Positive Change Through Our Work for Kosen-Rufu

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Positive Change Through Our Work for Kosen-Rufu

TO DIALOGUE Clark Strand, an American writer and journalist who specializes in religious fact, has spoken highly of the Soka Gakkai´s typical monthly dialogue meetings … “Shared experiences [by the participants] build faith; faith builds lives, and those lives, collectively, can change society”. He also pointed out that… “they clearly reinforce the value of life, in so far as they explain how this Buddhist practice contributes to the happiness of the individual, and helps to create the foundations for a happy society”. Excerpt from “May a Triumphant Bell Ring”, an article by Daisaku Ikeda published on 17th Extremadura · The determination of the pioneer ‘Soka family’ in Extremadura was stronger than February, 2009 in the Seikyo Shimbun. (Tentative translation) the long distances between their homes, and made possible a historic meeting that was both a discussion meeting and a Gohonzon receiving ceremony for new members, a prelude to the dynamic development called for by the SGI 2015 motto. Positive change through “Our efforts to chant and spread Nam- not forget that we can open up the path myoho-renge-kyo produce a myriad of towards victory right where we are at this very benefits and good causes, which become moment, if we have the courage to make the our work for kosen-rufu infinitely multiplied when we unite in prayer first move. “ and in a shared desire for kosen-rufu. Nothing When one carries out the single practice of exercising faith we do in our SGI activities is in vain. Daisaku Ikeda´s article from the series “Living the Gosho” published 24th February, 2012 in the in Myoho-renge-kyo, there are no blessings that fail to come So, when facing obstacles and problems, it Seikyo Shimbun. is important to move forward with courage, to one, and no good karma that does not begin to work on based in our faith and our practice. Let´s one’s behalf. AlguNOS TEMAS Clave WND, pg. 133. Entonar y propagar Nam-myoho-renge-kyo · Beneficios y buenas causas · Unión por el kosen-rufu · Actividades de la SGI · Valentía basada en la fe y en la práctica · Victoria GOSHO BACKGROUND The passage quoted and discussed belongs to “Conversation between a Sage and an Unenlightened renge kyo that form its title. Myoho renge-kyo, he explains, is the Buddha nature inherent in all beings. Man”. It is believed that this letter, whose recipient´s name is not known, was written in 1265. It is made When one chants Nam myoho renge kyo, that Buddha nature inherent in all things, is summoned forth, up of two parts, and is mostly written in the form of a dialogue. The “sage” to whom the title refers is the and one´s own Buddha nature will simultaneously emerge – even without profound understanding of votary of the Lotus Sutra, Nichiren Daishonin, while the “unenlightened man” represents the population the Buddhist teachings – in one´s present form. The sage concludes by exhorting the unenlightened of the Latter Day of the Law. Towards the end of the letter, once the unenlightened man resolves to man to maintain faith throughout his life, without wavering in his resolve. adopt the Lotus Sutra, the sage reveals that the essence of the Sutra lies in the five characters of Myoho .

Copy Link

Recommended publications

A Beginner's Guide to Meditation
ABOUT THE BOOK As countless meditators have learned firsthand, meditation practice can positively transform the way we see and experience our lives. This practical, accessible guide to the fundamentals of Buddhist meditation introduces you to the practice, explains how it is approached in the main schools of Buddhism, and offers advice and inspiration from Buddhism’s most renowned and effective meditation teachers, including Pema Chödrön, Thich Nhat Hanh, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Sharon Salzberg, Norman Fischer, Ajahn Chah, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, Sylvia Boorstein, Noah Levine, Judy Lief, and many others. Topics include how to build excitement and energy to start a meditation routine and keep it going, setting up a meditation space, working with and through boredom, what to look for when seeking others to meditate with, how to know when it’s time to try doing a formal meditation retreat, how to bring the practice “off the cushion” with walking meditation and other practices, and much more. ROD MEADE SPERRY is an editor and writer for the Shambhala Sun magazine. Sign up to receive news and special offers from Shambhala Publications. Or visit us online to sign up at shambhala.com/eshambhala. A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO Meditation Practical Advice and Inspiration from Contemporary Buddhist Teachers Edited by Rod Meade Sperry and the Editors of the Shambhala Sun SHAMBHALA Boston & London 2014 Shambhala Publications, Inc. Horticultural Hall 300 Massachusetts Avenue Boston, Massachusetts 02115 www.shambhala.com © 2014 by Shambhala Sun Cover art: André Slob Cover design: Liza Matthews All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
[Show full text]
Episode 19: the Way of the Rose Part 1— the Goddess Hiding in the Rosary Thursday, December 5, 2019
Episode 19: The Way of the Rose Part 1— the goddess hiding in the rosary Thursday, December 5, 2019 [music] You are not moving, you are being moved. You are not singing, you are being sung. You are not praying, you are being prayed Prayed at the speed of love. Janet Conner You are not praying. You are not praying; you are being prayed. Everything changes when you get this, when this enters your body, your heart, your mind, your feet, your hands. I'm not praying. Patriarchy would say to you, "Get on your knees. Say your prayers." I've been there. I've done that. This is so radical. You're not praying; you're being prayed, and you're being prayed at the speed of love. And that's when everything changes. I'm Janet Conner, Prayer Artist, and you have arrived in perfect timing, speed of love timing, to the 19th episode of this, my love of my life, this radical new post- patriarchal prayer podcast. I am almost able to say that. It's just like being, what, in second grade trying to say, "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers." I never could do that, but I now have to learn how to say post-patriarchal prayer podcast. In Praying at the Speed of Love, we are doing something very radical. We are sharing a deep exploration of prayer, not prayer as you may have been taught it, but original prayer. And original is such a fun word because it means ancient, and it also means at exactly the same time brand new, in this moment.
