The Physics of Chanting

The Physics of Chanting

by Emily Maroutian

  

When I first heard about the SGI practice of chanting, “Nam Myoho Renge Kyo,” I was skeptical and doubtful that it would actually “cause” anything to happen. After all, what could repeating a few words do anyway? However, I was open-minded enough to try it.

  

I sat on my bed, closed my eyes and began to chant. I chanted for about five minutes and I immediately began to feel my body vibrate from the sound my vocal cords were making. I experienced a tingling sensation in the palm of my hands and the rhythm of the chant made my body rock back and forth. My body’s physical reaction to the chanting frightened me and so I stopped. Does this really work? I thought. But how can it? Then it suddenly hit me! Physics!

  

Physics’ current theory of everything, String Theory, dictates that the entire universe is made up of tiny vibrating strings. The underlining fundamental make-up of all things, including you and I, are minuscule invisible strings. Much like the strings on a guitar, they vibrate and play notes. Moreover, since sound is a vibration, not only is the entire universe vibrating but it is also playing a symphony.

So how does chanting work? When an opera singer hits a high note, she can break glass from across the room without ever touching anything. In physics, this is called resonance. Her vocal note and the glass’s vibrational note resonate and that causes the shattering effect.

You and I are constantly vibrating through our being. We attract (law of attraction) into our lives whatever it is that harmonizes with our note (law of harmonic vibrations). This is why you can meet someone and feel as though you have known them forever; both of you are harmonizing. They resonate with you and you resonate with them.

We can also repel opposing vibrations (law of repulsion) and keep away situations and people that are vibrating on opposite levels. This is why people who have been in our lives for a long time can suddenly decide they want to move on. Our shift has repelled them because our vibrations don’t harmonize.

If this is the case, then let them go and have faith that it’s all for the best. If you are shifting positively and people are dropping out of your life, let them go. You can’t hold back growth and transformation by holding onto someone who “needs” to leave. Holding on might require that you have to shift into a level that is unhealthy or negative. It may take time, but they will return once they can harmonize with you once again.

When we chant something as powerful and beneficial as “Nam Myoho Renge Kyo,” we shift something within our being, which then alters what we attract into our lives. We alter the level in which we are vibrating on and that attracts a different level of people, things and situations.

In the same way, when we are depressed and carrying around self-pity, we vibrate on a level that attracts things that keep us feeling depressed. It also attracts more reasons, situations and issues that make us continue to pity ourselves. It is the Karma that we create and recreate over and over again.

If we were to chant, “I hate my life.” repeatedly, we would attract and harmonize with people and situations that reinforce that statement. We also reinforce it with our thoughts, emotions and our whole being.

Our environment will support our being regardless of how positive or negative we are. So we must not only chant “Nam Myoho Renge Kyo,” but we must become it as well. Our being must vibrate on the level of “Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.” Our lives must align with it in order for its true power to be unleashed in our lives and our environment.

Who we are is the biggest cause in our lives. Anyone at anytime can change their note. It begins with “Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.” When we shift, our environment shifts. Every member of SGI knows this through experience, now there is a physical explanation of how it works.

Resonance, String Theory and the laws of attraction and harmony are what come into play when we devote ourselves to the mystical law of cause and effect through sound and vibration. Nichiren understood this hundreds of years before science discovered it. Now I understand it as well. Through this understanding, we can have faith that when we chant we are aligning ourselves with the highest good in the universe.

My experience with chanting was very positive and life changing. Even though I chanted for only about five minutes, it only took a matter of four hours for my environment to respond to my request. After that experience, I began chanting everyday and continued to receive the same level of response from my environment.

We chant because it begins with our words and moves through our thoughts, feelings, actions and being. Then it resonates in our environment and then the world. But it begins within us. The more we gather and the more we chant, the more energy we feed into our goal of a peaceful loving world. So never forget fellow Buddhas that the universe is playing a beautiful symphony in which you and I are notes. And when we all gather, we make beautiful music together.

What is the Gohonzon?

What is the Gohonzon?

The Gohonzon is the prime point of faith, practice and study in Nichiren Buddhism. It provides us with a correct model or standard of faith and practice for our times. It usually takes the form of a paper scroll, with Chinese and Sanskrit characters printed on it in black ink. It is kept in a protective box, or butsudan. The area around the Gohonzon often has offerings of light (in the form of candles), evergreen, incense, water, and fruit. You may also see other offerings, and items like a bell around the butsudan.

In Reply to Kyo’o the Daishonin writes, ‘I, Nichiren, have inscribed my life in sumi ink, so believe in the Gohonzon with your whole heart.’ Although the Gohonzon takes the form of a paper scroll, it is vital that when we are chanting to it, it is not seen as outside one’s life. It is through our chanting to the ‘external’ Gohonzon in the butsudan, that we activate all the forces and functions within our own lives.

Nichiren Daishonin began to inscribe the Gohonzon for his followers around the time of his exile to Sado in 1271. He wanted to establish an object of fundamental respect which would enable anyone chanting to it to awaken the Buddhahood in their lives, and to experience the same life state as he did. Nichiren Daishonin provided us with the means to draw out the state of Buddhahood inherent in life.

The word ‘Gohonzon’ is translated into English as ‘object of fundamental respect’. ‘Go’ is an honorific prefix, and ‘honzon’ means what it is that we base our lives on.

Nichiren Daishonin was aware of the difficulty people had in believing that the life state of the Buddha could exist in their lives, and then how hard it is to manifest it. His writing The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind [WND p354] is in the form of a dialogue which strives to persuade the listener that if all the other nine worlds can be perceived in one’s life, then Buddhahood must be too. He inscribed the Gohonzon for individuals so that they would have a constant reminder of the eternal law, the cause for this life state, and which would serve as a focus for their daily practice, as well as functioning as the external cause for drawing out Buddhahood and revealing their greater self.

It is not necessary to be able to read or understand the characters on the Gohonzon in order to experience benefit from chanting to it. The Daishonin used script or calligraphy for the Gohonzon because he wanted the Gohonzon to be a universal mirror, free of the connotations of race and gender inherent in pictures or images.

The Calligraphy on the Gohonzon

The Gohonzon is sometimes described as a ‘mandala’, a word used in the East to describe an object in which Buddhas and bodhisattvas are depicted or on which a philosophical doctrine is expressed. Originally it meant a circle drawn in the earth around the place where a religious ceremony was to take place. The circle embraced all the people who participated in the ceremony, and was believed to protect them from negative influences. The word mandala was rendered in Chinese as ‘perfectly endowed’ or ‘cluster of blessings’.

Using Chinese calligraphy, Nichiren Daishonin put the characters Nam-myoho-renge-kyo Nichiren boldly down the centre of the Gohonzon. This represents the oneness of the Person and the Law. In other words, the ordinary person is the Buddha, and the Mystic Law is inherent in each living being. He then surrounded these characters with the names of people referred to in the Lotus Sutra, such as Shakyamuni Buddha and Many Treasures and others. All the characters represent an aspect of life, whether as a protective function, or as a representative of the ten worlds, and all are illuminated by the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

In the writing The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon Nichiren Daishonin explains why he placed the particular characters where he did. The blueprint for the Gohonzon was the description in the Lotus Sutra of the Ceremony in the Air, when a great jewelled Treasure Tower emerged out of the earth, and many Buddhas and bodhisattvas gathered to hear the Buddha Taho (or Many Treasures) confirm the truth that Shakyamuni had taught – that we all have the potential to reveal our Buddha nature in our daily life, as we are. This story in the Lotus Sutra represented the emergence of the state of Buddhahood in countless peoples’ lives, called Bodhisattvas of the Earth (the people who promised to propagate Nam-myoho-renge-kyo at the time we now live).

