lotus sutra (chapter 16 gongyo --- verse only/JIGAGE) 妙法蓮華經 Myoho Renge Kyo

[dedychan]

Prego.

[SeriouslyLeslie]

Grazie mille!

[simmerahluwalia]

thank you



[SpiritWanderer50]

1. To produce even a single moment of faith in the sutra. Ok my faith is only founded on proof. So right now Im looking into proof of this.

[SpiritWanderer50]

Ok basically im checking out what this is all about. So far I read the Lotus sutra and most of it seems like fantasy. I am not sure the basic meaning of what its saying. I do understand cause and effect. Seems simple that part. But how could chanting this and not at least getting more information on what your doing and just exactually what the Lotus sutra means can I have faith in it? Im checking out the link you gave. I see a lot of mantras out there so what makes one better then another

[SpiritWanderer50]

what good does it do to chant this if you have no idea what your saying?

[dedychan]

Part 1:

Quoted from Gosho: ON THE FOUR STAGES OF FAITH

Question: If a person simply chants Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with no understanding of its meaning, are the benefits of understanding thereby included?

[dedychan]

Part 2:

Answer: When a baby drinks milk, it has no understanding of its taste, and yet its body is naturally nourished. Who ever took the wonderful medicines of Jivaka knowing of what they were compounded? Water has no intent, and yet it can put out fire. Fire consumes things, and yet how can we say that it does so consciously? This is the explanation of both Nagarjuna and Tien-tai, and I am restating it here.

[dedychan]

Part 3:

Four Stages of Faith and Five Stages of Practice expounded on chapter 17 of Lotus Sutra:

Four stages of faith refer to four stages for those who embraced the Lotus Sutra during Buddha Shakyamuni's lifetime:

1. To produce even a single moment of faith in the sutra.

2. To understand the Buddha's teaching in the sutra.

3. To propagate this teaching widely to others.

4. To realize the truth expounded by the Buddha with deep faith.

[dedychan]

Part 4:

Five stages of pratices refer to five stages for those who embraced the Lotus Sutra after the passing of Buddha Shakyamuni:

1. To rejoice upon hearing the Lotus Sutra.

2. To read and recite the sutra.

3. To propagate the Lotus Sutra.

4. To practice the six paramitas while embracing the Lotus Sutra.

5. To perfect the six paramitas.

what good does it do to chant this if you have no idea what your saying?

You're practicing 5 levels of practices number 1 & 2.

[SpiritWanderer50]

3. To propagate this teaching widely to others. Ok I stopped proselytizing when I left christianity. I am about unity of all faiths not one over another.,

[SpiritWanderer50]

4. To realize the truth expounded by the Buddha with deep faith. Everyone seems to have the "truth" only truth sets one free and has no contradictions. we shall see.

[BungleZippie]

@SpiritWanderer50 Most if not all the Gongyo books have a translation so we do know what it means. You can find it online easily but to recite this is great because all that practice this the same the world over so regional language is no barrier to practising with others.

[butaicho]

This is very good. Great help to master gongyo.

I wish I had this long ago.