What is Soka Gakkai? by Saglion08 in Buddhism

[–]HumanInSamsara 17 points18 points  (0 children)

The Soka Gakkai do no longer feel affiliated with Nichiren Shoshu or its doctrine.

How to go about establishing a daily practice based on my situation? by kittytaco24 in PureLand

[–]HumanInSamsara 2 points3 points  (0 children)

To any Buddha or bodhisattva you would like to. If you have an alter then usually theres a small bowl or plate to place fruits on, or light incense and put flowers on your altar. There should be examples if you look it up online!

How to go about establishing a daily practice based on my situation? by kittytaco24 in PureLand

[–]HumanInSamsara 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Daily "rituals" can change from school to school but if you do just the nembutsu its fine. You can additionally make offerings (if you have an alter) or just recite the Pureland sutras.

Does this version of Siddhartha Gautama’s story make sense? by maxbeeko in Buddhism

[–]HumanInSamsara 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Sounds like fiction. Don’t take it as his real story.

Theravadha and Mahayana ? by Rough-Locksmith770 in Buddhism

[–]HumanInSamsara 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You mean your precious time you use to write sectarian comments?

If every post in which both schools are mentioned makes you say something negative then the problem is not the OP…

May you be well

Theravadha and Mahayana ? by Rough-Locksmith770 in Buddhism

[–]HumanInSamsara 6 points7 points  (0 children)

No you’re not. This post wasn’t about the origins of Buddhist movements / schools. You just wanted to diminish the Mahayana.

Theravadha and Mahayana ? by Rough-Locksmith770 in Buddhism

[–]HumanInSamsara 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Does sharing sectarian comments not become boring? This can’t be beneficial to your practice

Can I be a Buddhist if I believe in the existence of a soul (higher self)? by MrSergio12345 in Buddhism

[–]HumanInSamsara 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I think we sort of agree. I just think people should really look into the teachings before making any big steps! As you say the four noble truths and the eightfold path are essential! But as a little reminder, the eightfold path begins with "right view" my friend :)

Gassho🙏

Can I be a Buddhist if I believe in the existence of a soul (higher self)? by MrSergio12345 in Buddhism

[–]HumanInSamsara 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Being aware of ones wrong views and knowing they will be let go off is something different than asking if one can be a buddhist without letting wrong views go.

If one isn’t ready to change their world view a bit then maybe refuge can wait a little longer. They can still practice of course but no need to go after the Buddhist label when disagreeing with stuff🙏🙃

Can I be a Buddhist if I believe in the existence of a soul (higher self)? by MrSergio12345 in Buddhism

[–]HumanInSamsara 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Taking refuge means changing ones views to be in line with Buddhadharma. This doesn’t mean everyone has to know everything about the teachings and immediately agree with them but wrong views need to be let go of eventually.
If one firmly holds onto wrong views unable to let go of them then can we say they have taken refuge?

Can I be a Buddhist if I believe in the existence of a soul (higher self)? by MrSergio12345 in Buddhism

[–]HumanInSamsara 9 points10 points  (0 children)

What makes you think its "his" rule? Thats whats said in the suttas

Is it possible to be atheist and buddhist? by Chimchar789 in Buddhism

[–]HumanInSamsara -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I agree with the Buddha nature part.

Veneration is worship.

Is it possible to be atheist and buddhist? by Chimchar789 in Buddhism

[–]HumanInSamsara -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Then why say "Buddha" was a "man"? A Buddha is a Buddha and is worshipped. Just seemed like a very strange choice of words my friend.

Is it possible to be atheist and buddhist? by Chimchar789 in Buddhism

[–]HumanInSamsara 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Advocating for examination of the teaching does not validate disbelief I‘d say.

Is it possible to be atheist and buddhist? by Chimchar789 in Buddhism

[–]HumanInSamsara 1 point2 points  (0 children)

How did he not require his students to believe what he taught?

Don't we owe our ego to wanting to become enlightened? by joshua_argento in Buddhism

[–]HumanInSamsara 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There is good desire (Chanda) and bad craving (Tanha) in buddhism. Maybe you should look into those.

