RELIGION or POLITICS - Why Buddhism?? The incredible 9th consciousness

(Again much of the contents herein are taken from the book "Unlocking the Mysteries of Birth and Death, byDaisaku Ikeda, President of Soka Gakkai International.)


Everyone who is not wholly dedicated to a religion, or who is spiritual and open minded about religion,
should seriously consider .... "Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, the Buddhism of the SUN.".............

Buddhism of the SUN, is shedding it's light all around the world. We have arrived at a time in which our movement for peace, culture and education, grounded on Buddhist principles, must send it's light of hope throughout society.

Hello on this TGIF day, and now you can look to another new and exciting weekend. My hope for all.
And now I bring us all back to Ninth Cosciousness, where life is really at for complete happiness.
 
 
         TAPPING OUR INNER WISDOM, COMPASSION AND LIFE FORCE IS CRUCIAL. THE FULL VALUE OF THE NINE CONSCIOUSNESSES CONCEPT IS DEMONSTRATED ONLY WHEN ON PRACTICALLY BRINGS FORTH THE NINTH CONSCIOUSNESS, OR BUDDHAHOOD.
 
         Nichiren gave concrete expression to the amala-consciousnes -- the fundamental reality of life -- in Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.   He thereby opened a path through which all people can reveal Buddhahood, drawing forth their latent greater self.   "The body is the palace of the ninth consciousness, the unchanging reality,"  he wrote,  and concluded that chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the way to open the Buddhahood inherent in our lives, allowing it to gush forth and purify our lives from the inside out.
 
         Nidhiren also wrote: "You should base your mind on the ninth consciousness, and carry out your practice in the six consciousnesses"."   By establishing faith in the ultimate reality and incorporating Buddhist practice into our daily lives, we can access infinite wisdom, power and compassion;   we can achieve a fundamental inner reformation and establish an unshakable foundation for true happiness.   By analogy, while a piece of wood floating in a stream will be swept away at the whim of the curent, even the most powerful of currents cannot shift an island of rock.
 
Josei Toda used to emphasize that having a life-state of Buddhahood, or absolute happiness, means having the capacity to experience joy under any circumstances.   He would say: "When you achieve absolute happiness, you have no money troubles, and you enjoy good health. Your home is peaceful, your business goes well, your heart is filled with a sense of abundance, and everything you see or hear makes you think, 'how delightful!'    When the world appears to you in this way, then this world...becomes Buddha land. That is attaining Buddhahood."   He would say that even a quarrel with your spouse, for example, can be joyful.   And that when you get angry, you do so with contentment.
 
HAPPINESS IS NOT RELIANT SOLELY ON THE ENVIRONMENT.  THERE ARE PEOPLE IN MANSIONS WHO SPEND THEIR DAYS IN TEARS.    NEITHER, HOWEVER, IS OUR HAPPINESS ENTIRELY INDEPENDENT OF OUR ENVIRONMNET.   WHO, FOR EXAMPLE, COULD HONESTLY CLAIM TO BE HAPPY IF THEY COULD NOT FEED THEIR CHILDREN.?    A PERSON CONTROLLED BY A NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENT IS SUFFERING,  WHEREAS ONE WHO CAN CONTROL AND INFLUENCE A DIFFICULT SITUATION IS QUITE THE OPPOSITE.    WE CAN SAY THEN,  THAT A PERSON WITH  STRONG LIFE PURPOSE IS HAPPY.
 
And so good people, we close for this day and still looking forward to give out more enlightenment and food for serious thought for those who at not happy, and for those who may not have a great spiritual platform for daily life.  Believe me folks, Nichiren Buddhism is where it's at.  Cheers.     CJ

RELIGION or POLITICS - Why Buddhism?? The incredible 9th consciousness

(Again much of the contents herein are taken from the book "Unlocking the Mysteries of Birth and Death, byDaisaku Ikeda, President of Soka Gakkai International.)


Everyone who is not wholly dedicated to a religion, or who is spiritual and open minded about religion,

should seriously consider .... "Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, the Buddhism of the SUN.".............

Buddhism of the SUN, is shedding it's light all around the world. We have arrived at a time in which our movement for peace, culture and education, grounded on Buddhist principles, must send it's light of hope throughout society.

Hello again. Here we are at hump day and the week half gone. Isn't it wonderful here in the SUN?  Well, time to get on with the Ninth Consciousness. I hope you all have been pondering your life though the eyes of all of your consciousnesses, and concluded that by not being a Nichiren Buddhist you are missing out on a bunch of good life and happiness.  AND you ARE!   But let's get on with it.


        TAPPING THE AMALA-CONSCIOUSNESS IMPACTS ALL THE OTHER CONSCIOUSNESSES, CAUSING THEM TO EXPRESS THE IMMENSE POWER AND  INFINITE WISDOM OF THE BUDDHA NATURE .

           From the standpoint of the amala-consciousness, we can see that our Karmic accumulations are in essence opportunities to manifest our Buddhahood.   Our seventh consciousness -- in which we distinguish self from other -- becomes the "seat of perception" in which we view everything equally as precious and respectable.  In other words, we can surmount our small ego and recognize the equality of all.   The sixth consciousness will drop its erroneous preconceptions and see the indiviual value of all things.   The five senses or consciousnesses will contribute to accomplishing the work of the Buddha.

