RELIGION or POLITICS ?? Final on Causes of Illness.

(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. )

Happy new week, y'all, hope it was a good one for you and your families. I and my wife had Xmas dinner etc., with my 2 bachelor sons, ummmm, no kids, boo hoo. Not quite the same with out children of one age or another, Of course for us it would have to be grand kids. Oh well, next life.

I have to add on another completion from my last blog on Cause of Illness. You will remember I referred to the syllable MYO which comes out of Nichiren Buddhism's chant of the title of the Lotus Sutra, which is Nam Myo ho Renge Kyo. So today we will expand on the further meaning of MYO, and then be able to terminate on Cause of Illness with a complete picture of it's power.


First:  THREE PROPERTIES OF 'MYO'.

*  Renewal, a self-motivated capacity for creativity, demonstrated in how the human body constantly responds in new ways and rallies its creative resources.

* Perfection, in the sense of wholeness and unity;  completion.   The dynamic equilibrium of the human body as a whole -- its homeostasis -- is perfectly balanced and an expression to the mystic force.

* Openness, or the individual's ability to influence his or her environment.   Every living thing reacts to and is capable of provoking a reaction in its external environment.

     To sum up, then, these three characteristics of the Mystic Law are:  to activate our inherent life force;    to harmonize our spiritual and physical functions; and to equip us with the resources to influence our environment for the better while responding to its myriad changes with wisdom and maintaining a balance between it and ourselves.   When we base our lives on this Law --- by practicing Buddhism as Nichiren teaches  --  we can tap the limitless power inside ourselves so that disease is no longer for despair.   IN fact, the opposite is true: empowered by tne Mystic Law we can transform disease into a source of growth, joy and true fulfullment.  

NOW, LOOKING AHEAD::: 

     No one can deny modern medicine's contributions to the curing of disease.   It would be foolish to ignore it.   Otherwise, faith descends into fanaticism. 

     Yet, for all its impressive technology, effective pharmaceuticals and elaborate diagnostic techniques, modern science is not imnipotent.   Moreover, its treatments often tend toward a materialistic or mechanistic view of the human organism, neglecting to look at life as a phenomenon involving both body and mind.   Whereas modern medicine largely relies on drugs and technology, buddhist medicine concentrates on the patient's role in curing his or her illness.   We might say that medical science fights illness with scientific knowledge, while Buddhism develops human wisdom so that we may find our own rhythm and strengthen our own life force.   This assists the efficacy of medical treatment and also helps to conquer illness through our own natural healing powers.

     We must use medical resources wisely in fighting illness.   Buddhsim gives us the wisdom to use medicine properly.  Wisdom is the basic ingredient in health, to long life and to happiness.

     In general, we can say that Buddhist medicine focuses on three aspects:  1) developing the conditions of Buddhahood.  2) Achieving and maintaining harmony of the four elements within our bodies as well as with our external environment, and 3)  achieving and maintaining harmony among the five components.

     Buddism regards disease as an external manifestation of internal disharmony.   Further, Buddhist medicine maintains that the quality of human life or health is determined by the balance of an indescribably vast number of factors, each in a constant state of flux.   Establishing equilibrium  among these factors is little short of miraculous;  so it is hardly surprising that the balance is disturbed periodically, resulting in illness.   The strength of Buddhist medicing is that it focuses on activating the unlimited potentials and energies inherent in the individual human life to restore and sustain this robust, dynamic equilibrium.

     When we access our fundamental life force, no illness can prevent us from living a fulfilling life.    Fini.


That my friends takes care of the subject of illness according the Nichiren Buddhism Religious Philosophy. Don't forget folks, I welcome anyone else's views on religion, their's or mine. Diverse opinions welcome.OK?  So see y'all soon again, thanks for stopping in for a visit.  Cheers   CJ

RELIGION or POLITICS ???...Illnesses of the MIND

(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.)


Hi Ho y'all, twas the day and night before, what Christians and fundamentalist call Christmas, and so to those, Merry Christmas. And to the rest of us, relax and enjoy the, for the most part, happy atmosphere of the celebrants around us.

Now, to get on with it, I completed the last of the series on Causes of Illnesses, with Karmic diseases. But for today I wish to extend a sort of clean up to the whole series with "Three functions of the Mystic Law. The Mystic Law is represented by the phrase Nichiren Buddhists chant, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, (the title of the Lotus Sutras)  and parts will be referred to in this blog, which has to do with health and disease.

