• Samuel Longfellow
• 1876
Eternal One, Thou living God,
Whom changing years unchanged reveal,
With Thee their way our fathers trod;
The hand they held, in ours we feel.
The same our trust, the same our need,
In sorrow's stress, in duty's hour;
We keep their faith, by Thee decreed,
That faith the fount of all our power.
We bless Thee for the growing light;
Th'advancing thought, the wid'ning view,
The larger freedom, clearer sight,
Which from the old unfolds the new.
With wider view, come loftier goal;
With fuller light, more good to see;
With freedom, truer self control,
With knowledge, deeper reverence be.
Anew we pledge ourselves to Thee,
To follow where Thy truth shall lead;
Afloat upon its boundless sea,
Who sails with God is safe indeed!
Samuel Longfellow, 1876
• The Holy Qurʾān
• Surah 2:255
Allāh; there is no god but Allāh, the Ever Living, the Eternal One. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. He is the Most Exalted, the Most Great.
• The Focus of Devotion: Buddhā
• Risshō Kōsei-kai Buddhism
Shakyamuni Buddha was the first human being
who was awakened to the Dharma. Although we ordinary people can hardly grasp
it, when we think of it in the form of the Buddha who communicates to us and
regards all of us with compassion, we can form an image clearly in our minds.
Through the image of the Buddha, we can be aware of the loving power of the
Dharma, which is the life-force sustaining all of us.
For Buddhists, it is most natural to
symbolize the Dharma with an image of Shakyamuni Buddha, who appeared in the
world and not only preached what became Buddhism but was a living example of
it. He is called the Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni, Great Benevolent Teacher, the World-honored
One. Rissho Kosei-kai members express reverence before his image.
The Eternal Buddha is omnipresent in the
universe and is the life-force that sustains and guides everything-human
beings, animals, plants, and all other living and nonliving beings. To support
and guide them, the Buddha appears in various forms appropriate to the
particular time and place for their salvation by means suited to their capacity
to understand his teachings.
Thus, the Eternal Buddha exists permanently
everywhere from the infinite past to the infinite future, ready to help and
relieve all living beings in the universe. He saves them in such a way that all
can fully develop and manifest all the good potential they have within
themselves. Since the Eternal Buddha is one with the truth of the universe, we
have only to adjust the wavelength of our minds to that of the Buddha, and the
Buddha will then appear to us. In other words, we become aware of the Buddha's
calling us and working for us.
• Il-Won-Sang: Buddha Nature
• Won Buddhism
Il-Won (O) is the circular symbol of the Dharmakaya Buddha and the Buddha Nature of all beings. In Won Buddhism, the image of the human Buddha is
replaced by Il-Won (O) which represents the perfect nature of the Buddha’s
heart and mind that is not different from our original nature.
Master Sotaesan said,
“In our order, we enshrine Il-Won-Sang in the same way that Buddhists in
the past have enshrined Buddha images. However, a Buddha image manifests the
physical form of the Buddha, but Il-Won-Sang manifests the mind-essence of the
Buddha. The physical form represents only his human form, but the mind-essence
is vast and infinite, combining being and nonbeing and sustaining itself
through the three times periods of past, present, and future. Hence, it is the
original source of the myriad things in heaven and earth and the realm of
Samadhi beyond all words and speech. Confucianism calls it the grand ultimate
or the ultimate of nonbeing; Daoism calls it nature or the Way; Buddhism calls
it the pure Dharmakaya Buddha. In principle, however, all of these are
different expressions for the same thing.”
Therefore Il-Won Symbol is like a picture of Buddha’s mind. Through the Il-Won
symbol Master Sotaesan showed the world's essential Truth.
• About Happy Science
• Happy Science Canada
Happy Science, is an organization of people who aim to achieve true happiness by deepening and widening their love, and reaching a higher level of enlightenment, based on the teachings (the Truth) taught by Ryuho Okawa. By building a wonderful life, we spread our happiness to those around and to society, with the aim of creating an ideal world on earth.
We have faith in Lord El Cantare, Eternal Buddha, who has been guiding humanity throughout eternity. In the past, the consciousness of El Cantare was incarnated as Shakyamuni Buddha (Gautama Siddhartha) in India, and as Hermes in Greece. Now, His core consciousness has descended on earth as Master Ryuho Okawa and preaches the Truth.
The happiness that is taught at Happy Science is the happiness that runs through this world and the next; it is another name for
“enlightenment.” The teachings of Happy Science are based on the Buddhist spirit. Through learning and practicing the Truth, you will be able to deepen your character, build better relationships with others, create a harmonious family, and improve work skills. In the process you will gain much “nourishment for the soul,” which has the power to shine through to your next life as well. To lead everyone to true happiness, we continue our activities every day.
• The Tao Te Ching (Daodejing)
• Lao Tzu (Laozi)
The tao that can be described
is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be spoken
is not the eternal Name.
• Lesson 3 – God and Man are One
• Divine Science Principle and Practice
• Nona L. Brooks
It is with the assurance of confident knowing that Divine Science teaches the concept of God as Universal Mind and man as a thought in that eternal Mind.
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