I've been receiving emails from readers who have many challenges, and are not chanting consistently, and I think "If only they knew what a joy it is to practice consistently...many problems just fade away!"
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"Living in the saha world, it is impossible to stop the winds of suffering from blowing. Our only alternative is to become strong.
Daisaku Ikeda, August Living Buddhism, page 50
"The Japanese word for fellow member, or comrad (doshi) can also be read as "shared resolve," or commitment. The SGI is a gathering of fellow members, comrades in faith, who share the same resolve and purpose.
..."SGI members, dedicated to the earnest resolve of helping all people, are the treasures of the world. SGI members, with the resolve to realize peace, are the treasures of humanity. The expansion of our network of shared resolve will change the planet into a beautiful treasure realm."
Daisaku Ikeda, September 2015 Living Buddhism, page 39
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Always remember how noble and important you are!
How do we become strong? By strengthening our resolve, and our practice.
When we do our practice every morning and evening our problems get smaller because we raise our life condition.
We can each picture our problems as a big wall in front of us. When we practice consistently our life condition rises, just as if we are a big balloon rising to the sky. What looked like an insurmountable wall is now a tiny little ridge - way below us. We can step right over it.
How can we establish and maintain a consistent practice?
How can we reinforce our determination to practice twice a day every day, strengthen our lives and create unshakable benefit?
3 benefits of consistent practice
(Doing morning and evening gongyo and chanting daimoku consistently)
1. It's easier. Once you establish the practice you just greet your life twice a day in front of the Gohonzon without having to force yourself to do it. It just becomes part of your life.
2. Benefits flow more consistently,
3. It WORKS! You change your karma, embrace your challenges and win over any challenge you face. You get what you want and so much more.
4 Dynamic ways
to establish a consistent practice
1. Determine that you want to use this practice to the best of your ability! Chanting consistently means winning the battle over your lesser self. Make your list of determinations and goals. What have you decided is impossible in your life? We chant to make the impossible possible. Go for it.
2. Embrace your friends in the SGI. (You can click on the SGI Portal to the right to find your local SGI, if you're not connected yet. Remember there are no dues or rules or priests. The SGI is an organization of people working together for their own happiness and the sake of others.)
3. Establish a "Chanting Buddy" to chant with you.
Our friends in the SGI are our friends in faith. When I was first chanting 28 years ago my mentor came to my house every morning for a few weeks to help me generate Activation Energy for my practice.
4. Establish a Tele-Toso Chanting Buddy
If you can't chant together in person you can do it by telephone, or by text. Just establish a time and contact each other before and after. If you want, you can keep the telephone connection while you chant. (It's better if one person turns the volume down.) Or you can just call or text before and after.
An Experience in Chanting Consistently:
Chanting consistently must be experienced to be understood.
My dear "Baby Buddha" (the nickname she chose for herself) heard me tell her for two years to chant every morning and evening, and she replied that she doesn't do ANYTHING consistently and wasn't going to do this. No way. I kept chanting for her and inviting her to chant. And one day, she just made the decision to try chanting twice a day to see how it felt. She couldn't believe how different she felt. She also realized a deep desire and began to chant for it to happen. Now she lives in Colorado - she got what she was chanting for! THIS is why we practice. Our desires are worth chanting for!
You may have other ways of creating and maintaining your consistent practice. Please share them with me and I'll share them with the other readers of this blog. Email me at chantforhappiness.com with your ideas, questions, suggestions, victories and challenges.