     According to the Lotus Sutra, even a Buddha who embodies the ideal state of life will never be completely free of ailments.  What ultimately matters is our ability to mobilize the innate healing power of our lives.

        The cultivation of this healing power depends on our individual will.   The role of will in curing a person's illness is becoming ever more apparent.   For example, if we are shocked and weakened when we discover we have a serious disease, we are much more likely to succumb to it than if we refuse to accept the news as a death sentence and elect to fight the disease.   Our will power affects our body's ability to produce natural "medicines"  --- hormones, enzymes and antibodies  -- which it marshals to combat negative influences an preserve life.

    Willpower thus has a major part to play in helping us take full advantage of our native healing abilities.  Willpower in this sense refers to how deeply we can grasp, how strongly we can tap into, the true aspect of our lives, which, according to Buddhism, comprises infinite potential and cosmic scale.   This type of will-power derives from absolute confidence in the vastness of our existence, and a strong sense of purpose and responsibility to this world.

     The strength of Buddhist medicine lies in the development of the Buddha nature from within, which provides the key to activating the unlimite potentials and energies inherent in the individual human life.

      Myo, a syllable of Myoho (as in Nam-Myoho Renge Kyo) means "mystic" or "beyond comprehension", and it describes a continually creative force that pulses in every healthy entity, sustaining its activity.  This force has three general characteristics: renewal, perfection and openness.

     As Nichiren implied by writing "Myo means to revive, that is, to return to life,"  the Mystic Law ---Nam-Myo-Renge-Kyo -- enables us to unleash new life force from within.   In a broader sense, this indicates that we have the power to transform ourselves from sickly persons into healthy and happy ones.

     Nichiren also wrote:  "Myo means to be fully endowed, which in turn has the meaning of  'perfect and full'... To illustrate, one drop of the great ocean contains within it the waters of all the various rivers that flow into the ocean, and a single wish--granting jewel, though no bigger than a mustard seed, is capable of showering down the treasures that one could wish for with all the wish-granting jewsls."   Each of our individual lives is fully endowed with all of the potential that exists in the cosmos.   When the Mystic Law is brought into play, it orchestrates our spiritual and physical functions in superb harmony, vitalizing our vast innate potential.   As as result, the greatest healing influence  -- our own unhampered life force  --  rises to the occasion and enables us to overcome even the most virulent disease.

     In the context of health, this passage, explains that the Mystic Law enables us to reveal "the depths of the secret storehouse," which is the Buddha nature, and "open" our existence to the environment.  In other words, we can establish a foundation from which we can always actively and positively engage with our environment, transmuting all of its influences into beneficial ones.

So much for today, friends.  No matter your relgious bent, this can still give you food for thought. You must learn to rccognize your own spiritual power and this in keeping with the Nichiren Buddhis tenet, of taking full responsibility for yourself. You'd be surprise on how this affects your true happiness being who you are.  So until monday, when I will have a great presentation of our great Constitution, take care.
     Cheers      CJ 

(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  

RELIGION or POLITICS ???...Illnesses of the MIND

(I must remind that the past two 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.)

Greetings and salutations my friends, Happy monday Dec. 20, 2010. Now on to continuing Causes of illness, the title today is, Illnesses of the mind. (in 2 parts).


     The fifth cause of disease is the working of "devils" from within that minifest in the form of mental illness.

     The concept of devils and their role in illness bears some exploration.   Devil ( or MARA in Sanskrit) is often translated as "the destroyer" or "robber of life".   Devils in Buddhist mythology are personification of negative internal functions. They represent selfish attachments and bad influences that hinder people's pursuit of truth and that work to prevent them from cultivating a strong, positive life force.  Devilish functions are aspects of our own lives that damage our health and hamper the practice of Buddhist teachings.

     Devils represent the fundamental tendency of an individual's life toward disharmony of body and mind.   Unlike the other four causes of illness, this affects the realm of the mind.   Its source is located not in external influences but within the individual, so that the person's life is robbed of its brilliance. The result is the emergence of life's fundamental darkness or delusion.

     From darkness and delusion teh three poisons --greed, anger, and foolishness.   These poisons are understood as the source of all destructive, selfish desires or attachments, and are essentially devilish.

