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| "IN THIS WAY THE BUDDHA EXPLAINED HOW DIFFICULT IT IS FOR A ONE-EYED TURTLE TO ENCOUNTER A FLOATING SANDALWOOD LOG WITH A SUITABLE HOLLOW IN IT, EVEN ONCE IN COUNTLESS INFINITE KALPAS. HE EMPLOYED THIS ANALOGY TO ILLUSTRATE THE RARITY OF ENCOUNTERING THE LOTUS SUTRA. HOWEVER, ONE SHOULD BE AWARE THAT EVEN IF HE SHOULD ENCOUNTER THE FLOATING SANDALWOOD LOG OF THE LOTUS SUTRA, IT IS RARER STILL TO FIND THE HOLLOW OF THE MYSTIC LAW OF THE DAIMOKU, WHICH IS DIFFICULT TO CHANT." from MWND Vol.4 p 296 |
| OMA KOKEMUKSENI |
| MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE |
| Aloitin t�m�n buddhalaisuuden harjoittamisen helmikuun 7. p�iv� 1988 Lontoossa.Olin jo monta vuotta kuullut Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo'n lausumisesta ja tapasin buddhisteja "kaikkialla". Lopulta kun alkoi n�ytt�� ett� aina vain tulen heit� kohtaamaan p��tin kokeilla harjoitusta vaikka pelk'�sin hieman organisoituja uskontoja! Olin aina pit�nyt itse�ni hieman erossa uskonnoista enk� ollut miss��n mieless� "uskovainen".Vaikutus el�m�ss�ni oli mullistava. Heti ensi p�iv�n� tunsin kuin olisi jotain "liikkunut" sis�ll�ni ja olin vakuuttunut ett� t�ss� oli jotain todellista.Ovi onnellisuuteen avautui! Ymm�rsin ett� olin koko el�m�ni ajan liikkunut kuin ilman "ankkuria" maailmalla . Olin asunut jo Suomen lis�ksi Kanadassa ja Englannissa.Jostain syyst� olin aina tuntenut itseni levottomaksi ja lapsellisesti luullut ett� vika oli ymp�rist�ss�. Kun aloin lausua Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo'ta aloin ymm�rt�� ett� se, kuinka n�kee ymp�rist�ns� riippuu t�ysin omasta itsest�si, eli siis omasta mielentilastasi.Ymp�rist� on sama. Se kuinka koet sen riippuu siit� mit� on sis�ll�si. N�iden vuosien aikana on Nam-myoho-Renge-kyo ja Gohonzon (Nichiren Shoshu Buddhalaisuuden Palvonnan kohde) aina keskeisin osa p�iv��ni.Olen tehnyt Nichiren Shoshu Buddhalaisuuden Gongyo rituaalin kaksi kertaa p�iv�ss� joka aamu ja ilta. En ole j�ytt�nyt sit� tekem�tt� kertaakaan. Sen takia uskon ett� olen ollut Buddhan suojeluksessa kaikkien n�iden vuosien ajan. Mit� tahansa on taphtunutkin on apu aina tullut. Olen matkustanut Japaniin monta kertaa p��temppeliin palvomaan Dai-Gohonzonia ja n�kem��n 67. ylipappi Nikken Shonin Geika Sama'n johtamassa erilaisia muinaisia rituaaleja.Tunnen olevani maailman onnekkain ihminen koska minulla on ollut mahdollisuus kokea t�m� kaikki! Olen vakuuttunut ett� tulen saavuttamaan Valaistumisen seuraamalla Nichiren Daishonin'in opetuksia ja palvomalla Gohonzonia koko el�m�ni ajan.Tunnen saavani suojelua joka p�iv� ja n�en el�m�ni muutuvan hetki hetkelt�. Kun asiat menev�t huonosti asetun Gohonzonin eteen ja koko syd�mell�ni lausun Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo'ta ja tilanne muuttuu aina positiiviseksi. Joskus se tapahtuu heti, joskus se vie aikaa mutta aina rukouksiin tulee vastaus.T�m�n kokemukseni loppuun haluan lainata Aidon, alkuper�isen Buddhan Nichiren Daishonin'in sanoja: "K�RSI MIT� ON K�RSITT�V�N�, NAUTI MIT� ON NAUTTITTAVANA. N�E SEK� K�RSIMYS ETT� ILO EL�M�N TOSIASIONA JA JATKA NAM-MYOHO-RENGE-KYO'N LAUSUMISTA TAPAHTUI MIT� TAHANSA. SILLOIN TULET KOKEMAAN RAJATONTA ILOA MIK� JOHTUU LAISTA." ('Onnellisuus T�ss� El�m�ss�' Gosho MWND Vol 1 s161) |
| I started to practise this Buddhism on the 7th of February 1988 in London. I had heard about chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo for several years and had been running into buddhists "everywhere". Finally when it started to look as if I would be meeting them all the time I decided to give the practise a go eventhough I was a bit wary of organised religions! I had always kept myself apart from religions and could not describe myself to be in any way "religious". The effect in my life was overwhelming. On the very first day I felt as if something had "moved" within me and I felt convinced that this was something real. The door to happiness had opened! I understood that throughout my life I had been moving around as if without an "anchor". I had lived in Canada and England besides my native country of Finland. For some reason I had always felt myself somehow restless and childishly had thought that the fault was in my environment. When I started chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo I began to realise that how one experiences one's environment depends entirely on oneself , that is one's own state of mind. The environment is the same. How you experience it depends on your inner state. Throughout these years Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo and the Gohonzon have been always the centre of my day. I have performed the Gongyo Ritual twice a day, morning and evening without ever missing it. It is because of this that I feel I have been under the protection of the Buddha through all these years. Whatever has happened I have always received help. I have travelled to Japan to the Head Temple several times to worship The Dai-Gohonzon and to see the 67th High Priest Nikken Shonin Geika Sama lead various ancient Rituals. I feel I am the luckiest person on earth to have been able to experience all this. I am convinced that I will attain Supreme Enlightenment by following the Teachings of Nichiren Daishonin and by worshipping the Gohonzon throughout my life. I feel protected each day and I can see my life changing moment to moment. When things go badly I sit myself in front of the Gohonzon and chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo with my whole heart and see the situation turn positive. Sometimes this happens in an instant , sometimes it takes time , but I feel my prayers are always answered. I wish to end my experience by quoting the Original True Buddha Nichiren Daishonin's words: " SUFFER WHAT THERE IS TO SUFFER, ENJOY WHAT THERE IS TO ENJOY. REGARD BOTH SUFFERING AND JOY AS FACTS OF LIFE AND CONTINUE CHANTING NAM-MYOHO-RENGE-KYO, NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS. THEN YOU WILL EXPERIENCE BOUNDLESS JOY FROM THE LAW." from 'Happiness in this World' MWND Vol1 p161 |