GUIDANCE ON CONTROLLING ANGER AND ARROGANCE

GUIDANCE ON CONTROLLING ANGER AND ARROGANCE

A man came to see me recently and told me that he needed help with his "financial karma." He went on to explain how deep and profound his "financial karma" was. He hadn't been able to fix it in his ten years of practice. My first question to him was, "What kind of work do you do?" He said he was out of work. I asked him why. He said he quit his job six months before. I asked him why. He said he got into a disagreement with his boss and felt that he had to quit.

I asked about the job he had before that. He said that he got fired because he got angry with his boss. He told me he quit the job before that one. This person, in his ten years of practice, had eight jobs and lost them. I asked him how he expected to have financial fortune if he didn't have a job. There is no magic in Buddhism; it is unreasonable to think that one can acquire financial fortune without having a job.

He then said that his real question to me was, "Why do I have the karma to have authoritarian bosses?"

Most of us think that the bad things that happen to us are our karma. We think that our karma exists outside of us, but this is not correct. We are not the only ones that bad things are happening to. Bad things happen to everyone. Then what is karma?

Karma is our inability to deal with the "stuff." We don't know how to handle the stuff when it hits us, and we end up doing the wrong thing. We end up creating more "stuff" for ourselves.

In any case, I pointed out to this person his tendency to get angry with his bosses. There was a clear pattern. It was very difficult for this person to realise that his problem was anger. Buddhism says that if you have anger, you have the poison of arrogance. I told this person that until he was able to control his arrogant mind and his anger, he wouldn't be able to keep a job. He was actually a very talented person at his job, but this lead to him thinking he could do as he wished at his workplace and treat others badly.

I told him that since he needed a way to stop losing jobs, he needed to deal with his karma. I told him to not let his anger defeat him and to sincerely pray for the wisdom to respond to situations in a way other than with anger. To date, he has been employed for three years and has just bought a house.

What is the greater benefit: another job (which he would probably lose), or wisdom to see the root cause of his problem and never have to repeat it? People would pay millions of dollars for wisdom about the true nature of their suffering.

Of course, as we change, our environment reflects this change, and we experience benefit. However, if we try to seek out only the benefit without going through the inner process, eventually nothing will happen. The Gohonzon has almost no power to transform your environment. The Gohonzon does have power to transform you. When you use the Gohonzon to transform you, then you transform your environment. There's a big difference. We should determine in front of the Gohonzon that we will solve our problem or that we will overcome our suffering.

When you pray to the Gohonzon with that prayer, you will be amazed to find out what you see about yourself and what you need to fix in your life. Buddhism is about the inner reformation, not about the external reformation. Of course, benefits in the outside environment do come, but really that's not the point at all. It's really about inner change.

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

Shakes the Cosmos Through Powerful Daimoku

Shakes the Cosmos Through Powerful Daimoku

by Jeanny Chen.

Every time I open my altar to chant in front of Gohonzon, in my mind I make sure that I also open up my Buddhahood. My mind's eye sees that the door is being opened for me to enter into the world of Buddha. By consciously taking such an initiative, I put myself right in the position of being able to communicate freely with Gohonzon. My life fuses with Gohonzon and my life condition begins to correspond with Nichiren Daishonin's. 

President Ikeda likens the practice of gongyo each day to a "spiritual workout". He also says: "Gongyo and daimoku are a ceremony in which our lives commune with the universe. During gongyo, through our faith in the Gohonzon, we vigorously infuse the microcosm of our individual existence with the life force of the macrocosm, of the entire universe. If we do this regularly each morning and evening, our life force is strengthened."-- Faith into Action, p. 120

In addition to my opening ritual, I put his guidance into action during my chanting. My mind constantly works on expanding my life to permeate the entire universe and to encompass it as well. It feels abstract but vivid.

Now, with all the preparation, I am in the highest life condition armed with easy access to the world of Buddha. And I am ready to experience one more time, the exciting and rewarding fun part of my daily chanting.