Shakyamuni described the dramatic events of the Tower emerging from out of the ground and reaching high into the sky. It was encrusted with precious gems and was intended to represent life with all its mystic and wonderful qualities. As it halted, floating in the air, the doors of the Tower opened and the Buddha Many Treasures was seen sitting inside. This Buddha invited Shakyamuni to enter and sit in the place of honour on Many Treasures’s right hand side. As we look at the Gohonzon, then, it is as if Shakyamuni and Many Treasures are in the Tower looking out at us and all the other characters on the Gohonzon. Then the Buddhas lifted the tower and the assembled company into the air, in what is known as the Ceremony in the Air, an event not limited to any particular time or place. When we look at the Gohonzon in this way, we realize that we are among the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. Through chanting to the Gohonzon, we are participating in the Ceremony in the Air, just as described in the Lotus Sutra.

The Gohonzon is said to contain all aspects of life, so it includes not just the positive and value creating qualities of life represented by the Buddha’s good disciples, but also examples of evil and destruction. For instance the representative of fundamental darkness, the Devil King of the Sixth Heaven is also included on it, although he too is bathed in the transforming power of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and revealing his enlightened rather than his negative aspects.

The four corners of the Gohonzon each contain a Heavenly King, a character that represents the protective forces of the universe. Between these, in the middle of each side, and written in Sanskrit calligraphy are the characters Aizen (or Craving Filled) on the left as we look at the Gohonzon and Fudo (or Immovable) on the right, who represent the principles that `earthly desires are enlightenment` and `the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana`, respectively. Nichiren Daishonin’s teachings enable us to transform our desires and our sufferings into enlightenment, rather than having to deny them.

Practicing with the Gohonzon

Nichiren Daishonin teaches that the Gohonzon enables us to see the ten worlds in our lives, in other words, that we have Buddhahood, and can use it. It is easy to see the lower life states, and to have the illusion that we can never be like the Buddha. The Gohonzon is described as a clear mirror which shows the law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and all its manifestations in the different life states, revealing their enlightened qualities.

The way to practice is to have the attitude while we are chanting that we are in no way different or separate from the eternal Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, or the Buddhas who are enlightened to that Law. The key is to praise one’s inherent Buddhahood and then go out into the world and practise as a bodhisattva, treasuring others, encouraging them to experience their Buddhahood too.

Through studying Nichiren Daishonin’s writings and awakening the wisdom we have within our lives, we become alive with the qualities of the Buddha state that are embodied in the Gohonzon. At the same time, we develop a natural desire to change our lives so that we bring out more and more consistently the condition of Buddha revealed by the Gohonzon. The more we practice with this desire to change, the more our lives and Nichiren Daishonin’s life-state embodied in the Gohonzon become as one.

This is a gradual process. When we practice to the Gohonzon, Nichiren Daishonin said we are simultaneously in the state of Buddhahood or enlightenment, but we cannot easily discern that life condition with our minds; therefore we do not always act accordingly. However, through our constant relationship with the Gohonzon, we gradually challenge and overcome the influence of negativity arising from our karma. As we open up our hearts we can begin to experience all those qualities of Buddhahood working naturally and vibrantly inside us and affecting everything that we think and say and do.

President Ikeda has recently described the process as this: ‘When we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo while practising for ourselves and others, with the Gohonzon of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo manifested by the Buddha as our clear mirror, and with deep confidence in the Gohonzon existing in our own lives, Myoho-renge-kyo within us resonates with the Myoho-renge-kyo outside us, and the world of Buddhahood emerges within us.’ [World of Nichiren Daishonin's Writings Part 12].

DAIMOKU: QUALITY OR QUANTITY

DAIMOKU: QUALITY OR QUANTITY

Here, President Ikeda responds to a question from an Italian member about whether quantity or quality is more important in chanting daimoku. Pointing out that Buddhist practice is not about rules and formality, President Ikeda says that we should chant and act in a way that creates value and gives us a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment.

"A 100,000-lira note is worth more than a 10,000-lira note. It goes without saying that it is preferable to have the note with the greater value. In the case of daimoku, the important thing is to chant earnestly and with strong conviction. Of course, it would be even better to have lots of 100,000-lira notes! [Laughter.] The bottom line is that both quality and quantity matter in chanting.

The principle of “responsive communion” is very important in Nichiren Buddhism. To use an analogy, when talking on the phone, if the connection is good, we’ll be heard even if we speak softly, but if it’s bad, then sometimes the other person won’t be able to hear us even if we shout. In order for our prayers to be effective, we need to express them honestly and directly to the Gohonzon.

The Daishonin states: “What is called faith is nothing unusual” (WND-1, 1036). In other words, we can just be ourselves. He continues:

'Faith means putting one’s trust in the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni, Many Treasures, the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions, and the heavenly gods and benevolent deities, and chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as a woman cherishes her husband, as a man lays down his life for his wife, as parents refuse to abandon their children, or as a child refuses to leave its mother.' (WND-1, 1036)

We should be honest and unpretentious when we chant to the Gohonzon. If we are suffering or feeling sad, then we should take that suffering to the Gohonzon without hiding it, expressing in our prayers what is in our hearts.

It is the Daishonin’s wish that we all become happy. By coming in contact with and connecting with the life of the Daishonin [by chanting to the Gohonzon], therefore, we are certain to attain happiness. It is inconceivable that the Daishonin would fail to protect those who are striving as his emissaries to realize kosen-rufu.

Essentially, we practice the Daishonin’s Buddhism for our own happiness and well-being. In chanting daimoku, too, the main thing is that we ourselves feel happy and satisfied. It’s not a matter of formality; there are no rules specifying how long we have to chant and so on. While it is often helpful to set ourselves a target for the amount of daimoku we want to chant, when we’re too tired or sleepy, or we find ourselves dozing off in front of the Gohonzon and just chanting out of force of habit, then it is far more valuable to get some rest and chant properly another time, when we’re refreshed in body and mind.

The most important thing is that we are filled with a satisfying sense of revitalization after chanting. When we continue chanting in this way each day, we will naturally come to experience a life in which all our desires are fulfilled."

President Ikeda’s Guidance:

From remarks at a question-and-answer session during the North Italy Representative Leaders Meeting commemorating July 3, Mentor-Disciple Day, Milan Community Center, Milan, Italy, July 3, 1992.

While Chanting…..

While Chanting…..

What do we think when we chant?

Intentions to become one with the rhythm of chanting, listen to the sound, feel vibrations, enjoy the moment, give sound your full attention.

What do we chant for?

To tap the inner potential of our lives, that will enable us to achieve a higher life condition – this is the dominant underlying desire.