     Greed sends all five sense organs off in a perpetual, insatiable, search for gratification  --  wealth, love, food, fame, idleness, and so on ---  draining us of innate life force.  When our lives are dominated by greed, all our energy is directed toward the object of our desire, weakening us as if the blood were draining from our bodies.

     Anger indicates malice born of hatred, which prevents one's heart from turning to goodness and disturbs the harmonious relationships between self and others.   This disturbance can lead to conflict of colossal proportrions, engendering strife and war that may eventually destroy our lives.

     Foolishness means ignorance of one's own Buddha nature and is characterized by blindness to the law of Cause and Effect, as well as shortsighted attachment to immediate gain.   Foolishness prevents people from seeing the damage an unwise way of living has caused to their bodies and minds. 

     These three poisons are among what Buddhsim terms the basic illusions or "earthly desires".   Each is accompanied by specific traits.   Greed, for example, is associated with miserliness, self-indulgence, guilt, deceit and adulation.   Anger brings about resentment, hatred, irritation, jealousy and the urge to harm other living beings.   Twenty such specific traits are identified in Buddhism, and they in turn give rise to an even greater variety of destructive qualities that can disrupt the harmony of life to where we become extremely ill in body or mind --or both.   The varied ways in which mental illnesses arise and the complexity of the workings of all these destructive qualities give rise to what are said to be 84,000 types of mental illness as opposed to a mere 404 types of physiological illness.

     Another way of looking at earthly desires is in terms of three categories of illusions;   illusions of thought and desire, illusions as uncountable as particles of dust and sand, and illusions about the true nature of existence.


Phew, we are half way through this most interesting subject and should give you fair substance for thought and pondering.  I will complete and finish this particular subject matter on Wednesday. Thanks so much for visiting and I invite comment.     Cheers    CJ
    


    

RELIGION or POLITICS ?? Buddhism - Cause of illness....

Hello again, y'all, I hope you are looking and reading this series on Causes of Illness. Truthfully, you may learn something important in your life, and also get a clearer insight on the greatness of Nichiren's Bhddhism.   In any case, we continue: 


     The classification of diseases in modern medicine is, of course, far more systematic and thorough than what is presented in the Buddhist scriptures and treatises.   The Buddhist approach to medicine can be considered scientific, however, in that it takes into account cause-and-effect relationships.   And, while modern medicine tends to view the ailing part of the body in isolation from the rest, treating it alone as if repairing a malfunctioning machine part, Buddhist medicine views disease as a reflection of the total body system, or life itself, and seeks to cure it not only through medical treatment but also through adjustments in the person's life style and outlook.


ILLNESS OF THE BODY.......

     The first cause,  among the six causes of illness described above, aresicknesses resulting from disharmony among the four elements -- earth, water, fire and wind -- that make up the human body and that correspond to the physical states: solid, liquid, thermal and gaseous.

     Disharmony of the four elements refers both to disharmony within the body and to disharmony between the body and its natural environment  --  weather, for example.   Any disruption of this natural harmony can cause physical disease.

      Improper eating or drinking and poor posture ( also described as irregular meditation) -- the second and third causes of illness --
might be viewed as examples of an unbalanced way of life.   These would include such things as illnesses arising from poor diet and immoderate consumption of food or drink, or disturbances in the rhythm of our lives -- such as insufficient sleep and exercise -- which make us susceptible to getting sick.

     The fourth cause of illness T'ien-T'ai mentions is quite interesting.  "Attack of demons", refers to attqacks from outside the body from any of many external forces or influences that can cause physical suffering or even death.   For example, invasive pathogenic bacteria or viruses, or even the modern notion of stress, both now widely known to cause many illnesses would be considered demons.


OK, this takes care of the first of the illnesses, and the last one for the week.   Be back sunday or monday with the next blog when I will go with "Illnesses of the Mind".  I sincerely trust everyone will have a safe and happy weekend and my wish to have you come back and visit me here next week.   Thanks so much. I appreciate you.     Cheers       CJ

RELIGION or POLITICS ?? Buddhism - Cause of illness....

Well, my friends, helloooooooooo! Gosh, here we again half way through the work week, and feeling great, hope you are feeling the same.   If not, think about the incredible religious philosophy of Nichiren Buddhism, or at best, look into it and learn how to be irrevocably HAPPY.  Today I am going to let you see how Buddhism works with the subject of illness.  I will present the contents therein and will take several blogs to cover the topic. You should be quite amazed at the wisdom. So let's get going.

