THIS BLOG IS DEDUCATED TO HELEN (and anyone else interested) IN RELATIONS TO OUR NDB CHANT..."EXPERIENCE FAITH
MANIFESTING IN DAILY LIFE"...NDB IS ROOTED IN REALITY AND STRESSES THE INSEPARABILITY BETWEEN FAITH AND DAILY LIFE. WHATEVER OUR ROLES IN LIFE-PARENTS OR PARTNERS, WORKER OR STUDENT-FAITH ENABLES US TO FULFILL THOSE ROLES TO THE UTMOST, SOLVING THE INEVIABLE PROBLEMS THAT ARISE AND FINDING THE GREATERST JOY. THE MORE WE APPLY OUR BUDDDHIST PRACTICE TO OUR EVERYDAY SITUATIONS, THE MORE WE DISCOVER HOW POWERFUL A FAITH THIS IS...
WE ARE NOT BUDDHIST ONLY WHEN WE ARE PRAYING OR ATTENDING MEETINGS. BUDDHISM HAS THE MOST VALUE FOR US WHEN WE LEARN TO APPLY THE INNER STRENGTH, WISDOM AND COMPASSION WE GAIN FROM OUR PRACTICE TO HELP US SUCCEED AT HOME AND AT WORK. THOSE WHO NEGLECT RESPONSIBILITIES AND AVOID CHALLENGES IN THEIR FAMILIES, JOBS OR COMMUNITIES MISUNDERSTAND THE WHOLE POINT OF FAITH. (RESORTING TO THE GOOD GOD, BAD GOD, ITS GOD'S WILL, ECT. EXCUSES) BY NOT ALLOWING OUR HUMANITY TO SHINE THROUGH...
OTHER MISUNDERSTANDINGS CAN ARISE, TOO, WHEREIN WE MAY EVEN USE FAITH AS AN EXCUSE FOR INACTIONS OR AS AN ESCAPE FROM HARSH REALITIES. TO TAKE AN EASY GOING ATTITUDE---"I"M CHANTING, SO THE GOHONZON(OUR SCROLL/ MIRROR) WILL TAKE CARE OF ALL OF MY PROBLEMS"---IS NOT FAITH BUT IRRESPONSIBILITY. LIKEWISE, CAUSING OTHERS TO SUFFER, THINKING, "I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT BECAUSE I CHANT," IS NOTHING BUT ARROGANCE.
THIS FAITH OF WINNING IN OUR DAILY LIVES ALSO REQUIRES CONCRETE ACTION ON OUR PART. WE NEED BOTH, FOR ACTIONS WITHOUT PRAYER IS LIKE A SPINNING WHEEL GOING NO WHERE, WHILE PRAYER WITHOUT ACTION IS MERE WISHFUL THINKING. BUDDHISM IS REASON. IF OUR PRAYERS ARE TRULY IN EARNEST, THEY WILL DEFINITLY GIVE RISE TO ACTION, AND PRAYER COUPLED WITH ACTION WILL BRING ABOUT FULLFILLMENT OF ALL OUR DESIRES.(S-M-I-L-E)
LOV YA A-L-L...
WE ARE NOT BUDDHIST ONLY WHEN WE ARE PRAYING OR ATTENDING MEETINGS. BUDDHISM HAS THE MOST VALUE FOR US WHEN WE LEARN TO APPLY THE INNER STRENGTH, WISDOM AND COMPASSION WE GAIN FROM OUR PRACTICE TO HELP US SUCCEED AT HOME AND AT WORK. THOSE WHO NEGLECT RESPONSIBILITIES AND AVOID CHALLENGES IN THEIR FAMILIES, JOBS OR COMMUNITIES MISUNDERSTAND THE WHOLE POINT OF FAITH. (RESORTING TO THE GOOD GOD, BAD GOD, ITS GOD'S WILL, ECT. EXCUSES) BY NOT ALLOWING OUR HUMANITY TO SHINE THROUGH...
OTHER MISUNDERSTANDINGS CAN ARISE, TOO, WHEREIN WE MAY EVEN USE FAITH AS AN EXCUSE FOR INACTIONS OR AS AN ESCAPE FROM HARSH REALITIES. TO TAKE AN EASY GOING ATTITUDE---"I"M CHANTING, SO THE GOHONZON(OUR SCROLL/ MIRROR) WILL TAKE CARE OF ALL OF MY PROBLEMS"---IS NOT FAITH BUT IRRESPONSIBILITY. LIKEWISE, CAUSING OTHERS TO SUFFER, THINKING, "I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT BECAUSE I CHANT," IS NOTHING BUT ARROGANCE.
THIS FAITH OF WINNING IN OUR DAILY LIVES ALSO REQUIRES CONCRETE ACTION ON OUR PART. WE NEED BOTH, FOR ACTIONS WITHOUT PRAYER IS LIKE A SPINNING WHEEL GOING NO WHERE, WHILE PRAYER WITHOUT ACTION IS MERE WISHFUL THINKING. BUDDHISM IS REASON. IF OUR PRAYERS ARE TRULY IN EARNEST, THEY WILL DEFINITLY GIVE RISE TO ACTION, AND PRAYER COUPLED WITH ACTION WILL BRING ABOUT FULLFILLMENT OF ALL OUR DESIRES.(S-M-I-L-E)
LOV YA A-L-L...
I have a question about the chanting of the two excerpts from the sutra. In the liturgy I can see the correspondence between the Chinese and the English for Chapter 16 (102 lines), but not for Chapter 2. Ive been looking through Chapter 2 to try and locate the verses but so far haven't been able to identify them. I don't know Chinese so all I can do is look at the verse portions of the chapter and count lines. Do you know where in the chapter these verse are located?