Kishimojin Interview - One of the Heavenly Deities Protectors

Today I want to talk about . Out of all the heavenly deities on the , she calls me. I think maybe because I was raised by a single mother, no father, and so know first hand the strength of a mother who cares for her child.

The : "A demoness said to be a daughter of a in . She had five hundred children (one thousand or ten thousand by other accounts). According to the and , she killed other people’s babies to feed her own children. Terrified and grieving, the people begged for help. The Buddha then hid Priyankara (also known as Piyankara or Pingala), the youngest son of Mother of Demon Children. She sought him desperately for seven days, but to no avail. In despair, she finally asked the Buddha where he was. Shakyamuni rebuked her for her cruel and evil conduct and made her vow never to kill another child. Then he returned her son to her. According to The Record of Southern Countries, ’s record of his travels to India and Southeast Asia in the late seventh century, Mother of Demon Children was revered in India as a goddess who could bestow the blessings of childbirth and easy delivery. Worship of her became popular in Japan in the (1185–1333). In the “Dhāranī” (twenty-sixth) chapter of the , she pledges before the Buddha to safeguard the votaries of the sutra."

Kishimojin, (known in India as Hārītī) is a former demon mother who converted to Buddhism after the Buddha hid one of her many children to teach her the pain of loss. Along with her ten daughters—the or Jūrasetsunyo—she took a solemn vow in the Lotus Sutra to protect children, pregnant women, and those who practice and uphold the Buddhist teachings.

In 's writings, he refers to Kishimojin a few times, and in all of them he mention's her ten demon daughter; in one instance he refers to the ten rāksasis as “the mothers of all demons in the four continents,” and Kishimojin as “the mother of the ten rāksasis,” thus suggesting her power.

In other teachings, Kishimojin is often worshipped independently of the Lotus Sūtra, for example, in esoteric prayer rites to quell disasters and increase good fortune. After Nichiren’s time, as his tradition spread during Japan’s later medieval period and drew followers from a range of social groups, its protector deities diversified, and statues and paintings of Kishimojin began to be enshrined as independent images at some Nichiren temples. Represented in both fierce and gentle forms, Kishimojin was revered as a guardian of Lotus devotees, a destroyer of false views, and a grantor of prayers for this-worldly benefits, such as healing, safe childbirth, and the protection of children. Devotion to Kishimojin within the Nichiren tradition reached its height in Japan’s early modern period (roughly, seventeenth through nineteenth centuries) and drew both on her specific associations with the Lotus Sūtra as well as broader traditions of Kishimojin worship.

That's my knowledge on Kishimojin.

As many of you know, I have cancer again. I'm glad Kishimojin and her ten daughters are in this with me.

Here's a fun video I made imagining a non-Budhist reporter doing the interview. Could happen.

~~ Eso Terry

Making the Impossible Possible and the Arakawa Campaign

I would like to talk about the book "Making the Impossible Possible," which is a compilation of short writings by Daisaku Ikeda. This book is on the six historic campaigns that laid the foundation for in the , of which I am a member.

The campaign I wish to talk about today is The Arakawa Campaign of August 1957. The writings beginning on page 83.

This campaign went from August 8th through August 14th. Shin'ichi, the protagonist and pseudonym for Ikeda, led the week challenge by stating "Let's work together to open a new age for Arakawa!" And so in that one week the Arakawa Culture Center would see a 10% increase in membership, which comprised of over 200 households.

How did this happen? Shin'ichi says, "It was the single-minded wish for each person to become happy. At that time, everyone was overwhelmed by their own karma--struggling with problems such as poverty, unemployment, sickness, and family discord.

"I met members and continually tried to impress upon them that the only way for them to break through and transform their karma was to awaken to their mission as Bodhisattvas of the earth and make great efforts for kosen-rufu.

"Though the period of the campaign was brief, the members chanted intensely with the determination that they would use the campaign to share Nichiren Buddhism with many others and to overcome their problems. They challenged their problems courageously and strove all out. They made efforts not because they had been told to but because they were driven by a fighting spirit that welled up from the depths of their lives.

"The purpose of our faith and Soka Gakkai activities is to become happy. They're all for our own benefit, which in turn leads to prosperity in society...

