Say what?

Ok, so this morning I was supposed to host a Grade 1 Study meeting and nobody showed up, so I decided to go through this year's material and compare it with last year's, and see if I could recycle some of the revision stuff to make a new set for this year.

I come to the blog and realise two things:

1. Materials and questions are the same. Yay. I proceed to send links to this year's people and hope they find them helpful.

2. My last post here was ALMOST A YEAR AGO.

Say what? How did that happen?

I am surprised, disgruntled and dischuffed.

I am, also, not quite sure how to break the drought. 

If anyone who liked my blog has some idea of something they want me to write about, please help me out.

Grade 1 Study Exam - 2016. Section B Q6-10

And here are the final five questions, completing the Grade 1 2016 series!

Grade 1 Study Exam - 2016. Section B Q1-5

Boy, I am struggling with this one!

As you MAY have noticed, I have already published all the other sections, but Section B is proving quite challenging.

Adding to this, that Blogger has recently turned into a monster of frustrating html quirks, and I am seriously considering migrating this blog to a less annoying platform (one that, say, I can actually access from my iPad and therefore update when I am on the go).

I have studied the section and decided on answers for all the questions, but I have found it quite complex to structure the answers following the guideline of including at least three points. I am not sure it is a very helpful guideline, and I personally found some questions a bit convoluted, but hey.

Here are the first five, the next five (concluding this series) will follow shortly.

As always, I have used the method of selecting passages from the material, copying them into my word processor and tweaking them to follow the answering guideline. In this case I have chosen to divide each answer into bullet points (which is one of the two ways they recommend to structure your answer). Based on the material, there is no word count for this section, but they mention one or two short sentences per point, so we are still talking of fairly concise answers.

Good luck and keep studying!

Grade 1 Study Exams - 2016. Section D

The History of SGI
All of your answers should be based on the material in Section D: The History of SGI.Write a maximum of 150 words in answer to each of the following questions.In the study exam, you will be set ve questions from this section.

D1  What is the difference between Soka Gakkai’s and Nichiren Shoshu’s interpretation of Nichiren Daishonin’s teachings?
The Soka Gakkai is dedicated to making Nichiren’s teachings effective and practical in the everyday modern world. It has always stressed that Nichiren Buddhism enables every individual, whether priest or lay believer, to develop his or her own innate Buddha nature. It has also stressed social engagement based on the bodhisattva ideal of taking action for the happiness of others towards the creation of a peaceful global society.The Nichiren Shoshu priesthood on the other hand is locked into an ancient ritualistic system, concerned to preserve its authority and jealous of its monopoly of certain sacred teachings, places and objects.Nichiren Shoshu has been more concerned with preserving traditional rituals, with a focus on the priests as intermediaries who are seen to be on a higher spiritual level than lay believers. In this sense it could be said to have lost sight of the original purpose and social mission of Buddhism.

D2  Why and how did Soka Gakkai work together with the priesthood after the Second World War?
Why? For the sake of the progress of Nichiren Buddhism and in the hope that they would help promote the common goal of establishing peace and happiness for the people. How? Soka Gakkai’s support for the priesthood included restoration of major buildings at Nichiren Shoshu’s head temple premises, construction of a new main head temple building and donation of land and a total of 356 branch temples. 

Grade 1 Study Exam - 2016. Section C

All your answers should be based on the material in Section C: Principles of Nichiren Buddhism in SGI.

Write a maximum of 200 words in answer to each of the following questions.

In the study exam, you will be set two questions from this section.

C1  What is the meaning of ‘establishing the correct teaching’? What is the meaning of ‘for the peace of the land’?

C2  What is Kosen‐rufu?

C3  What is the Soka Gakkai? 

Looks deceivingly simple, right?

Grade 1 Study Exam - 2016. Section A2

In 50-100 words, and based on the material in Section A – Part 2, explain the following subjects as if you were talking to a friend who is interested in Buddhism. Include at least three different points for each subject in your answer. In the exam, only one of the three subjects will be set.

(a)  What is the meaning of Nam‐myoho‐renge‐kyo?

(b)  What is the difference between a Buddha and an ordinary person?

(c)  What is the Gohonzon? 