You can chant for any goal you wish to achieve – short term or long term in your life or in the lives of those around you.

People rarely start chanting because they want to save the planet, but simple for personal reasons – a better job, a house, good health, sound financial position, a happy n successful life etc.

The common experience is that the very process of chanting begins to broaden and deepen our views. Although these desires may remain, they begin to include our friends, neighbors, work place, community, humanity.

Happy Chanting :) 

  

Courage

Courage

"Nichiren Daishonin inscribed the Gohonzon and spread Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to enable all people to overcome life's obstacles and achieve true happiness and to help others do the same.

"The Daishonin called upon his disciples: 'Each of you should summon up the courage of a lion king and never succumb to threats from anyone. The lion king fears no other beast, nor do its cubs' (WND-1, 997).

"The lion is the king of the animal world. The lion king fears nothing, regardless of how strong its opponent may be. No matter what happens, it advances fearlessly.

"You each possess within you this unsurpassed courage of the lion king.

Chanting daimoku enables you to tap this inner strength you possess.

"Nam-myoho-renge-kyo could be said to be the name of this invincible heart of the lion king. When your name is called, you naturally respond, don't you?

In the same way, when you chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, you are actually calling forth the heart of the lion king. You are able to bring forth courage, wisdom, the strength to live, and compassion to care for others.

Therefore, those who chant daimoku are able to make their lives shine their strongest and brightest."

SGI Newsletter No. 8833

The Formula to Achieve Victory

The Formula to achieve victory
"Start by writing down your dreams or goals on a piece of paper. There is something really magical about the written word. Writing down what you want to do will put you on the path in that direction. By the way, scientists have also recently found that writing your goals down on paper stimulates the brain and makes you want to try to achieve those goals.

After writing down your goals, chant about them. Nichiren Daishonin says: "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is like the roar of a lion". Like the roar of a lion, the king of beasts, Daimoku is the greatest source of strength that nothing can defeat. When you chant Daimoku the lion like courage and determination to realize your goals and dreams will well up inside you. The next step is to take action.

In SGI we have the winning rhythm of setting goals, chanting about them and taking action to realize them. I hope all of you will make "Decide, Chant & Act one of your mottoes and win each and every day.

Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day. However, if you use those hours wisely, you can accomplish a week's worth of effort in a day or 10 years' worth of effort in a year. I have lived my life with that spirit..."
(VC July 2013, pg 100-101)
- Sensei Ikeda

 

 

Polish your mirror day and night

Polish your Mirror Day and Night

"There may be times when things don't turn out as you had hoped, or you can't gather enough courage, or feel as if your problems will get the better of you. In Buddhism, we compare a mind filled with such thoughts to a tarnished mirror. No matter how beautiful a mirror may be, if it remains tarnished, it won't reflect anything. However, if you polish the mirror, it will begin to shine brilliantly like a jewel.

"The same thing is true of your mind and spirit. Chanting Daimoku is the best way to polish your mind and spirit, making everything clear. If you chant Daimoku, your life will begin to shine. You will become more motivated and energized, and you'll become more bright and alert."

SGI Newsletter No. 8833

The Only Strategy You Need to Win

The Only Strategy You Need to Win

No matter what situation may confront you, don’t allow yourself to become completely caught up in means and methods, but put into practice the teaching in the Gosho which states, “Employ the strategy of the Lotus Sutra before any other.” Establish an attitude of “Daimoku first under any and all circumstances.” Then, based on your Daimoku, you can work out the best method. This is the prime point of faith, a posture centered on the Gohonzon.

THREE OBSTACLES AND FOUR DEVILS

THREE OBSTACLES AND FOUR DEVILS

“When an airplane sits motionless on a runway, it encounters no resistance from the wind. As it accelerates down the runway, however, it meets resistance or drag from the air around it. The increasing wind resistance creates a lifting force under the wings, enabling the airplane to become airborne. As long as the plane maintains the sufficient speed, the opposing force of the wind will continue generating the lift necessary to sustain flight”.

“Similarly when we exert ourselves in Buddhist practice and begin to move toward our lasting happiness, we will meet the wind resistance of internal and external obstacles and function to resist or to stop our advancement.  Buddhism describe these function as the “Three obstacles and four devils”. In case of an airplane, the appearance of wind resistance demonstrates the plan’s speed had increased and that is about to become airborne. For us meeting “Three obstacles and four devils” is proof that we are accelerating toward happiness, our human revolution and the transformation of our karma.

The three obstacles are:

• The obstacle of earthly desires, or obstacles arising from the three poisons of greed, anger, and foolishness
• The obstacle of karma, obstacles due to bad karma created by committing any of the five cardinal sins or ten evil acts. The obstacle of karma also may be the hindrances presented by one's wife or children
• The obstacle of retribution, obstacles caused by the negative karmic effects of actions in the three evil paths. It is the hindrances caused by one's sovereign or parents.

The four devils are: 

• The hindrance of the five components, obstructions caused by one's physical and mental functions
• The hindrance of earthly desires, obstructions arising from the three poisons
• The hindrance of death, meaning one's own untimely death obstructing one's practice of Buddhism, or the premature death of another practitioner causing one to doubt
• The hindrance of the devil king, who is said to assume various forms or take possession of others in order to cause one to discard one's Buddhist practice. This hindrance is regarded as the most difficult to overcome.

These three obstacles and four devils weaken our spirit to fight for our own happiness, causing our life condition to decline. As a result our practice produces less wisdom and courage. Therefore it is important to keep a check on them and fight against them when they appear. It is quoted in the Gosho that "As practice progresses and understanding grows, the three obstacles and four devils emerge in confusing form, vying with one another to interfere.... One should be neither influenced nor frightened by them. If one falls under their influence, one will be led into the paths of evil. If one is frightened by them, one will be prevented from practicing the correct teaching." 

When these obstacles occurs, We must summon forth our faith and devote ourselves wholeheartedly to the practice of gongyo, daimoku and shakabuku and participating in gakkai activities with the conviction that they are turning points in our growth and will lead a brilliant and victorious life is to overcome with great resolve such obstacles. This we can do only by strengthening our faith, advancing kosenRufu, helping our fellow members to become happy by applying faith in their daily lives.

The important thing to realize is that when difficulties appear, they present an opportunity to make renewed efforts in our practice so that we are able to grow further and show proof of the power of Nam MyohoRengekyo. Obstacles and devils are a natural function of the practice and we should not be afraid of them – as our practice and faith deepens , we come to recognize the form of our own particular demons take, tailor made for each one of us , so that we continue to challenge ourselves in our quest to become better human beings.

GOOD FORTUNE

GOOD FORTUNE
"What is the secret to victory? Mr. Toda once described that in a certain sense life is a gamble. "If you are lucky, you will win," he said. "But if you are unlucky, then sometimes no matter how hard you try you lose. This is a hard fact." That is why, in addition to ability, GOOD FORTUNE is essential. The key to creating good fortune is found in FAITH and DAIMOKU. I hope that you will all act in accord with the fundamental Law of Buddhism and lead victorious lives filled with unsurpassed good fortune."
- Daisaku Ikeda

On Prayers

On Prayers

Vice President Tsuji once said, "We all have the same Gohonzon and practice in the same way; however, we find that while some people find tremendous benefits, nothing much happens for others, and still others find tremendous loss. What is the correct relationship with the Gohonzon? How can we practice to it to receive benefit?"