          The nine consciousnesses concept, analyzing as it does the various layers of an individuals life and simultaneously sheddding light on that life's totality, offers insights for the fields of medicine and psychiatry.   In recent decades, phychosomatic medicine therapies have included Buddhist-related ideas.   For example, in helping people overcome resentment and ill will,  doctors may employ a therapy somewhat akin to Buddhist compassion.   The instruct the patient to form a clear mental image of the person who is the object of resentment.   The patient is then told to picture good things happening to the other person, imagining that person receiving love, attention, money or whatever the patient feels the hate-object would most like.

           Similarely, Shakyamuni (First Buddha) taught a form of meditation in which one first generates compassionate thoughts toward his or her love ones and then extends these to people he or she actively dislikes.   In this way, one can learn to master anger,  a major source of delusion and harmful desires. 

           TAPPING OUR INNER WISDOM, COMPASSION AND LIFE FORCE IS CRUCIAL.
THE FULL VALUE OF THE NINE CONSCIOUSNESSES CONCEPT IS DEMONSTRATED ONLY WHEN ONE PRACTICALLY BRINGS FORTH THE NINTH CONSCIOUSNESS. OR 
BUDDHAHOOD ......


Ah Buddhahood. What a wonderful destination to reach, and finally realize how really simple it is to handle life's ups and downs. It is YOU who will take care of YOU, not some hoped for influence from up there or way our yonder somewhere. We have a passage which handles it all...." Enjoy what there is to enjoy, suffer what there is to suffer,  accepting joy and suffering as a fact of life, and keep on chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo no matter what happens". 

With all of this you can take on life no matter what comes along, and handle it. And You know what levels the whole game out for us all,  the "Universal Law of Cause and Effect".  Does this give you absolute Happiness????  You betcha.    Be back soon.     Cheers       CJ

RELIGION or POLITICS - Why Buddhism?? The incredible 9th consciousness

(Again much of the contents herein are taken from the book "Unlocking the Mysteries of Birth and Death, byDaisaku Ikeda, President of Soka Gakkai International.)


Everyone who is not wholly dedicated to a religion, or who is spiritual and open minded about religion,
should seriously consider .... "Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, the Buddhism of the SUN.".............

Buddhism of the SUN, is shedding it's light all around the world. We have arrived at a time in which our movement for peace, culture and education, grounded on Buddhist principles, must send it's light of hope throughout Society.

Greetings again, good friends, and a wonderful new week ahead for all, that is my prayer. Now, it is time to continue on with the Ninth Consciousness. This is the Consciousness that sets it all staight for you, and gives eternal hope and happiness for everyone who sincerely practices Nichiren Buddhism. The first day you commit wil be the greatest day of your life........so, here we go.

In my last blog, I left you with the question - HOW DOES THIS NINTH CONSCIOUSNESS WORK? SO........THE NINTH OR AMALA-CONSCIOUSNESS IS THE KEY TO TRANSFORMING THE DYNAMICS OF THE ALAYA-CONSCIOUSNESS.   THE SANSKRIT WORD AMALA MEANS "PURE" "STAINLESS" OR "SPOTLESS".   AS ITS NAME SUGGESTS, THE AMALA-CONSCIOUSNESS REMAINS ETERNALLY UNTAINTED BY KARMIC ACCRETIONS.   THE KARMIC STOREHOUSE, WITH ITS ACCUMULATION OF BAD KARMIC SEEDS, HAS BECOME FOULED WITH THE THREE POISONS, LIKE THE GASES ARISING FROM A TRASH DUMP.   A PURE CLEAN STREAM GUSHES FORTH FROM THE DEPTHS OF OUR LIVES ONCE THE LEVEL OF CONSCIOUSNESS IS OPENED,  AND ALL IMPURITIES SIMULTANEOUSLY AND IMMEDIATELY ARE SWEPT AWAY LIKE DETRITUS WASHED FROM THE STREET IN A SPRING SHOWER.

The Nineth Consciousness is itself the ultimate reality of all things and isequivilent to the universal Buddha nature.  Buddhism teaches that we can change our deepest karma through drawing upon this inner capacity of our lives rather than through the intervention of and external God.

The Amala-Consciousness is pure life force, the power to live, and it represents the drive to have a better life.   It is the greater self that works for the happiness of all.   The power to make all people absolutely happy is the function of the Buddha. Therefore, the ninth consciousness is know as the Buddha consciousness.   It is also called the Dharma nature, which denotes the enlightenment potential in every being...The pure Amala-Cosnciousness allows us to transform the entire interlocking web of latent causes and effects that forms the Alaya-Consciousness so that it is based on Buddha wisdom rather that delusion.

No my friends, I am cutting off here because I don't want to feed you too much of this Ninth Consciousness, so you will have time to think and contemplate the importance of what is being written.
If for whatever reason you are not entirely and irretrievably happy, then I urge you to actively dip your toes in the water and let the philosophy prove itself, whether you think it will or not. Fair enough????

Cheers      CJ

 

RELIGION or POLITICS - Why Buddhism?? The incredible 9th consciousness

Again much of the contents herein are taken from the book "Unlocking the Mysteries of Birth and Death, byDaisaku Ikeda, President of Soka Gakkai International.)


Everyone who is not wholly dedicated to a religion, or who is spiritual and open minded about religion,

should seriously consider .... "Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, the Buddhism of the SUN."