"If you exert a hundred million eons of effort in a single moment of life, the three enlightened properties of the Buddha will appear within you at each moment. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo means just such diligent practice."

In Gosho Zenshu p. 790, Nichiren Daishonin gave this guidance. Accordingly, I begin with exerting the combined efforts that I could possibly put forth throughout a hundred million eons of my life into every daimoku when I chant. At the same time, I perceive that each Nam-myoho-renge-kyo I chant inherently contains the result of all such tremendous efforts. Along with my earnest chanting, I keep on receiving its immeasurable power and benefits to nourish and adorn my life. When my mind works out this way, I simply don't want to stop chanting.

In his writing "The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon" (WND p. 832), Nichiren Daishonin thus introduced Gohonzon: "Without exception, all these Buddhas, bodhisattvas, great sages, and, in general, all the various beings of the two worlds and the eight groups who appear in the 'Introduction' chapter of the Lotus Sutra dwell in this Gohonzon. Illuminated by the light of the five characters of the Mystic Law, they display the dignified attributes that they inherently possess."

Doesn't it mean that dwelling in Gohonzon are hundreds of millions of Buddhas throughout the three existences and the ten directions? While my life condition is being elevated to the world of Buddha I cannot but feel that I am their peer. It is reasonable, therefore, that through my sincere daimoku, I could summon forth all of their protection, wisdom and strength, while working toward my goals. Besides, hadn't they all vowed to protect and help the Bodhisattvas of the Earth like  myself?

Thinking of this, I can't stop my ultimate optimism and joy about the actualisation of my prayer. Thus the increasing intensity and profoundness of my daimoku just keep on accelerating.

President Ikeda says that the air around us is filled with radio waves of various frequencies. While these are invisible, a television set can collect them and turn them into visible images. Knowing this, I would send my prayer and my whole being, together with my daimoku to penetrate the three thousand worlds; throughout the three existences into all beings, sentient and insentient. I make my daimoku rain-shower the entire universe as well as the trillions of my body cells. Millions of  daimoku are being chanted by the SGI members at any given moment around the world. I want to make sure that the quality of mine ranks among the top 50 percent. I inject my single-minded resolve and all my positive energy, commanding daimoku to work diligently toward my goals, without a moment's rest.

There is no doubt that my daimoku could reach and travel everywhere. In this case, how can it miss the targets I set forth? I tried to chant with penetrating determination (ichinen), as sharp as a mighty sword, with the force like the roar of the lion, hoping to shake, move and touch the universe. Without having encountered a real devastating problem, it is never easy for me to chant with the sense of extreme urgency of a life-and-death situation. I realize that only through such a sense of extreme urgency can I experience the kind of profound daimoku that moves heaven and earth. But I would, not in eons, ever want to exchange my comfort and health for the experience although I really need to know what it is like and how to chant like that.

Four years ago, I learned from TV news that four college students were buried under an avalanche. Three were rescued after three hours, but one died. Keeping the tragedy in mind, during my chanting, I started to simulate the accident. I imagined myself being trapped deep inside the thick snow. I was not sure whether any one had noticed where I was when avalanche occurred. I had very limited air and could keep myself from being frozen to death for only a short time. What could I do to get out of it before it was too late? It was now or never.

In thinking of this, I finally could chant daimoku that melted the snow in seconds. I was thrilled by the discovery. From then on I knew, without having to personally face the circumstance, that I could always do simulations to experiment how to derive the ideal results form any situation. How convenient!

Teachings and guidance of eternal value are bountiful in our practice of faith. Being limited by my English language ability, I can't read through the vast volume of the publications, not even a tiny portion, regarding this Buddhism. To make up for this weak point, no matter how little I come across, I focus on personifying the black ink on white paper. Namely, I give it a life through studying, understanding, absorbing and applying to obtain results. Chanting is always the perfect tool and setting for me to accomplish such a wonder:

"A mind now clouded by the illusions of the innate darkness of life is like a tarnished mirror, but when polished, it is sure to become like a clear mirror, reflecting the essential nature of phenomena and the true aspect of reality. Arouse deep faith, and diligently polish your mirror day and night. How should you polish it? Only by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo."