"The Gohonzon that is outside us brings joy from within. And, when we establish a relationship with the Gohonzon in front of us by chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, that Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo within ourselves will well up. 

If we look at the Gohonzon and think to ourselves that by doing this, `I'm going to get something,' it is like a beggar asking for something. Even under these circumstances, we will probably receive a benefit; however, the type of benefit we receive in this way will be as tiny as the tip a waiter gets compared to full payment for a meal."...

"We should chant daimoku with the attitude that through our prayers to the Gohonzon, whether it be for a new home, our business or our health, we will be able to contribute to the cause of kosen-rufu. Ask the Gohonzon, `For kosen-rufu, please let me overcome these difficulties.' Buddhist gods will render protection based on our prayer for kosen-rufu. Without thinking about kosen-rufu and simply chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, we will find little benefit. Benefit derived from our prayers based on kosen-rufu is as dynamic as flying in an airplane, while chanting just for our own sake is as slow as walking in terms of gaining benefit."

Excerpt from a lecture given by SGI-USA Vice General Director Greg Martin at the Seattle Culture Centre on June 9, 1995

What is Happiness? by Daisaku Ikeda

What is Happiness? by Daisaku Ikeda

  

What is the purpose of life? It is to become happy. Whatever country or society people live in, they all have the same deep desire: to become happy. 

Yet, there are few ideals as difficult to grasp as that of happiness. In our daily life we constantly experience happiness and unhappiness, but we are still quite ignorant as to what happiness really is. 

A young friend of mine once spent a long time trying to work out what happiness was, particularly happiness for women. When she first thought about happiness, she saw it as a matter of becoming financially secure or getting married. (The view in Japanese society then was that happiness for a woman was only to be found in marriage.) But looking at friends who were married, she realized that marriage didn’t necessarily guarantee happiness. 

She saw couples who had been passionately in love suffering from discord soon after their wedding. She saw women who had married men with money or status but who fought constantly with their husbands. 

Gradually, she realized that the secret of happiness lay in building a strong inner self that no trial or hardship could ruin. She saw that happiness for anyone—man or woman—does not come simply from having a formal education, from wealth or from marriage. It begins with having the strength to confront and conquer one’s own weaknesses. Only then does it become possible to lead a truly happy life and enjoy a successful marriage.

She finally told me, “Now I can say with confidence that happiness doesn’t exist in the past or in the future. It only exists within our state of life right now, here in the present, as we face the challenges of daily life.” 

I agree entirely. You yourself know best whether you are feeling joy or struggling with suffering. These things are not known to other people. Even a man who has great wealth, social recognition and many awards may still be shadowed by indescribable suffering deep in his heart. On the other hand, an elderly woman who is not fortunate financially, leading a simple life alone, may feel the sun of joy and happiness rising in her heart each day. 

Happiness is not a life without problems, but rather the strength to overcome the problems that come our way. There is no such thing as a problem-free life; difficulties are unavoidable. But how we experience and react to our problems depends on us. 

Buddhism teaches that we are each responsible for our own happiness or unhappiness. Our vitality—the amount of energy or “life-force” we have—is in fact the single most important factor in determining whether or not we are happy. 

True happiness is to be found within, in the state of our hearts. It does not exist on the far side of some distant mountains. It is within you, yourself. However much you try, you can never run away from yourself. And if you are weak, suffering will follow you wherever you go. You will never find happiness if you don’t challenge your weaknesses and change yourself from within. 

Happiness is to be found in the dynamism and energy of your own life as you struggle to overcome one obstacle after another. This is why I believe that a person who is active and free from fear is truly happy. 

The challenges we face in life can be compared to a tall mountain, rising before a mountain climber. For someone who has not trained properly, whose muscles and reflexes are weak and slow, every inch of the climb will be filled with terror and pain. The exact same climb, however, will be a thrilling journey for someone who is prepared, whose legs and arms have been strengthened by constant training. With each step forward and up, beautiful new views will come into sight. 

My teacher used to talk about two kinds of happiness—“relative” and “absolute” happiness. Relative happiness is happiness that depends on things outside ourselves: friends and family, surroundings, the size of our home or family income. 

This is what we feel when a desire is fulfilled, or when something we have longed for is obtained. While the happiness such things bring us is certainly real, the fact is that none of this lasts forever. Things change. People change. This kind of happiness shatters easily when external conditions alter. 

Relative happiness is also based on comparison with others. We may feel this kind of happiness at having a newer or bigger home than our neighbors. But that feeling turns to misery the moment they start making new additions to theirs! 

Absolute happiness, on the other hand, is something we must find within. It means establishing a state of life in which we are never defeated by trials, and where just being alive is a source of great joy. This persists no matter what we might be lacking, or what might happen around us. A deep sense of joy is something that can only exist in the innermost reaches of our life, and which cannot be destroyed by any external forces. It is eternal and inexhaustible. 

This kind of satisfaction is to be found in consistent and repeated effort, so that we can say, “Today, again, I did my very best. Today, again, I have no regrets. Today, again, I won.” The accumulated result of such efforts is a life of great victory. 

What we should compare is not ourselves against others. We should compare who we are today against who we were yesterday, who we are today against who we will be tomorrow. While this may seem simple and obvious, true happiness is found in a life of constant advancement. And, the same worries that could have made us miserable, can actually be a source of growth when we approach them with courage and wisdom. 

One friend whose dramatic life proved this was Natalia Sats, who founded the first children’s theater in Moscow. In the 1930s, she and her husband were marked by the Soviet Union’s secret police. Even though they were guilty of no crime, her husband was arrested and executed and she was sent to a prison camp in the frozen depths of Siberia. 

After she recovered from the initial shock, she started looking at her situation, not with despair, but for opportunity. She realized that many of her fellow prisoners had special skills and talents. She began organizing a “university,” encouraging the prisoners to share their knowledge. “You. You are a scientist. Teach us about science. You are an artist. Talk to us about art.” 

In this way, the boredom and terror of the prison camp were transformed into the joy of learning and teaching. Eventually, Mrs. Sats even made use of her own unique talents to organize a theater group. She survived the five-year prison sentence, and dedicated the rest of her long life to creating children’s theater. When we met for the first time in Moscow in 1981, she was already in her eighties. She was as radiant and buoyant as a young girl. Her smile was the smile of someone who has triumphed over the hardships of life. Hers is the kind of spirit I had in mind when I wrote the following poem on happiness: 

A person with a vast heart is happy.

Such a person lives each day with a broad and embracing spirit.

A person with a strong will is happy.

Such a person can confidently enjoy life, never defeated by suffering.

A person with a profound spirit is happy.

Such a person can savor life’s depths while creating meaning and value that will last for eternity.

A person with a pure mind is happy.

Such a person is always surrounded by refreshing breezes of joy. 

