(I must remind that the past few blogs, the contents therein and others forthcoming, are taken from the book "Unlocking the Mysteries of Birth and Death." written by Daisaku Ideda, President of Soka Gakkai International, a Society of lay people who practice Nichiren Buddhism, members of which are in over 180 countries around the world.)


 
Aha, once again we meet on hump day, with everyone holding in their excitement for the holidays ahead.
Above all else, Unshakeable Happiness would be the greatest gift one could give themselves. If you don't already have that, then stay with me as I reveal some more of the greatness of Nichiren's Buddhism. Today I finish up the topic of Illnesses of the Mind.
 
 
     Ullusions of thought are primarily mental and acquired, while the Illusions of Desire are chiefly emotional and inherent.  Illusions of thought refer to false perceptions of the truth. These can take several forms, including such erroneous notions as regarding our present existence as absolute, even though our bodies are formed from a temporary union of the five components;   believing that we own forever what does not in fact belong to us;   believing either that life ends at teh moment of death or that it persists beyond death in some eternally unchanging form;   not recognizing the law of Cause and Effect;  and adhering to misconceptions with such closed-mindedness that we regard inferior things as superior.   Illusions of desire can be summarized much more briefly:   they include base emotions such as greed, anger, foolishness and arrogance arising in connection with specific objects or events.
 
     The illusions as uncountable as particles of dust and sand ae those that arise as we practice Buddhism with the intention to help others.   While recognizing the truth of Buddhist principles, we may at times feel they aren't applicable to certain people's situations.    Or we may lack confidence in sharing what we have learned.   Yet, conquering these difficulties is the bodhisattva way.   When we can fully express our wisdom in dealing directly with every aspect of our lives, including sharing the teachings, we are expressing our Buddahood.
 
     Illusions about the true nature of existence prevent bodhisattvas from awakening to their true nature.  These illusions reside in the deepest reaches of the unconscious, and they have the devastating potential to cast our lives into total darkness, depriving us of illumination of  compassion and wisdom and leading to self-destruction.  Illusions about the true nature of existence generate the impulse to kill and destroy, or as the still more primitive urge to sacrifice others and even delight in doing so.   Buddhism teaches that living on the basis of such impulses is in itself a mental illness. 
 
     Just as our physical condition affects our mental state, our bodily health is geatly affected by the beliefs (or delusions) we hold and our attitude toward life -- factors that originate in the mind.  We can therefore conclude that while the mind is supremely powerful factor in our health condition, at the same time it is especially subtle and susceptible to external influences. Replacing the illusions arising from the three poisons with wisdom, courage and confidence generated by Buddhist practice becomes an important aspect of strengthening and sustaining our spiritual health -- the foundation of physical and mental well-being. 
 
Now, this ends that section of Causes of Illness. While you absorb these wisdoms and let them sink into your subconscious, get ready for the next topic KARMIC DISEASES,  which I will bring to you on friday. Thanks for visiting and do come back again. I assure, you will be better for it.  Just the facts.  Take care of yourselves and see ya.      Cheers.       CJ