What has gone wrong?
I feel the pain but I never know why. It gets worse and worse and I still do not know the reason. Until I found out that, I have grabbed too tight - subconsciously.
I decided. To let go might be the best way.
Resources:
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
172 New Year’s Gosho
HAVE received a hundred slabs of steamed rice cake and a basket of fruit. New Year’s Day marks the first day, the first month, the beginning of the year, and the start of spring.1 A person who celebrates this day will accumulate virtue and be loved by all, just as the moon becomes full gradually, moving from west to east,2 and as the sun shines more brightly, traveling from east to west. First of all, as to the question of where exactly hell and the Buddha exist, one sutra states that hell exists underground, and another sutra says that the Buddha is in the west. Closer examination, however, reveals that both exist in our five-foot body. This must be true because hell is in the heart of a person who inwardly despises his father and disregards his mother. It is like the lotus seed, which contains both blossom and fruit. In the same way, the Buddha dwells within our hearts. For example, flint has the potential to produce fire, and gems have intrinsic value. We ordinary people can see neither our own eyelashes, which are so close, nor the heavens in the distance. Likewise, we do not see that the Buddha exists in our own hearts. You may question how it is that the Buddha can reside within us when our bodies, originating from our parents’ sperm and blood, are the source of the three poisons and the seat of carnal desires. But repeated consideration assures us of the truth of this matter. The pure lotus flower blooms out of the muddy pond, the fragrant sandalwood grows from the soil, the graceful cherry blossoms come forth from trees, the beautiful Yang Kuei-fei was born of a woman of low station, and the moon rises from behind the mountains to shed light on them. Misfortune comes from one’s mouth and ruins one, but fortune comes from one’s heart and makes one worthy of respect. The sincerity of making offerings to the Lotus Sutra at the beginning of the New Year is like cherry blossoms blooming from trees, a lotus unfolding in a pond, sandalwood leaves unfurling on the Snow Mountains, or the moon beginning to rise. Now Japan, in becoming an enemy of the Lotus Sutra, has invited misfortune from a thousand miles away. In light of this, it is clear that those who now believe in the Lotus Sutra will gather fortune from ten thousand miles away. The shadow is cast by the form, and just as the shadow follows the form, misfortune will befall the country whose people are hostile to the Lotus Sutra. The believers in the Lotus Sutra, on the other hand, are like the sandalwood with its fragrance. I will write you again.
Nichiren
The fifth day of the first month
Reply to the wife of Omosu
Background
This letter was written to the wife of Omosu in acknowledgment of offerings Nichiren Daishonin had received from her at the beginning of the year. The precise year of this letter, however, remains unclear. Omosu derived his name from that of the area in which his estate was located, Omosu Village in Fuji District of Suruga Province. His full name was Ishikawa Shimbei Yoshisuke. His wife was the elder sister of Nanjo Tokimitsu. In this letter, Nichiren Daishonin explains the operative principle of the Ten Worlds in a simple, poetic way, revealing that both Buddhahood and hell exist within the life of each individual. A person with a heart full of hatred experiences the world of hell; a person with faith in the Lotus Sutra experiences the world of Buddhahood.
Notes
1. According to the Japanese lunar calendar, spring begins with the first month— that is, on New Year’s Day by that calendar, which on the Gregorian calendar falls somewhere between January and February .
2. This refers to the fact that the new moon is first seen in the west just after sunset. On successive nights, as the moon grows fuller, it appears to have moved a little farther toward the east.
The Writing of Nichiren Daishoin - page 1137 - 1138.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Friendship
Dr. Daisaku Ikeda always emphasizes on the greatness of friendship. He builds great bridges across the world since he was young. He truly cherish each encounter. This is why he is truly a great man, acknowledged worldwide as a prominent figure.
Friendship is an intangible tie between two person. None of us can exist in isolation. Our lives and existence are supported by others in seen and unseen ways. To be aware of these connections, to feel appreciation for them, and to strive to give something back to society in a spirit of gratitude is the proper way for human beings to live.
A genuine friendship is not about how much I can gain from you for what I have done. It is a pure contribution without any thought of gain. When you feel the joy of having such a person as your friend, you truly appreciate and respect that person.
