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Transcend your circumstances.
The Greatest Secret Human Power, 4-11
Win By Using Reality
By Generalist
“Why me?”
“Why is life so unfair?”
“What can I do about it?”
“How can I be smarter?”
“Why is my life boring?”
These questions express people’s real pain and uncertainty about the circumstances they feel trapped in. It is better to win than to repeatedly ask these questions.
The greatest secret human power is to open, and develop according to, ones own potential.
The knowledge of this power is ordinarily scattered in many philosophies, religions, hopes and aphorisms. That keeps it secret.
Here, the essence is unified into a single practice that enables anyone to manifest his-er power. It is difficult to act on information that comes from outside the accustomed conventions, yet, that is where the greatest opportunity is found.
ï¶ We create our lives through the interactions between circumstances and the beliefs we harbor.-Tiantai
ï¶ We have the power to examine those beliefs and change the ones that don’t produce value.-Makiguchi
ï¶ We can win in life no matter what the circumstances.-Toda
ï¶ We can make the entire world into a haven of peace, culture, and education.-Ikeda
In ancient India, one man wondered if there weren’t a way to use the power inherent in everyone and end suffering. He set out on an intense exploration of the learning and practices available. They were all inadequate to help everyone and anyone. He determined to find the path himself.
He did, and began to teach.
After 40 years, he had a group of students who were trained enough to walk his walk. What he had to transmit was so revolutionary that he couched the teachings in allegory, metaphors and parables. These were studied, debated, written about for centuries in India, China, Korea and Japan. Many paths were developed. The most complete was the 28 chapter Lotus Sutra. Its title, in Japanese, is Myoho Renge Kyo. It was difficult to understand and accept because it opens the individual’s capacities and responsibilities. Another problem is the hyperbolic depictions. They describe the promise and the joy of liberation as physical events. This is comparable to the Hindu god who has multiple abilities and is depicted with many arms.
Then, Nichiren, in thirteenth century Japan, connected all the dots. He recognized that the way to use the secret power was to move on with determination to clear the mind and improve life. To enable the clearing of the mind and replacing error with wisdom, the element of focus, determination, respect had to be added to Myoho Renge Kyo. He used the Sanskrit term namas, shortened to nam.
This activates the secret power and makes it public.
What Isaac Newton did for gravity, Nichiren did for all of life.
I have listed the main points and the words in Japanese. They are capitalized for clarity.
1-Things are always changing, yet the underlying realities common to all life do not change. -KYO
2- -Causes produce effects. Sometimes this is not obvious because of the time lag between cause and perceived effect. RENGE -Renge also means that we can choose to release limitations at any time like the opening of a perfect lotus growing in mud.
3-Life is both physical and non-physical. –MYOHO This is the term that includes the limited aspect of the tangible and the unlimited aspects of the intangible, and their inseparability.
4-Humans have the ability to respect the truth, to focus their minds, and achieve great results. -NAM
The transcendence of circumstances is founded on the repeated speaking of the sentence Nam Myoho Renge Kyo alone, and with others. This strengthens synaptic connections based on recognized truth and weakens those based on distortions. The mind-heart-body is unified in the effort.
Nichiren’s method works for all of life, whether people believe in it, or not, as long as they try it with a focus on improvement.
Source(s):
My own experiences: phenomenal changes as a result of reciting the formula and working with the SGI for peace, culture and happiness. Caution, translation difficulties and cultural usages tend to cause many people to regard using their secret power as a religion because it is called Buddhism. The original documents show that Nichiren did not intend for people to rely on a power beyond their own capacities for transcending limitations.
If you wish further information, use the links.
http://www.sgi.org , http://www.sgi-usa.org