What makes you a Buddhist is receiving the Acceptance of the Precept Ceremony and beginning your consistent Buddhist practice.
Buddhism is not just theory. It is a practice. A practice for yourself and for others. Here is an excerpt from the August Nichiren Shoshu Monthly magazine that explains how your daily practice of Buddhism allows you to accumulate the treasures of the heart.
Nichiren Daishonin discusses the treasures of the heart in terms of the seven kinds of treasure adorning the Treasure Tower. In the “Abutsubo Gosho” he states:
In the Latter Day of the Law, there is no Treasure Tower other than the figures of the men and women who embrace the Lotus Sutra … The Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra is the Treasure Tower, that is to say, the Treasure Tower is Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo…It is the Treasure Tower adorned with seven kinds of gems — listening, believing, observing the precepts, concentration, practicing assiduously, selfless devotion, and self-reflection.
- Listening signifies listening to the teaching of true Buddhism.
- Believing is to take faith in the teaching upon hearing it.
- Observing is to observe the precepts.
- Concentration denotes single-mindedly chanting Daimoku* and sharing Buddhism with others.
- Selfless devotion means discarding one’s selfish attachments.
- Self-reflection is to repent of one’s arrogance and laziness.
* Daimoku is chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo.
Excerpted from August, 2014 Nichiren Shoshu Monthly magazine, p.13.
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