[Show full text]
Author Clark Strand
Author Clark Strand Breif bio: CLARK STRAND is a spiritual writer and former Zen Buddhist monk who previously served as senior editor of the magazine Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. He is the author of the books How to Believe in God: Whether You Believe in Religion or Not and Meditation Without Gurus as well as countless groundbreaking articles, including the first comprehensive feature article ever written in English on Internet spirituality. He has founded and led spiritual study groups, taught workshops and retreats, lectured at colleges and universities, and spoken at some of the largest Buddhist gatherings ever held in America. He lives in Woodstock, New York. Download author photos and cover images here: Media Kit/Author Photo Full bio: CLARK STRAND is an intrepid spiritual explorer. Raised a Southern Presbyterian, he was on the verge of becoming the abbot of a Rinzai Zen Buddhist monastery when he realized he wasn’t happy. Years of psychoanalysis followed, after which he became the first senior editor of Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, a position which brought him into intimate contact with virtually every school of Buddhism in Asia and the West. In the early 1990s he embarked on a 20-year odyssey through the spiritual traditions of the world in search of “Religion 4.0,” a newer, more spiritually-evolved version of religion that was fully compatible with the realities of modern life. The journey took him inside of numerous communities—from Buddhist temples to Hasidic synagogues, Christian monasteries to Hindu cults. Along the way he wrote Meditation Without Gurus; How to Believe in God: Whether You Believe in Religion or Not; and countless groundbreaking articles, including the first comprehensive feature article ever written in English on Internet spirituality.
[Show full text]
A Christian Apologetic to the Doctrine of Grace in Shin Buddhism
LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY A CHRISTIAN APOLOGETIC TO THE DOCTRINE OF GRACE IN SHIN BUDDHISM A PAPER SUBMITTED TO DR. C.F. SMITH IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN GLOBAL APOLOGETICS BY JEREMY ROSEMAN LYNCHBURG, VA MAY 6, 2010 1 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION.………………………………………………………………………..3 SHORT HISTORY OF SHIN BUDDHISM……………………………………...6 SIMILARITIES BETWEEN LUTHER AND SHINRAN………………………..9 CHAPTER ONE: THE HUMAN PREDICAMENT……………………………...……..10 THE AGE OF MAPPO…………………………………………………………..11 THE DEFILED WORLD………………………………………………………..15 KARMIC EVIL………………………………………………………………….16 THE BIBLICAL DEFINITION OF EVIL………………………………………19 CHAPTER TWO: THE PURPOSE OF GRACE………………………………………..25 THE EIGHTEENTH VOW……………………………………………………...27 THE NEMBUTSU……………………………………………………………….28 SHINJIN…………………………………………………………………………30 SIMUL JUSTUS ET PECCATOR………………………………………………33 JUSTIFICATION VERSUS MERIT TRANSFER……………………………...35 CHAPTER THREE: THE SOURCE OF GRACE………………………………………39 A MAN BECOMES A MEDIATOR……………………………………………39 A MANIFESTATION OF THE DHARMA-BODY…………………………….40 THE NAME……………………………………………………………………...42 THE PRIMAL VOW…………………………………………………………….43 2 CHRIST AND AMIDA………………………………………………………….44 CHAPTER FOUR: THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF GRACE…………………………….49 THE PURE LAND AS NIRVANA……………………………………………..49 HEAVEN AND NIRVANA…………………………………………………….51 CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………………….55 BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………………………….58 © 2010, Jeremy Roseman 3 INTRODUCTION Pluralists have claimed that Christianity and Shin Buddhism are similar in their approaches to salvation.1 It is claimed
[Show full text]
Is Religion Out-Dated and Irrelevant? New Book Highlights One Group That’S a Model for Others
NEWS FROM MIDDLEWAY PRESS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Kat Paterno 310.309.3247 [email protected] Is Religion Out-Dated and Irrelevant? New Book Highlights One Group That’s a Model for Others (SANTA MONICA, CA) A 2012 Gallup survey reveals what many already sense. More Americans than ever feel religion is too old-fashioned to answer today’s problems, just too out of date to be relevant. And a huge majority says that religion is losing its influence on American life. But there’s one group that’s bucking the trend, says Clark Strand in his new book Waking the Buddha: How the Most Dynamic and Empowering Buddhist Movement in History Is Changing Our Concept of Religion. This group is the Soka Gakkai International, which bases itself on the