my buddhist blog number 125

Hi Everybody,
Thanks so much for visiting my blog. It's really appreciated when there is so much else to grab your attention. We're in the middle of a detailed discussion on the meaning of nam myoho renge kyo, the mantra that we chant as Nichiren Buddhists morningn and evening. It is the title of the Lotus Sutra written in classical Japanese, with the addition of what is called the committal word, nam, which means basically I commit to, or I believe in. So we've talked about nam. We've talked at some length about myoho. And we've come to renge.

Renge means lotus flower, but most significantly it also means cause and effect. The lotus flower adopted as the title of Shakyamuni's ultimate teaching is an immensely significant symbol in Buddhism for many reasons. It is a plant with a particularly beautiful flower and it happens to grow and flourish with its flower and leaves floating on the surface of the water and its roots dangling into the mucky muddy conditions on the bottom of the pond. In this sense it is seen to symbolise the great potential locked up in every human life; the promise that we can build strong and positive and flourishing lives, however difficult the circumstances and environments we find our lives rooted in. Moreover the lotus happens to carry both blossoms and seed pods at the same time, simultaneously today's flower and the seeds of tomorrow's plants. In this sense it is seen to symbolise one of the fundamental and most important principles of Buddhism known as the simultaneity of cause and effect.

Once again it is a principle with which Buddhism asks us to challenge the way we are accustomed to thinking about everyday lives and relationships. Basically it argues every cause we make, good bad and indifferent, plants a balancing effect in our lives. That effect Buddhism argues, will, sooner or later, make itself felt in our lives, without fail. Thus there is for all of us an on-going chain of causes and effect. That is if you like thr fundamental dynamic of our lives. It ties together for each one of us, the past, the present and the future.

Buddhism argues that it is only be coming to understand this constant linkage, that we can grasp fully what it means to take responsibility for our actions, and to seek to change those inherent tendencies in our life that are causing us to suffer. So it is a fundamental teaching that carries with it all sorts of implications, since we are of course, making causes all the time, both within our own lives and in relation to those us, all day every day, in everything we think and say and do. Good causes, good effects. Bad causes, bad effects.

Enough I think to chew over for today.
Back during the week to conclude the renge section.
All my best wishes, and gratitude for your being here.
William
PS The Case for Buddhism is available as a hold in the hand paper back from Amazon or as a read-on-the-screen download from Kindle.