-- Nichiren Daishonin on his writing "On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime" (WND p. 4)

Based on this particular teaching, I look at my life as a tarnished mirror. My mind, heart and mouth continuously produce the ultimate detergent-daimoku. I would hold a soft cloth polishing the mirror untiringly along with each and every Nam-myoho-renge-kyo I chant out. Eventually, the mirror becomes so crystal clear that I can perceive from it the real aspect of all phenomena. My life also turns out to be sparkling clean as the result of changing poison into medicine. The workout of the process doesn't take long. But the reward is amazing.

According to the simultaneity of cause and effect, the moment I play the image and act it out in my mind, its effect already exists. Hence, the ever-increasing wisdom of always looking for the underlying truth to best solve any situation becomes an automatic pilot to steer my life. It works like a charm. Moreover, I am so relived and relaxed to enjoy the feeling of having an untainted and pure life, no guilt, sorrow, shame nor filth, no matter how terrible and ugly it had been before.

In terms of chanting daimoku, I am rather scrupulous. Since my plan is to invest a big chunk of my life exercising it, I had better make sure I am on the right track. In the beginning of my practice, chanting for fifteen minutes felt like forever. Later on, due to the need to fulfill my impossible goal, I began to chant four to five hours. Gradually, I averaged to two hours daily, one twelfth of a day.

One day it occurred to me that if I chanted two hours a day, it meant that within twelve months, I would have been chanting non-stop for 24 hours a day and seven days a week for the entire month. The scale of the task was very scary. It was simply too big to fathom. Luckily, I was able to figure out a way to justify this brave behaviour of mine-- to generate from it the value equivalent or much greater than the efforts. 

As a junior in this Buddhist practice, if I wish not to fall too much behind, I have to have a correct jumpstart to derive solid results without delay. Therefore, besides attending SGI discussion meetings, studying the SGI publications and seeking help from seniors in faith in the SGI organization, I heavily depend on my pure faith to lead my way. The documented teachings are one of my guideposts.

Accordingly, I chant with strong determination, patience, persistence and optimism. It was natural that chanting came first when I really wished to overcome a challenge. To this day, chanting is always my first priority no matter what. I have also learned from the Gosho what and how to chant. I chant with sincere apology, appreciation and joy. I also chant to praise the Lotus Sutra a lot. Literally, I plan to leave nothing unturned. My attitude to fathom different aspects of daimoku obviously contributes to my ever-springing benefits. Whenever I read the Gosho, those teachings just jump into my eyes to empower the way how I practice. Once I catch them, I infuse them in my life:

"As you crave food when hungry, seek water when thirsty... so should you put your faith in the Lotus Sutra." (WND p.965)

"Yet even a grave offense can be eradicated if one repents of it sincerely." (WND p. 662)

"Those who wish to repay their debt to the Buddha must first repay the debt they owe to the Law." (WND p. 44)

"Therefore, when you chant the daimoku of this sutra, you should be aware that it is a more joyful thing than for one who was born blind to gain sight and see one's father and mother." (WND p. 143)

"The more one praises the blessings of the Lotus Sutra, the more one's own blessings will increase. Bear in mind that the twenty-eight chapters of the Lotus Sutra contain only a few  passages elucidating the truth, but a great many words of praise." (WND p. 673)

This essay summarizes various "spiritual workouts" that I implement into my chanting throughout my thirteen years of practice. As a common mortal, my mind wonders a lot. I can't always concentrate totally while chanting. 

Neither can I exercise all of the workouts at one time. I have come to notice, however that, whenever I am deadly serious, chanting about my goal of fulfilling a certain mission, that I recognize and take on, the application of any single one of them works wonders.

