Macrobiotics & Buddhism

[michelle494]

Im a Budddhist & a macrobiotic beginner..........is anyone else interested in Buddhism?
At the Buddhist centre(England) where I lived for 5 yrs, many people were interested in macrobiotics. People concluded that this is the most superior diet in the human race.......& they were interested because to find Buddhism & have an oportunity to practice it is extremely rare according to the theory of rebirth, which makes them want good health & a long life so they can make the most of the opportunity.
When we meditated on Buddhism we were taught that the entire meaning of life, the universe and the entire 84000 of Buddhas teachings could be condensed into a few lines of teaching.....eg
Know True Sufferings
Abandon True Origins
Attain True Cessations
Meditate on True paths

I think the presentation of the order of the universe has the same purpose. For example.......instead of having to study 84000 instructions, Buddhists now only have to study 4 sentences.
In the same way, there may be a lack of enthusiasm for studying the order of the universe as presented by George Ohsawa because we believe we have to study the entire universe to grasp the meaning of yin & yang, which feels like a huge and overwhelming task.
But we only have to study & contemplate & debate on the meaning of ......
The 7 universal principles
&
The 12 laws of change

So we don't have a big job.......

The essence of what I am saying is that I understand the following........(please feel free to correct me)
1. The 12 & the 7 is the root or trunk from which all the meaning & wisdom of macrobiotics comes
2. If we grasp these we understand the entire universe
3. If we do not study/understand/experience these deeply, even if we have studied the entire universe in every facet/detail, we will not have been studying macrobiotics & have lost the heart of macrobiotics
4. We only need to study the 12 & the 7.

I hope we will discuss the 12 & the 7 on this forum as George Ohsawa is saying "Everything Depends on your understanding"
He advises prayer & fasting for the ill saying
"Real prayer is not begging or supplication. Rather it is deep & continuing meditation on the structure of the infinite universe"

Im gonna go study now

[Bruce Paine]

I attended a spiritual seminar given at the K.I. ( http://www.kushiinstitute.org/ ) by Michio in 1986 and the following is one of the sutras that he introduced there:

HAN NYA SHIN GYO

BO SETSU MA KA HAN NYA HA RA MIT TA SHIN GYO

KAN JI ZAI BO SATSU GYO JIN HAN NYA HA RA MIT TA JI SHO KEN GO ON KAI KU DO IS SAI KU YAKU SHA RI SHI SHIKI FU I KU KU FU I SHIKI SHIKI SOKU ZE KU KU SOKU ZE SHIKI JU SO GYO SHIKI YAKU BU NYO ZE SHA RI SHI ZE SHO HO KU SO FU SHO FU METSU FU KU FU JO FU ZO FU GEN ZE KO KU CHU MU SHIKI MU JU SO GYO SHIKI MU GEN NI BI ZETS SHIN NI MU SHIKI SHO KO MI SOKU HO MU GEN KAI NAI SHI MU I SHIKI KAI MU MU MYO YAKU MU MU MYO JIN NAI SHI MU RO SHI YAKU MU RO SHI JIN MU KU SHU METSU DO MU CHI YAKU MU TOKU I MU SHO TOK KO BO DAI SAT TA E HAN NYA HA RA MIT TA KO SHIN MU KE GE MU KE GE KO MU U KU FU ON RI IS SAI TEN DO MU SO KU GYO NE HAN SAN ZE SHO BUTSU E HAN NYA HA RA MIT TA KO TOKU A NOKU TA RA SAN MYAKU SAN BO DAI KO CHI HAN NYA HA RA MI TA ZE DAI JIN SHU ZE DAI MYO SHU ZE MU JO SHU ZE MU TO DO SHU NO JO IS SAI KU SHIN JITSU FU KO KO SETSU HAN NYA HA RA MIT TA SHU SOKU SETSU SHU WATSU GYA TE GYA TE HA RA GYA TE HARA SO GYA TE BO JI SOWA KA HAN NYA SHIN GYO

What does it mean?

Visit:

Great Wisdom Beyond Wisdom Heart Sutra
( http://www.berkeleyzencenter.org/Texts/heartsutra.shtml )

and

Heart Sutra (White Path Temple)
( http://phys.columbia.edu/~arturv/h01.html )

I've heard that Herman and Cornelia were teaching this sutra at The Vega Study Center ( http://www.vega.macrobiotic.net/ ), as well.

Thank you, very much.

Bruce Paine

[michelle494]

Why do the macrobiotics study this sutra then?? Im intrigued...

Well I don't know any japanese so I can't help you with that one!
I studied the Heart Sutra too Heart Sutra + Commentary & it is very profound isn't it ! It would take about a week to explain what it means & it takes years to understand the explanation. It is quite a simple explanation.

Form is empty. Emptiness is form. Emptiness is not other than form, form also is not other than emptiness. Likewise feeling, discrimination, compositional factors & consciousness are empty......etc.

None of this makes any sense unless you understand what Form is empty means. It means...form lacks INHERENT existence. It does not mean nihilism.....ie that form does not exist, it means that form does not exist INHERENTLY, it is empty of inherent existence.
The key to understanding emptiness is to understand that all humans see phenomena as existing INHERENTLY & this is the root of all their physical & mental suffering. We can only understand the sutra if apply it to our personal experience & use it as a tool to overcome our suffering, Otherwise it is just dry philosophy with no relavence to us or our lives.

Michelle