teachings of Nichiren, the 13th-century Japanese Buddhist reformer. And while the group practices Buddhism, it may offer important tips for other religions. “It’s unlike any Buddhist group I’ve ever encountered,” Strand says. “Its meetings are democratic and based on communication rather than meditation. And the goal of the practice is as grounded as they come. Members are encouraged to use Buddhist practice to tackle the immediate problems of daily life.” Strand, a former Zen monk with hundreds of followers, had grown disillusioned with Buddhism because it never seemed to make a lasting difference in his students’ lives. They’d come to retreats and feel better but would soon find themselves mired in the same difficulties as before. Then he discovered the SGI. “As I see it,” he writes in Waking the Buddha, “the primary difference between the Soka Gakkai and most other contemporary forms of religious worship lies here, in its tradition of openly addressing the challenges to happiness faced by the ordinary individual….
[Show full text]
Spring Study Course Human Security
Human Security Spring StudyCourse SGI Australia Creating a Culture ofHumanism aCulture Creating Prepared bytheSGIAStudyDepartment Prepared INDIGO NOVEMBER 2009 21 PHOTO: WAYNE WONG Human Security–CreatingaCultureofHumanism 22 INDIGO NOVEMBER 2009 SGIA members engaged in a group discussionmeetinginNSW SGIA membersengagedinagroup PHOTO: BILL CROSSLAND Part 2 – Humanitarian Competition Session 3 Humanitarian Competition n the previous sessions we learned how: Through encouraging a friend or family member, it is Nichiren Daishonin and the three Soka Gakkai possible to transform a seemingly difficult and negative presidents have exemplified through their actions situation into an inspiring and hopeful experience. and behaviour that humanity’s happiness is most Challenging to open our hearts in times of adversity is Iimportant and that it is religion that exists for the the path to victory. The GFC is a very good example people; that the Soka Gakkai is “an organisation that of how competition, when driven by greed and the began from and is deeply rooted in the people.”1 In this insatiable appetite for more capital, can lead to suffering session, we explore how we can apply humanitarian and destruction. The opposite of that is the competition competition in our own lives so it can be a ‘guiding that recognises the interrelatedness of human principle for the new era’. communities where people and countries compete to Faced with an economic disaster that has come to make the greatest contribution to human happiness. It be known as the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), it has is for this reason that President Ikeda recommended in been difficult, if not impossible, for anyone not to be his 1999 Peace Proposal the closer examination of the impacted in some way or other.
[Show full text]
Buddhism in America
A Reporter’s Guide to Buddhism in America By Bill Aiken and Clark Strand About the authors: Bill Aiken has been a Buddhist practitioner for more that thirty five years and currently serves as Director of Public Affairs for the Soka Gakkai International–USA Buddhist Association. He has written and lectured widely on the topics of Lotus Buddhism and the Soka Gakkai and has worked extensively in the area of inter-Buddhist relations. He can be reached at [email protected] Clark Strand is a former senior editor of Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, and a nationally acknowledged authority on contempo- rary Buddhist practice in America. Author of the forthcoming book, How to believe in God, he writes and lectures on a wide range of religious themes and topics. He can be contacted at [email protected] Introduction The Many Faces of Buddhism in America In Koreatown, Los Angeles, shaven-headed Asian monks sit before a colorful altar housing a golden statue of the Buddha, chanting an ancient prayer in sonorous tones. In suburban Washington, DC, an African-American mother sits before the family altar, rings the bell three times, and together with two slightly fidgety young children begins reciting the Lotus Sutra. In upstate New York, an assortment of businessmen, artists, col- lege students, and city workers begin a weekend retreat at a Zen center sitting silently on rows of low black cushions. In Atlanta, a Unitarian Church sponsors its own dharma session devoted to study of the Buddha’s teachings and some guided meditation. These are but a few of the diverse faces of Buddhism in America.
