The Pink Lotus Flower
The [Pink] Lotus Flower, Nelumbo nucifera, also known as the “sacred lotus” or the “Indian lotus,” is often confused with true water lilies of the genus Nymphaea, in particular N. caerulea, the “blue lotus.” However, the lotus flower has historical, cultural and spiritual…
The Great Beneficial Medicine
The way to become a Buddha is nothing special. It is the same as … providing fire for a person freezing in the cold. ~ “The Wealthy Man Sudatta ” WND-1 p. 1086 The Lotus Sutra is like a lamp…
Transforming Our Lives
Polishing Our Lives Through Chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo The Mystic Law is the key to polishing our lives. In “On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime,” Nichiren Daishonin writes: “This is similar to a tarnished mirror that will shine like a…
Chanting Makes Us Unbeatable
Chanting Makes Us Unbeatable When we chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo to the Gohonzon, the sound of the Mystic Law reaches the realm of Buddhahood in the universe as well as the Buddha nature within us, unlocking its innate compassion,…
Three Meanings of Myo
“Myo means to open” (WND-1, 145). The Mystic Law brings out the inherent value of all things. In other words, no matter our state of life, when we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we can open and reveal the world of Buddhahood. Chanting…
A Diligent Practice
“If in a single moment of life we exert millions of kalpas [1] of effort, then instant after instant there will arise in us the three Buddha bodies with which we are eternally endowed. [Chanting] Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is just such a…