"The summer of that year, Mr. Toda fell ill, the strain of the Yubari Coal Miners Incident and the Osaka Incident taking a toll on his health. As the members had reached 600,000 households at the end of June, the attainment of Mr. Toda's lifetime goal of 750,000 members was within sight.

"Achieving a membership of 750,000 households was the struggle of Mr. Toda's final years. I was determined for us to achieve it by 1957 so that his mind would be at ease...

"Before and after meetings, wanting to make the most of every moment, I went to visit one member after another at their homes. When I only had time for a short chat at the door, I always promised to stop by again. Making a note of everyone's name and address, I often sent them postcards later with an encouraging message...

"I wanted everyone to fully savor the joy of practicing Nichiren Daishoni's teachings.

"All people have a mission that is theirs and theirs alone. All are capable individuals; all are comrades who share profound karmic connections.

"The way to foster people is to meet people. It is important to actively reach out to and engage with others. Steady, ongoing, grassroots activities-- discussion meetings, home visits, personal guidance, questions sessions, informal meetings--are the key to victory. The SGI has been successful in its endeavors because of this solid track record of steady, consistent efforts, like flowing water...

"Kosen-rufu in our local areas is a movement to spread joy and hope toward life throughout our communities. We who uphold the Mystic Law are responsible for the happiness of our communities; we are the pioneers."

So there you have it, how to spread the joy of the Lotus Sutra, for as Nichiren Daishonin wrote in his letter to Sairen-bo Nichijo on May 17, 1273:

"When praised highly by others, one feels that there is no hardship one cannot bear. Such is the courage that springs from words of praise."

So spread the love.

~~ Eso Terry

Cancer Update, Myo Defined.

Hi, thanks for checking in. I got my pet scan yesterday, and am now waiting on the results. I've been through this cancer stuff before, five years ago, now I'm a little bit wiser and less scared. I live my life for today, and accept what there is to suffer, enjoy what there is to enjoy. You've heard me talk about "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" before, and it is the "myo" part that means we are all mystic. Mystic not in a guru-magic sense, but in the interconnection with all things, all matter, all vibration, all love, hate, heaven, hell....

Two things are about to happen in my life,

1. I get the call telling me that the cancer scares was nothing but an accident, a thing we can't explain, a miracle, it's gone. Today, as I write, I expect this, for I have a mission in life, and have prayed for all the cancer cells in my body to go away, if it is within the divine law.

2. I get the call telling me that they need to do a biopsy, the threat is real.

Either way, I'm set to go, rather excited to be honest. For how can we have growth without suffering? Because, in the end, it is all Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, trust me on this one.

~~ Eso Terry

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and the Heavenly Protectors

Kishimojin

Sometimes it happens quickly, but usually it takes over thirty minutes; most always before an hour. I'm talking about that moment after chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo for a time, and you know the universe is listening. It's that "being in the zone" moment to quote a sports analogy. It's that moment, for me, when I feel the walls around me as nothing more than thin air. The molecules in the furniture around me as floating dust. Sometimes there is a trumpet, violin, or another instrument accompanying my vibrating body. Sometimes it is an undescribtive sound, the sound or sense of feeling of vibrating in key to the universe.

Not all Nichiren Buddhist take Nichiren's "Heavenly Deities" serious, but I do. There is Brahma, Shakra, the four heavenly kings, and the gods of the sun and the moon. My favorite are the Ten Demon Daughters led by Kishimojin. This is probably because I was raised by a single mother and grandmother. They were barely surviving on waitress wages, but protected me from a decaying city on the brink of ruins.

Who are these protectors of believer in the Lotus Sutra? Here are some basic definitions.

-The Four Heavenly Kings (Shitenno): Deities who protect the four cardinal directions. They include Vaishravana (North), Dhritarashtra (East), Virudhaka (South), and Virupaksha (West), along with their numerous retainers.

-The Gods of the Sun and Moon (Nitten and Gatten): The physical celestial bodies viewed as deities who provide light and sustain life on earth, actively safeguarding practitioners through the hours of day and night.

-The Ten Demon Daughters (Jurosetsuzen): Led by Mother of Demon Children (Kishimojin), these figures from the "Dharani" chapter of the Lotus Sutra transformed from harmful spirits into fierce guardians who vowed to punish anyone who troubles a practitioner of the Sutra.

