What is the Gohonzon?

This is from the SGI-USA.org Website. I am posting this in answer to a question I got today about the Gohonzon. More clarification is in the next post as well:

The Gohonzon is the object of devotion, in the form of a scroll, that practitioners of Nichiren Buddhism enshrine in their homes and is the focal point of their daily practice of morning and evening sutra recitation and chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. (Go means "honorable" and honzon, "object of devotion.")

"This Gohonzon is the essence of the Lotus Sutra and the eye of all the scriptures," Nichiren Daishonin states. "It is like the sun and the moon in the heavens, a great ruler on earth, the heart in a human being, the wish-granting jewel among treasures, and the pillar of a house" ("On Upholding Faith in the Gohonzon," The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 624).

In the center column of the Gohonzon are the characters "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" and under that, "Nichiren," surrounded by various other Chinese and Sanskrit characters that depict historical and mythological Buddhist figures. Together they represent profound philosophical principles and conditions of life.

Like a musical piece or a painting that reflects the life-state of the person who created it, the Gohonzon reflects Nichiren's life-state: Buddhahood. It is not merely a symbol, or something to focus on while chanting. Since it embodies the state of enlightenment, Nichiren's life, it is the actual reality of the Buddha's life. It is the link between the Buddha state within ourselves and in the environment. It is an instrument to see our true potential and use it. Therefore, by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the Gohonzon, we call forth our own Buddhahood, tapping our inherent wisdom, compassion and life force. Gradually, day after day, our own life-state is influenced and strengthened through our daily practice to the Gohonzon.

SGI President Ikeda states, "Just as a mirror is indispensable for putting your face and hair in order, you need a mirror that reveals the depths of your life if you are to lead a happier and more beautiful existence" (My Dear Friends in America, p. 94).

Nichiren cautions: "Never seek this Gohonzon outside yourself. The Gohonzon exists only within the mortal flesh of us ordinary people who embrace the Lotus Sutra and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" ("The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon," WND-1, 832). In other words, our faith and practice make the Gohonzon an external stimulus to awaken our internal life of Buddhahood.

Experience from a Reader

Hi Jamie,

I wish to share an experience with you which happened just yesterday. It was 11:30 am and I was in the middle of my morning gongyo followed by daimoku, when I suddenly heard a big noise outside. It's been raining continuously since the last 3 days in my city so I thought it was probably thunder. However I continued to chant... After a few minutes my helper came running to me saying that the tree in front of our house had been uprooted and it fell right on our building... 
The tree was huge, and I got really worried for a moment. My mother was away from home and father at work. 
But when I went to check, with the protection of the Gohonzon my building was untouched. The tree fell just a few inches away, without damaging any of our windows or the walls. Two trees that had grown on their own right in front of my house held that huge tree for hours and prevented it from falling further till the local corporation people came and removed the tree...

The consequences of this could have been a lot worse, but I am so grateful to the Gohonzon and god for protecting all of us, and all those people who were outside on the street at the time when this incident took place. I chanted in the evening expressing deep gratitude for being so kind to us and looking over us... I thought I must share this with you as well... We realized yesterday, once again how blessed we are and how powerful this practice is :)

(Thank you so much for sending this in! Email your experiences to me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com and encourage others!)

PowerPrayer for Winning No Matter What

Midwest Sunset

PowerPrayer for Winning - No Matter What!

I will win, 
I will WIN
I WILL WIN!
No matter what
by forging my steel-like determination

Each Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
strengthens my life 
and casts away my worries

No matter how daunting 
my situation may become
I will never give in
something deep in my heart has changed.

I will win over________________________________
I will achieve victory in_________________________
I will not give up on___________________________

I will report victory in__________________________

And I will not give up!

I am definitely going to win
I am absolutely going to make it happen!

PowerPrayer for Revealing YOUR Buddhahood - Your Brilliant Sparkling and Powerful Self

PowerPrayer for Revealing 

Your Buddha Nature 

and Appreciating YourSELF

"I chant to reveal the pure, sparkling Diamond

of resilience, strength, wisdom-heart

that lies within me. 