The strategy of the Lotus Sutra

The strategy of the Lotus Sutra

A sword will be useless in the hands of a coward. The mighty sword of the Lotus Sutra must be wielded by one courageous in faith. Then he will be as strong as a demon armed with an iron staff. I, Nichiren, have inscribed my life in sumi, so believe in the Gohonzon with your whole heart. The Buddha's will is the Lotus Sutra, but the soul of Nichiren is nothing other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

- Nichiren (Reply to Kyo-O)

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOU AND THE GOHONZON

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOU AND THE GOHONZON

Guidance by Soka Gakkai Vice President Takehisa Tsuji 

Following guidance by Soka Gakkai Vice President Takehisa Tsuji has appeared in the 16 May 1986 issue of the World Tribune and is so significant to our practice and meaningful to our lives that it should be read, reread and shared with all. This is a great read but, more importantly, it needs to be utilized! 

🌷THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOU AND THE GOHONZON🌷 

Today I would like to explain the relationship between you and the Gohonzon. The telephone was invented by Mr Bell and it enabled people to communicate. The electric light, invented by Thomas Edison, is used everywhere in the world. Although he invented it, it is not the property of a single person. It already existed in life. Telephones and electric lights were possible because of the existence of the natural laws of sound and light. Nichiren Daishonin explained the law of life in the form of the Gohonzon. It is applicable to any person: anyone who chants to this Gohonzon becomes happy. A baby doesn't know how to use electricity but if he pushes the switch, it works. In the same way, when we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo for the first time, it is like a baby putting on the light of the Law of Life. 

It seems as if we are chanting to an external object, but actually you are switching the light on within yourself. If you look at a beautiful picture, it doesn't speak to you and tell you how beautiful it is. You feel its beauty by looking at it: you experience it inside. One you feel beauty inside, you can enjoy the beauty of beautiful flowers, etc, outside. Similarly with music, although it is external, you enjoy its beauty inside yourself. 

In the same way, when you do gongyo, the highest state of life wells up from within you. You make a connection with the Gohonzon in your heart. When we talk of faith, we mean developing our connection with the Gohonzon. Try bringing forth that highest state from within you every time you do gongyo. 

It is said that with the Gohonzon we can become healthy and rich. When we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we make an invisible connection to and from the Gohonzon, like radio waves. If you receive electric waves, you die, but if you make a connection with the Gohonzon through chanting daimoku, you're able to circulate Nam-myoho-renge-kyo within your body and attain enlightenment at that moment. You're rejuvenated. Two people having a love affair have this special connection. Try to develop a similar seeking attitude for the Gohonzon. The Lotus Sutra mentions gen kai e renbo: seeking the Gohonzon as though it were your lover. If the Gohonzon could speak to you, probably you feel it would be easier. The Gohonzon is like a parent which listens to all your prayers and tries to bring you to an equal life condition. 

Everyone has a cycle of emotions within including Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, but we can't see their existence. As the Gosho says: your eyebrows are too close to be able to see them. Your life-states only occur in relation to an external cause. For example, when someone lies to you, anger fills your entire body - every physical aspect is imbued with anger. When you chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, you achieve kosen-rufu in your body. Your entire body is filled with joy. 

The Gohonzon doesn't give you medicine, but you are able to connect the invisible Nam-myoho-renge-kyo in yourself with the visible Nam-myoho-renge-kyo in the Gohonzon and we obtain the same benefit and healing power as is contained in the Gohonzon. When you are chanting, do not chant as if to some external object, but to bring forth Nam-myoho-renge-kyo from within and let it circulate through your entire body. 

Seek the Gohonzon as your parent. When we do this, our entire body absorbs Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. It reaches the brain and cures mental illness. It reaches the ears and cures hearing problems, it reaches the eyes and cures eye troubles, as our vocal chords make this beautiful sound. It reaches the lungs and cancer of the lungs or breast is cured. It reaches the stomach, the tips of the hands and feet, everywhere. Chant with the attitude of devoting your life to kosen-rufu, of becoming healthy for kosen-rufu. 

Gongyo is bringing forth Nam-myoho-renge-kyo from within yourself which cleanses and purifies the body. It is not asking for benefit from some external object. Gongyo purifies your life from within. Try to taste the daimoku and circulate it through your body to reach the bones and the blood. Express your appreciation to the Gohonzon that you can attain the same life-state as the Gohonzon. There is a phrase in the Lotus Sutra, shiki ko mimi, which means practice faith as though enjoying delicious food. Gongyo done out of force of habit is nothing like this. Chanting with an appreciative attitude as though enjoying delicious food enables you to overcome illness and other problems. 

When you take off in an airplane, the crew makes flight checks. When you chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, make an inspection of your life by letting it reach all parts of your body right to the extremities. Then our bodies become the treasure tower of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. The head is MYO, the throat HO, the breast and stomach RENGE, and the legs, KYO. 

Recently I met a woman who couldn't walk properly. She had to walk to tiptoe. I told her about this treasure tower of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and that the feet were KYO. I told her to chant for kosen-rufu, to pledge to cure her feet so that she could run around and do shakubuku. She felt she had not been doing gongyo correctly and changed her attitude. Her feet started to move and the pain went away. Actually, she understood immediately and because of this, was cured right away. 

I met a 66-year-old grandmother who was blind. She said she didn't mind if she didn't see, but she wanted to see the Gohonzon just once. I told her the same thing, to send Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to her eyes. She changed her attitude in gongyo and determined to work for kosen-rufu. She started to see the light in the room at that moment. She jumped up and shouted! She wrote to me saying that now she chants for hours on end. 

These experiences are not because of me; I am not a doctor. I merely told these people the Correct Method of Chanting. The Gohonzon is not just a piece of paper. A dollar bill has value. The Gohonzon has incomparable power to cure any disease or problem. Change yourselves into being magnets of good fortune. Love the Gohonzon above all else and circulate Nam-myoho-renge-kyo through your body. We all have the ultimate Law within us, but only Nichiren Daishonin could bring it forth without external help. This is why he inscribed the Gohonzon for us. A parent yearns for her children to become equal to herself. If all people could chant and live based on Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, there would be no conflicts or wars in this world. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo can harmonise all conflicts. 

The invention of the telephone and electric light are praiseworthy indeed. However, these do not enable us to overcome disease and change our karma. Only the Gohonzon enables us to attain happiness. It enables people from all over the world to live happy lives. Telephones and lights have become popular throughout the world because they are so useful. In the case of religion, it is not so easy to let people all over the world know that the Gohonzon enables them to live happy lives. We make daily efforts to do shakubuku. You may have difficulty trying to shakubuku your family, but it is much more praiseworthy than inventing the electric light. 

Question: Can we overcome any illness? 

Answer: Yes, all diseases. The Gohonzon is almighty. There are four large characters on the Gohonzon in the corners, The Four Heavenly Kings. The one on the bottom left is Zojoten which has the meaning of increasing and enlarging. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo enlarges and increases through the body, allowing any illness to be cured. 

Two things are important. Firstly, is one's practice really joyful? Secondly, make sure we are not chanting for mercy from an external object. It is the difference between chanting like a beggar or bringing Nam-myoho-renge-kyo forth from within and tasting the daimoku.