It's a wonderful thing to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. It's a wonderful thing to be heard by the universe, or as we call it, the Mystic Law.

~~ Eso Terry

World Peace Means A Piece of Bread

Swimmy the Bodhisattva Fish

Swimmy - Cartoon On Working Together - All For One and One For All. Alone, they are vulnerable fish, together, in a group with a common cause they are a gigantic fish. This reminds of my Buddhist faith, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, therefore I edited this old 16mm film with a modern touch. We all need to shine together now more than ever. ~~ Eso Terry

Cancer Again? Not With This Lifeforce!

So I'm waiting for the doctor's office to call me about getting a biopsi of this spot on my lung. I am in the Veterans Affairs (VA) medical care, and so it's not a doctor's office I can call and say, "I'm Here Waiting!" Still, I fear not, for I remember what President Josei Todo once said: "When you go to a doctor...Medicine King is your own life, the doctor naturally cannot help but provide a cure (WLS-6, 21)."

In the letter to Ota Jomyo, Nichiren Daishonin writes, "The sutra known as the Lotus Sutra is good medicine for the various ills of body and mind (wnd-2, 747)." It is here the Daishonin teaches that the Mystic Law is the supreme "good medicine" for overcoming the sufferings caused by illness and other disturbances of body and mind (May 2020 World Tribune).

Conversely, being in a healthcare system (the VA) where the doctors, nurses, staff, etc. are worked very hard with too many patients for the system, I remember the wise guidance Ikeda Sensei once gave in his "bodhisattva Medicine King" lecture, where he states that when you chant, the protective life force functions so that even an ordinary doctor naturally provides the right cure (May 2021 LB). In this article, Sensei goes on to say, "In fact, illness is an important and integral part of our experience of being alive -- an indispensable part of our journey to becoming happy and attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime."

In this same article, there is the story of when President Toda scolded the young Ikeda Sensei by saying, "Daisaku! You haven't got an ounce of life force! If your life force is weak, you'll be defeated." President Toda then sat Sensei in front of the Gohonzon and "chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with a force that literally seemed to batter the devil of illness into submission."

Finally, my favorite quote I read over and over, five-years ago when I defeated my first battle with cancer, is the one I'll end here with:

"When you go to a doctor, even if he is incompetent, because Medicine King is functioning in your own life, the doctor naturally cannot help but provide a cure (WLS-6, 21)."

Here is a video of when I came home after having the cancerous tumor successfully removed from an eight-hour surgery by a young surgeon who had never done this surgery before. Yes, Medicine King was alive in my life then, and is still with my faith and chanting powerful daimoku with a lifeforce that will batter this "devil of illness into submission." My Bodhisattva mission is not over yet. I'll be here January 2030 to celebrate the one-hundredth year of the Soka Gakkai. This I am sure of.

~~ Eso Terry

Josei Toda (1900-58)

was an educator, publisher and entrepreneur who, as second president of the , revived the lay Buddhist organization after World War II, building it into a dynamic, popular movement.

Arriving in Tokyo from the northern island of Hokkaido in his early 20s, Toda found a teaching post at the school where was principal. Impressed by Makiguchi’s educational ideals, he soon became his protege. In 1928 he followed Makiguchi in his decision to practise . The two later cofounded the Soka Kyoiku Gakkai, forerunner of the Soka Gakkai.

As tightened control over society and suppressed dissent, Toda and Makiguchi were arrested and imprisoned in 1943 for opposing the government’s policies. In prison, Toda devoted himself to the practice and study of Nichiren Buddhism, gaining a profound grasp of its principles. His efforts brought him to a clear realization that Buddhahood is a potential inherent in all life, and deepened his confidence that all people could manifest this enlightened life condition through practising Nichiren’s teachings.