Friendship is not about imposing your superiority and control over someone. When you are doing so, you are actually destroying the seed of happiness. What is the point of building your happiness over someone's else suffering? At the end of the day, you will not feel any happy.
Heart is what matters. Be the master of your mind (heart). Do not let yourself to be controlled by your thought. Get yourself to understand, why do people feel so happy with one another, and you don't. Do not put the blame on the others when you know you are at fault.
Think.
Limits.
Just couldn't understand why people just failed to appreciate life, be it your own or others'. That's why people tend to bring suffer to the others. Do we really feel good from doing so? Or they are actually bringing more sadness into their own lives? How pathetic such a person is.
Simply because, you are being such a selfish person, putting yourself on top of all the others and failed to appreciate the principle of equality. You're thinking that all the people around you shall bow to you and shall put their reliance on you. You want people to come to you when they are facing with problems, begging you for help. But when this doesn't happen, you simply feel so pissed. This somehow reflects how inferior you are, how coward you are, how childish you can be.
You are just being lucky. When you have the ability to reach out to help more, you don't. You think you have done too much, and you think you are now capable to control others' lives. You are not. A great person would not be complaining around for what he had done. To such a person, sacrifice is so sacred that it creates a great value in his life. But you are not. You complained of what you have done, and you wish that people will acknowledge for what you have done.
Open up your eyes and see the world. You are capable to bring more colours into the life of people around you. You are such a great person and you simply shouldn't ruin yourself. Is time to wake up. Stop all your childish acts back there. We knew every single thing that you have done. Don't doubt, we really knew. We respect you as a human, we respect you with dignity. And that's why we do not do anything to harm you, not because we can't. So please know where to stop. The limit.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Final Semester
Time just flies before I realized that, now, I am in my final semester. Things have been, at least, going on well, or else I would not been in my final semester now. When I first entered law school during mid-2007, I was pretty new to this whole thing. I didn't even have a clear mind of why am I choosing law. It seemed to be that, this had been programmed into my mind since I was young. Being a talkative boy, people around always said that I will be a lawyer in the future and that's how this thing seemed to be carved in my mind - and I didn't think much. I did not really score well during my first semester. Being a rookie at that moment, I was quite lost. The feeling is just like you were being thrown into the sea and you have no idea how you reach the mainland. I was lucky enough to meet a senior, who gave me a hand to go through such tough period of time. He showed me the way. It was also a hard time, for the very first time to be far from my family and friends. Again, he was the one that kept me accompany throughout that time. I really appreciated what he had done for me.
Semester by semester, I went through with more and more efforts being channeled in. My interest towards this field has grown even deeper. I realized its importance in our daily life. I pushed myself further to discover more on how this field can be used to help the others. The idea is simple. I just want to prove that justice is not a game for the rich. Every single human in this world has the right to justice. I took more papers from the others, not to show to people that I am capable. Again, the idea is simple - I want to learn as much as I can so that I can help more people when I step out into the society.
My 4 years have been great especially when my life puzzle has been matched up with colourful pieces of friends. Each of them makes up a part of my life. I treasured them so much and to me, I think that's the biggest treasure in this 4 years time.
Considered myself lucky, I have been selected 3 times to go for different international trips each year. In 2008, I went to Philippines, In the subsequent year, I went to Vietnam. And in 2010 I was selected to go to China with another 19 students. Deep in my heart, I really feel the greatest gratitude towards my lecturer for giving me this great learning opportunity. Frankly, I am only a little soldier in the contingent, but I was chose for 3 times to go for all these programs. Thankful.
During this period of time as well, I have been more and more actively involve in my organization - SGI. It is an international organization that promotes peace through education and culture. I deeply attracted by its noble move as well as its great leader - my mentor. I deeply vow to fight together with my mentor for the rest of my life - to promote peace to each individual as well as globally. Youth is the time to build the strong foundation which will then determine who you are in the future.
6 more months. I shall fight harder.
Monday, January 3, 2011
2011
Yeah, I am back from Guangzhou, with a box of memories to be treasured for life. Back to my reality, and my life, thus begins. Another semester to go and that's from today!
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