Inspiring Experience from a Reader

A very warm Good morning to all of you. My Name is Himani Agarwal and here I stand again to share my experience with you all.

I have been practicing Nichiren’s Buddhism for the last 3 years. I was told that I will become happy after chanting and practicing this Buddhism.  Become HAPPY?? I think until that time in my life I never thought if I am happy or not. I sincerely started chanting and reading Sensei’s writings. The more I read the more I liked this practice. I was naturally drawn to the practice as it says exactly what my heart believed from childhood.

2 years back when I came to Gurgaon to join my job I was a novice and was going through some challenges in my life. I didn’t know anyone in the city except Gakkai members.  I was very low in confidence and used to be quiet and feel very low at times. But somewhere deep in my heart I had faith that if I have NMHRK everything will be fine. I made the Gohonzon my friend.  I used to cry in front of the Gohonzon. Gohonzon knows exactly what’s going on in your heart and mind and if you chant the Universe will respond and support you in any struggle or challenge you go through.

Deep down in my heart that feeling of being alone, useless and not worthy was killing me. 

In Nichiren’s Buddhism we believe that in every person there’s a Buddha and we must respect the Buddha nature in others. The biggest slander which I was creating was that I was disregarding my own Buddha nature. I used to ask my leaders what I had done wrong and what Human Revolution did I need to do. The only answer I was given was that it’s your Karma and you only have to change it. I decided to take complete responsibility of my life and to become totally independent in every aspect of life. I increased my daimoku and the study helped me in understanding the practice correctly. 

Sensei says 

“Prayer is the courage to persevere. It is the struggle to overcome our own weakness and lack of confidence in ourselves. It is the act of impressing in the very depths of our being the conviction that we can change the situation without fail.”

I prayed to understand my own life and do my human revolution. I started having gratitude and appreciation for everything in my environment. I took every negative situation to learn and grow and made kosen rufu my goal. In this journey I was given more responsibly in the Gakkai as a deputy block chief. I tried to support my members to the best of my abilities. As my practice and understanding about Nichiren Buddhism grew, my faith in the Gohonzon also became stronger.

Nichiren says 

“A sword is useless in the hands of a coward.

The mighty sword of the Lotus Sutra must be wielded by one courageous in faith. Then one will be as strong as a demon armed with an iron staff.” 

Reading these lines again and again gave me immense courage and power. I could feel the inner growth day by day. I wanted to pursue a regular course from IIT Delhi with my regular job. I decided to apply the strategy of Lotus Sutra and Chanted for the clarity if this course is right for me this time and how would I be able to do this with my job. 

Sensei says, 

“When your determination changes everything will begin to move in the direction you desire. The moment you resolve to be victorious every nerve and fiber in your being will immediately orient itself towards your success”.

Through the power of my faith my manager agreed that I can attend college before work and be in the office a little later.  This course worked as catalyst in getting my confidence back. Since long I wanted to have my own Gohonzon but to afford a house in Gurgaon is not easy. Once again I applied my favourite Gosho “Strategy of Lotus Sutra”. and prayed for a place where my mission lies with all the necessary thing I require.

After exploring whole Gurgaon I didn’t get anything and my tenure was ending soon with my existing Landlord where I was living as PG. I did finalize one deal, packed my stuff and went to my new home. To my surprise the landlord cancelled the deal and returned the advanced money paid. I had no place to stay with all my stuff in my car. A friend and his wife helped me and allowed me to stay with them till I get a new place. During this whole episode I was in high life condition not worried. I was chanting to get an accommodation ASAP. 

As I determined in my mind in 3 days I got a call for an available place. I liked the place and moved the very next day and this place is near to my block so I can still take care of my block. 

Sensei says 

“Nothing can match the strength of those whose lives have been shaped and forged through challenging and overcoming hardships. Such people fear nothing. The purpose of our Buddhist practice is to develop such strength and fortitude. To cultivate such an invincible core is in itself a victory.” 

All the incidents in my life helped in growing a better person than yesterday.

I am happy to report that I got my confidence back with immense courage and strength. As Sensei says, your life should motivate others to practice this Buddhism, two of my friends took up the faith. In the whole journey of my practice I learned a lot about about life and human nature. I truly believe now that Result is a reflection of your faith in the Gohonzon.

I re determine Sensei I will win come what may...and work whole heartedly for Kosen Rufu and grow my block in district and spread this practice through my own life.

Million Daimoku Campaign Update: Expect New Challenges and Negativity - But You Will WIN!

Many of you have joined the Worldwide Million Daimoku Campaign, and it's not too late to join. 
Just set your sights on chanting 300 hours of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, write your goals for yourself and make or download a chart where you fill in the time you are chanting to add up to 300 hours. You can do a search on 
daimokucharts.org and download one for yourself. Or just make one - it doesn't have to be fancy. 
Most SGI members have goals they have set to reach by November 18th. 