On his release from prison at the end of World War II, Toda began to reconstruct the collapsed Soka Kyoiku Gakkai, renaming it the Soka Gakkai (Society for the Creation of Value). Toda taught that through Buddhist practice and inner-motivated change, or “,” all people can change their destiny for the better. This message resonated powerfully among the many people suffering from poverty, illness and other challenges in the chaos of postwar Japan. Moreover, Toda’s unshakable confidence in the power of Nichiren’s philosophy and his ability to translate the profound concepts of Buddhism into practical guidance for daily life re-ignited people’s hope and courage. By the time of his death in 1958 Toda had built an organization of nearly one million members and laid the foundation for the dramatic spread of Nichiren Buddhism in Japan and abroad.

Toda is also remembered for his uncompromising stance against , which he termed an absolute evil that threatens people’s inalienable right to life. He urged the youth members of the Soka Gakkai to work for the abolition of nuclear weapons. This stance, which he declared in 1957, is considered the inspiration for the . In honour of Toda’s ideals, his successor, SGI President , founded the (formerly the Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy Research). The institute brings peace researchers, policy-makers and community activists together on projects related to peace-building and dialogue among civilizations.

My Cancer Diary

So the docs found a new spot on my lungs. It is May 27th, 2026, I've been here before. I'm ready for this. Interesting, it was exactly four years ago on this day that I posted "My Cancer Cure" post on here. In that post I wrote: "We all come into this life with a mission, a reason, and when that reason is done so are we...this is why cancer doesn't matter to me, if I still have a reason to live, the cancer will wait. And as I told you before, the blue Buddha came to me in a dream and so I know I am healing and will stay alive as long as I continue my mission. I am chanting each morning that this body which can create a cancer cell, can heel a cancer cell. Therefore, I chant that the recent spots they found on my lungs are smaller than they were the day before, and that they are not cancerous. I then thank the heavenly deities for providing this. I also pray that the medicine king will bring me the knowledge, doctors, cures, etc., that I need...."

I go into how I eat raw bitter melon, broccoli, and carrots in the morning. I also go into my faith: "The faith I speak of is the Mystic Law which saved my life over a year ago by alarming me to have my lungs checked. I've told you about it before, how while chanting my chest began to hurt which caused me to go to the hospital where they found a cancer spot. It amazed the doctors that I brought it to their attention so early. I had part of my lung removed and have lived another year without cancer. Now, it looks like there are more spots which could be cancerous. I am not sure what I have left, if it is to share with you how my faith has saved me again, or how I know by chanting I am protected and will be here as long as I am needed. Maybe just to share my cure with you, kind reader. The faith I speak of is the Mystic Law. To obtain it all you have to do is chant: Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. Give it a try.

Japanese Boy, Taro - 1963 Educational Film

This is a film from 1963 I had some fun with. First of all it tells the story of Taro, a boy in the fifth grade. It shows his life in 1963 Japan. I added my cartoon character Kim Zog to do part of the voice over because there was a copyright issue with the music behind the speaker in the original version. I stayed true to him script until Taro visits a shrine with a Buddha in it. This section of the film tells how most people in Japan in 1963 were both Buddhist and Shinto, I added a line about Nichiren in there, informing the viewer of the "correct teachings of Buddha." Can you guess?

Enjoy

~~ Eso Terry

The Similarities Between Daisaku Ikeda and JFK

Cleaning out some of my old film closets, I came across this testimonial by a 1960's politician describing the "humanistic" qualities of President John F. Kennedy. I couldn't help but notice the similarities between JFK and Daisaku Ikeda, the 3rd President of the Soka Gakkai. Watch and I think you'll agree.

~~ Eso Terry

Myoho (妙法) Meaning to Me.

妙法 Myoho

I read this passage today from my desktop Daily Wisdom From The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin:

“And yet there is one river called the Sahara that follows a course as straight as a taut rope, flowing directly into the western sea. A woman who has faith in the Lotus Sutra will be like this river, proceeding directly to the Pure Land in the west. Such is the virtue inherent in the single character myo. (WND, 149).”

Wow, there is a lot to unpack there. First, please notice that it says “…faith in the Lotus Sutra…” and not faith in anything else. It doesn't say faith in the Daishonin, a priest, an organization, a spiritual leader, etc., It says faith in the Lotus Sutra. So, brothers and sisters, don't be led astray, and when in doubt, chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo (NMRK), which is the title of the Lotus Sutra, and one of the things Nichiren Daishonin left us which incompasses all of the Lotus Sutra. Still, I request we read the Lotus Sutra out alloud beside a campfire one day, but I doubt I'll stay awake -- it's not a Nancy Drew novel. So, thank you Nichiren for showing us a way to bypass that 😁. Let's move on.