Grade 1 Study Exam - 2016. Section A1

Based on the material in Section A – Part 1: The Life of Nichiren Daishonin, you will be set seven multiple choice questions. The questions given below may or may not be set in the exam. They are examples of the format in which the exam questions will appear. 
In studying this course and preparing for the exam, please read each section of the material carefully, so that you could answer a multiple choice question on it. This section is intended to cover the key events and places in Nichiren Daishonin’s life.
Below are the examples in the study material, complete with answers.

EXAMPLE 1) What date was Nichiren Daishonin born?
(a) 22 February 1222 
(b) 22 February 1226 
(c) 16 February 1222 
(d) 16 February 1226


EXAMPLE 2) What declaration did Nichiren Daishonin make about Nam-myoho-renge-kyo at Seicho-ji Temple?
(a) It is the sole correct Buddhist teaching for leading all people in the Latter Day of the Law to enlightenment.
(b) No Buddhist teaching can lead all people in the Latter Day of the Law to enlightenment.
(c) All Buddhist teachings are the same.
(d) It is the Buddhist teaching for leading people to enlightenment in their next lifetime.

EXAMPLE 3) What do we call the event in which Nichiren Daishonin was attacked and had his left hand broken?
(a) the Tatsunokuchi Persecution 
(b) the Komatsubara Persecution 
(c) the Tsukahara Debate
(d) the Izu Exile

EXAMPLE 4) Who was Nichiren Daishonin’s successor?
(a) Nanjo Tokimitsu 
(b) Nikko Shonin
(c) Shijo Kingo
(d) Nichimoku Shonin 

Below are some examples I created myself. These are without the answers. Feel free to put the answers in the comments

Study

I have been involved in the study movement for a few years now, and I love it.

I have always loved studying, it comes easily to me because I have an incredible memory, I also have the advantage, within Buddhist study, to have been raised by Buddhist parents who are extremely knowledgeable of Buddhist philosophy and I love supporting other people in their journey (ever the teacher!).

I took Grade 1 in 2012, when I created a pretty popular series of posts about exam prep. 

In 2013 I was lilac chief for my local exams. 

A new life

In the last few years, I have found it increasingly difficult to keep the good rhythm of posts I had at the start of this blog. 

It started off as a way to channel my pain and frustration. I hurt, I write it down, I realise stuff, I feel better. 

I started getting some followers, some questions, and I like to share what I know, so I carried on.

Maybe I haven't needed this outlet anymore, maybe it's because a few things happened that I could not share on here, maybe it's because I have incrementally less time now because I am doing more buddhist activities and I am (finally!) in a relationship. 

Who knows?

I know, however, that I like this blog and I don't want to let it go defunct.

So, I've made some decisions. (I sound like RuPaul here)

Buddhist quotes - February

Keeping in line with the general topic of courage, here are two quotes from Letter to the Brothers.

[Y]ou must grit your teeth and never slacken in your faith. Be as fearless as Nichiren when he acted and spoke out before Hei no Saemon-no-jō. Although theirs was not the path to Buddhahood, the sons of Lord Wada and of the governor of Wakasa, as well as the warriors under Masakado and Sadatō, fought to the death to preserve their honor. Death comes to all, even should nothing untoward ever happen. Therefore, you must never be cowardly, or you will become the object of ridicule.

Hei no Saemon-no-jō was a powerful government official who persecuted Nichiren and attempted to have him killed. This resulted in the Tatsunokuchi persecution.

The second quote is about the attitude we should have in front of obstacles.

Whatever trouble occurs, regard it as no more than a dream, and think only of the Lotus Sutra. Nichiren’s teaching was especially difficult to believe at first, but now that my prophecies have been fulfilled, those who slandered without reason have come to repent.

Happy Leap February everyone!

