Category: concentration

Contemplating Disease – Cessation – Part 13a – January 15, 2019

It is reasonable that a person may question how a practice of a religion that fundamentally does not believe in an external solution to the sufferings of life, how that religion could provide a source for support for living with illness.  In other words if we don’t pray to someone or something to assist us in our suffering then what is it we can accomplish through our Buddhist practice.  Since our experience of traditional medicine…

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Contemplating Disease – Ten Characteristics – Part 12f – December 29, 2018

When a person is ill time is measured differently than generally when healthy.  In some instances especially when pain is present time can seem as if it stands still or even goes backward.  Has it ever happened to you when you’re in pain and you have said something to the effect that things seem to be going backwards getting worse rather than better?  Perhaps not. Time, Chih-I advises is to be not even considered a…

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Contemplating Disease – Ten Characteristics – Part 12e – December 28, 2018

Under the section which talks about Means Chih-I advises that you should skillfully employ healing methods as appropriate.  I take this to include the use of doctors and medicines which may be prescribed to you for your treatment and care.  Here I am going to reveal my prejudice to the use of Western medicine.   What informs my preference towards Western medicine would be a fair question to ask.  Mainly it boils down to the…

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Contemplating Disease – Part 12d – Ten Characteristics – December 26, 2018

Fourth of the Ten Characteristics is Constancy.  By this Chih-I means that the methods we employ for living in disease should all be consistent.  Every thought, every effort, every should be focused upon our belief and actions in living in disease.  It would be counter productive for us as believers in the Lotus Sutra and Buddhism to then employ thoughts and beliefs that contradict what we say is our core belief.  As Nichiren points out…

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