The Value Of Youth

23 Mar 2011 1 Comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , ,

YouthI was thinking that, as the meeting yesterday did not go strictly to plan, and the Youth Division did not get it’s voice heard in the way it might have liked, that I would post a couple of the quotations that they brought for discussion at the start of the meeting.

I hope you enjoy them …

 

Youth is not a time of life, it is a state of mind.
it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees
it is a matter of will, a quality of imagination, a vigour of the emotions
it is the freshness of the deep springs of life. Samuel Ullman (poet)

— + —

That we take pains to protect weapons while we expose children –
the future of the race – to peril is impermissible.
To ignore this absurdity will spell defeat for humanity.
We must not live to destroy.
We have the spiritual power to create peace and happiness. Daisaku Ikeda

— + —

Let me be more mother than the mother herself
in my love and defence of the child who is not flesh of my flesh.
Help me to make one of my children my most perfect poem
and leave within him or her my most melodious melody
from that day when my lips no longer sing. Gabriela Mistral (teacher)

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Wimborne Men’s Meeting

19 Mar 2011 2 Comments

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Buddhism Day by Day - Daisaku IkedaThis morning was great. The sun was shining and the short trip to Jack Horwood’s house in Wimborne, for the meeting, was traffic free.

I really like the idea that the SGI districts have men’s and women’s meetings, as well as meetings for everyone. This morning was a men’s meeting and there were half a dozen of us in attendance.

Of course Jack and Ken were there, as was Boots, who appears to have a season ticket, because he’s been at every meeting I have attended since finding the local groups. Good on you Boots. Thierry and Jeff arrived a little later, having come from Dorchester. Jack has a beautiful garret room, dedicated to his Butsudan, very conducive to concentrating on Practice and study.

Having had a quick coffee, which was very welcome and did a good job of waking me up, we sat and chanted, guided by Ken. Again, the energy of the group was amazing, and being all male voices, the dynamic of the resonance was different from that at the mixed meetings.

I know I’ve said this a number of times, but the energy levels at group chanting sessions are so much higher than when I chant alone. It’s a bit addictive if I’m honest.

Following Gongyo, the group discussion started with Thierry reading some quotes, from the last few days, from Daisaku Ikeda’s book Buddhism Day By Day. It has, as you might expect, a quote for every day of the year. and as with all Sensei’s writings, they were full of wisdom and provided several interesting talking points. The discussion continued on a varied and diverse number of topics, with much humour, but with much to absorb, me being a complete novice compared to the others.

I was given the honour of closing the meeting by chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and ringing the bell three times. Even I couldn’t muck that up.

So the morning flew by and, as always, I left feeling full of life-energy, having learned more about the Practice and Nichiren Buddhism in general.

My thanks to Jack for being the perfect host, and to the guys for making me welcome as usual.

More Learning

10 Mar 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , ,

ChantingI attended my second meeting in a week tonight, so as promised, a short report from the study group in Bournemouth.

I have to say that I have nothing but praise for everyone I met tonight, they were so welcoming, and the lecture was very interesting and beautifully delivered. My humble apologies to everyone, but there were so many names that I have forgotten most of them. I really look forward to getting to know you all much better. Boots from the Salisbury meeting was there, as was Ken Hawkins who had been kind enough to phone me, to give details of the meeting, yesterday.

So what happened?

Gongyo was led by a Japanese lady and was totally amazing. I thought chanting with four other people was great, but chanting with twenty other people took it to a completely different level. The whole thing happened at, what seemed like, a hundred miles an hour. Many people had their beads to hand, but I was very interested to see that each one had their own way of honouring the Gohonzon. It was very powerful and liberating and a total joy to be part of it.

The study lecture, delivered by an Italian lady, with the Japanese lady and another lady reading parts as well. A very cosmopolitan group to be sure.

The study was taken from Daisaku Ikeda’s lecture on Nichiren Daishonin’s letter to Jakunichi-bo. Although the letter was written in 1279, the points it raises are just as relevant today. President Ikeda’s lecture notes help us understand the letter in the language of today. Although there was not the group interaction of the Salisbury meeting, I was so happy to be part of this wonderful group of Nichiren Buddhists and I already have more dates of meetings in my diary. Thanks again everyone, i look forward to our next meeting.

Amazing Resonance

08 Mar 2011 3 Comments

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Study Notes & BeadsTonight was my first study group meeting, and it was fantastic.

There were only five of us, I say only, but when we chanted together there was a melodic resonance that completely filled the room. Chanting alone is great, it boosts my life-energy and raises my life-state, but group chanting is like lone chanting on steroids.

A small altar was set up at the front of the room, with flowers, candles and a picture of Daisaku Ikeda surrounding the Omamori Gohonzon, a miniature copy of the Gohonzon.

Gongyo, chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and part of The Lotus Sutra, took about thirty minutes although it just flew by.

We then discussed the nature of Karma. Mutable Karma, that which is created and experienced within this lifetime. Immutable Karma, that which was created in previous lifetimes and which can be experienced within this, or future lifetimes.

We discussed The Nine Consciousnesses. Sight, Hearing, Touch, Smell and Taste being our five senses as well as The Mind, The Subconscious, The Karmic Storehouse (alaya) and Buddha Nature (amala). We talked about how chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo allows us, with constant practice, to perceive all nine levels on consciousness.

There were study notes on all aspects covered during the discussion. We covered a lot, and the notes will help jog the memory on some of the finer points.

The group was very welcoming and happy to help me find a group nearer to home, so I may attend another meeting on Thursday near Poole. I was also given a gift of a book of lectures ‘On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime’ by Daisaku Ikeda.

All in all a brilliant experience. Thank you all, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.

Comparison

19 Dec 2010 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

At the end of a massive weekend for winners, Kara Tointon and Artem Chigvintsev in Strictly Come Dancing, AP McCoy in Sports Personality 2010 and Stella English in The Apprentice.

All winners in their own fields or chosen goal, but what about the losers? For every winner there must be at least one loser, right? Wrong !!!

Daisaku Ikeda had this to say:

“Strength is Happiness. Strength is itself victory. In weakness and cowardice there is no happiness. When you wage a struggle, you might win or you might lose. But regardless of the short-term outcome, the very fact of your continuing to struggle is proof of your victory as a human being.”

So going home with the shiny prize isn’t the only way you can win, again President Ikeda has pearls of Wisdom …

“It is not how you compare to others that is important, but rather how you compare to who you were yesterday. If you’ve advanced even one step, then you’ve achieved something great.”

So whatever kind of weekend you’ve had, you can look at things in several ways, and still come out of it as a winner.

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