Hi ladies and gentlemen:  Guess you are about now revving up to have a glorious weekend. Me too. But for you all, I'm starting in on explaining the Ninth Consciousness, and it takes care of all your life's problems if you will adhere to the rules of Life as laid out in the philosophy by Nichiren Buddhism. So off we go.


NOT ONLY OUR THOUGHTS BUT ALSO OR WORDS AND DEEDS ARE REGISTERED DEEP IN OUR LIVES.  OUR KARMA COMBINES BOTH GOOD AND BAD, OR ENLIGHTMENT AND DELUSION  -- OPPOSING FORCES LOCKE IN A NEVER-ENDING STRUGGLE.   BASE ON COMPASSION, WE CAN AROUSE A DETERMINATION TO MAKE CAUSES THAT OFFSET THE KARMIC EFFECTS IMPRINTED ON THE ALAYA-CONSCIOUSNESS THROUGH DELUSION.   WE CAN WORK TOWARD SELF-REFORMATION BY BREAKING THROUGH THE WALLS OF EGOISM AND DEDICATING OUR LIVES  TO THE BENEFIT OF OTHERS.   IN THIS WAY, WE CAN SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT THE ALAYA-CONSCIOUSNESS.

Theoretically,  to overcome the negative influences of past deeds, we would have to spend as long a time making good causes as we spent accumulating bad ones since the infinite past -- replacing each bad seed in the storehouse with a good seed one by one. And we would carefully have to avoid adding new bad causes!   Changing our destiny would seem almost impossible, then, since we live in what some Buddhist scriptures call a "defiled age" in which we cannot help creating bad karmic causes.  But this bleak outlook stems from a cause-and-effect theory grounded in only the first eight consciousnesses. 

The nine consciousnesses concept explains that we can radically break through our accumulated bad karma.   Nichiren teaches that even people of little virtue or who have committed great offenses, will, by accessing the deeper currents of life,  receive the same effects as if they had made many good causes in the past.   How  does this work????

Right here, friends, is where I get off the the weekend, though I may through some wisdom in my blog over the weekend before monday. But I will go on with the Ninth Consciousness then, and you will find this more and more interesting, that is, if you are truely spiritually minded and wanting to be in the state of ABSOLUTE HAPPINESS.        Cheers       CJ

RELIGION or POLITICS - Why Buddhism?? (Cont'd) 8th Consciousness --

Again much of the contents herein are taken from the book "Unlocking the Mysteries of Birth and Death, byDaisaku Ikeda, President of Soka Gakkai International.)


Everyone who is not wholly dedicated to a religion, or who is spiritual and open minded about religion,
should seriously consider .... "Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, the Buddhism of the SUN."
 
Hello y'all, yeah, here we are in the middle of the week already. Time goes fast when you are having fun, or are unbreakably HAPPY, as are all those who practice Nichiren Buddhism. Anyway, now we continue with the Eighth Consciousness, and the oboy, we get into the Ninth Consciousness which gives you all the answers to life and Happiness. Just wait until we get into that. 
 
DURING THE TRANSITION FROM SENTIENCE TO INSENTIENCE, OUR CAPACITY TO RESPOND TO EXTERNAL STIMULI BECOMES LATENT AND OUR LIVES BECOME FIXED IN WHICHEVER STATE WE HAVE ESTABLISHED AS OUR BASIC TENDENCY.   SO, AS DEATH APPROACHES, LESS AND LESS CAN WE USE WORLDLY MEANS TO ALTER OUR BASIC LIFE-CONDITION.   WEALTH, POWER, SOCIAL STANDING, THE LOVE OF OTHERS -- NONE OF THESE CAN HELP US, AND EVEN GREAT THOUGHTS AND PHILOSOPHIES, IF WE HAVE UNDERSTOOD THEM ONLY SUPERFICIALLY WITHOUT MAKING THEM A PART OF OUR LIVES, WILL PROVE UTTERLY USELESS IN THE FACE OF IMMINENT DEATH.   AS LIFE SHIFTS INTO A LATENT STATE, OUR POWER TO INFLUENCE THE ENVIRONMENT AND TO BE INFLUENCED BY IT IS LOST.
 
The alaya-consciousness is sometimes called "nonvanishing" because the karmic seeds stored within it do not disappear at death. Our individual lives are accompanied into ltency by all the effects of our karma.   Although habits, talents, abilities, traits and the like will NOT carry over, the elements that will determine our life-condition after death remain within the alaya-consciousness.   For example, the alaya-consciousness of someone who has established the tendency of Hell will in death go through hellish sufferings resulting from causes made while alive.   A person continually governed by desire will be tormented by frustration all the more after death. 
 
Our karmic energy mutually impacts our loved ones (living and deceased) and indeed all humankind.   It even affects animals and plants.   A positive change in the karmic energy in the depths of one's life beomes a cogwheel for change in the lives of others;  one person's internal reformation ---  or " human revolution" ---therefore, can change the destiny of that person's family and society.
 