Buddhist quotes - January

After the assemblies mentioned in my latest experience, I wanted to do some more research on the parable of the Jewel in the Robe.
This is what is mentioned in the SGI Library:

parable of the jewel in the robe [衣裏珠の譬] (Jpn eriju-no-tatoe )Also, parable of the gem in the robe or parable of the jewel sewn in the poor man's robe. One of the seven parables in the Lotus Sutra. It is related in the "Five Hundred Disciples" (eighth) chapter by five hundred arhats to demonstrate their understanding of the one vehicle teaching. It tells of an impoverished man who goes to visit a close wealthy friend. Being treated to wine, he becomes drunk and falls asleep. The wealthy friend must go out on business, but before leaving, he sews a priceless jewel into the lining of his sleeping friend's robe. When the poor man awakens, he has no idea that he has been given the jewel. He then sets out on a journey. To provide himself with food and clothing, he searches with all his energy, encountering great hardship. Being always in want, he is content with whatever little he can obtain. Later he happens to meet his old friend, who is shocked at his poverty and shows him the jewel in the robe. The man realizes for the first time that he possesses a priceless jewel and is overjoyed. The five hundred arhats explain that, just as this man was ignorant of the treasure he possessed, so the Buddha's disciples were unaware that the Buddha had caused them to plant the seeds of an unsurpassed aspiration and were instead satisfied with provisional teachings and a small portion of nirvana.[quoted from here]

Shakubuku and obstacles

This is an experience I shared at my area kick-off. It was supposed to exemplify the "Light of Courage".

In this experience I will talk about how I challenged my tendency to focus on outside validation over internal validation through my fight to do shakubuku.

I am a fortune baby, which means I grew up in a Buddhist household with both my parents, my paternal grandparents and other members of my family practising.

My house was full of Buddhist publications, we had at least one meeting a week and according to my dad Nam Myoho Renge Kyo was one of my first words.

I have always struggled with shakubuku. Talking about the practice was never a problem, but I did not feel “qualified” to introduce someone to the practice as I did not experience being shakubukued. Something so simple as: “Do you remember the first time you heard Nam Myoho Renge Kyo?”, which is an experience most people shared, is not a question I can answer.

This caused me a lot of suffering because I felt I was lacking as a disciple of sensei since only one person received Gohonzon after being introduced to the practice by me (my kindergarten teacher when I was three years old, btw), so I naturally chanted quite a bit about it and started taking bolder actions, such as handing out NMRK cards, something that I found really hard before.

Now, let me say a few things about what I came to call my “One Evil”, as in my tendency to attach my self worth onto external confirmation and gratification.

Buddhist quotes - December

Buddhist quotes are back!

Boy I've been terrible at keeping my blog up to date, and an experience soon to be published will probably explain why.

Now, for the December quote, I decided to do something slightly different.

Tell me how you chant and I will tell you who you are.

So, I am a Fukushi, yes? I have spent my life listening to people chanting. I honestly can’t quantify the amount of buddhist meetings I have attended. Let’s try anyway. Between meetings, activities and home visits, I do an average of 2-3 buddhist functions a week. Let’s use 2 to make a very conservative estimate (also to take holidays into account). That is about 100 functions a year. I was born in 1985, so that’s around 3000 functions. Not bad. So I can honestly say I have been to THOUSANDS of buddhist meetings. Fab. 

Many (and by that I mean MANY) of those are lilac activities, a fair amount of which (especially in the past year) have consisted in me chanting at the front of a butsuma for, say, three hours. That gives you plenty of opportunities to observe the different ways people chant. Most of the time, there’s a great person leading and the daimoku flows like a majestic river, or runs like a herd of white horses galloping in the clouds. Marvellous transformation then ensues.

Unfortunately, other times, our life state is not that brilliant and we are distracted by people’s quirky ways of chanting or the things they do as they chant.

CAPTAIN OBVIOUS TO THE RESCUE: please take the following with a pinch of salt. It’s not meant as slander, just as honest fun. If it offends you, don’t read. 

The Treasure Tower

I prepared this as a study point for my discussion meeting.
Two years ago, The Gosho on The Treasure Tower was at the centre of the study movement for the Young Women. I must have read it a hundred times, in my head, out loud, at meetings, alone, etc.
I thought I understood it, but as it is with many things in Buddhism, I only understood with my head, and not with my heart. Last year I have gone through the most painful time of my life, largely because I did not fully understand this Gosho. I did not believe I was the Treasure Tower. 
Maybe this will help someone not to suffer as much as I have.

