Spencer aka Cpt. Solo's Page

A Ship To Cross The Sea Of Suffering

A passage from the Lotus Sutra reads, "... as though one had found a ship to make the ccrossing." This "ship" may be described as follows: 'The Lord Buddha, a ship builder of infinately profound wisdom, gathered the lumber of the four tastes and eight teachings, planed it by honestly disgarding the provisional teachings, cut and assembled the planks, using both right and wrong, and completed the craft by driving home the spikes of the one, supreme teaching
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Thus he luanched the ship on the sea of suffering. Unfurling the sails of the three thousand conditions on the mast of the Middle Way doctrine, driven by the fair wind of "all phenomena reveal the true entity," the vessal surges ahead, carrying all believers who can enter Buddhahood by their pure faith.

Shakyamuni is the helmsman, Taho Buddha mans the sails, and the Four Bodhisattvas led by Jogyo strain in unison at the creeking oars. This is the ship in " a ship to make the crossing," the vessal of Myoho-renge-kyo. Those who board it are the disiples and followers of Nichiren. Believe this wholeheartedly...

The Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin vol.1
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What Is True Happiness ?

Blog: Posted September 22nd, 2007 at 08:40pm

To all of my friends and those who would wish for Happiness & Security in this life.

The Times Demand The Need For Change
Tao of Buddha - The way of Enlightenment
ZANGE
The act of Self Purification
To Reflect, Recognise, Accept and Apologise, Determination and Progress

I hope all is well with you today.
Have you asked yourself any of these questions lately?

What is this world coming to?
Do I really want to bring a child into this world?
What do I want?
What can I do?
How do I get what I want?
Who is right and who's wrong?
Can I do better?
What's in it for me?
Why did I do that?
Were do I go from here?
Do I care?

If your answer to any of these questions is yes, you may well be interested to read this essay. However if you never give any of these questions a second thought, then the times demand that I seriously urge you to take note of this essay.

"Why must believers experience hardships when the sutra promises a peaceful life in this world?...

One only proves himself to be a true votary by facing and overcoming great obstacles for the sake of the Buddha's teachings. The most important thing is to follow and uphold the spirit of those teachings by mercifully transmitting true Buddhism to other people. True happiness is not the absence of all problems, but the absolute confidence that any problem can be solved".
From: On Practicing The Buddha's Teachings
The Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin - Vol. I

Our World is in turmoil and chaos as confusion and devastation reigns. We are living in the time that the Buddha described as "The Latter Day of the Law." The time in which the laws that had served humankind, through ages past, are no longer efficient or sufficient.

As destruction, devastation, and deaths are now the measure of the day, Life and the Environment seem to have become disposable commodities. With the daily news of how many lives lost, homes destroyed and lands washed away. Are we now facing the Pending Extinction of life as we know it...?

Those whose eyes are not yet open to see the path of darkness that our world is plunging into, as disasters and catastrophes take place daily. Wars are erupting around the globe and evil spreads like weeds in the wild. Now taking place in our own homes, towns, villages and cities. The air, the land and the oceans, even those places once held as sacred, have all now become a battle ground.

The way people are driven today, is that while some may pursue self-gratifications in search of fame and fortune. Others through domination, while most are struggling against the rising pressures of economy, led by commerce and politics, some may innocently and devoutly pursue their ambitions for success and fulfilment, leaving the majority fighting for survival against illness, starvation and annihilation. While the desire we all share, is for happiness and security for ourselves, our families and loved ones.

The time demands that we need to awaken to and discover, that our true responsibility is to expand ourselves and embrace the truest meaning of the existence and value of life in the universe. Until we do, all of our efforts beyond this are insignificant.

Reading your page, I see you have an intriguing perspective., and maybe, with the hope in a deeper desire as you search for the truth, you can reveal your true potential to achieve happiness and fulfilment in this life.

I understand and would say that the way forward is to change those things within us, which bring perpetual suffering and to realise, that achieving true indestructible happiness is possible, through this exercise of one of the Buddhist practices, called "Zange."

Zange is a type of meditation: To make serious reflection on your experiences. To actually replay in your minds eye, and visualise any situation you have experienced, as if you are watching a video playback. Observe yourself, moment by moment. Remember your thoughts and feelings, recognise the motives for your behaviour. Compare and analyse these motives with honesty and sincerity. Recognise and identify the emotions you are feeling.

When you discover any negative thoughts that motivated you in the moments of your actions, accept the responsibility for that moment of thought and the action it provoked, Then offer sincere apology, for disrespecting your own life, that is, the belief, thought and actions which brought conflict and pain into your life, and those around you at that moment. At this point, you should experience an overwhelming feeling of euphoria.

Continue now to make a determination, with the conviction to eliminate the false beliefs you have held. In this way of reflection, the aim is to discover and understand the true nature of yourself. Then recognise and accept the flaws you see there within you. These flaws are the result of the perpetual conditioning of our beliefs, our way of thinking and are reinforced by our actions.

These are our imperfections. The things we have been taught or learnt to believe, which are in fact false. These erronious thoughts, beliefs and perceptions, continue to motivate our actions from the past and in present, and are usually expressed through our natural, basic desires. This describes your true nature.

By making this conscious determination, with the conviction to apologise, to the deeper consciousness of your higher self. So with effort, in taking conscious actions to eliminate those flaws from our mind. This in turn will release the wisdom, courage, compassion and strength of confidence in our own deepest capabilities, nothing withstanding, to overcome any obstacle we may ever face and experience the True Happiness, in the joy and beauty of life, through the intrinsic and unique abilities that exist within you.

Do not be deceived into believing that heaven and hell may exist in an after life, so thinking 'why not take what you can get now'! When your eyes open to see that this world is fast becoming Hell on Earth, then you should know that Heaven exists here also.
This is my experience. Believe, there is a greater being and power within yourself.

A true friend will always guide you to this path.
Peace n Blessings,

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Cpt. Solo
you may need to read this again, and again !