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WHILE WE ARE ALIVE, THE SELF CHANGES MOMENT TO MOMENT;   WE CONTINUALLY MAKE NEW CAUSE THROUGH PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL ACTIONS.   THE EFFECTS OF PAST CAUSES ARE REVEALED THROUGH THIS PROCESS, IN TURN TRIGGERING MORE CHANGES AND GIVING US MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO CREATE NEW KARMIC CAUSES.   EVEN THOUGH WE CAN CREATE NEW KARMIC SEEDS, HOWEVER, THE ALAYA-CONSCIOUSNESS CAN NEVER BE ENTIRELY FREE FROM THE DELUSION.    COMPLETE PURITY IS TO BE FOUND ONLY IN THE NINTH CONSCIOUSNESS.
 
And with that, I close for this time and really look forward to revealing the NINTH consciousness with you. It will no doubt surprise you and all that, but it should give you hope for the future of who and whee you are going in life and on.       Cheers      CJ

RELIGION or POLITICS - You've 9 consciousnesses - here is the 8th, cont'd

(Again much of the contents herein are taken from the book "Unlocking the Mysteries of Birth and Death, byDaisaku Ikeda, President of Soka Gakkai International.)



Good morning, all, and how was your weekend? A wower, I hope. I happen to be a hot sports fan and a rooter for most Florida teams and these past days have not been good at all. But, as we all must say, better days ahead, and here is our brand new week to work on our good stuff.

I have given you a couple, three paragraphs of my lastest blog on our Nine Consciousnesses, the incredible Eighth Cosciousness. And so we continue.........

ACCORDING TO  MEDICAL SCIENCE,  OVER SEVERAL YEARS,  EVERY CELL IN OUR BODIES,  FROM THE CENTER OF OUR EYEBALLS TO THE MARROW OF OUR BONES,  IS REPLACED.  TODAY CONTINUED.  ON THAT BASIS, HE SAID, YOU COULD ARGUE THAT YOU ARE NOT LIABLE FOR A DEBT FROM FIVE YEARS AGO -- IN A SENSE,  IT WAS A PYHSICALLY DIFFERENT "YOU" WHO INCURRED THE DEBT.   STILL, THE DEBT COLLECTOR WILL COME WITHOUT FAIL.  SIMILARLY, WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR PAST ACTIONS AND THE KARMA WE'VE CREATED.

No matter what our circumstances now, however, we can freely improve ourselves through the actions we take from this point on. To be superficially content with the way we are, or to chide ourselves for our circumstances,  ultimately creates no value. Buddhism teaches us to move toward creating value, toward cultivating deeper wisdom and compassion.   We may make mistakes in  the course of our lives, but if we reflect upon our past attitude and behavior, we can use our sorrows and mishaps as a springboard for development.

THE ALAYA CONSCIOUSNESS AND DEATH

At the time of death, one's life moves into a latent state -- from sentience to insentience -- in three stages.   First, the operations of the first five consciousnesses become latent, while the sixth consciousness continues to function.   Second, the sixth consciousness recedes into dormancy, becoming latent within the eighth, or ALAYA consciousness, while the seventh consciousness remains active as a passionate attachment to temporary existence. Third,  the seventh consciousness, too, lapses into latency within the ALAYA consciousness. Hence, it is only the eighth and ninth levels of consciousnes that constitute the "vessel" of eternal life --- continuing throughout the endless cycle of life and death.


So you see folks, those who think "this is all there is" to life are just plain wrong, and must be fatalists.
Also for those who think they go to some fantasy Heaven or Hell, depending on how good or bad they were, are just dreaming to make themselves feel better. NO, people, you have to come back and back, until you get it right. More revelation next blog, Do hope you come back and even send me comments, for or against, whatever, huh?       Cheers      CJ

RELIGION or POLITICS ?? Heaven or Hell? ...really?

Hello friends, oh happy TGIF. And everybody looking forward to a big fun weekend, right?? Yeah.

But, let me ask a question. For those who profess Christianity or merely believe in GOD. Where do you think you will go when you take leave of this world???? Heaven or Hell or no where, that this is all there is. Well, by the time I get through revealing your 8th and 9th Consciousnesses, you will have some serious thoughts to ponder, just assuming you love life and all that, and happy, happy. So here we go.

EIGHTH CONSCIOUSNESS:::

All experiences from our present and previous lifetimes accumulate in the eighth conscious-ness, believed to be the realm that undergoes the cycle of birth and death. The eighth is also known as the ALAYA-consciousness -- the Sanskrit word alaya meaning "repository" or "storehouse." This consciousness receives the results of thoughts, words and deeds and stores them as karmic potentials or "seeds." Since karmic seeds are found only at a very deep level of life, they are unaffected by the external world.  Nevertheless, there is a reciprocal influence between the seeds lying deep in the alaya-consciousness and the surface levels of consciousness, where the three kinds of action -- thinking, speaking and doing - are carried out.

ON THE MOST PRACTICAL LEVEL, THE SEEDS STORED IN THE alaya-CONSCIOUS-NESS INFLUENCE THE WORKINGS OF OUR FIRST SEVEN CONSCIOUSNESSES. KARMA AFFECTS EVERY ASPECT OF BODY AND MIND.   PEOPLE RECOGNIZE AND RESPOND TO THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES IN DIFFERENT WAYS, DEPENDING ON THEIR PERSONALITIES.   CERTAIN PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES, TOO, SUCH AS BODY SHAPE, MAY REFLECT LIFESTYLE, EATING HABITS, BIOLOGICAL MAKEUP AND ENVIRONMENT. 