The Treasure Tower. (Jpn hoto)

The term “Treasure Tower” can refer to any of a variety of jewelled stupas (a dome-like structure built to house the relics of the Buddha) depicted in Buddhist scriptures. 

The best known, however, is the treasure tower of Many Treasures Buddha that appears in the "Treasure Tower" (eleventh) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. 

Quote from New Human Revolution, volume 10

To quickly break the long silence in a very cheeky way, here is a quote from the New Human Revolution, Volume 10, page 72-3 of the New UK edition.

I had read the first four volumes ages ago in Italian, then again in English as part of my Taplow Dedicated Lilac training. In September, I decided to read one of these volumes a month until I finish them all.

Here it is. 

The Soka Gakkai spirit is having the courage to discard the shallow and seek the profound. It is selfless dedication to propagating the law even at the cost of one's life. It is to strive with unceasing devotion as taught in the lotus sutra. It is to exert oneself bravely and vigourously with passion and resolve. It is to possess the great power of perseverance that enables one to withstand any persecution with composure. It is to practice in accord with the buddha's teachings, working for Kosen Rufu just as the Daishonin instructs. It is the spirit of refuting the erroneous and revealing the true, giving no quarter to injustice. It is the path of the oneness of mentor and disciple, the very lineage of correct faith. It is the firm unity of many in body, one in mind. It is the spirit of showing others the same respect as one would a Buddha.

Buddhist quotes - November

Another month has gone. Today I went for a lilac activity at the Ikeda Peace Centre, where I knew I was going to be a team of one lilac.
I didn't mind it though. I am going through so much stuff at the moment, that having to sit in the Butsuma to chant for three solid hours was pretty much the one thing I needed.

I need to be kind to myself, I need to chant to fully appreciate myself, and I need to do it now.
It only took me about fifteen minutes of chanting to understand that the searing hot pain in my heart has very little to do with what happened to me in the past year, and everything to do with my karma. That one realisation made it all better, made me believe that I can transform it, because it is inside me, not outside.

It still hurts, like a pride of lions devouring me from the inside, but I can now see the contingency as a distraction from the real problem.

You must rise and greet [them] from afar...

I wrote this experience for an Education Division meeting. Once again, I ended up not sharing it, but hey. The experience proper happened in the last three-four years, as in, my first years in the teaching profession, however in order to understand where I am coming from, I have to, once again, start with my childhood. There will be some overlap with other experiences, since the childhood was the same!

Here we go!

Buddhist quotes - October

Soooo, my journey to hell is coming real soon.

In the meantime, here is a little quote from The Opening of the Eyes Gosho.

I recently went through all my Buddhist books and wrote inside the front cover when I read them and, if applicable, as part of what study programme.

Lectures on the Opening of the Eyes is one of the books I am studying as part of my LIPC Dedicated Lilac training.

Last Committee meeting (a study/feedback meeting with all the team leaders), I was asked to feedback on Chapter 14 of this book.

This little quote stuck with me:

Grade 2 Study exam - 2014. Section A. Q7

This is part of a series of posts to share my preparation for the Grade 2 Study Exam that I will sit this coming November.

From ‘Encountering persecution by sword and staff as predicted in the “Encouraging Devotion” chapter’:

A7
How did Nichiren Daishonin react to these attacks by swords and staves? What function can hardships have in our lives?

Nichiren's immediate reaction was, quite naturally, of outrage. He writes:
‘Though I knew it was for the sake of the Lotus Sutra, being an ordinary person, I felt... [that had] I had the strength, I would have wrested it from him, trampled on and broken it, and thrown it away. However, it was in fact the fifth scroll of the Lotus Sutra.’
However, wearing the ‘armour of perseverance', the Daishonin forbore his anger, behaved with self‐assurance, and spoke out with dignity for his beliefs. He didn’t display even the slightest trace of violence, hatred, or the desire for revenge.

If we look at them from a broader perspective, the hardships that assail us can function to strengthen us and spur our growth as human beings. As long as we do not allow ourselves to be defeated by suffering, even the most painful experiences can be turned into something positive. Nothing is ever wasted in Buddhism.
The profound teachings of the Lotus Sutra enable us to turn suffering into the driving force for transforming our karma.

Wrod count: 176