The purpose behind my Buddhist Practice is to bring me a little closer to Buddhahood, each and every day.
That is to say, to emulate, as closely as possible, the Buddha himself, in the way he was able to see all things in a pure clarity.
Siddhārtha Gautama was a man, albeit a prince, who forsaking his life of comfort and position, went out into the world to meditate on the causes of, and ways to reduce or remove, the suffering of life.
In Nichiren Buddhism we learn about the Ten Worlds, from Hell to Buddhahood.
The Buddha state originates from the very depths of life, called the amala consciousness, meaning the fundamentally pure life force or consciousness. The function of the Buddha state is to bring out the positive side of the other nine worlds.
The principle of the Ten Worlds shows that the Buddha state is a naturally occurring condition of life in every living being. The purpose of Buddhist practice is to enable us to cause the Buddha state to appear; to have it working strongly in us.
In Nichiren Buddhism, therefore, the Buddha is not some perfect, ideal being, but is rather an ordinary person living in rhythm with the law of the universe, taking wise, courageous and compassionate action for the benefit of others, through the functioning of the nine worlds in daily life.
The more I practice, the closer I come to Buddhahood, and I think that is a very positive thought for today.
Self awareness, the realisation of who, or what you really are, comes to some people with age, but for me, it came at a point in life where I was at my all time low. Seeing my true reflection in the mirror was a long and painful process, there’s no joy in realising that you are someone you don’t really like, but it lead me to the turning point that has allowed me to change for the better.
People have often asked me, how chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo actually works, how it raises my life-energy and puts me in a higher life-state, helps me win, irrespective of the circumstances.
Following on from yesterdays looks at books, the rhymes just keep coming. As we all strive for Buddhahood, the life-state of Learning is a wonderful place to be. I love reading and listening to instructional podcasts and devote as much time as I can to these every day.
So many World Religions base their beliefs on a God, a Supreme Being, a Creator or an Entity whose existence is the focus of the religion’s belief. That God, or the followers of him (it’s usually a male god) have set down the laws or rules to tell the followers how to live their lives. The God is almost always the only true god, whose word is law and whose actions and will are unquestionable.
We’re all reeling under the onslaught of the latest surge of bad weather to hit Great Britain. The sheer volume of rain and snow, combined with the strong winds shows us how powerful nature can be, and with at least one person missing, just how fragile our existence on this Earth really is.
Going back over your mistakes, asking yourself painful questions and giving honest answers is a difficult, but cathartic experience.
Determination grows out of adversity. To accomplish an easy or pleasant task does not require determination, it is the difficult or unpleasant task that most definitely does.
Having confidence in yourself, in your faith, and in my case, my practice is a really comfortable place to be. But simply having someone else question that confidence can be a good thing at times, even though it might leave you questioning yourself. 
The Search For Enlightenment 
Recents Comments