Quit Chanting

Post Reply
The_Wonderer
Posts: 10
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2018 8:35 pm

Quit Chanting

Post by The_Wonderer »

Hi All,

I quit chanting few months back. I want to know is it OK keep Gohonzon rolled up (in a case) in a cabinet. I really do not want to dis-respect anything.

Thanks
User avatar
Queequeg
Former staff member
Posts: 14418
Joined: Tue Jul 03, 2012 3:24 pm

Re: Quit Chanting

Post by Queequeg »

Return it to where you got it from.

If you've decided to stop practicing, unburden yourself from having to keep it respectfully.

Fare well.
There is no suffering to be severed. Ignorance and klesas are indivisible from bodhi. There is no cause of suffering to be abandoned. Since extremes and the false are the Middle and genuine, there is no path to be practiced. Samsara is nirvana. No severance achieved. No suffering nor its cause. No path, no end. There is no transcendent realm; there is only the one true aspect. There is nothing separate from the true aspect.
-Guanding, Perfect and Sudden Contemplation,
The_Wonderer
Posts: 10
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2018 8:35 pm

Re: Quit Chanting

Post by The_Wonderer »

Already tried that. But goes onto long discussions and persuasion to not stop practicing.
narhwal90
Global Moderator
Posts: 3504
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2016 3:10 am
Location: Baltimore, MD

Re: Quit Chanting

Post by narhwal90 »

Personally I think so. Back in the old NSA days as an itinerant student I would enshrine and take down my gohonzon several times/year, with occasional short-term storage- many others did too. As long as the storage space is dry and out of harms way, perhaps in a respectable place (eg not stuffed in a shoebox up in the attic) it seems fine to me. Reminds me, back in those student days I used a steel lockbox inherited from my grandmother for storing and moving it... kind of absurd but it was a nice box. After living in my house for a number of years with the gohonzon enshrined I lost track of the box, found it again and having lost the key had to break into it; lots of old NSA/SGI memorabilia in there- a nice reminder of the old days.

A friend of mine has his gohonzon in storage for a while now, chanting to his omamori because of space issues- no room for his butsudan. Assuming this is a SGI gohonzon, if you don't want to keep it, a polite approach would be to return it to a community center. I don't know the return practices of the other schools however.
User avatar
Queequeg
Former staff member
Posts: 14418
Joined: Tue Jul 03, 2012 3:24 pm

Re: Quit Chanting

Post by Queequeg »

The_Wonderer wrote: Fri Jan 18, 2019 9:10 pm Already tried that. But goes onto long discussions and persuasion to not stop practicing.
I thought of that as a possibility as I recommended it.

Give it to a Nichiren Shu priest. Or, you can send it to me and I will make sure its taken in and retired properly.

pm me if you like.
There is no suffering to be severed. Ignorance and klesas are indivisible from bodhi. There is no cause of suffering to be abandoned. Since extremes and the false are the Middle and genuine, there is no path to be practiced. Samsara is nirvana. No severance achieved. No suffering nor its cause. No path, no end. There is no transcendent realm; there is only the one true aspect. There is nothing separate from the true aspect.
-Guanding, Perfect and Sudden Contemplation,
User avatar
明安 Myoan
Former staff member
Posts: 2855
Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2012 7:11 am
Location: Portland, OR

Re: Quit Chanting

Post by 明安 Myoan »

Wherever you go in life, please don't lose the heart that seeks to benefit others.
User avatar
Queequeg
Former staff member
Posts: 14418
Joined: Tue Jul 03, 2012 3:24 pm

Re: Quit Chanting

Post by Queequeg »

Monlam Tharchin wrote: Sat Jan 19, 2019 12:55 am Wherever you go in life, please don't lose the heart that seeks to benefit others.
Yes.

Wonderer, in suggesting that you relinquish your burden, underlying that is my wish that you go on to find the path that brings benefit to yourself and others. You ought not be made to feel pressured or imposed upon in practice.
There is no suffering to be severed. Ignorance and klesas are indivisible from bodhi. There is no cause of suffering to be abandoned. Since extremes and the false are the Middle and genuine, there is no path to be practiced. Samsara is nirvana. No severance achieved. No suffering nor its cause. No path, no end. There is no transcendent realm; there is only the one true aspect. There is nothing separate from the true aspect.
-Guanding, Perfect and Sudden Contemplation,
The_Wonderer
Posts: 10
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2018 8:35 pm

Re: Quit Chanting

Post by The_Wonderer »

Thanks All for the responses.

Also, is there branch of Nichern Shoshu in India.
User avatar
justsomeguy
Posts: 50
Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 3:53 pm

Re: Quit Chanting

Post by justsomeguy »

The_Wonderer wrote: Sun Jan 20, 2019 6:33 pm Thanks All for the responses.

Also, is there branch of Nichern Shoshu in India.
If you mean temples, no unfortunately there is not a Shoshu temple in India. I'm pretty sure there are practitioners there, though, as our own Chief Priest Rev Sakabe spent time living in India. If you are looking for a Shoshu presence in India, he might be able to provide some guidance there.

https://nstmyoshinji.org/contact/temples-worldwide/

You can reach Rev Sakabe at [email protected].

Hope this helps! :)
dharmapdx
Posts: 292
Joined: Sun Nov 15, 2015 7:54 am

Re: Quit Chanting

Post by dharmapdx »

The_Wonderer wrote: Fri Jan 18, 2019 9:01 pm Hi All,

I quit chanting few months back. I want to know is it OK keep Gohonzon rolled up (in a case) in a cabinet. I really do not want to dis-respect anything.

Thanks

You can send it to me if you want.
dude
Posts: 789
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 3:38 am

Re: Quit Chanting

Post by dude »

To offer my own opinion :
If you ask me, it's up to you.
To be honest, I'd say if you decide you don't want to practice (at least for the time being), keeping the gohonzon rolled up and in a safe place is probably more respectful to it than to keep it enshrined and then let the altar gather dust. I strongly recommend that you keep it in the best and safest place possible, and close to you.
You are making efforts to treat the gohonzon respectfully, which is to your benefit in any case. If your attempt to return your gohonzon met with resistance, there's a reason for that. It's your karma to "bear the burden" for the time being. As long as you protect the gohonzon, you will be protected.
If and when you decide to practice again, keep in mind that it's all up to you. Chanting nam myoho renge kyo three times in the morning and three times in the evening is still practicing.
Post Reply

Return to “Nichiren”