Taking photos of the Gohonzon

For many years I have been asking the same question.

Why are people so concerned about taking photos, or filming the scroll we use in our Buddhist practice.

I finally found the answer today, after receiving the same answer from a variety of sources across the world.

Under the control of the priests and the Nichiren Shoshu sect mystery, exclusivity and secrecy shrouded the Gohonzon.

Human revolution the work of transforming our lives at the very core.

"Human revolution is the work of transforming our lives at the very core. It involves identifying and challenging those things which inhibit the full expression of our positive potential and humanity."

Buddhism is characterized by an emphasis on the possibility of inner transformation--a process of bringing forth our full human potential. There is a common perception that the discipline and focus necessary for such a process requires a set of ideal circumstances not available to most. Nichiren Buddhism, however, teaches that it is only by squarely facing the challenges that confront us amidst the harsh contradictions of society that we can carry out the task of changing our own lives and the world for the better.

The Great Dictator Speech 1940 - Charlie Chaplin speaks some of the most incredible words you will ever hear.

This speech got Charlie Chaplin kicked out of the USA for 20 years. Imagine that!

Some of the most incredible words I have ever heard.

So inspired.

So relevant.

So important.

I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be an emperor. That’s not my business. I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone - if possible - Jew, Gentile - black man - white. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other’s happiness - not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone. And the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way.

Using Buddhism to overcome OCD. (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)

By Simon Yeoman-Taylor

In 2008 I was diagnosed with cancer which I used medication and my Buddhist practise to overcome. 

What happened as a result of that was 5 years of battling a mental illness called Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

As OCD is such a complex disorder I feel I need to explain a bit about it so you understand how hard it was. OCD is a very severe and crippling chronic illness that is often much misunderstood in popular culture. It is also very common, affecting around 1 in 50 people. It can manifest in an infinite number of ways and each case will be specific to each individual. The basis of the disorder is fear and anxiety that manifest in thoughts and worries that something bad might happen (obsessions) if you don’t do a particular thing (compulsions). For example you may think that you might get ill if you don’t was your hands exactly 3 times before dinner. OCD is a mental disorder but it behaves like a virus in that it can keep changing and adapting to trick you. It is as also as clever as you are and wants to stay alive. What the individual is worried about will be what is most valuable to them, such as family members or their health.

Is The Secret like Buddhism?

A friend of mine posted a quote from Rhonda Byrne's film "The Secret"

I want to be very clear, I am not a fan of The Secret. I also feel very strongly that it is homogenised Buddhism. It also is heavily focused on material possessions and material wealth and very little on "the treasures of the heart (love, friendship, connections with others)" as we call them.

It has become a global marketing brand selling "reality changing" to millions.

The purpose of life is happiness...

The purpose of your life is happiness. What a joyful use of a human life, of our short time on this planet then a deep and profound happiness. This happiness is not luxury but an absolute right of all people.

A poem of peace by Daisaku Ikeda

What the people long for
to carry them through the twenty-first century
is no reorganisation of external forms alone
They desire a sound revolution
carried out within themselves
gradually and in an atmosphere of peace
founded upon the philosophy and beliefs
of each individual
This calls for farsighted judgments
and a profound system of principles
This is what I would name a total revolution
and it is this
we call kosen-rufu.

From For the sake of peace

Why this world must come to an end

When the earth is ravaged and the animals are dying, a new tribe of people shall come unto the earth from many colors, classes, creeds, and who by their actions and deeds shall make the earth green again. They will be known as the warriors of the rainbow.” = Old American Indian prophecy

Wake up, the old ways are dying. Let go. Be free. Transform. Open.Love.

NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO

THE DAWN OF THE OPENING OF THE WAY TO PEACE.

Boundless LOVE. To you all.

Post by Prince Ea.

Chanting for love

When you are chanting to be with someone you love, always chant for their happiness first.

We are sometimes afraid to do so, thinking what if their happiness does not include you? What if their happiness means being with someone else? This is when we should realise that no matter how many strategies you make, how many prayers you write, the Gohonzon will always give you results based on your intent.

A little girl gets hit by a truck in the street in China. The reaction of people around her will shock you.

If you're lucky enough to live without want, it's a natural impulse to be altruistic to others. But, asks philosopher Peter Singer, what's the most effective way to give? He talks through some surprising thought experiments to help you balance emotion and practicality — and make the biggest impact with whatever you can share. NOTE: Starting at 0:30, this talk contains 30 seconds of graphic footage.

Peter Singer

Philosopher, ethicist

Sometimes controversial, always practical ethicist Peter Singer stirs public debate about morality, from animal welfare to global poverty. Full bio