SPIRITUAL CONDITION REFLECTS LIFESTYLE AS WELL AS EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE.   THUS, THROUGH THE WORKINGS OF OUR KARMA, WE HAVE ARRIVED PHYSICALLY ADN SPIRITUALLY AT OUR CURRENT STATE OF LIFE.  THE
REWARD OR RETRIBUTION OF KARMA PRIMARILY EXPRESSES ITSELF IN THE FORM OF ONE'S INTERNAL STATE OF LIFE.  IT WILL ALSO BE REFLECTED EX-TERNALLY IN AN INDIVIDUAL'S ENVIRONMENT OR SOCIAL SPHERE.

ACCORDING TO REVERED JOSEI TODA; "ALL OF OUR ACTIONS IN PAST EXISTENCES ARE CONTAINED IN THEIR ENTIREY IN OUR LIVES...WHILE WE MIGHT WANT TO SAY, "WHAT I DID IN THE PAST IS IRRELEVANT;  I WAS BORN WITH A CLEAN SLATE, 'WE CANNOT ESCAPE OUR PAST SO EASILY.  'WHY WAS I BORN POOR?' 'WHY WAS I BORN STUPID?' 'WHY IS MY BUSINES FAILING EVEN THOUGH I AM WORKING AS HARD AS I CAN?'  THE ANSWER TO ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS IS TO BE FOUND IN OUR PAST LIVES."


O.K., I am going to knock it off right here, and let you give the above passages some thought and we will continue where we left off here next blog. Have a good one,  Cheers      CJ

RELIGION or POLITICS - YOU have Nine Consciousnesses

Greetings at midweek, and how y'all doing??? Remember "YOUR THOUGHTS CREATE YOUR LIFE"  so if your life isn't going as you would like, then you'd better think about changing your thoughts. And now is your chance to research your spiritual thinking. Good to check it out as the best way to turn your life around and keep yourself strong in handling this, meant to be, tough life, we all live.

Now I am going to finish up the 7th Consciousness, from my last blog on the subject, and then on friday on to the umbelievable 8th and 9th Cosciousnesses.


GOING ON FROM LAST...That we have the drive to preserve oneself, which is the ego or Lesser self.

ULTIMATELY,  HOWEVER, THIS DRIVE OR DESIRE CREATES SUFFERING. WE CAN BE DEEPLY CONTROLLED BY THE FUNCTION OF THE SEVENTH CONSCIOUSNESS AND THE NOTION OF SELF IT PRODUCES,  BELIEVING IT TO BE SUBSTANTIAL WHEN, IN REALITY, IT IS NOT. ATTACHMENT TO THIS SELF CAN BREED ARROGANCE AND EGOTISM AS WELL AS SELF-LOATHING AND INSECURITY. YET, IF WE ABANDON THIS SELF WE ARE APT TO FEAR THAT WE ARE NEGATING OUR EXISTENCE.  SO WE CLING TO THE STORIES WE TELL OURSELVES ABOUT WHO WE ARE; AND WE SEEK TO EXPAND THESE STORIES, REINFORCING OUR OPINIONS AND BELIEFS, OUR LIKES AND DISLIKES, ETC., AS IF PROTECTING THE CORE OF OUR IDENTITY.
We thus lose sight of the TRUE SELF, which lies at a deeper level of cosciousness, and remain ignorant of our true potential.  OUR ATTACHMENT TO THE SELF OF THE SEVENTH CONSCIOUSNESS CONFINES US IN A SMALL CAGE WITHIN THE VASTNESS OF LIFE, AND OUR INHERENT WELLSPRING OF HUMANITY REMAINS UNTAPPED.

While it may seem the word SELF is being employed negatively, implying selfish or self-seeking behavior, this usage is what Buddhism regards as the "lesser self."  As discussed in previous chapters, there is also a "greater self",  the true self lying dormant in the depths of life. The whole of Buddhist philosophy centers on the idea of breaking out of the prison of the lesser self to reveal the infinitely expanded true self. The nine consciousnesses concept was developed to achieve this goal.

THUS, WHILE THE BENEFICIAL POTENTIAL OF THE SEVENTH CONSCIOUSNESS IS UNDENIABLE, ITS POTENTIAL FOR CREATING THE "CAGES" OF EGO MUST NOT BE OVERLOOKED.

NOW, THAT TAKES CARE OF THIS ASPECT OF OURSELVES, AND NOW ON TO THE EXCITING 8TH CONSCIOUSNESS AND THE LINK TO  FUTURE LIVES.  OH BOY!!
    CHEERS....   CJ

RELIGION or POLITICS - Why Buddhism????? (Cont'd)

Happy new week, friends, hope yours will be as good as mine.

Now, I will continue on with the Nine Cosciousnesses. It gets more fascinating as we get deeper into the area of the 8th and 9th later. When I get through them all, you will have a very good idea as to why you are here and where you are going, with life itself.

