Greetings,
Has anybody deeply explored the faith's stance on the philosophy of the Buddha? I know that he is considered a Manifestation of God. But what about the nature of his teachings? In pursuit of the truths in his teachings as they relate to the teachings of the faith, I think I've stumbled across a goldmine! I have found a sect of Buddhism called Nichiren! They chant Nam Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo, which means 'Devotion to the Teachings of the Mystic Law of Cause and Effect that Governs the Universe'. This rings true to me in that, if one equates the law of cause and effect with Justice, it falls in line with my favorite hidden word:
"The best beloved of all things in my sight is justice....."
If you chant this regularlly, keeping its meaning in the back of your mind, it brings inner peace, and a feeling like you are in line with the universe! Better yet, this form of Buddhism is fully modern, international, and accepts all comers (including members of the LGBT community and other non-married sexually active people in most of the U.S.). I don't reject or regret my seven year membership in the Bahai faith. By no means has it been useless for me. It has encouraged me to seek knowledge! And I'll never throw away my membership (ie officially resign), just as I never threw away my upbringing as a celebrant of Kwanzaa, or my spiritual journey into Christianity during college. I take all of these things with me, for they got me to where I am today! In sharp contrast with statements that I've made in the past, I see no reason for one to "officially" give up membership as a Bahai once you've declared, regardless of what you might be going through. If you learned anything of use in the Bahai aspect of your spirituality, hold tight to it! I am no longer very active as a Bahai. Nor do I intend to be given the stance on sexuality (GLBT et al) and women on the UHJ. Buddhism is an open faith. It's truly gender neutral and no one judges you based on your sexuality or political stance. As long as you respect human dignity (and the dignity of all living things) everything else falls into place! The specific sect of Nichiren that I'm pursuing is called Soka Gakkai International (SGI). SGI means 'International Society for the Creation of Value' in Japanese (Nichiren lived in Japan in the 13th century--he was born to the lowest cast in society but rose to a position of spiritual leadership). This is the name for a lay organization (ie no clergy) whose focus is to promote a 'human revolution' such that world peace (kosen rufu) is possible by way of true personal transformation, and mutual respect for human dignity within ourselves and others. Sorry if this seems out of place. I'm just so excited about this, and I thought it might make a difference for somebody on here. I can feel it transforming my life already!!! http://www.sgi.org/
Peace and Love,
Lovewins
Nam Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo!
Has anybody deeply explored the faith's stance on the philosophy of the Buddha? I know that he is considered a Manifestation of God. But what about the nature of his teachings? In pursuit of the truths in his teachings as they relate to the teachings of the faith, I think I've stumbled across a goldmine! I have found a sect of Buddhism called Nichiren! They chant Nam Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo, which means 'Devotion to the Teachings of the Mystic Law of Cause and Effect that Governs the Universe'. This rings true to me in that, if one equates the law of cause and effect with Justice, it falls in line with my favorite hidden word:
"The best beloved of all things in my sight is justice....."
If you chant this regularlly, keeping its meaning in the back of your mind, it brings inner peace, and a feeling like you are in line with the universe! Better yet, this form of Buddhism is fully modern, international, and accepts all comers (including members of the LGBT community and other non-married sexually active people in most of the U.S.). I don't reject or regret my seven year membership in the Bahai faith. By no means has it been useless for me. It has encouraged me to seek knowledge! And I'll never throw away my membership (ie officially resign), just as I never threw away my upbringing as a celebrant of Kwanzaa, or my spiritual journey into Christianity during college. I take all of these things with me, for they got me to where I am today! In sharp contrast with statements that I've made in the past, I see no reason for one to "officially" give up membership as a Bahai once you've declared, regardless of what you might be going through. If you learned anything of use in the Bahai aspect of your spirituality, hold tight to it! I am no longer very active as a Bahai. Nor do I intend to be given the stance on sexuality (GLBT et al) and women on the UHJ. Buddhism is an open faith. It's truly gender neutral and no one judges you based on your sexuality or political stance. As long as you respect human dignity (and the dignity of all living things) everything else falls into place! The specific sect of Nichiren that I'm pursuing is called Soka Gakkai International (SGI). SGI means 'International Society for the Creation of Value' in Japanese (Nichiren lived in Japan in the 13th century--he was born to the lowest cast in society but rose to a position of spiritual leadership). This is the name for a lay organization (ie no clergy) whose focus is to promote a 'human revolution' such that world peace (kosen rufu) is possible by way of true personal transformation, and mutual respect for human dignity within ourselves and others. Sorry if this seems out of place. I'm just so excited about this, and I thought it might make a difference for somebody on here. I can feel it transforming my life already!!! http://www.sgi.org/
Peace and Love,
Lovewins
Nam Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo!
