Another Cool Experience in Faith ~ From a High Schooler in India

Here's an unedited experience from a reader in India. 

Thank you!

I would like to share my experience of my life after entering to this divine practice.Myself Shreya from India has been into this practice from last one yr.

I was introduced to this practice from my relative in June 1st 2012.She has been into this practice since 6yrs. Initially i started with the practice then bagged faith in it and now iam doing study to know more about this practice as this is a vast sea of knowledge and Wisdom .Iam of a student of Xth .I do attend SGI meetings whenever i get tyme. As this is my last year of high schooling, my aim is to do well in my exams with a high score to get a best colleges in town.I have full faith on my practice that i can achieve success with my utmost efforts.In my home my dad is also into this practice and my sis.

Through this Nichiren Buddhism we saw so many miracles in our lives.I wanna share one of those experiences i.e this year my dad went through bad health karma and had to undergo two surgeries at a tyme. At home it was a tense environment that how would we handle this situation as we didnt had enough funds in our reserves because a month before my sis got married and the expenses were been encountered for her marriage. On May 17th the operation took place and it was successful to some extent.now the major aspect was the expenses of the hospital bills as we need to pay it through cash and the bill amount was upto 1.5 lakhs INR , my brother had a health insurance through his company wherein the expenses of the family member can be borne offf...But the hospital authorities didn't accept sayng that this particular insuarance doesn't account in their netwrk. We were totally upset how to find a solution for this. But i didn't loose hope , i chanted as much as i can and had full faith on my Diamoku that i will find a way ....All of a sudden i got a call from my bro that they accepted the Insurance and the expenses are been taken care from their company and a small amount had to be paid from our end , i was really surprised by this Mystic law of chanting and things get solved, At present the medicines are still in continuation and i know my dad would come out with his health karmas through this devine practice to the earliest.. Now my only aim is to Shokubuku others by sharing my experiences through this practice and my strongest belief on my" Kosen Rufu".

I strongly believe on these lines that transforming our life through Nichiren Buddhism is a process .It doesn't happen overnite. It is a struggle..It starts from our own Human Revolution..Iam also inspired with the blogs and power prayers you post...My heartfelt thanks for  the good works you have carried on for these many years for the betterment of the human revolution.    

By sharing this true experience i guess people who are disheartened and lost hope in lyfe would indulge themselves in making their practice much stronger and carve themselves to attain the victory through their "Lotus Sutra".This practice has changed my inner revolution and made me stronger in each phase of my lyfe and help me to move forward.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Actual Proof ~ Experience of Faith

When you actually accept your karma, 

and are dedicated to changing it - 

you can make the impossible possible. 

Here's an experience of actual proof:

My Life Changing Experience - from a reader in India

I encountered Nichiren Buddhism in June 2012. I was introduced to this practice by one of my dear colleagues when I was under deep depression. My marriage was breaking down. I was completely hopeless and had been crying from months. As guided by my senior leaders, I started chanting for my husband and my 3 yrs old son’s happiness. I was facing challenges on a daily basis and used to feel very weak and victimized. 
Due to this personal challenge, my performance at work also went below acceptance level. I continued chanting. More information started getting revealed which was hidden for the past 5 years of my marriage. I was intensely hurt. My husband declared several times that we must get mutually divorced as I am no longer happy with him and our situation will never change. He seemed not bothered about me and our son. I always felt betrayed.
After a month, courage started building up somewhere deep inside me. And when things got above my tolerance level, I moved out of my husband’s house along with my son.
 I shifted to my parent’s house in another city. There I joined the local BSG community. My leader guided me to pray for my high life condition. I continued chanting for long hours. My desire was to be with my husband ~ however not at the cost of my self-respect. I wanted him to value us. I blamed him for my pain ~ deep wounds in my heart created lots of negativity inside me. I had even developed the fear of talking to my husband on the phone. Even his name was giving me sleepless nights. However, I didn’t want to leave him. I cared for him, but his rejection made me feel powerless and helpless.
I prayed for my Buddha nature to emerge. I started studying and taking part in kosen rufu activities. Slowly I developed acceptance that this is my karma and my environment is a mere reflection. The Buddhist concept of cause & effect gave me power. The emotional baggage started going away when I took responsibility for problems and my own life. I determined "I will change my situation." I will exert in my Buddhist practice and will make all the right causes to manifest the future I desire.
My regular daily practice of gongyo and abundant daimoku gave me calmness and courage. I was a happy person again. I was changing at a fundamental level, as if all my deep rooted sorrows (since childhood) was vanishing. Years of pain were vanishing. Earlier I used to get affected by every little thing, I was so emotionally weak. But now I was much stronger.
In the first week of November, I decided to find a job. I prayed sincerely to get a job by November 18th and made all the efforts through various job portals. I started my new job on November 18th with exactly the salary package and job location I chanted for. My faith strengthened and I felt blessed and fortunate to have this Buddhist practice with me. This was my first conspicuous benefit.
In February 2013, I was presented with a mutual consent divorce paper from my husband.  My family also agreed on this. But my ichinen was different. I cried to the Gohonzon that I do not want this divorce and want to work on our relationship with this new courage and for my son’s future. Mystically the next day my father refused for this divorce to happen. It gave me relief. When we refused to accept this divorce, my husband could not do anything about it. I started feeling powerful. Before that my decisions were focused on what others wanted or did not want. I never had the courage to refuse and say what I wanted. This practice made me a courageous person.
Although the decision of divorce was averted, there was lots of negativity between me and my husband. I then determined to change this poison into medicine. I earnestly chanted for his happiness. I prayed to over come my fundamental darkness and undergo my human revolution. Within weeks I dropped all the negativity from my heart and was fearless and compassionate enough to have a dialogue with him. I was praying consistently and doing kosenrufu activities. One day my father suddenly called him up and asked us to initiate the talk. That day we spoke for 3 hours. I could feel that through my prayers, negativity was not only removed from me but also from his end just like a mirror's reflection.
May 3rd was approaching; I determined to gain my complete victory as a real Kosenrufu person.
In May 2013, we had series of healthy dialogues and we decided to work on our relationship for the future of our son. I finished my pending assignments at work and came back to my husband’s house in June 2013. 
Our relationship is much better than ever. Our son is really happy to see his happy parents around. We are the same and there are Challenges. But fundamental changes in me through my Buddhist practice makes me realize how beautiful life is. I have learned to identify problems for what they truly are – They are opportunities to grow and actually make your life even better.
I pay my sincere gratitude to all my senior leaders and friends in Sokka Gakkai for supporting me through out with their prayers and guidance. 
I have accomplished my Human Revolution, changed my karma and fulfilled my various wishes.