It is natural to experience challenges and negativity after starting a Daimoku campaign. Think of it this way. Your regular life is like a plane going slowly down the runway. There's no resistance from the wind. When you start your daimoku campaign you turn the engines on and rev them up for takeoff, and start going faster. 

What happens to the wind resistance? It increases because your speed increases...just like your obstacles increase when you start a million daimoku campaign. 

But remember, those obstacles are EXACTLY what you need to get to the next level of happiness in your life. Remember the Gosho lecture I wrote about last month. You Summoned those obstacles for your own growth and so you can change your karma forever. 
Think of them as another log on the fire! And as long as you keep chanting, as long as you don't stop, you will take off sailing into the sky. Yes the wind resistance will still be there, but so will all the benefits of being able to look down on all your problems that looked so big while you were on the ground, but now look so much smaller from the air. 

And you will be able to soar over those problems and change them all ~ one after another ~ as your new life flies on and on with the wind of daimoku beneath your wings! 

Powerfully Turning Karma into Mission

Every step 

you take forward 

provides the path 

for others to follow  

We have such an opportunity to help others when we realize, truly realize, that we own our present sufferings, and that by embracing them, changing them by intoning the powerful vibration of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and challenging ourselves in assiduous practice and study ~ then we CAN and WILL change our sufferings into benefits for ourselves and others.   

It is truly a glorious mission 

that we have...

that we chose...

that we have the opportunity to challenge every day. 

Of course we can decide not to own our karma. We can keep blaming other people, or blaming the world and blaming our jobs. We can deflect our karma outside of us. If we blame and complain we will never change our lives. Now, if your heart is full of this type of complaint, you probably would not be reading this blog at this moment. No. You are reading this because you are ready to transform your suffering. 

As Guy McCloskey wrote in his article "Overcoming Suffering" published in the Sept-Oct Living Buddhism in 2010 (page 31):

"Although we may think no one else could be suffering to the extent that we are  ~ whether from depression, migraine headaches, cancer, AIDS or any number of other ailments ~ the fact is that there are millions of people with the same level of physical and emotional pain. " 

In the same article McCloskey quotes President Ikeda:

"Our actions in challenging our destiny become examples and inspiration for countless others. 

In other words, when we change our karma into mission, we transform our destiny from playing a negative role to a positive one. Those who change their karma into mission have "voluntarily assumed the appropriate karma." Therefore those who keep advancing, while regarding everything as part of their mission proceed toward the goal of transforming their destiny." (Living Buddhism, August 2003, p.14.

This doesn't mean that we just accept suffering as a state of life without a passion for overcoming it. As Nichiren Buddhists we do not believe in the inherent nobility of suffering, or that we should all become great sufferers. No. The point is to overcome our suffering, and elevate it to a mission, maybe even an honor, maybe even something we can appreciate along the way for helping us forge our brilliant and strong selves. 

That is what I did with my goal to lose weight. Some of you know that I was heavy most of my life, and lost and gained many pounds over the years, but kept a fierce 

Mission Power Prayer: 

I WILL WIN OVER THIS KARMA. I will transform my own suffering into a benefit so that I can show OTHERS THAT THIS PRACTICE WORKS, and that anyone can make the impossible possible.

No matter how long it takes, I will win! 

And I have won. I have transformed in many other ways as I have permanently lost over 50 pounds. I have increased my self esteem and my health has improved. I have strengthened my life force through this prayer. 

In the same article, Guy McCloskey quotes President Ikeda again:

"This is not just a matter of mere outlook. Changing the world starts by changing our fundamental state of mind, which is a key Buddhist principle. A powerful determination to transform even negative karma into mission can dramatically transform the real world. By changing our inner state of mind, we can change any suffering or hardship into a source of joy, regarding it as a means for forging and developing our lives. 

"To turn even sorrow into a source of creativity ~ that is the way of life of a Buddhist. Nichiren Daishonin teaches us this essential path through his own life and actions as the votary of the Lotus Sutra." (June 2005 Living Buddhism, pp. 39-40) 

And Mr. McCloskey concludes:

"If I'm going to suffer anyhow, then I will make it meaningful by transforming my suffering and helping others overcome their suffering." 

Precisely. This is the way of the Buddha, and the way to overcome your suffering and help others overcome theirs. Each of us is a pioneer in this land. We are each noble votaries of the Lotus Sutra. We are each Buddhas with our own missions.  

When you face your Gohonzon every day realize that your mission is deep, grand, and powerful. 

I deeply salute you, my fellow travelers in VICTORY.