THE FIRST SIX CONSCIOUSNESSES ARE RESPONSES TO THE EVERYDAY EXTERNAL WORLD OF PHENOMENA. THESE FUNCTIONS ARE EASILY RECOGNIZABLE AS THEY OPERATE ON THE "OUTER SURFACE" OF THE MIND. -- THAT IS, IN OUR CONSCIOUS REALM.  ASIDE FROM EXCEPTIONS SUCH SUCH AS DREAMING, IN WHICH THE SIXTH CONSCIOUSNESS OPERATES ON ITS OWN, THE FIRST SIX CONSCIOUSNESSES PERPETUALLY RESPOND TO CONSTANT INPUT FROM OUR SURROUNDINGS. BECAUSE THEY FUNCTION CONTINUOUSLY FROM ONE MOMENT TO THE NEXT, IT IS EASY TO ASSUME THAT WE POSSESS AN UNCHANGING SELF AND THAT PERHAPS THIS SELF OVERSEES AND CONTROLS THE SIX CONSCIOUSNESSES.

The function that leads us to believe in the existence of a permanent self is called the seventh consciousness. This seventh level represents the internal world, spiritual world and is the source of identity of self, operating in the name of self-preservation and expansion. It seems to correspond to the Western idea of the ego.

In reality, the self is in constant flux, changing moment to moment, as do our bodies and all other phenomena.  Because instinctively we are "attached" to the self or ego, we sense it as somehow constant.  We remember events in our lives and construct a narrative about who we are.  Without that capacity, it would be difficult to function in the world.  Attachment to this fleeting self becomes problematic, however, when we mistake it for a changeless entity and therefore stop seeking what is truly changeless and profound.

The seventh consciousness is also characterized by the ability to distinguish oneself from others, to establish a boundary between self and other.  And it is the source of the drive to preserve oneself.  Again, it would be difficult for us to function in the real world if we did not have the capacity.

OK, this is it for monday. I will finish this 7th conscousness next and then on to the incredible 8th consciousness. You''ll see. And thanks so much for visiting.     Cheers     CJ 

RELIGION or POLITICS - This is INTERESTING ......

Summary of Life




GREAT TRUTHS THAT LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED:

1) No matter how hard you try, you can't baptize cats..

2) When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don't let her brush your

Hair.

1. 3) If your sister hits you, don't hit her back. They always catch the second person.

4) Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato.

5) You can't trust dogs to watch your food..

6) Don't sneeze when someone is cutting your hair..

7) Never hold a Dust-Buster and a cat at the same time.

8) You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.

9) Don't wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.

10) The best place to be when you're sad is Grandma's lap.







GREAT TRUTHS THAT ADULTS HAVE LEARNED: 1) Raising teenagers is like nailing jelly to a tree.

2) Wrinkles don't hurt.

3) Families are like fudge...mostly sweet, with a few nuts

4) Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground...

5) Laughing is good exercise. It's like jogging on the inside.

6) Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy..

GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT GROWING OLD



1) Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional...

2) Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

3) When you fall down, you wonder what else you can do while you're down there.

4) You're getting old when you get the same sensation from a rocking chair that you once got from a roller coaster.

5) It's frustrating when you know all the answers but nobody bothers to ask you the questions...

6) Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician

7) Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone.



THE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE:



1) You believe in Santa Claus.

2) You don't believe in Santa Claus.

3) You are Santa Claus..

4) You look like Santa Claus.



SUCCESS:



At age 4 success is . . . . Not piddling in your pants.

At age 12 success is . . . Having friends.

At age 17 success is . . Having a driver's license.

At age 35 success is . . . ..having money.

At age 50 success is . . . Having money..

At age 70 success is . .. . Having a drivers license. At age 75 success is . ... . Having friends.

At age 80 success is . . .. Not piddling in your pants.



Pass this on to someone who could use a laugh.





Always remember to forget the troubles that pass your way;

BUT NEVER forget the blessings that come each day.



Have a wonderful day with many *smiles*



Take the time to live!!!

Life is too short.

Whoo-hoo!

RELIGION or POLITICS - Why Buddhism????? (Cont'd)

(Again much of the contents herein are taken from the book "Unlocking the Mysteries of Birth and Death, byDaisaku Ikeda, President of Soka Gakkai International.)




Hi y'all, gee, here it is friday again, and my how the days fly by when you are having fun, and I,  for one, am having fun with life, how about you???? But Nichiren Buddhism does that for you. You really ought to try it, since you don't even have to be a believer for it to prove itself to you. Soooo, if I am right, don't you think your life is worth living at it's best, hmmm? You betcha'. .......But, now we go on:

AS A RESULT OF SCIENTIFIC ADVANCES, OUR EYES AND EARS HAVE BECOME VASTLY MORE POWERFUL;  WE CAN SEE INTO OURERSPACE AND HEAR SOUNDS FROM THE DEPTHS OF THE SEA, BUT DOES SUCH POWER EQUAL HAPPINESS? WHILE SCIENCE TENDS TO DIRECT ITS INVESTIGATIONS EVER OUTWARD, IT WILL ONLY PRODUCE MISFORTUNE IF THERE IS NO CORRESPONDING GROWTH AND MATURATION IN THE INNER REALM OF LIFE.

WHAT'S MORE, SCIENCE HAS YET TO INVENT AN INSTRUMENT THAT GIVES US INSIGHT INTO SOMEONE'S HEART. BUDDHISM ENABLES US TO PERCEIVE OUR OWN HEARTS AND THE HEARTS OF OTHERS, TO THOROUGHLY UNDERSTAND HOW THE HEART OPERATES.  WE MIGHT SAY BUDDHISM IS THE SCIENCE OF THE SPIRIT, THE MEDICINE OF THE HEART.  ULTIMATELY, PURIFYING THE HEART  --  OUR PERCEPTIONS AND INTENTIONS -- IS THE FOUNDATION FOR URIFYING OUR SENSE ORGANS AND OUR CONSCIOUSNESS.