I want to mention some key learnings I had during my struggle:
No matter what problems are daunting us today. They are going to change. We must accept them and understand that we are responsible for our own problems. We can only change them. Making others responsible for our problems make us feel powerless.
We must earnestly pray till the end. Some problems take more time to change. But through our prayers, life will always get unfolded in the best possible way. 
The combination of faith, study and practice always yields results. Study increases our wisdom about life and gives us right direction. It helps us remain stronger in adverse situations.
Kosenrufu is very crucial part of our practice. When we lift somebody else’s life, we lift our lives at the same time. Kosenrufu is a vow we took as the bodhisattvas of the earth.
It is our duty to do it till the end.
Transforming your life through Nichiren Buddhism is a process. It doesn’t happen overnight. It is a struggle. It starts with our own Human revolution. We must chant to make changes in ourselves  first. The changes in our environment are eventually reflected.
Prayers must be based on our own ichinen. With our profound wisdom and high life condition gained through chanting, we must take actions in the direction of our ichinen and not opposite to it. No matter who says what.

I hereby dedicate my new life for KosenRufu. 

Thank you

Life contains the capacity, 
like flames that reach toward heaven, 
to transform suffering and pain 
into the energy of value-creation, 
the light that illuminates the dark. 
Like the wind traversing vast spaces unhindered, 
life has the power 
to uproot and overturn all obstacles and difficulties. 
Like clear flowing water, 
it can wash away all stains and impurities. 
And finally, life, 
like the great Earth that sustains plants and vegetation, 
impartially embraces all people 
with its compassionate, nurturing force.

Daisaku Ikeda, Ikedaquotes.org

When You Chant Consistently The Mystic Law is "Righting" Your Life

Changes Might Not Happen Right Away, 

but they WILL COME if We Persevere

The important thing is to keep chanting until the changes DO happen.


As Daisaku Ikeda states:

"When we practice gongyo and chant daimoku 
in front of the Gohonzon, 
the good and evil capacities of our lives 
begin to function 
as exalted forms of fundamental existence. 
Lives that are full of the pain of Hell, 
lives that are in the state of Hunger, 
lives warped by the state of Anger ~ 
such lives, too, 
begin to move in the direction 
of creating personal happiness and value. 
Lives being pulled toward misfortune and unhappiness 
are redirected and pulled in the opposite direction, 
toward good, 
when they make the Mystic Law their basis."

Daisaku Ikeda, Faith in Action page 119.

A Great Human Revolution...

"A great human revolution 
in the life of one person 
can change the destiny of humankind and our planet. 
It is Buddhism, the Lotus Sutra, 
that encourages 
and enables people 
to become aware of their great power, 
to draw it forth and use it. 
Buddhism gives people 
the means to develop themselves thoroughly 
and opens their eyes to the limitless power inherent in their lives."

Daisaku Ikeda, 
From Ikedaquotes.org

You ARE the Buddha ~ and Your Altar is Your "Home Within Your Home"

My altar

Daisaku Ikeda states:

"The Gohonzon is the clearest of al mirrors, which reflects the entire universe exactly as it is. When you chant to the Gohonzon, you can perceive the entity of your life and can tap the inexhaustible life force of Buddhahood."

from Faith in Action page 113

We are all the Buddha! 