HOW TO CHANT TO REALISE OUR PRAYERS

HOW TO CHANT TO REALISE OUR PRAYERS

🍁It is important that our prayers be specific and concrete. Being vague and unfocussed when you chant is like shooting an arrow without looking at the target. When you chant, it should be with a strong and passionate resolve to make your prayer a reality. To have an attitude “If I chant, everything will be all right” is just wishful thinking. Earnest prayer – prayer infused with one’s whole heart and being – cannot fail to be communicated to the Gohonzon. (DOY2, 138)

🍁Therefore, we mustn’t try to gauge the power of Daimoku with our own limited state of life, thinking, “This must be all there is”. The sutra says that the benefit of Daimoku is beyond even the Buddha to fathom. For us to suppose that we understand its full scope is arrogance. If we underestimate the infinite power of benefit of the Gohonzon owing to weak faith, then we can only tap a minute portion of the Gohonzon power.

(WOLS 6 / Page 138)

Daisaku Ikeda

ARE YOU CHANTING WHILE FOCUSING ON OBSTACLES OR THE END GOALS

ARE YOU CHANTING WHILE FOCUSING ON OBSTACLES OR THE END GOALS

When chanting for a goal, we often focus on the obstacles to reaching it. This happens because we are worried about them, or they seem overwhelming. Unfortunately, when we chant while focusing on the obstacles, we are inadvertently using the law of cause and effect to produce what we don’t want.

Set the Seed Cause for the Effect You Want to Create. Remember the concept of 3000 realms in a single moment of life? President Ikeda says,

“In accordance with the 3000 realms in a moment of life, pessimistic thoughts or feelings take form just as they are, producing negative results. People who have negative thoughts create effects for themselves  that perfectly match their thinking.” (Faith into Action p.10)

On the other hand, optimistic people with positive thoughts create results that match their thinking.

I imagine you want to create what you want, not what you fear. So when you sit down to chant, determine to focus on the positive end result – what you want to have happen.

Often we start off chanting with good intentions, focusing on what we want, and then find ourselves looking at the fear or obstacle. When you become aware your focus has changed, just refocus on your desired end.

Faith is Trusting the Mystic Law

You might say, “I don’t know how I am ever going to get to my goal if I don’t try to work out the way to get there.” As strange as it may seem, you don’t need to worry about how you’re going to get there. Your responsibility is to chant with the desired end in mind. The universe will work out the path. You just want to follow and take action on the ideas and prompts which come to you.

The path will unfold under your feet as you take action on the steps that come to you. You’ll only be able to see a limited distance at any given time but, once you take these steps, then you will be able to see the next short way. This partnership with the universe is both exhilarating and exciting.

Pull Your Mind out of the Abyss

How are you thinking about your situation during the day? Are you allowing your attention to fall into the abyss of what you fear? When you become aware of what you are doing, refocus your mind on what you want to see happen, your end goal. You may have to do this fifty times a day. At the beginning this is difficult. You are establishing a new habit. I promise you, it will get easier.

Harnessing the law of the 3000 realms to work for us, rather than inadvertently against us, is a major step in the successful realization of goals.

5 Steps to Successful Goal Realization

1. When you sit down to chant, set your goal, the end result you want to see.

2. If you find yourself focusing on the obstacles, refocus your attention on the end result you want.

3. During the day if you find yourself dwelling on the obstacles and fears, refocus on the end result you want to create.

4. Take action on the steps and prompts you receive.

5. Keep on keeping on until you achieve your goal.

Source: Margaret Blaine

Human Revolution

“Human revolution is a never-ending process of continual self-improvement. It describes a Buddhist way of life that eternally seeks growth and personal development. It is about how much we are growing and improving right now rather than what we have achieved in the past.”

Human Revolution

Second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda used the term human revolution to describe the process of individual inner transformation that results from Buddhist practice. It addresses the real possibility for human beings to change, and in particular the development of the inner potential for enlightenment, or Buddhahood, the core purpose of Nichiren Buddhism. In that sense, human revolution can be seen as a modern expression of the principle of “attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime.”

SGI President Ikeda explains: There are all sorts of revolutions—political, economic, industrial, scientific, artistic and those in distribution and communications. And there are many others. Each has its significance and, often, necessity.