The thing that stuck out most to me about the above passage is where Nichiren writes: "Such is the virtue inherent in the single character myo." I have herd people say "myo" is the thing, and I always wondered why. And so I researched the topic and here is why:

First, according to Google AI, we read: In Nichiren Buddhism, myo (妙) is the first character of Myoho-renge-kyo (the Mystic Law) and translates to "mystic," "wonderful," or "beyond comprehension." It represents the Buddha nature inherent in all people, the Middle Way of life that transcends existence/nonexistence, and the power to activate enlightenment, revive hope, and transform "poison into medicine".

According to the WorldTribue.org:

“Myo means to open” (WND-1, 145). The Mystic Law brings out the inherent value of all things. In other words, no matter our state of life, when we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we can open and reveal the world of Buddhahood.

In other writings of Nichiren we read:

The character myo has the power to “cure the dead as well as the living” (WND-1, 149). Here, the “the dead” refers to the people of those three groups previously excluded from attaining enlightenment. Because chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is powerful enough to reactivate their Buddha nature, it has the power to awaken the Buddha nature in all people.

Ikeda Sensei states: “...just as the morning sun dispels the darkness, the lives of those who consistently chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo will never be deadlocked. Chanting is the foundation of Nichiren Buddhism. When we vigorously chant daimoku, the sun rises brightly in our hearts. Energy surges, compassion wells forth, joy radiates and wisdom shines. All the Buddhas and heavenly deities—the positive forces of the universe—spring into action. Life becomes enjoyable. Nothing is more powerful than chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo” (May 2015 Living Buddhism, p. 35).

Myoho (妙法), translating to "Wonderful Law" or "Mystic Law," is a core concept in Nichiren Buddhism representing the fundamental truth of life and the universe. It merges "Myo" (mystic/wonderful), denoting the invisible, latent aspect of life, with "Ho" (law/phenomena), representing visible, manifest existence, indicating that ordinary people can unveil their inherent Buddha-nature.

~~ Eso Terry

Indispensable

Me, being "indispensable" at a job.

After chanting with a group of guys this week, one of the men was suffering job problems. He is faced with possibly of losing his job from a neglection to detail. The guidance a longtime practitioner gave him was to be "indispensable to your employer, and leave on your own terms, not theirs."

I hadn't heard this "indispensable" guidance before, and so wanted to research where it came from. Here is what I discovered mostly from a February 15, 2021 article in the SGI World Tribune titled "How To Make Things Work," along with some other books I've read.

A workplace is a community all on its own. For that reason, it represents a rich training ground for learning how to create harmonious relationships with co-workers and superiors based on the wisdom derived from Buddhist practice.

Founding Soka Gakkai President Tsunesaburo Makiguchi went so far as to describe three types of people in this world: “Those you want to have around, those whose presence or absence doesn’t make a difference and those whose presence causes problems.” When we apply the wisdom we derive from Buddhist practice at work, we can become skilled in the art of bringing people together.

How do we do this? Nichiren Daishonin encourages two brothers experiencing severe family difficulties “to become the master of your mind rather than let your mind master you.” Sensei shares that these words confirm the path of Buddhists:

To be “the master of your mind” means to make the principles of Buddhism our guide, and we achieve this through study. Study is also a measure to indicate whether our behavior and way of life as Buddhist practitioners is correct or not. It is a mirror that shows us who we are.

In one of his writings, Nichiren wrote to his disciple Shijo Kingo, who was facing various obstacles: “Live so that all the people of Kamakura will say in your praise that Nakatsukasa Saburo Saemon-no-jo [Shijo Kingo] is diligent in the service of his lord, in the service of Buddhism, and in his concern for other people.”

In volume 22 of The New Human Revolution, Sensei approaches a young man who quit his job to help prepare for an SGI convention. This young man had this to say about his work situation, justifying the reason why he had quit:

“The pay wasn’t very good, and they didn’t recognize my abilities. My bosses said I had a bad work attitude and complained about me all the time. I’m convinced that I will be able to find a better job through the benefits gained from chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo very hard and doing my best here at the convention.”