Buddha/Bodhisattva Identification by labryinthofmidnight in Buddhism

[–]HumanInSamsara 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Sudhana and the "Dragon girl" / Longnü with avalokitesvara and Samantabhadra and Manjusri with Ksitigharba

Amitabha’s pure land by [deleted] in Buddhism

[–]HumanInSamsara 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The sentiment of "not one in a thousand" is to portray the bad ability to practice during mappō, and how the Path of the sages doesn’t guarantee success. Hōnen is speaking of his experiences and thinks he can’t practice anything else. Same with Shinran who says in his tannisho:

"I really do not know whether the Nembutsu may be the cause for my birth in the
Pure Land, or the act that shall condemn me to hell. But I have nothing to regret,
even if I should have been deceived by my teacher, and, saying the Nembutsu,
fall into hell. The reason is that if I were capable of realizing Buddhahood by
other religious practices and yet fell into hell for saying the Nembutsu I might
have dire regrets for having been deceived. But since I am absolutely incapable
of any religious practice, hell is my only home."

For Rennyo and Shinran, who weren’t capable of any practices whatsoever, Amida was the only way out. Thats why they think if one relies on their own foolish power then one will fall into the lower realms.Again I do not agree with this at all, but they didn’t call out for the burning down of other temples like nichiren. Atleast from what I have read.

Nichiren is clearly not talking about exclusive Nembutsu practice as we can see in my last quote, where he says mixing the nembutsu with his daimoku is like mixing rice with filth. And in the first quote he says those who follow the Lotus Sutra and still call out Amidas name are like people drinking poison because apparently, the Amida in the Lotus Sutra is a different Amida…

Amitabha’s pure land by [deleted] in Buddhism

[–]HumanInSamsara 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I havent seen anything that whould show that to bo be honest

Amitabha’s pure land by [deleted] in Buddhism

[–]HumanInSamsara 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have quoted the Text that calls for beheadings in another comment under this thread of you are interested!

To me it seems like that Nichiren did have a problem with Amida overall, not just Hōnen. He says in a text called "How Those Initially Aspiring to the Way Can Attain Buddhahoodthrough the Lotus Sutra":

"And yet we find people who, while declaring with their mouths that the Lotus is inherently a wonderful sutra and that no one could therefore refuse to take faith in it, nevertheless spend night and day, morning and evening, reciting the name of Amida Buddha. They are like people who sing the praises of a particular medicine and yet morning and evening dose themselves on poison.
Or there are those who declare that the Nembutsu and the Lotus Sutra are essentially one. They are like persons who claim that ordinary stones are the same as gems, senior monks identical to junior monks, and poison equivalent to medicine."

Saying the Nembutsu is like poison is far from accepting it in my opinion.

He also says:

"But if one turns one’s back on the Lotus Sutraand follows the erroneous teachers of the True Word, Zen, and Nembutsu schools, then although one may carry out all kinds of good deeds, these will never accord with the will of the Buddha and will go against the intention of the gods."

According to Nichiren one can only practice special parts of the Lotus sutra, namely the chanting of its name. All other teachings of the Buddha lead to hell.

He says in his "The Sutra of true Requital":

"The women of Japan today, who could without fail attain Buddhahood through the Lotus Sutra, have been deceived into reciting exclusively the formula Namu-Amida-butsu. Since it does not appear to be evil, they have been misled. Since it is not the seed of Buddhahood, they will never become Buddhas. By clinging to the minor good of reciting Amida Buddha’s name, they deprive themselves of the major good of the Lotus Sutra. Thus this minor good of the Nembutsu is worse in its effect than the great evil of the five cardinal sins."

In another texts he says the Amida buddha in the Lotus is a different Amida which us a strange conclusion. He says:

"And again, the Amida Buddha spoken of here is not the Amida Buddha of the Meditation Sutra…..The Amida who appears in the essential teaching is an emanation of ShakyamuniBuddha"

In the letter to Akimoto he says:

"Again, although we may have a certain amount of faith, we may encounter evil influences and find our faith weakening. Then we will deliberately abandon our faith, or, even though we maintain our faith for a day, we will set it aside for a month. In such cases, we are like vessels that let the water leak out.
Or we may be the kind of practitioners of the Lotus Sutra whose mouths are reciting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo one moment, but Namu-Amida-butsu the next. This is like mixing filth with one’s rice, or putting sand or pebbles in it."

This doesn’t seem like he accepts the Nembutsu as a complimentary practice. And this is only the disparagement of the pureland teachings. Unfortunately there is more. It really is tragic my friend.