Wednesday, February 22, 2017

How we can transform our relationships through our Buddhist Practice

How we can transform our relationships through our Buddhist Practice

Linda Johnson's guidance on how we can transform our relationships through our Buddhist Practice:

When we’re encountering someone, and we have that disagreement or hurt with another human being; you know, that person who’s gotten on your last nerve? OK. From the standpoint of Buddhism, I want you, from today, to look at them from the eyes of Buddhism. And what I mean by this is, I want you to understand that when you see negativity in another human being, all you’re lookin...g at is another human being just like you. Who, at this moment in time, is being possessed by the negative side of their life. Honestly.

If you can have the compassion to chant by sending Nam Myoho Renge Kyo to their life with the conviction that Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is more powerful than any negativity, whether inside of you or inside another human being; I want you to send Nam Myoho Renge Kyo to his life with the determination that through my prayer alone, I will defeat the fundamental darkness that is holding his life captive. And when you can chant that way, you will see a difference. And nobody will have to tell you, because your relationship with that person will automatically change. It will be very obvious. But this is the point. When you see a change in him, it means you’ve also changed a fundamental darkness that was controlling you. Because there is no separation between ourselves and our environment. When you can use your life to defeat the fundamental darkness that holds other people back from being all they can be, you never sacrifice yourself. When you can use your life to defeat the fundamental darkness in the mirror, because the mirror is already reflecting what’s also inside of you, you are not just working on that person’s life, you are working on your own life at the same time. And so Buddhism says, you never sacrifice yourself by using your prayer to help another human being.

Source: Linda Johnson Lecture – September, 2005, Chicago: “Polishing the Reflection in the Mirror”


2 comments:

Unknown said...

This is so true and I truly believe that you can do this by chanting Nam Myoho Rege Kyo and praying for the darkness of that person to be wiped off. It is so true. :)

Anonymous said...

i am encountering this situation. I wl hv to chant earnestly to overcome tis situation