How does Nihilism fit into Nichiren Buddhism, or does it?
How does Nihilism fit into Nichiren Buddhism, or does it?
Seems like Nihilism is one of the reasons that Western society is becoming increasingly disrespectful and immoral. Just my thoughts. What are your thoughts on this?
In his writing, Hokkemongu (Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra), The Great Master Nichiren said, “If the practitioners of the Lotus Sutra wholeheartedly devote their life to the Lotus Sutra and practice according to its golden words, it is certainly needless to say that not only in the next life, but also in this lifetime they will overcome severe difficulty, prolong their life, receive the great, good fortune of unsurpassed enlightenment, and accomplish the great vow of the widespread, propagation of True Buddhism.”
Re: How does Nihilism fit into Nichiren Buddhism, or does it?
It doesn't.
Nihilism is a wrong view.
Nihilism is a wrong view.
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,
-Guanding, Perfect and Sudden Contemplation,
Re: How does Nihilism fit into Nichiren Buddhism, or does it?
Western society is not becoming increasingly disrespectful and immoral, for one thing, at least not in general. Maybe you have a specific category of people or things that Western society is being disrespectful and immoral towards. For another thing, what is your reasoning for determining that nihilism is the cause of your belief?
Re: How does Nihilism fit into Nichiren Buddhism, or does it?
Could you elaborate on why perhaps?
In his writing, Hokkemongu (Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra), The Great Master Nichiren said, “If the practitioners of the Lotus Sutra wholeheartedly devote their life to the Lotus Sutra and practice according to its golden words, it is certainly needless to say that not only in the next life, but also in this lifetime they will overcome severe difficulty, prolong their life, receive the great, good fortune of unsurpassed enlightenment, and accomplish the great vow of the widespread, propagation of True Buddhism.”
Re: How does Nihilism fit into Nichiren Buddhism, or does it?
Nihilists don't believe in anything, and certainly not right views. Totally incompatible with Buddhism.
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,
-Guanding, Perfect and Sudden Contemplation,
Re: How does Nihilism fit into Nichiren Buddhism, or does it?
Putting aside the question of whether nihilism breeds immoral behavior for the moment, I’d like to point out that nihilism isn’t any sort of entity, and its lack of agency forces us to look elsewhere for a cause for this disrespect and alleged immortality that the OP mentions. The usual suspects are identified as science, the Western Enlightenment, rationalization, and the like. But again, these things have no agency.
We can only blame those who dropped the ball: spiritual leaders. They have agency. Only they can be blamed, if you’re into blaming.
We can only blame those who dropped the ball: spiritual leaders. They have agency. Only they can be blamed, if you’re into blaming.
Re: How does Nihilism fit into Nichiren Buddhism, or does it?
To start with
http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Four_extremes
I'm not an Aro guy but they did a nice approachable podcast on the 4 Extremes available via the link below, well suited for mobile listening. Probably about time I re-listened to it actually. Their proposition is that nihilism, being one of the four, is neither wholly true or wholly false, likewise the other 3.
http://arobuddhism.org/mp3s/Aro02-02.mp3
http://arobuddhism.org/mp3s/Aro02-03.mp3
The rest of the recordings of that series are here
http://aroaudio.blogspot.com/
some are quite interesting.
http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Four_extremes
I'm not an Aro guy but they did a nice approachable podcast on the 4 Extremes available via the link below, well suited for mobile listening. Probably about time I re-listened to it actually. Their proposition is that nihilism, being one of the four, is neither wholly true or wholly false, likewise the other 3.
http://arobuddhism.org/mp3s/Aro02-02.mp3
http://arobuddhism.org/mp3s/Aro02-03.mp3
The rest of the recordings of that series are here
http://aroaudio.blogspot.com/
some are quite interesting.
Re: How does Nihilism fit into Nichiren Buddhism, or does it?
Burn em at the stake. That'll solve it.
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,
-Guanding, Perfect and Sudden Contemplation,
Re: How does Nihilism fit into Nichiren Buddhism, or does it?
No, they just need to do their f**king job. That all.
Re: How does Nihilism fit into Nichiren Buddhism, or does it?
In my more depressive moments, my outlook is pretty much encapsulated in this classic song by Peggy Lee:
But it's not a Buddhist way of viewing reality, to say the least. In the US, we are witnessing the total disintegration of our political culture, and I don't believe it will be possible to recover it. We no longer value reason and thoughtful discourse, ideals set forth in the (Western/European) Enlightenment, so prized by our nation's founders. I'm fundamentally pessimistic, so it's especially easy for me to fall into despair. The Lotus Sutra's teaching that all beings, without exception, will become Buddhas is a major challenge to my generally dim view of my fellow humans (and the average American, in particular).
But it's not a Buddhist way of viewing reality, to say the least. In the US, we are witnessing the total disintegration of our political culture, and I don't believe it will be possible to recover it. We no longer value reason and thoughtful discourse, ideals set forth in the (Western/European) Enlightenment, so prized by our nation's founders. I'm fundamentally pessimistic, so it's especially easy for me to fall into despair. The Lotus Sutra's teaching that all beings, without exception, will become Buddhas is a major challenge to my generally dim view of my fellow humans (and the average American, in particular).
Re: How does Nihilism fit into Nichiren Buddhism, or does it?
They need motivation. Get the kindling ready.
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,
-Guanding, Perfect and Sudden Contemplation,
Re: How does Nihilism fit into Nichiren Buddhism, or does it?
Truth is, if they're not motivated at this point they will never be.