FAITH IN THE GOHONZON

FAITH IN THE GOHONZON

“Result is a reflection of your faith in the Gohonzon. Whatever you are thinking in front of the Gohonzon will be true for you. Are you thinking failure or victory? Are you trying to tell the Gohonzon how to solve your problems or are you turning over your heart’s desire with unlimited trust to the Gohonzon? The Gohonzon’s power is beyond the comprehension of our minds. This is why we call it mystic. Our challenge is to dream of results as big as the power of the Gohonzon, which has no limit. With this attitude of faith, you can tap the infinite power of joy, gratitude and victory. If you find you are stuck, pray to release the chains of doubt & fear clouding your mind of faith. Pray for unbounded confidence & courage to win over your past & joyfully step into your bright future.”

- Sensei Ikeda

The Power of Words - by Daisaku Ikeda

The Power of Words 

- by Daisaku Ikeda

  

I have vivid memories of encounters with people whose voices or words have moved me over the years. One which springs to mind happened during a visit to the Guilin region of China, a beautiful land of craggy mountains, mists and rivers.

Walking along, we met two young girls, no older than 15 or 16, selling medicinal herbs near a river. They carried a large basket filled with herbs, inviting passers-by to buy their goods with vibrant voices.

“Ni hao!” [Hello] I called to them. “Ni hao!” They smiled back: “We offer every kind of medicine: choose the one you want.”

I smiled at their high spirits and asked, “Do you have anything to make me smarter?” They seemed taken aback, but only for an instant. “I’m sorry,” one of them replied in a clear, firm voice, “We just sold out of that one.”

Our group burst into laughter at this witty reply, and we felt as warm inside as if a gentle spring breeze had touched us. As a Chinese saying puts it, “Even a single word uttered out of goodness can warm the heart in the bitterest winter.”  

I fondly recall that my wife and I ended up buying some herbs as souvenirs, and I sometimes wonder how the girls and their families are doing.

I believe that sincere one-to-one conversation can soften and melt even hearts that are completely frozen. By talking with someone face-to-face, you can actually change that person’s life and your own. 

Today we live in the midst of a flood of soulless information. And the more we rely on one-way communication, like radio or TV, or static and unmoving words in print, the more I feel the need to stress the value of the sound of the human voice: The simple but precious interaction of voice and voice, person and person; the exchange of life with life.

In a face-to-face conversation, the listener can ask questions or disagree, and this in turn may make the speaker rethink his or her own views. The process is dynamic and multifaceted, creating mutual joy and understanding. 

For myself, I love talking with a wide range of people from all over the world. I always learn something new and I find it inspiring to be exposed to different ways of thinking.  This is a kind of spiritual nutrition for me.

My experience is that no matter how strong the initial uncertainty, or even hostility another person may feel toward you, if you approach them with complete sincerity and speak the truth, they will invariably respond in kind.

Face-to-face conversation may seem like something very ordinary, but it is in fact the most powerful tool for positive change we possess. We can exchange ideas on a very human, personal level, with a basis of respect and faith in each other’s essential goodness. Everyone involved is equal; there is neither superior or inferior.  

The French thinker Montaigne loved discussion, and he always kept an open mind, saying,  “No proposition astounds me, no belief offends me, however much opposed it may be to my own. Contradictions of opinion only arouse and exercise my mind.” To him, dialogue was the search for truth, and he claimed that he welcomed and embraced the truth, in whoever’s hands he found it. 

As we have two ears and one mouth, maybe we should listen twice as much as we speak. Certainly if we are self-righteous or prejudiced, no one will approach us with an open heart.

  

Sometimes our attempts to start a discussion or talk things over may be slighted or ignored. Then we should remember that rejection and disappointment are inevitable in life, and just keep on trying. Maintaining dialogue takes great patience and perseverance. We need to develop a strong sense of self, so that although we can clearly see the emotions of the other person, we keep on calmly and steadily “rowing” closer to their heart.

The biggest obstacle to successful dialogue is usually excessive attachment to one’s own point of view. For instance, a rift between a parent and child will not be easily healed as long as the parent only sees things as a parent, and the child only from his or her own viewpoint.

In a genuine discussion, it is best if we can see any confrontations that arise as just another form of our connectedness. If both parent and child can see themselves as sharing common ground—making up a family together—things can take a surprisingly easy turn for the better. The deeper the common feeling that binds us, the more we can embrace those who differ from us and ensure that dialogue will lead to a fruitful outcome.

Whether the problem is that of a single family, or international in scope, if those involved can view things from a higher perspective, with a sense of shared purpose, the gears of dialogue will always start to turn in a positive direction.

If more people were to pursue dialogue in an equally broad-minded and persistent manner, I am sure that the inevitable conflicts of human life would find easier resolution.  Prejudice would give way to understanding, and war to peace. Genuine dialogue results in the transformation of opposing viewpoints, changing them from wedges that drive people apart into bridges that link them together.

SEEK THE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM WITHIN YOURSELF, THE GOHONZON IS NOT OUTSIDE US

SEEK THE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM WITHIN YOURSELF, THE GOHONZON IS NOT OUTSIDE US.

By former SGI-USA General Director Greg Martin

Imagine doing gongyo, chanting daimoku, doing shakubuku, attending discussion meetings, promoting publications, participating in zaimu, lifetime after lifetime for countless aeons, and never changing your karma; never attaining enlightenment. That’s a depressing thought.

The Daishonin is pointing out here how important it is to not look outside yourself. Don’t try to get power from outside yourself. Seek the solution to the problem within yourself. You are the problem. You are also the solution.

If you chant daimoku in front of the Gohonzon with the prayer, “give me the wisdom to know what I need to do. Give me the wisdom to know what action I need to take”, you will be amazed at the progress you make. Outwardly directed prayers will not help you in the least, even if you do it for the rest of your life.

The Daishonin’s strict point here is that if you’re going to chant daimoku, don’t waste your time trying to fix things outside of yourself. The Gohonzon has almost no power in the outer realm, but the Gohonzon has a universe of unlimited power to change you and reform your life. Open your life and see your true nature. Deal with your true nature. It is characterized by one of the three poisons: greed, anger, or stupidity. To find out which it is, just ask yourself, “am I greedy, am I angry, or am I stupid?” It’s one of those three!

The Daishonin goes on to state: “... you cannot attain Buddhahood, even if you practice lifetime after lifetime for countless aeons. Attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime is then impossible ... for example, a poor man cannot earn a penny just by counting his neighbour’s wealth, even if he does so night and day.”

The Gosho goes on to say that if you do not understand that this is happening within you and not out there some place, you will be unable to change your karma. Your practice will become an endless, painful austerity.

Let’s turn that around. Look at your life. Is there any area in your life in which, when you chant daimoku about it, it seems an endless, painful austerity? It may be your job, your relationships, your children, or anything else. You might be fine in all other areas, but when it comes to relationships, for example, you can be completely non-Buddhist and getting no benefit. This can go on for years. You may even give up because it’s so painful.

The problem is not Buddhism. The problem is not that your karma is so heavy. The problem is that you are looking in the wrong place. You are the problem. You are not looking inside. It’s easier to look outside.

