Quotes

Lotus Path

The Buddha Land that Surrounds Us

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In the “Weight of Glory”, C.S. Lewis tells the story of a woman who gave birth to a son while confined as a prisoner in a dungeon. Since the boy had never seen the outside world, his mother tried to describe it by making pencil drawings. Later when they were released from prison, the simple pencil sketches were replaced by the actual images of the beautiful world.

In some ways we may think of our selves, our sufferings as being in a dungeon. In fact in Chapter 16 of the Lotus Sutra it says: “The perverted people think this world is in a great fire. The end of the kalpa of destruction is coming.’”

In other words we all too easily see the suffering and refuse to see the Buddha land that surrounds us.

Lotus Path: Practicing the Lotus Sutra Volume 1

Physicians Good Medicine

The Boiling Pot of Water

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Study leads to prayer and prayer leads to action. This is what chanting the Odaimoku is all about. It is not enough to sit and chant. One must get up and do something. The water never boils unless placed in a pot and the pot placed above a fire. No matter how much I may know about the theory of boiling water, it is useless without action. Expressing joy and devotion to Myoho Renge Kyo by chanting needs to be followed with Myoho Renge Kyo being manifest in our devotion to saving, teaching, and bringing benefit to our entire environment.

Physician's Good Medicine

Lecture on Lotus Sutra

Self-Work

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There is a lot of messy stuff in our lives for which a lot of work is required to sort out. There is no instant on button for Buddhist practice, regardless of the path chosen. Just as there is a whole
growing cycle required for the lotus blossom to manifest, so it is in our lives. Simply put there is a lot of self-work in order to manifest the lotus blossom in our lives.

Lecture on the Lotus Sutra

Lotus Seeds

The Impermanent Nature of Things

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The Buddha taught that what we are today is a result of what we have thought and done in the past, and what we shall be in the future will be a result of what we think and do in the present.

Unfortunately, we trap ourselves in a vicious cycle of suffering by not recognizing the impermanent nature of things. Neither do we realize the ways in which we are setting in motion the various causes that will eventually determine the nature of our lives. Because of this ignorance, in our attempts to get those things that we mistakenly believe will bring permanent self-fulfillment, we act in ways that are far from beneficial, both for ourselves and for others. Most of us are familiar with the phrase “what goes around comes around,” but how many of us actually make sure that all of our words, actions, and thoughts are the kind that we would like to see mirrored back to us by the people, places, and events in our daily lives?

Lotus Seeds

Odaimoku

Namas

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Namu or Namas assumes a variety of meanings and literally signifies devotion. Namas further signifies to return, restore or entrust one’s life, as well as to express one’s gratitude, a respectful greeting, reverence, to sincerely believe and to take refuge in.

Odaimoku: The Significance Of Chanting Namu Myoho Renge Kyo

Physicians Good Medicine

Continuous Action

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The lives of the Buddha and Nichiren were all about continuous action. All of the wisdom, all of the enlightenment they attained was transformed from theory into valuable lessons by the actions of those teachers. If they had lived without action and only taught theory, then we would be sorely pressed to manifest enlightenment ourselves. They are our examples and the proof it can be done.

Physician's Good Medicine

The Buddhist Prophet

The Unity of Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha

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[T]he Buddhist conception of reality is the existence in which the universal nature of existence is realized in the enlightened mind which is the realization of the all-embracing fellowship. It rejects reality apart from this personal enlightenment; it rejects an enlightenment in a secluded self — the former being externalism and the latter transcendentalism. But both aspects of being embraced and “aufgehoben” in the realization of the universal Dhammata. In short, the true conception of reality is brought to light only in the unity of Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha.

Nichiren, The Buddhist Prophet

Lotus Seeds

Actions and Their Consequences

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In general, the law of cause and effect explains how all phenomena appear and disappear as a result of actions and their consequences. Everything that exists, from people to planets to subatomic particles to states of mind, are the effects of previous causes and will in turn generate the causes that will bring about future effects. When we become aware of this process, we realize that nothing exists independently of its causes and conditions, and that nothing possesses any kind of permanent existence. Everything exists as a momentary and mutually supportive element in the dynamic process of cause and effect. This also means that when we try to grasp onto anything within this process, it invariably slips away and fails to provide us with the lasting satisfaction and security that we are seeking.

Lotus Seeds

Odaimoku

Nourishing the Seed of Buddhahood

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[T]he Lotus Sutra opens the seed of Buddhahood or potential enlightenment that each and everyone of us possess, and with the continued chanting of the Odaimoku, it gives that seed the nourishment it needs to sprout, grow and mature into a real living Buddha, transforming lives into that of an enlightened being, blessed with all the same wonderful and varied qualities, virtues and merits that Shakyamuni Buddha himself attained.

Odaimoku: The Significance Of Chanting Namu Myoho Renge Kyo

Lotus Path

The Door to Our Lives

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When we begin to practice and study Buddhism, we begin to open the door to our lives; we open our door, our inner door. But whom do we open the door to? It could be said that we open the door to no one but ourselves.

It is similar to the opening of the door to the great stupa of Many Treasures, the opening of the door to the practice of Buddhism. We practice the Lotus Sutra so that we can purify our lands, so that we can be of one mind and one body focused on living in the present both fully and mindfully. We open our door to reveal the Many Treasures Buddha that resides within ourselves and we also invite the Eternal Buddha to manifest in our lives.

Lotus Path: Practicing the Lotus Sutra Volume 1