Sensei clarifies that this type of attitude does not reflect true faith.

“Nichiren Buddhism is a philosophy of human revolution, and it provides a practice for forging and polishing our lives so that we can be strong and wise, so that we may rise to every challenge that life presents and triumph over it.

“Maybe you had good reasons to quit your job, but your attitude is wrong. Of course, it’s important to chant and do your best in Soka Gakkai activities. But if you only focus on your Buddhist practice without making an honest effort at your workplace, you’re just escaping from reality. So long as you have that attitude, the results will be the same, no matter where you work.

To reiterate this point, Sensei says, “Remember that your victory or defeat in work and life doesn’t depend upon the size of the company or organization you work for, or the situation at your workplace. It all depends on you. It depends on your determination, your attitude.”

By adopting this spirit toward work, we can transform any challenge at work into one of value and benefit for our lives.

Six Points on Our Attitude at Work

Daisaku Ikeda and second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda on a winning attitude at work.

1) Exerting Ourselves

“It is a great mistake to just assume you’re going to succeed because of the benefit you receive from your Buddhist practice, without working harder than anyone at your job.” (President Toda, September 2016 Living Buddhism, p. 43)

2) Value Our Work

“You should deeply value your work, thinking hard and making every effort to succeed in it. For those of you who work for a company or some other organization, it’s important to bring a sense of enjoyment to what you’re doing and keep making efforts to improve at your job, as well as to be determined to fulfill your responsibilities.” (President Toda, September 2016 Living Buddhism, p. 43)

3) Faith Equals Daily Life

“As a Soka Gakkai member, you should regard your job as you would the Gohonzon, cherishing and deeply respecting it. Those who can do that are in accord with the intent of Nichiren Daishonin. Such people can be said to have forged deep faith.” (President Toda, September 2016 Living Buddhism, p. 43)

4) Transform Your Environment

“Josei Toda said: ‘Don’t let your work control you; you should control your work.’ Rather than be ruled by your environment, transform it. Be like Mount Fuji, which stands impervious to the buffeting winds, and forge an invincible self.” (Daisaku Ikeda, August 31, 2012, World Tribune, p. 5)

5) Win in the Morning

“Morning is decisive; it is the key to a successful day.

“Mr. Toda used to say: ‘A person who arrives at work late and is scolded by the boss will never amount to anything. New employees, especially, in the interest of earning trust and credibility in the workplace, should come into work earlier than anyone else.’

“Morning gongyo and daimoku [chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo] awakens our life so that we can win in the day ahead.” (Daisaku Ikeda, August 31, 2012, World Tribune, p. 5)

6) Be Proactive

“Wherever you work, don’t be passive, but strive with the spirit that you are a person with an active role and responsibility in your workplace. If you do so, it will be challenging, but it will also be very rewarding. Moreover, nothing is more enjoyable than improving and developing yourself through your work. Regarding your workplace simply as a place where you earn your living is such a waste.” (Daisaku Ikeda, August 31, 2012, World Tribune, p. 5)

And finally, as you can see, being "indispensable" is not just a work thing, but a life thing. So let's be indispensable in everything we do today and see how that works. I bet it's an improvement.

~~ Eso Terry

Cause and Effect

Cause and effect. Is it a thing? Because I write this, I have written, and the effect is yet to be seen. One simple fact is that Cause and Effect is a worldly theme. In the Christian Bible, it is written that "You reap what you sow." I think this is the same as the Buddhist Cause and Effect, but it seems to be talking more about the material aspects than the spiritual aspect.

In a nut shell, the law of Cause and Effect underlies the workings of all phenomena. Positive thoughts, words and actions create positive effects in our lives, leading to happiness. On the other hand, negative thoughts, words and actions—those that in some way undermine the dignity of life—lead to unhappiness. This is the general principle of karma.

In Buddhist teachings other than the Lotus Sutra, Buddhist practice is understood as a gradual journey of transformation that unfolds in accordance with cause and effect. This is a process by which the essentially flawed and imperfect common mortal gradually transforms over the course of many lifetimes into a state of perfection—Buddhahood. It is an undertaking that requires painstaking efforts to accumulate positive causes while receiving the effects of past negative causes and avoiding new negative causes.

