chi Jin, (for my friend, that’s Ninpo not Buddhism) which is the workings of Heaven, Earth and Man remain unchanged regardless of the existence of Nichiren, Shakyamuni or any other philosophy or religious system.
Religion, simply put, exists in the mortal flesh of us human beings. It’s a tool we use to live fulfilling lives and not necessarily an accurate reflection of any greater universal truth or reality….
A fellow Ninja recently reminded us (on another discussion group)
"Martial arts is like religion; it makes good people better, and bad people worse"
Ouch..
What do you all think???
Rev. Greg, Shidoshi
Erizabesu! I apologize for taking so long to finally figure out who you are. If my Buddhist readers knew how many Ninja have infitrated my blog, they would be frightened indeed.
You are a brave one for sticking it out in the land "Lost in Translation". Either that or you're hiding from some tremendous fear back home....
Which is it I wonder?? I'll see if I can set up a pointer to your blog. Good work. See you soon next year.
Rev. Greg, Sohei
Posted by: Rev. Greg at December 16, 2005 04:47 AMDude, thanks for being Present here in Japan. I was happy to see you.
Love thine enemy, dude. I don't know jack about Nichiren. But I'll surf back here now and again, and you can throw rocks and garbage from the temple gate. Howzat? Erizabesu, Kashiwa, Japan
Posted by: Erizabesu at December 3, 2005 02:55 AMHey guys... I'm baaaaack.
Great reading all this thought-provoking stuff again. Rev. Greg, I have a question though. You write, "Fact is, it doesn’t really matter what we think, our beliefs as human beings basically have no affect on the universe as a whole." This statement seems to fly in the face of "cause and effect," don't ya think? I believe our beliefs certainly DO have an effect... even if simply (and obviously) by determining how we behave, which in turn does effect the universe. I was just a little confused by this seeming contradiction between the first and latter part of this blog.
As for your comment, "Religion, simply put, exists in the mortal flesh of us human beings. It’s a tool we use to live fulfilling lives and not necessarily an accurate reflection of any greater universal truth or reality…" I wholeheartedly agree and I would like to see your exact words inscribed on a plaque in front of every church, temple, and place of worship. This sentence is a masterpiece!
Excellent post! I love the "Religion, simply put. . ." quote too. Makes tons of sense.
By the way. . .where did Queens blog go?. . .is she not writing anymore? I always enjoyed her stuff. ;-)
"Religion, simply put, exists in the mortal flesh of us human beings. It’s a tool we use to live fulfilling lives and not necessarily an accurate reflection of any greater universal truth or reality…."
That Rev. Greg is a wise and cool statement. So is the next one
"Nichiren Daishonin left us some very tangible and helpful tools. The Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra, Nam myoho renge kyo, and the Gohonzon which we use as a tangible externalization of the Lotus Sutra."
And this is the one to never forget
"We Nichiren Buddhists are a lucky group"
Excellent post
Posted by: Peter Kearney at November 23, 2005 01:41 AM