EMPOWERING YOUR SPIRIT
Empowering Your Spirit ~
Today, before the Buddha we have shared our desire for peace and happiness. How wonderful !
Empowering Your Spirit is what we have done here today. This is your ability to Meditate for self and others. In the 13th Century the Sage Messenger, Nichiren sends a follower the following message: “I am bestowing upon you the Gohonzon of Myoho~Renge~Kyo. Though this mandala is written in but five or seven characters, it is the teacher of all buddhas throughout the three existence’s and the seal that guarantees the enlightenment of all women. It will be a lamp in the darkness of the road to the next world and a fine horse to carry you over the mountains of death. It is like the sun and moon in the heavens or Mount Sumeru on earth. It is a ship to ferry people over the sea of suffering. It is the teacher who leads All people to enlightenment. This mandala has never yet been revealed or propagated anywhere in the world in the more than 2,220 years since [Shakyamuni] Buddha’s passing.”
With this Mandala he empowers this woman with an understanding of her empowering spirit by sharing in the Buddha’s spirit. Through the manifestation of the Mandala the ability to empower her spirit by contemplation and visualization. Nichiren, compares faith to everyday living both here and in the future. Now, there has always been those over the ages who have known and believed in the empowerment of their spirit and would not give in to the evil others. The Franciscans and Dominicans were very upset with Galileo because he thought beyond the Churches way of looking at our universe. They went to the Pope and had him imprisoned, where he suffered for several years from hunger and cold, yet right up until his death we are told he kept writing, kept empowering himself with learning and realization of our universe. While those evil Priests names are long forgotten, their “karmic”spirits in the Worlds of roaming hells for many eons. While the empowered scientific spirit of Galileo lives on and “space-craft” named after him roam the our heavens.
In his time Nichiren [sun lotus] Daishonin [ great sage], pointed out the errors of the various Priests who were vying for favour and power of the Emperor and Samurai War Lords, and we see today, not much has changed as the war machine makes billions of dollars of profits seven centuries later; proof positive that human kind are slow learners. But, we should understand
we are learning as our societies become more and more complex, as knowledge and science and more importantly, as the World of Realization takes place. Today, we find corporations who are learning there can be profit in peace, not just war materials. There is empowerment in peaceful means such as solar energy, as an example.
The Realization before us, is that each of us makes a difference. We are empowered to do what is Right for our body, mind and spirit, because in our generation and a for a few generations now, we are free to choose. Now, this is a new concept it has only been about 300 years when education allowed the masses to think for themselves and even now this is only available in countries like ours; yet already much of human kind takes it for granted, allowing the powerful
to push the agenda’s they want. So how will love and peace prevail on mother earth? How are we empowered? Well firstly, we can meditate for the wellness of all the people who have influenced our lives, both for those who have assisted us, and those who have brought us lessons and challenges. You are empowered by your faith, practice and personal World of Realization.
In today’s world, here in Canada one in five people suffer from mental dis-order, 20% of our population and we have to wonder why did they give up on themselves? Yet, the answer is not too difficult, they have not been able to understand the “empowerment of their personal Spirit.” They are unable to utilize the power of faith within and have fallen into mental distress, depression and physical sickness. Spiritual empowerment takes discipline and effort; yet we
are all given the same amount of time, in our twenty four hour day. Why have people lost the understanding that coming together in Community is empowerment! This is the empowerment
of many minds sharing and working together, making a difference in showing up; not just sending money to a cause, but in BE-ing here. So we can remain in Health and harmony in
our to busy day to day living.
There is the story about the big, tough samurai who went to visit a little monk. “Monk” he growled, “teach me about heaven and hell.” The priest looked up at this mighty warrior and replied with utter contempt, “Teach you about heaven and hell? I couldn’t teach you about anything. You’re dirty and smelly. Your sword blade is rusty. You are a disgrace, an embarrassment to the samurai class. Get out of my sight. I can’t stand to see you! The warrior was furious. He shook and was instantly angry, speechless with rage he raised his sword to cut off the monks head.... “That’s Hell,” said the monk quietly. The Samurai was overwhelmed.
The quietness, the understanding of this little monk who had literally offered to give up his life
to share this message stopped him, he slowly put down his big sword, and was filled with gratitude, was suddenly more peaceful than he had been in years. “And, that’s Heaven,” said
the teacher quietly.
The Buddhist reality is not only about “self,” it is about using our empowerment to make a difference in the well being of our community, country and the world. When you name, chant and meditate for a person or cause in your Fifth Daily Meditation, you are making a difference, when you come to the side altar and burn incense for a deceased person, you are making a difference for a loved ones eternal life force. Our “sound meditation/chanting” of Nam-MyoHo- Renge-Kyo, the Infinite Title of the Lotus Sutra, is an important tool of our spiritual health given to all people by the Sage Messenger of our times, as Nichiren Daishonin tells us: “enlightenment is not a mystical or transcendental state, as many might assume. Rather it is a condition of the highest wisdom, vitality and good fortune wherein an individual can shape his/her own destiny, find fulfillment in daily activities, and come to understand his/her purpose in being alive.”
ND 1253
The Way to empower our BE-ing is to feel the energy within, that we may find in ourselves the great life-force of our universe that lives in all things. Doing this we will find from within the Ten Worlds a “conscious communication” with our universal life-force allowing us in an instant to go anywhere throughout the universe knowing our meditations, earthly thoughts, motivations and actions; are being heard in harmony with a peaceful resolution and empowerment. May you enjoy the act of empowering your spirit, chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, this day and everyday!
|
|