Nichiren Buddhism, on the other hand, we don't have to wait until a future lifetime to achieve Buddhahood, we achieve it this life by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

The difference between this life and next lives, is best explained through the concept of the Ten Worlds. This concept describes our inner state of life at any moment in terms of ten “worlds,” from hell to Buddhahood, which we move between constantly depending on how we live our life and respond to our environment. Hence, we are in and out of Buddhahood every day, every minute of our lives. We get cut off in traffic and beep our horn with some swear words, temporary hell; on the other hand, we receive flowers from an admirer we admire, Heaven; and better yet, we share Buddhism with a friend and see her life flourish from this sharing, we are in Buddhahood.

In the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings, ordinary people carry out Buddhist practice in the nine worlds (cause) and eventually attain Buddhahood (effect). The nine worlds disappear completely, replaced by the world of Buddhahood. The Lotus Sutra, on the other hand, clarifies that Buddhahood and the other nine worlds are each eternally inherent possibilities of life at each moment. Through faith and practice, the world of Buddhahood, which is otherwise dormant, is brought forth and the nine worlds go into a state of dormancy, though they never completely disappear.

This revolutionary perspective on “attaining” Buddhahood is expressed in the concept of the simultaneity of cause and effect. The nine worlds (“cause”) and the world of Buddhahood (“effect”) are in fact equally inherent potentialities existing simultaneously in our lives. This concept is symbolized by the lotus plant, which, unlike other plants, bears flowers (symbolizing the ordinary person) and fruit (symbolizing Buddhahood) at the same time.

In other words, from the perspective of the Lotus Sutra, delusion and enlightenment—the ordinary person and the Buddha—are two aspects, or possibilities, that are always equally inherent in life. Our inability to perceive our inherent Buddha nature—the idea that Buddhahood is somehow remote from our ordinary reality—is simply a delusion, a result of negative causes that have accumulated in or lives over many existences. However, through the correct Buddhist practice, anyone can activate their Buddha nature.

In conclusion, I think, therefore I am a Buddha, and so are you, you just need to awaken it.

Here is an old film from the 70's which describes the Buddha's enlightenment in modern terms. Please note the cause and effect part, where the Shakyamuni finds his enlightenment is from within.

~~ Eso Terry

Leeds England, an Educational Film from the 1970's.

Here at Kosen-Rufu.com we follow some of the last words the original Buddha left us, and this is to educated ourselves, learn all we can. Furthermore, as a global citizen, we share and love each other's cultures, yes, even the British (ha, just kidding, I love Fish, Chips, and the Beatles!).

Here is a great educational film from the 70's I restored as part of my Kosen-Rufu.Com collection. Enjoy.

~~ Eso Terry

The Colorless World and the Rainbow. A Children's Cartoon.

ON a planet far, far away, there was a colorless planet until the colors came together to make things better. A very Buddhist message for our children. Of course, this is a message for all people if you ask me, but then again, I am a Buddhist.

Terry V

It's Christmas Time, my favorite time of the year.

And yes, Christmas has always been a Buddhist Holiday to me, especially when I hear that phrase of "Peace on Earth and Goodwill to All."

That's the one that has stayed with me as I've grown from a Christian in my childhood, to a Zen, Tibetan, and finally, at last, the answer: Nichiren Buddhist by way of the Soka Gakkai, where I chant and pray for World Peace and Good Will to All, twice a day.

Of all the Christmas songs you hear this year, the one I hope you pay most attention to is Frosty the Snowman, for it is the most blatant buddhist Christmas song ever, and here's why.

First, let me sing the song for you -- please hold onto you ears as I do, for a good singer I am not.

Frosty the snowman was a jolly happy soul
With a corncob pipe and a button nose
And two eyes made out of coal

Frosty the snowman is a fairy tale, they say
He was made of snow, but the children know
How he came to life one day

There must have been some magic in
That old silk hat they found
For when they placed it on his head
He began to dance around

Oh, Frosty the snowman
Was alive as he could be
And the children say he could laugh and play
Just the same as you and me

[Chorus]
Thumpety-thump-thump
Thumpety-thump-thump
Look at Frosty go
Thumpety-thump-thump
Thumpety-thump-thump
Over the hills of snow

[Verse 2]
Ooh Frosty the snowman
Knew the sun was hot that day
So he said, "Let's run and we'll have some fun
Now before I melt away."

