Yubari Chapter Part I

I typed a long post just the other day but somehow it didn't autosave $#%^&*(I**)()W#$#



haha well well since we are looking into the Yubari chapter of The Human Revolution for the month of May I just thought of sharing something that we did not have time to discuss in depth. Reading HR always makes me think of so many things and I am able to relate it to so many things that are happening and unfolding around me. Would like to share some of these thoughts in case you all read too fast forget to take note =)



Actual Proof
In the attempt to make members give up their faith and deter them from spreading the faith, the union's welfare committee conducted research into the minutest matters in the members' daily lives. The companies' labour management even probe into gakkai members' work performance. They were ready to pounce on any evidence of gakkai members' negligence in their work so as to attribute blame to the Daishonin's Buddhism. However, 'contrary to their expectation, the investigation established that all miners belonging to the Soka Gakkai had excellent service records' (HR, P1570). The compnay became no longer nervous about this religion after that although the union remained so due to political reasons.

I think it is not just that because we are Gakkai members therefore we must put on our best behaviour so as to protect the image or reputation of our organisation like what our secondary school principals always tell us. If we are practising the Buddhism that we all claim to be good, how can anyone of us fail to do our human revolution and excel? If we practiced and remained slack/lazy/unmotivated/careless/sloppy/fill-in-your-own-adjective, how can we claim that this Buddhism can change your life if it can't even improve some small undesirable habits? Having said that, I must add that that is if you ever reflect on yourself and I remember Sensei saying that chanting is the best time to reflect on ourselves cos it is the time we are able to do so unflinchingly. That's the keyword. Do we just reflect then comfort ourselves, stroke our ego and find some excuse or do we actually do something to make the situation better? Are we able to be honest with ourselves even though sometimes lying to yourself is less cruel? =)

Of course, the members' testimonials were great actual proofs of protection from the Gohonzon. Then again, we do not need to wait for big things to validate this Buddhism. Actual proof is found through our daily actions and words. Showing that we are reliable people who can be trusted in our communities is in fact a very big actual proof. And this will be seen and felt by people around you. I think human beings sometimes very funny one. You tell them who-and-who got some sickness, chant then ok already people feel very skeptical. But they see a person's attitude good, positive they think maybe it's chanting that helps them become like that.

For Arakawa, the first time he attended a Gosho lecture in Toda Sensei's home, he did not have the opportunity to meet Toda Sensei. The lecture was not easy for him to understand but it provoked him to think about his unhappy situation. He also decided to take up faith by the end of the meeting because the participants were 'lively, had healthy complexions and smiled brightly and happily' (HR, P1577). The thing that 'impressed' him were 'the participants'.

Actual Proof is the most important of the three truths namely Documentary Proof, Theorectical Truth and Actual Proof. Nichiren writes: "In judging the relative merit of Buddhist doctrines, I, Nichiren, believe that the best standards are those of reason and documentary proof. And even more valuable than reason and documentary proof is the proof of actual fact" (WND, P599). Remember you don't always need a crisis to show actual proof, we can show actual proof from the way we live our daily life. Use our lives to create those actual proofs regardless of them being big or small ones!

Three Obstacles & Four Devils
T'ient'ai (538-597) states in Great Concen-tration and Insight: "As practice progresses and understanding grows, the three obstacles and four devils emerge in confusing form, vying with one another to interfere.... One should be neither influenced nor fright-ened by them. If one falls under their influence, one will be led into the paths of evil. If one is frightened by them, one will be prevented from practicing the correct teaching."

The above is one of my favourite passages cos when i was young i always hear them say san zhang si mo =) but are we able to recognise them as obstructions to our practice? (If you dunno what they are exactly please click here haha: http://www.sgilibrary.org/search_dict.php) . The Yubari members certainly did. Whenever they met they would read this passage together so as to renew their determination.

Conviction
How confident are we that this faith, the Gohonzon, can help us confront our difficulties in life? I was arguing with my sister while we were discussing the situation of her YWD. This YWD questions is it a must to have targets? Why do leaders always say that we must have clear goals and prayers? She thinks that she is busy enough but why do leaders always ask people to push themselves further. Also it adds a lot of pressure to her practice. This reminds me of what weiliang shared during CIC meeting about goals, prayers and vows. Sensei says praying without specific concrete prayers is like shooting an arrow without a target. You dun really know where you are shooting but just anyhow shoot hopefully the spearhead ends somewhere, hopefully can hit something but you dun even know what that thing is exactly. But targets are more than just numbers but the concrete steps you take to fulfil what you set out to, what you learn in the process and your victory at the end.

I believe that people are able to tell if they are busy. I do not believe in dumping everything on a member and leaving the member to struggle by herself thinking that she will grow a lot more alone in stand-alone-spirit. I think the question we should be asking is whether we are struggling based on faith and are we struggling hard enough? While we are not able to transfix our thinking onto someone else, we can always encourage. This is perhaps why there is a need for dialogue, so that we can talk it through and decide if this person can take it in. To different people perhaps a different approach is needed. Some people can take the nudging but some will run if we push them too hard. I'm not saying that i always use the correct approach (haha disclaimer). Maybe i did wrong somewhere sometimes. The intention is always good, in hope that the person will take up the challenge, and push themselves way past their preconceived limits of themselves through faith. Well, like i said, we have to use different approach with different people. Some yes, can be left alone to struggle, the stand alone spirit. But we as comrades must be able to be there for this one person should this person feel down at any point of time. Some need constant encouragement along the way. True unity is not so that weak people come together to make up quality with quantity or have one another to lean on. It is really for individuals who are able to stand alone to rise up together like the gears we discussed in the Yubari Chapter. Each one of us plays a part.

And regarding the point about feeling pressurised becos of faith, i say maybe you have not awakened to your mission yet. Like what Xueyun shared, what is the point of us doing all these things? If we realise that our fundamental practice is for oneself and for others, will we still think that becos we have enough things on hand we dun want to try?

Bottomline: I am not trying to say you should just shove everything down your throat whenever someone shoot arrow at you (although i usually accept first then ask questions later). Try to discuss and solve everything based on faith. If we already set boundaries for ourselves then we can only achieve so much but the mystic law goes beyond logical thinking. We constantly push not just to expand our own lives but for the happiness of others too. Seeing so many people suffering around us especially after the sichuan earthquake, can we really just sit and chant while ignoring the harsh realities of life? Seeing the myamese die while we just meditate in front of the gohonzon? Good question! what are we doing all these for? Sensei says "For people to awaken to their mission and follow the great path of human revolution is actually the most important thing of all."

When Arakawa was returning to Yubari to spread the mystic law in his hometown, he thought 'he had the Gohonzon with him. No matter where he went, he wouldn't have to fear anything. Nothing could have given him greater courage than this conviction." As we challenge our problems be it gakkai activities like propagation campaigns or our daily struggles, do we hold the same kind of conviction? If we dun, we might just end up like the 2 leaders who went to other prefectures to spread the law. They had been zealous and both firmly pledged to open a new field for kosen rufu at their respective destinations but later backslid and became unheard of. Do we want to be Arakawa or the two leaders? i think at the end of the day, it is us who decides.

=) Lay Leng (Contributions welcomed! Just drop us an email at npsdivision@gmail.com)