Quote from Linda Johnson SGI USA member

The Buddhism of True Cause teaches us that none of us can change yesterday.  But in this moment the most precious of all through our thought, words and action we can transform anything.  What is important is the ability to be 100% in the moment with the determination to use our LIFE CREATIVELY.  Like that, CREATIVELY.

 Arts Division Conference 10/30-11/02, 2003

Karen Armstrong , A History of God

One of the reasons religion seems so irrelevant today is that many of us no longer have the sense that we are surrounded by the unseen.

In these difficult times we cannot forget that we are spiritual beings and need to give thanks for everything.

The Universe… The incredible difference in scale between the tiny world we live in every day and the vastness of all time and space begs the question of whether we will ever be able to grasp the fullness of the cosmos. But that doesn’t stop us from trying. In fact, contemplating the great unknowns must be one of the oldest hobbies in human experience. The pursuit has given rise first to religion, then to philosophy, then to people who make fun of religion and philosophy.

The Asian Journal of Thomas Merton (1975) Part One : Ceylon / November 29 - December 6

I am able to approach the Buddhas barefoot and undisturbed, my feet in wet grass, wet sand. Then the silence of the extraordinary faces. The great smiles. Huge and yet subtle. Filled with every possibility, questioning nothing, knowing everything, rejecting nothing, the peace not of emotional resignation but of Madhyamika, of sunyata, that has seen through every question without trying to discredit anyone or anything — without refutation — without establishing some other argument. For the doctrinaire, the mind that needs well-established positions, such peace, such silence, can be frightening.

Bertrand Russell

All roads lead home

Il ya des centaines de chemins d'accès sur le Mont

Il ya des centaines de sentiers dans la montagne,
menant tous dans la même direction,
de sorte qu'il n'a pas d'importance chemin que vous prenez.
La seule de perdre du temps est celui
qui tourne autour de et autour de la montagne,
disant à chacun que sa voie est fausse.

hindoue enseignement

There Are Hundreds Of Paths Up The Mountain

There are hundreds of paths up the mountain,
all leading in the same direction,
so it doesn't matter which path you take.
The only one wasting time is the one
who runs around and around the mountain,
telling everyone that his or her path is wrong.

Hindu teaching

Gosho for the day

If the spirit of many in body but one in mind prevails among the people, they
will achieve all their goals, whereas if one in body but different in mind, they
can achieve nothing remarkable.

(WND, 618)
Many in Body, One in Mind
Written to the lay priest Takahashi on August 6, year unknown

from "Daily Wisdom - from the writings of Nichiren Daishonin"

Two Reasons of Nichiren's Choice of the Lotus Sutra

After Nichiren took tonsure and became a priest, he studied Buddhism hard. Soon he had a question as follows. "Though there are many sects of Buddhism, what was the final intention of the Buddha Shakyamuni?" And he followed the saying in the Nirvaa.na Sutra that one should rely on the Law (sutras) and not upon persons (priests). So he was engaged in comparative studies of many sutras, and he came to the conclusion that the Lotus Sutra is the supreme sutra of all. [1]
    There are, Nichiren thought, two reasons why the Lotus Sutra is the supreme sutra of all. First, according to T'ien T'ai's doctrine of the five periods and eight teachings, the Lotus Sutra is the sutra which shows the final intention of the Buddha Shakyamuni. In the Immeasurable Meanings Sutra (Muryogi kyo), [2] a passage tells that all other sutras which have been taught before it, are not the final sutra and that they are inferior to it. And in the introduction of the Lotus Sutra, there is a suggestion that the Immeasurable Meanings Sutra was taught before the Lotus Sutra (L.S., p.5). And in Nirvaa.na Sutra, which was taught last by the Buddha Shakyamuni, there is a suggestion that the Lotus Sutra is superior to the Nirvaa.na Sutra (On Repaying Debts of Gratitude, W.N.D., p. 692). So Nichiren concluded that the Lotus Sutra is the supreme sutra of all.
    Secondly as for salvation of all sentient beings, in the Lotus Sutra there are two teachings which have not been taught in any other sutras. The first teaching is that persons of the two vehicles (Hiinayaanists) will be able to attain Buddhahood. These two kinds of persons can't attain Buddhahood in other Mahaayaana sutras. And the second teaching is that the Buddha Shakyamuni attained Buddhahood in reality at an inconceivable distant time in the past and has been saving sentient beings since then. So the Buddha Shakyamuni who was born in India was merely a provisional manifestation of that eternal Buddha Shakyamuni. Nichiren thought that the Lotus Sutra tells that the eternal Buddha and his first disciples, Bodhisattvas who rise up out of the ground, will save all sentient beings in the Latter Day of the Law when other sutras can't save. So the Lotus Sutra, Nichiren believed firmly, is the supreme sutra of all especially in the Latter Day of the Law.

