A Buddhist Podcast – The Essentials for Attaining Buddhahood – Revisited

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September 7th, 2009

Welcome to another episode of A Buddhist Podcast! On tonights show we have a lecture on the letter that Nichiren Daishonin wrote to Soya Kyoshin, its called The Essentials for Attaining Buddhahood. Subjects include:

  • Who was Soya Kyoshin?
  • Essentials are not Optional
  • Bodhisattva Superior Practices and the Latter day of the Law
  • Reality and wisdom
  • Don’t bend the teachings to suit your karma
  • Misguided priests versus correct teacher
  • Challenging wrong doing
  • Standing firm with a teenage daughter
  • Bridging the gap between people and Buddhism
  • My mentor

And of course we have the shoutouts and also . . . we also have three brand new songs.

I think, we may be the first podcast to debut two new tracks by Howard Jones. “Soon you’ll go” and “Love never wasted” are from Howard’s new album, Ordinary Heroes, which is being released on November 3rd. For more information take a look at his website here. Thank you Howard for letting us play these tracks

We also debut a wonderful new song from Vittoria Conn, it’s called “Where would you be” which will be appearing very soon! You can but this track here on Amazon!.

If you are looking for the tshirts you can get them from our tshirt shop which is generously powered by the wonderfulPressoffers.co.uk. Thank you so much for listening tonight, have a fantastic week!

13 Comments »

  1. Hi dear Jason and Karen. Thank you very much for your podcast, my friend Ranny told me about you and I´ve been listening since last month. It gives me a great positive message to listen and encourage me to study gosho.
    This is my experience:
    I got my Gohonzon in june 2005 (my boyfriend had Gohonzon already and I start to chant infront of it 2003 because some disorder in develop with our daughter came up (born 2000), I found out that I was more calm when I chanted but I didn´t do regulary) and tried to chant regulary but give it up after about 6 month. I didn´t really felt that I really believed (some passion and faith were missing here), but I promised myself in the end of december 2008 that I would start to chant (and study) regulary in the new year 2009, so I have since.. The reason for this sudden change was that me and my boyfriend gamble (we trust people for a lot of money which were ours to multiply it in some way) and we lost it all…. First I start to chant when we find out something was going wrong with this gamble and after we knew it was all gone I was sure I would have it all back if I just chant enough….it´s still lost but instead I have more faith and understand that this money is not very important but my and others happiness are:-)
    In July I decided to take Kazuo Fuji (he came to Iceland in july to held a seminar for leader which by the way I attain just before the seminar (coleader with the leader Ranny in the district Rising Sun)) guidance very seriously (chant for one hour every day, study for 20 min. each day, zero complain and please 3 people every day), I have and I can feel changes is coming little by little.. Me and my boyfriend took a decision of changing school for our 9 year old girl (Rudolf Steiner school), everything is going better and better (of course we have do everything to help her since age of 3, including unorthodox cure and last winter our contsultant in our socialcenter told us that she is coping better than children which had similar disorder at same time as she)..
    Thank you soooo much for the inspiration by this podcast:-))

    Comment by Kolbrun — September 7, 2009 @ 8:40 pm

  2. Hi, Iam living in Venezuela, I Know about your page by Facebook- Thank you very much for your work, It´s the best.And I will take some ideas to propagate Budhism to all people that I can. I love your musician friends, i can see they make wonderfull music.
    Thank you very much again. I hope read and listen you soon
    Kisses
    Arla

    Comment by ARLA — September 8, 2009 @ 10:12 am

  3. Hi, Jason and Karen (and fellow ABP fans),

    Thank you for your podcast, for playing Howard’s music and for playing my song, “Where Would You Be.”

    I’d like to tell everyone an interesting thing about that song: It was Jason who gave me the idea to write a song about seeing obstacles as a source for growth. What he didn’t know at the time was that a few weeks later, he’d be in hospital with a serious and painful back injury, and I’d suffer a broken heart (the details aren’t important to this story). In other words, Jason gave me the idea to write a song that wound up encouraging both of us! Now that he and Karen have released it into the world, I hope many others find encouragement in it, too.

    Love,
    Vittoria Conn

    Comment by Vittoria — September 8, 2009 @ 10:55 pm

  4. Well, Jason and Karen, and Vittoria and Howard, once again you have collaborated your talents and woven together a beautiful show filled with wisdom and beauty and encouraging information. To Vittoria and Howard, many thanks for allowing Jason to play this brand new music so we can be first in line to say “Thank you for lifting our hearts!” Jason, I know you aren’t crazy about listing your resources, but it really is helpful. I’m constantly astonished how much new light you can shine on something I’ve read and studied so many times. It shows how deep Nichiren and in turn President Ikeda are, bottomless wells of refreshment and truth.

