●The Way of Honmon Butsuryu Shu(HBS)

Part 2-2. THNIKlNG ABOUT YOUR REGRETFUL DESTlNY

"If you fully understand the relationship between cause and effect, you will not resent Buddha or God. You can thereby restore your present life and be rewarded by enjoying your future life. There will be no more negligent soul. Entrusting one's fate to heaven is a serious delusion. Fate rests in your hands and not in God's hands."
　　　　(Nissen Shonin's Instruction)

Explanation of the meaning of the above teaching:

If you can comprehend the relationship between cause and effect, you will not resent Buddha, God or others. If your present behavior was the determinant of your future destiny, you would undoubtedly act in a highly positive manner. Hope will. thereby, be born. Entrusting one's destiny to heaven is a mistaken notion because it did not stipulate it.

Is there a destiny from which one cannot escape from? Certainly, such thoughts exist. For example we cannot chose our sex at the time of birth nor who we have as parents, not our environment at birth. There are children born with incurable diseases and physical handicaps.
In other words, it cannot be denied with certainly that one's destiny or circumstance is regulated to some degree upon birth.
Who then decides such destiny? Some religions claims, “It is God's intention". There are some who believe
that “everything is accidental and a coincidence that one is born with a condition.

How does Buddhism explain the situation? Buddhism maintains that life is a perpetual repetition of birth and death in the three worlds (Past, Present and Future) and six realms of existence hell, and the realms of hungry spirit, animals, asuras, man, and heavenly beings. Then, What is the core of transmigration? It is the soul referred to as “Arayashiki" (The store—consciousness; the eight and most fundamental of eight levels of consciousness). The Arayashiki stores as seeds all that one sees, hears or thinks. In other words, it records all physical and mental activities one engages in. It is the storehouse of spirited energy that decides one's future destiny.

Buddhism refers to this condition as an “Act" (Gyo), which arises out of cause and effect that constantly changes; a general term for conditioned things. The “Act" maintains that if there is an established destiny in advance, that destiny is not caused by an external huge power. It is the result of one's own behavioral “Act" in the previous world effects the direction of the situation in this present world. If so, it can be said that a child born with a physical handicap is a testament to a consequence resulting from one's own behavior in the past world.
Based on this theory, there may be those who feel that “Buddhism" is discriminatory and malevolent.
However, that is a superficial and hasty reaction. In fact, it is the direct opposite of Shakyamuni Buddha's
(Shakuson) true teaching. He said, “Avoid questioning birth. Question behavior." In other words a person's
value is not based on social standards as to whether they are poor or wealthy, it should be decided on the individual's behavior and way of living. Buddhist's theory on Act is not based on the relationship of past and present life, but it is based upon the relationship of the present life and the future world, For example, even if one is born and raised in an unfortunate environment, one is capable of choosing a life of happiness through a positive attitude. By doing so, one's destiny will take a favorable turn.

How can this be done? Various methods are outlined below:

1. Repeatedly chanting of “Namumyohorengekyo", and praying that your wicked acts and sins (bad Karma) to be eradicated

2. Pray for good fortune, happiness and hope for people around you. These virtuous acts will create a better destiny for you.

3. Listen to the sermons of HBS's priests with a sense of gratitude. Create a way of positive thinking and discard the spirit of hatred and envy from your soul.

There is a Japanese proverb, “Sit on a rock for three years", that means—'to endeavor a practice good practices for at least three years'. So, by continuously having a positive attitude your resentful soul (of destiny) will disappear and you will recognize that your life is taking a turn for the better

Next.[Way] Part 2-3. DO YOU WANT TO BECOME HEALTHIER?