(The contents herein are taken from the book, Unlocking The Mysteries of Birth and Death,  by Daisaku Ikeda, President of the Soka Gakkai International, the action arm of Nichiren Buddhism.)


CAUSES OF ILLNESS:
__________________________________________________

DISEASES OF THE BODY 

* disharmony of the four elements (discussed later on).

* improper eating or drinking.

* poor posture or irregular meditation.

* attack of demons. (also discussed later).

DISEASES OF THE MIND:

* the work of the devils.

KARMIC DISEASES:

* the effects of karma.

-----------------------------------------------------------------


      In Buddhism illnesses are classified in many ways.   Some sutras categorize them according to the element whose imbalance is thought to be the cause.   Others, according to the part of the bady affected.   And yet other sutras classify illnesses according to the time they were caused --- that is, they differentiate between diseases caused in this lifetime and those whose causes can be found in previous lifetimes.    For example, according to Nagarjuna's,  Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom, diseases are divided into karmic diseases and present diseases, the latter category being subdivided into diseases of the body and diseases of the mind. Diseases of the body are yet further sub-divided into internal diseases ( arising from internal causes) and external diseases (whose causes are external to the body).

      T'ien-t'ai, the great sixth-century Chinese Buddhism teacher suggests six causes of illness that cover problems arising from dietary habits, viral infections (such as polio), mental disorders and genetic heritage.

      Nichiren, the last Buddha in our history, based his own teachings concerning illness upon this systematic presentation of the Buddhist view of disease and its causes.   In a writing called "Curing Karmic Disease",  he quoted from T'ien-T'ai's Great Concentration and Insight: "There are six causes of illness:
(1) disharmony of the four elements; (2) improper eating or drinking; (3) poor posture; (4) attack of demons; (5) the work of devils; and (6) the effects of karma." 

      In this classification, the first four causes correspond to illnesses of the body, the fifth to illnesses of the mind, and the sixth to karmic illness.


      Now, friends,  I've laid the ground for all the future content disigned to explain in greater detail, that I will begin on friday.  You will be healthier for sticking with me on all this and all the way through. I assure you will be far wiser and more enlightened about these mysteries.   Ta Ta     Cheers    CJ      

RELIGION or POLITICS ??????? WARNING !!!!!

Hello friends, I hope you all survived the weekend in good shape and looking to have another great week ahead.  You will if you happen to be a Nichiren Buddhist, but that is thing for another day. For now, heads up, Wake up, and pay attention.


How confident are you in our nation’s future with President Barack Obama at the helm?




We’ve witnessed the rampant deficit surge under his watch. We’ve seen him push dangerous programs riddled with hidden taxes and wealth-eradicating traps.



And he’s allowed the Fed to print trillions of extra dollars in an effort to intentionally cause inflation while devaluing the dollar.



But many see a light at the end of the tunnel.



Americans overwhelmingly feel a sense of hope now that Republicans will again be able to assert a certain measure of control in D.C.



But did this change come too late? Or even worse, is it possible that both parties are ignoring history and have set a course for a once unthinkable event . . .

The Fall of the Great American Empire?

A powerful new book has just been released that states that President Obama is continuing a reckless cycle of economic, political, and social decisions that began four and a half decades ago. This course has been carried on through both Democratic and Republican administrations.



And now due to decades of mismanagement, America is following an identical pattern that led to the fall of history’s greatest superpowers including Great Britain, ancient Rome, Spain, France, even the Ottoman Empire.



But it seems nobody is paying attention to the writing on the wall. And history may indeed repeat itself.



2015 may be the year in which we finally reach a point where America’s debt will cause an unstoppable downfall.



And those who do not pay heed may expose THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES FUTURE BY TAKING THE ATTITUDE THAT IT COULDN'T HAPPEN IN AMERICA.   WHEN ENOUGH PEOPLE THINK SOME CAN'T HAPPEN LIKE THIS, YOU CAN BET......  IT WILL HAPPEN.  Please don't wait until then and then try to convince yourself with " Gee, if I had only known this was going to happen".


That's it for monday, see y'all in a couple days. I have some great info on the value and benefits of Nichiren Buddism.   Whether you are Christian or whichever denomination, as long as you have an open mind you will like what is coming up. Guaroonteed.  CJ