    Love,
    Donna in Sacramento

    Comment by Donna — September 10, 2009 @ 1:01 am

  5. Huge thanks to Jason and Karen for another great gosho study lecture! I was so so moved by this show, so full of humanism and depth that I am sure only comes through a big struggle! I cant express how much I appreciate your effort and also how deeply I related to what you said. I am totally inspired to study more. Also so totally moved by both songs that both bought happy tears to my eyes. Good one!
    Liz

    Comment by Liz Wallace — September 10, 2009 @ 9:15 am

  6. Dear Jason and Karen,

    I’m not really sure where to start, so I’ll start where I am… I have listened to all your podcasts, many of them more than once, and I continue to be amazed by you and by your show. Jason, I too struggle with recurring, debilitating back pain, and your tweets about the difficulty of 1) some basic bodily functions and 2) brain-numbing pain killers was spot on. I wish you continued health, and recovery from a frightening diagnosis. (I’m not saying I’ll chant about it because I am not a Buddhist, but more about that later.)

    I also want to comment on a suggestion made in a comment on a previous episode: I, too, wish you would write a book, a web tutorial, a series of blog posts, SOMETHING, on how to start and maintain a successful podcast. You have obviously done a lot of research and made myriad technical contacts, and you’ve nailed it. Your show is listener-centered (instead of being one big, public ego trip, as so many others are); you change the format rarely, and then only when it will serve the listeners; and your use of technology is transparent to the listener yet absolutely crucial to the listeners’ experience. I have only one complaint, and it is a small one: you seem to boost the volume when you play a song–including your promo song–which sends me frantically scrambling for the volume button every time. Other than that, your podcast is an example of how to do it right, and if you can communicate the podcast-building process as well as you communicate about Buddhism–and I’m sure you can–you’d provide a great service.

    I have a lot of thoughts and questions about the practice you have been teaching us over these last few years, but I am still trying to put them together in a coherent email… more later.

    Ann, in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA

    Comment by Ann — September 15, 2009 @ 4:21 pm

  7. Hello I am Soheila from the Waterloo district and I listen to your podcasts regularly and tell other people about it all the time. Big thank you for all the love and passion and hard work you put into the podcasts. They are much felt and appreciated. Love and Thanks. Soheila

    Comment by Soheila Keyani — September 17, 2009 @ 5:14 pm

  8. Hi Jason and Karen Dan Pelly in Southbridge Ma USA. catching up on your podcast and as usual a great listen. I heard your March podcast and it was great and got your take on the rubbing of beads, I am reading the Goshyo 1 right now and its a great ead for sure, and as you said no mention of it i have seen so far, its always just placing our hands together. But one of my sponsors does rub the beads at times and I think its a personal prefence and what you get out of it, it seems like when he was doing it and some time members do get sleepy it gets their attention, but for me when I do rub the beads it creates energy for me within the heat of my hands and I get more dertmined as I go. I just celebrated my 1 year in the practice 9.12.09 and I have come so far and even further since I obtained my Gohonzon on 5.3.09. Since I started last year and all the struggles I was in , I have reconciled with my Son after a on and off realatiuonship with him for 8 years or so. and seeing my grandkids now and just raising my life condition and those around me. I also started my on group on Southbridge the Southbridge Quinebaug Victory Group. The other district are supporting me unitl I gain new members and be acknolwedged officaly by the SGI, so I am chanting for this group to expand. Anyway thank and keep up the good works

    Dan Pelly

    Comment by Dan Pelly — September 17, 2009 @ 5:21 pm

  9. Dear Ann, thankyou so much for your comment. I wonder if you could listen to the latest show and let me know if you think the levels are better. Your comment was in the front of my mind when I was finishing the last show and I would like to know if you can tell the difference.
    I will give your request about explaining how to make a podcast some serious consideration. I have the kernel of an idea, now I just need to manifest some time for it!
    Thank you so much for writing.
    Jason

    Comment by jason — September 28, 2009 @ 8:15 am

  10. Jason & Karen, thanks so much! This was amazing!
    -Candace
    Southwest District
    Pittsburgh

    Comment by Candace — September 28, 2009 @ 5:42 pm

  11. Jason & Karen, thanks so much! This was amazing!
    -Candace
    Southwest District
    Pittsburgh

    Comment by CC — October 6, 2009 @ 12:38 am

  12. Hello Jason and Karren,

    Good job.kudos.was amazing experience to listen this gosho.

    Mahesh
    Proud to Be a Part of SGI
    Eastleigh District

    Comment by Mahesh — June 14, 2010 @ 8:40 pm

  13. I am sure you both will earn good fortune as a part of faith study and practice.

    Nam myoho renge kyo.

    Comment by Mahesh — June 14, 2010 @ 8:46 pm

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