To Helen Keller, who triumphed over her inability to speak, hear or see, Mark Twain said, "Helen, the world is full of unseeing eyes, vacant, staring, soulless eyes". Twain also remarked that the two most interesting characters of the nineteenth century were Napoleon and Helen Keller, noting that while Napoleon had planned to conquer the world by means of force and failed, Helen Keller, while bearing the weight of a threefold disability, succeeded through her abundant spiritual strength.

You see, friends, what all this really means is, that your REAL strength,  is your (if you use it) abundant spiritual strength, not what religion you belong to. Now, as I leave this blog for the weekend, I wish to remind you that what all this discussion on the Nine Cosciousnesses is leading up to are the 8th and 9th Consciousnesses. And oh boy, are you in for a surprise if you think you will ever see and learn the likes of these discussions anywhere else in the world of religions. Um, these will "open your eyes, "so to speak".

So have a great weekend, y'all,     Cheers      CJ

RELIGION or POLITICS - Why Buddhism????? (Cont'd)

(Again much of the contents herein are taken from the book "Unlocking the Mysteries of Birth and Death, byDaisaku Ikeda, President of Soka Gakkai International.)


Hi friends, I trust your week is going well, and that you are determined to make your vote count in order to begin the process of reversing the present direction this country is be lead to. And whether you like him or not, you'd best listen each night to Glenn Beck so you can learn the real inside of what is happening, how and why. Things about which you will never know from the Media.

So now, on to some more important things. I continue on with The Nine Consciousnesses. Yesterday we learned about Consciousnesses, information leading up to explaining how they all relate to our lives, from beginning to end, and beyond, now beginning with the First Six Consciousnesses - Sensory Perception and Integration. Continuing..........

ALSO, EACH SENSE ORGAN POSSESSES A CONSCIOUSNESS OF ITS OWN.  PHYSIOLOGICALLY SPEAKING, THE SENSE ORGANS DO NOT PASS ON TO THE BRAIN EVERYTHING THAT THEY PERCEIVE. RATHER, THEY SELECT AND TRANSMIT ONLY THE "IMPORTANT" THINGS.   SO, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE CONSCIOUSNES OF THE EYES, FOR EXAMPLE, WE ARE REFERRING TO THE EYES' OWN POWER TO DISCERN OR SELECT.  SAY WE ARE DESPARATELY LOOKING FOR OUR KEYS.  AS USUAL IN SUCH SITUATIONS, THEY ARE RIGHT IN THE CENTER OF THE LIVING ROOM, BUT STILL WE DO NOT SEE THEM.  WE MAY SEARCH FRAN-TICALLY, YET THE KEYS REMAIN LOST BECAUSE OUR EYES HAVE "SELECTED" WHAT INFORMATION WILL BE SENT TO OUR BRAIN -- WE HAVE PRE-SUPPOSED THAT THE KEYS COULD NOT POSSIBLY BE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LIVING ROOM.  (AFTER ALL, WE WOULD HAVE SEEN THEM IF THEY WERE THERE!)
 BECAUSE OF OUR FIXED BELIEF, THE INFORMATION PICKED UP BY OUR EYES -- THAT THE KEYS ARE IN THE LIVING ROOM -- IS NOT RELAYED TO OUR BRAIN.

Buddhist practice is said to "purify" the senses nd the other levels of consciousness so that we can perceive all phenomena clearly and accurately. Again, the sense organs arfe the interface between the small iniverse of our lives and the cosmos.  To purify our sense organs, then, means to completely harmonize our lives with the universe, "tuning in" to its rhythm. One who has purified the sense of sight will find even the most mundane scene to be a miracle sparkling with life. And one who has purified the sense of hearing can hear Mozart in the cacophony of a baby's cries.


My friends, I won't go into the 'purification' of the first six consciousnesses at this time, because it goes into deeper and more serious aspects of being a practicing Buddhist. But, the Purifying, is automatic from the practice, and once there, your life becomes so greatly managable and worrisome-free. I am available for dialogue with anyone interested in learning about this.

See y'all friday and stay cool. More great stuff ahead.    Cheers      CJ

RELIGION or POLITICS - Why Buddhism????? (Cont'd)

(Again much of the contents herein are taken from the book "Unlocking the Mysteries of Birth and Death, byDaisaku Ikeda, President of Soka Gakkai International.)


Greetings, friends, and welcome to a new week. If you follow my important blogs, you will know that I am now explaining to, possibly new potential Buddhists, as well as some who already are. And the subject is the incredible Nine Consciousnesses, and the last sentence was that the Ninth consciousnes is equal to Buddhism. All of this will fall into place, as we proceed.
 
EACH LIVING BEING ASSIMILATES INFORMATION FROM ITS SURROUNDINGS AND ADUSTST ITSELF ACCORDINGLY. BEINGS DEPEND FOR THEIR SURVIVAL ON THE ABILITY TO PERCEIVE AND RESPOND TO THEIR ENVIRONMENT. EVEN PLANTS CAN SENSE THE CHANGE IN SEASONS AND ADJUST TO THE DIFFERENCES IN WINTER AND SUMMER WEATHER. IN WINTER, FOR INSTANCE, DECIDUOUS TREES SHED THEIR LARGE LEAVES SO AS NOT TO LOSE TOO MUCH MOISTURE THROUGH THEM.
 
