Look How Far You've Come!

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Yes! We need to look at how far we've come, instead of always looking at how far we need to go. Its easy to get caught up in the "to do" of life, isn't it? 
And it's easy to have the old internal "demons" come up, and forget to recognize them for what they are.

A few weeks ago I was chanting three hours a day, for my country, for Aaron and Meg and their residency, and for the upcoming changes I intend to make. 

Then, last week, I started experiencing what I call "daimoku backlash." All the old fears, depression, hopelessness and loneliness came rushing back to roll me under the waves. I kept chanting every morning, but inside my heart I felt this old and familiar hopelessness.

Yesterday the gosho quote I love so much came to mind from "On Attaining Buddhahood" ~ my favorite gosho. (Gosho are the letters Nichiren Daishonin wrote to his followers) 

I have engraved this gosho in my life, and it came back to help me at this crucial moment. "Unless one perceives the true nature of his life, his practice will become and endless, painful austerity." And what is the true nature of our lives? That we are powerful beyond measure - OF COURSE! That's why we chant. We are powerless beyond measure...and sometimes we forget this. 
Daisaku Ikeda often tells us to read the gosho with our lives - to ingrain the words within our souls. It is for times like this, when we are suffering, that the ingrained gosho can come back to us and help our lives to shine once again. I love this practice! 

So I'm writing this blog from my new computer that actually works, and letting you know once again that we can rise from anything. A new day will always dawn if we don't give up. We WILL turn that corner. Please do not give up. No matter what. 
Keep chanting through your tears. 
Keep studying. 
Keep doing shakubuku even when you're in the midst of pain. 
Keep waking up each morning and thinking "What could I be excited about today?" and "I am going to greet this day and greet my life with a karma changing gongyo today!" 

And then do it! Have a great day. 

LOOK HOW FAR YOU'VE COME!