You are the Buddha, and I am the Buddha, and everyone else is too. 

What does this mean to us, and to our Buddhist practice? 

It means that when we chant we are speaking TO the life of the Buddha, our eternal life, and we can demand the results we want. It is very important to realize that when we chant we are not asking favors from anyone, we are petitioning no gods and no forces outside of our lives. If, by any chance you have any idols or gods of any kind on your altar, it is a  good idea to take them down so that you are not confused on this point. 

What should the Buddhist altar contain? 
The Gohonzon (scroll representing our highest possible life condition that is within us - and we chant facing this scroll to act as a mirror for our inner selves and draw the life condition of the Buddha from within our lives), 
the Butsudan, (the box or cabinet that has doors that close to protect the scroll). Everything else on the altar is an offering to your highest self. I have fresh fruit, a bell, candles, a plant or greens or flowers and a light illuminating the Gohonzon. Some people like to burn incense. I can't do that ~ it makes me sneeze. And in the morning some Buddhists like to put fresh water on the altar that they drink at night. 

Occasionally I have photos of people on the altar, and I have bulletin boards filled with pictures of the people I am chanting for surrounding the altar. There should be nothing above the Butsudan and no window close by. This is your "home within your home" and it represents YOU. I have heard it said that the way you treat your altar is the way your life treats you, so I keep mine clean and dusted and everything fresh. If I go away on a trip I put some rice, or my favorite non-perishable food on the altar when I'm gone, and replace the fresh fruit when I return.  

And, as I mentioned earlier, I don't have any statues of the Buddha or any other gods on the altar or anywhere near. This is my altar to MY LIFE, and I only address my life here. 

Since you are chanting to YOUR LIFE, you can chant with a command in your heart. Go ahead. TELL YOUR LIFE WHAT YOU WANT. And if you don't know what you want, ASK your life in front of the Gohonzon. For several years I chanted to know what was my mission in life. And I go the answer. I have known my mission in life for years now, and if you're a reader of this blog you probably know what my mission is too, to inspire people with my life...to WIN in all areas of my life so that everyone can see that the impossible is possible if you don't give up! 

If you need some revived inspiration and focus,
I can now offer personal PowerPrayer creation by telephone or email. If you send me an email at chantforhappiness@gmail.com I will give you the details of how it works. 

Linda Kay's Experience ~

I am relatively new to chanting, having only been at it for about 3 months now. I was introduced to it during a time in my life when I was searching for a way to connect on a deeper level with what I call the “mystical.” Having meditated for years, I found myself looking for new and different ways to connect to the “powers” that exist deep inside me, and that are present in my daily life.

My first experience at a district meeting filled me with an energy and deep appreciation for the others in the room.  I found myself experiencing a similar “energy” or vibration when I chanted at home and over the recent month, have committed to chanting twice a day.

Back in March of this year, I lost my job at a clinic where I was a director. Desperate and fearful, I sent my resume out for every job that even “sounded” like a possibility. Then I was introduced to chanting. 

A new job quickly surfaced. Actually, several opportunities quickly surfaced, and I was called for interviews for the majority of them. One company contacted me, flew me out for an interview and made an offer within several days.  I was thrilled to be working again, and I chanted in deep appreciation and gratitude.

Within the first few weeks I began to feel something was terribly wrong with my job. First of all everyone was under such tight deadlines and pressure that they yelled at each other. The owner of the company was receiving chemo therapy for colon cancer during the day, but working till 2:00 am on projects once she got home. The company overpromised each and every client. 

I was under deep stress and found myself almost having an “out-of-body” experience just to cope. The stress and work never stopped. I would wake up at 6:00 am to do work before the day started, and work until 10:00 pm to get caught up. Finally, after working each weekend, I asked another employ on  Sunday about working weekends and was told that “we are expected to be on call 24/7 7 days a week.”

I began to panic and feel very sick. I began to chant earnestly for help, happiness and good health. I can remember coming to one of the meeting, feeling less-than human, but leaving feeling like my old self again. 

One day, barely a month into the new job, I was so stressed that I began to have heart palpations. I thought about calling my doctor but knew that she would want me to go to the emergency room. I had too much work to do, and could not make the time. 

The next day I was fired. 

I know that my chanting protected me. I believe that my job loss was a gift and I am now chanting in deep appreciation for the help, my happiness and good health. 

I have several new job opportunities, and am expected by end of day to commit to one of them. I don’t think that I will take it. I am chanting for something much more than just a job, I am chanting for my own legacy – and while this job will certainly pay my bills, it is nothing more than that, a job that will pay my bills. 

I have two other jobs in the “hopper”. Both of them are exciting and what I am trained and love to do! I think I will hold out for the full-deal, and I am chanting for strength and courage while these opportunities come forward. 

I hope that you learn something from me sharing my experience, I certainly have learned so much from each of you when you share yours.