LIKEWISE, HUMAN BEINGS HAVE THE ABILITY TO RESPOND TO THEIR ENVIRONMENT. FOR EXAMPLE, WE CAN DISCERN WHAT IS AND ISN'T EDIBLE. jUST LOOKING AT FRUIT IN A BOWL, WE CAN USUALLY TELL IF IT IS MADE OF WAX. BUT EVEN IF OUR SENSES OF SMELL AND TOUCH WERE DECEIVED, WE COULD TRY TASTING A PIECE AND QUICKLY FIND OUT IF IT IS IMITATION. DISCERNMENT OR PERCEPTION IS NECESSARY FOR LIVING BEINGS TO SURVIVE.
 
Now, out of the nine consciousnesses we look at the first six: Sensory Perception and Intergration.
 
The first five of the nine consciousnesses correspond to the conventional notion of the five senses: Sight, Hearing, Smell, Taste and Touch. They are activated whenever our five sensory organs -- eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin -- interact with our environment. The five sense organs are like windows, or perhaps pathways, by which the external world is connected to the internal, and they function in a relatively passive manner.
 
The sixth consciousness integrates the perceptions of the five senses into coherent mental images and makes judgements about the external world. If any of the five sensory organs are not functioning well, the mind likewise can be limited in its ability to accurately perceive the outer world. Conversely, even if a "window" is clouded, one's mind still can make sound judements if the other senses function well. The sixth consciousness can also function independent of the five senses as in dreams or uses of the imagination.
 
More often than not, the function of the five senses is distorted. Negative influences arising from the sixth, seventh and eightth consciousnesses, as we shall see, distort the mind's perception of the outer world. Our perceptions are influenced by our attitudes, by the effects of our karma and by the inner workings of consciousness. To a healthy person filled with vitality, even simple food will taste delicious, while for one plunged in grief, even the most sumptuous feast will taste bland. Phenomena such as these are mysterious yet commonplace.
 
O.K., friends, I don't want to overwhelm you on a monday, so will tie it off here and continue on Wednesday, good old hump day.     Cheers      CJ

RELIGION or POLITICS - Why Buddhism????? (Cont'd)

(Again much of the contents herein are taken from the book "Unlocking the Mysteries of Birth and Death, byDaisaku Ikeda, President of Soka Gakkai International.)

Greetings good friends, and potential Buddhists. I'm going to start "The Nine Consciousnesses" today and it will take probably all next week before I complete the entire subject matter. So here we go....

BUDDHISM EXPLAINS THAT ERRONEOUS PERCEPTION, CONCEPTION, OR CONSCIOUSNESS IS THE CAUSE OF SUFFERING. THE FIRST STEP, FOR EXAMPLE, ALONG THE EIGHTFOLD PATH IS RIGHT VIEW -- TO PERCEIVE THINGS AS THEY REALLY ARE. THEREFORE, BUDDHISM REVEALS THAT TRUE ENLIGHTENMENT -- REPLACING DELUSIONS THAT DISTORT REALITY WITH THE WISDOM TO PERCEIVE THE TRUE REALITY  -- IS THE WAY TO EMANCIPATE OURSELVES FROM SUFFERING. THESE IDEAS ARE THE BASIS OF THE NINE CONSIOUSNESSES CONCEPT.

Many attempts have been made in the West to explore the different levels of human conscious-ness, most notably through psychoanalysis and depth psychology. Neurology and neuro-physiology, too, have sought objectively to examine such functions as sensation, emotion, understanding and memory in connection with the workings of the brain. Buddhism, by contrast, examines the depths of our lives more intuitively. Yet a Buddhist concept such as the nine cosnciousnesses yields much insight into the same areas of the human condition addressed by major hypotheses of moern science and medicine.

In Buddhism, consciousness is the translation of the Sanskrit VIJANA, which means ability of discernment, comprehension or perception. Shakyamuni (first Buddha) included the function among the five components -- form, perception, conception, volition and consciousness. Consciousness is usually understood as conscious awareness, the ability to think or a common waking state. In this reading, however, the word CONSCIOUSNESS is used to mean something different. In Buddhism, consciousness implies a capacity or energy that operates whether or not we are consciously aware of it.

Consciousness operates on several levels. The nine consciousnesses concept, developed largely in the T'ien-t'ai and Flower Garland schools of sixth-century China, analyzes the various strata of conseiousness and therby clarifies the operations of life itself. This concept isdifferent from the idea of the Ten Worlds (previously mentioned and will again). In T'ien-t'ai's teaching, however, these two Buddhist theories overlap in that the ninth consciousness can be under-stood as synonymous with the 10th world---Buddhahood. Nichiren did not expound the nine consciousnesses concept, but he adopted its bottom line that the ninth consciousness is equal to Buddhahood.

As we go along here, friends, how important it is to reach the state of Buddhahood, and how realively easy it is to attain. But all in good order and time, See y'all monday and thanks so very much fot taking an interest. It will so well worth your time, you'll see.    Cheers       CJ