CHALLENGE THE IMPOSSIBLE

CHALLENGE THE IMPOSSIBLE WITH NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO

  

We have to be on a mission to help every human being become all they can be. That’s why we have the problems; to learn these lessons.  To make it not just theory.  But through our experience, through challenging problems, to develop this conviction that with Nam Myoho Renge Kyo you can do anything.  Anything. 

There was a woman I met, a couple of months ago, who had practiced with the temple, and came back to our organization.  And she had an un-diagnosable jaw problem that made it literally painful for her to talk, so she couldn’t chant hardly at all.  And she came to me for encouragement, and I encouraged her to do the united prayer.  And I encouraged her to do the united prayer because there was a woman in New York who had the same problem she did who did the united prayer and in less than a month, completely overcame it. And I shared this, and I said, “Do this.”  Because the united prayer, for the guests, is where we pray, every day, for every single member to experience the limitless potential of their life with this faith, and for them to get it in their DNA; and for them to pass it on to other human beings, so that we can really save this planet. And it’s about people really waking up to obstacles, and how obstacles have the most positive capability in our life.  We have to wake up to that, rather than rejecting it.  And that is the mission of this Buddhism.  It’s not self-centered, it’s not just about me. it’s about you winning at the same time.

I met that woman a month later.  And she came running up to me, all excited.  She had completely overcome her jaw problem.  (Applause.)  And she said to me, “I chanted and practiced in the temple, I chanted the same words, for five years, and I was never able to solve this.  In four months with the SGI, and it’s gone.”

So, my point is this.  The reason we have faith is to do what you cannot do with your own human effort.  You don’t need faith for what you can already do.  This is the reason we have faith.  But how can you ever know your limitless potential, or the power of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, unless you have the courage and guts to fight for that which is illogical in your brain?  Please challenge the impossible. The more you have the guts and courage to challenge the impossible, the more you will come to understand, you are magnificent.  Thank you.

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