Down to the village
With a broomstick in his hand
Running here and there all around the square
Saying, "Catch me if you can!"

He led them down the streets of town
Right to the traffic cop
And he only paused a moment when
He heard him holler, "Stop!"

Oh, Frosty the snowman
Had to hurry on his way
But he waved goodbye, saying
"Don't you cry, I'll be back again someday."

Frosty, as we all remember, is “a jolly happy soul.” Born of heaven’s (Tibetan) white falling snow and seeing through his earthy black eyes of coal, his spirit is that of a child, but his foreknowledge of his own demise places him outside the realm of the purely innocent children. His crucial conflict—our crucial conflict—is this: Frosty the Snowman knew the sun was hot that day. Life is suffering, death will come, is coming. Yet, Frosty’s response is astonishing! “Let’s run and have some fun,” he says, “before I melt away.” Frosty is delivering the wisdom of the Buddha, and one can almost picture him meditating on the mantra Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as he is dashing through the snow. Frosty teaches the children that there is heaven in the present moment.

Frosty leads the children out of the pastoral forest into the town where the group faces the complications of daily life in the stern and officious police officer, who hollers, “Stop!” There is a temptation to dwell in the realm of fear, but Frosty’s stop in the town square is momentary. Time is too fleeting, too precious. The children must learn—while they can—how to play, for as we all know, nothing lasts forever and Frosty must “hurry on his way.”

As Frosty faces his own melting with the acceptance of Nichiren Daishonen, he teaches us the Buddha's most valuable lesson, that we will face death, but will return, or as Frosty says, "Don’t you cry, I’ll be back again someday." Then he fearlessly dances over the hills of snow back to the forest. Frosty shows us that our time is short, but that does not mean it has to be lived in fear and sadness.

Finally, as Second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda once said, and I paraphrase, "It's delusional to think you won't die!"

So, Happy Holiday's Brothers and Sisters, and let's be like Frosty before we melt away.

saha world

sahā world ［娑婆世界］ (shaba-sekai): This world, which is full of suffering. Often translated as the world of endurance. Sahā means the earth; it derives from a root meaning “to bear” or “to endure.” For this reason, in the Chinese versions of Buddhist scriptures, sahā is rendered as endurance. In this context, the sahā world indicates a world in which people must endure suffering. It is also defined as an impure land, a land defiled by earthly desires and illusions, in contrast with a pure land. The sahā world describes the land where Shakyamuni Buddha makes his appearance and instructs living beings. In Buddhist scriptures, the sahā world indicates either Jambudvīpa, which is one of the four continents of ancient Indian cosmology, or the entire world containing all four continents. It also indicates the major world system, considered to be the realm of Shakyamuni’s instruction. In some Buddhist scriptures, including the Lotus and Vimalakīrti sutras, it is held that the sahā world, this world full of distress and suffering, is in itself a pure land, the Land of Eternally Tranquil Light. In the “Life Span” (sixteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni states, “Ever since then I have been constantly in this sahā world, preaching the Law, teaching and converting,” indicating that the place where the Buddha dwells, the Buddha land, is in fact the sahā world.

Chant Gongyo with English Translation in Realtime

I always wanted to have an English translation during my chanting Gongyo twice a day. I hope you find this useful. We don't need to know what the words mean to get benefit, but it's nice to know what they mean. Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo is the answer, no matter the question.

Kosen-Rufu Gongyo Karaoke

This is the chant we do for the Soka Gakkai, Nichiren Buddhist practice. The power is in the words, mixed with faith, and a little thing we call "The Mystic" Law. Chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and find out for yourself. Put down those magic sticks boys and girls, this is the real elevated divine shit. Go for it. Change your karma today, this lifetime, not the next.

~~ Eso Terry Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo is the answer, no matter the question

EsoTv

妙法 Myoho

Six Points on Our Attitude at Work

1) Exerting Ourselves

2) Value Our Work

3) Faith Equals Daily Life

4) Transform Your Environment

5) Win in the Morning

6) Be Proactive