Let’s say you have a large problem that you want to overcome. You begin a campaign of chanting one million daimoku. Somewhere around 999,950 daimoku, it suddenly dawns on you, “hey, maybe the problem is me!” Knowing this, we can shorten the process a little bit!

Starting out knowing that “the problem is me”. That way we can make progress chanting maybe only 50,000 daimoku instead of one million …

When we look at our practice, we only see it from one direction, and it always looks right to us. Most of the time, we think we’re just fine. But someone else can clearly see if we are way out of line. This is especially true when you have an experienced senior in faith. This is why we receive guidance.

The following is an excerpt from a summary of a lecture given by former SGI-USA General Director Greg Martin at the Seattle Culture Centre on June 9, 1995.

Raising Children - by Daisaku Ikeda

Raising Children - by Daisaku Ikeda

  

I love to see the growth of young people, as they are straight and true, and full of promise.  Their whole lives lie ahead of them. And it is they who are entrusted with the future.  That’s why I take them very seriously. 

I feel that “treasures of the heart” are the greatest possible gift from parents to their children. Some parents may wish to guarantee their children’s happiness by giving them material wealth. Yet, no matter how wealthy they are, without good health and physical strength, children will not be able to lead truly happy lives. And above all, I believe that it is the “treasures of the heart”—inner qualities such as spiritual strength, character and humanity—that will ensure the true happiness of a child.

I see child raising as a process of leading a young adult to develop the strength to stand and walk on his own feet. Every time I meet a child, I always offer my respect to him or her as an independent person. A child is an individual with a distinct personality, and even the bond between parent and child is ultimately a relationship between two individuals.

Some children are very considerate and always deep in thought. Others may be looking for someone to fight with. One child cannot resist scribbling on everything in sight. Another is always running to the kitchen for something to eat. There are a thousand different character types and each has different interests. Parents can try to anticipate the different directions in which a child’s individuality might lead them and then do everything possible to provide the environment best suited for their development.  

Children are very sensitive; I always feel it is unkind to make comparisons among them.  Buddhism teaches that just as cherry blossoms are cherry blossoms, and plum blossoms are plum blossoms, each person has a totally unique character. Children need to each grow at their own rate and in a way that is true to themselves. 

Nothing encourages the growth of children more than knowing they are understood and trusted by their parents, as a story about the great French writer and poet Victor Hugo illustrates. The man who lived next door to the young Hugo’s family had a huge apple tree, and he decided to build a fence around it so that children couldn’t pick the apples. Hugo’s mother told him, “If you’re building that fence to keep my son away, you needn’t bother.” The man continued to watch, but the boy never came near the tree. I am impressed that Hugo’s mother knew her son’s character so well. 

In order for a child to develop an independent self, it may be necessary at times to discipline him, while at other times the child needs to follow his own way. 

I don’t think children are weak and fragile from the beginning. I believe that even a newborn baby possesses vast untapped potential. I’ve heard that a baby, even without any swimming lessons, can instinctively swim when put in water. Perhaps it is parents’ overprotectiveness that actually suppresses the potential of a child, making him or her feeble to the point where the child loses the once-possessed skill and strength needed to swim in the vast ocean called “life.”

Fearing their child may become wet from a small wave, some parents would make sure that she will not even go near the water, and others may try to shield and protect her by getting wet themselves. Imagine how shocked and helpless such a child may become when suddenly thrown into the vast ocean. What will happen to her after she grows up and is swept away by the crushing waves of life and finds that no one is there to intervene on her behalf?

Parenting, to me, means helping a child to develop his or her own strength to strive, to challenge and to live. “If you love your child, help him stand on his own feet and send him off on a journey of learning,” was a concept popular in old Japan. This is how parents back then educated their children. If the ability to face life’s difficulties is made the focus of their upbringing, there is no need to worry whether or not one’s children will handle their lives well.

Sadly, however, some parents try to use their children as a means to give expression to their own vanity and pride, trying to force them into some preconceived mold they consider desirable. This is not a pretty sight, and they run a grave risk of destroying the individuality of their child entirely. If a parent thinks not of the child’s dreams but of his or her own, the result will be something as artificial as the dwarfed trees in a bonsai arrangement.

I feel it is crucial that parents understand the way children’s minds work.  When he asks the all-important question, “Why?” and is scolded, or a nonsensical answer is made up to quiet him, a child’s purity of spirit will be sullied. 

One of the most crucial aspects of child raising is how to answer this frequent question. In the beginning children expect their parents to teach them about everything. However, rather than responding immediately, maybe the mother or father can take the time to work out together with the child what the answer might be. This can help cultivate the child’s power of reasoning.

If parents can raise their children in a way that discourages self-absorption and fosters open-mindedness, such openness of spirit will naturally develop into a warm heartedness directed toward others, toward nature and toward the universe. And with such young people in it, I am confident that the world will become a better place.

Prayer that Transforms Dreams into Reality

Prayer that Transforms Dreams into Reality

by Jeanny Chen

President Ikeda likens us to a microcosm while the universe is a macrocosm. As the microcosm, we are inherent with the same ability to give birth, breed, plant, create, produce, duplicate multiply, construct, compound, invent, discover. Even to cause, to show and to shape. Moreover, being the practitioners of the Mystic Law, the Law of the Universe, we are fortunate to have the advantage of holding the key, the means, the wisdom and the strength to bring just everything into existence, as the universe does. 

Be it sentient or insentient, conspicuous or inconspicuous, as long as we follow the Law with the correct attitude and practice it assiduously, we are the arbiters of what we can bring about. Our prayer blazes a trail and gives rise to the making of such a development, or manifestation. Therefore, it is virtually a decisive factor whether we are able to walk the right path, to actualize our dreams or not. Wonders of all kinds of incredible formation are one of the major activities in the universe, throughout eternity. 

Prayer is a string of thoughts we put together, to speak for our wishes and goals. From the Buddhist viewpoint, thought is one of the three causes that create effect or karma, which will manifest in due time. 

When we think of karma, we’re most inclined to think of our bad karma; we’re so often caught up by its alarming, unpleasant aspects. Therefore, we learn, through our Buddhist practice, to be cautious about what we think. We do not want to involuntarily place ourselves into facing bad consequences.

While water wrecks the boat, it can also carry the boat. It all depends on one’s ability, how one can maneuver within it.

If any random, careless, negative thought can effortlessly incur damage, by the same token, one can definitely expect to harvest infinite fortune once we scrupulously engage in designing a pool of all the positive thoughts that we can ever think of.

The ball is in our court.

Nichiren Daishonin says in his writing On Prayer:

“The prayer offered by a practitioner of the Lotus Sutra will be answered. Just as an echo answers a sound, as a shadow follows a form, as the reflection of the moon appears in clear water, as a mirror collects dewdrops, as loadstone attracts iron, as amber attracts particles of dust, or as a bright mirror reflects the color of an object.” WND p340

A practitioner of the Lotus Sutra is one who propagates and practices the Lotus Sutra in exact accordance with its teachings. We have to not only practice the Law but also take action to propagate it, in order to be a votary. If we seriously demand extraordinary answers to our prayers, we had better practice and spread it fervently and untiringly. Our persistent sincerity and action will defeat our conscience of unworthiness, affirming our confidence in the outcome of prayer, convincing ourselves that we deserve better. 

