In other words after an easy assent to some experience the reality of a life of hard work ahead to maintain or even re-experience this is required. It all seems now to be much harder than one expected. How many of us expect some fantastical spiritual awakening and are disappointed when the results seem mundane at best or even unnoticeable? Physical illness is much the same. All too often people come to the hospital to…
The most famous mother in the Lotus Sutra is actually a demon. Kishimojin is not the only mother in the Lotus Sutra, she is however the most famous one and a statue of her is usually present in Nichiren Shu temple, ours is on a side altar left of the main altar. Kishimojin is a manifestation of Hariti from India who is the deity representing fertility, childbirth, and childhood diseases. She has both a positive attribute and a negative one as well.
Today is Star Wars day May the fourth and that is how I titled today’s Dharma Talk as a take off on “May the Force be With You.” Now I must be honest here, I am not a big Star Wars fan so there is much in the plot and story I don’t remember. I have seen all the episodes but cared little enough to commit them to memory. I saw the first episode, though it wasn’t really the first part, in a theatre in Hawaii. That is about all I can recall of the movies other then of course some of the main characters.
After moving to Charlotte, NC with my partner after his retirement from the Navy I reconnected with my Buddhist practice in a deeper and more intentional way. Instead of the haphazard and inconsistent practice I had fallen into in California. In Nichiren Buddhism a practitioner is encouraged to recite portions of Chapter II and Chapter XVI on a daily basis as well as chant the Odaimoku or Sacred Title, Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. Throughout most…
Favicon Plugin made by Cheap Web Hosting