But no matter what one changes, the world will never get any better as long as the people—the guiding force and impetus behind all endeavors—remain selfish and lack compassion. In that respect, human revolution is the most fundamental of all revolutions and, at the same time, the most necessary. ( Discussions on Youth, second edition, p. 256)

There are many ways to describe human revolution: A person preoccupied with the egoistic concerns of the “lesser self” transforms into one who lives according to his or her “greater self,” acting out of genuine concern for others’ well-being. Or someone who has caused nothing but trouble for others improves his or her behavior, begins helping others and becomes an asset to the community. There are endless ways in which we each can improve.

From the perspective of the Ten Worlds (see 2012 Introductory Exam Study Guide, pp. 16–22), we could say that human revolution means a change in our fundamental life state, from one characterized by the “four evil paths”—the worlds of hell, hunger, animality and anger—to one that exhibits the higher states, in particular, the worlds of bodhisattva and Buddhahood.

Human revolution is a never-ending process of continual self-improvement. It describes a Buddhist way of life that eternally seeks growth and personal development. It is about how much we are growing and improving right now rather than what we have achieved in the past.

The Mentor-Disciple Relationship: The Great Path of Human Revolution

The desire to become strong and unshaken by any difficulty propels our human revolution.

In “On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime,” Nichiren Daishonin states, “Even though you chant and believe in Myoho-renge-kyo, if you think the Law is outside yourself, you are embracing not the Mystic Law but an inferior teaching” ( The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 3). Nichiren Buddhism emphasizes seeking both the causes and solutions to our problems within our own lives. It stresses that by tapping the power of the Law innate within us we can change any situation for the better.

When we seek influences that help us stimulate and bring forth the natural strength and wisdom we possess, and that inspire us on the path of Buddhist practice, we carry out human revolution. To this end, we need to learn from the teachings and example of an excellent teacher or mentor who is thoroughly dedicated to correct Buddhist practice. President Ikeda writes, “The path of mentor and disciple is strict and demanding; it is itself the great path of human revolution and attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime” ( The New Human Revolution, vol. 17, p. 16).

What qualifies a mentor in Nichiren Buddhism is lifelong commitment to the happiness of all people through the spread of the Mystic Law, and dauntless action to fulfill that commitment in the face of all obstacles and opposition. To simply mimic the mentor or seek the mentor’s approval is not the way of mentor and disciple. Rather, this relationship is based on sharing the same vow as the mentor to relieve the suffering of all people and continuously taking action toward that end. In striving to develop and act upon that vow, we break through the constraints of our weaker “lesser selves” and develop our “greater selves”— our true selves that regard the happiness of others as our own.

One Person Can Change the World

Though self-discipline may take us a long way, fundamental change comes only from transforming our innermost weaknesses into deeply rooted strengths. Human revolution requires identifying and challenging that which keeps us from expressing our full potential and deepest humanity, and replacing these things with causes that bring forth our true potential and genuine humanism. Through chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and earnestly striving in our Buddhist practice, we tap inexhaustible courage, wisdom and compassion, and learn to create value in any situation.

President Ikeda states, “A great human revolution in just a single individual will help achieve a change in the destiny of a nation and further, will enable a change in the destiny of all humankind” ( The Human Revolution, p. viii). The transformation of all humanity—that is a grand objective indeed. When we can demonstrate through our behavior and attitude how we have changed, this becomes an example of the power of Buddhism. Simply speaking of enlightenment or Buddhahood in the abstract is useless. We must clearly show that we are progressing in life and that we are never defeated.

“I want you to be assured that the challenge to which we set ourselves day after day—that of our human revolution—is the royal road to bringing about a reformation in our families, local regions and societies,” President Ikeda says. “An inner revolution is the most fundamental and, at the same time, the ultimate revolution for engendering change in all things” ( My Dear Friends in America, third edition, pp. 252–53).

Our practice as SGI members and the resulting inner transformation we achieve become the momentum for changing the destiny of all humanity.

[Courtesy August 2012 Living Buddhism]