Other premises for making our prayers come true are, unwavering faith and, a heart-felt mission to spread the Law. It is imperative to also awaken to the truth that we ourselves are Buddhas, the treasure tower.

There are millions of votaries of the Lotus Sutra around, who are also praying day and night. How can we make a hundred percent sure that our prayers are not left out? The simple answer is to take total control, instead of begging for mercy or trying luck. Only with the inner realization of our inherent Buddha nature can we fully activate and implement the virtues of the Buddha within, and to work profoundly toward the accomplishment of our goals. 

It is essential that we inject penetrating conviction, determination and confidence into prayer. Prayer is a pledge that we resolve to fulfill, for the sake of our happiness and the happiness of others. It’s also a wonderful right, not a formality obligation. Everyday, we even crave for conducting the prayer, longing for one more opportunity to lift our life condition and life force, as well as to emerge with wisdom and build fortune. We pray to appreciate – without pretense – the rare fortune of encountering this Buddhism in our lifetime. If we decide to pray with the attitude of entering a Treasure Tower, we would never leave it empty-handed. 

In his writing “Rebuking Slander of the Law”, Nichiren Daishonin demonstrates to us how to pray for the impossible:

“I am praying that, no matter how troubled the times may become, the Lotus Sutra and the ten demon daughters will protect all of you, praying as earnestly as though to produce fire from damp wood, or to obtain water from parched ground.” WND p444

Surely, we can create the picture in our mind’s eye: wet timber flaming with heavy smoke; a stream of water making its way to the surface of desert ground.

Together with prayer, we freely play with our visualization; the intangible becomes tangible, dreams transform into reality, poison turns into medicine and misfortune brings about fortune.

We want to focus on the desired result but not how it is possible to come true. 

The fact is, that besides the protection that countless Buddhas rendered to us, it is our sincere prayer and faith that gives rise to action. Efforts appropriate to our situation propels us in the direction of actualizing our prayers.

Prayer accompanied with goals is our life proposal. We present to Gohonzon, in the form of dialogue an introduction of ourselves. We make ourselves known to the universe. Since Gohonzon exists only within the mortal flesh of us ordinary people who embrace the Lotus Sutra and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, prayer strengthens our confidence and reassures goals back to ourselves. We don’t wish to ever miss any point of this important presentation. Therefore, the best way is to write them down, as specific and thorough as possible, if we don’t want to burden our memory cells. We read it out or silently before, during or at the end of our chanting. Or, we can recite the entire prayer in our head throughout the duration of our chanting, emphasizing and repeating the crucial parts, to our heart’s content.

The most powerful means of communication between two people is to dialogue with the other person, without his presence, through daimoku, in front of Gohonzon. From the very beginning of our daimoku, in our mind, we open the other person’s Buddhahood and ours, positioning both sides in the world of Buddhahood. We pour out our heart with goodwill. No matter how ugly the relationship, whatever righteous wish we desire of the other person, it will be well received, via this amazing channel. Better yet, answered in reality, once we are absolutely sincere and serious about our prayer. 

Why open Buddhahood, or Buddha nature? Among the characteristics of Buddhahood, there are wisdom, life force, compassion and happiness. Buddha wisdom sees the true aspect of all phenomena. People in the state of Buddhahood are not deceived by the superficiality of any situation. They certainly are wise enough to know how to communicate the truth, nothing by underlying truth. They know exactly how to manage damage control, how to interact perfectly, exactly what to say to reach the win-win result.

People with unbeatable life force won’t be defeated by any circumstance. No matter how bad the situation, they have no worries, no negative concerns. They are strong, upbeat and courageous. When two such positive minds talk, their optimistic energy can only generate constructive outcome.

Compassion is the lifeblood and trademark of Buddhas. They respect and embrace all beings as they are and what they are, regardless. Thus, both ways of any communication are original, genuine and, straightforward without distorting, abating or blocking. Messages will be sent compassionately and humbly at the one end. They will be warmly acknowledged, equally treated and, thoughtfully responded to, by the other. How can anything not turn out to be harmonious and satisfactory this way?

Buddhas enjoy absolute happiness under all circumstances. Nothing could ever upset or irritate them in such a highest life condition. They take everything as a blessing. In other words, whatever you say is perfectly fine. Thus, is it a surprise that the dialogue between two forever-happy people comes to a happy ending?

Prayers offered from the bottom or our hearts in the world of Buddha reach every corner, move the most obstinate and, work wonders. Be it a relationship, health, job hunting or promotion. IT is the ultimate dialogue we conduct with Gohonzon, the universe, ourselves, family members, friends, co-workers, future employers, future soul mate, ex-…etc.

A heartbroken elderly mother had been mistreated by her son and daughter-in-law. She was devastated. She depended on their assistance in areas of her daily life. What she asked from them – especially her son – was a fair and clear communication. She was unable to get it. Her son only listened to his wife’s twisted, one-sided stories, putting her in the spot. After learning about dialogue in the world of Buddha, she engaged in a sincere daimoku campaign. She put all three of them in the world of Buddha. She apologized for the inconvenience she had incurred on them. She appreciated their filial caring and, prayed for the daughter-in-law’s happiness. She specifically chanted for her son’s wisdom to see the truth.

Within a week, her son’s attitude changed totally. Within one month, the daughter-in-law became sweet and thoughtful. The elderly woman was overjoyed; she had found her happiness again. 

Throughout the episode, no outsider had to risk becoming entangled in their domestic affairs. Not a single person became offended. It was a seamless victory, achieved through heart-to-heart dialogue, via daimoku, at the state of Buddhahood.

What do we pray for? We praise the Lotus Sutra, the King of Sutras, for its profound teaching. We praise Nichiren Daishonin for his devotion, for making it possible for all human beings to embrace the Louts Sutra. We apologize for our ancestors’ slanders and for the slanders we committed. We appreciate our fortune for encountering Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism. We would like to pay or debt of gratitude by spreading its benefits with all our might. We vow to fight against evil functions. We pray to contribute to the success of world peace, the prosperity of the SGI organization, and the happiness of other people. 

Last but not least are our personal goals.

Positive personal development parallels the importance of our goals of overcoming challenges, changing karma and achieving accomplishments. (See “Goal, the Priceless Life Proposal”)

In his book “Faith into Action” p. 152, President Ikeda gives guidance regarding the most important element of prayer, to keep praying:

“There are many elements involved in a prayer being answered, but the important thing is to keep praying until it is. By continuing to pray, you can reflect on yourself with unflinching honesty and begin to move your life in a positive direction on the path of earnest, steady effort. Even if your prayer doesn’t produce concrete results immediately, your continual prayer will at some time manifest itself in a form greater than you had ever hoped.”

Does it sound familiar that when our prayers are eventually answered, they usually turn out for the best? That is a surprise bonus.

Realizing the power of prayer, why don’t we sit down and start to write down our unique prayer, the prayer that transforms dreams into reality?

“Dear Gohonzon:

In order for me to become very capable of fulfilling my mission of spreading the Law, I have determined to spare no effort to overcome my challenges and to do human revolution, to accomplish all my goals…”