I chant to be more and more aware 

of how wonderful I am every single day. 

that every cause I make, 

at every single moment of every day 

is a great cause for my life, 

and all of life, 

and leads me to see more and more of my Buddha nature. 

I chant that my Buddha Nature emerge 

and flow from my life touching everyone I see. 

I chant that I see my life 

as the brilliant sparkling Diamond that it is. 

I chant that throughout the day 

I say only kind words to myself. 

That I praise myself with my every thought. 

I chant to believe in my own goodness 

and to see it revealed in my actions. 

I pray to realize my life as the Buddha I am.

I chant that those around me 

are inspired to begin chanting, 

or to strengthen their practice 

just by seeing my happiness flow. 

I chant to meet the people 
who are looking for the Mystic Law 

and to be able to help them practice.

Look at this! We ARE the universe and we can solve ALL our problems!

Our eyes, our nebulae!

Buddhist thought holds that we are microcosms of the universe. Science is moving closer to Buddhist thought all the time. This picture really intrigued me. It's just mesmerizing isn't it? And we access the power of the entire universe every time we chant. 

And when we look around our lives we see that our lives actually do reflect how we feel, what we see, and how we experience the world. 

Through chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo (it means: I fuse my life with the mystic law of cause and effect through sound vibration) we can set our entire lives right. 

We can change ANY poison into medicine. 

We can change anything. 

Life is eternal. 

Some things take longer than others, 

I know, we all know. 

But the important thing, as Daisaku Ikeda says, 

is to keep chanting until we DO change it. 

The important thing is to not give up, and to take every challenge and make fresh determinations around it.

As some of you know,  my son Ben is in the hospital. I have been chanting for him for some time. My determination is that he comes out of this experience happier, more fulfilled, and full of faith and hope in the future. I am also determined that this experience bring all members of the family closer and be a catalyst for the happiness of all. I am chanting for each one of the people who is taking care of Ben right now...that somehow through being with him and our family that their lives be filled with hope too. 

ANY experience can be a catalyst for greater happiness when we meet it right in front of the Gohonzon, and don't run from it! The key is to keep chanting for human revolution, doing shakubuku and studying. 

How much Daimoku should you chant? I am chanting two hours a day and I'm so grateful to mySELF for making this happen. 

How much should you chant? It depends on your goals, your state of life, and as you have pointed out - you DO need to sleep! So I say ~ chant as much as you need to keep your life condition elevated! Only you know how long that is. And whatever you do ~ when confronted by obstacles and "problems" meet them head on in front of the Gohonzon and say 

"Life! I summoned this storm and I will USE it to revolutionalize (my word!) MY LIFE! I will use this as fuel for my life and the lives of others! I will prove the power of my life and this practice right here. RIGHT NOW!" 

What Can You Accomplish By Chanting?

What can you accomplish through chanting? 

You can change your problems, your attitude, your basic life tendencies and your karma!

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?

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 just sent my book off yesterday to an agent. I am living the life of my dreams. 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. Readership this blog is getting close to 1,000 a day! Thanl you so much for helping me reach my goal of 50,000 a month by November 18th! 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.

Do You Have a Dream? The Power of the Gohonzon Has No Limits

….Sensei Says - Do You Have A Dream….

“Many of us have some problems that we avoid chanting about, because we are afraid to look at them directly and prefer not to think about them. Others may have dreams locked up in their hearts that they are afraid to admit even to themselves let alone chant for, because they feel they do not deserve to be happy, or because they are afraid of being disappointed should they not succeed in attaining their goal.

Nichiren Daishonin teaches us that the power of the Gohonzon has no limit. It is we who impose limits on it with our doubts and fears. How tragic it would be if, having encountered the Mystic Law, we could not fully enjoy it's benefit because we lacked the courage to pray with all our hearts for what we truly wanted.

Surely nothing would be more bitter than to have to look back over one's life and feel, 'I never accomplished what I really wanted to.'

Nichiren Daishonin, out of his compassion, teaches us how to live so that we will have no regrets. Since we have been fortunate enough to meet the Gohonzon, why don't we place our full trust in it, pray courageously for what we desire and fulfill all our dreams in this lifetime.”

Daisaku Ikeda