What can you accomplish through chanting?
The power of chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
is bigger than your biggest problem.
"There are many elements involved in a prayer being answered, but the important thing is to keep praying until it is. By continuing to pray, you can reflect on yourself with unflinching honesty and begin to move your life in a positive direction on the path of earnest, steady effort. Even if your prayer doesn't produce concrete results immediately, your continual prayer will at some time manifest in a form greater than you had ever hoped."
~ President Ikeda (From Faith in Action page 152)
What are some examples of actual proof I've accomplished through chanting?
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I have raised my life condition permanently from a state of sadness to one of almost continual happiness.
When you raise your life condition EVERYTHING changes. People around you change. Opportunities come more easily. Everything changes because YOU have changed on the inside and because of the interconnectivity of all of life your environment has to change to reflect those changes.
As Nichiren Daishonin says in the Gosho The Three Kinds of Treasure: "Buddhism teaches that when the Buddha nature manifests itself from within, it will obtain protection from without. This is one of its fundamental principles."
I have permanently changed the following in my life:
Hopelessness - I now look forward to every day
Depression - Now almost nonexistent for me
Anxiety - Almost NEVER do I feel anxiety now.
Sadness - I am truly a different person now...
Fear - Hardly ever...
Loneliness - I went from having very few friends to having many friends, and to being happier when I'm alone as well.
Health - I am healthier than I've ever been.
Also:
I have alleviated the feeling of endless longing for what I do not or cannot have. Words cannot describe how wonderful this benefit has been for me.
I've lost 50 pounds and feel younger and stronger than ever.
I am working on publishing a book that will help many people learn to chant. This, along with the blog you are reading now is my greatest passion....helping people alleviate their suffering by introducing them to Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
I have peace of mind.
The list goes on and on.....
There are also many other categories of changes people have made in their lives.
I remember chanting for my first car. I chanted for a reliable car for kosen-rufu (world peace) so that I could drive people to SGI meetings in San Francisco.
I chanted for a beautiful house to hold Buddhist meetings in...one that would inspire people that anything was possible!
I'll never forget the looks on the movers' faces when they arrived at my beautiful kosen rufu home on the hill with the gorgeous view! It was such a contrast from my tiny little apartment on lower Nob Hill in San Francisco!
And I've chanted for financial benefits. We need money to live and to give us opportunities.
It is not bad to chant for money. Money is necessary.
You can chant for anything.
Health
Family Relationships
Happiness for others
Love
Career
YOU NAME IT.
You are accessing the power within your own life.
There are so many things... feelings...experiences... that you can chant for. And the biggest benefit of all is that as you are chanting for these things you are developing a stronger sense of self...a stronger inner core...a strength so powerful that NO PROBLEM CAN DEFEAT YOU. EVER. That is truly the best benefit of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
And remember that when you chant you are not asking anyone for anything...you are drawing power from your own precious life! Go YOU!
I'm celebrating today. All time readership of this blog just went over 150,000. Thank you so much. Thank you for passing the link chantforhappiness.com
on to your fellow members, friends, family and anyone you want to introduce to this practice, or encourage. And thank you for passing it on to people who speak languages other than English since there's a translation button on the top right ...And thank you so much for writing me. I love knowing what is on your mind and I adore hearing your successes. I am so grateful to you.
What if it is hard to chant/pray even for few minutes; can't stand to do it more, hard to force myself to be in front of gohonzon chanting? Feeling too low to do it although I know that it would be better if I could do more and did so in the past but last few years troubles.. Any suggestions, I'm struggling a lot with this? Thank you.
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is that when you win over yourself and make yourself chant you will experience a breakthrough in happiness for your very own life. What is holding you back is what we call Sansho Shima, obstacles from within your own life. You can arragne to have an SGI member come and chant with you twice a day to help you. That's what I did at the beginning of my practice. And once I got on a roll I just continued. Use the organization. Make some new friends! Let me know how it goes.
ReplyDeleteAll my best, Jamie