[Show full text]
Ordinary Struggles
Ordinary Struggles Clark Strand speaks with Bishop of the Buddhist Churches of America Socho Koshin Ogui on the subtle concept of practice in the Pure Land tradition. Clark Strand Socho Koshin Ogui Sensei is an eighteenth-generation priest in the Jodo Shinshu (True Pure Land) tradition, the most commonly practiced form of Buddhism in Japan. A resident of the United States since 1962, he became minister of the Cleveland Buddhist Temple in 1977 and of the Midwest Buddhist Temple in Chicago in 1992. In 2004, he was appointed Socho (Bishop) of the Buddhist Churches of America and has been instrumental in the ongoing revitalization and outreach efforts of that organization. The author of Zen Shin Talks, he now lives in San Francisco. Last fall, Tricycle contributing editor Clark Strand spoke with Socho Ogui about the idea of “practice” in Jodo Shinshu and his experiences in combining a Zen style of meditation with a Jodo Shinshu style of living. Photos © Michael Endo Pure Land bishop Socho Ogui in San Francisco "With our regular clothes, it’s actually more challenging to be a Jodo Shinshu minister." The Buddhist Churches of America (BCA) is one of the largest Buddhist organizations in America, is that correct? I think so. We have sixty-five temples and churches in cities around the country. And yet it hasn’t been very visible on the American Buddhist scene. It doesn’t appear in the media very often or in the various magazines devoted to Buddhism. Why do you think that is? Traditionally, Jodo Shinshu has been practiced by the Japanese or Japanese-American community in the United States, and therefore a racial consciousness has very much affected its development here.
[Show full text]
Source: Tricycle MAGAZINE INTERVIEWHISTORY & PHILOSOPHY Faith in Revolution by the Editors Winter 2008
Source: https://tricycle.org/magazine/faith-revolution/ Tricycle MAGAZINE INTERVIEWHISTORY & PHILOSOPHY Faith in Revolution By The Editors Winter 2008 Daisaku Ikeda is President of the Soka Gakkai International, the world’s largest Buddhist lay group and America’s most diverse. In a rare interview, Ikeda speaks to contributing editor Clark Strand about his organization’s remarkable history, its oft-misunderstood practice, and what its members are really chant- ing for. From Hollywood celebrities to renowned jazz musicians to everyday practi- tioners around the world, Soka Gakkai Buddhists are best known for their fa- miliar chant, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. What they are chanting is the Japanese title of the Lotus Sutra, which posits that all of us—without exception—can attain enlightenment through faith in its teachings. The Soka Gakkai (Value Creation Society) was founded in 1930 by Tsunesaburo Makiguchi [1871–1944], a Japanese educator whose theories were strongly in- fluenced by the teachings of Nichiren, a 13th-century Buddhist priest who sought to reform Japanese society by bringing its leadership in line with the Lotus Sutra’s teachings. Makiguchi was arrested under the Peace Preservation Act in 1943 by the Japanese government for refusing to consolidate with other Buddhist sects under the banner of State Shinto, effectively challenging the authority of the military government. He died in prison a year later. After the war his disciple Josei Toda [1900–1958] turned the Soka Gakkai into a national phenomenon, increasing its membership dramatically and establishing it as a grassroots social movement that championed peace and the rights of ordinary people.
