Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!eagle!data.nas.nasa.gov!news From: simmonds@demon.siemens.com (Tom Simmonds) Newsgroups: soc.religion.eastern Subject: Re: Why chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo? Message-ID: <1991Jan3.013232.28090@nas.nasa.gov> Date: 3 Jan 91 01:32:32 GMT Sender: news@nas.nasa.gov Organization: Siemens Corp.Res. Inc.,Princeton, NJ Lines: 55 Approved: prabhu@amelia.nas.nasa.gov >From: kde@heawk1.gsfc.nasa.gov ( Keith Evans) >Subject: Re: Why chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo? >>> [5] Nam-myoho-renge-kyo >>> >>> The core of Nichiren Daishonin's teachings, the expression of the >>> fundamental law of the universe. It is often translated, "devotion or >>> correct relationship to the mystic law of cause and effect through >>> sound or vibration." The Daishonin stated emphatically that the >>> recitation of this phrase enabled one to manifest his enlightened >>> nature without fail. >So actually by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we are in >the life-condition of Buddhahood. This is absolute freedom, as no matter >what situation one is in, he can chant and gain the wisdom to extricate >himself (or herself) and relieve their suffering. As I understand it, in the absolute freedom of Buddhahood, the Buddha-Mind is free regardless of "situation", there is no need to "extricate" anything, there is nothing to "extricate", and nothing to "extricate" anything from. Buddhism is not escapism; it is the elimination of attachment to any concept or form, which is freedom from Ignorance. We see the Buddha-Mind flowing freely when we stop trying to "fence it in" with limited, and limiting, ideas. It seems to me that as long as you are attached to some specific form or idea, including the idea that chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is something special (as opposed to chanting something like "bamma-lamma-ding-dong"), then you have not attained the absolute freedom of Buddhahood. IMHO, you'd be better off chanting "bamma-lamma-ding-dong" because, unlike "nam-myoho-renge-kyo", it has no meaning, no supposed special purpose, and no special "scriptural" endorsement to get attached to. As long as you think there is some difference between "Nam-myoho..." and "bamma-lamma...", or between chanting and grocery shopping, you are not enlightened; even if you chant for a thousand years. On the other hand, if you chant without attachments of any kind, then there is Buddha-Mind regardless of *what* you chant and regardless of whether you are chanting or grocery shopping. In that case, there is enlightenment in chanting "nam-myoho-renge-kyo", but it has nothing to do with any special attribute of those particular words. "There are no inferior bamboos in the forest" "The ordinary mind is it." "Gathering wood and carrying water." "Nothing special." -- (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( ))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))tom simmonds)))))))))))))))))))) (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( ))))))) "True beauty consists in purity of heart." - Mahatma Gandhi ))))))))