Journey towards oneness

Discussion of Oneness

The chanting tradition is very different to the tradition of chanted prayer in many other religions. Those who practice it believe that the chant is "an influence at work in the metaphysical economy" and actually changes the force and action of karma.
Practitioners also believe that chanting works not by inviting some supernatural being or power to intervene and change karma, but by affecting karma directly (almost mechanically).

His Holiness the Dalai Lama noted the following in the book 'The Heart Sutra':

"It is very important to understand that the core teachings of the Theravada tradition embodied in the Pali scriptures are the foundation of the Buddha's teachings. Beginning with these teachings, one can then draw on the insights contained in the detailed explanations of the Sanskrit Mahayana tradition. Finally, integrating techniques and perspectives from the Vajrayana texts can further enhance one's understanding. But without a foundation in the core teachings embodied in the Pali tradition, simply proclaiming oneself a follower of the Mahayana is meaningless.
If one has this kind of deeper understanding of various scriptures and their interpretation, one is spared from harboring mis-taken notions of  conflicts between the "Greater" versus the "Lesser" Vehicle (Hinayana). Sometimes there is a regrettable tendency on the part of certain followers of the Mahayana to disparage the teachings of the Theravada, claiming that they are the teachings of the Lesser Vehicle, and thereby not suited to one's own personal practice. Similarly, on the part of followers of the Pali tradition, there is sometimes a tendency to reject the validity of the Mahayana teachings, claiming they are not actually the Buddha's teachings.
As we move into our examination of the Heart Sutra, what is important is to understand deeply how these traditions complement each other and to see how, at the individual level, each of us can integrate all these core teachings into our personal practice."

heavenly gods and benevolent deities [諸天善神] (Jpn shoten-zenjin )

    Also, Buddhist gods, protective gods, tutelary gods, guardian deities, etc. The gods that protect the correct Buddhist teaching and its practitioners. Gods who function to protect the people and their land and bring good fortune to both. Heavenly gods and benevolent deities is a generic term for the Buddhist pantheon that includes Brahma, Shakra, the four heavenly kings, the Sun Goddess, the gods of the sun and moon, and other deities. Many of these gods and deities were traditionally revered in India, China, and Japan. They became part of Buddhist thought as Buddhism flourished in those areas. Rather than primary objects of belief or devotion, Buddhism tends to view them as functioning to support and protect the Buddha, the Law, or Buddhist teachings, and practitioners.The "Introduction" (first) chapter of the Lotus Sutra describes a scene in which the heavenly beings or gods gather to hear the preaching of the sutra. The "Peaceful Practices" (fourteenth) chapter of the sutra says, "The heavenly beings day and night will for the sake of the Law constantly guard and protect [those who practice as the sutra teaches]." In the Lotus Sutra, the gods are regarded as the guardians of those who embrace the sutra. In The Treatment of Illness, Nichiren (1222-1282) writes, "The fundamental nature of enlightenment manifests itself as Brahmaand Shakra, whereas the fundamental darkness manifests itself as the devil king of the sixth heaven" (1113). Here the gods are viewed as manifestations of the Buddha nature in one's life. The Golden Light Sutra reads: "Though this sutra exists in the nation, its ruler has never allowed it to be propagated. In his heart he turns away from it, and he takes no pleasure in hearing its teachings.... In the end, he makes it impossible for us [the four heavenly kings] and the other countless heavenly beings who are our followers to hear this profound and wonderful teaching. He deprives us of the sweet dew of its words and cuts us off from the flow of the correct teaching, so that our majesty and strength are drained away.... And once we and the others abandon and desert this nation, then many different types of disasters will occur in the country, and the ruler will fall from power." This passage may be interpreted as indicating that the gods gain their strength from the Buddhist Law, and that they are the inherent functions of nature and society that protect those who uphold that Law.

De la seule entité de l’esprit jaillissent toutes les diverses terres et conditions de vie.
La finalité des enseignements sacrés que le Bouddha a prêchés tout au long de sa vie
est d’expliquer ce principe. C’est ce que l’on nomme la resserre des quatre-vingt quatre mille enseignements. L’ensemble de ces enseignements est inclus dans l’entité unique d’une seule personne. Ainsi, la corbeille des quatre-vingt quatre mille enseignements représente-t-elle l’histoire, jour après jour, de notre propre existence.
« La déclaration unanime des Bouddhas des trois phases de l’existence » (WND-II, 843)