[Show full text]
The Necessity of Including
THE ARROW A Journal of Wakeful Society, Culture & Politics THE NECESSITY OF INCLUDING EMBODIMENT & LINEAGE IN RACIAL JUSTICE WORK VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 1 | NOVEMBER 2019 The Arrow A JOURNAL OF WAKEFUL SOCIETY, CULTURE & POLITICS The Arrow explores the relationship between contemplative practice, politics, and activism. We investigate topics in politics, economics, ecology, conflict transformation, and the social sciences. Inspired by the vision of meditation master Chögyam Trungpa for a “union of social life and spiritual wakefulness” in society, The Arrow provides a critical and much needed space for investigating the meeting point of contemplative wisdom and pressing issues of climate change, racism, inequality, and conflict. Staff Leadership Advisors Chief Editor Board of Directors Founding Editor Gabriel Dayley Laurie Amodeo Kai Beavers Rosalyn Avent Associate Editors Michael Gayner Advisory Board Rachel DeMotts Greg Lubkin Gaylon Ferguson Sara Lewis Sharon Owyang Michaele Ferguson Jacob Richey Aarti Tejuja David Kahane Jessica Stern Adam Lobel Greg Lubkin Creative Director Judith Simmer-Brown Alicia Brown Shanté Paradigm Smalls Treasurer Nick Marsellas Cover design by Alicia Brown © 2019 The Arrow Journal www.arrow-journal.org Contents VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 1 Chief Editor's Introduction 4 Guest Editor’s Introduction 5 Black Boys 7 by Vernon Keeve III Race and the Body: Why Somatic Practices Are Essential for Racial Justice 10 by Kelsey Blackwell Body Knowing as a Vehicle for Change 25 by Arawana Hayashi Borders 29 by Jessica Stern 'May I Also
[Show full text]
Is the Buddha Sleeping on the Job?
NEWS FROM MIDDLEWAY PRESS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Kat Paterno 310.309.3247 [email protected] Is the Buddha Sleeping on the Job? (SANTA MONICA, CA) Is there more to Buddhism than sitting in silent meditation? Is modern Buddhism relevant to the problems of daily life? Does it empower individuals to transform their lives? Or has Buddhism become too detached, so still and quiet that the Buddha has fallen asleep? Waking the Buddha tells the story of the Soka Gakkai International, the largest, most dynamic Buddhist movement in the world today—and one that is waking up and shaking up Buddhism so it can really work in ordinary people’s lives. Clark Strand, a former Zen monk with hundreds of followers, had grown disillusioned with Buddhism because it never seemed to make a lasting difference in his students’ lives. They’d come to retreats and feel better but would soon find themselves mired in the same difficulties as before. Then he discovered the SGI. “It was unlike any Buddhist group I had ever encountered,” he says. “Its meetings were democratic and based on communication rather than meditation. And the goal of the practice was as grounded as they came. Members were encouraged to use Buddhist practice to tackle the immediate problems of daily life.” Waking the Buddha tells the story of the struggles and triumphs of the Soka Gakkai’s three founding presidents—individuals who staked their lives on the teachings of the Lotus Sutra . and on the extraordinary power of those teachings to help people become happy. These three men dared to revolutionize Buddhism by restoring it to its true purpose: to help people transform their lives and the world they live in.
[Show full text]
CURRENT DIALOGUE December 2011
51 CURRENT DIALOGUE December 2011 Special Issue : Christian Self Understanding in the Context of Buddhism Editorial – Clare Amos 2 Introduction to Special Edition of Current Dialogue – Rev. Dr. Shanta Premawardhana 3 Report of the consultation Christian Self Understanding in the Context of Buddhism December 9-12 2009 7 The Belief and the Behaviour of the Church in the Lankan Buddhist Context – Fr Aloysius Pieris, s.j. 11 Reply to Dr Aloysius Pieris s.j.: What would a Christian church incarnated in the Buddhist context of Sri Lanka believe, how would it behave? – Dr Elizabeth J Harris 20 The Transformation of Christian Self-Understanding in Relation to Buddhism – Professor Perry Schmidt-Leukel 25 Response to Perry Schmidt-Leukel’s paper – Professor Christine Lienemann-Perrin 38 Seeking self-understanding as Christians in a Buddhist context – Rev. Dr Leopold Ratnasekera OMI 42 Minority Christian Identity in the Context of Majority Buddhist Identity in Sri Lanka – Rev. Keerthisiri Fernando 48 The Significance of Buddhism for Christian self-understanding in the West – Rev. Dr Ruwan Palapathwala 54 Christian Self-Understanding and the Question of Dual Belonging – Dr Rose Drew 60 What can Christians learn from Zen? – Sr Katrin Amell O.P. 70 Without Christ I Could Not Be a Buddhist: An Evangelical Response to Christian Self- Understanding in a Buddhist Context – Prabo Mihindukulasuriya 73 “Show Me Your Resurrection” – Professor David Eckel 88 ISSN 1814-2230 Current Dialogue can be found on: www.oikoumene.org/en/programmes/interreligiousdialogue/current-dialogue/magazine.html Current Dialogue (Special Issue) Editorial December 2011 Editorial Current Dialogue, published by the World Council of Churches for more than 25 years, is one of the oldest and most respected international journals in the field of Christian interreligious engagement.
[Show full text]