If you seek to become a Buddha, you should lay down the banner of arrogance, cast away the stave of anger, and devote yourself solely to the one vehicle of the Lotus Sutra. Fame and honor are nothing more than decorations in this life. Arrogance and attachment to biased views are hindrances in attaining Buddhahood in your future existences. You should be ashamed of them. You should fear them.
written by Nichiren Daishonin in 13th century Japan
Egotistic and overconfident attitudes, and words and deeds belittling others are all manifestations of arrogance. We must be mindful not to engage in these. Buddhism expounds the principle of the five delusive passions. They consist of the three poisons of greed, anger, and stupidity, and the two additional elements of doubt and arrogance, which is one of the intrinsic earthly desires possessed by humans. The Buddhist teachings indicate that these are the karmic causes that prevent people from attaining enlightenment.
Buddhism’s Ten Worlds Lecture
To understand the role arrogance plays in our lives and causes our unhappiness, visit our Temple this Sunday, July 16th, for a brief lecture on the Ten Worlds by our Chief Priest, Rev Sakabe.
- Learn how to chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and properly use the Juzu Beads, Buddhist prayer beads.
- Q&A with our Chief Priest.
- The meeting starts at 2:00 pm and concludes around 3:15 pm. Open to the public.
If you have decided to become a Buddhist or are interested in learning how to become a Buddhist, after Sunday’s meeting (about 3:30 pm) Rev Sakabe will be performing the Acceptance of the Precept Ceremony, the ceremony where you become a Buddhist.
