Michael's Encouraging Experience

I am a former foster kid and I was born with drugs in my system.  I had a very tough life growing up. I ended up in the foster care system at 11, emancipated and ended up homeless at 19. I lived place to place and ended up in a homeless shelter for youth 18-24 years old. I stayed there for about a year and got into some legal issues and went to jail. I had a fight and was defending myself but the legal system does not always work in favor of young black men. They attempted to have me accept 5 years in prison my first time ever in-trouble with the law. 

I found my way to a non-profit organization called The Alliance for Children's Rights who help former foster kids find housing and a variety of other legal issues. The CEO of this organization just happens to be Buddhist and she introduced me to the practice and chanting nam myoho renge kyo. I didn't delve into it then. I was very standoffish about chanting. I thought I was evoking some evil demons lol superstitions can get the best of you and keep you close minded.  I had christian beliefs when entering this practice so I didn't want to burn in hell for all eternity lol. I finally got through that legal issue and I still had to serve time in jail. 

When I got out I was homeless again and I was 21 years old. I found my way into a living situation where I meet my first district in California. I was told I could chant for anything and what I needed at that time was a better living situation. I was living in a roach infested apartment with mold and a disgusting roommate who always had people over. So I chanted for the perfect living situation. Not only did I find the perfect living situation but the non profit orginization that was helping me through my legal issues offered me an internship working for them. At this time I was barely chanting and not really that into it. I worked this internship position for 6months and decided I wanted to go back to college. 

I started my first semester of college and upon looking for my African american studies class on the first day I was really early and started talking to my teacher about Egypt and past lives and I found out that coincidentally she was Buddhist as-well so she is the person who helped give me the encouragement to go all the way in the practice. I continued chanting and overcame homelessness. I also joined a mentor-ship and now I have a support system. 

One of the benefits was that my mentor was a surgeon and I had recently found out I had a tumor on my back. This mentor was able to help me get the tumor removed with no cost to me at all. I also received student of the year and a few other scholarships including one sponsored by Jay-Z the rapper who put a scholarship out there for economically disadvantaged youth. I was able to purchase a car and I have not been homeless since I started chanting. 

Chanting brought me a support system and positive perspective. I can now control my anger. I am able to forgive my relatives who I had resented. No one else in my family is Buddhist and I caught so much crap.  But through my own actual proof and chanting I have been able to introduce friends and close people in my life who have seen such a drastic change in me.  This practice is real and it helped and is still helping me each and every single day.