Mar 29 2024 31 mins
Claire Perriam decided to start exploring Buddhism when she had a sudden encounter with death and began to question the meaning of life more deeply. We talk about the concept of 'winning' in Nichiren Buddhism and how chanting Nam myoho renge kyo will definitely lead to a feeling of victory but maybe not in the way you'd imagined. We also touch on Brownies, autism, and finding meaning in work and end up mangling a wonderful quote about fruit. Suffice to say, the gist of it is
..cherry, plum, peach, and damson, each have their own unique characteristics and this relates to the principle of “illuminating and manifesting one’s true nature” (cf. Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume 1, p.746).
To quote Daisaku Ikeda on this: 'Cherry blossoms are cherry blossoms, and peach blossoms are peach blossoms. A cherry blossom can never become a peach blossom. Nor is there any need for it to try to do so. It would be perfectly miserable if it did. Similarly, you are none other than yourself. You can never be someone else, however much you might wish it. What matters is that you become the kind of person who can cherish, praise, and feel content with your own precious, irreplaceable life.'