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Comment by lakshmi nair on July 4, 2014 at 12:53am

also is it necessary to attend meetings?

Comment by lakshmi nair on July 4, 2014 at 12:52am

how do i increase the time of my practice? my throat starts to hurt after awhile and i get tired. i have been trying for the past two weeks but i'm finding it difficult but i still wnat to keep at it 

Comment by Brian (BA) on March 25, 2014 at 6:23am

Jennifer DCR made a good point: ...a long time has passed since a new posting. Though many of my fellow members use social media outlets, I occasionally find myself reminding them of the special gem Dragon Falls is, in that, it's owned and maintained by SGI members vs. conditional meta-data collection, marketing, and profiteering of / by many if not most of those .coms. Regardless, the sincerity of each person who practices will always be felt and have a profound effect in whatever format or endeavor we choose. And more encouraging are based in dialogue through shared experiences, guidances, and experiences. How about you? What do you think? (not a debate).

Comment by Dan on February 24, 2011 at 10:32pm

I also didn't mean to seem too brutal or denigrate other members' sincere efforts to encourage you.  They meant well and back in the old days, it was one way to help nudge a member to get out of their comfort zone (especially if they were suffering quite a bit) by encouraging them to do ushitora gongyo (midnight gongyo).  There were some members I know of who attested to it working in their life and you know, each person and karma and life is different and we are so vastly diverse that IT probably did help them.  I did try it myself a few times but eventually I preferred to chant with more vigor, more sonorous gongyo, and taking an extra 15 to 30 minutes to extend my daily chanting of daimoku.  And study helped me a bit when I felt deadlocked, and actually for a stretch of time when I wasn't practicing consistently on a daily basis, I devoured as much buddhist guidance and principles as I could.  But there's also that old maxim about the definition of 'insanity', that we tend to do the same things over and over again (intaking action in our daily lives) & doing it even more.  Use your chanting of daimoku where you really have to deeply 'meditate' upon the cause & effect of where you are now, and what can you differently to change things.  I should read this over to myself btw... best, Dan

Comment by Terry Jones on February 23, 2011 at 4:52am

Yes, I do have enough on MY PLATE. You're the best! Thanks again.

Comment by Dan on February 22, 2011 at 11:18pm

...and you shouldn't be doing it.  It's an old old rhythm guidance (ushitora gongyo) because members (well-meaning of course) used to think because the Nichiren priesthood does it (starting around 2 am I think till 5) praying for kosen-rufu and peace of the world since gods knows when...anyway pioneer members thought that by chanting starting at midnight (gongyo, ushitora) or because when we used to do pilgrimages to the temple, members saw the priesthood doing this 'mystical' gongyo thing. (where was I?)   OH, yeah.  Nowadays, most of the SGI leaders do NOT recommend this as it's not common sense and it's not about some kind of mystical superstitious time that the universe is more attuned to your prayers or anything...it simply about your intent and your heart to want to change a problem.  ok, best thing, chant your ass off ok?  Definitely get some guidance from some senior leader about it.  And step up your activities to help or encourage someone to practice or help get through a rough time.  Use the faith, practice, AND study to good effect.  But don't forget to pay attention to your daily life, work, family, and job.  You've got enough on your plate (smile)....

Comment by Terry Jones on February 22, 2011 at 7:35pm

Hi Dan, I hope all is well! Please let me know what is Ushitora gongyo? Someone suggested that if I want to break through an obstacle to do this kind of gongyo before 4 am. I've never heard of it and would like know what it is. Thanks so much!

Comment by Terry Jones on December 16, 2010 at 9:54pm

Thanks so much Dan!

Comment by Dan on December 13, 2010 at 6:08pm

We often don't bring up certain aspects of how do we maintain or uphold the teachings of faithand practice  as taught by Nichiren but there are 3 standards:  the literal (writings and commentaries of Nichiren) or documentary, the theoretical (the ideas, philosophy, is it compatible with reason?), and then the actual --- experiences and testimonies of individual practitioner, positive verifiable proof that can only come from the body of 'believers' or the sangha.  So it's not just the 'literary' or actual writings from Nichiren that help us determine the validity and proof of the practice.  Consequently, it is also means that the 'sangha' or body of believers who themselves upon concensus can determine or judge what applies the application of the practice and doctrines of what rule or idea makes it 'buddhist' -- in other words, we also have to have the human factor involved, so therefore it maintains its dynamic quality and as time and circumstance of what we do or in the future, the sangha or body of believers themselves continually adjust how we practice Buddhism.  best, Dan

Comment by Dan on December 13, 2010 at 11:44am

Don't know it ALL Terry -- if there's a gosho passage about it.  We do have to keep a balance in reading the Goshos especially for those of us who've experienced Chrstianity.  IF you read the Bible with a Lutherian eyes, you'd see contradictions and problems and have to make sure you or anyone else have to try to work at 'interpreting' the gospels so that you're reading it in a correct (if limited) context.  IF you read it in the 'catholic' sense, you 'see' no contradictions and 'accept' everything as true and literal and there is NO contradiction.  Same thing we have to do with Writings of Nichiren.

 If you've been around for years talking to long-time members chanting thru a crisis (medical or whatever), the 'hours' of daimoku they chanted did help them in the end.  It's helped me through some rough spots in my life as I sometimes go through a lot of up and downs and with the depression that I live with constantly.    Chanting 10 minutes 'sincerely' --- well that is pretty intense daimoku too that I've heard and spoken with members (and experienced myself) that THIS works also.  I personally proscribe both means but it ultimately comes down to how sincerely and with conviction want to change our negative karma or poison to medicine.  And sitting down and chanting about it is the first and imporant step.  What is that famous quote:  "prayer without action is idealism.  Action without prayer is fruitless'  (Toda, I think)

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