Chant Courtney Chant

Finally feel like I'm catching up with things and in a better mood .. feeling more positive generally. Decided quite a while ago that I had two key determinations to acheive by the end of the. One was to be in a relationship and the other to be financially secure. I also determined to see some progress by the end of August. Probably not surprising then that I had a shite month and felt miserable for most of it. Key thing though is that I didn't stop chanting (though I did chant less). This kind of ended up tying in with the Buddhist study that Robert Harrap gave in Lincoln on Friday where he said that one of teh qualities of teh Buddha is that a Buddha 'endures' ... but NOT in a passive way but an active way, so instead of just suffering, you would still suffer and struggle but continually determine to break through it and never give up and finally come out the other side stronger.

So, at the end of the month .. where am I on the determinations ?

Relationship.
No massive progress with this though probably no surprise there though I have re-subscribed to an online dating site for a month to e-mail someone who didn't bother to reply, however, another person did who seems nice ... mind you she's Japanese and hasn't replied since I mentioned the Buddhism that I practise lol .. so maybe that's a no go anyway .. still .. it's all a start :)

Finances.
I've been pretty busy web work wise but also, for some time I've been considering doing the web stuff part time and doing a part time job and I spoted an ad in the paper for part time 3 months Maternity Cover which I thought would be a good way to suss whether I really wanted to do that. Anyway .. to cut a long story short I've got an Interview on Weds ... main prob is that it's one hour a day too many really and it's minimum wage .. Having said that though, it would cover my rent and a bit more so it would at least take some pressure off .. Not sure yet though .. still chanting about it .. Oh .. and it's in an old folks home lol

Anyway .. Suppose I'd better get on, but a couple of things below ... A courtney Love Video which I thought had vanished off the net so posting here for my info ... If you go about 1min 40 secs in you see her chanting.

Also .. I've put the notes that I scribbled down at the Buddhist lecture the other day.

Here's Courtney >>



And here's the notes >>>

Brief notes from Chapter Study – September 07 – Lincoln
by Robert Harrap



Buddha is our inner potential/life force



Casting off the Transient and Revealing the True.

Easy to think that Buddhism can’t help in certain situations .. we all come up against that ‘immovable’ problem at various points in our life, but through chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, we can activate our life force and break through these ‘problems’ This doesn’t mean however that it will be easy .. we need to persevere.

Buddhahood is our true and original nature and we should start from this point. Everything else has built up in our lives over the years and restricts us. A bit like a crust gradually covering us over time. We can break through this ‘crust’ by making a big determination and being confident in our often hidden inner potential.

A Buddha enjoys life, even through problems and ‘endures’, NOT in a passive way but by actively challenging our negative tendencies. It is ourselves that stop our own joy/happiness .. we make the choices.

Nichiren inscribed the Gohonzon as a reminder of our Buddhahood and can also be seen as a certificate of validation from Nichiren

We chose, moment by moment, whether we are ‘ordinary human beings’ or Buddhas.


Mentor & Disciple Relationship

This Buddhist Practise is transmitted from one person to another and grows in this way (eg Nichiren to Nikko Shonin and Makaguchi to Toda to Ikeda) to achieve Kosen Rufu which can be understood as a world where people reveal their full potential.

Nichiren was the initial mentor and Ikeda can be seen as the modern Mentor.